Canadian Baptists of Western Canada were honoured by the Canadian government on October 5th for 30 years of refugee sponsorship.“I know that the work you undertake in supporting refugees is a voluntary act, motivated by compassion, caring, and a desire to take an active role in protecting refugees,” Jason Kenney, Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism in Letter of Recognition, at the recognition ceremony, which was held in Calgary as part of a citizenship ceremony for 99 new immigrants. Canadian Baptists received a formal letter of recognition from the Minister, which can be viewed in the Calgary office.

Canadian Baptists began sponsoring refugees in 1979 when the first of the Vietnamese and Cambodian boat people were found floating in the Pacific Ocean.   Since then, about 28 Canadian Baptist churches across Western Canada have sponsored refugees. 

Refugees are people forced to flee their home countries for fear of persecution, imprisonment or torture.  Most recently, a boat full of refugee claimants from Sri Lanka arrived in Victoria in mid-October.  Although the federal government has not yet determined whether these 76 men are legitimate refugees, the arrival of these men underscores the continuing need of refugees to find safe havens in a troubled world.

Sponsoring churches commit to assisting refugees by providing accommodation, food and emotional support while they adjust to life in Canada.  Canadian Baptist churches have sponsored scores of refugees from countries like Rwanda, China, Myanmar (Burma) and Sudan.

For more information on refugee sponsorship, contact Lynn and Larry Pearce, Coordinators for Refugees and Displaced Peoples, at 403.381.2925 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it