2026 Convention Speakers

Opening sermon by Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee, senior pastor at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto.

Joel Zantingh (Peace & Reconiciliation Network - World Evangelical Alliance & National Director, Lausanne Movement Canada)

Joel Zantingh is a catalyst for peacemaking and intercultural teams, serving as Canadian coordinator for the World Evangelical Alliance’s Peace and Reconciliation Network and as Director of Engagement with Lausanne Movement Canada. He has led in local and national roles within the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, including its global mission work, and brings experience teaching and equipping leaders across cultures and generations. Joel also contributes to initiatives such as Disagreeing Well, helping Christians engage differences with wisdom and grace.

Marina Fanous (Communications Coordinator Program Coordinator, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - The Canadian Council of Churches)

Marina Fanous started with the Council in 2023, and has since taken on the role of Communications Coordinator, as well as the Program Coordinator for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Having grown up in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Canada, she is now part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Marina holds an Honours BA in French Literature and the Study of Religion, as well as a Master’s of Theological Studies, with specialization in Orthodox and Eastern Christian Studies, both from the University of Toronto.

Joel Gordon (Director of Ministry Partnership and Innovation / Communications (tbc) - Evangelical Fellowship of Canada)

Joel Gordon is a filmmaker, actor and pastor. He is married with four children and lives north of Toronto. In 2021 he assumed his current job title. Previously he also served several years as Director of Love Is Moving and as the EFC's Creative Director. Since his early teens, Joel has been acting in television and film. After studying acting at York University and completing his BFA, Joel started to produce and direct television documentaries. In 2013 he produced a magazine and TV series called Love Is Moving that features youth groups living out God’s love in their communities. Joel is passionate about guiding his own children into a deeper relationship with God and also about sharing stories from youth and young adults across Canada through the EFC’s Love Is Moving initiatives.

Peter Noteboom (The Canadian Council of Churches)

Rev. Peter Noteboom is General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, where he provides leadership in fostering unity, shaping strategic direction, and strengthening relationships across Christian traditions in Canada and globally. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Canadian Interfaith Conversation and is actively engaged in national interfaith initiatives. With over two decades of experience with the Council, Peter brings deep expertise in dialogue, reconciliation, and public engagement. He has been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal and the Martin Luther University College Global Advocacy Award for his contributions to interfaith understanding and the common good.

Heidi Thompson is a publishing executive with 25 years of experience helping nonprofits leverage the science of marketing to build audiences, cultivate donors, and earn revenue. She was the publisher and CEO of Religion News Service and served as the vice president for marketing and publisher of Sojourners magazine. A tech-inclined and data-driven marketer, she specializes in email, website and social media marketing, with a focus on building digital programs that draw users from being casual visitors to financial supporters. Heidi has a B.S. in Journalism from the E.W. Scripps School at Ohio University and an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communication from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Fazal Karam Jr. – publisher / journalism perspective

Fazal Karim, Jr. is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Christian Herald, Canada’s largest-circulation Christian print newspaper serving the Greater Toronto Area since 1994. He currently serves as Chair of the Toronto Prayer Breakfast and teaches Introduction to Journalism at Canada Christian College. His work focuses on connecting faith, media, and civic life, fostering unity among the churches of Greater Toronto and encouraging engagement in the public square.

Joanna La Fleur – Organizational communications leader

Joanna La Fleur is Director of Brand Influence at Alpha Canada and founder of Word Made Digital. With over 15 years of experience, she has led communications strategy for churches and national organizations, including serving as Director of Communications at Sanctus Church. Joanna hosts the Word Made Digital podcast, contributes to Faith Today, appears on the national TV show See Hear Love, and serves on the Board of Governors at Tyndale University.

Bosco Tung - Co-Host (Lausanne Movement Canada & CCCA Executive Team - Member-at-Large)

Bosco Tung is National Associate Director with Lausanne Movement Canada, working at the intersection of leaders, networks, and movements to strengthen collaboration for the gospel. He connects leaders and initiatives across Canada and globally, helping build partnerships across generations, cultures, and sectors. Bosco helped coordinate the Canadian delegation to the Fourth Lausanne Congress (Seoul 2024) and brings over 15 years of experience in church engagement, mobilization, and partnership development.

Brian Stewart was for decades one of Canada’s most prominent television journalists and was acclaimed for his foreign coverage for both CBC’s The National and The Journal. Born in Montréal, and originally a newspaper reporter, Stewart went on to become foreign correspondent for CBC in London and NBC in Germany. He worked in ten war zones, covered numerous natural catastrophes, and was one of the first reporters to break the news about the giant Ethiopia famine in 1984. Of his time as a reporter, he was surprised to see how relevant religion was for his journalism. "Like many reporters at that time, I had come to believe that religion was an outmoded and spent force. But I came to see that religion was an often-overlooked part of humanitarian struggles to save millions in need and to protect the oppressed”

Randy Hobson serves as creative lead for the multimedia team of Presbyterian Life & Witness, an agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) In 19 years, Randy has covered everything from Native Americans in Barrow, Alaska and migrants in El Salvador and Mexico, to the World Communion of Reformed Churches in Thailand.

He has produced countless stories of Presbyterians in the field, training videos for up-and-coming church leaders, and was instrumental in the launch of GA Live, a daily talk show at the PC(USA) General Assembly that provides insight into the workings of the assembly and its participants.

Jennifer Bowen began serving Shalem in the role of Executive Director. Having led the counselling program since 2009, and has loved her time growing and supporting Shalem’s staff in its mission and values. Before Shalem, she worked for 20 years in the field of marriage and family therapy as a psychotherapist, consultant and trainer, valuing opportunities to work in both Family Service agencies in the GTA and faith-based clinical settings. She brings a passion for team building, visioning and community partnerships, and is keen to support the board in continuing its mission of engaging our community. She completed her undergraduate degree at University of Toronto, studying psychology and religion, was active in leadership in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and completed a Master of Divinity in Marriage and Family Counselling degree at Tyndale Seminary. In recent COVID months, she’s balanced her work with long family walks with her children, a healthy pile of novels, and many pots of tea.

Kayla Smith is a Gen Z leader and the Canadian Director of HowToLife Movement, a global youth-led movement mobilizing young people to boldly live and share their faith through student-led evangelistic events and missional communities. She got involved with HowToLife at just 14 years old and has since grown into a national leadership role, now equipping and empowering her peers to lead with confidence and character. Now 22, Kayla is helping reach, disciple, and mobilize a generation of Christian leaders across the nation. With a heart for discipleship and revival, she brings a unique perspective on faith, leadership, and mission rooted in real-life experience and a deep love for the Church and her generation.

Jocelyn Bell - Barodview

As Editor, Publisher and CEO Jocelyn Bell leads the team at Broadview. Her position includes everything from developing and editing stories to creating budgets and setting strategies. Bell started working with the media organization in 2006 as its managing editor, when the publication was called The United Church Observer. She became Editor and Publisher in 2018, and one of he her proudest accomplishments to date has been relaunching the magazine as Broadview, in spring 2019. In 2020, Bell was awarded the Editor’s Grand Prix from the National Magazine Awards, and in both 2021 and 2022, the NMAs named Broadview the Best Special Interest Magazine in Canada.

Vanessa Partridge is the owner of Red Quills a business that delivers cultural sharing. This business provides services to non-Indigenous sectors in order to build relationships with the Indigenous population. Vanessa is passionate about Indigenous culture and building partnership and joint ventures to better the lives of Indigenous people. As a mother, living in Simcoe County she seen a need to build better relationships for future generations. As a member of Wasauksing First Nation Vanessa grew up between Saugeen and Wasauksing her mother and father’s reserve. As an Ojibway and Pottawatomi woman Vanessa intentional dug deeply into her people’s history and stories. It was here she saw a need to make connections with non-Indigenous people so they could better understand her peoples past and history.

Early in her youth she pursued her artistic endeavours and actively painted Indigenous art pieces and went on to study art at Georgian College. Ms. Partridge has worked thirteen years in the public sector of municipal government in York region and eight years in Indigenous community-oriented organizations within Simcoe County. As a youth councillor with Enaahtig Healing lodge she seen the need for healing though Indigenous wholistic approaches within the family unit. As an administrative assistant with SUN (Simcoe Urban Native) Housing Inc. she also seen the struggles of her people trying to acquire housing. It was at the Friendship Center that Vanessa was able to coordinate many endeavours for the Indigenous population accessing the center. Though her time with these organizations Vanessa seen a need to make connections and assist with healing and reconciliation for all. In her spare time Vanessa creates handcrafted Indigenous jewellery and art pieces.

David Kim-Cragg was born on the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, north of Emitigoozhii-ziibi. He is the son of Mary and Wes Cragg and the grandson of Ed and Rena Newbery who lived and taught and led churches in Northern Ontario for many years. David now lives on the north shores of Lake Ontario near Biidaasige at the mouth of the Waasayishkodenayosh. He has a partner and two children. He leads a church and teachers church history and interreligious ritual leadership at Emmanuel College. David has a book published on the history of the Korean-Canadian church relationship and has written articles for Broadview on the history of the magazine's coverage of Indigenous people.

Rev. Lee Catoe is a native of the small, rural town of Jefferson, South Carolina. He is a graduate of Presbyterian College (2010) with a B.S. in Biology and a graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School (2019) with a Masters of Divinity. His thesis work incorporated the intersection of songwriting and Queer Theology with a focus on incarnational theology and embodiment. Lee is a songwriter, plays guitar and, occasionally, performs. He also freelances as a graphic designer. Lee and his husband, Will, now live in Nashville, TN with their beagle, Rupert.

Molly Thomas is the Host of TVO’s show, Big [If True] which exposes disinformation and misinformation in everyday life. She is an award winning Anchor, Correspondent & Producer who has worked for all three major networks in Canada. In 2023, she received the Michener-Deacon Fellowship from the Governor General for her pitch on the loss of school for Afghan women and girls which resulted in her 3-part podcast series 'Dear Taliban'. As a reporter, her commitment to social justice stories has taken her to 12 countries, mostly fragile contexts. In her spare time, Molly teaches Zumba, MC's various charitable events and is always up for a competitive game of basketball.

2026 Convention Speakers

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