Steven Jones Biography

Steven Jones was born and raised in Montreal. His parents Bill and Joan, two British immigrants, raised their three boys in a loving home. Steve received some religious teaching from the local Anglican church which helped to foster a childhood interest in spiritual things. After a family move from Montreal to Brampton, ON, Steve’s spiritual life was significantly impacted by two teenage friends (Bill is now a Fellowship pastor, and Ian pastors in St. Louis, Missouri).

On December 24, 1978, Steve surrendered his life to Christ while attending a Christmas Eve church service. Three weeks later, he began attending Bramalea Baptist Church and their very active college and career ministry. These early years were a time of significant spiritual growth. Steve had been attending Ontario College of Art and Sheridan College’s animation school with aspirations of becoming a film maker. However, the Lord called him into the ministry within a couple years of his conversion to Christ.

Steven completed a B Th at Central Baptist Seminary and did further studies at Waterloo University. During his Seminary years, he served as a chaplain under Rev. Phil Phillips at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, completed pastoral internships at Bramalea Baptist, West Island Baptist (Dorval, QC), Parklawn Baptist (Etobicoke, ON), Forward Baptist (Toronto, ON) and helped in the formation of a church plant, Don West Baptist (Toronto, ON).

Summer2011 - Jones familySteven met Marilyn Wilson at Forward Baptist in Toronto. Marilyn grew up in a loving home with her parents, George and Madeline, and her brother. Her mother led her to Christ after a backyard Bible club. Marilyn trained to be a nurse and has been a maternal and pediatric nurse for 25 years. They have three children: Katelyn (22) is attending Western University (London, ON) and loves to travel. Alec (20) is attending Western University and loves sports, especially soccer. Katelyn and Alec have also attended Capernwray Bible School in Austria. Jessica (17) is entering grade 12 this fall with aspirations of Bible School, and then university to become a teacher. She loves music and animals. All three know and love the Lord.

Steven and Marilyn have served the Lord in four Fellowship churches over 25 years. They served as Youth Pastor at Morningstar Community Church (Toronto, ON, 1986-1989) and Hillside Church (London, ON, 1989-1994); and then as Senior Pastor at Parkdale Baptist (Belleville, ON, 1994-2000) and Temple Baptist (Sarnia, ON, 2000-2011). Over these years in ministry, Steve has served in a variety of capacities including:

  • Served as part of FLTA (Fellowship Leadership Training Agency): 1995-2003,
  • Served on General Council of EFC (The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada): 1999-2001,
  • Served on The Fellowship’s Chaplaincy Agency: 2000-2001,
  • Served on The Fellowship’s National Council (1998-2004) and chaired the National Council (2000-2002),
  • Served on FEB CENTRAL’s Revisioning Task Force which developed FEB Central’s new vision plan (2008-2009),
  • Served with former Fellowship International Director, Richard Flemming, in developing a local church-based International Missions strategic plan (2009-2010).

Steven is very grateful to God for his Fellowship Family. It has been his spiritual family for 32 years. It was a great joy for him to crisscross the country and visit so many churches in 2000-2002 when Steve served as the National Council Chair.

God has used so many Fellowship pastors, church leaders, lay people and friends, to mold and teach him. He is so grateful to God for those who have taught and modeled Christ-likeness and courageous spiritual leadership. One individual, Dr. Roy Lawson, has had the greatest impact on his life. Roy and his wife Joan have been mentors to Steve and Marilyn for 15 years. The Lord has used many to shape his life and ministry.

Steve’s core values have been loyalty, gratitude and courage. He has sought to live by them in his ministry and private life. His temperament is a mix of a choleric and sanguine personality. His spiritual gifts are leadership, pastor-teacher and prophesy (preaching). His passion areas have been in the spheres of evangelism, prayer, leadership development, strategic planning, the persecuted church, church and military history, and the church once again recapturing the arts.

Steve has a deep love for the arts (visual, drama, music, and dance). He is a watercolor artist with a special interest in jazz and blues music. Marilyn and Steve love to travel and look forward to visiting Fellowship missionaries around the world. They love laughing with friends, chatting with spiritual seekers, dreaming with leaders, praying with the hurting, and walking with their two shelties, Scout and Sophie.

Steve’s favourite Bible character is the Apostle Paul. Paul of Tarsus inspires him to passionately pursue God while challenging him to take bold steps of faith with humility and confidence in our faithful God. When asked by the Fellowship’s National Council what he purposed to pursue as National President, Steve wrote:

As National President, I hope to nurture and steward the proven skills of the Fellowship Ministry Team in pursuing and implementing a vision that ensures growth in our movement.

I will seek to influence, empower and inspire the national staff to serve our Regions and pursue transformation among our churches in Canada and beyond.

Our National Ministry Team will seek to bring great glory to God by serving and teaming with our Regional Staff, Councils and Fellowship International in successfully implementing strategies and fund-raising that ensures godliness among believers, local church health, pastor care, missionary support and church multiplication.

I envision, by God’s grace, unprecedented future growth as we continue to passionately pursue Jesus’ mission. The Fellowship’s best years are still ahead of us. Glory to God!