ABOUT US

OUR VISION

We aspire to be a community actively experiencing God's presence and empowered by the Holy Spirit, undergoing a genuine transformation into the likeness of Christ.

This vision will be realized through our commitment to:

Expressing God's Love:

Both locally and globally, we purposefully demonstrate God's love, becoming instruments of His compassion to those around us.

Building a Loving Community:

We strive to be a community characterized by love, forgiveness, and collaborative effort. Together, we work towards fostering an environment where individuals are valued and supported.

Utilizing Our Gifts:

Recognizing that each member has unique gifts, we actively engage in using them within the body of Christ. By doing so, we contribute to the strength and unity of our community.

Pursuing Biblical Truth:

We are committed to deepening our understanding of Biblical truth, seeking to align our lives with its teachings and principles.

Generosity:

We embrace an open-handed approach to giving, acknowledging that generosity is a reflection of our gratitude and trust in God's provision.

In these ways, we aim to be a vibrant and transformative community, embodying the love and teachings of Christ in our daily lives.

OUR MISSION

Our devotion extends in four key directions - upward, inward, outward, and beyond:

Upward:

We commit ourselves to God in worship and prayer, acknowledging His sovereignty and seeking His presence in our lives.

Inward:

We dedicate ourselves to the Scriptures through study and obedience, recognizing their transformative power in shaping our faith and actions.

To One Another:

Our devotion extends to each other through loving care and honest fellowship,

creating a community where support and genuine connections flourish.

Outward and Beyond:

We extend our commitment to the community and the world through loving service and evangelism, driven by a desire to share the transformative love of

Christ. Our ultimate aim is that the Lord may add to His church those who will be saved.

Together, in these dimensions of devotion, we strive to embody the values that reflect the heart of our faith and contribute to the growth of His Kingdom.

OUR BELIEFS

Grand Bay Baptist Church is part of a large family of churches, within the Christian Church, known as Baptist. Like other followers of Jesus Christ we have some basic beliefs:

We believe in one God who reveals Himself as Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit.
We believe that human beings do things that are wrong and do not live the way God intended. These attitudes and actions are the result of sin in our lives.
We believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to save us from our sins.
We believe that each person needs a personal relationship with God, through Jesus, in order to be saved.
We believe that it is by God’s grace that we are saved. We do not earn our salvation through good works.
We believe that one day the Lord Jesus will return.

Through the years, Baptists have held to certain core values that make us distinct from other Christian groups. These distinctives are:

The Lordship of Jesus Christ. Baptists believe that Jesus is Lord of the church and the individual believers.

The Authority of the Bible. Baptists believe the Scriptures are inspired by God. The Bible is the final authority in matters of faith (what we believe) and practice (how we behave). We also believe that all persons have the privilege and responsibility to read the Scriptures for themselves.

The Priesthood of the Believers. The Bible affirms the value of each person, created in the image of God, and so Baptists believe that each person has the right and competency to deal directly with God through Jesus Christ. In this way, each person, by faith, becomes her/his own priest before God. In addition, each believer has spiritual gifts to exercise in ministry for the health of the local church and for the kingdom of God.

An extension of this principle means that Baptists stand for religious liberty, believing that no group has the right to coerce others to believe or worship as they do.

Believer’s Baptism by Immersion. The Lord Jesus commands those who believe in Him to be baptized. Immersion in water is the Biblical pattern. It is a way for a believer to publicly declare personal faith in Jesus and to identify with His death, burial and resurrection.

A Believer’s Church. Baptists believe that the Lord Jesus forms His church by bringing together believers for the purpose of worship, witness, ministry and fellowship.

Local Church Autonomy. Baptists believe that the local church is governed by the principles of the priesthood of believers, the Lordship of Christ, the authority of the Bible, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The presence of Jesus Christ in the lives of the church members leads them together to discover and obey the mind and will of Christ. At the same time Baptists have worked together with other churches of like faith for ministry and mission. In addition, Baptists believe that churches are to be free from State control and that citizens are to be free to worship as their conscience dictates.

OUR STORY

The history of our congregation goes back to the time when members of the First Baptist Church of Saint John, now Germain Street Baptist Church, were concerned about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the people in Grand Bay. The pastor, Rev. Charles Tupper, began to hold worship in Grand Bay in 1840, eventually baptizing twelve people. Mr. Matthias Hamm donated a piece of land in 1845 and a place of worship was built on our present site.

In 1881 the Grand Bay congregation requested that they be released from the Germain Street Church and became affiliated with the Fairville Baptist Church. For a number of years the Home Mission Board of the United Baptist Convention of the Maritimes provided support for a preaching station in Grand Bay. In 1928 the Grand Bay Baptist Church was formally re-organized with a Deacon, Mr. G. B. Cromwell, a Clerk, Mr. Ora Carson, and Trustees, Mr. Henry Hamm, Mr. George Hamm and Mr. David Hamm. The Pastor was a student, Licentiate A. W. Akerley who ministered in the community during the summer.

For the next couple of decades the pastors from nearby churches, students and laymen, as well as members of the congregation provided leadership for our church. Over time our congregation co-operated with the Oak Point, Greenwich Hill and Brown's Flat congregations to share the responsibility for having a full-time pastor, Rev. Morris Russell. During the ministry of Mr. Russell (1956-1960) and his successor, Rev. George Conway (1960-65), a major expansion of the building took place. While Rev. Peter Downie was the pastor the Grand Bay Church went on its own (1968) and the following year a parsonage was built (1969), with Rev. Chester Steeves and family being the first occupants.

Rev. Winston Clark became pastor in October 1973, and during his eight-year ministry the Lord continued to bless our church so that more than one hundred people became Christians. It was during this time that an outreach was conducted to the north west, eventually resulting in the planting of a Baptist Church in Nerepis. In October 1981, Rev. Roger Moore became pastor and the growth continued so that steps were taken to extend the church facilities to include a new sanctuary. It was during this time that Miss Melody Williams became Director of Music and Christian Education. Before the new sanctuary was complete Pastor Roger Moore resigned in 1985. Rev. Willard Smith served as interim pastor until Rev. Jack Allen began ministry in September 1986. May 10, 1987 the new facilities were dedicated. In 1989 Miss Sue Arbeau became Youth Director and Rev. Bennett Saunders became interim pastor when Pastor Allen left September that same year.

In August 1990, Rev. Robert Nickerson became pastor and Rev. Bennett Saunders became Pastor Emeritus with the ministry of visitation and Mrs. Barb Rogers began serving as Director of Music. In September 1995, Rev. Peter Reid became Senior Pastor, and in 1997 Mr. Danny Radmore began ministry as Youth Pastor. Danny resigned in 1999 and the same year Mr. Jodie LeBouthillier became Associate Pastor with responsibilities for Youth. When Pastor Reid resigned in 2000, Dr. Bob Berry became interim Senior Pastor until Rev. Edward Powell began ministry in August 2001.

In June 2007 Pastor LeBouthillier finished ministry with us and in December of that year, our church voted to call Mr. Adrian Gardner as Associate Pastor. Adrian began full-time ministry July 2008.

Our deacons recognized the expanding demands of ministry and recommended that we explore adding pastoral staff. In 2011 the congregation agreed to a proposal to ask Pastor Powell to take on the ministry of pastoral care, prayer and outreach and to search for a Lead Pastor. In 2012 the church voted to call Rev. Dr. Malcolm Beckett to be Lead Pastor to begin in September. Pastor Powell resigned in 2014, and Pastor Adrian resigned in 2015. In 2017, Rev. Dan Pyke began ministry as Associate Pastor, with emphasis on community outreach and youth ministry. Rev. Pyke moves on to become the Director of Youth & Family Ministries at the CBAC.

In the spring of 2022, Pastor Martin Coetzee joined Grand Bay Baptist Church as the "Associate Pastor of Youth and Families"

Grand Bay Baptist Church

October 24,1963

From 1957 to 1969 additions to the church building were made. The addition of the Fellowship Hall, Sunday School rooms under the church, baptistery, choir room, pastor's study, washrooms and Kitchen.

Grand Bay Baptist Church

2023