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Lindsey Gelinas was born in Edmonton, Alberta, as the youngest of six children. Church was a constant in her childhood, which she attended with her whole family. Sunday school and a weekly Bible memorization program (AWANA) helped develop a love of church and the Bible in her life. In her teenage years, Lindsey was a regular attender of her youth group at Northgate Baptist Church. In those years, her faith grew much stronger, and she chose to be baptized at the age of 15 on Easter Sunday.
Upon Lindsey’s first missions trip to Tijuana, Mexico, she felt God calling her to life-long missionary service overseas. The still-present circumstances of “the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few” (Matthew 9:38) weighed heavily upon her heart, and so she directed her attention and academic ambitions towards missions.
With this calling upon her heart, she made plans to attend Vanguard College’s missions program in Edmonton, Alberta. At Vanguard College, Lindsey was given many opportunities to go on missions trips, both local and global. Through the classes, friendships, experiences, and mentorships offered at Vanguard, Lindsey only grew in knowledge and love of the Lord. She graduated from Vanguard College in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree Theology, with an emphasis on Intercultural Studies.
After graduating, Lindsey spent several months working at the church she grew up in, first as an intern and then as interim administrative assistant. Seeking to fulfill God’s calling, Lindsey began conversations with the North American Baptist Conference to pursue missions in Japan. As Lindsey pursued missions with the NAB, she felt the need to grow in her giftings in a more local context. She was soon hired as the youth pastor at Southwest Community Church. In this context, Lindsey has grown far more than she ever thought possible, being blessed by a loving congregation and supportive staff.
Lindsey is eager to step onto the missions field in Japan. Japan has been a subject of fascination during her early years and throughout her years of studying culture. Lindsey’s desire for the Japanese people is for them to find hope, joy, and love in the Lord Jesus Christ. Her desire for herself is that she would serve God’s Kingdom wherever and however the Lord requires of her.