Credentials

The Clergy Support Memorial Church Board was in full agreement to certify the Rev Sherrie Bushen to the office of Appointed Designated Minister – Pastoral Care on January 21, 2025.

Rev Sherrie has been in ministry since 1992 and previously served with CSMC from 2007 to 2014. We are fortunate she has returned and is now able to offer her extensive experience in ceremonial services as well as counselling. The quality of her pastoral care and dedication to others is to be admired and recognized.

Educational Achievements

• Canadian Ministers Institute courses in Baptism, Wedding and Funeral rites, 2025
• Bachelor of Arts with a major in Religious Studies and Psychology (Acadia), 1988
• Master of Education with a specialization in Counselling (Acadia), 1995
• Master of Divinity (Acadia), 1991

Counselling services

Rev Sherrie has worked in the area of Competency Based Management for the past 30 years. This included assisting individuals through career counselling and career development. She completed many assessments on individuals looking to enter the workforce through competitive processes.

Pastoral care services

Sherrie believes in kindness, and it costs nothing to bestow on others. She is a good listener and will readily modify the various types of ceremonial services to suit the needs of family and friends.

She appreciates a wedding ceremony serves as a public declaration and celebration of a couples love and commitment to each other, marking the beginning of their married life together. Sherrie has had the pleasure of marrying straight and gay couples-from near and far. A gay couple from Australia made their way to Nova Scotia to be married in God’s eyes and to make a commitment to each other. It is still illegal for same sex marriages in Australia. Many of Sherrie’s weddings have taken place in wineries, in decorated hotels, and in the backyard of family homes.

Often families request a baptism, and Sherrie honours this Christian rite of passage involving the use of flowing water to symbolize initiation into the Christian community. Sherrie herself was baptized at the age of understanding of what it meant to follow Christ. Many religions baptize infants providing the opportunity for parents to commit to the well-being and raising of their child in a healthy home supported by love and a foundation within the Christian church. Some receive baptism as adults whereby a person is publicly declaring their faith. Baptism is a sacrament and a ritual that she has had the wonderful opportunity of performing in lakes, in churches, and in family homes.

During her tenure as a minister, she has performed many funerals and her heart breaks with those who grieve. She has had extensive experience dealing with grief and assisting loved ones plan a funeral. Unfortunately, she has had much loss within her own family and with loved ones. Whether death of your loved one came by suicide, cancer, car accident, old age, or MAID, Sherrie has sat and held the hands of those who mourned. It is a privilege to share words of comfort during difficult times. Services for End of Life celebrations can be performed at funeral homes, senior’s homes, at a gravesite, or down by the water edge.

Closing words

Sherrie has always said that she is a “Jack of all trades and a master of none”. She loves to golf (although not well); she is quite the handyman (woman) and has completed all kinds of renovations but will not tackle plumbing (she learned the hard way); enjoys aquafit but is not a great swimmer; spends many hours in her kayak with her two Schnoodles Charley and Emma. Emma is a fanatical swimmer, Charley hates it. Sherrie is presently in a Book Club and enjoys reading all different genres – from Lesley Crewe to James Patterson. Her hobbies also include her friends which span decades of old friends to new friendships.