Our Pastor

Hi! Thanks for visting our website. I’m Brian Hastings, and my wife Gabrielle and I have been ministering with Memorial Baptist Church since 1999. The most important thing I’d like you to know about me is that it isn’t about me — it’s about who Jesus is, and who he calls us to be. I’m a disciple (and an imperfect one at that!), and a fellow traveller on the road.

My background is American Baptist, though I’ve been blessed to study, minister and collaborate with Christian brothers and sisters of many ‘tribes’.  This has helped to foster in me a deep appreciation of the ways in which our different perspectives can encourage and challenge each other to a more authentic and whole faith.  As we seek a more Christ-like way of living in the world, and pursue greater understanding of God’s character and direction, this interaction can help us refine our faith and praxis instead of retreating behind walls or settling for shallow answers.

Ministry Priorities:

• Helping others perceive the presence and calling of God in their lives
• Encouraging and growing in a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
• Understanding that faith is belief in motion
• Seeking greater understanding of God’s character and instruction for us , using the Bible as the foundation through which we see God’s activity in the past and present, and God’s promises for the future.
• Developing Christian community without walls – but a well of life at the center: Jesus the Christ
• Seeing discipleship as an ongoing process of living missionally in the world, and being transformed into the likeness of Christ by the Holy Spirit
• Meeting people where they are at, and nurturing one another to deeper life
• Partnering across denominational and community boundaries for shared mission and ministry

A very partial list of books I’ve found helpful along the way: