Where we serve
Missionary Team
Robert and Jackie Charpentier
Montreal North, QuÉbec
Current ministry:
Since the arrival of leaders Robert and Jackie Charpentier in the fall of 2006, the church in Montreal North has been transformed. God has used Robert's preaching and leadership to revitalize the congregation, and Jackie's gifts to mobilize an evangelism team and to help organize youth and women's meetings.
These changes have brought joy to the congregation and many new believers have joined the church. In recent years, attendance has more than tripled, leading to serious overcrowding in their storefront rental space. Since September 2009, the church is holding two Sunday services, but leaders are also actively looking for larger facilities to meet their needs.
Family:
Robert and Jackie were married in 1971. They have four adult children, ages 23 to 30, and three grandchildren.
Spiritual background:
Robert first heard the gospel at age 17 from his high school friend, René Frey—the same person who eventually became his pastor and his brother-in-law. Robert attended church meetings for over a year before yielding to the truth of God’s Word and giving his life to the Lord in June 1965.
Jackie’s father, William Henri Frey, was a pastor in Switzerland and then with the Fellowship in Montreal, Quebec and her mother, from Toronto, came from a family with Christian roots going back seven generations. Jackie jokes, “You could say I was born between two pages of the Bible.”
Jackie became a Christian as a young child. She was baptized at age 13, in the same service as 18-year-old Robert Charpentier. At that time, Jackie had already noticed Robert, but to him she was just the little sister of his friend René. Almost five years later, Jackie’s prayers were answered when Robert finally looked her way. They married in 1971.
Ministry experience:
Since his conversion Robert has been involved in many aspects of Christian service. He’s served in a variety of roles, including youth leader, Sunday school superintendent, worship leader, and elder. Robert enjoys teaching the Word of God and is much appreciated as a speaker for camps, couples conferences, and other occasions. Robert and Jackie also served as Directors of Ministry at Camp des Bouleaux for four years, spending their weekends and summers at the camp, three hours north of Montreal.
Robert has been teaching at the high school level at Emmanuel Christian School in the Montreal area since 1975. He continues to teach while serving the church in Montreal North.