Communiqué Farel | CF-2.4E (October 2023)
October 2023
We thank the Lord for your prayers and support! You are an essential link in our mission at Farel.
Students associated with Farel
"How many students are there at Farel?"
It's a good question that I hear regularly. Answering that question makes me hesitate a little. I need to explain what is a student associated with Farel.
As you may recall, since 2019, Farel no longer operates as a full faculty. The Quebec government refused us this privilege. The Farel board of governors therefore decided to develop its relationship with the Faculté de théologie évangélique (FTÉ) by recommending that our students enroll in its BTh and MDiv programs. In exchange, the FTÉ offers classes in Reformed theology and practice taught by Farel professors.
We can now refer to students associated with Farel. In many cases, these are FTÉ students who take Reformed courses out of personal interest and sometimes curiosity. We have 8 students in this category. (We're encouraging others to make this wonderful discovery!)
More importantly, there are students enrolled at the FTÉ who are preparing to serve the Reformed mission as pastors or teachers. Currently 2 students are doing pastoral studies. Recently, 2 more students enrolled in the next winter session with the same pastoral objective. These students take courses taught by Farel teachers. To discern the Spirit's calling, they receive academic and spiritual mentoring in collaboration with their local church.
Finally, we need to identify another type of student. Sometimes a brother in Christ studies at a different seminary, but his desire is to serve the French-speaking Reformed mission. We want to accompany him in his discernment of God's will, offering advice and classes. There is 1 student in this category. (We could help others.)
There are a total of 13 students associated with Farel. Please pray for them, for their theological and personal training, as well as for their desire to serve God and his people.
Dedicated accountant and new student
Like many French-speaking Quebec families, I grew up in a Roman Catholic family. On occasion I was invited to visit Protestant churches, but I humbly confess that I was biased against them. I understood later that the call of the Holy Spirit dissipates prejudices when you are one of God's chosen ones.
A visit to the church of Pastor Raymond Perron filled me with joy. After the service, we were all invited to his garden for fellowship and a meal. I've never forgotten that day when families and children came together to worship.
In 2010, I was invited to visit Église réformée St-Jean in Montreal (ERQ). That Sunday, during the sermon, Christ called me to join the church. The call was so powerful that I couldn't ignore it. Pastor Jean Zoellner made an indelible impression on my life, and since then I've embraced this church and its culturally rich community.
After a few months, I began to serve the congregation and to study the Bible. I made public profession of my faith and began praying for a Christian ministry. Our Lord answered my prayer. In 2016, I started working as an accountant for Farel and then for the FTÉ. After four years, I retired from the FTÉ. However, I continue my ministry with Farel because of its identity and vision, as well as my desire to keep active.
Over the years, I've discovered a fascinating world of pastors, teachers, and students. Many of them, through their testimony, piqued my curiosity. The courses on the Reformed confessions of faith and the theological nuances of the doctrines motivate me to better appropriate the tools at my disposal, and to share my faith through a better approach.
- Diane Tassé
Serving the Reformed mission in Quebec,
Bernard Westerveld, MTh, DMin (candidate)
Director, professor
Ps. To facilitate our accounting and perhaps yours, we encourage you to make your donations to Farel via the Zeffy platform. We receive 100% of your donations. If you are sending a cheque, please take note of our new mailing address: 5 Place de la Belle-Rive, suite 113, Laval (Québec) H7V 1B3. Thanks to your donations, we are making a shared effort to cover the $41,000 deficit.