One of my concerns for the church in North America today is that local churches are too disconnected from one another. While there are several highly visible churches, many of the people in our local churches have relatively little awareness of what is going on in modest congregations like the Red Brick Church in Stillman Valley, IL.
In the coming weeks, I have asked several pastors to introduce us to their churches. Today is Darryl Dash. I know Darryl because we both received our Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell and we participate in an annual study retreat together. Darryl also has one of my favorite blogs.
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Tell us where your church is at geographically and give us your web site.
We’re located in the west end of Toronto, Canada. The church website is www.richview.org.
How long have you been the pastor there?
I’ve been pastor at Richview for almost twelve years now.
Tell us about your family.
I’m married to Charlene. We have two kids – Christina, age 15, and Josiah, age 11. Christina is a lot like me; Josiah is a lot like his mother. It keeps us all humble and gives us lots of laughs.
Is there a blog or web site where we can read more about you?
I blog at www.DashHouse.com.
What is the theological or denominational heritage of your church? Is that identity changed?
Our church is part of the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada. The Fellowship traces its history back to the liberal-fundamentalist debate of the early part of the last century. We’re the more conservative group. It’s still a fairly broad evangelical denomination. We have a senior who attends Richview who was a giant in the early days of the Fellowship. I love hearing his stories.
Are there any other pastoral staff?
Yes, we have someone in charge of outreach. We also have a part-time pastor to seniors, because our church runs (at arms length) a senior’s residence.
Briefly, what is your approach to preaching? Do you topical series? Book by book?
Mostly I do book by book, although I occasionally do other types of series. I’m planning a topical one now for after Easter, but mostly I like to stick to book studies.
What is currently being preached on at your church? Can we listen online?
We’re wrapping up the Gospel of Mark on Easter Sunday. You can find us on iTunes (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=258633847) or at our website (http://www.richview.org/category/sermons/).
What style of music do you use as a part of your worship service?
That’s a tough one. It’s pretty eclectic, mostly a mix of traditional and some newer. We’ve really tried to emphasize that what binds us together in the gospel is greater than what divides us musically.
Why should someone who lives in your area and is looking for a church home think about visiting your church?
We’re not the slickest group in town. There are lots of churches around that do a better job in music and programs. But we’re real. That counts in my books for a lot more. There’s an authenticity that has grown over the years that I really appreciate, and a growing love for the gospel.
Tell us about one memory or incident from your church in which you believe God was glorified and you and your flock experienced joy.
One of our youth leaders began thinking of ways to stretch the youth to think beyond themselves. They decided to begin supporting Water Ambassadors, an organization that provides clean drinking water to people in developing countries. It’s lead to an annual garage sale and mission trips. It’s actually getting a little out of hand, but it’s stretching people in new ways.
Richview loves to serve. I’ve been amazed at how people love to sacrifice when they’re given an opportunity to serve others.
Good stuff. Diggin’ this Monday series. Starting to look forward to it each week. Appreciate your work putting this together. If your goal was at all to encourage modest churches and their ministers then you’ve achieved it on my end. Thanks again.
Thanks Deek. That is encouraging. But, I am starting to run a bit low on churches!
Chris,
It’s great to see you interview a fellow Canadian and Fellowship Baptist Pastor! Great review.
It’s a pleasure to meet you Pastor Darryl!
The teaching on your blog is always a blessing!
June 30, 2010
From Zion Baptist Mission
Dear Sir/Madam
We bring special greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. We take pleasure in introducing our Zion Baptist Mission
of our Zion Baptist Church, which exists for worship and
fellowship of true & living God, for the furtherance of Gospel and for
building the Kingdom of God in our part of the world, among the
unreached, untouched and unbelievers, with such activities like
Evangelism & church-planting, training & supporting village
evangelists & pastors, along with some social works like children
ministry, helping poor & aged, caring the sick and weak. We feel an
honor in requesting support of your prayer, finance, which will enable
His Work for effective growth and continuation in India.
A brief explanation of our Mission. We are faith-based Baptists
and strictly Bible believing church in the midst of around thousands
of villages and hundreds of towns and cities. We are a team of
evangelists, rural pastors and laymen, working together in one accord
for taking the Gospel of Jesus to every village, people and home with
a special interest on backward, undeveloped and non-Christian
communities. The area we work is the sea costal land and 90 % of
people never know the Lord and everyday so many die without the Lord.
There is plenty of harvest to reap, but few faithful workers. Our
mission realizes the need and strives effectively to our best through
various activities to get a person to the Lord before dying.
Evangelism is carried on around here through open meetings, tracts
distributions, home gatherings, and through certain social activities.
We cover every locality with outreach mission and start a gathering or
a church for the continuation of the scriptural nurture. Certain
social activities like children ministry, giving a little help to the
too poor, love gifts to the old aged and caring for the sick people,
create a possible hopeful life on earth for the poor & needy, and set
good example to others around and increase good opportunities for
evangelism and church-planting. So we love people as the Lord did, and
to our ability, we share what we have with the people for our Lord.
Zion Baptist Church & Mission started on 29 May, 2008, at
Bhimavaram in India, to evangelize among the non-Christian
communities, backward & disadvantaged seaside people and to plant
churches for the continuation of their spiritual nurture, along with
certain social activities. Our mission main focus is to serve the both
physical and spiritual needs of the people. So we serve people
effectively through Evangelism, church planting and social activities.
People are the witnesses for our faithful & successful mission. As a
result, our gospel meetings made a big gatherings among the
non-Christians; brought change in many lives; and so we continue to
move on. We are called to full time ministry in His service for
people, and throughout the year we continuously keep reaching out to
new people & new places. Setting an example, carrying on good
testimony, our Zion Baptist Mission has received so many appreciations
from local families, individuals, other charities and local churches.
The Sea costal where we locate has thousands of unbelievers,
backward and disadvantaged people without the Lord. Poor children need
education; the poor needs help; the aged need loving care; and sick
people need ministry of comfort. The harvest is plenty but the workers
are few; and not all the workers made faithful commitment to the Lord.
There was an increasing need for new faithful, responsible and
accountable mission. With the purpose to meet the need, came up the
Zion Baptist Mission with commitment. Though we do not have any
financial resources, yet we give up what we have for His work. Due to
least funds, and lowest incomes of the local supporting believers, we
have an extremely difficult time, providing the needs for mission. We
need your prayer. If the Lord burdens your heart for the ministry
here, we will be so thankful to both the Lord and you & your family.
Zion Baptist Mission believes the most effective and the
long-term solution to bring change in the live of people is
evangelism, church-planting through certain social activities as
means. Evangelism creates a new hope in their lives; church planting
builds them on the sound teachings of Jesus, in fellowship with the
Lord and His people; and social works open doors for evangelism and
church-planting. Thus ZBM envisions a faithful & successful ministry,
which meets both the physical and spiritual needs of people.
Zion Baptist Mission receives no funds from anywhere. The Lord
himself provides our needs. We believe that money can not minimize His
work as long as His grace and your prayers are with us. “I planted,
Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” 1 Cor. 3:6. By any
means we want be the vessels for honor, sanctified, useful for Master,
prepared for every good work. 2 Tim 2:20, 21. We want you to pray for
us & the needs.
We look forward to your response or for any further details. We
hope through your prayer and support, our Zion Baptist Mission can
ensure the potential continuation for the effectively faster & easier
Evangelism & church planting for the glory and honor of our Master.
Yours faithfully,
Prasad Babu Bollina (Pastor)
Pastor. Prasad Babu Bollina, Door # 6-5/2,
Rayalam Thota, Bhimavaram-534208, W.G.Dt, A.P, India.
E-mail-prasadbolli@gmail.com
Zion Baptist Mission. C/o Kadiyala Enosh, Lanka, Vijayawada, Krishna
Door # 63-2-9, Ramalayam street, Patamata District, India
I am going down memory lane at the moment and thinking back to the year I lived and worked in Toronto. I went to Richview Baptist church but my memory is poor. I met some lovely friends there but never kept in touch. I cant even remember if you were the pastor when I was there. Can you help me out. I attended from the autumn of 1999 until the summer of 2000. I live in Glasgow, Scotland. I would love to get in touch with one friend in particular. I wonder if she still attend your church. She had two sisters, she was the middle one. Her name began with a C I think. She worked as an editor and had her own art studio downtown. I hope some of this makes sense. I wish I had a better memory. My name was Karen Smith (nee). Im now Karen Petrie. Thank you. Karen