” . . . let us not talk falsely now,
the hour is getting late . . .”
- All Along the Watchtower, Bob Dylan
Pastor Bob hereby invites you to ponder along the signs of God’s Kingdom at work in this world. This is his effort at truth telling . . . some stories, some thoughts, some weakness . . .
Pastor Bob currently serves at Kanata Baptist Church, in the west end of Ottawa.
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More About Pastor Bob
Bob Davies was born and raised in the communities of Maryvale and Wexford in Scarborough, Ontario. Though the church was generally at a distance during Bob’s youth, through a particular event at Stockade, (an outreach ministry to boys), and through repeated summers at Kwasind, (a Christian camp), God began speaking into Bob’s life. As Bob entered his teens, the faithful leaders of the youth ministry of Agincourt Baptist Church brought their group on Sunday evenings to Youth for Christ’s ‘Praise Gatherings’ run out of a Seneca College auditorium in North York. When Bob heard the message of Jesus through those highly relevant ministries in a contemporary musical language he could understand, he recognized the call of Christ on his life. Within a year of making a decision to follow Jesus intentionally, in the midst of a very difficult time at the church, Bob realized God was calling him vocationally into the Christian ministry.
The first steps were academic. Bob entered the University of Toronto specializing in Religious Studies. After completing his degree in Toronto, Bob entered a Master of Divinity program at Acadia University in Nova Scotia. Three years later, Bob asked the Lord if he could begin with a part time ministry while both continuing his studies and volunteering with the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship ministry at Acadia. In short order an opportunity to serve as Pastor of Inglewood United Baptist Church in the African United Baptist Association in Nova Scotia opened, and Bob accepted that call while continuing the course work for a Master of Arts in Theology at Acadia. That wonderful rural ministry taught Bob the meaning of community and church, and, balanced with his continuing academic studies, helped prepare him for full time ministry.
In 2001, before completing his M.A. thesis, Bob accepted the call to pastor Christian Baptist Church in Newmarket, Ontario. During his ministry in Newmarket, Bob served as Chair of the local Ministerial Association from 2003 to 2007, sat on the Spiritual Care Advisory Committee of Southlake Regional Hospital from 2004 to 2007, and served as an on-call Chaplain there from 2003-2008. In Newmarket, Bob learned the value of partnerships as a means to ministry in God’s Kingdom. Partnership with the North Toronto Chinese Baptist Church helped develop a Chinese outreach ministry at Christian Baptist, and eventually a Chinese language service there. Partnership with a pre-existing soup kitchen ministry in the Main Street area of Newmarket under the umbrella of Crosslands Church meant that Christian Baptist could serve by hosting the weekly community meals. And an ongoing partnership with Youth Unlimited and Steve Klassen began some interdenominational conversations around some exciting new approaches to ministry with young adults.
During Bob’s time in Newmarket, he was also introduced to the inspiring Jonathan Wamback and his parents Joe & Lozanne. After Jonathan survived a brutal attack by young offenders in the community, their family became deeply committed to, and vigorously active for, justice and fairness for crime victims and their families. The Canadian Crime Victim Foundation (CCVF) provides inspiration and real support in order to “empower and provide resources to victims of crime and to effect positive change to victim services in Canada.” Pastor Bob is deeply moved by the compassion and purpose of the CCVF, and longs to see their noble aspirations realized in Canada. The injustices suffered by crime victims in our nation cry out for action, and yet so few seem aware of the need.
Seven years into his ministry at Christian Baptist Church in Newmarket, in 2008, Bob was called to join as an Associate Pastor at Kanata Baptist Church in Ottawa. Just more than a year into his service there, Bob is involved in Alpha and Small Group ministries, shares in the preaching, and offers some support to a crowd of gifted young adults. There is a great opportunity for work in Kanata, and Pastor Bob remains eager to discover and participate in whatever God has for his people at Kanata Baptist to do.
A year into his ministry in Newmarket, Bob proposed to Michelle Simpson, a girl he’d begun dating during his time in Nova Scotia. In 2003, Michelle moved to join Bob in Newmarket and they were married in August of that year. Though she worked full time as a Denturist, Michelle joined Bob in ministry in Newmarket as they worked on Alpha together, and lead both Jr. and Sr. High ministries there. In 2007, their daughter Kayleigh was born, followed in 2009 by their son Owain.
