OUR FOUNDERS
G. Andrew & Chantal Beresford are passionate about loving people and leading them to Jesus, challenging them to grow deeply in their relationship with Him. Consequently, they believe that it is their life-calling to serve others, especially through helping them discover their God-given purpose and equipping them to live it out. They share a heart for the Greater Toronto Area and the nations of the world; they are committed to building the local church, as they believe it to be God's most powerful vehicle for evangelism in the Earth.
THEIR JOURNEY
Andrew was born in Plainfield, NJ and raised in Toronto, Canada. Jesus saved and subsequently called him to the gospel ministry at the age of 18. After completing ministerial training, at 20 years of age Andrew planted his first church, designed to serve a college town in Michigan. Chantal resided in the same city at the time, to attend University. As destiny would have it, they connected and began courting. From that point onward, they began ministering together and Chantal became an integral part of the college church-plant.
Prior to this endeavour, Chantal who is a native of Canada, traveled as a missionary to Africa, the Middle East and served heavily during the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, demonstrating the love of Jesus to thousands of hurting people.
After Andrew and Chantal were married, the newly weds relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan. There they started their family and planted another church where Andrew served faithfully as the lead pastor for 7 years. In 2013, after the Lord's clear direction and the affirmation of respected leaders, Andrew installed one of his mentees in the ministry as the lead pastor of the church, which continues to thrive by God's grace. Thereafter, he and his family followed God's leading to Southern California, which afforded them life-changing ministry opportunities and also served as a launchpad for ministry oversees.
Andrew serves as our Senior Pastor and is widely known for his relevant preaching, passion for teaching theology and apologetics. The apostolic grace on his life is not only seen in pioneering and church planting but also in notable miracles, fathering and mentoring those who are now senior leaders, in North America and overseas. In 2023 Andrew was appointed as the Overseer of Canada for the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, International and after successfully completing an intensive season of formation, is now a ‘Bishop-Elect,’ slated to be classically consecrated as a Bishop in July 2024. Chantal is especially known for her wise-counsel, strategic planning and mothering spirit. She serves as the Executive Pastor of ServeCity and is responsible for training and galvanizing teams around our vision.
Aside from their relationship with Jesus, most important to Andrew and Chantal is their family. They have been married for seventeen years and have three children: Gabriel, Noah and Claire. Andrew and Chantal are mutually passionate about maintaining a healthy Christian home, in hopes of inspiring others to do the same. In the summer of 2015 God brought their family, full circle, back home to Toronto, Canada, where they now reside and have planted roots. They have always had a heart for the Greater Toronto Area and planned to one day plant a life-giving church here. They are thankful that God has given them the opportunity to see this come to pass through ServeCity Church.