“Showing kindness is a fantastic way of connecting with people. We are stretching out hands of kindness.”
“My name is Raphael Iluyomade,” he said, teeth practically chattering. “I’m here to study at Acadia Divinity College.”
Originally from Nigeria, Raphael had been living in Singapore with his wife and children when he responded to a call to ministry. He applied to ADC and was admitted to the Master of Divinity program.
Raphael moved to Wolfville early to adjust to life in North America. He recalls those first days — the trepidation he felt as he flew to Canada and caution as he drove to Wolfville. But he remembers his first day at ADC as a transformative experience.
“The community of ADC changed me,” Raphael says in his soft voice. “I came to Acadia planning to do my own stuff; guarded, not wanting to deal with others, in part because of what I heard on the news about North America. I thought ‘I have to be careful there, especially of those who are different than me.’”
But the hospitality he experienced at ADC changed his heart and mind. He recalls “acts of kindness shown with no expectation” that helped reveal Christ to him. It was an unexpected gift.
After I met him, I invited him to our weekly chapel service. He was moved by the friendly people at ADC, and surprised by the easy interaction between staff, faculty, and students. He watched caring people helping in big and small ways. At chapel he met alumnus Rev. Andrew Conrad, a ministry student at the time. “Without even knowing me, Andrew helped me,” Raphael says, still amazed. “He took me to get groceries, he showed me around. It broke me to realize things were not the way I expected them to be.”
In the first few weeks he also met alumnus Rev. Allister Johnson, pastor of the historic Lucasville United Baptist Church in Nova Scotia. “He could tell I was new, and spent time talking with me, saying ‘These are good people. Open your mind and learn.’”
Over the course of his studies, Raphael was inspired both in class and out. He remembers in his evangelism course professor emeritus Dr. Steve McMullin encouraging students not to aim for perfection before inviting people to their homes, but to instead simply bring people together. He also recalls former staff Trisha Urquhart giving him winter gloves and a hat. “I can’t tell you how much that was worth,” says Raphael.
“Nothing is too little when showing kindness.”
When Raphael became pastor of New Beginnings Ministries in Cherry Brook, NS in 2021, these are some of the stories he told his congregants to encourage them toward hospitality. To his delight, he quickly discovered that they have a gift for openness.
“We have volunteers who help with parking and incredible greeters at the door,” Raphael says with joy. “Visitors who are unsure as they approach the church tell us that they felt so welcomed it made a difference.”
At New Beginnings, Raphael and the congregation tend to focus on three groups: the elderly, single parents, and newcomers to Canada. Hospitality is shown in simple ways, like offering hot apple cider at a local nursing home and providing grocery cards to people in difficult circumstances. Many in their community are newcomers with young families, so, congregants are mindful of this as they shop, showing compassion to those who look a little lost. Members have started conversations with newcomers at Walmart and have often invited them to church.
“Showing kindness is a fantastic way of connecting with people,” Raphael says. “We are stretching out hands of kindness.”
This kindness Raphael refers to is something he experienced when he arrived in Canada, and he has no doubt that it was divinely led.
“In the short time I spent in your office that first day, it melted the cold. That was my experience at ADC until I finished my degree,” Raphael reminisces during our recent conversation. “From the first day I arrived at Acadia, I knew it was the Lord showing up to confirm my calling. These experiences deepened my relationship with God — I was a child of God, walking with Him and being blessed.”
Shawna Peverill is Director of Student Services and Communications Liaison for Acadia Divinity College.
