Atlantic Connexion

Oct 28, 2025 | Atlantic Connexion, District News, Events



Ninety-five-years young – Blacks Harbour Wesleyan (Ken Banks) celebrated its anniversary this weekend with about 90 in attendance for the banquet and service on Saturday and more than 120 on Sunday morning. A highlight of both services was the historical overview presented in two-parts (CLICK HERE to check it out). Ken was in the groove and had everyone in stitches – haven’t laughed that hard in church for a long time. His comments were honouring, well-researched, detailed, interesting, filled with fun facts.
  • Between both services there were a total of 7 former Lead Pastors present and each was presented a gift and honoured with personal remarks by Ken. Jeff Hoyt preached on Saturday evening. Bruce Cheney delivered the message on Sunday morning and was acknowledged for serving the longest single pastorate of 8 years. Walter Fernley was honoured posthumously for serving the longest total number of years for any pastor (over two combined district appointments).
District Ministerial Registration Now Open!
Keep in mind that incredibly economic housing available at Kingswood University will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. KU will reach out to follow-up within a brief period of time upon registration to confirm your lodging needs.



The 50th Anniversary of CenterPoint Wesleyan (Amy Taylor) included a four-day Fall Festival weekend. Amy shared, “It’s been a great weekend with many connections both new & old! Everything was well attended, we had and open mic, Artisan Market, Gospel Concert as well as our celebration service Sunday! Nick Graham preached (with Beth also present), Doug & Rose Tatton were there with Robin, as well as Glen & Eleanor McVicar. There were 61 in attendance – It was such a blessing!”

  • Les Hicks 1975-1991
  • Dale Robertson 1991-1993
  • Doug Tatton 1993-2004
  • Nick Graham 2004-2010
  • Jacob Ebbett 2010-2015
  • Glen McVicar 2015-2024
  • Amy Taylor 2024-Present

Amy gave some heartwarming connections with the pastors of her home church over her childhood…

  • Baby sitting Les Hicks’ granddaughters was her first real job
  • Amy accepted Christ while under Sherry Robertson’s ministry with the children
  • Amy was baptized and felt called to ministry under Doug Tatton’s ministry.
  • She also worked in the church for the first time with Nick Graham while she was attending Bethany/Kingswood
Amy added, “Try and tell me I wasn’t meant to be here for such a time as this!”




The Meeting Place (Amanda Oicle) launched a new monthly evening service this Sunday with 31 in attendance. Amanda shared, “Our first-ever Dinner Church couldn’t have come together without the help of Browns Flat Fellowship (Jay & Sharon Guptill) [four volunteers pictured above] and students from Kingswood University! We have been building the foundation for the launch of Dinner Church for over a year and were encouraged to have many new people connect. Dinner Church is worship that takes place around a shared meal, blending communion, fellowship, scripture, and conversation in a relaxed, community-centered setting.”




What a weekend! Over **1,000 women from 136 churches** came together for **Harvest Conference**, and God moved in incredible ways. Hosted in partnership by **Tidal Church** (Jim Clements) and **Kings Church** (Brent Ingersoll) the weekend was made possible through the dedication of nearly **100 volunteers** who served with such joy and excellence.
  • From moments of powerful worship to the impactful teaching of Helen Burns, Amy Howard and Sharon Whitton, hearts were healed, and faith was renewed across our region. We’re still in awe of all He did — and already counting down the days until next year!


Governance Training – Deep Water Leadership

Deep Water (Nathan Maskery) Leadership Team and BLT Advisory Team convened last week for board member training with Heather Card (Five Smooth Stones Consulting) and for further discussion and preparation for DBA action in November re: the May 1st establishment of the BLT location as an autonomous church of the Atlantic District. Timothy & McCaila Andrews have worked closely with the LT & DBA in carefully walking out this step forward for greater impact in reaching BLT!


This year’s Fredericton Youth Rally was the biggest yet on October 17th with 478 students, 62 youth pastors and leaders, 40 team members, and 30 churches under one roof. The pre-rally buzz rolled into a powerful main rally with great stories of renewed faith and unity across the city.

Special thanks to **Kade McMinniman (Corbett Church)** for outstanding leadership, to the **CBAC** for grant support, and to the many **partner churches** who prayed, served, and showed up. Grateful for the Wesleyan tribe’s partnership as we keep reaching the next generation together.

 

CLICK HERE to take the Influencing Faith Study Survey
(Thanks to Rev. Rick Hiemstra – EFC Director of Research)





This past Thursday & Friday I had the privilege of attending the annual EFC conference in Ottawa for denominational leaders at the request of National Superintendent Steve Elliott. It was packed with high-level presentations and opportunities to network with Kingdom leaders across Canada.

In addition to connecting in-person with the high-calibre EFC team, there were three presentations which were of particular interest…

  • Our own Wesleyan minister, Rick Hiemstra has been the long-standing EFC Director of Research. His presentation highlighted a treasure trove of statistical realities and trends in the Church including that those identifying as “religious nones” rose from 16.5% in 200l to 34.6% in 2021. He is also leading a thoughtfully curated research project to explore the impact of social media on teen ministry. CLICK HERE for all the details.
  • If you serve directly with youth ministry, please CLICK HERE to complete the survey to contribute to this research. If you indicate your church as Wesleyan, we will also be able to request a specific report for The Wesleyan Church of Canada participating churches. Rick makes us proud at the city gate of our land – his brilliance and diligence are an incredible gift to the greater Church!
  • I was also very impressed with the Director of Public Policy, Julia Beazley’s insights and practical wisdom for the changing climate of governmental perspectives and their impact on conservative Christian values. Her finger on the pulse of legislation and data-friendly informed response to some common misconceptions instills confidence in the good work and lobby influence of the EFC on our governmental institutions and Members of Parliament.
  • The Christian Legal Fellowship is very capably led by Executive Director Derek Ross. He shared that only 750 lawyers of the 135K in Canada are currently engaged with CLF but their numbers are growing. He provided practical advice in what it means to be a faithful presence in a secular culture and that they now have chapters on campus in 20 of the 23 law schools in Canada. The CLF initiates influence in advocacy, scholarship, and education. Of the 24 citations their publications have had in Canadian courts, THREE have influence the Supreme Court of Canada. His updates on the Quebec Laïcité public policy was of great interest in the pendulum swing to limit religious freedoms. This ministry is worthy of the support of our local churches in both promoting their material and providing financial investment.


CLICK HERE for Full Details & Registration
CLICK HERE for Promo Poster

A Tent Peg Is Important!

Bruce Cheney is a fantastic example of how “retired” ministers continue to to have enormous impact. His message at Blacks Harbour Wesleyan is worth your time (A Tent Peg Is Important) as a creative and powerful reminder of the foundational work of prayer.
CLICK HERE and got to timestamp 1:32:35 to be inspired by his message!

  • Prayer is the most important thing of all. The most intense form of spiritual selfishness is to pray only when you feel like it. (Bruce Cheney)
  • We share a wonderful heritage and a bright future – God is not finished yet! (Ken Banks)
  • Where God puts a period, we should never put a question mark. (Jeff Hoyt)



CLICK HERE to Register!

The Global Leadership Summit
A 1-DAY LEADERSHIP GATHERING
(Hosted by Tidal Church in Moncton)
The Global Leadership Summit (GLS) is a world-class leadership event held in your local community. It equips Canadians with the practical skills, insights, and vision to create real transformation where they live and work.
 
For more than 30 years the GLS has empowered leaders by helping them navigate challenges, build high-impact teams, and lead with integrity. Whether you’re leading a business, a church, a nonprofit, or your own household, the GLS will give you tools and inspiration to lead with confidence.
 
When a leader gets better, everyone wins.
CLICK HERE for all the details!


Advent Is Coming!