In Praise of Laymen
From its beginnings in 1953, the vision of the Fellowship was dominion-wide. But it took a few more years for that to become a reality. And the fulfilment of that vision did not come without the contribution of some significant laymen.
In May 1957, the first church from the Atlantic provinces, Faith Baptist in Sydney, Nova Scotia, joined the Fellowship, with the significant support of one of its charter members, Hugh MacDougall (1913-2005). MacDougall had come to faith later in life but, once saved, dedicated that life to an itinerant ministry in the Atlantic Region and wherever in the work his business and his commitment to the Gideons took him.
Twelve years later, Fellowship Baptist Church in Malvern Square became the second Maritime church to become part of the Fellowship thanks in large part to the enthusiasm of one of its laymen, Malcolm Jennings (1931-2014).
“It was Jennings who would be the liaison between the church and the Fellowship both regionally and nationally He attended a national meeting before the church officially joined, returning from that event with a keen sense of their need for fellowship with other like-minded churches… Malcom Jennings and another man, Elwin Laidlaw, illustrate a unique factor in Fellowship life. These two men and their wives were laypeople who formed an essential regional impetus for the Fellowship movement… Any success seen in the Atlantic Region cannot overlook the contribution of these committed people. Both men served national for many years… Brimming with enthusiasm about the Fellowship and reaching the lost, these men placed the church before career. Certainly, one of the great strengths of Fellowship roots in the Atlantic region is due to faithful lay leadership.”
In 1971 Fred Vaughan and Timothy Starr traveled to Dartmouth to meet with Elwin and his wife, Dorothy, about the possibilities of doing a church plant. Elwin was already active in a Baptist church and was not willing to leave his responsibilities there. But as the discussion continued, a vision for a work in the Forest Hills area of the city began to grow in his mind and heart. There was a young single pastor, Clair Hofstetter, already committed, with bags packed, to come to Dartmouth. Another couple from Temple Baptist in Sarnia, Ontario had been transferred there and were eager to contribute.
While all this was happening, the Laidlaws began a Bible study in their home. The group moved to Hofstetter’s basement once he bought a home. This became the beginning of Forest Hills Baptist Church, the first Fellowship church plant in the Atlantic Region. Elwin passed away in 2021 at the age of 103.
Soon after its inception, Forest Hills sent out its first Fellowship missionary—Elwin and Dorothy’s daughter, Beverley who began her missionary ministry in Colombia, South America teaching the children of missionaries. Beverley served in Colombia, Spain, and Venezuela during a long and significant career.
[1] Michael A. G. Haykin and Phil Cotnoir, A Glorious Fellowship of Churches, Guelph, ON, The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada, 2023), p 67