
Our District Partners


Brian Buhler
Homiletical Coach

Brian has been an ordained minister with the C&MA for 40 years. He’s taught preaching courses at Ambrose Seminary as well as numerous seminars and workshops and was a plenary speaker and preaching instructor for the Billy Graham School of Evangelism for a number of years. Brian’s unique areas of strength are Christ-centred exposition, Old Testament narrative, and preaching that climaxes with the Lord’s Supper.
Brian and Myrna enjoy their three married children and 7 grandkids, all of who live in Greater Vancouver. Brian’s favourite hobby is painting bold west-coast landscapes. Exploring the world of art has helped Brian see and communicate the biblical narrative with more right-brained creativity.

Carmen Kinniburgh
District Children’s Ministry Partner

Children’s ministry involves developing leaders, discipling children and families, exercising creativity, with an emphasis on fun and building relationships that help others to experience God’s love as they are loved by people who know God’s love. Carmen has served in children’s ministries as a volunteer, coordinator, curriculum writer, camp speaker, and pastor. Her desire in ministry and life is to help others (whether they be children, youth, or adults) to hear God’s voice and to experience the freedom and fullness of love found in knowing Jesus and living kingdom lives. Whether your children’s ministry is led by volunteers or a pastoral leader, Carmen would love to connect, build networks, support, resource, pray with, and provide care in whatever areas are needed.
Carmen lives in Vernon with her husband, Jeremy, and their two teenage kids. She loves playing soccer, hiking, camping, and theatre. She and Jeremy have founded two new ministries called Threshold Initiatives and Contributing Pastor.

Charlene Kane
District Safety & Risk Management Consultant

Charlene is the District Consultant for Safety & Risk Management. Her primary role is to support churches in the creation, implementation, and regular review of their safety and risk management policies. Charlene has been an active HR professional for 7 years and is currently working at Tenth Church in Vancouver. She is a people enthusiast; connecting and caring for others is where her energy comes from!

Andy Lambkin
Team Lead - Property Development & Nest Housing Society

Andy wears two hats in the Canadian Pacific District. He serves as our New Venture implementer, helping new communities of faith emerge across our province, and he also leads the Nest housing Society, a non-profit affordable housing society working with local churches to utilize their land for social good while fulfilling critical ministry priorities. If you have questions about either of these areas, please reach out.
Personally, Andy is married to Jolie and they have four kids. Residing in North Vancouver, they call simplechurches, a network of house churches, their church home.

Stuart McKnight
Ordination Partner - Theology & Doctrine

Scotland, Australia and Western Canada are the places where Stuart has lived, studied and ministered. Along the way being blessed by Teresa and 6 Children (ages 25-9), they are now amateur farmers with pigs, chickens, cats and dogs. Having served in local church pastoral leadership for over 20 years, Stuart is now the founder and primary voice of ‘Theology Now’. With a passion for truth, history and theology, Stuart’s ministry is to teach a ‘grander vision of GOD’.

Geoff Stewart
District Youth Ministry Partner
geoffs@peaceportalalliance.com

Youth ministry is among the most demanding ministries in the church from a relational standpoint, serving young people who are defining the ever changing culture we live in. Leading in youth ministry is best not done alone, and Geoff desires to help our youth pastors serve and encourage one another through the sharing of resources, wisdom, experience, and perspective. In the ever-changing world of today’s high school student, it is vital for us as youth pastors to be changing with them to understand the world they are navigating and share with them the life changing truth of the Gospel.
Geoff has been a youth pastor for 6 years at Peace Portal Alliance Church and volunteered for 10 years before that in the same church. He is passionate about seeing young people transformed by Jesus and becoming leaders in their school and community. He and his wife Lavonne live in South Surrey with their cats Norman and Puff Daddy.

Daren Wride
Transitional Pastors Network Coordinator

Daren Wride has been serving in transitional roles since 2011. He has been on the ground as Transitional Pastor in multiple churches around the province and has engaged as a Transitional Coach with several other churches. Prior to his transitional work, Daren pastored three churches in Alberta and BC for a total of nearly 20 years. Daren has also spent time in the professional speaking and internet marketing worlds and usually has a related project on the go.