At the beginning of June, the Swan River Valley in Manitoba received over 70 mm (2.76 in) of rain in a matter of hours, causing flash flooding. By itself, this would have been devestating, but the situation was severly compounded when further rains hit the valley at the end of June, with some areas receiving an additional onslaught of up to 150 mm (5.9 in).
There are three NAB churches in the affected area: Little Woody Baptist Church and Temple Baptist Church in Swan River and First Baptist Church in Minitonas. Thankfully, the Little Woody and Temple buildings were unharmed, though flooding has effected several members of those congregations. Unfortunately, First Baptist was inundated with 18 inches of water in their basement, and the church-run thrift store, Oasis, is likely a total loss due to the water damage and a subsequent fire. Additionally, Waters Edge Bible Camp, the NAB-affiliated camp south of Minitonas, has needed to cancel their summer camps due to flooding impacting safe access to the camp; thankfully, the camp itself was not impacted.
The Manitoba Baptist Association, the local fellowship of NAB churches, talked with Rachel Dahl, the youth ministry leader at Temple Baptist. She said, “Our hearts are in shock with our community. Our church building is fine, but many in our congregation have suffered significant loss of homes, possessions, crops, and property. We have been affected on varying levels but definitely not as much as First Baptist in Minitonas or Community Bible Fellowship in town, whose church buildings have flooded.”
The work to restore FBC in Mintonas has already begun, but there is a long road ahead to full restoration, not just at the church but within the community.
You can find ongoing updates regarding the flooding, including prayer requests, at the MBA website. If you are in Canada, you can also give directly to First Baptist using e-Transfer (fbcminitonas@outlook.com); be sure to include your address in the message box if you would like a tax receipt, and indicate “Capital Fund” if you are donating to help rebuild the church or “Benevolence” if you want to help meet needs in the community.
For those outside Canada, you can send checks to the following address, noting in the memo line whether it is for “Capital Fund” or “Benevolence:”
And please pray for all those affected by the flooding in Swan River, Minitonas, and the Dauphin/Ochre River area. (If you are looking for specific requests, the MBA has a few suggestions.)
For over a decade, the NAB has intentionally developed and delivered spaces for training, discussion, and spiritual growth. Each of these spaces – Blue Ocean, Making the Shift, Discover Center – are designed with specific groups in mind. While Year of Equipping, that group is emerging leaders, those active members and leaders of our churches in their twenties and thirties who will continue to serve NAB churches for the decades to come. We prayerfully seek to continue to expand our points of connection with NAB churches and leaders and deepen the learning and relationships throughout our conference of churches.
Year of Equipping is composed of three modules, each three months long and including a reading pertaining to the subject matter, two two-hour Zoom discussions, and an in-person meeting. The three modules reflect the three teaching sessions in Blue Ocean: who God is and what he is up to, spiritual formation and how we are being re-formed in God’s image as we join him on his mission, and how Christian community flows from the first two.
We are entering Year 3 of the Year of Equipping, and we have seen God do amazing things! Our alumni from our first two cohorts have testified to great experiences and rich influence of the teaching to their ministries. We are prayerfully expecting more to come. We look forward to partnering with our churches and our emerging leaders on this journey of transformation. We know our churches will be deeply impacted by how God uses this experience!
The application deadline is August 15.
Twice a year, a cohort of sending churches and church planters meet in person to learn from one another. Stu Streeter hosts the gathering, but the core of training, discussion, and workshopping is led by the pastors and leaders of the host churches. This is an opportunity to learn at the feet of NAB leaders who are actively sending out church plants, campus launches, and revitalization efforts.
The first gathering of this year’s Sending Church Cohort took place in Fargo, North Dakota, in April. The second gathering will take place September 15–16 in Edmonton, Alberta, where Pastor Jeremy Putz of Central Baptist will lead our time together, sharing about their multi-site model that has continued to expand to new sites in recent years.
We are so committed to the process that the NAB International Office covers all the cost of the cohort once you arrive in the host city.
If you are interested in learning more, or letting us know you are interested in attending, click on the link below.
The NAB Conference gives thanks to God for the life, legacy, and witness of one of God’s faithful servants: Daphne Dunger.
Daphne was born in Cameroon in 1939 to NAB missionaries, George and Louise Dunger. From a young age, growing up in Cameroon, she felt God’s call on her lilfe to serve as a medical missionary.
After receiving her nursing degree, she returned to Cameroon in 1965, not as a visitor but as a daughter returning home. She served faithfully as a nurse and a nursing instructor, and in 1980 she founded the Life Abundant Program, which helped bring basic health care, health education, and the good news of Jesus Christ to very remote villages.
Today, the Life Abundant Primary Health Care Program and Dungar Baptist Hospital Mbem serve as physical testimonies of her witness and ministry.
Daphne returned to the arms of her loving savior on July 11, 2026. Her memorial service was held on July 22 at 18th Street Baptist Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
If you would like to honor Daphne’s legacy through a gift or by exploring international missionary service, see the links below.