Ministry Focus
François represents SEMBEQ at the request of the President, and his vision is to equip local churches, pastors, and leaders to develop new workers, that each pastor would have his own Timothy.
Faith Story
François was born into a Roman Catholic family in Montreal, Quebec. At age 14 he heard the Gospel for the first time, and seven years later he received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He began to share his faith and had the joy of leading several people to Christ.
God called François with this verse: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."
He first trained for seven years at St. Hyacinthe Baptist Church, and then graduated from Seminaire Baptiste Evangelique du Quebec (SEMBEQ) in 1985.
In the fall of 1998, after many years of fruitful pastoral ministry, SEMBEQ asked François to serve the churches and pastors of the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Quebec. François became SEMBEQ’s president in 2000. In October of 2016, he passed the president baton to his protégé François Turcotte. SEMBEQ’s ministry in Quebec helps churches train the next generation of leaders, according to 2 Timothy 2:2. François now serves SEMBEQ as Coaching Director, going back to his first calling in 1998, when he was offered the coaching ministry at SEMBEQ.
WAYS TO SUPPORT
François and Valérie by making a financial donation using a Credit Card or by Direct Debit (ACH).
Learn more about where this ministry happens
As prosperity welcomes diversity, nationals and immigrants create a multicultural mosaic
Despite a reputation for arctic snow and ice, Canada also encompasses the beauty of the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls, as well as boreal forests, mountain ranges and the world’s longest coastline. Northern Lights often set the winter skies aglow.
Canadian society fosters respect for different nationalities that create a colorful mosaic of distinct multicultural traditions.
An increasing number of immigrants now call Canada home, in addition to descendants of Aboriginals and European settlers. Cities like Vancouver and Toronto are at the heart of this quickly changing demographic, as people from all over the world seek the opportunities of a prosperous and progressive country.
Canada faces its share of modern societal problems, especially tensions between different ethnic and language groups, and pockets of poverty and unemployment. During the last 20 years, religious participation among Canadians has declined as younger generations report attending services less frequently than do older generations.
Your participation with Missions Door enables pastoral training, leadership training, church planting and social outreach to strengthen the influence of Christianity in Canada.
Cultural Snapshot
As a variation of stick and ball games, ice hockey developed significantly due to its popularity in Canada, where the first indoor hockey game was played in 1875 in Montreal.
Faith Fact
One in five native-born Canadians report attending services at least monthly. Immigrants are twice as likely to attend.
Country Profile
Population: 35 million
Major Religions: 39% Catholic, 27% Protestant, 24% unaffiliated, 11% other
Languages: 57% English (official), 21% French (official), 16% bilingual
Literacy: 99%
Poverty: 12%
Ministry service area:
International
Ministry location:
, Canada