Reverend Jeffrey Dale

I am Reverend Jeffrey Dale, and today I am the minister at College Street United Church in downtown Toronto. At one time, I used illicit substances. In my twenties, I had surgery on my neck and was given heavy duty pain medication. When that prescription ran out, I found myself needing more. I went to a dealer, whose name a friend gave me, to get them. At the time, I didn’t see myself as addicted. I had rules about when I would take the pills and thought I didn’t need them, but rather saw it as helping me to sleep and navigate the world. During this time I maxed out my credit cards and started missing rent payments. It wasn’t until 2017, when I was sitting in the Barrie City Council Chamber listening to the Deputy Director of Public Health present on Safe Consumption Sites and Harm Reduction when I was able to recognize and reflect on that time in my life.

Being in ministry in the church, I often found it difficult to talk about this time of my life. So often we jump in the church to stigma and marginalization of people who use substances. So often, especially when we don’t understand the experience, we may say something or do something that signifies negation. Yet, what I began to realize was that the narratives of the Bible are all about harm reduction. Whether it be Rahab, the Sex Worker who sought to reduce harm for the Israelite spies and her family or Esther who exposed her identity in order to reduce the harm to her people. The Bible, in many ways, became my example after example for how we might seek to be a church of harm reduction.

After I began to speak out about harm reduction and engagement with people who use drugs, I found out that behind my back some colleagues had labeled me as ‘The Minister of Drugs’. I loved the title. Today, in many ways, I wear that title like a badge of honour. 

We find ourselves, especially in this time as SCSs are closing around us, finding that we are called to put it all on the line. To live loudly and boldly our call to harm reduction in order that we might ensure that lives are not lost. We have lamented the loss of so many friends and loved ones already due to the toxic drug crisis, and so I find my hope in community resilience and care.

Thank you for your continued support.