About Us

Canadian Christian Education Movement

started in 2022 when the leaders of several Christian organizations came together to positively impact the educational context in Canada for ages 3 to 18 across Canada.


The leaders of these organizations wanted to see a resurgence of the Canadian church embracing, supporting, or housing a wide range of educational initiatives* that would serve their local families and communities with Christ-centred, quality education.

Contact Us

  • CCEM exists to:

    • Identify and unite like-minded organizations for the good of the Canadian church and families seeking Christ-centered education
    • Encourage Canadian churches to thoughtfully consider how best to serve families and communities regarding the education of children.
    • Encourage Canadian churches to empower parents and congregants concerned about education to be proactive.
    • Endeavour to connect the right organizations to the right churches depending on the community, educational needs and desired outcomes.

  • CCEM is:

    • A place for like-minded organizations, churches, and families to come together to encourage, empower, and educate one another to catalyze transformational education in Canada.
    • A place for churches and families to find support for the education of children in a manner that honors the sacred role of parents and puts Christ at the center.
    • A unifying voice, crossing denominational lines that focuses on a Biblical worldview, Christ-centered education, and the role of parents in the education of their children.
    • A loosely organized group of Christian organizations, parents, and churches

  • CCEM is not:

    A legal entity with a need to grow or assert control and power

    A fundraising tool or funding platform

    A political movement

Mission Statement

CCEM exists to help churches, parents, and educators provide Christ-centered educational initiatives in their communities.

Vision Statement

CCEM envisions every Canadian church engaging in Christ-centred education to serve their community.

Meet Our Team

  • Jake Dyck: Project Director

    Jake has been involved in education for almost 25 years, with experience teaching in Christian schools in western Canada, in Red Deer Public schools in Alberta and with a Christian school in Central Asia. Jake is trained and spent many of his years teaching as a middle school teacher and holds a Master of Science in school leadership, having been a head of school for five years. Currently he works from TeachBeyond as the Associate National Director in Canada and serves on the School Services team providing support to partner schools. He is passionate about Christ-centered education for all children, working together with the church and supporting the role of parents.


    jdyck@cemovement.ca
  • Greg Needham: Project Director

    While leading a large Church expansion in metro Vancouver and simultaneously working in missions as an educational business consultant, God put the not-so-new idea of blending the Church and Christian education, on Greg’s heart. Greg’s enthusiasm for parenting, holistic education, the co-curricular, and Christ have culminated in his desire to see God move in Canada, to see Churches and families transform their communities and society through the work of the Holy Spirit. Greg Needham MBA, M.Ed, lives in Metro Vancouver with his wife, a public ELL teacher. He has two married daughters and two grandsons. He has worked in education his entire life, and has spent most of his career serving churches, Christian universities, schools, or municipalities in the areas of operations, strategic planning, development, communications, and facilities.


    gneedham@cemovement.ca
  • Nadine Ryan

    Nadine Ryan from Newfoundland Labrador chooses to live a Joy-filled life, daily embracing Nehemiah 8:10 "...the joy of the Lord is your strength."

    She loves being a mom to her two adult daughters, Rayelle & Olivia as well as a wife to her husband, Cyril.

    Nadine was a 'domestic engineer' for many years (aka 'stay at home mom' ) and began her teaching career at the private christian school her children attended.

    She chose a life of supply teaching and homeschooling as this enabled her to put the needs of her family first.

    Nadine has taught for more than 20 years in both private and public school settings, primarily teaching French and English Language Arts at a secondary level.

    She is excited to be a part of what God is doing in & through Christian Education in Canada, agreeing with Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, “He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.”Psalms 72:8

    She believes her highest calling is to 'represent HIM well' in every aspect of life!

    "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." (Mayo Angelou)
  • Lauralynn Mercer: Ontario Director

    From when Lauralynn was young, she was passionate about teaching children about Christ’s love and plan for salvation. She took that passion and turned it into a career in Christian education. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Brock University and Redeemer University in Ontario. Lauralynn taught for 8 years at Mississauga Christian Academy and then moved into a combined role of teacher and Principal/Chief Operations Officer at Muskoka Christian School. Muskoka Christian School flourished under Lauralynn’s leadership. It went from a small school, to quadrupling the student body, founding a non-traditional high school, offering connections for homeschool families, and building awareness for Christian education in the community. Lauralynn sees the need for Churches, Parents, and Educators to join forces in equipping children and young people with a solid faith foundation to withstand the perils oof this present world and prepare them for God’s calling on their lives. Lauralynn and her husband’s lives are deeply enriched by their two adult son’s family’s, including their five grandchildren. They call Muskoka, Ontario home, where they truly enjoy the beauty of God’s creation in every season.


    lmercer@cemovement.ca
  • Gord Stevenson: Ontario Representative

    Christian education was a big part of Gord’s formative years, as a teenager and young adult, in volunteer support of his local Church’s Christian School. As Bible College graduates, Gord and his wife, Chrissie, both have experience in full-time ministry, including Youth, Christian Education, and Lay Ministry. As parents, and now grandparents of 7, Gord and Chrissie, ensured that their 3 children were enrolled in Christian education, wherever available. Recently, Gord has retired from his position of Risk Manager/Human Resources at Ford Motor Company of Canada and has switched his focus as he continues to see the importance of Christ-centred education. He is passionate to see local churches engage in a grass roots approach to discipleship in their communities. He believes that to, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) is God’s wise council and it is on Parents, Grandparents, and Church Leaders to facilitate. 


    gstevenson@cemovement.ca
  • Belinda Wheatley: B.C. Coordinator

    Belinda immigrated to Canada 30 years ago from South Africa. She is a mother of 3 adult children and a grandmother. Her sons attended public school and her daughter attended Christian school, where she experienced the radical differences and the desperate need for God to be brought back into schools. Belinda is a firm believer that, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” (Nelson Mandela) As a Montessori Teacher, and early Childhood Educator, and a Special Needs Educator in public, private, and Christian Schools for 18 years she has witnessed and experienced the transformation that Christ-centred, Spirit-filled education has on children and societies. Having worked in the public school system for 10 years, Belinda witnessed the degradation of the system, and she concluded that public schools are beyond redemption and that a Christ-centred system is the only hope. The Church must take back its rightful role in education along with parents as the primary educators of their children. She believes that this movement is the hope that we need to transform children, societies, and the world. Her most recent volunteer work includes volunteering at Barnabas Family Camp, participating in a mission to assist the Tarahumara Indigenous community in Mexico, teaching as a volunteer at Vacation Bible School, contributing to the Schools for Africa Project by fundraising to renovate a school and provide supplies, and serving as a teacher for the Virtues Project. 


    bwheatley@cemovement.ca
  • Len & Mary Reed: Steering Committee

    Life for Len began in Thailand, born to missionary parents and attending school in Malaysia as a child. When his parents returned from Thailand they settled in Saskatchewan where Len’s education continued at Caronport. Mary grew up in Ontario in the public school system. They both attended Briercrest Bible College and received bachelor’s degrees in Christian Education, Music, and Biblical Studies. Len continued on to receive a Master’s in Theological Studies from Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. Their two oldest boys attended public school in Toronto for their first few years and then the Lord called them to serve at Black Forest Academy in Germany. Having served in Germany and England as dorm parents, facilities manager, church administrator for expats and then Sanctuary (a ministry to host missionaries and Christian workers) they have been part of the

    educational world for the past 26 years serving both teachers, parents and children. They are thankful that their children also benefited from Christian education at Black Forest Academy and graduated to go on to receive Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in teaching. Len also has been a part of two boards that promote the advancement of Christian Education, EurECA (European Educators Christian Asso.) and CATE (Christians Advancing Transformational Education). They are now located in Kelowna, B.C. and have been asked to promote and bathe CCEM in prayer. We are firm believers that in any new initiative prayer must be the first resource of advancement.
  • Howard Dueck Steering Committee

    After attending Providence University College and Theological Seminary, Howard and his wife Eileen joined TeachBeyond, which was Janz Team at the time, in 1988, serving 10 years in Brazil and 12 years in Germany. Howard’s ministry experience has involved counselling, teaching, preaching, mentoring, and leadership. Howard’s calling to education as mission was deepened through a dream in 2003 to focus on those with least access to education. TeachBeyond partners around the world, and now here in Canada, with those seeking to provide Christ-centred education. The Duecks live south of Winnipeg, where Eileen is a local school music teacher and from where Howard serves as executive vice-president of TeachBeyond. Their two married adult daughters and their husbands, as well as their first grandchild, live nearby.
  • Paul Johnson: Steering Committee

    After completing his education in 1981 at Simon Fraser University, Paul began his 40-year career in the Langley, British Columbia school district. In 1982, he responded to the call to Christian education and joined Regent Christian Academy, a church-based K-12 school in its early stages. The Academy experienced remarkable growth in the ensuing years, expanding its offerings to include a thriving international student program and a Distributed Learning (online) division. Paul provided leadership as Principal, then later as Head of Schools for the Regent Christian Academy Society until stepping aside in December 2021. Career highlights include overseeing campus expansion, establishing a robust student mission program and supporting church-based schools in Nigeria, Kenya, and Mexico. Paul’s greatest passion is to see young people experience transformative encounters with Jesus. Paul’s legacy reflects a life dedicated to encouraging young people to a journey of personal excellence and Christian service. Paul stays active by serving on boards and providing consultation services to Christian organizations. He and his wife, Eleanor, live in Surrey, B.C., enjoying their blended family of five children and seven grandchildren.
  • Harold Klassen: Steering Committee

    Harold was called to be a missionary teacher in 1968. After studying at Simon Fraser University and theology at Canadian Bible College, Harold taught two years in a public school in Saskatchewan before he and his wife, Betty, went to Germany in 1977 to teach at Black Forest Academy. Harold had multiple roles at BFA, such as teacher, principal, IT director, and more before leaving BFA in 1998 to work with the German Janz Team and completing a Master of Science in Education from Cairn University. He became a global educational consultant, and began maintaining a website with resources for Christian teachers, transformingteachers.org. In 2011 the Klassens moved back to Canada and settled in Abbotsford, B.C. Harold continues his passion to teach about how all of life and learning relates to God and His word. He is an adjunct instructor of Education as Mission in Prairie College’s online Master of Leadership program and actively involved with various groups seeking to provide Christ-in education around the world. The Klassens have four children and eight grandchildren.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why do we need the CCEM?

    Parents in Canada desire Christ-centered choices for the education of their children, where they will be acknowledged as their child’s primary educator. Increasingly it is evident that many parents are looking for alternative education programs that are clear in their objectives and place the child and learning at the forefront. Today, parents have lost their voice to an array of political and social agendas which are not based on research or best practices and present themselves in direct opposition to a Biblical worldview.


    Students need an environment where they can grow in truth, joy, and confidence, where all of life and learning is related to God and His word. Students need safe places to learn a Biblical worldview, to ask questions and wrestle how to live in our world, to receive Christ-centered help with mental health issues, questions of truth and identity, and where they can develop naturally through childhood and adolescence.


    Churches are communities of people responsible to represent Christ in their neighbourhoods. Education has always been an integral part of this work, particularly in missions. It is important for Canadian churches to revitalize this critical aspect of discipling their children while being open-handed to the children of other families not formally a part of their congregation.


    Institutions require support to seek God’s truth, to hold a Biblical worldview, and to provide educational alternatives.

  • What do you actually do?

    CCEM is largely focused on promoting new initiatives and casting a vision for various educational models. This not only includes various communication platforms but also through hosting online and in-person townhall meetings. CCEM also connects communities interested in starting a program with organizations that are able to partner with them and existing programs that have already started something similar.

  • What types of educational initiatives does the Canadian Christian Education Movement support?

    The CCEM makes connections focused on bringing like-minded Churches and organizations together to promote all forms of innovative Christ-centered education that honors the role of parents. This includes homeschooling, cooperating learning centres, distance education, Christian schools, and other schooling alternatives.

  • Who can benefit from the resources and information provided by the Canadian Christian Education Movement?

    The Canadian Christian Education Movement’s resources and information are designed to benefit churches, parents, leaders, and organizations in Canada who are looking to create impactful educational initiatives in their communities.

  • What kind of support does the Canadian Christian Education Movement offer?

    The CCEM can refer parents and churches to various models of Christ-centred education, give initial educational consulting, host events to bring awareness and resources to christ-centred education, provide provincial school legal advice, networking with other churches and organizations, and survey service. CCEM is able to help you in other ways as well, please reach out to us and start a conversation.

  • How can I get involved with the Canadian Christian Education Movement?

    You can help support the movement in a variety of ways, such as initiating a new educational project in your church or area, becoming an educational consultant or board member on one of our local schools/projects, becoming a prayer partner by praying alongside us, donating financially to our CCEM fund, partnering your organization with the CCEM, or supporting our work in networking and hosting our town hall events in cities across Canada. Please contact us at info@cemovement.ca.

  • What impact do you hope to achieve?

    We pray that many new Christ-centered educational initiatives will be initiated and developed across Canada.


    We plan to support Churches to pass on the faith to the next generation through Christ-centered education, leverage existing facilities and assets to educate children, empower families to engage in Christ-centered education, and create unity amongst communities of faith for the promotion of education.

  • Do you have prayer support?

    Yes, the CCEM has identified a lead couple based out of Kelowna BC, to hold online TEAMS weekly prayer meetings and coordinate prayer requests.
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