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With insurmountable appreciation for the emergency workers he has served over the years, Gerry McMillan is retiring from his position as chaplain with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
McMillan supported the members of the RCMP as chaplain for 27 years and the OPP for 22 years.
“From being a chaplain, I have learned so much,” he said about working with others and learning from many perspectives and experiences.
He highlighted some of these experiences that have taken him across the province and the country. He expressed a genuine concern for the people who respond to emergencies, as well as their families.
He recalls how he was honoured to march with the officers in the District of Columbia after the events of 9/11 to honour the fallen.
“In 1998, I was involved with the people (affected by) a plane crash in Halifax,” he explained.
He spoke of the effects on the RCMP and the families who lost loved ones and how, from the start of being a chaplain, he has travelled across provinces to offer support where needed through an interconnected community of diverse individuals.
To be a police chaplain, “you need compassion, passion and care.” That is the advice he offers others along the same path.
A heartfelt thank you to Reverend Gerald (Gerry) McMillan, who has graciously served as Chaplain to the Ontario Provincial Police for 22 years, including five years as the Provincial Lead Chaplain. Throughout his tenure, Gerry has dedicated his time to visiting detachments and… pic.twitter.com/2Z0lXfiK06
— Thomas Carrique (@OPPCommissioner) September 6, 2024
He describes the role of chaplain as being helpful in any number of ways while also needing to “realize our limitations and what we can do.”
“It’s a calling,” McMillan said, expressing the importance of gratitude toward the work done by law enforcement.
He recalled being humbled after an officer expressed the trust McMillan gained within their community.
“They deal with so many situations,” he said of the many individuals he has supported.
“As an outsider, they took me in … My relationship is not over; I’ll be with them until I leave this world.”
Orillia's Aaron Sheedy, a long-term friend and RCMP associate, knows the complexity and importance of McMillan’s work.
“He brought a level of dignity and context to whatever was going on,” said Sheedy, who encountered McMillan through the RCMP, as well as the Georgian Critical Incident Stress Management Team and a lifeguard program 20 years ago.
Sheedy remembers a parade in Orillia that recognized OPP, RCMP and veterans, travelling from the post office to the Royal Canadian Legion downtown. McMillan was a key part of the event.
“He brings people and events together. It’s what he does — a mixture of people and history done sensitively,” said Sheedy.
For Sheedy, McMillan’s legacy will be “his ability to bring meaning to RCMP history while supporting the people.”
He descries the chaplain as a living example, that knowing him offers one an amount of wisdom to learn from.
As someone who has been involved with people from many walks of life, McMillan recognizes how chaplaincy has evolved and will continue to do so in the future. He describes how those across numerous faiths work together to help one another. There is growing support for female chaplains as well, he said.
What McMillan will miss the most in his retirement is “the organizations, the people, the men and women of our law enforcement, hospitals, EMS — they’re good people who I have so much love for.”
“We need to stand behind our officers,” he said. “Every day, they are risking their lives and keeping us from harm.”
After all his years of service, McMillan, 74, is looking forward to spending more time with his family, including his grandchildren, and reading.
“I love to read,” he said, noting he keeps a list of theological and historical works.
What is his next literary adventure? The Good Allies, by Tim Cook, which demonstrates his passion for history and biographies.
“I hope he keeps posting his finds on Facebook,” Sheedy said, recognizing the chaplain’s historical interests.
Despite his retirement, McMillan will be in the RCMP Veterans’ Association and will continue as padre with the Royal Canadian Legion in Orillia.
“From being a chaplain, I have learned so much working with the ministers and others, people of different faiths. I have grown so much even in my faith working with others,” he said.
