April 19, 2023
The BA Blog
As a productive year for the BA comes to a close, we’re expressing gratitude for our loved friend and colleague Janiva Toler. Janiva passed away in April, and while she is greatly missed, we are filled with a deep sense of love for her service to the BA as Chief Executive Officer. Those who knew her well will tell you of her wonderful sense of wit and childlikeness, and also of her serious commitment to Church and Christian Science.
Janiva’s love for God and man was readily seen in her faithful work in guiding the mission of the BA to support Christian Science healing. In addition to her 21 years at the BA as CEO, Janiva devoted decades of her life to serving the Cause of Christian Science, especially in the field of Christian Science nursing. Before coming to the BA, she served as Executive Director of Lynn House in Virginia for seven years, followed by another seven years as Executive Director at The Leaves in Texas. Her devotion to Christian Science nursing has been, and will continue to be, a beacon of inspiration and guidance to many.
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Thank you, Janiva!
You helped open the way for me into Christian Science Nursing at The Leaves, 1994.
Thank you for helping so many, Thank you for your Love and dedication to Christian Science.
JLN, Retired
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Blessings to Janiva, who informed us how best to utilize Medicare maintaining our reliance upon God, Christian Science, and sharing with one another. Thanks for including these lovely photos of her charm, wit, joy, and dominion - what a blessing she was to CSBA and all of us.
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Thank you for this tribute to dear Janiva! She was indeed a much loved colleague and friend for many years to many people in the field of Christian Science nursing. I loved working with her, no matter what the issues, solving problems through prayer and action for many years. Although I know all her lovely characteristics and qualities continue with her, in eternal life with our heavenly Father Mother God, I will miss her smile, her sweet wit, and her intelligent sense of humor the most.
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I worked with Janiva at Lynn House when we were building a new building . I turned to her frequently as I was responsible for raising the necessary funds. Janiva always had thoughts and ideas. She had the ability to assess the facts and continually came up with suggestions and recommendations for me. I couldn’t have done my job without her.
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I never met Janiva, but enjoyed corresponding with her from time to time in recent years. I had the enjoyable pleasure of working in the Grounds Department of the BA in summers of 1962 & 1963 and enjoyed my experience thoroughly and shared many warm memories of those earlier years at the BA with Janiva. The good feelings still abound!
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What Jule wrote (above) expresses how I feel about Janiva.
Many years ago, Janiva kindly read and responded to a long letter I addressed to her asking that she encourage the chef to add more vegan options to the menu. (I had been at the BA for a couple of weeks with my mom, who received wonderfully compassionate and skilled care from all the Christian Science nurses.) In the ensuing years, I noticed that more scrumptious plant-based items were indeed being made from scratch in the kitchen. At one point I sent a thank you note to Janiva and Chef Mark. She responded with joy and appreciation: “Thanks for being in touch and especially on a subject you care so much about! So glad you can see the progress.”
The BA can’t help but continue to make progress in all aspects of its spiritual mission. And Janiva can’t help but continue to make progress in all aspects of her ongoing life in Spirit. After all, as our dear Leader assures us, “… progress is the law of God” (SH 233).
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