About Bow Valley Baptist Church
We are excited that you are taking the time to find out more about Bow Valley Baptist Church.
We long to give you many ways to get connected here. If you are planning on visiting us soon, we welcome you and look forward to meeting you. Each Sunday we have a Guest Services table where someone is always waiting to give information and a gift. We also have a monthly New Friends Lunch on the last Sunday of each month to connect people together!
For questions about our church that this site does not answer, please contact us, we’d be happy to hear from you.
BVBC STAFF
Gary Smith – Pastor
Gary has been the Pastor at Bow Valley since fall 2017. In previous years, he has served as a senior pastor, church planter, Church Planting Catalyst, Youth and Music Pastor and Associate Pastor. He has been married to his wife Sue for 25 years and together, they have four kids, Caleb, Joshua, Andrew and Sarah. He loves motorcycling, hiking, skiing, trips with his family, reading and dating his wife.
Daniel Spelliscy – Youth Pastor
Daniel has been the Youth Pastor at Bow Valley 4 years. His ministry experience involves volunteering with various youth ministries and spending multiple summers working at youth camps in a variety of roles. Daniel and his wife Kayla have been married for 7 years and have 1 son. He really enjoys sports, exercise and playing board games in his spare time.
Colleen Higgins – Office and People Care Specialist
Colleen is married to Nathan, has three grown children, and 2 grandchildren. She has worked at Bow Valley for more than nine years as secretary and this past year as Pastoral Care Coordinator.
Her passions include spending quality time with family and friends, praying with and for others, and sharing the gospel. Her dream is to one day visit the Holy Land in Israel.
Debbie Nelson – Minister to Children
Debbie and her husband, Barry, moved to Cochrane in 2003 so that he could attend the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary. After his graduation in 2007, they felt God leading them to remain in the Cochrane area for ministry.
Presently, Debbie has served as the Minister to Children since March of 2008. Debbie hearts desire is that kids would know God , know His Word, and follow wherever He leads them. Debbie enjoys hiking, camping, working puzzles, and playing games with her husband and three mostly wonderful children.
LeAnne Lien – Children’s Ministry Assistant
LeAnne is the Children’s Ministry Assistant at Bow Valley , a role she’s had since the Fall of 2008. She loves kids and has worked with children since she was a teenager in various different volunteer roles. Together with her husband, Kent, their family makes 5, with 3 amazing kids. As a family, they love the outdoors, hiking, camping, skiing, biking, and on a rainy day, you might find LeAnne curled up with a good book.
David Ong – Worship and Creative Arts Director
David has attended Bow Valley since 2016 and began serving in his position in 2019. He has been involved in camp ministry, drama outreach tours, and short-term missions trips. He is currently working on his Masters at the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary & College. And more importantly, he is the current BVBC Chilli-Cook off champion. 🙂
David and his wife Madison have two boys and enjoy having a meal and playing board games with friends.
Heather Derksen – Office Administrator
Tim Jakel – Worship Coordinator PM service
Tim has spent the last 20 years playing on various worship teams and has been leading worship for the last 14 years. He has always had a passion and a heart for worship, which turned into a calling to go to Hillsong College in Australia. During their 1 year Worship and Creative Arts program, he learned the ins and outs on how to develop, grow and lead a worship team, followed by practical experience serving every week at Hillsong Church.
Tim and his wife, Ashley, have 1 son named Ryker and a dog named Dixie. The love going for drives to the mountains, taking Ryker to the park, walking Dixie down by the river and looking for wildlife along the way. He also loves to run and listen to music. Tim is looking forward to being involved in our Saturday night service, Resonate, and seeing the great things that God is going to do.
Paulo Fogaça – Adult Ministries Coordinator
As Adult Ministries Coordinator, Paulo will provide administrative assistance and support to the five key ministries at Bow Valley: Guest services, Next Steps, Group Life, Volunteer Mobilization and Outreach teams and their leaders. He has been married to Rosimeri for almost 21 years and they have 3 kids, Melanie, Nathan and Emmanuel. Originally from Brazil, God called them to serve in Canada and they moved here in 2007. He graduated from the Master of Divinity program at CSBS & College in 2013. And in his free time he is a sport’s guy who loves to play soccer.
MacKenzie Higgins – Communications Coordinator
Valerie Ogilvie – Children’s Ministry Support Staff
Sue Smith – Volunteer Mobilization Coordinator (Volunteer)
Max & Lynda Blazina – Group Life Coordinators (Volunteer)
Garry Tether – Missions Team Coordinator (Volunteer)