About Us

Blessings,

My name is Wendy Kennedy (nee: Mitchell).

 I have been coming to Kedron for most of my life. I grew up in North Oshawa and Kedron has always been my Church. I attended Sunday School, joined the Junior Choir and then the adult Choir, was involved in Brownies and the youth group. After I was married and had children, I became involved in the Sunday School by teaching for close to 20 years. Feeling I needed a change, I joined the Council as the secretary and then accepted the position of Clerk of Session. I assumed the position of Church secretary and “go to person”, answer the phone and dealt with correspondence while we were between ministers.  We were lucky to find a minister quickly and my position changed from temporary secretary to administrative assistant to our new Minister.  I have also filled in during holiday time and lead our Sunday Worship Services. I enjoy my position and am glad that the Kedron congregation has faith in me to look after the administrative duties of our Church.

I have been the Music Director at Kedron United Church in Oshawa since March 22nd

2020, which means that my first service was streamed live online due to the COVID-19

pandemic. I can’t say that was how I imagined my job would be when I was first

interviewing for this position, but I got to see just how driven this church is to keep its

community engaged and together during a time of isolation, and fear.

I grew up at Thornhill United Church, where I developed a love for sharing music. I was

influenced greatly by my Mother who plays piano and enjoys singing in choirs, and my

Father who was ordained as a United Church minister in 2005. After that we went to

Trinity United Church in Malton where my Dad was minister, and my Mom was music

director. My sister and I sang in the choir, and performed solos at various concerts and

special occasions.

Later I went on to study music at York University where I started studying classical

music on trumpet for two years before switching to jazz piano for the last three years. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2016, but during the time I was at school I also kept busy performing in various musical theatre productions in Toronto and around the world to pursue my second passion in life: acting. I have had amazing opportunities to perform in the Middle East, China, France, South Africa, 

and all over Canada.

Despite some exciting adventures around the world, I am always happier at home

among friends and family, and so I endeavored to focus on opportunities closer to home. I currently teach many students of all ages both privately and through a school in Toronto called Stay At Home Music, and when the opportunity came up here in Oshawa and I met the team that I work with now, it felt like a great fit.

In a time of quarantine there are naturally lots of feelings of anxiety, grief, and

restlessness. I have been so grateful to provide music to the services at Kedron United, which has been adapting to provide comfort in new ways for the new world we find ourselves in, which is what I think the United Church is all about. My spirits have been lifted so much by the kind words I see on the live stream every week, and the sense of community that the service brings. I look forward to being a part of what this church will continue to provide for its community.

Andrew Ball