The New Testament describes two offices within the church: elder and deacon.
Elders (aka pastors/overseers/shepherds) are men who have been called by God to lead and teach in the church, all these terms designate one office. This office is open to only men. Such men are to teach and lead primarily by dedicating themselves to the Word of God and prayer. They must meet the explicit qualifications laid out in scripture in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 2, and 1 Peter 5.
Deacons also must meet the qualifications laid out in scripture for the office, primarily in 1 Timothy 3 and Acts 6. This office is open to both men and women (see this article for a brief explanation of our stance on female deacons). We believe the biblical role of deacons is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the church so that the elders can be released to concentrate on their primary calling: devoting themselves to the ministry of the word and prayer. Like the proto-deacons in Acts 6, New City deacons are given a specific, narrow mandate in which to serve the unity of the church and assist the elders.
Elders lead ministry, deacons facilitate ministry, the congregation does ministry.
At this time, New City Baptist Church has two elders and three deacons.
Elders/Pastors
John Bell
John Bell is the founding and senior pastor of New City Baptist Church. He’s been married to his lovely wife, Jill, since 2012, and they have one son.
Originally from the Thousand Islands, John graduated from Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College.
An avid reader, John is also a film buff. When not indulging in procrastination, he’s trying to write a screenplay. We may yet see his name in lights!
Pastor John can be reached by email: john@newcitybaptist.ca
Alex Bloomfield
Alex Bloomfield first came to New City in September 2011. He became a member soon after, and was installed as an elder in July 2018. He joined staff in a part-time associate role in January 2020. In the spring of 2022, he took part in the pastoral internship program at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C.
Alex hails from Ilderton, Ontario. He was raised at Central/Stoney Creek Baptist Church where he came to know Christ and was baptized. He moved to Toronto to attend Ryerson University and now works in radio and sports broadcasting.
Alex met his wife, Jessie, while both were living on the campus of Toronto Baptist Seminary. They were married in 2016 and have two daughters.
Pastor Alex can be reached by email: alexbloomfield27@gmail.com
Deacons
Phoebe Clement-Schlimm
Phoebe Clement-Schlimm was installed as Deacon of Benevolence in October 2022. She oversees the church's benevolence fund and certain programmatic acts of service, such as meal trains. She also helps with organizing Sunday morning serving roles.
Phoebe was born to Christian missionary parents in Singapore and moved to Canada in her early teen years. In 2013, she came to New City and came to faith in Christ and was baptized. She married her husband, Quinn, in 2020.
Phoebe holds a Master of Theology and a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Care & Counselling from Heritage College and Seminary. She has completed an MA in Counselling Psychology and is registered in Ontario as a psychotherapist (qualifying).
Rodolfo Prata
Rodolfo Prata was installed as Deacon of Sunday Morning Operations in July 2023. He facilitates the schedules and protocols for the areas of service (setup, sound, etc.) on Sunday mornings at New City.
Originally from São Paulo City, Brazil, Rodolfo and his wife Ana moved to Canada in 2014. In 2019, they visited New City and felt the call that this was the place they should serve, officially becoming members in 2020, one year after they were blessed with the arrival of their daughter.
Rodolfo is deeply passionate about User Experience Design, continuously seeking innovative ways to enhance user interactions for products and services. Despite his professional career in the tech industry, Rodolfo is an old-school-black-and-white photography enthusiast!
Nathalie Moreno
Nathalie Moreno was installed as Deacon of Children's Ministry in July of 2023. She oversees the children's programming, scheduling, and policies at New City.
Born and raised in Venezuela, Nathalie first came to New City as a student in 2017 and was baptized the following spring. She married her husband, Josh, in 2022.
She holds a Masters in Engineering from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) and a Bachelor of Engineering in Venezuela. She is passionate about seeing children grow in their knowledge and love for the Lord - including her five precious nieces and nephews.