MESSAGE FROM CONNAN AND BRENDA
Dear New City,
It is with mixed feelings that Brenda and I want to let you know that I officially tendered my resignation of the pastoral charge of New City Church Hamilton this past Friday and asked that the presbytery and congregation accept my resignation and dissolve the official pastoral relationship between us. I submit my resignation in order to pursue another call to serve as Lead Pastor at New City Church Calgary in the Canada West Presbytery. This call will be an 80/20 time split between the pastoral role and the Executive Director role for the Grace Network Canada church planting network. It is my hope that God will begin to bless Western Canada with the same kind of gospel growth through church plants that we have been blessed to be part of here. I have made this decision and I make this transition after much prayer and deliberation and in consultation with our elder team here.
Brenda and I began work on New City Church seventeen years ago when I started fundraising and preparations for a new church plant in Hamilton. We moved here in the Spring of 2007 to a couple of families and a handful of Redeemer students joined us soon after. God has done much among us! My family and I have been deeply blessed in ministry among you and the people of our church. I praise God that we have seen much gospel fruit in our church and growth in our presbytery during this time! I plan to continue as pastor until we leave to begin the work at New City Church in Calgary, Alberta tentatively on September 5th, 2023. This means that at the end of August, we once again drive across our great country.
This will also mean some significant life changes for our family. Our daughter Kira plans to stay in Hamilton (thanks a lot, Judah!). Brysan will join us in Alberta, but plans to live and work closer to Brenda’s family in order to experience farm life. Evan and Rylan will come with us to Calgary and start school in September.
We will miss you so much New City! You have been our home and our family for the last 17 years. We praise God for your love for us, for your love for this city, and for your love for our Saviour. It is our hope and prayer that you will continue to love Jesus and glorify Him through your lives as you serve as God has uniquely gifted and called you.
We look forward to time to reminisce and say goodbye together in the coming weeks. But, we take great comfort knowing that we will have endless days in eternity to be together. That makes this move easier.
We love you deeply and we are so grateful for each of you,
Connan, Brenda & family