Our Pastor 

Rev. Shant Manuel and his wife, Ginny.

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On May 3^rd 2009, Rev. Shant Manuel preached his first sermon as the pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammonds Plains.  Shant was ordained to Christian ministry in 1986, and has pastored in Baptist churches from 1983 – 2003 in South Ohio, Yarmouth Co., Lower Derby, NB, Meductic, NB, and most recently Head of St. Margaret’s Bay & Birchy Head, NS.  From 2003 to 2007 Shant served as Eastern Canada Representative for the mission organization Partners International.  This organization primarily supports the work of indigenous Christian leaders and missions who spread the gospel in their own language and culture.   During these years Shant traveled to Cuba, Indonesia, Nepal and India.

Shant came to Canada from India in 1973 and spent three years as a student at Atlantic Baptist College (now Atlantic Baptist University) in Moncton, NB.  There he met Ginny (nee Roy) from Port Maitland, NS who he married in 1976.  From 1977 – 1981 Shant managed and then franchised the A& W Restaurant in Bedford, NS.  After graduating with his BA in Sociology from Saint Thomas University in Fredericton in 1981, he sensed a call to full time ministry.   This took them to Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, where he eventually completed a Master of Divinity degree in 1985 and a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2001.

Shant and Ginny have two grown children, Christa (Blanchette) and Benjamin, and live in Upper Hammonds Plains.  Ginny worked as an Informatics Paramedic with the Nova Scotia Trauma Registry.  

In the past year and a half they have been busy establishing a new mission called Far Corners Ministry (FCM).  Shant has felt led of God to provide training opportunities to needy pastors and church workers in Northeast India, namely the states of West Bengal and Sikkim.  This has already started with Shant taking small teams of Atlantic Canadians on short term training trips in January 2008 and February 2009, and conducting leadership conferences for fifty and one hundred nationals respectively.  Far Corners Ministry is a fully recognized charity with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA), and is also registered with the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC).  Present plans for FCM will provide opportunities for local Christians to minister in India through ministries to pastors, women, youth and children.  Future plans include other projects to help with the practical needs of the very poor and the construction of simple church buildings.

In May 2009 Shant was called as the pastor of First Baptist Church, Hammonds Plains.  His time will be shared with the church and the work of Far Corners Ministry.  Shant is excited to be back in pastoral ministry and looks forward to the opportunity to serve in the community and build many new relationships.  Shant has always been a pastor at heart and over the years has based his ministry on the teachings of Christ and the demonstration of love, acceptance and forgiveness.