“… how do we extend this radical sense of God’s hospitality to our neighbours who are increasingly ‘from away,’ whether that be the other side of the country or the other side of the world?”
In his book Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, Stanford University professor of biology and neurology Robert Sapolsky writes, “Considerable evidence suggests that dividing the world into Us and Them is deeply hard-wired in our brains. Humans universally make Us/Them dichotomies along lines of race, ethnicity, gender, language group, religion, age, socioeconomic status, and so on.”
One could say that asking, “Who’s yer father?” is an East Coast way of separating Us/Them — “Who do you belong to?” is not far off from “Do you belong here?” or “Are you one of Us or one of Them?”
When I moved to Atlantic Canada, I was jokingly “warned” that no matter how long I lived here, I would always be considered “from away” because I can’t count back several generations of my family tree on Atlantic Canadian soil. I was being reminded — even in jest — that I am a “Them.”
In his book, Sapolsky goes on to say, “[S]ome of my most exquisitely happy moments have come from feeling like an Us, feeling accepted, safe, and not alone, feeling part of something large and enveloping, with a sense of being on the right side and doing both well and good.”
I couldn’t agree more. But is this sense of true acceptance of community of being part of something bigger than ourselves something to be found in Atlantic Baptist churches? What would hospitality look like if we embraced everyone as an “Us”?
In a conversation with the Executive Minister of the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC), Renée MacVicar (’06, ’08), she described hospitality as “welcoming the stranger — whoever the ‘stranger’ is to you — being ready and willing to show the hospitality of God.”
The hospitality of God. This kind of hospitality is surely deeply radical, sacrificial, and — importantly — extended to all, regardless of who your father is. So, how do we extend this radical sense of God’s hospitality to our neighbours who are increasingly “from away,” whether that be the other side of the country or the other side of the world?
Against the backdrop of this immense cultural shift in Atlantic Canada, I had the privilege of speaking to members of our Baptist community about how they are practicing hospitality. I hope you take these stories as encouragement in your own journey, as inspiration for ways you can extend hospitality, and as a witness to the radical work of the Holy Spirit in our ever-changing communities.
Hospitable Pioneers: RiverCross
RiverCross Church in Saint John, NB has wholly embraced the diversity surrounding it. Since the pandemic, the church has seen the congregation double, primarily with new Canadians.
Senior pastor Rob Nylen (’98) says, “Our experience has shown us there are two important ways to connect and help integrate newcomers into our church family — transportation and places to serve.”
We know that a significant percentage of newcomers to Canada have strong Christian faith and are committed to their home church. “For them,” Rob says, “to be a part of a church is to serve. If we can help provide meaningful places to serve, then these newcomers will feel like this is now their church family.”
These opportunities are reflected throughout River– Cross — another important way to help newcomers feel seen, heard, and included. As church member and CBAC Director of Leadership Development, Garth Williams says, “You will see great diversity across leadership at RiverCross, but the individuals aren’t there just because they’re diverse; they’re there because they are gifted in leadership and committed to the body.”
When it comes to transportation, “Many newcomers want to attend worship each week, but need a drive,” Rob says. “We ask for people to commit to making a stop on the way to church to pick someone up. These are more than ‘drives’; they are opportunities to get to know people, hear their stories, and learn from one another.”
The Heart of a Cathedral: Canaan Baptist
A quaint, rural church in the Annapolis Valley, NS has seen the fruit of this practical outworking of hospitality. Canaan Baptist Church (CBC) member and retired Acadia Divinity College associate professor Glenn Wooden (’84, ’86) (photo on page 17) says, “We realize that international students usually cannot afford vehicles or taxis, so we have several people in our congregation who provide weekly transportation to and from worship and other events.”
This commitment has seen the small congregation embrace international students and other newcomers from around the world. “From our first African pastor from Ghana, to a refugee family we helped come to Canada, to Acadia students — they have all been welcomed warmly,” Glenn says. “And more than that, very quickly people are integrated. Newcomers are invited into our homes, and they are included in all our congregational gatherings. We try to provide some ‘home’ foods when we get together, too.”
One of the many international ADC students impacted by the hospitality of CBC is Tosin Ogunbodede, who has been attending since 2022. “I was connected to CBC just about a month after my arrival,” he says, “and the love and hospitality I experienced were indescribable. The church is a small church with the heart of a cathedral. I am seen and treated as part of the family, and I am overwhelmed with love.”
In our conversation, Glenn reminded me that “it’s easy to have the mindset that ‘we’ are the church — that the church is like us in the Maritimes. Worshipping and fellowshipping with people of other cultures challenges us to consider how others worship. When we do this, our fellowship is enhanced, our mission becomes real, and our lives are changed through these relationships.”
Unplanned Hospitality: Valley of Hope
International ADC student Vipin Joseph and his wife, ADC Academic Administrator Achsah John, felt the call to establish a church to reach the Indian community in the Annapolis Valley. Their church, Valley of Hope, provides a place to feel seen, valued, and connected. What began as a small ministry in early 2024 quickly grew through the couple’s commitment to hospitality and relationships. In October 2024, Wolfville Baptist Church welcomed Valley of Hope as an outreach ministry, providing additional encouragement for their work.
“Back home,” Achsah told me, “Christians are the minority. It’s a legal risk to invite someone to church. Now that we’re in Canada, I can freely invite people, and it has given me confidence to connect with others.”
This connection takes various forms. From phone calls to home-cooked meals, spontaneous coffee meetings, and times of worship, Achsah and Vipin are committed to what Vipin likes to call “unplanned hospitality” alongside their regular fellowship.
“Create hospitality in accidental places, because God is never absent from any place, His presence fills every corner of creation,” he says. “The essence of hospitality lies not merely in delivering an excellent service or a well-crafted sermon; it’s about fostering relationships rooted in the selfless service exemplified by Jesus Christ.”
Achsah adds, “We strive to reflect God’s love by showing others how deeply they are valued. The conversation is richer than the food our guests eat.” These guests have quickly turned into family as their ministry has grown from twelve people last year to almost 40 people today.
Both Achsah and Vipin have been impacted by the diverse community that surrounds them at ADC. “We feel celebrated and recognized in what we’re doing,” Vipin says. “We’re grateful for the encouragement and the support from our community here.”
“Sometimes I wonder if it’s too much,” Achsah says. “But when I arrive at the College on Monday mornings and hear where the ADC team has been out preaching, speaking, and fellowshipping, all while being parents, spouses, friends — when I hear those stories, I think ‘If they can do it, I can, too.’”
Intentional Voices: God’s Army Church Fellowship
Joselito Alba came to Canada from the Philippines and took several courses at ADC to have his ordination recognized in Atlantic Canada. Now, he pastors God’s Army Fellowship Church (GAFC) in Halifax, NS — a young church that began as a small, primarily Filipino Bible study. As the congregation has increased in number and diversity, Joselito is taking intentional steps to embrace the changing community.
“The first step I made was to invite speakers to preach to our congregation once a month so that our Filipino community can adapt to hearing preach- ers from different cultures,” he said. “I want our congregation to become familiar with a multi-cultural atmosphere by hearing different voices.”
The congregation also brings a Filipino flavour of hospitality to their community. Joselito told me, “We Filipinos are appreciative of God’s blessings. Whenever we acquire a house or a vehicle, we would want to dedicate it to the Lord. We share this kind of cultural practice, and I have done several house or car dedications for non-Filipinos here in Nova Scotia.”
“Part of our act of hospitality,” he continued, “is helping newcomers — from the Philippines or elsewhere — settle and find employment. We appeal to our church members to share items that these newcomers might need — winter clothes, necessary household items, groceries, etc. — as they begin their journey here in Canada.”
GAFC is now a congregation home to people from various nations. “It’s encouraging to see our children playing and learning together in Sunday school,” Joselito says. “We are family-oriented, and this sense of closeness attracts many beyond the Filipino population in Halifax.”
Open Your Home & Be Known
The example of sharing a meal to extend hospitality threaded its way through almost all my conversations. But there is an additional element that stood out to me alongside the importance of breaking bread together: opening our homes.
ADC Consultant on Intercultural Competency, Steve McMullin, shares a profound question posed to him by a Nigerian friend: “How can I really know someone if I’ve never been inside their home?” Steve goes on to say, “If we want to welcome people of other cultures, it won’t be enough to invite people into our church building or even to a restaurant. It’s not about the food or about the atmosphere. It’s about letting people get to know us.”
Allowing people to know us and inviting people into the real (and often times messy) parts of our lives requires humility. But if we can start by simply opening our homes to our neighbours, perhaps then we will begin to reflect the miracle of diversity we read about in Acts 2.
“The beauty of Pentecost was not the uniformity,” says Renée MacVicar. “All people heard the good news in their own language at the same time and understood. What a witness to the world! That we can be diverse in many ways, across all sorts of divides, all seeking Jesus together, learning what it means to be faithful followers today.”
Most importantly, Steve reminds us that “Becoming a congregation where people of many cultures are truly one body is the work of God, not the work of human ingenuity. It’s about spiritual transformation.”
This echoes Romans 12:2: “be transformed by the renewing of the mind”. We need Christ as our example in hospitality and the Spirit as our guide to “rewire” our natural tendency to separate “Us” from “Them.” Only then can we truly be one body.
Carley Lee is Communications Coordinator for Acadia Divinity College and a freelance writer.
