Canadian Baptist Ministries is sponsoring a conference on First Nations ministry in Mississauga, Ontario on April 4-5. All members of the Canadian Baptist family who sense God leading you and your church into a more significant relationship with Aboriginal people and communities are invited to attend.
The New Paths: Canadian Baptist Indigenous Peoples Ministry Conference will be held at Lorne Park Baptist in Mississauga April 4-5. The conference is being planned in response to God’s leading Canadian Baptists to more positively engage with Canada’s indigenous peoples – First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Come and be inspired and challenged through the plenary speakers, workshops, worship and sharing.
Among the presenters will be Terry LeBlanc, a First Nations leader involved in the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS) which trains First Nations leaders in theology and My People International, which provides mentoring, healing and leadership training to aboriginal people.
Cheryl Bear, an award-winning aboriginal singer and speaker from the Nadleh Whut’en First Nation (Bear Clan) in the Carrier Nation located in northern British Columbia will lead worship She has worked with Indigenous people across Canada, the United States and in over 20 countries of the world raising awareness of the value and uniqueness of our Indigenous people and our culture.
Chief Stan Beardy, of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) who is the Ontario Regional Chief, will also speak. He will be joined by other native Christian leaders in telling of God’s doings among indigenous people (Canada’s youngest and fastest growing demographic).
Rev. Mark Buchanan, Senior Pastor of New Life Community Church in Duncan, BC for 17 years and now an Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Ambrose University College in Calgary, will speak and will be joined by other non-native leaders to share how they are reaching out to First Nations communities across Canada.
There will be workshops on culture, language, urban and rural realities and opportunities, worldview and the environment, integral mission, contextualization, culturally authentic worship and discipleship. The conference will be an opportunity to network, hear stories, tell stories, learn, vision and worship together.
New Paths will take place April 4-5 at Lorne Park Baptist Church, 1500 Indian Road, Mississauga, ON. It will run from 10 am Friday to 4:30 pm Saturday. The $50 registration fee covers 3 meals and helps with conference costs. Transportation and accommodation are not covered.
Contact Paul Carline, the Director of Inter-Cultural Ministries for Canadian Baptist Ministries for more information at Paul.Carline@baptist-atlantic.ca.