Dear Folks,
Here are the two overlapping press releases from Carey and form CBM respectively:
MEET CAREY’S NEW PRESIDENT
Carey welcomes Rev. Dr. Colin Godwin
The Carey Board of Administration and Canadian Baptists of Western Canada
are pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Colin Godwin to the
position of President, effective July 15, 2013. “Colin brings enthusiasm for the
training of believers in all walks of life and will also contribute to the missional
element that is embedded in the DNA of Carey,” says Dr. George Sears, Chair, Carey
Board of Administration.
Colin holds a B.A. in History and French from the University of Guelph, an
M.A. (Theology) from the University of St. Michael’s College (Toronto), an M.Div.
from McMaster University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wales. Colin’s Ph.D.
dissertation on sixteenth-century Anabaptist mission was published by Pandora
Press in 2012.
Colin and Karen Godwin moved to Nairobi, Kenya in July 2010 to serve as CBM
Africa Team Leader, providing strategic planning, managing staff and connecting
with CBM’s partners in Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Angola, and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
Rev. Sam Chaise, General Secretary of Canadian Baptist Ministries, says, “Colin
has been an important part of CBM’s ministry, first in Europe and then in Africa.
While we are sad to see him leave CBM, we are pleased to see him move into
leadership at Carey, which is an important Canadian Baptist institution of learning
and ministry formation. CBM has had a long-standing partnership with Carey to
deliver theological education and leadership training around the world, and we look
forward to the continuation of that partnership.”
Colin Godwin succeeds Dr. Brian Stelck, who has led Carey as president for the past 19 years. With Dr. Godwin’s appointment, Carey is perfectly positioned
to continue its ministry of delivering accessible, practical, and transformational
theological education throughout Western Canada and beyond.
Global Field Staff Colin and Karen Godwin Depart CBM For Role At Carey
Theological College
Mississauga, Ontario – Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) announces the departure of Global Field Staff Colin and Karen Godwin, effective June 30, 2013. Colin has been appointed the new President of Carey Theological College in Vancouver beginning July 15, 2013. The Godwins were appointed by CBM in 1996 to work in church planting and evangelism in Belgium. They were subsequently re-assigned to Rwanda to serve in leadership development in 2008 and then to Kenya in 2010 when Colin was appointed the Africa Team Leader.
During their years in Belgium, the Godwins planted two churches in the city of Liege. They then ministered for eight years in this area, working primarily in evangelism and discipling new believers. Following this time they moved to Kigali, Rwanda where Colin served as a professor and then vice-rector at the Rwanda Institute of Evangelical Theology and Karen worked in community development. After two years in Rwanda, the Godwins relocated to Nairobi, Kenya where Colin has been serving as the Africa Team Leader.
Says CBM General Secretary Sam Chaise of the departure of the Godwins, “While we are sad to see Colin and Karen leave our thriving ministry in Africa and appreciative of the leadership they have provided, we also celebrate this next step in their lives. We are happy they have chosen to continue serving within the Canadian Baptist family and wish them the very best.”
CBM has appointed Global Field Staff Aaron and Erica Kenny as the new Africa
Team Leaders, effective immediately.
Some of you may be a little inquisitive about the personal lives of Colin and his wife Karen and their
journey. This is material mostly available through the CBM website but I thought it would be interesting
to share some of the very interesting facts about them. I found it fascinating to know that Colin’s family
had lived in Zimbabwe for many generations and that their return to Africa was, for Colin, a return to
the place of his family’s roots, as he explains later in this article.
Colin’s family and ancestors have lived for generations in Zimbabwe, but in 1974 the
family left Zimbabwe during the civil war and eventually settled in Summerland, BC.
Colin came to faith in Jesus Christ in 1985. Involvement in a Christian fellowship
group in high school led to a summer project in Thailand. In 1991, Colin joined the
pastoral staff of Priory Park Baptist Church (Guelph, ON). Colin participated in short
term mission projects in Quebec and Belgium, and went to Kenya with Karen in 1993
as part of their seminary training at McMaster Divinity College. Colin and Karen met
at the University of Guelph and shared a desire to be involved in cross-cultural
ministry. Colin holds a B.A. in History and French from the University of Guelph, an
M.A. (Theology) from the University of St. Michael’s College (Toronto), an M.Div.
from McMaster University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wales. Colin’s Ph.D.
dissertation on sixteenth-century Anabaptist mission was published by Pandora Press
in 2012.
Karen grew up in a church-going family in St. Marys, Ontario, the same area where
her parents had grown up. At university in 1986, she made a commitment to Christ
and was discipled through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. She holds a
Bachelor of Applied Science in Family Studies from the University of Guelph, and a
Master of Religious Education from McMaster University. Karen participated in short-
term assignments in Honduras and South Africa, as well as Kenya as part of her MRE.
She served as a Social Worker before having their first child in 1994. They have four
children–Isaac, Andrew, Natalie and Naomi.
Colin enjoys reading, running, biking and swimming. Karen likes watching her
children’s sports games, getting some exercise with friends, volunteering at an
orphanage, and ‘social networking’, especially with Isaac who is at university in
Canada since 2012.
I wrote Colin to ask some questions and he added a little more personal information
(warning, for those of you who don’t like personal information, don’t read on, for those of
you that enjoy getting to know people even at a distance… enjoy.
I came to Christ through the witness of Christian neighbours who attended FBC
Penticton. Sid Waterman prayed with me when I came forward at an altar call in
Easter 1985. He also baptized me a year later.
My parents are from South Africa (mom) and Zimbabwe (dad). My dad is a C.A. I was
born in Belgium when he and mom were there while dad had a two-year contract
with an international firm in Brussels. We returned to Zimbabwe when I was about
a year old. We fled the civil war in Zimbabwe when I was 5, arriving first in Windsor,
Ontario, where we lived for 3 years. I finished grades 3 to 5 in Calgary (in the
Northwest) before we moved to Summerland, where I finished my elementary school
and graduated from high school. I was lured to Ontario with a scholarship to the
University of Guelph, met Karen, started serving in a church … and I think you know
the story from there. After I started university in Guelph, my folks moved to St Albert
and then back to BC (Langley, Victoria, then the North Island). I have always visited
them, sometimes for a whole summer. I worked flipping burgers in St. Albert ….
something that I forgot to put on my resume.
This is far too much information for your article …. (no it’s not, Colin)
When I am asked, I say I am from Summerland, BC.
On a personal note, I have really enjoyed meeting Colin. He has a reputation for very hard work, I found
him easy to chat with, and he is someone who is very present and attentive to others. I know that each
of you will look forward to meeting Colin in the weeks and months ahead, but for now I wanted to give
you some of the background we’ve been able to glean that I thought would inform your thoughts and
prayers.
Warmly,
In Christ,
Jeremy