Prepared to Drown Team

  • Rev. Bill Weaver

    HOST

    Bill is a Pastoral Care minister in the United Church and an aspiring marathoner … mostly aspiring, occasionally running, frequently questioning his life choices mid-run. His passions include fitness (or at least making peace with it), good food (which complicates the fitness), and helping people through life’s messy, beautiful moments.

  • Rev. Joanne Anquist

    PANELIST

    Joanne is a spiritual refugee and a United Church minister. Her passions include God Talk of any kind, British crime dramas, and kickin’ with fam.

  • Ricardo De Menezes

    PANELIST

    Ricardo is a part-time classical musician and full-time Union thug. His passions include cooking, road trips, movies, and being controlled by his dogs.

Friends and Guests

  • Gian Carlo Carra

    Ward 9 Calgary City Councillor

    Gian-Carlo Carra has been the Ward 9 City Councillor since 2010. He is a professional urban designer, and has a degree in History. He is passionate about community building, disc golf and coaching his son’s soccer team.

    https://www.calgary.ca/council/ward-9/ward-9-bio.html

    You can listen to Gian Carlo on S1: Ep 3.

  • Rev. Tony Snow

    Indigenous Minister - Chinook Winds Region

    Rev. Tony Snow is a member of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. He grew up on Treaty No. 7 land at Mînî Thnî, Alberta, where his father Dr. Rev. Chief John Snow Sr. attended the Morley Indian Residential School. Tony is a Day School Survivor. As a Traditional Knowledge Keeper, minister and consultant, Tony has worked for decades in public engagement and government relations, bringing awareness and healing to communities of faith and Indigenous peoples, as a continuation of his father’s and grandfather’s work.

    https://chinookwindsregion.ca/indigenous-ministries/

    You can listen to Tony on S1: Ep 4.

  • Diana Wark

    Training Centre Facilitator - Centre for Sexuality

    Diana is a Registered Social Worker with over 25 years of front-line experience working with diverse populations including sexually exploited children and youth, sex workers, persons with disabilities, older adults, parents, natural supports and LGBTQ2S+ community. She is a passionate facilitator that strives to create lively and transformative learning environments for communities and professionals.

    https://www.centreforsexuality.ca/

    You can listen to Diana on S1: Ep 5.

  • Jess Andrews

    Campus Minister - Campus United

    Jess’ influential life experiences include working as a nurse in Ghana and with a Little Red River Cree community in northern Alberta, 11 years in outdoor education, pastoring a 2SLGBTQ+ affirming Christian church, and completing hermaster's degree in psychotherapy and spiritual care. She is currently bi-vocational, splitting her work time between Campus United (UCC campus ministry) at the U of C and MRU as well as working at Eckert Psychology as a Certified Canadian Counsellor. She has been married for 20 years and loves reading, dancing alone in her bedroom, chocolate chip cookies, and flowy downhills on her mountain bike! You might encounter her cheering wildly at one of her kids' soccer match!

    https://campusunited.ca/mount-royal-university

    https://campusunited.ca/university-of-calgary

    You can listen to Jess on S1: Ep 5.

  • Bertrand Bickersteth

    Bertrand Bickersteth is the 2024-2025 Writer in Residence for Athabasca University. His work explores the question of what it means to be Black and from the Prairies. His collection of poetry, The Response of Weeds, was the recipient of multiple awards.  His writing has appeared in many places including Geist, Prairie Fire, The Walrus, The Sprawl, and CBC’s Black on the Prairies. His current project features the history of Black cowboys in western Canada. He lives in Moh’kins’tsis (Calgary) and teaches at Olds College.

    https://www.bertrandbickersteth.com/

    You can see Bertand live at our recording of S1: Ep 6 on Friday March 21, 2025.