2010 Theme: ‘i 4 Mission’

February 26-28, 2010

Session Leader Biographies

Gary Nelson

Gary served as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Edmontonn from 1989 – 2000. During that time, they witnessed a significant work of God in revitalizing and renewing this historic downtown congregation into a creative and dynamic contemporary congregation.

In the fall of 2000, he assumed the role of General Secretary of Canadian Baptist Ministries, the denominational organization that provides resources for local churches to find their missional voice bothnationally and internationally. His challenge is to revise what demonination look like in the 21st century.

At the 2004 Baptist Worls Alliance (BWA) Congress in Seoul, Korea, Gary accepted a Vice Presidency in the BWA. Also in 2004, the CBM Boeard affirmed Gary for a second term as General Secretary beginning July 1, 2005. These two opportunities will give Gary the ability to pursue his passion for mission.

An avowed Western Canadian, Gary has served as pastor in a number of congregations both in staff roles and as Senior Pastor. Before pastoring in Edmonton, he was the founding director of a leadership training initiative called BILD (Baptist Involvement in Leadership Development) in the city of Toronto.

He continues to teach at the seminary level, serving as Adjunct Professor at Carey Theological College in Vancouver, Taylor, Tynedale and Fuller Theological Seminary. Speaking and teaching around the topics of urban missiology, evangelism and the church renewal has taken him throughout Canada, the United States and other parts of the world.

Gary is married to Carla, a psychologist and guidance teacher. Carla is presently involved in projects providing leadership training for teachers in Kenya. Gary is the father of one daughter, Stacey, a teacher in Edmonton. Stacey is married to Phil Bruinsma and they made Gary a grandfather of an amazing (Gary’s words) grandson born in May 2005. Stacey and Phil will be making Gary a grandfather for the second time in November 2007.

Gary finds passion around creating ways in which local churches can find hope and mission both locally and globally. To that end in 1997 he co-authored a book with Don Posterski entitled Future Faith Churches published by Woodlake Books.