about

My name is David Hayward, and I am a pastor of a Vineyard Church in Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada. I have a couple of masters in divinity, theology and ministry, as well as other degrees. But I am also a musician, an artist and an aspiring writer. My interests are so broad that I just can’t name them all. I am a husband of a beautiful and amazing woman named Lisa, and the father of three fantastic children, 23, 21 and 17. I love the outdoors. I love space. I love freedom. I love minimalism and simplicity. I want to be a person of integrity so that my spirituality is manifested in my art and everything I do.

I have been a pastor for about 25 years. I was ordained under the Presbyterian Church in Canada, but in 1995 I left that denomination and came to the church I pastor now. I was asked the year after we moved here to take over the church by the previous pastor. I did. One year later, in 1997, the church went through a horrendous split where we lost over half the people. In 2002 we were invited to plant a church by an international ministry in New Hampshire. We did. It didn’t turn out well, although the church is still there. I came back and eventually resumed pastoring Rothesay Vineyard again. I’m still here!

Even though I believe the church is important, as well as any spiritual kind of community, I think the pain and suffering the church causes must be challenged. I think the church, like any other institution or corporation, can become possessed by the principalities and powers and enslave people. I feel a personal responsibility to resist this phenomenon personally and publicly because I have been a victim of it myself, conspired with it myself, and witnessed the destruction it causes.

Although I chose religion, theology, and spirituality as my desired course of study, I have been an independent student of the arts since childhood. While I experiment with different media, early on I became fascinated with the challenging and mystical qualities of watercolor and ink on paper. It has become my favorite medium of artistic expression. Contour, shape and conceptual representation through sculpture has also captivated my creative impulses. Many discern that my spirituality is manifested through my contemplative creations.

Thanks for visiting my site, and I hope you come back… again and again. I dare you to tell your friends!