4 Leaders Who Had an Impact On My Life

This article was first published in French at TPSG.

Looking back on the nearly five decades of life the Lord has granted me so far, I am taken aback by the way the Lord has used key brothers throughout my journey to shepherd me, train me, and advocate for me as a woman in ministry. I wouldn’t be where I am today were it not for these allies. And I am certain that this is true for many sisters in leadership today.

My mind turns first to Dr. Trevor Craigen, a mentor at university who recommended I pursue formal theological education. I think of Dr. Daniel Green, my favourite seminary professor, who oversaw my internship in an inner-city church plant and who introduced me to the wonderful world of homiletics through my first two preaching courses. I graduated twenty years ago this May, and we still keep in touch, pray for one another, and get together when my family visits Chicago. And along the way, Dr. Green has become a trusted friend to my husband as well. 

While I could fill countless pages enumerating all the brothers who have invested in me and supported me over the years, I want to mention four in particular.

Dan Thornton: An Exemplary Husband

Soon after my husband and I met on a Christian singles site, I learned that a top quality he was looking for in a partner was intelligence. Well, I’ve often teased him since that he should have been careful of what he prayed for because he might not have bargained for all that this package included!:) Seriously, though, from the moment we met in 2004, Dan has seen my strengths as a blessing to our partnership and calling to carry out our part in the Great Commission through leadership training. He has given me wings to soar in the exercise of my gifts when a lesser man would have clipped them. For the life companion God has graciously granted me I am eternally grateful.

Nicolas Cotnoir: A Humble Shepherd

When the Lord led Dan and me to transition from Senegal to Montreal, he placed us in a family at Église Baptiste Évangélique Emmanuel. Our first impressions of pastor Nick and his wife Martha were promising, but the past five years have only confirmed that we made the right choice. No church is perfect, nor is any pastor. But more than a pastor, Nick has been a dear friend and sounding board for theological reflection. Much like my own husband, Nick has not seen me as a threat to his leadership, but as an asset, enlisting me to help lead the women’s ministry at our church and publicly acknowledging my contributions from the pulpit. And as my ministry and influence have grown beyond the four walls of Emmanuel, Nick has cheered me on and generously opened the doors of our church building so that we could hold SOLA: Femmes Scriptura events. What a joy to serve under a humble shepherd like Nick.

Florent Varak: An Influential Advocate

Not long after I began following the ministry of TPSG, I learned that Florent Varak and I had served at the same church in Los Angeles at the same time. I reached out to him and discovered that we shared a common mentor, Dr. Craigen. As we exchanged emails, I sought Florent’s counsel about growing in the exercise of my gifts through writing. It didn’t take long for him to suggest to Matt Giralt and Stéphane Kapitaniuk that they consider having me write for the blog. These brothers welcomed me warmly and took the time to integrate me into the family at TPSG. The rest, as they say, is history. If I have blessed anyone on the other side of the Atlantic, it’s thanks to the doors Florent opened for me. 

Yanick Ethier: A Visionary Leader

When Yanick approached me in May 2021 to offer me a position at SOLA, I could hardly believe it. I’d been training women Bible teachers on my own for the previous year or two, and the Lord had allowed me to network with like-minded sisters to create online Bible studies through my YouTube channel. The scope of my ministry, however, was limited by the small network of people I had access to as someone relatively new to the province. That’s when I learned of Yanick’s heart to strengthen the church in Quebec by raising up Christian women to serve alongside their brothers in Word work. As a result, SOLA: Femmes Scriptura was born. Since then, the Lord has allowed my team and me to equip countless women to unearth the treasures of God’s Word and transmit that truth to others throughout Quebec and beyond. And this is all possible thanks to the Lord giving Yanick a vision for the flourishing of his church through the partnership between brothers and sisters.

Conclusion

Why share my personal stories in this fashion? Firstly, because I want to commend worthy men of God, giving honour where honour is due (Ro. 13:7). And, secondly, because some of you are husbands, fathers, pastors, and leaders. Your wives, daughters, sisters, and friends have gifts and callings with which they long to serve the church and the world. If you are in a position to do so, I want to invite you to encourage, counsel, equip, advocate for, and cheer them along in their calling. In return, you will find them to be your greatest fans and supporters in your own callings. May the Lord of the harvest grant us to partner together as brothers and sisters until he returns.