Despite the surprisingly rotten weather on Saturday, March 14, we were able to have a good morning of worship (with a very encouraging devotional from Rev. Dr. Raphael Iluyomade from New Beginnings), sharing, and business at the HRUBA AGM at Bedford Baptist Church. Sixteen churches were represented, with about 50 total attendees. Thank you all for making the time and taking the effort to come out!

We received encouraging updates from both Bayside Camp and Hospital Chaplaincy, and took time to pray for both ministries. We have a fuller slate of officers for HRUBA council this year than we have in some time, as we now have a new clerk (Elizabeth Newstead, Regal Heights), a new Chair of Licensing (Rev. Andrew Sutherland, Birch Cove Baptist), and a new Assistant Treasurer (Sarah Merrick, Regal Heights). We are grateful to welcome these folks on board. 

As we had announced in the weeks and months leading up to the meeting, we had a motion (which was approved) to raise our recommended dues from $16 to $20 per member to aim to reflect changing financial changes both within HRUBA and in terms of general rising costs. We know that some churches may not be able to increase their giving, and want to assure you that we are thankful for you and embrace you as partners in this ministry we share in Halifax. But for those churches that can afford it, this should make it easier for us to meet our commitments throughout the year. 

May God continue to bless us in the year ahead.

The association's AGM will take place Saturday morning, March 14, at Bedford Baptist Church, starting at 9 am. We will have a soft start, with a few minutes for people to say hello as registration is checked, followed by a time of worship (music by a team from Bedford Baptist and devotional from Rev. Dr. Raphael Iluyomade, our vice-moderator and pastor of New Beginnings Ministries). We will then hear updates about Bayside and Chaplaincy and have a time of refreshments before we will conduct our business.

The business is fairly straightforward, dealing with reports, nominations, and financial matters. The one special motion that will be introduced is to adopt a recommended dues amount of $20 per member per church, an increase from our longstanding $16 per member rate. Council recognizes that some churches may find this a burden, and will not be able to increase their giving, but we will be proposing this as our new recommended figure.

If you are planning to come, please register by using the following Google Form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCpWQ8zbRPvwwB0dL-QU6h8Jk-tvTfc03ksrdvpZMp1C97Eg/viewform?usp=header

We hope to see you there!

 

We want to inform you of recent changes at our hospitals that affect our Baptist Hospital Ministry. Recently, and in anticipation of the province switching to electronic medical records, we were advised that the Spiritual Care Department will formally transition to a consult service.  This means that chaplains will no longer be able to make unsolicited contact with members of your congregation.  As a result, we may miss patients unless they or their families specifically request our support.  We can also respond to a referral from their pastor--just contact us to give patient details.

We are seeking your help to partner with us so we can communicate widely with our Baptist community. We ask that, for at least the next three months, you include the following announcement in your bulletin or on-screen announcements. We will have an updated version in the fall around Spiritual Care week.

We appreciate your support through prayer and giving in the past. We also thank you in advance for your help with this important announcement.

Serving alongside you in Christ,

Rev. Joe Green, Baptist Hospital Chaplaincy Coordinator

For both planned and unplanned hospitalizations, we continue to ask our Baptist family to ensure they reply "I'm a Baptist" when asked about their religious or spiritual needs at registration.  Regardless of whether you are a member of a Baptist church or simply call a Baptist church "home", every patient has the right to self-identify with the faith group of their choosing.

NEW: In addition to this, if seeing a Baptist Chaplain will be helpful to your care, we ask our Baptist family to ask their nurse or care provider to "consult a chaplain".  Please identify yourself so that a Baptist chaplain can be sent at your request.  This way we can support you and your family during your time at hospital with us.

Chaplain Contact Information:

For additional information about the Halifax Baptist Hospital Chaplainct please go to https://www.hruba.ca/ministries/hospital-chaplaincy.

---

The Halifax Baptist Hospital Chaplaincy Committee is please to share a recording of the Induction Service of the Rev. Wayne Desmond as Halifax Baptist Hospital Chaplain that was held on Sunday, September 28, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. at New Beginnings Ministries, 26 Cherry Brook Road, Cherry Brook, NS  B2Z 1A8.  We were joined by many family members, former congregants and professional and clerical colleagues as we celebrated Wayne and his call to the Chaplaincy Ministry.  The Guest Speaker was Rev. Dr. Dan Green.  The friendly and inspirational service was followed by a reception provided by the Welfare Planners of New Beginnings Ministries.  
The video is available at https://youtube.com/live/XR0wCX2WL58?feature=share.  Please note that sound does not start until minute 6.

---

We are excited to invite you to come together on Saturday, February 15, for an Association event designed to help us all as we make strides toward becoming intercultural congregations. Dr Steve McMullin, Professor Emeritus and Consultant on Intercultural Competency at Acadia Divinity College, will be leading us in two sessions as we learn together about this vital part of our mission.

Halifax is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, and we have an enormous number of new Canadians coming into our region. Many of our churches have seen the effects of these changes. It is exciting but can
also be overwhelming as we seek to keep up and minister well amidst the new diversity in our churches.

This event will be hosted by New Beginnings Ministries, 26 Cherry Brook Rd, Cherry Brook. We are grateful for New Beginnings' willingness to share their facility and their hospitality with us.

Coffee and lunch are a vital part of this event, as you'll have the opportunity to form and deepen relationships with others who share in our wider community, so come early and plan to stay for the duration!

The event will begin with registration at 9:00 am, and will run from 9:30 am - 2:00 pm.

PLEASE REGISTER TO INDICATE YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND THIS EVENT:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSco9mjlNRZvPahTk9L6mDlNPIQv1BgK7NX9S2QOw4_7Aa2CHA/viewform?usp=header

Dr McMullin will lead two sessions:

Session 1: Why Intercultural Congregations? Why Now?

As people from around the world move to Atlantic Canada, what are the implications for Christian witness and ministry?

Session 2: Becoming Intercultural Congregations: What Does It Mean?

In practical ways, how can local congregations incorporate people from around the globe in ways that are faithful to our Christian mission?

About Dr McMullin:

Dr. Steve McMullin served as a pastor for 27 years before becoming Professor of Evangelism and Mission at Acadia Divinity College. He and his wife Rosalie have facilitated international student ministry for many years at RiverCross Church in Saint John. Having retired from ADC at the end of 2022, he now serves as Professor Emeritus and as Consultant on Intercultural Competency.


We hope to see you there!