Graduate Profile: Andrew Ardern, MTS

I am married to my beautiful wife, Kayla. We have three children. We currently live in Cumberland Bay, New Brunswick, Canada where God has blessed me with serving in full-time pastoral ministry. I was born and raised in Nova Scotia. My parents were church-going people, and always took my sister and me to church. Unfortunately, this was in a denomination that had many years earlier abandoned the gospel. I grew up hearing morality from the Bible; how to share, how to be nice to my sister, but I was never confronted with my sinfulness and need for the only Savior, Jesus Christ.

When I was seven years old, my father was involved in a car accident. I was almost with him in the car that day but was sent to school after already being off for a few days. The passenger in the car died, but thankfully my father lived. If I was in the car, it would have been a miracle if I survived. 

A lot changed from when I was seven to when I was eight. My mom was invited to another church where she heard the gospel and was loved by the members. She kept going to services in the evening, and eventually, the rest of the family would join her, and we would attend in the mornings as well. God opened my eyes to His gospel and saving grace in the work of Christ about a year after my Father’s accident. In an evening service of the church I became aware the I was a sinner, worthy of death, and would have been in hell if I died a year earlier. I knew I must believe in Christ to take my sin and give me His life for my only hope of heaven, so I was converted that night. 

At age 10, I was baptized with my whole family in the river at our home. My teen years were fairly quiet. God kept me from rebellion and what we would deem scandalous sins. He continued to sanctify and work on my pride. I regularly served at a Bible camp in the summers in New Brunswick, was active in my church, and went to a private Christian high school. 

Upon graduating high school, I decided to go to New Brunswick Bible Institute for one year. This would eventually turn into to me staying for three additional years. It was here in Bible School that I had a call to ministry. After leading an evening service at the campus church, a professor encouraged me to study and develop pastoral gifts he saw in me. God gave me a love for preaching and pastoring. I also had the privilege of doing a pastoral internship at Parkside Baptist Church in Moncton, New Brunswick in my last year of study. In 2011 I graduated with a Bachelor of Theology. The highlight of my years at NBBI was meeting the beautiful lady who would become my wife. We were married a month after graduation. 

In the summer of 2011, I accepted a call to ministry at Cumberland Bay Baptist Church, in Cumberland Bay, New Brunswick, Canada.  I have served as the Pastor of the church the last seven years and have been extremely blessed to be here. A couple of years into serving at the church, I began to search for an option for continuing education that would allow me to continue in ministry and equip me to serve my church better.

This is when I found Reformed Baptist Seminary and enrolled. My studies with the school have been such a blessing and God has used them for my spiritual growth and knowledge of Himself, the Word, and the Church. I have encouraged others to attend over the years. The Lord may open other doors for continuing education down the road, but I feel it best to devote myself to my family and church at this time.

I also have the honor to serve on the advisory team of Arrowhead Native Bible Center and the council of The Gospel Coalition: Atlantic Canada. In my spare time, I coach soccer, play hockey, and occasionally hunt, all with limited success. 

Andrew Ardern