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Most people are quite unaware of how extraordinary
their lives truly are. So when Bruce Fawcett says, “I don’t
think I’m all that interesting,” no one should buy his words
for a second.
Hailing from Moncton, he enrolled in the Associate of
Arts program at Atlantic Baptist College (ABC), to prepare for seminary.
During first semester, he had a change of heart.
“We were taking Old Testament Survey – and
by mid-term, we still weren’t out of Genesis 11. Such in-depth study
opened up a world of the Bible to me that I had never understood
before,” he said.
His prof’s passion for the Bible inspired
Fawcett to take ABC’s BA in Biblical Studies program. By the
time he graduated, he had three things going for him: a summer assistant
pastor position; his future wife, Penny (an ABC alumnus); and a sense
of God’s calling. He followed this calling all the way to
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and then Harvard University.
“I went feeling that my preparation may be a
little bit inferior to those from larger universities – and I found
it was actually the opposite,” Fawcett said – adding that his
peers were so impressed by his “solid preparation” that they
thought ABC must have been an exclusive private school.
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Fawcett earned a Master of Divinity and a Master of
Theology (Highest Honours), and returned to his old stomping grounds
– where he was called to be associate pastor for youth at Lewisville
United Baptist Church. In 1993, Fawcett signed on with ABC as adjunct
lecturer in Religious Studies and Greek.
God used that time to get his attention focused. As he
talked with a friend and mentor during a retreat for youth leaders, his
friend said:“Bruce, I want to challenge you to devote the first
section of your ministry life to youth ministry, because there is a lot
that needs to happen in Canada.” This challenge grew into passion,
and then into action.
Fawcett was instrumental in establishing the Youth
Leadership Certificate Program at ABC in 1995. After six years of teaching,
he was invited by the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches to direct
their new youth ministries department.
Fawcett clearly sees the hand of God throughout his
step by step journey to leadership.
His word to youth? “Go with your gifting, your
passion and your interests. God made you who you are.”
These words resonate throughout Bruce Fawcett’s
past 22 years of study and ministry in extraordinary ways – and have
resulted in a man who looks back fondly on the past, and is still excited
about the work God has him doing now.
Options Fall 2007
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