Q & A With stephen Bedard
stephen Bedard is
Faith Today’s new as-
sociate editor. So, in
the space normally
used for brief inter-
views with EFC affiliate
pastors, we’ve decided
to grill him this time
instead. Bedard is an
editor, writer, pastor,
chaplain and scholar.
He lives with his wife
and children in Cam-
bridge, ont. we’re
happy to have him
on board.
What would you most like to know about Faith Today
readers?
I'd like to hear from them about how God’s Kingdom
is being revealed in their communities. I love that Faith
Today includes a wide geographical and denominational
variety. I want to know what God is doing within all of
this diversity.
You were in pastoral ministry before taking a break
and then joining the Faith Today team. What connec-
tion do you see between that work and this?
I see this as a continuation. What I loved about pas-
toral ministry was helping people make the connection
between their faith and the world around them. Faith
Today brings readers face to face with the hard issues and
challenges them to apply a faith perspective. Faith Today
allows me to continue the pastoral work that I love.
What Bible passage do you most connect with right now?
For a long time my favourite passage has been “Always
be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you
to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this
with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3: 15). This reflects my
interest in apologetics, but I also see in this passage a guide
to healthy communication with our culture. It reminds us
that we have a hope to offer people based on something
real, and that we must express ourselves with gentleness
and respect. I attempt to model all that I do on this passage.
What are the best theological books you’ve read in
the last year?
stephen with his wife
Amanda and their children
logan, Abby, Justus,
Emma and Faith.
PHo To: CHrISTInE rEId PHo ToGrAPHY
One of the best books that I have read lately was
Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community
with Good News and Good Works by Ronald Sider, Philip Olson and Heidi Unruh (Baker Books, 2002). The
authors argue that when it comes to evangelism and
social justice, it’s not either/or but rather both/and. I
also recently read John Stackhouse’s Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today (Oxford University Press,
2006). Stackhouse does a masterful job of explaining the
cultural forces in today’s society and how the Church can
effectively engage our world.
What is your biggest concern for the Canadian Church?
My biggest concern is the lack of biblical literacy. The
temptation for many churches is to adjust to where the
people are at, rather than to help them grow in knowledge. Discipleship never has the short-term benefits of
entertaining programs, and yet in the long term it is the
only hope for the Church.
How do you see a magazine like Faith Today playing a
role in the Canadian Church?
What I love about Faith Today is that it brings to our attention the things that are happening across Canada and
helps us to learn from them. We learn about the challenging issues taking place in our culture and we learn about
the exciting things happening in Canadian churches. Faith
Today is an important resource that helps us to see the bigger picture. Canadian churches can see that what they are
doing is taking place in a larger context. This helps us to
work together and to learn from one another. Ft
