Ladner Christian Reformed Church welcomed Rev. Jason Truell as its lead pastor to start this year.
Truell has lived in Richmond with his wife Kristie and their four children since 2014, where he served as an assistant pastor for English ministry in a church whose attendees are largely from an Asian background. Ladner Christian Reformed Church believes that Truell’s familiarity with West Coast culture is a significant asset for his new role here.
Born and raised in Vermont, Truell felt called to a vocation of ministry while in college, and after graduating, he and his wife served as missionaries in Taiwan for nine years. Truell is fluent in Mandarin, and has a particularly strong passion for welcoming new immigrants into a life of Christian faith.
He has a wide range of experience – from leading mission trips (in Taiwan and in B.C. to Indigenous communities) to prayer ministry, youth ministry, website development, ESL tutoring and as an adjunct instructor at a Chinese seminary in Taipei.
Although established by Dutch immigrants more than 70 years ago, the church has grown in diversity through the years. Over the past 12years, Ladner Christian Reformed Church has welcomed refugees from countries such as Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Iran and Egypt, and continues its new immigrant ministry with further sponsorships, enriching the church’s community.
“We want to welcome people from all cultures… the gospel transcends all culture,” Truell says.
He goes on to include all Canadian neighbours, whoever they are, emphasizing that we are a church that wants to bless our community. “It is the heart of our church to be here for others… that is our desire.”
Truell enjoys learning, and is presently attending Vancouver’s Regent College to earn a master of theology degree. This in addition to a master of divinity from the China Evangelical Seminary in Taipei, a certificate in Mandarin from Tunghai University (Taichung, Taiwan) and a bachelor of arts in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.
Having grown up in Vermont, Truell spent time outdoors - camping, mountain biking and skiing. As a kid, he saw photos of Vancouver with the mountains in the background, and thought how “cool” it would be to live here.
Even in Taiwan (where they missed skiing), Truell and his wife dreamed of coming to Vancouver to lead Asian ministry.
“And now, here we are,” quips Truell. “For me, it’s not random… we do feel the Lord did take us here.”
Now, the family enjoys B.C.’s incredible beauty, taking advantage of its accessibility for all the activities Truell enjoyed growing up.
Noting he experienced little cultural diversity in his home state, he appreciates B.C. for its human, as well as physical, geography.
Truell, along with the people of Ladner Christian Reformed Church (ladnercrc.com), eagerly anticipate opportunities to welcome all who are curious about the Christian gospel or long to rediscover it.
