Meet Our New Deacons

Constance Ling

In 2014, my husband Jason, son Eric and I immigrated to Canada from China. In November of our second year, we were baptized at Brunswick Street Baptist Church. Since then, we have been serving with the BSBC Chinese Congregation. When I look back over the past years of walking with God, I think of Psalm 65:11:

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

In 2019, I had two visions during a combined service at BSBC. To the Lord’s question, did I want to serve him, I replied, “Yes, I Do.” It was a commitment. I had never dreamed that a future opportunity would be serving as a Deacon, but I do so with full joy and peace inside. I am extremely excited though I don’t know where God will lead me. I am eager to know Him more, to be closer to Him. Surely I know that this new chapter of service will bring me closer to Lord.

Cheryl Gibson

I grew up in a Christian home, where attending church and participating in church activities was important. Until I was 12, my family went to Union Street Baptist Church where my grandfather was the minister. However, once I entered Junior High, it was important to be a part of a church where my friends attended and where it was easier to be involved in church-related activities.

My parents were supportive of this change for the sake of my sister and me, so we started attending Brunswick Street Baptist Church. I was baptized here in 1967 and became a member at that time. As a youth and young adult, I always appreciated the sermons, activities, and people at BSBC.

As I grew older and pursued work and educational opportunities as a nurse elsewhere, my faith grew when I was challenged with being alone, being in an unknown place, and being stretched academically as I strove to be all I could be. I felt in those times all I had was God, and He had to be enough for me. I realized He was and learned that strength emerges from weakness. God has enabled me to do many things in my life that I could not have done on my own power.

It has always been important to me to live a meaningful and purposeful life and that comes from serving or helping others. This next step as a deacon is humbling but I do look forward to caring for my church family in a different way.

Jon Wilton

I am extremely humbled and excited to be introduced to Brunswick Street as a Deacon.

After attending Brunswick Street Baptist Church since my days in the nursery and serving for many years in a number of roles including Youth Volunteer, Worship Leader, and most recently Youth and Young Adult Ministries Coordinator, I am looking forward to following God's leading as I serves as a Deacon.

I feel that God is doing a new thing at BSBC as we seek to bring the good news and discipleship into a post-covid world. Jon is married to Alyse (Reimer) Wilton.

Charlie Ritchie

Betty and I came to faith at Acadia University through the ministry of the Navigators. I was baptized at Wolfville United Baptist Church and Betty at Brunswick St Baptist Church. We both came from non believing families so when we first came to know Jesus, we had no other models of what it meant to be believers. Our involvement with the Navigators was formative in shaping the motto of our lives:

"To know Christ and to make Him known."

Betty and I have shared our lives in ministry with the Navigators since being married in 1985. We have ministered at UNB, in China, Hong Kong, the US, and Vietnam.

Betty and I are very grateful to BSBC as our church family for your support while overseas and now while back in Canada. Your love, encouragement, and practical help has made our current difficult journey bearable. You truly help to bear our
burden. It is with excitement and expectation that I serve for a 2nd time as a deacon with you all. I look forward to working with Pastor Greg and the board of deacons.

One of the key topics of concern from the SWOT analysis exercise is to highlight the need for good leadership. My prayer is that each of the deacons may grow to be better shepherds of the congregation alongside the Pastors. Their job is to train and equip the congregation, our job is to do the work of the ministry. Eph 4:11-12.