About Us

Mark became St. Peter’s pastor in 2009 and the dress code at church has never been the same.

A diversity-focused leader who is open to all faiths, belief systems and religions, Pastor Mark enjoys working with, and serving alongside, a diverse population. Throughout his role as a pastor, he has grown to fully appreciate the church’s storied history and his privilege in standing on the shoulders of a great cloud of witnesses. Pastor Mark is a firm believer that a spiritually rich tradition can empower us to do bold things, rather than weigh us down. The phrase “there’s a strong sense of possibility brewing” embodies a posture that is continually present in his work and life.

As an active participant in the Christian tradition, Pastor Mark has great respect for ecumenism and especially communities that can hold space for people to explore spirituality on their own terms within the safe context of community. He remains committed to the learning surrounding, and challenging work of, truth and reconciliation, anti-racism, LGBTQIA2S+ inclusion, and social justice, and is passionate about advocacy.

During his PhD in Human Relationships (Pastoral Leadership) at Martin Luther University College/Wilfrid Laurier University, Pastor Mark published a journal article about social media and othering in Consensus: A Canadian Journal of Public Theology. His dissertation explored the impact of social media on the religious and spiritual beliefs of emerging adults.

When Pastor Mark isn’t thinking “church”, he’s enjoying time with his family; his wife Karen, his sons Joshua and Caleb and his daughter Rachel. Their favourite getaways involve water, snow and the local coffee shop. An Eiffel Tower would be a major bonus.

Vladimir Soloviev is a Toronto-based pianist and vocal coach whose performances around the globe include appearances at Carnegie Hall and Bohemian National Hall in New York. Vlad has won the Pattison Piano Competition and the London Scholarship Foundation Competition, and the Concerto Competition at Western University. He completed his studies at the University of Western Ontario, Eastman School of Music, Mannes College, and The UofT Opera School.

Vlad currently holds the position of a repetiteur at the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio. Apart from this work, Vlad has coached at the Classical Lyric Arts Opera Studio, Highlands Opera Studio, UofT Opera School, and the Toronto Summer Music Festival. Vlad remains active as an organist and choral conductor, holding the positions of Music Director at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Kitchener, and Assistant Conductor at the Mississauga Festival Choir.

An avid traveler, Vlad has toured around the globe in performance and competition, but also for pleasure — he loves exposing himself to cultures of the world, particularly through museum visits and sampling of local wine. Outside of opera, Vlad holds a deep love of Beethoven’s piano compositions and bad British TV (Vlad believes that “Taskmaster” is an accurate and poignant commentary on the human enterprise). A former lover of philosophy, Vlad has recently finished the 11-volume A History of Philosophy by Frederick Copleston. Vlad is looking forward to never reading again.

Peter Nikiforuk is a native of Brantford, Ontario. The recipient of numerous prizes and scholarships, in 1993, Peter was awarded the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in organ from Yale University. He also studied at the University of Toronto and the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. Dr. Nikiforuk was Director of Music at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Kitchener from 1989-2022 and was named Director of Music Emeritus upon his retirement. He has been an instructor of piano and music theory at the Laurier Academy of Music and Art (former The Beckett School) since 2000 and was Executive Director of the Royal Canadian College of Organists from 1989-2000. He is an examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music and the RCCO. Equally prominent as a choral conductor, Peter won the prestigious Leslie Bell Prize in Choral Conducting in 1996. He conducted Menno Singers from 1998-2017. In June 2009, Dr. Nikiforuk was honoured for his contributions to Kitchener-Waterloo by the Laurier Centre for Music in the Community. In 2019, Peter became an Associate of the American Guild of Organists. He was National President of the Royal Canadian College of Organists from 2020-2022 and was recently named Chief Examiner of the RCCO.