Jeff Rock
Jeff Rock is a Canadian clergyman, who will succeed Brent Hawkes as the pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto in fall 2017.[1]
Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, he came out as gay in high school.[2] He studied microbiology and immunology at McGill University, initially with the career goal of becoming an HIV/AIDS researcher, although he decided during his studies that he instead wanted to become a minister.[2] After completing his seminary studies, he became the pastor of Gaetz Memorial United Church in Red Deer, Alberta,[3] where he worked with organizations such as the Central Alberta AIDS Network, the local Truth and Reconcilaition Commission, the Urban Aboriginal Voices Society and the Red Deer Interfaith Network.[1] He ran as a Liberal Party of Canada candidate for the electoral district of Red Deer—Lacombe in the 2015 election, against incumbent MP Blaine Calkins.[4]
He gave his first sermon to Toronto's MCC congregation on July 9, 2017, at a service dedicated to the memory of former Toronto City Councillor Pam McConnell.[4] He will officially succeed Hawkes on October 1.[4]
Electoral record
| Canadian federal election, 2015 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Blaine Calkins | 43,599 | 70.71 | -6.72 | $75,006.35 | |||
| Liberal | Jeff Rock | 9,235 | 14.98 | +11.41 | $16,605.92 | |||
| New Democratic | Doug Hart | 7,055 | 11.44 | -2.85 | $5,541.40 | |||
| Green | Les Kuzyk | 1,773 | 2.88 | -1.84 | – | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 61,662 | 100.00 | $224,841.10 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 176 | 0.28 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 61,838 | 71.40 | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 86,609 | |||||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -9.07 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[5][6] | ||||||||
References
- 1 2 "Rev. Jeff Rock to lead Toronto LGBTQ congregation". RDNews Now, July 13, 2017.
- 1 2 "Meet Jeff Rock, the scientist who became a Toronto pastor". The Globe and Mail, July 14, 2017.
- ↑ "Local church embraces LGBTQ community". Red Deer Advocate, March 24, 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Rock moves on to take up new ministry in Toronto". Red Deer Advocate, July 14, 2017.
- ↑ "October 19, 2015 Election Results — Red Deer—Lacombe (Validated results)". Elections Canada. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates