Welcome to the Canadian Association for Baptist Freedoms!

We seek to be a safe and welcoming environment in which Baptists can share all concerns and points of view without fear of being marginalised.

The CABF is a Canada-wide fellowship composed of both individuals and Churches. Currently, our member Churches are located in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia but we are open to receiving new members from any province or territory - click here for details.

Our Vision: Baptists freely seeking, living, sharing and celebrating justice, peace and love under the lordship of Christ.

Our Mission: We encourage and support churches, pastors, and other individuals to understand and affirm Baptist freedoms as they express their faith.

You can download a brochure about CABF by clicking on the image below:

CABF Brochure

News

Rushton Lecture

The Annual Vincent Rushton Memorial Lecture and Luncheon will be held on June 1, 2024 in Bridgewater (NS) Baptist Church. Rev. Joe Green and Rev. Sarah Scott will present on the topic: Responding to MAiD: Spiritual reflections, experiences and questions. More details available here. See you there!

Save the Date!

The second annual CABF Cross Canada Conference will be held on October 28 - 31, 2024 in Nova Scotia at First Baptist Church Halifax. Theme: Chaos and Christ. There will be worship, speakers, discussion and, of course, rich fellowship. New details are available here.

Gathering of Baptists

Our colleagues in The Gathering of Baptists invite everyone to their Spring Gathering on April 27, 2024 at Burlington (ON) Baptist Church. Topic: "Faith Under Construction: Wrestlers and Doubters Welcome Here." For details click here.

FBC Amherst Updates Job Search

First Baptist Church Amherst is continuing to search for a MINISTER OF FAMILIES AND OUTREACH and has updated its Position Description. Check it out here.

2023 AGM and Conference

The 2023 CABF AGM took place on September 29th with the presentation of reports and the election of Officers, Council and Committees. To see the Agenda with links to the reports, click here. The Conference Speaker on September 30th was Dr. Scott Gibson of Baylor University and his topic was Christ the Common Connection. The lectures are available on YouTube here and here. A highlight of the weekend was the launch of Keeping the Faith: Essays in Memory of Roger H. Prentice, edited by Paul Harris and Karen Smith. The launch can be viewed on YouTube here.

2023 Rushton Lecture Video

The 2023 Lecture by Dr. Allan Effa, entitled Enlarge the site of your tent: metaphors and challenges of inclusion and diversity for the Canadian church, is now available on YouTube by clicking here.

Historic Ordination

First Baptist Church Halifax, acting on the recommendation of a CABF Ordination Council, ordained Rev. Arla Johnson to Christian Ministry on Sunday, April 2nd. Arla is the Minister of Inclusive Community at First Baptist and one of the founders of Queer Spirit Church. We believe she is the first married lesbian woman to be ordained in a Baptist Church in Canada. You can watch a video of the service here. (Photo by Dr. Rob Fennell)

BC Churches Join CABF

Welcome to Kitsilano Christian Community Church, the most recent congregation to join CABF! On May 3 Council approved the recommendation of the Membership Committee to admit this vibrant community of faith in greater Vancouver, to be ratified at our next full members meeting on June 3. They join with the Church at Southpoint in Surrey, BC, accepted as a new member congregation during the March Council meeting, as our second BC congregation.

Community Life Coordinator Search

The Church at Southpoint, Surrey BC, is seeking a Community Life Coordinator: Introduction and Position Description.

Senior Pastor Search

The Port Williams United Baptist Church continues its search for a Senior Pastor. For further details, or to apply, click here.

Senior Minister Search

The Kitsilano Christian Community Church is seeking a Senior Minister. The Position Description is available here.

Updates

Cross Canada Gathering 2023

ca 3The first CABF Cross Canada Conference was held in Edmonton, AB in First Baptist Church on October 23-26. For a report on the conference with pictures click here.

Essays in Memory of Roger Prentice

Mercer University Press has published Keeping the Faith: Essays in Memory of Roger H. Prentice, edited by Paul Harris and Karen Smith. The volume includes essays on the themes that were close to Roger’s heart: Baptist Identity, Theology and Spirituality, Acadia University and Maritime Connections, Worship, Preaching and Ministry, and Engaging with Others in the Church and in the Wider World. The launch can be viewed on YouTube here.

Telling the Story of the CABF

Two videos have been produced to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian Association for Baptist Freedoms and its predecessor, the Atlantic Baptist Fellowship. Both videos are now on our CABF YouTube channel - watch and share them today!

CABF Voices - 5Oth Anniversary "Long"

CABF Voices - 50th Anniversary  "Short"

 

Donations

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You can donate to CABF through CanadaHelps.org - click on the image above. You will receive an immediate charitable receipt and your gift will be transferred.

When Dues are Due! CABF Individual Membership is on a twelve (12) month basis, so annual dues of $20 are due one year following your last payment date. For more information on membership click here.

CABF Winter 2024 cover

Here is the latest edition of the CABF Bulletin! Click here for a PDF version.

50th Anniversary Lapel Pins

Anniversary Lapel PinLapel pins to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ABF/CABF are available from the Treasurer at a cost of $10 each and can be obtained by sending an e-Transfer to cabftreasurer at gmail dot com (you know how to write that as an email address) and adding a name and mailing address in the “add a message” section of the e-Transfer or sending your request and a cheque to the Treasurer.
 

50th Anniversary Celebration

What a wonderful time we had in Wolfville as we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the ABF-CABF! For a look at the program and to find links to various presentations, click here. A particularly poignant moment was the showing of a memorial slide set of some of those whose presence and leadership has meant so much. You can see it here.