Athabasca Reformed Congregation Welcomes First Nations Minister to Plant Church
And Offers a Way for Canadian Churches to Respond to the Discovery of Mass Graves
- Rev. Al Plat
And Offers a Way for Canadian Churches to Respond to the Discovery of Mass Graves
- Rev. Al Plat
If you’ve ever visited the Reformed Church in Athabasca, Alberta, you may have heard mention of Calling Lake, a First Nations community just 40 minutes North of Athabasca. The town of Calling Lake sits on the shore of the lake of the same name. It is 60 kilometers north of Athabasca, 300 kilometers south of Fort McMurray, and is the seat of the Jean Baptiste Gambler Reserve 183 of the Bigstone Cree Nation.
Athabasca Reformed Congregation began their relationship with the Calling Lake community in 1998, with a Sunday School program hosted by church members. Since then, the relationship has grown to include at times more than 100 people, through youth groups and Vacation Bible School programs. Several part-time staff members and volunteers helped to run programs. |
However, as programs have expanded, so did the need for full time leadership. And that’s when God brought Nathan Gullion to our church staff.
Nathan has been serving in Calling Lake now for the past two years as our Student Seminarian. He is of First Nations background himself, and has been warmly welcomed by that community. Up until recently, his work was full time during the summers, and during the school year he offered online Bible Studies and Alpha Courses.
Nathan is no stranger to a life of brokenness, alcoholism, addiction, and incarceration but he was saved by our Lord Jesus Christ some 16 years ago, and understandably now has a real passion to bring the gospel to others in the First Nations community. Now, after having completed his Master of Divinity last month (at Taylor Seminary in Edmonton), he has started full time at Calling Lake with the goal of planting a church there. He is under care of the Classis of the Canadian Prairies, and is working toward being ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the RCA. |
In light of the recent discovery of the burial site of 215 children at a Residential School in Kamloops (BC), and of 751 more graves near the grounds of the former Marieval Residential School (Saskatchewan), we find it providential and timely that Nathan is able to provide a daily pastoral presence to the Calling Lake community. This is a difficult time for the community. We hope that as the province of Alberta lessens its COVID restrictions over the summer, he will be able to start leading regular weekly church services in Calling Lake as early as July.
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Planting a new church requires not only time and energy, but also financial support for its pastor. Though we believe that God has been clear in calling us to bring the Gospel to Calling Lake, and has given us Nathan to be the pastor, providing a full-time salary for Nathan is currently beyond the means of the Athabasca Reformed Church. That said, we believe that where God calls, He also provides.
In light of this, and during a sad time when so many Christians are wondering what can we do to help our First Nations people, we are asking all of our Canadian sister churches in the RCA to consider making a donation or taking a special offering one Sunday to support the First Nations ministry in Calling Lake. Your prayers are also deeply appreciated. Please pray that God would continue to bless and heal the people of Calling Lake, and that Nathan would be filled with the Spirit, so that he may wisely and boldly share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the people of that community. “The one who has called us if faithful, and He will do it.” (1 Thess 5:24)
To find out how you can help the Calling Lake church plant, either through prayer or through financial support, contact Al Plat at [email protected].
To find out how you can help the Calling Lake church plant, either through prayer or through financial support, contact Al Plat at [email protected].