Community Baptist finds its family

By Karen L Willoughby

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI—Community Baptist Church was born into the Canadian National Baptist Convention family, and it has worked on that relationship ever since.

Wallace Jorden started Community Baptist in 1992 as an in-home Bible study. Two years later, it became the first CNBC church east of Montreal. Jorden chose to affiliate with what then was a nine-year-old national Baptist convention based mostly in the West because of its biblical basis and its missions emphasis, current pastor John Evans told Canada’s Horizon.

“Missions and the Cooperative Program is part of our DNA,” said Evans, on staff since 2005 and senior pastor upon Jorden’s retirement in 2010. “It’s something we’ve done since the church was started.


“We view the Cooperative Program as our tithe,”


“We view the Cooperative Program as our tithe,” the pastor continued. “If we honour God with our missions giving I believe God is going to take care of everything else.”

Community Baptist allocates 11 percent of undesignated offerings to missions through the Cooperative Program, the way Canadian Baptists work together to build God’s kingdom across Canada and throughout the world.

“We give because it’s a way for our church to be involved in missions,” Evans said. “We couldn’t on our own support a missionary or multiple church plants. By working through CNBC, partnering with more than 400 other Canadian churches, we can do missions in a way we can be meaningful participants in God’s work.

“For the church, there’s a blessing in giving,” the pastor continued. “The members get to hear and see what God is doing. Giving to missions through CNBC and the Cooperative Program is a way they can feel invested in what God is doing.”

Community Baptist also invests itself locally, through the Island Pregnancy Center for the last three years, Harvest House inner-city ministry for the last six years, and Angel Tree—providing gifts incarcerated parents give their children at Christmas—for the last 10 years.

“We also provide gifts for Hillsborough Hospital, a place for adults with intellectual disabilities or brain injuries,” Evans said about a ministry taking place since before he was called as pastor. “Vacation Bible School in summer is a way we reach out to kids all over PEI who may never have been exposed to the Gospel.”

Actively engaged in the “Who’s Your One?” evangelistic endeavour, Community Baptist averages 100 in Sunday worship, the pastor said. The church planted Living Hope Church in Halifax County, Kings Way (now Center Point) Church in Montague, and Providence Evangelical International Church, and is pondering where God wants them involved in their next church plant.

“We have a great congregation,” the pastor said. “They really step up to the plate. In the short term, we’re looking at a church mission trip.”

Children leave the Sunday morning service partly through, for an age-specific ministry. Adults also meet Wednesday evening for Bible study and prayer, and in small groups periodically through the year for six- to eight-week sessions on discipleship that includes accountability.

“We’re in a province and a city that is fairly traditional, and the church reflects that in a way,” Evans said. “The congregation is predominantly older. Some of our leaders are snowbirds [who go to the southern United States during winter months.]

“We are striving to reach out to young families and children,” the pastor continued. “We [including wife Erin] have four kids between 6 and 13.” He grinned. “We’re trying to grow the church from within.”

Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Evans went in 1997 to Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta, and graduated in 2004.

“At first I was planning on going through fulltime as fast as I could but it was like drinking [instruction] from a fire hose,” Evans said. “When I transitioned to part-time seminary and part-time ministry, it was a lot better because I had specific situations in ministry to hang classroom instruction on. It became more real and practical rather than theoretical.”

Evans was youth pastor at Richmond Hill Baptist Church in Calgary when he started as a seminary student. After marrying, he moved to PEI for a two-year stint as a collegiate missionary, and when he returned to seminary in 2001, became pastor of Mountain View Christian Fellowship in Calgary, until in 2005 when he moved back to PEI as associate pastor at Community Baptist.

His years in ministry have taught Evans, “You have to be intentional about evangelism and reaching out. The default we have is to turn inward and look inside ourselves instead of looking at the world around us, transforming and leading them to Jesus Christ. If we aren’t intentional about that, [spiritual matters] get left in the background.”

Evans served for 10 years on CNBC’s National Leadership Board and ended three terms as president in 2017.

“I learned I was a part of something so much bigger than myself,” Evans said. “I got to see things from the big picture perspective. That gave me an appreciation of what God is doing across the country and around the world.”

Most recently, God has been teaching Evans to love people more, the pastor said.  

“The last couple of months, last few weeks, I’ve been asking God to search my heart,” Evans said. “I’ve been challenged to love more.  I’ve been telling God, ‘I want to love people the way You do.’

“After all, isn’t that what God’s prime motivator is: love? He draws us to Himself in love and in love, makes us part of His family, the church. That just challenges me to love more.”


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Comments

On May 21, 2020 Jack Conner commented:
John and Erin, it has been so encouraging to see you grow in the Lord. It has been so great to see the leadership you have given and give to this congregation in Charlottetown, PEI. I remember the first meeting of some of the folk to consider becoming a part of the then CCSB. Know that I pray for you. Jack
On March 8, 2020 Ellen Cone commented:
Absolutely LOVE this feature on Community, PEI and John! I had the distinct privilege to attend CSBS with John, serve together at Mountain View in Calgary and graduate together. He and Erin became dear close friends of mine. We used to joke that I followed them to PEI a couple years after they moved back! It was a joy to serve alongside him again at Community for the 18 months God had me there! Loved being a part of God's work in Atlantic Canada! Love and miss my PEI...and Canada...family!
On February 13, 2020 Wade Holmes commented:
John it is so good to hear that the child of two of our dearest friends of old has been actively involved in ministry. When I was a new Christian in 1978 your parents were a part of the ministry at Discovery and the church start in Moose Jaw. My wife's family heralds from Moose Jaw and now I have a sister that lives there. My wife Josephine and I have lived in Whitehorse, Yukon since graduation in 1993. We went to the east coast a number of years ago and loved it. Would love to go again and run across you and your family. Praise God for the work the Lord has you involved in. If you are anything like your parents, you will do well at loving people. Cheers, Wade and Josephine Holmes
On February 13, 2020 Lewis MarkWood commented:
To God be the glory for each and all CNBC congregations and ministries across the nation. We pray for a great Canadian spiritual awakening. Work for the night is coming. In Christ, Pastor Lewis and Janel Markwood
On February 13, 2020 Walt Kyzer commented:
My wife Betsy and I worked there two summers with John Cole and others during the construction period. So please to read an update on the church progress. They were two great summers for us and led to our construction work at Cochrane, Alberta, Canada and in Alaska. Thanks for the memories. God bless Canada.
On February 13, 2020 Rev Bill Burnett commented:
I have been there several times. Wallace was pastor, I was a Missionary for the NAMB. Live in N.S. Was there when CNBC met at the church. Great church doing Gods work.