Elders

Ryan Case

Ryan graduated with an M. Div. from Toronto Baptist Seminary, and joined GCRBC as the preaching elder in June, 2007. He is married to his lovely wife Christina, and have been blessed with two little girls, Elisha Rachelle, and Abigail Faith. Ryan has a passion to see the lost ushered into the Kingdom of God, as well as to see Christ's redeemed grow in all knowledge and grace. He loves expositional preaching, biblical theology, and studying Greek and Hebrew. His hobbies include reading copious amounts of theological books and writing music on his guitar. His 'heroes of the faith' include John Piper, D.A. Carson, and C.H. Spurgeon.

Testimony: I grew up in a small town outside of Winnipeg, MB in a non-churched family. By the sweet and sovereign grace of God, I was converted to Jesus Christ during my third year of university in a Pentecostal church. In my fourth year of university, I dropped out, having felt God's call upon my life to become a preacher of the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ. After four years of contemplation, and after having met my future wife, I was called out to Toronto Baptist Seminary to complete my Masters Degree. Afterwards, the God who declares the end from the beginning saw fit to move Christina and myself to Lethbridge to serve some of the greatest people we have ever met. What a privilege we have been given to co-labor with brothers and sisters who cherish Jesus Christ supremely above all things. All praise, honor, and glory to my Sovereign Lord for the amazing grace He has bestowed upon such undeserving sinners.

Favorite verse: "He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things." (Romans 8:32)

Contact: lethbridgebaptist@gmail.com

Marvin Burton

Marvin has been part of a Reformed Baptist church for approximately twenty five years in the city of Lethbridge. He has been serving as elder of the congregation for the last seven years and was the sole elder for one year prior to Pastor Ryan coming to join the ministry at Grace Community Reformed Baptist Church. Marvin has been married to his wife Dini for thirty three years. They have four children, who all are married and have provided their parents with 10 grandcildren. Marvin has a desire to maintain biblical purity, both in preaching and in the lives of the congregation. It is also his desire to see joy and a vibrant love for the church lived out in his life and in the church. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the message that all need to hear, and it is his desire, along with the leadership of Grace Community, to share this precious gospel with as many people as the Lord grants them opportunity. In doing so, we ask you to come and join with us for our worship services. Come, give our Savior and God all praise and glory due to His glorious name.

Testimony:   Church never became part of my life until I was in high school and I had some Baptist friends who invited me over for the weekend when we went to church. Don Holloway, their pastor, would become a very important person in my life to come. High school ended, and more years passed by. Church again became a thing of the past. I led a rather worldly life during this time. In the spring of 1970, after losing many friends and realizing alcohol no longer was any help, life became meaningless and almost ended. But God graciously intervened and showed me in the Scriptures who Jesus Christ was. The words of Pastor Holloway had not gone without bearing fruit. I gave my life to Christ after He showed me my need and it became a life of searching and trusting. In His faithfulness, He gave me a godly wife, directed me back to Pastor Holloway’s ministry (who had moved into our area), and helped me to learn much about God, Jesus Christ, His Church and His Word. And the Lord has continued to direct our paths to this very day, and God continues to build His church. Praise be to God.

Christopher Purvis

Chris is the newest elder at Grace Community Reformed Baptist  Church. He has been married to his wife, Julie, for three years.  They currently have one child. Chris is passionate about teaching  all of Scripture as one unified story of God's redemption of a  people for Himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ to the  praise of His glorious grace.

Testimony: My parents are missionaries in Southeast Asia where they planted and parented a children's home and now plant Charismatic churches and train pastors. I was raised with a basic understanding  of the gospel of Jesus Christ and in my early teenage years  professed faith in Him and was baptized. When I returned to  Lethbridge as an adult, I began attending and serving at a local  Charismatic church and found myself employed by a Charismatic  television ministry. God mercifully intervened and opened my eyes to  the full glory of the gospel through the expository preaching of the  book of Romans: the transcendence of God's holiness, the depths of  my sin, and the immense distance between the two that was bridged by  the unmerited grace of God in the Son on the cross. It was then that  God gave me my wife, Julie. We were soon looking for a body of believeres who truly treasured the gospel and found them in Grace Community. To God alone be the glory.

Deacons

Darrell Burgess

Matt Wirzba

I had the wonderful blessing of being raised in a christian family growing up.  Although I dont remember when I was saved, I do know that growing up in a home where the doctrines of Christianity are taught and believing them really brought me to where I am at today.

After I finished high school I went to Germany for a year to attend bible school (Friedrichshafen).  It was here that I really started to understand at a very intimate level what Christianity was all about.  It was desiring a relationship with Jesus, my Lord.  After spending a year in Germany I had a whole new appreciation for who God was and who I was in light of that.  I also found my wife Heather there as well, and we are now expecting our first child!

When I returned to Canada I started and finished my degree in Environmental Science.  During this time I was not plugged into a church in any kind of real way and was suffering for it.  When I found out about Grace Community both Heather and I jumped at the chance to be plugged into a community where we could be held accountable and grow with an intimate group of believers.  I know look forward to the oppertunity I have to serve this church as a deacon.  I have grown immensely in the last five years, and hope that God will continue to reveal himself to me more and more as the years go on.

Marc Jongerden