Matthew Gulenchyn

I love researching, developing, and delivering content through presentation or the writing of material that is aimed at the health of the communities that I serve. My service has taken some serious turns in the past few years. I have worked as a community support worker and vocational counsellor for those with (dis)abilities, but also as a pastor and ministry leader for a Baptist Church. I am currently pursuing my bachelor of social work at Douglas and hope to be finished by the summer of 2024.

My most recent work experience was serving as a pastor and ministry leader at Renew Church in Surrey, BC from the April 2022 to January 1, 2023. I served to preach, help with the youth ministry, practiced and performed with a Sunday morning music band, and lead some small groups. 

Before that, I worked as a vocational counsellor at Delta Community Living Society from May 2021 - August 2021 where I led a group of five (dis)abled individuals in a work experience course to help them in their journey to find work and participate in work experiences. 

From October 2019 to September 2020, I was working as a community support worker for a day program supporting individuals with (dis)abilities get access to the community and work on their goals. 

Before I started in social services I was interning at a variety of churches and doing construction labour. In 2012, I went with a church group to visit an Indigenous nation on the west coast of the Vancouver Island called Kyuquot where I helped to facilitate a child care club and got the privilege of meeting the members of this community. 

Since 2020, I have been studying at Douglas College to complete a bachelor degree in social work. I hope to be finished by summer of 2024. The degree has taught me skills in counselling, research, critical reflection, and much more in the context of working with a variety of populations (substance users, child and family, mental health clients, Indigenous people, seniors, and so on). 

From 2010 to 2018, I studied at Pacific Life Bible College and finished the Bachelor of Pastoral Ministry.