Our Story
South End Baptist Church takes the first half of its name from the surrounding community. The cornerstone of the building was dedicated in June 26, 1956. From its beginning, believers and followers of Jesus Christ have gathered here to worship, pray and use the resource of this building in a variety of ways to grow in their faith and to serve the surrounding community.
Our Purpose
As a community of faith, we embrace the great commission given to us by Jesus Christ and recorded for us at the end of Matthew’s gospel. This commission is our guiding purpose and goal… “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teachingthem to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20, NIV)
Our Core Beliefs
On our unique triune God and our relationship to him
We believe that God has revealed himself as three persons in one unique being who exists eternally and equally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This One unique God has created and presently sustains the entire universe. We believe that God’s eternal purpose toward humanity was always to create a call a people for himself— a people who would enjoy his company in a mutual relationship, unhindered in the expression of their admiration, honour and loyalty to God forever. God is worthy of our serious attention and devotion.
On Jesus as our Savior and Lord
We believe that God continues to reveal glimpses of his character and purposes through the grandeur of his creation and throughout our human history. God has most supremely revealed his intentions toward humanity by becoming fully human in Jesus without diminishing his divine nature. God has chosen this remarkable intervention in our human history because we have rejected God in our disobedience. Jesus taught and modeled the way of God’s kingdom; understanding from the beginning that he would need to make a significant sacrifice to restore our relationship with him. This is the reason why Jesus willingly accepted his unjust conviction and sentence of death on a cross. Witnesses have recorded that Jesus rose from the tomb establishing once for all his true divine nature, the rule of his kingdom on earth, and his shattering of the power of sin and death over humanity. In this saving work of Jesus, human beings have been given the opportunity to embrace a new freedom to live by faith in obedience to God’s good will and purposes for us once again.
On the Holy Spirit of God
We believe that God through the power of his Holy Spirit calls and invites all people to be reconciled with him through Jesus and to become part of God’s global family of faith. Touched and changed on the inside by the power of the Holy Spirit, believers publically declare their faith and loyalty to Jesus as their Savior and Lord, are welcomed into the kingdom of Christ through baptism, and are affirmed and renewed in their faith through regular worship and the celebration the Lord’s Supper. We believe that by the power of the God’s Holy Spirit believers are continually guided in their understanding and interpretation of the Bible, and are moved by joy to invite others to know Jesus and to experience this new way of life.
On the wider practice of our faith
We believe we are called to turn away from:
- ignorance of God… to a personal relationship with God and to be a vibrant part of God’s global family of believers
- bondage of sin and past mistakes… to healing, forgiveness, and freedom
- individualism… to a healthy interdependence with each other
- lifestyle choices that harm us, others, and the earth… to choices that actively promote wholeness, healing, justice, and peace
- indifference toward our neighbours… to engaging our neighbours with acts of kindness, mercy and love
- being consumed by consumption… to the freedom of generosity and to the gift of sharing with all in need
- aimless and empty existence… to being filled with the Holy Spirit of God and to living out our days as ambassadors and servants of God’s love and good will toward humanity
On the return of Christ
As followers of Christ, we look forward to the day when God will once again return visibly to the earth in Jesus to call all that He has created to account and to complete His plan of restoring all things under God’s eternal rule.
Our Staff
Michael Vlahos, Pastor
Mike was born and raised in the Halifax Regional Municipality. He and his spouse Donna were married in 1990 and have spent most of their married lives in the city. In the early 90’s they lived in Calgary, Alberta for three years and from 2008-2011 they lived in Vancouver, British Columbia while Mike completed his theological studies at Regent College (MDiv ’11). Mike has also studied biology at Dalhousie (BSc ’87) and business administration at St Mary’s University (BComm ’91). In their spare time Mike and Donna enjoy cooking, walks, picnics, and movies. Mike also enjoys spending time outdoors—especially camping, canoeing, hiking, and fly-fishing for speckled brook trout.
Angela Oliver, Youth Leader
Steffan George-Wegner, Music Director
Janice Wile, Administrator