ELDERS & MINISTRY STAFF











Staff Elders

  • James Seward  

    Senior Pastor


    James Seward came to Maple Avenue in 2013 with a heart to allow God’s Word to transform the church and the community.


    James completed his undergraduate education at the University of Chicago, where he was also part of the founding core – and later a pastoral intern – at Holy Trinity Church. He went on to complete a master’s degree in Biblical Exegesis at Wheaton College where he also served on the pastoral staff at College Church under Kent Hughes. Prior to coming to Maple Avenue, James served for five years as the Associate Pastor of Education and Discipleship at First Baptist Church of Lindale, Texas. He has traveled to Vietnam to train pastors through Leadership Resources and also is a speaker at various Simeon Trust Workshops on Biblical Exposition

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    While James enjoys hearty competition, watching any sport but golf, and singing (which, he reminds people, isn’t dependent on skill); he most enjoys spending time with his wife, Karen and their five children: Charlie, Ann, Jonathan, Eva and Mercy. James and Karen share a heart for adoption, reaching at risk children, and exposing people to the life-changing power of God’s Word.


    CONTACT JAMES



  • scott taylor

    Associate Pastor


    Scott Taylor began serving at MABC in 2017, eager to support the elders’ vision of a Scripture-saturated, disciple-making church culture. His undergraduate degree in Accountancy is from the University of Illinois, and his masters’s degree in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College. From 2006 to 2009, Scott served as a pastoral intern at College Church in Wheaton, with two of those years under Pastor James Seward. The bulk of his ministry experience since then has been in missions to Turkic Muslim peoples in Central Asia.


    Scott’s lovely wife is Sarah (she’s the one with the contagious smile). Together they are enjoying the burgeoning personalities of their two young sons:  Phinehas (or “Phin”) and Soren. Some of Scott’s favourite pastimes include:  reading Russian literature, listening to instrumental jazz, being outdoors in the autumn, and broadening his experience of international foods.


    Scott’s vision for ministry is to see every believer growing in the freedom that comes from walking in the light - transparent lifestyles of ongoing repentance - and to see the Church fulfill her role as a joyful prophetic voice in the community and in the world.


    CONTACT SCOTT



  • Terry Laidlaw

    Associate Pastor


    Terry has always been in love with church. Being fourth generation on a family dairy farm, church was a constant in their lives. Three of those generations are still working together on their Brampton area farm and still very active in church life.


    It wasn’t until he was 28 years old though, that Terry fell in love with Jesus Christ. He is his Shepherd and Lord. He has cleansed him from much sin, guilt and shame. He, being the Word made flesh is my life, my all.


    Terry met an amazing young gal, beautifully named Barbara Grace Church who was on a similar spiritual journey. Married in 1985, they were baptized at MABC in the spring of 1986, alongside his father Gord, mother Rosemarie and brother Wayne. Terry immersed himself into the Christian teaching and culture at Maple Ave.


    In 2006 Terry accepted a call into pastoral ministry focusing on youth and seniors ministries. He enjoys contributing to the unity of our pastoral team and the oversight of our church family. His interests are reading, music and the movie classics.


    Terry & Barb have four sons ~ Tim, Matt, Peter and Seth ~ that continue to challenge their family spiritually and are also being blessed spiritually through the life of the church.


    CONTACT TERRY



ministry staff

  • VICTOR ARHIN JR

    Ministry Intern


    Victor began attending Maple Avenue in 2016 with a desire to serve where needed and grow in ministry experience. He completed his undergraduate degree in History at the University of Windsor, and is currently completing his Masters degree in Divinity at Heritage Seminary. At the age of 18, Victor came to faith in Jesus Christ after the LORD used a YouTube sermon to open his heart. During his time at university, he was very active in youth and college ministry, which grew in him a love for God’s Word, God’s people, and communicating God’s truth.


    Victor loves playing sports competitively, playing pranks, reading books, eating healthy (most of the time), and working out. He also enjoys long walks with his wife, Anita, and their young son, Victor (Micah) III. Victor's passion in ministry is for God's people to be lead by His Word, in holiness and love for the glory of Christ's name.


    CONTACT VICTOR



  • jake tomc

    Ministry Intern


    Jake was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario in a Christian home. After high school, he left Windsor and ended up completing his undergraduate degree in Political Science at McMaster University. While at Mac, the Lord used the other men Jake was living with to push him to think more deeply about theology and by God’s grace, the Holy Spirit used the excitement and nourishment that studying the Word brought him to put him on a path which he has not looked back from since. After discerning a call to ministry in 2018, Jake is now studying to obtain his Masters of Divinity from Heritage Theological Seminary. He is passionate about the Church and desires to help people grow in their faith by studying the Word and unpacking its infallible, glorious truths about our holy God. 

     

    Jake enjoys reading, discussing theology, running, and backpacking, as well as pretty much anything that has to do with the outdoors. 

     

    Jake and his wonderful wife Roseanne met in high school and were married on August 11, 2019.


    CONTACT JAKE



  • yuta seki

    Youth Minister


    Yuta Seki moved to Georgetown at the beginning of 2017 in order to serve as the youth minister at Maple Avenue Baptist Church. In his role, Yuta primarily oversees and leads the junior and senior high ministries, though he is involved in other pastoral work at MABC as well. Yuta’s passion is for students to understand and see the wonders of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the significance of God’s Word for their lives.


    Having been born into and raised in a non-Christian home, Yuta did not grow up attending church or hearing the gospel. While in his final year of high school, some friends invited Yuta out to their youth group, and it was through that ministry that Yuta encountered both the loving warmth of the Christians there and the saving message of Christ. Within a few months of attending that youth group, Yuta was radically saved, and his life has never been the same since.


    After a “gap year” of being discipled and serving in that same local church, Yuta decided to attend the Canadian Southern Baptist College in Cochrane, Alberta. A year after graduating with his undergrad, Yuta moved down to Los Angeles, California, in order to attend the Master’s Seminary. During those college and seminary years, Yuta served in various capacities at several local churches, much of that being in the youth ministry of those churches.


    Yuta enjoys following southern hemisphere rugby (union); food and eating; travelling; and hanging out with family and friends. He is happily married to Alyssa, and together they have two sons, Noah and Luke.


    CONTACT YUTA



  • RACHEL YOUSEF

    Interim Children's Ministry Director


    Rachel was born and raised in rural Prince Edward Island and began attending Maple Avenue in January of 2019. 

     

    During her adolescents years she began to sense a call towards ministry, and in particular developed a passion for seeing families and individuals come to wholeness through the redemptive work of Christ. 

     

    She believes children are of great value to God, and therefore are of great value to the corporate family of God. She is passionate about children knowing Jesus intimately and being transformed into his likeness as they grow in maturity and find their unique place in the kingdom of God. Rachel has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master of Divinity degree from Tyndale Seminary. 

     

    Rachel is married to Mofeed, and together they have a little boy, Benjamin. She enjoys reading, gardening, dabbling with knitting and spending time with family and friends. 


    CONTACT RACHEL



lay elders

Josh Brake

Rick Dors

Stephen Jones

Matt Laidlaw

Jim McDonald (chair)

Tim Racinsky