Where we serve
Missionary Team
Maurice and Vicky Cloutier
Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Quebec
Current ministry:
Maurice and Vicky are serving the Lord in pastoral ministry in Matane, working alongside Israël-Luc and Agnès Godfrey. As part of its evangelism strategy, the church in Matane is planning to plant a new church in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts.
Maurice had been praying for eight years that God would do a special work in the Gaspé region and more specifically for Saint-Anne-des-Monts. When he shared his burden and his vision with Israël-Luc, the two men were delighted to realize that they had the same prayer burden.
Family:
The Cloutiers married on March 1, 1969. They have two married sons and five grandchildren.
Spiritual background:
Maurice was born in Malartic, in the Abitibi region of Quebec, in 1949, and moved to Laval when he has 15 years old. On September 1, 1977, when he was 27, he came to know the Lord while on vacation at his in-laws’ in the town of Cap-Chat, on the Gaspé Peninsula.
Maurice heard the gospel from a neighbour who simply told him that Maurice could not hope to go to heaven simply because he was a good guy. Referring to the story of Nicodemus in John 3, the Christian neighbour explained what it meant to be born again. Maurice says, “That same night I asked the Lord to forgive me. I asked Him to save me.”
Once back home in Laval, Maurice and Vicky received a visit from a Christian couple from the nearby French church (later to become Église de l’Île Jésus). A few months later, Vicky gave her life to the Lord. The Cloutiers joined this church and attended there for more than 30 years.
Vicky says, “I come from a practicing catholic family where we went to mass every Sunday. However, when I turned 15, I stopped practicing my religion. At the age of 28, during our holidays at my parents' home, I heard of salvation by grace for the first time. Three months later, I really understood the message of salvation. I realized that Jesus had come to die on a cross to save me from my sins and to give me eternal life. One night as I was praying in my bed, I said to God, ‘If you are the Truth, deliver me from my sins.’ I repented sincerely, and asked Him to forgive me from all my sins.”
Maurice and Vicky were baptized in February 1978 by Murray Heron.
Ministry experience:
In over 30 years of Christian life, Maurice acquired a lot of training and experience as a lay leader. He started by working alongside Murray Heron. For about six years, he was active in various evangelism ministries in parks, in prisons, visiting seniors, working with children in vacation Bible schools and other venues. He also became a member of the church board. He preached occasionally, as well as leading worship and prayer meetings. He also served under the leadership of Ernie Keefe (more evangelism and Bible training in view of pastoral ministry). Pastor Daniel Marcoux encouraged Maurice to pursue full-time ministry. Finally, in March 2003, Maurice left his job as a bus driver to devote himself to full-time ministry at Église de l’Île Jésus where he worked with a team of elders, Philippe Bonicel, David Cotnoir and Guy Gravel.
Maurice says, “I praise the Lord and I am grateful for all the models He gave me through all these years of preparation in view of serving in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts!”