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, we have 17 member Churches located in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.  We have individual members from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. 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.

 

 

CABF LogoAnnual General Meeting 

September 24, 2024 at 7:00 pm (via Zoom)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82529651538?pwd=aKxZfiJ87p4rbf0tIKvQuebXS8RMXR.1

Meeting ID: 825 2965 1538

                           Passcode: 044195

Agenda

          [Note: Links to reports will be included on the CABF Website as received by the Webmaster]

  1. Welcome and Prayer
  2. Approval of Agenda
  3. Approval of Minutes
    1. Annual General Meeting of September 29, 2023 - see report
    2. Business Meeting of June 1, 2024 - see report
  4. Business Arising from Minutes
  5. Treasurer’s Report: Consolidated Financial Statement - see report
  6. Reports from Council:
    1. President - see report
    2. Publications Committee - see report
    3. Constitution and Governance Committee - see report
    4. Credentials Committee - see report
    5. Finance Committee
    6. Program Committee
    7. Membership Committee - see report
    8. Website Committee
    9. Alliance of Baptists
    10. Canadian Council of Churches (CCC)
  7. New Business
    1. Nominating Committee Report - see report
    2. 2024-255 Budget - see report
    3. Ratification of New Members
    4. Ratification of Amendments to the Policy and Procedures Manual 

      Background on amendments available at CABF - Constitution and Policies (c-abf.ca)

  8. Adjournment
  9. Closing Prayer

 For a copy of the Agenda, please click here. 

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 We have a great event coming in October

Click on the the image below to learn more

 

Draft promo banner CABF Cross Canada 2024 2

 

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.

For a copy of a poster with detailed information on speakers, topics and schedule, please click here.

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News

In Memory of Rev. John Boyd

It is with great sadness that we learned of the sudden passing of Rev. John Eric Boyd Boyd on May 23, 2024.  John had twice served as president of the Canadian Association for Baptist Freedoms, formerly Atlantic Baptist Fellowship, and was serving on the CABF Executive as well as on the Credentials Committee and ws the Chair of the Website Committee.  To view John's obituary, please go to Rev. John Boyd - First Baptist Church Halifax (fbchalifax.ca).

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Here is the Most Recent Edition of The Bulletin

Cover of CABF Fall 2024 The Bulletin

 A PDF copy of The Bulletin is available here. 

Surrey, B.C., Church Switches Affiliation to be More Inclusive

A Surrey, B.C., Baptist church has switched its affiliation to a more inclusive religious group, more than a decade after a gay couple who were members forced a reckoning over how they were being treated.

Full News Story Available Here

Video Available Here  (starts at 18:51)

CCC Issues Call to be Salt and Light

The Canadian Councilof Churches' Commission on Justice and Peace has recently issued a timely call for Christian communities in Canada to be salt and light, and open up space for peace. Mindful of the overwhelming forms of death, suffering, and trauma here and around the world, we share this statement in the spirit of hope and also meaningful action. May we gather ourselves, each another, and with other religious communities to, as the recent statement puts it, "listen to one another’s experiences, acknowledge one another’s hopes and traumas, and step boldly toward a lasting peace with justice."  Read the full statement in Englishand French on their website.

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.

Community Life Coordinator Search

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

Senior Minister Search

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

 

Updates

Cross Canada Conference 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.

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.)

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Rushton Lecture

The Annual Vincent Rushton Memorial Lecture and Luncheon was held on June 1, 2024, in Bridgewater (NS) Baptist Church. Rev. Joe Green and Rev. Sarah Scott presented on the topic: Responding to MAiD: Spiritual reflections, experiences and questions. You can view the devotional by Aaron Kenny and Rushton Lecture here.

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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

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.

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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.

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50th Anniversary Lapel Pins

Lapel 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.