President's Blog

The Church Planting Story among Fellowship Baptists: 2010-2024

January 13, 2025

I recently spoke at the Mission Conference at First Filipino Baptist Church in Toronto, ON (October 2024). It was a joy to be with them once again and see how this congregation continues to remain on mission since its founding in 1977.

The First Filipino Baptist Church story in Toronto, ON

First Filipino has influenced the birth of 18 church plants in its almost 50 years of existence. Impressive! Let me explain.

It began humbly in the summer of 1975 with four young adults gathering at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto. The Bible study grew and by May 1977 they formed First Filipino Baptist Church. Their first pastor was Godfrey Catanus who later moved in 1982 to minister in the United States. His brother, Eliezer, became the lead pastor and served for 31 years, retiring in 2015.

I was the special speaker at their 40th Anniversary Service in the summer of 2017. After the service we went to a banquet hall where 700 people jammed together to celebrate God’s faithfulness and goodness. The 700 people present attended different Baptist Churches — all churches that had been planted by First Filipino during its 40-year history.

I sat down with some of their leaders during the banquet and mapped out on my paper serviette their “Church Planting Family Tree”. It blew me away when I considered what is possible when one church remains on mission.

In thirty-three years (1984-2017), First Filipino Baptist Church planted eight churches out of which another nine granddaughter and great-granddaughter churches were birthed—a total of 17 churches in three decades. And between 2017 and 2024, more plants have been birthed. What an inspiration to all of our churches! Here is their Church Plant Family Tree:

Church Plant Family Tree

 

The good news is — the story continues:

The Fellowship Baptist Church Planting Story: 2010-2024

Since 2010, our local churches have remained on mission. Our five Fellowship Regions have sought to “double-down” on envisioning, resourcing, and courageously pursuing a dream for church planting in our country. I’ve been praying and trying to support our Regions to ensure our Fellowship movement might be a church planting machine!

Some of our local churches have caught the vision and with God’s help we have established 132 church plants form 2010-2024. God is so good!

 

Fellowship Church Planting in Canada

Domestic church planting in Canada is led by our Fellowship Regions

 

Year

Pacific

Prairies

Central

AÉBÉQ

Atlantic

Total

2010

1

-

3

-

-

4

2011

3

-

2

5

-

10

2012

2

-

6

2

-

10

2013

2

-

7

-

-

9

2014

-

1

2

2

-

5

2015

2

-

9

-

2

13

2016

2

-

2

1

-

5

2017

-

1

7

-

-

8

2018

3

-

4

1

-

8

2019

-

1

6

2

-

9

2020

6

-

9

2

-

17

2021

3

-

7

-

-

10

2022

4

0

3

0

0

7

2023

6

0

1

0

1

8

2024

1

0

5

3

0

9

Total:

35

3

73

18

3

132

*N.B. The stats above include every new plant established, even those that closed (11), went inactive (4), or left the Fellowship (2).

 

If you would like to download a full list of church planting statistics please email reception@fellowship.ca

Our Regions have sought to help our local churches plant these new churches. Several have not survived, but the vast majority are still in existence with some plants becoming recognized member churches who have gone on to plant new churches.

And so, the story continues.

If your church is interested in learning more about Fellowship Church planting, please contact your Regional Church Planting Director: