 Neil Sawatzky was saved
from a life of sin by the grace of God in 1966. Lois was saved at an early age
and determined always to serve the Lord. Neil and Lois met at church, grew in
love and married in 1969.
Neil Sawatzky has assumed the pastoral responsibilities at the
Northside Baptist Church as of August 8, 2003. Together with his wife, Lois Ann,
he has served in pastoral work since 1970. The first ministry was a dual charge
known as The Beatty Gospel Assembly and The Glen Mary Sunday School. These two
rural churches are in Saskatchewan and gave the Sawatzkys an important
introduction to the pastoral work. The Lord blessed the four years of ministry
there where they were extensively involved in revival ministries traveling and
preaching in many churches in central to Northern Saskatchewan. A local Radio
broadcast was started and maintained for most of the four years
there.
In 1974 they were called to Aylmer Ontario to help out in a
newly formed church called The Aylmer Christian Fellowship Chapel. In a short
while a growing and dynamic church was moving forward. In 1977 the Chapel and
Elgin Baptist Temple decided to join forces and form The Open Bible Baptist
Church of Aylmer, ON. The Lord used the Sawatzkys and the good people of that
community to see a church built and develop a beautiful property to accommodate
a variety of ministries.
In 1982 they were called to pastor the First Baptist Church of
St. John's Nfld. While there, the church was led out of deep financial stress
and relocated to a new location and new facilities capable of ministering to
400-500 people. The church housed a Christian day school, a Bible Institute, a
summer camp for children through teen age youth as well as a refugee ministry
that saw many hundreds of refugees come through the doors and hearing the gospel
before moving to the mainland of Canada. A local weekly televised broadcast gave
the church good public exposure in the city of St. John's. While ministering in St. John's, Neil also was chosen to lead
the Fundamental Christian Schools of Canada which took him to many provinces in
Canada and into the USA.
In 1992 they moved back to Ontario and settled in the K-W area.
They first attended the Kitchener Baptist Church and then saw a need to help
with the ministries at The Northside Baptist Church in 1993. Lois started
directing the choir and Neil started the L.I.F.T.S. (Lay Institute For Training
Servants) ministry at Northside.
The Open Bible Baptist Church of Aylmer called them back in
1997 to help rebuild a declining church. The Lord turned things around there and
by 2003 the church was much stronger again with attendances reaching 130 - 140
on Sundays.When pastor Logan resigned to go into missions conference work,
the Northside Baptist Church asked the Sawatzkys to come and give leadership
here. Rev. Dr. Neil Sawatzky and wife Lois graduated from the Nipawin
Bible Institute in Nipawin, Saskatchewan in 1970. Neil continued his academic
and spiritual training through the Winnipeg Theological Seminary (Now Provident
College) and transferred to Northland Baptist Bible College in Dunbar Wisconsin
to finish his Masters degree. In 1990 he received the Doctor of Divinity degree
from the Biblical Baptist Seminary of Bangalore, India for his contributions and
efforts in Christian education across Canada and help with the India work. The Northside Baptist Church together with Pastor & Mrs.
Sawatzky invite you to come and visit our ministries.
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