Staff Leadership

GENE BENNER - INTERIM TEAM LEADER

Gene currently serves as the Chairman of the elder’s team and recently took on the role of interim team leader. Gene is no stranger to Bramalea Baptist having attended here for thirty years. Over the course of his time here Gene has served as an elder, as part of previous pastoral search teams and as a teacher in a variety of classes. He holds a BA in Business and spent many years in sales with NCR Canada and Deacro Industries.

Gene is not “all work and no play”. He enjoys golf and curling as well as hockey and basketball. He also enjoys spending time with his better half Carol, who is also actively involved in the life of the church. Carol and Gene have a grown daughter, Lisa, who currently lives in New York City, N.Y. pursuing an acting career.

Tel.: 905-451-6088 ext 227 | Email

STEVE SEMPLE - COMMUNITY LIFE

Stephen Semple came on board at Bramalea Baptist Church in May of 2005 and serves as the Community Life Pastor giving oversight to our shepherding initiatives which include Cell Groups. Steve has been involved in pastoral ministry for almost 30 years serving churches in Toronto, Mississauga and Alliston, Ontario. He has always been passionate about small groups and and sees Cell Group involvement as a vital part of following Jesus and drawing others to follow Him too. Steve has implemented vital Small Group ministries in three churches where he previously served as Senior Pastor.

Steve is a graduate of Winnipeg Bible College (now Providence), B.A., and Ontario Theological Seminary (now Tyndale), holding 2 Master's degrees - Master of Theological Studies (MTS) and Master of Divinity (MDIV). He and his wife, Margo have three grown children - Dale, Jarod and Dustin.

Tel: 905-451-6088 ext 223 | Email

DEAN KENNEDY - MISSIONAL LIFE

Dean is our Missional Life Pastor. He has been at Bramalea since 1991 after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from Liberty University.

He is passionate about authentically seeking after Jesus and trying to be like Him and he desires to encourage other believers to live life "on mission" whether that is around the world or across the street. In his book, "Blue Like Jazz", Don Miller says "sometimes you have to watch someone love something before you can love it yourself". This encourages Dean to let God love him and to simply love Him back without making a job out of it. It makes life an adventure!

Dean and his wife Lesley have four children - Travis, Leah, Grace and Cali-Faith, and in his free time he loves to play baseball, barbeque and is a lifelong fan of the San Diego Chargers.

Tel.: 905-451-6088 ext 228 | Email

PATRICK TIMNEY - WORSHIP LIFE

Patrick joined the Pastoral Team at Bramalea Baptist Church in September of 2006. He studied voice and opera at the University of Toronto and for many years had a successful career in the performing arts, three of those years having a blast as Monsieur André in the Canadian tour of Phantom of the Opera. His love of the arts and God's call on his life led him to pursue full time ministry in - what else? - worship.

Patrick's great passions are to see the church creatively utilize the arts to engage God's people in worship and to communicate truth, and to see followers of Jesus Christ fully surrendered to Him. Patrick, along with his wife, Lisa, is often called upon to lead workshops on worship, and he has served as worship leader at a variety of conferences across Canada.

His favourite companions on the journey of life are his wife Lisa, and their two kids Brandon and Brittany. In his free time, Patrick loves to read (he often has his head buried in a book, or two), ride motorcycles (he has yet to get his own), or simply hang out with good friends.

Tel.: 905-451-6088 ext. 224 | Email

YOUNGDO KANG - FAMILY LIFE

Youngdo graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in chemistry and he also holds an M.Div. from Tyndale Seminary with an emphasis in Youth and Families. This made Youngdo a natural fit for the role of Family Life Pastor at Bramalea Baptist Church, a role that he has enjoyed since September 2006.

Youngdo has eclectic tastes in music and literature (he has even written articles for a Christian hip hop magazine), enabling him to connect well with the youth culture. This combined with his desire to disciple others and his empathetic nature fuels his passion to see the church united as a family, and in turn produce healthy followers of Christ.

His desire to see the church strengthen and nurture healthy families is not just theoretical. Youngdo, along with his wife Enid is gaining plenty of firsthand experience at what it means to be a family as the raise their two young sons, Jamie and Jet.

Tel.: 905-451-6088 ext. 225 | Email

MIKE MACKNEER - STUDENT LIFE

Mike came to Bramalea after graduating from Tyndale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies. Prior to that, he studied Physical Education in Pennsylvania.

Mike is passionate about sharing the love of Christ with children and youth and has a strong desire to see their lives changed through a relationship with Him. He has spent many summers working at a summer camp in Maine and has also organized and run a youth community centre in Pennsylvania. Basketball is also a passion for Mike and after playing for three years on the Tyndale University team he was disappointed when he wasn't drafted by an NBA team.

Mike says that the best thing about him is his wife Ashlee to whom he’s been married since August 2006. His favorite scripture verse is Proverbs 19:21 which says, "Many are the plans in a man's heart but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails."

Tel.: 905-451-6088 ext. 226 | Email

RUTH MOORE - iCAN PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Ruth joined the staff at Bramalea Baptist in May of 2007.  Ruth’s background includes information technology, corporate training and education, all of which compliments her role as iCAN Program Director.

Ruth has a great love for the cultural diversity of Brampton and the unique dress, language, and food (yes, even the spicy food) that this brings.  She is passionate about building bridges of friendship with new immigrants and helping them find a sense of encouragement and strength through practical assistance. 

Ruth also enjoys playing her flute, experimenting with a variety of ethnic food recipes and simply sharing time relaxing with family and friends.

Ruth, along with her husband Chris and their two boys Jonathan and Colin, has been an active part of the Bramalea Baptist Church family since 2001.

Tel.: 905-451-7768 |