We have talked with enthusiasm about our new name for the denomination. We have waxed eloquently about Assembly 2007 and we are deeply thankful to God for our time in Banff. The following are a list of out new Board members. If you wish to contact any of them, please call Lisa Shierman in Calgary at 1800 820 2479 and she will navigate a correspondence.
CANADIAN BAPTISTS OF WESTERN CANADA BOARD MEMBERS
Elected
President: Beth Millard
Vice-President of Planning: David Simpson
Vice-President of Personnel & Program: Pat Flaten
Vice-President of Finance: David Connop
MEMBERS NOMINATED BY AREAS
Albert
Jan Paasuke
Tim Kerber (Moderator)
Brian Lum
British Columbia
Glenn Rabuka (Moderator)
Judy Sears
Wayne Morgan
Heartland
Debra-Jean Moore (Moderator)
Devin Seghers (Vice-Moderator)
Mary Stuber-Doerksen
Baptist Women’s President: Heather Thomson
Executive Staff / Advisory
Executive Minister, Rev. Jeremy Bell
President, Carey Theological College, Dr. Brian Stelck
President, Baptist Union Development Foundation, Rev. Jack Borchert
Director of Administration and Finance , Mr. David Holten
AB Area Minister , Rev. Sam Breakey
BC & Yukon Area Minister, Dr. Paul Pearce
Heartland Area Minister, Rev. Ken Thiessen
Director of Ministries, Rev. John Prociuk
Ex-Officio Non-Voting
CBM Western Section Chair: Past President: Sam Chaise
Chair, Carey Board: Fay Puddicombe
Committees of the Board
Chair, Church Health & Planting Committee: Dr. Dayle Medgett
Chair, Camping Committee: Rev. Darrin Hotte
Invited Guests as Necessary
General Secretary, CBM: Dr. Gary Nelson
Women in Focus, Rev. Faye Reynolds
I am particularly thankful (they may sometimes be surprised… but I am profoundly thankful) for our new Executive Officers in the denomination. I have asked Bill Mains to create a brief introduction to each of them. Bill is a former President of the denomination and was head of the Nominating Committee.
Beth Millard
I have been a Baptist all my life – being the daughter of a Baptist minister, Frank Patch, made that all but impossible. I have run the gamut of activities in Baptist churches and in denominational life – finding that God seemed to move me always to positions that required some administrative qualities; positions that challenged my abilities to orchestrate and organize concepts that would allow visions and dreams to become concrete in the community, church or organization where I served Him. Denominationally I have served as President of the Alberta Baptist Women, as a board member and Moderator to the Alberta Area, as well as being a CBWC Board member for 6 years. Currently we attend Emmanuel Baptist Church in Victoria, BC.
Professionally I am a law librarian, and serve as Director of Library Services for the Ministry of the Attorney General in British Columbia. I obtained my MLIS as an adult student, and have worked as a law librarian for 10 years. When I took on my current position, it necessitated us moving from Edmonton to Victoria, and my husband was willing to make the changes necessary in his career to allow that to happen.
My husband Jim and I have 4 children by birth, 3 daughters and one son. We also have 3 son-in-laws, and 6.5 grandchildren – who are undoubtedly the highlights of our lives (they are also the most intelligent, best looking and most creative kids ever born, or to be born). The only negative aspect to living in Victoria is that all of our family is in Alberta!
I am both excited and anxious about my time as President of the CBWC. In this time of transition – new by-laws, new board structure, new office configuration and new partner relationships with churches it is impossible to envision what great things God has in store for us as a denomination. It would be my personal goal over the next two years to see the relationship between the CBWC board and the churches become real and tangible, so that the board can truly act as needs based resource for the churches, and that together we can envision, explore, and accomplish the challenging kingdom work that God has for us to do.
Pat Flaten
Pat Flaten has been involved in several CBWC churches over her lifetime, mostly within Saskatchewan, and is currently a member of First Baptist Church, Saskatoon. From a governance perspective, she has participated at least a couple of times as a member of the Saskatchewan Area Committee, the board of The Quest at Christopher Lake, various local church boards and committees and was a member of the board of the BUWC and P & P within the last 10 years. She is a Professional Agrologist, currently as Program Head of agriculture programs within the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology. She is also President of the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrology. Her initial goal this year will be to gain a good understanding of how the staff and participants at the recent Assembly would like to proceed in 2009. Ultimately, in her role on the board, she would like to facilitate a healthy support of our member communities and work of the denomination as a whole.
David Connop (Vice-President, Finance):
- Involvement in Denominational Life:
David was elected Vice-President, Finance, to the Board of the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada in 2003.
David has had an ongoing involvement since the 1980’s in the lives of the Boards and Committees of the CWBC and its predecessor, the Baptist Union of Western Canada and also on the Boards of the British Columbia Area and Convention, serving as Moderator and President in 2001/02.
He is a CBWC shareholder/adviser on the Board of the Baptist Union Development Foundation, which financially supports, enables and facilitates the ministries of the CBWC and its associated and affiliated charitable organizations.
David also currently serves as a director of Beulah Garden Homes Society, a BC Convention independent and assisted living facility consisting of approximately 270 apartments in East Vancouver; Beulah Garden is in the middle of a major reconstruction program, working closely with BC Government agencies.
- Career/Professional Development:
David qualified as a Chartered Accountant in London, England in 1969, before transferring to Vancouver in 1970. He was a Senior Partner at Deloitte & Touche, Chartered Accountants from 1980 until 2001, consulting in insolvency and financial turn-around situations and also heading up the forensic investigations group; David retired from the firm in 2001. David is currently the Chief Financial Officer at two New Media Companies in Gastown, Vancouver, producing and delivering a Sci-Fi Television Series for delivery online thru’ the Web.
- Family:
David married Jay, his English Rose, in 1969 before transferring from London to Vancouver. Jay is a Grade Two teacher in North Vancouver, who loves her job and will probably never, ever retire.
They have two children, Beverly (and son-in-law Bill) and Jeremy; they also have two grandchildren, Taylor who is two years old and a “drama queen”, and James David, born November, 2006.
- Where we live and CWBC Church:
Jay and David have lived in North Vancouver since 1971 and high on the North Shore mountains since 1988. Since 1970, we have attended our home church, First Baptist Church in downtown Vancouver, at the corner of Nelson and Burrard. We have been involved with other First Baptist members and friends in the same Bible Study Group on the North Shore since 1975.
- Personal goal for CWBC:
“During the next two years, to closely work with the Board, Executive Minister and our talented staff in ensuring that the new and ever-evolving ideas and visions of the CWBC leadership are properly and pragmatically developed into God’s plans”
There are exciting times ahead in Kingdom work!
Please pray for Beth Millard, David Connop, Pat Flaten and David Simpson in their work and leadership amongst us.
Warmly,
In Christ,
Jeremy Bell