At 2026 GLBC Annual General Meeting, The Board and President shared that Immanuel Velasco would step down from the President role by the end of the year.In conjunction, the Board and faculty will absorb neccesary duties.
This will not be the first season that GLBC will have operated without a President.
Below is President Report taken from the 2025-26 Annual Report.
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION- GLBC'S MISSION
Great Lakes Bible College (GLBC) remains steadfast in its core dedication to equipping faithful Christians for ministry right where they live, work, and serve. As we gather for our Annual General Meeting and celebrate the 30th anniversary of GLBC’s move to Waterloo, Ontario, we do so at a truly pivotal moment in our history—a moment that invites deep reflection, decisive stewardship, and unwavering confidence in God’s ongoing provision.
EXECUTING OUR RESTRUCTURING AND LEADERSHIP TRANSITION
As Board Chair Glen Robins shared in his letter, our Board and financial consultants have monitored recurring operational deficits driven by broader post-secondary trends and economic pressures. Recognizing that annual operating deficits are simply not sustainable, the Board unanimously
approved a restructured budget this past September to secure GLBC’s long- term financial health.
A necessary and deeply felt outcome of this realignment is the decision to redistribute my responsibilities. My formal term as President will conclude at the end of November 2026.
I am profoundly grateful for all that we have accomplished together over these past four years—expanding our academic presence into Western Canada, establishing our vital partnership with Faulkner University, securing substantial legacy bequests, and contributing to a landmark study on the state of Ontario churches.
As the Board transitions to taking on executive duties and building out a dedicated part-time fundraising role, I am fully committed to working alongside our Board and Faculty to execute an orderly transition, ensuring our core educational mission continues forward without interruption.
ADAPTING TO MODERN MINISTRY REALITIES
Our structural budget adjustments coincide with shifting demographic realities across our fellowship and beyond. Recent survey data reveals that church of Christ congregations in Ontario have retain the same average size, but the number of congregations decreased by about 30% over the last 12 years , with only 60% maintaining full- or part-time ministers. No ministry could replace the local church in it's ability to plant and water seeds of faith (God gives the growth). GLBC plays it's role by directing our core resources to support local congregations where the need is greatest:
- Decentralized and Flexible Learning: Recognizing that modern students often balance responsibilities, especially family and career commitments most take 1 or 2 classes at a time. We deliver biblical education directly to local communities through accessible online platforms and intensive regional courses across Canada.
- Equipping Local Church Members and Leaders: By serving members of every age alongside traditional students, GLBC places greater reliance on well-equipped local church members and leaders to step into vital ministry roles within their home congregations.
- Removing Financial Barriers: Through the GLBC Sponsorship Fund (est. 2023), we ensure that financial constraints never prevent a willing student from studying God's Word with us.
THE STRATEGIC ROAD MAP: GENERATION TO GENERATION CAMPAIGN AND NEXT STEPS
To backstop our restructured budget and establish a permanent financial foundation for future generations, GLBC is actively pursuing a clear operational road map:
- Giving Tuesday Drive: Focuses on enrolling recurring monthly supporters (10–50/month) to build a predictable, stable stream of routine operational income following our fall restructuring.
- "Generation to Generation" Campaign: Over the next decade (by 2037), $7 million in gifts and pledges would establish an investment engine that permanently funds student tuition and eliminates recurring deficits.
- Estate and Legacy Seminars: Structured estate planning allows supporters to plan legacy gifts through wills and trusts, maximizing tax advantages without affecting current cash flow or family inheritance goals.
- Disciplined Expense Control: In addition to our administrative restructuring, GLBC currently operates at an exceptionally lean $4,000 to $5,000 per student served—nearly ten times lower than traditional post-secondary institutions.
MOBILIZING OUR NETWORK: HOW YOU CAN PARTNER
You can actively advance GLBC’s mission through six key avenues:
- Pray: Pray for our students, faculty, staff, Board, and the spiritual vitality of local congregations across Canada.
- Attend Regional Events: Join our Spring short course in Weyburn, SK, or the August 2027 Omagh Short Course featuring Chad Ramsey (The Life of Paul). These gatherings are educational and a great source of encouragement.
- Host a GLBC Town Hall: Invite a Board or leadership representative to present at your local church (contact info@glbc.ca) to explore how GLBC can serve your congregation's specific training needs.
- Support Monthly Giving: Commit to a predictable monthly gift (10–50/month) during our Giving Tuesday drive or include GLBC in your long-term estate planning.
- Join the Corporation: Become an official GLBC Corporation Member to assist with provincial governance requirements and offer valuable strategic counsel to the Board. Contact info@glbc.ca for more details.
- Stay in Touch: Subscribe to our newsletter and newly launched Chapel Revisited. Contact info@glbc.ca for more details.
Our God is faithful. GLBC moves forward unified in spirit, clear in vision, and deeply confident in His continued provision for His church in Canada and beyond. To God be the glory.
Closing Remarks from 2026 AGM, Immanuel Velasco
"Thank you to the corporation, Board, staff and faculty for allowing me to come alongside this ministry. Having served on the board prior to my presidency, I had some sense of what needed to be done… but I had no idea!
I’m proud of the work that we’ve done together with the help of the Lord- expanding our connections across Canada, developing a more functional ‘back office’ enabling us to better serve our students and, at least for me, a renewed understanding of how GLBC can best serve in God’s kingdom.
I want to assure you that I plan to stay connected to this educational ministry. I believe that healthy congregations are essential to a healthy kingdom, and that GLBC can play an important role in equipping Christians to that end. If I’m able to visit with you at your home or congregation, expect that I will continue championing this ministry.
As I’ve been preparing for my departure, I’ve been excited to see the board readily engaged to step in and play a more active role in the operation and development of the school. I’ve worked alongside the staff and faculty and have witnessed their commitment to this endeavour. I will continue to work alongside both as they continue forward for whatever is next. We will all look to our heavenly father for guidance, wherever that takes us. We don’t know all that will come, except that, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
I give glory and thanks to God in his provision and presence- especially through the work of the school and in this last season of my time here. I ask that you please join me in regular prayer first for God’s Kingdom, and this little corner of it- Great Lakes Bible College."
