Elders & Ministry Staff

Yuta moved to Georgetown to join the pastoral staff of Maple Avenue Baptist Church in February 2017. For the first seven years, he led and oversaw the youth ministry of MABC, where he witnessed God transform many lives through the gospel. In October of 2023, the church called him to be the Senior Pastor. Yuta desires to faithfully lead and care for the flock as an under-shepherd of the chief Shepherd (1 Pet 5:1–4). His prayer is that Christ would be formed in the members of MABC (Gal 4:19) and that the church would grow in Christlikeness (Eph 4:11–16).

Yuta was born into a non-Christian home. Thus, he did not grow up attending church or hearing the gospel. During his final year of high school, some friends invited him to youth group, and it was through that ministry that Yuta encountered the love of Christians and the saving message of the gospel. Within a few months of attending that youth group, Yuta was saved, and his life has never been the same.

He completed theological training at the Canadian Baptist Theological Seminary & College (Bachelor of Christian Ministry) and The Master’s Seminary (Master of Divinity). He is currently pursuing further studies (Doctor of Educational Ministry) at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is ordained with the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada.

Yuta is happily married to Alyssa, and they have four sons: Noah, Luke, Mark, and Caleb. Alyssa works for Lithos Kids, a Christian publisher of children’s books. Yuta enjoys rugby, coffee, and books.

To CONTACT Yuta, please email the church office.

Terry has belonged to Maple Avenue Baptist Church for nearly forty years. In his early years at the church, Terry served as a deacon and lay elder and gave leadership to the youth and seniors ministries. Terry joined the staff as a bi-vocational pastor in 2008. Terry loves people of all ages and has a heart to see sinners saved and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18).

Terry initially came to MABC in 1986, having been wed the year prior. Terry and Barb were becoming more aware of their sin and need for forgiveness. Together, alongside his parents and brother, Terry and Barb were baptized in March of 1986, and they discovered the blessing of being part of the adopted family of God.

Until 2021, Terry was a farmer, running a dairy and apple enterprise on the outskirts of Brampton. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph. He and Barb have four sons who are all married and following the Lord, as well as nine grandchildren. Terry loves music—he belonged to a gospel quartet for many years and regularly strums a guitar in service of the Lord.

CONTACT TERRY

Matt Laidlaw grew up attending the church and was also saved, baptized, and called to ministry at MABC. Matt joined the staff team in 2020. Before serving in his current role of Associate Pastor, he served as a Ministry Intern for one year and as Associate Minister. He oversees the areas of evangelism, discipleship, missions, and Spanish ministry.

Matt is eternally grateful for the gospel witness he received, both through life experience and truth spoken, while growing up in a Christian home. God used his parents’ prayers, a faithful local church, godly mentors, and a mission trip to reveal his deep need for the forgiveness of sin and new life found in Jesus Christ.

During the mission trip (to São Paulo), Matt was inspired by the evident joy of Bible reading, exhibited by two men who were also on the trip. Upon returning to Canada, Matt began to read the Bible regularly, and God revealed the emptiness and destructiveness of the life that he was living. The Psalms, particularly 32, 51, and 103, were particularly used of God to convince Matt of the seriousness of his sin, the truthfulness of Scripture, and the grace of God. He was then surrounded by fellow Christians from MABC who helped him understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he was baptized that year. Matt exchanged his empty pursuits of earthly satisfaction and identity for the new life and adoption found only in Jesus.

Matt is currently pursuing a Master of Theological Studies at Heritage Theological Seminary. Matt has a wonderful wife, Noreen, and three beautiful children: Hudson, Forrest, and Emma. His life revolves around his family and local church. In his free time, he enjoys taking trips in the van with his family to explore new places, going for hikes, and trying cuisines from different cultures.  

CONTACT MATT