“It was so good to participate in this conversation and to have you all with us for this ministerial gathering. It is very exciting to be a part of all that is happening at ADC – you are a bright light in our Canadian Baptist family.” -Future Focus Tour Participant
12 Sessions | 11 Locations | 4 Provinces
From September 12-29, 2024, ADC President Rev. Dr. Anna Robbins travelled across Atlantic Canada on a Future Focus Tour to gather insights from pastors and church leaders on what the College should be doing to better prepare students for the ministries of today. She was accompanied by Director of Development Rev. John Campbell and Facilitator of Trend Research and Analysis Mr. Joel Murphy. Together, they hosted conversations and Theo-Futures exercises, and reported back on ADC’s current strategic vision, which was shaped by a similar “Listening Tour” in 2019.
“Seeing our grads thriving in ministry was an absolute highlight,” says Anna, “and I found it immensely encouraging to witness the commitment of people to be the Church of Christ in Atlantic Canada.”
Joel felt similarly. “I was impacted by simply being with people across Atlantic Canada in their city or town, hearing about their passion for the Church, and the honest wrestling with how the church can respond to the changes happening around us.”
A specific change Joel noted was shifting generational differences in pastors regarding the balance between work, life, and vocational ministry. “The Tour illuminated a tangible divide between the generations and their expectations of what a vocational call to Christian ministry requires and demands of Christian leaders,” he says. “The importance of thoughtfully and graciously engaging with this tension is highly relevant to ADC and church leadership as we consider how to best equip and support pastoral leaders for local church ministry.”
Similarly, Anna noted that many participants articulated a need for further formation and discipleship training for both pastoral leaders and people in the church. Information like this gathered throughout the Tour will be compiled into a report for the College’s Board of Trustees. A public version of this report will be made available to our community. Anna will then weave the findings into the next iteration of the College’s strategic vision, which will propel us forward for the next 4-5 years.
“I’m grateful to all the churches who hosted us throughout the tour,” says John Campbell, “and to everyone who joined us for the sessions. Insights, ideas, and on-the-ground experience shared by our community are invaluable as we look ahead to the future of ADC. Thank you!”
