Your Impact
2023 was an amazing year, thanks to your continued support.
Thank you to the churches, leaders and volunteers we have the honour of serving, and our faithful partners whose generosity makes Alpha in Canada possible.
Message from Shaila Visser, Alpha Canada National Director
Celebrating all God has done through Alpha and the local church.
In 2023…
100,720 guests attended Alpha.
31,809 guests began or restored a relationship with Jesus.
42,348 people volunteered on an Alpha and were equipped to share their faith.
4,569 Alphas were run by 2,225 churches and organizations (including 1,535 Alphas for Youth and 652 Alphas in a Catholic Context).
1,430,813+ people have experienced Alpha in Canada.*
*Since 1998, when Alpha Canada was established.
In such a short period of time, by the end of Alpha, you have someone who loves God, is passionate about serving in the Church, and they want to do these things intentionally and sincerely. And so because of people’s faithfulness in giving, that’s what we’re able to see happening every year.
Ms. Paula Roberts (Board Chair)
CEO, HALO Brand Leadership, Toronto
Paula is an award-winning not-for-profit marketer and fundraising professional. She founded HALO Brand in 2015, leading initiatives from stakeholder research, through to campaign and creative development, to execution of large scale fundraising programs. She has held executive roles with several organizations including Plan International and SickKids Foundation. Paula has volunteered and led Alpha programs at her church.
Pastor Vijay Krishnan (Vice Chair)
Lead Pastor, The Well, Vaughan
Vijay Krishnan is the Lead Pastor of The Well, a church with three congregations in the GTA. After studying business at Queen’s University, he gained 10 years of experience doing CPG and Retail marketing. During that time, he helped launch Upper Room Community Church (now the Well), and in 2009, transitioned into the Lead Pastor role. The Well regularly runs Alpha and Alpha for Youth.
Pastor Dave Koop
Senior Pastor, Coastal Church, Vancouver
Pastor Dave, along with his wife, Cheryl, is a founding Senior Pastor of Coastal Church in Vancouver. Prior to his role in full-time ministry, he had a successful career in the oil industry. Coastal Church is a multi-campus church that has been hosting Alpha multiple times a year since 1996 at the Downtown Campus and at each new campus they have opened.
Father James Mallon
Pastor, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Dartmouth, and Founder, Divine Renovation
Father James is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He founded Divine Renovation and authored the best selling book, Divine Renovation: From A Maintenance To A Missional Parish. Father James has run Alpha many times in the parishes he has pastored and has equipped other leaders to effectively utilize Alpha through his work with Divine Renovation Ministry. He also sits on the Alpha International Board, bringing a global perspective to the work of Alpha Canada.
Mr. John Mackay
President, Strand Properties Corporation, Vancouver
John is the President and Founding Principal of Strand Corp, a finance, development and investment company active across North America. He has degrees in business and law from the University of British Columbia and is active in providing his expertise to many charitable organizations locally and internationally. He has invited many friends and family members on Alpha and has seen their lives transformed.
Mr. Art Reimer
Private Wealth Advisor, Raintree Financial Solutions, Edmonton
Art is a Private Wealth Advisor with Raintree Financial Solutions, a Private Capital Market Dealer that is dedicated to helping investors build their wealth responsibly through a variety of private investment opportunities. He previously served in various pastoral roles, including Pastor of Outreach at Beulah Alliance Church for over 8 years. He has participated in running over 40 Alpha courses at his church, in his community, and in the workplace.
Pastor Sharon Witton
Co-Lead Pastor, Toronto City Church, Toronto
Sharon is the Co-Pastor of Toronto City Church, an intercultural, intergenerational church. Her responsibilities include leading the creative arts and media, youth creative, women’s ministry, and prayer and prophetic training. She regularly speaks to women and serves in a number of organizations and movements, including Empowered 21’s Next-Generation Canadian Cabinet and The Canadian Leaders Prophetic Network.
Pastor James Fam
Associate Pastor (Campus Development), Coastal Church, Richmond
James joined the ministry team at Coastal Church after leaving a successful career as a professional engineer. James came to faith in Jesus as a university student, where he developed a heart for sharing the Good News of Jesus. He then completed a Masters in Arts (Christian Leadership) and Masters of Divinity degrees from Hope International University and continues to have a strong passion for leadership development. James oversees operations of multiple campuses and serves as director for Alpha and outreach ministries at Coastal Church.
David Mast
CFO, LEC Custom Products Inc, Mississauga
David is the Chief Financial Officer of LEC Custom Products, a CPG manufacturer. He previously spent over 15 years in global finance positions in the automotive parts industry and began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers while obtaining his Chartered Accountant designation. David was a member of the team to launch The Well church and its financial controller for many years. At The Well, he has also been part of the Board of Elders and running Alpha courses.
Paul Thompson
Advisor
Paul’s early career began with Ernst & Young in Audit and Management Consulting. He then joined a publicly-traded, Swiss-based, medical device company where he spent 25 years, working with a team, to grow a global business in roles of CFO, Corporate Development and Commercial Head, North America. For the past 8 years, Paul’s mission is “To help founders and their teams be successful in every area of life, while helping them grow their businesses”. He invests, advises and holds independent Board seats, mainly in privately-held tech companies. He likes to focus on strategy and planning, new channel development, partnerships and joint ventures and financing and M&A activities. Paul attends Waterloo Mennonite Brethren.
