Meet our staff
Judith Hardcastle
MINISTER
Committed to transformational ministry, Judith Hardcastle believes the Spirit of God is at work everywhere. She believes that amazing things can happen when people from diverse backgrounds and groups work together to make the world a better place.
Judith was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario where she attended Sunday school at Riverside United Church and slept through some seriously boring sermons in her teenage years. Somewhere along her journey of faith, she discovered that loving God and following Jesus is a joyous, life-long affair.
She has always been proud of The United Church of Canada’s commitment to justice.
Thomas Merton, the 20th century Trappist monk and writer, significantly influenced Judith’s faith formation. As Program Director of the Thomas Merton Society of Canada, Judith leads retreats, workshops and pilgrimage programs on Merton’s life and thought.
Judith served at St. Andrew’s United Church in Golden, BC, in the Canadian Rockies for nearly four years before returning to the Lower Mainland in 2012 to join the ministry team at St. Andrew’s United Church in North Vancouver.
The Band
Andrew Wilson
Music Director (drums, vocals)
Andrew has been studying music from a very young age, starting with the piano when he was 5 years old. He has been singing at St. Andrew’s United since 2012. After graduating from Capilano University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies, Andrew has been performing and recording with his rock band Sleepcircle. He also plays in an alternative/Indie folk group with Alex Scott called Fake Cascade.
Michael Creber
(Piano)
Michael is a pianist, film and tv composer and a Grammy-nominated producer. He has recorded and toured with dozens of artists including the Irish Rovers, Raffi, and kd lang, and has accompanied gospel choirs for many years, including Universal Gospel Choir and City Soul Choir.
Michael is honoured to be a part of the lovely musical family at St. Andrew’s.
Chad Galpin
(bass)
Steeped in music from a young age, Chad is a multi-instrumentalist with a passion for performing and teaching. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Capilano University, and can be seen performing all over Vancouver in a variety of musical groups and settings. When not playing music, he can often be found hiking and biking around Vancouver.
Karen White
(vocals)
Karen has been involved in many different types of music ever since she started piano lessons at 3 years old. She graduated from Capilano University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and currently works as a private music instructor for both piano and voice. She is the lead vocalist and a songwriter for the indie-soul band Earth Tones. You can also find Karen performing in different jazz and contemporary groups all around the Vancouver area.
Staff
Sarah
Higgins
Communications Coordinator
Susan
Cowan
Event Coordinator
Jason
Feng
Office Administrator
Laurie-Anne
Bourdon
Community Outreach Coordinator
