I was raised by two of the godliest people I have ever known, Wesley and Margherita McKenzie. Through their influence and example and the incredible grace of our Lord Jesus, I submitted my life to Christ at 11 years of age. At 19, when I moved away for school, I made a very conscious and serious decision to give myself fully and completely to God, to worship and serve Him with all my energies for the rest of my days. I met Verona in 1980 and found that she had the same deep commitment, energy and drive to love God and serve Him wholeheartedly. We married in 1985 and she continues to be my truest and dearest friend, and my greatest prod and encourager to give my best to God. We received the dual blessings of Jonathan and Asher as our children, and our little family is strong and tight. In 2003, after a very enjoyable business career and after Dad’s death, I was elected to pastor Faith Sanctuary. Truly, shepherding the flock at Faith has been the most joyful, fulfilling, frustrating and gut-wrenching activity of my life. And I can tell you, without the slightest hesitation, that I am honoured, humbled, blessed and highly favoured of God to be living in His perfect will.

I am the incoming Senior Pastor at Faith Sanctuary, and I also oversee the church my family planted in Woodbridge, Ontario. I grew up in a religious home and developed a deep sense of God’s Presence. After withdrawing from admission to become a priest, I followed the biblical paths to salvation in Jesus at age eighteen.

Based on the biblical description of what it means to be made in the image of God, I believe that salvation in Jesus releases those rights and responsibilities to us. I believe in the dignity of the human being, that everyone is made to become the best that they were created to be. And my purpose is to encourage every person to reach their full potential in Jesus.

I retired early from a career as an Operations Executive at leading companies in Canada and other parts of the world. I am now building communities to teach biblical principles that transcend cultures, so people can bring the best of who they are to the table and successfully engage secular life.

I am married to Lucy, and we have two adult children, Daniel and Andrea. I have a black belt in karate, play the guitar and am a board member at P2C, Canada.

I was introduced to church by my mother at the age of four and committed my life to Christ as a teenager. After 41 years, I have found no greater joy than serving Christ, who has been a faithful Father and friend.

My personal mission is to be an effective change agent in the lives of individuals by being honest, trustworthy and a good listener so that I can improve the lives of others through encouragement, inspiration, and education. I do this in hopes of propelling individuals toward the fulfillment of their God-given call.
 
I have been one of the Assistant Pastors at Faith Sanctuary for over 6 years and have loved every opportunity of ministering to my Faith family. I am also Coordinating Chaplain at one of Canada’s largest Correctional Facilities; I have the pleasure of fulfilling my God-given calling by presenting Christ and bringing hope into the broken lives of inmates.

My favourite meal is stew peas and rice, but I would never give up a bowl of homemade soup.  I have been married for 19 years and love spending time with my photography mogul, Walter Lewis.

I’ve been given life again by a healing and compassionate God. This life is focused on three things: Help people live. Help people experience God. Strengthen those who lead in serving others. 3 words, 4 words, and then 7. To be lived out in 24-hour gifts of days I almost did not have. So that’s what I’m here to do. It’s how I want to serve, or to use the longer word for “serve,” minister.

Biographically, I’m the second child of F.W. and Margherita McKenzie, and was privileged to participate in the amazing journey of Weston UPC and becoming Faith Sanctuary. That included everything from van driving to concrete mixing to exploring how to work with people through our Leaders Unlimited classes. Along with life at church I’ve had the opportunity to help organizations around the world with change and transformation. Or as one of my clients put it, “pastoring without a pulpit”.

Familywise, Rhonda and I have been married for almost four decades, which have flown by with great enjoyment! We don’t have kids anymore, instead three amazing adults, Ryan, Kyle and Kayla.

At Faith Sanctuary we want to share your today with you, with all its challenges and blessings. And we want to share tomorrow with you, a future full of hope in a God who never stops caring for us. Whether you’re an old friend or a new one, welcome home.

If I were to pick a tagline to describe my walk with Christ, it would be Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

As the Director of Children and Family Ministries, my primary goal is to be an instrument of God in helping children and families learn to know, love and share Jesus Christ in meaningful ways.

I began my walk with Christ in 2001, and I continue to daily draw strength from Him by learning more about His grace and unchanging nature. My introduction to ministry started over 16 years ago as I became a Sunday School teacher in our church’s Outreach Department. Along with that, I have also been an elementary public-school teacher with the Toronto District School Board since 2005.  I bring these experiences and the support of my husband and two children to my present role.

As the Director of Youth Ministries, my mission is to ‘Be a Light’ by leading the youth to encounter the love of Jesus Christ and walk alongside them to identify their calling to serve others by living an authentic life that pleases God. I see the value in investing in the youth through mentorship and community engagement. I have experienced God transform lives throughout the GTA and beyond while working with children & youth in residential care, health & wellness services, before & after school programs, autism services, mentorship, and community outreaches.
I take great pleasure in being married to my husband, Danielee Barrett; together we enjoy walking, bike riding, hosting dinners, and listening to music.

I have been serving the Lord since 1992 and am a licensed minister with the United Pentecostal Church International.  I have a passion for the ministry of the Word of God and to see people develop their full potential in Jesus, to lead thriving, impactful lives.  Over the years I have served in the areas of Outreach, Drama, Youth Ministry, Sunday School and Bible study teaching.  In the business world, I also possess over 15 years of experience in client servicing and investment operations which has enabled me to enhance my leadership and relationship building skills. I currently serve as the Director of Adult Ministries, and am privileged to share life with my amazing wife Keisha and our beautiful children Elianna and Ethan.

Verona came to the LORD during her early teen years and has been involved in some area of church ministry ever since. She has dedicated many years of service to Christian education, bus ministry, youth ministry, children’s ministry, married ministry, feeding the hungry, business and facilities administration and is currently, Director, Member Services. Through the years, her faith has grown through service in the local church, prayer and personal Bible study. Her passion is to see, encourage and assist believers, where possible, in becoming dedicated followers of Christ who treasure Him above all things. Her two children, Jonathan and Asher, have been her most delightful mentees.

I first came to Faith Sanctuary (then known as Weston UPC) as a toddler with my parents in the mid-70’s. I gave my life to God when I was in my late teens and shortly afterwards my family relocated to the West Coast where I lived for 21 years. After moving back to Toronto in 2012 with a family of my own, I eventually found myself back at the church where I grew up. I have been fortunate enough to serve in various capacities in the churches I have been a part of including musician, church treasurer, men’s leader and media team member just to name a few. My desire is to see others connect with God as well as connecting with each other. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to do life with my wife Nancy and together we have a daughter, Ashantae.