Our Pastor

Lech Bekesza has been the Pastor of our church family since 1994.  Lech was born in Wroclaw, Poland.  After coming to Canada with his parents and a brother in 1982, he has pursued studies at Briercrest Schools, University of Waterloo, University of Alberta, Trinity Western University and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.  Completing his studies with Dr. Haddon Robinson, Lech was granted a Doctor of Ministry degree in homiletics.  The passion for preaching God’s Word and for helping others to speak for God has led our pastor to the formation of the Biblical Preaching Society (bpsociety.com) and membership in the Evangelical Homiletics Society.  He is an adjunct faculty at the Evangelical School of Theology (Poland), Briercrest Schools and ACTS Seminaries. 

Lech has been married to Paulina, the love of his life,  for 16 years.  They have three children:  Rachel, Abigail and Levi.

Cobble Hill Baptist Church, 1953-2006

When Olive Walmsley moved to Cobble Hill in 1947, she and her husband were attracted by the area’s fertile farm land as well as the milling and logging possibilities.  The move coincided with the influx of families into the area.  Soon, a service station, a grocery store, a hotel and a school sprouted in the neighborhood.  However, as far as Mrs. Walmsley was concerned, the greatest need of the community was an evangelical church.  With the neighborhood full of kids, Mrs. Walmsley together with Mrs. Naylor and Mrs. Josie Johnson started a Sunday School in the basement of one of the homes.  Soon over 75 kids were bused from the neighborhood.  Many of the original people came from Bethel Baptist in Duncan.

In view of the need for better facilities, Mr. R.B. Williams, a man with a great heart for the community, donated the land along Old Island Highway – now Cobble Hill Road – opposite Thain Road, near where he operated a service station.  By 1953, through the vision of a few faithful people, a building was erected.  In 1955, thirteen members formally established the Cobble Hill Baptist Church.  At one point over a hundred boys and girls filled the sanctuary and the fellowship hall with singing and celebration. 

In the course of the past 50 years the church has experienced many ups and downs, at times losing its vision of being a light in the community.  In 1994, Bernie Willock and Lech Bekesza offered to assist the congregation in the ministry of preaching until the calling of the new pastor.  With 11 faithful members scattered in the pews, the Lord added weekly new people who made the church their home.  Few months later, the leaders of the church asked Lech to consider the Lord’s calling to the pastorate.  Today the church lives through the core of committed leaders pursuing their calling.

For the past decade the congregation has been growing through a renewed vision of being the Good News in a world too often consumed by discouragement and despair.   In 2003, through sacrificial giving, the congregation purchased 13 acres of the former Evergreen School.   The hope of the congregation is to move to the new location in the fall of 2007.  The longing of God’s people at the Cobble Hill Church is to develop a Christian Ministry Centre where people of the community will be able to find help with their relationships, encouragement in raising their children, opportunities to deal with addictions, and above all, a place where they can meet Jesus.  We look with anticipation to what God chooses to do through us.

As of Sunday Dec. 6th 2009 we are in our new church building at 3791 Cobble Hill Rd.
Sunday Service starts at 10 am.