Very Rev. Lois Wilson, a trailblazing leader whose life was marked by humility, service and a deep commitment to human rights, has died. She was 97.

At an event this past February to launch the book For the Sake of the Common Good: Essays in Honour of Lois Wilson, she reflected on her decades of work for unity and justice, and spoke of her lifelong belief in collective action. “I hope that this helps unite us and spurs us on to do some things together. It is obvious that I didn’t do anything on my own. It was always with other people. And you won’t get anywhere if you’re on your own… we need to remember that,” the CBC reported.

A former Canadian senator and an advocate for ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, Wilson always credited the influence of the Holy Spirit and those around her for her life’s work. “Whether people do or don’t have a faith, the question is, what can we do together?” she reflected in a 2022 interview with Broadview. Wilson’s roots in her Christian faith and belief in the power of community were the hallmarks of her extraordinary career, one that brought people together in the pursuit of peace and the common good.

Moving seamlessly from the pulpit to the streets, she approached her vocation with vigour. Her daughter, Jean Wilson, says her mother never sought power or prestige; for her, it was always about sharing the work. “She lived her faith; it was faith in action always,” she says.

Wilson was the first woman to serve as moderator of The United Church of Canada, a role in which she championed social justice on the global stage. A trailblazer in both Canadian religious and political life until her death in Fredericton on Sept. 13, Wilson brought her deep faith and spiritual practice to her lifelong commitment to progressive theology and politics. Her decades-long ministry transcended borders and denominations, leaving an indelible mark on Canada’s ethical landscape. 

Born Lois Miriam Freeman on April 8, 1927, in Winnipeg, Wilson grew up in a world of contrasts: her family grounded her in progressive values amid a conservative cultural backdrop. Her father, Rev. E.G.D. (Gard) Freeman, a Presbyterian minister who became a United Church minister after church union and a professor and dean of theology at United College in Winnipeg, taught Wilson the social gospel belief that God’s will was to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Her mother, Ada Freeman, was a teacher who fostered in her a spirit of service and a curiosity that would define her life. Wilson later credited her parents with nurturing her awareness of the world’s inequalities, fostering her love of Creation through canoe trips, and instilling in her the conviction that faith must be lived out in action.

Wilson’s journey into ministry began in an era when few women appeared in the pulpit. After earning her bachelor of arts at United College in Winnipeg, where she joined the Student Christian Movement, and attending Union Theological Seminary in New York, Wilson was ordained in 1965 at a time when the United Church was still debating the role of women in church leadership. She went on to break the ultimate stained-glass ceiling in 1980 when she was elected the 28th moderator of The United Church of Canada, the first woman to hold that post. 

“She took women seriously as leaders,” reflects former moderator Mardi Tindal. “She was very encouraging to women in leadership, young people and those with marginalized racial identities,” she says.

During her term as moderator from 1980 to 1982, Wilson brought an unprecedented focus on peace, environmental stewardship and human rights. Her leadership style was confident yet collaborative and informed by her belief that faith communities should be at the forefront of social change. To that end, Wilson led the United Church into deeper conversations about nuclear disarmament, gender equality and the elimination of poverty, both at home and abroad.

At the heart of Wilson’s ministry was a commitment to environmental advocacy, flanked by a theological understanding of creation as sacred. Wilson was active on an environmental assessment panel for Canadian nuclear fuel management from 1989 to 1996. She called for an economy that spurned limitless accumulation and growth while urging political action on climate change. 

Wilson’s influence extended beyond Canada’s borders. Wilson served as president of the World Council of Churches for the region of North America, the first Canadian to hold such a position, and her involvement with the global ecumenical movement took her around the globe. Whether speaking out against apartheid in South Africa or spearheading a delegation to North Korea to commence diplomatic relations, Wilson confronted the injustices she saw. 

More on Broadview:

• The United Church’s first female moderator on what she is and isn’t proud of
• Retired senator, 94, joins national church vigil for basic income
• Lois Wilson was once known as ‘the church lady’ in the Senate

After completing her term as moderator, Wilson continued to serve as a powerful voice for justice and inclusion. “She had no doubt that our collective faith was robust enough for the public square,” says Tindal. In 1998, Wilson was appointed to the Canadian Senate, where she served as an independent voice until 2002. Her time in the Senate mirrored her work in the church — always focused on the marginalized and advocating for peace and human rights.

In her later years, Wilson remained active, writing, learning and lecturing about theology well into her 90s.  “Lois never, at any age, seemed comfortable standing still — or seeing the church stand still. And that’s one of the things we loved her for,” reflects Tindal, pointing to Wilson’s recent advocacy for a guaranteed livable income. In a statement, The United Church of Canada said that “Her faith drove her actions, and she remained involved in the work of the Church right to the end.”

“In our country, in our denomination, in my ministry — indeed in my childhood home — The Very Rev. Lois Wilson was regarded as a force of nature for her leadership and commitment to loving service,” says the Right Rev. Carmen Lansdowne, current moderator, in an emailed statement. “She embodied the very best of The United Church of Canada’s call and vision to be a church of deep spirituality, bold discipleship, and daring justice. Her commitment to justice was unwavering, and her ability to think critically about how we could advance the causes of peace, justice and care for all of God’s created order will be the continued legacy of her faithful life and inspiring witness in the name of the triune God she served so well.”

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As Wilson was ailing in a Fredericton hospital, former moderator Very Rev. Peter Short visited her daily, often reading scripture together. “She was comforted and inspired by the Psalms,” he says. “Softly she spoke the words as I read the text, always from the King James because she so loved the language.”  

On what would be her final morning, they read Psalm 139, Wilson speaking the final verses along with him: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

“She died with courage, grace, strength, gratitude — so much gratitude for what she said was her glorious life — and with deep faith,” says Jean Wilson.

Wilson’s death marks the passing of an era in both the denomination and Canadian society. But her legacy lives on, not only in the countless individuals she mentored and guided, but also in the broader institutions and movements she helped shape.

Wilson is survived by her four children, 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, as well as a wide circle of friends and colleagues. Her indomitable spirit of courage and determination will continue to serve as a prophetic reminder to build the Kingdom of God right here on earth.

Julie McGonegal is a writer in Elora, Ont.

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