CABF's 2025 Cross Canada Conference
October 26-29, Vancouver, BC
Hosts:
Southpoint Church+Grandview Church
Date:
Sun Oct 26-Wed Oct 29, 2025
Why We Gather:
The CABF is inviting spacious, inclusive Christians to gather, learn, encourage, and bless each other. As we draw near to each other during this gathering, we will reorient ourselves around Divine Love, strengthening the kinship we have with one another, as well as reaffirming our commitment to soul liberty, to all God’s children, and to God’s good earth. This return to “kinship” is a prophetic invitation in an age of rising hostility towards the “other” and disregard for those on the margins of power.
Going Deeper, Together:
Venue: Grandview Church, 1803 E. 1st Ave, Vancouver, V5N 1B2
Meet at Grandview for the Sunday evening opening event, as well as for mornings and lunches from Monday to Wednesday.
Opening Night
Sun Oct 26 at Grandview Church
4:00 pm Service of worship and celebration followed by supper.
Mornings, Mon through Wed
8:30 am Gather and Chat
9:00 am Morning prayers, Worship
9:30 am Speaker Presentation
10:30 am Snacks + Discussion groups
11:30 am Ministry highlights:
Mon The Listening Post (link)
Tues A Rocha BC Centre (link)
Wed CABF updates + Communion
12:00 pm Lunch
Morning Prayers
Led by Rev Joy Banks, Rev Monica McKinley, morning prayer will be contemplative in nature, giving us time to “draw near to the Love that is perpetually drawing near to us.
Speaker Presentations
This year’s lectionary is based on the gospel of Luke, which articulates God’s compassion and care for those on the fringes of power—women, the poor, the stranger, and religious and ethnic minorities. Our speakers have each chosen a passage from Luke which expands their prophetic imagination around kinship.
Monday Oct 27
Rev. Lee Kosa (Bio)
More Gardening and Less Scapegoating
Luke 13:1-9
Tuesday Oct 28
Leah Potts Kostamo (Bio)
Jesus the Outdoorsman: Keeping Kinship with Creation
Luke 12:22-31
Wednesday Oct 29
Rev. Beth Carlson-Malena (Bio)
Mary & Elizabeth: Prophetic Vulnerability in Queer & Female Kinship
Luke 1:26-56
Optional Offerings:
Monday
Visit The Listening Post (link), 4:15 pm
Listen Jazz Concert with Mark Glanville (Bio) and Noah Collins at Grandview, 8:00 pm
Tuesday
Tour KinBrace Refugee Housing and Support (link), 1:15 pm
Suggested Outings
VanDusen Botanical Garden (link),
Lynn Canyon Park and Suspension Bridge (link), Museum of Anthropology at UBC (link), Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Art (link), Granville Island (link),
Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (link), Stanley Park (link)
Logistics:
The conference fee has been kept low, knowing that participants will incur costs for accommodations, meals, transport, and ‘touristy’ outings. The CABF will subsidize much of the program costs: speakers, snacks, and meeting venue.
Bursary
Thanks to the generosity of the Janet Christie Foundation of First Baptist, Amherst, Nova Scotia, we have funds to offer a travel bursary for those coming from outside of BC. Please contact Ryan (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for more information if you need financial assistance.
Costs
$60 Entire Conference
$25 Daily fee
Free, Online sessions (if available)
For those travelling to Vancouver we estimate travel, accommodations and meals around $2,000-$2,500 per person.
Links for More Information:
Review the 2025 Program (here)
Speakers’ Bios (here)
Suggestions for Transportation and Accommodation (here)
If you have questions about other aspects, please contact Ryan Sato (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Registration:
Three options for registering:
1. Prefer an online form? Go (here)
2. Prefer to email it? Download the form (here). Complete and send it to David Allen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), the CABF Treasurer.
3. Prefer to print out and post the form with your cheque? Print this form, found (here).
Payment
Choices as above, you can either
E-transfer the registration fee to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or post a
cheque (information on form).
If you have questions about registering, please contact David Allen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), the CABF Treasurer.
A message from the conference planning committee: Reverends Anne Baxter Smith,
Ryan Sato, Arla Johnson, and John Perkin
CABF Meeting of Members: June 7, 2025 Adopts Amendments to By-Laws
At its Meeting of Members on June 7, 2025, the members voted in favour of a Special Resolution which will replace the present By-Law #2 with an updated By-Law #3. A copy of the the Special Resolution is available here.
A copy of Appendix "A" (By-Law #3 that will replace the present By-Law #2) is available here.
The next step is for the Special Resolution and Appendix "A" to be submitted to the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies for approval as required by the Nova Scotia Societies Act.
To see more detail on the Special Project which led to the proposed amendments and to view the proposed amendments, please follow this link and scroll down. Canadian Association for Baptist Freedoms - Constitution and Policies.
Rushton Lecture June 7, 2025
Community Centre, Mahone Bay NS (45 School Street) Hennigar Room
Speaker: Dr Jackie Kinley “Staying Healthy: Optimistic and Calm During Challenging Times” 
Dr. Jackie Kinley is an associate professor at Dalhousie University in the faculty of pyschiatry. Dr. Kinley promotes psychological and behavioural health and resilience using the Science of Neuroplasticity. Her interests include the prevention of mental illness and the promotion of mental health and fitness. Her work is interdisciplinary, collaborative, and contributes to both the academic literature and affecting change in health practice and policy nationally.
To view a video recording Dr. Kinley's presentation please follow this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/LlhKO55neluoAyHkM3Ni8_RpVMSe9XrWdhad-F5bmklXzYwweuXfpOjaBanSDxZM.Rh1xwRxdRRZpfGub
Passcode: +qn&6lMp