John Neufeld Biography: Back to the Bible Canada’s Bible Teacher
Dr. John Neufeld is a Canadian pastor and Bible teacher best known for two chapters of ministry: 15 years as senior pastor of Willingdon Church in Burnaby, British Columbia, one of the largest Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada, and his current role as the national Bible teacher for Back to the Bible Canada, a position he’s held since 2015.
[IMAGE: Dr. John Neufeld preaching in the Back to the Bible Canada studio]
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Dr. John Neufeld |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Spouse | Kathy Neufeld |
| In ministry since | 1976 |
| Education | |
| Undergraduate | Columbia Bible College (Biblical Studies); University of Saskatchewan (BA) |
| Master’s | Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) |
| Doctorate | Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (D.Min.) |
| Ministry | |
| Current role | National Bible Teacher, Back to the Bible Canada |
| Since | 2015 |
| Denomination | Mennonite Brethren (pastoral background) |
| Best known for | 15 years as Senior Pastor, Willingdon Church, Burnaby, BC |
| Known for | Verse-by-verse expository preaching |
Early Ministry and Education
John Neufeld has been in pastoral ministry since 1976, building a theological education that stretched across four schools: Columbia Bible College for biblical studies, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Saskatchewan, a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
Before he led any large congregation, he taught at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, BC, and planted Peace Arch Fellowship in Surrey, a church now known as Gracepoint. That combination, classroom teaching plus church planting, set the pattern for the rest of his career: theological depth paired with hands-on pastoral work.
Bakerview and the Rise to Willingdon
Neufeld went on to serve as preaching pastor and lead pastor at Bakerview MB Church in Abbotsford, British Columbia. In 1999, he moved to Willingdon Church in Burnaby, stepping into the senior pastor role at what would become one of the largest Mennonite Brethren congregations in the country, with weekly attendance recognized among BC’s megachurches.
Over his 15 years there, Willingdon actively planted and assisted other congregations, including Westside Church, which later moved into Vancouver’s former Ford Theatre building downtown. Neufeld became known nationally for his expository preaching style, teaching through entire books of the Bible verse by verse rather than topic-hopping between passages.
[IMAGE: Willingdon Church, Burnaby, British Columbia]
Resignation from Willingdon
In September 2014, Neufeld resigned as senior pastor of Willingdon Church, effective immediately. In his final sermon on September 7, 2014, he told the congregation he felt it was best to leave “because of the church’s vision and future direction,” while affirming that his love for the people he’d ministered to remained undiminished.
The resignation caught many in the congregation off guard. Members described it publicly as sudden and difficult to understand, praising Neufeld’s faithfulness and gifting even while expressing confusion about what had led to the split. Neufeld and his wife, Kathy, stepped away from the role together, and Ray and Judy Harms-Wiebe eventually took over as lead pastors after an interim period.
A New Direction: Back to the Bible Canada
After leaving Willingdon, Neufeld took time to rest. He ended up teaching at a Bible college in Germany, a season he’s since described as exhausting but clarifying, a chance to figure out what came next after nearly four decades of pastoral ministry.
The call that changed his direction came from Ben Lowell at Back to the Bible Canada, who needed a quick answer about whether Neufeld would become the ministry’s first Canadian Bible teacher in its 75-year history. Neufeld had never envisioned a radio ministry for himself. He took the leap anyway, and his teaching began airing across more than 49 Canadian radio stations starting in January 2015.
He’s since described the transition candidly: trading a large congregation with constant face-to-face feedback for a small studio room with just a microphone. But the shift in medium hasn’t changed his approach. His verse-by-verse teaching style, honed over 15 years at Willingdon, now reaches a national and international audience daily through radio, podcast, and video.
On a cross-Canada trip early in his radio ministry, a roadside restaurant clerk recognized his voice and told him, through tears, “You’ve been changing my life.” It confirmed for Neufeld that the audience listening on the other side of the microphone was real, and large.
Ministry Philosophy
Neufeld’s theology of ministry centers on one consistent conviction: expository preaching, teaching the Bible passage by passage rather than topically, isn’t a stylistic preference but a historical mandate. He’s pointed to the early church’s pattern of expositional preaching stretching back at least 300 years, later recovered during the Reformation, as the model he’s followed for his entire career.
His personal blog and much of his public teaching carry the theme “Meticulously Sovereign,” reflecting his emphasis on God’s sovereignty as the lens through which he reads Scripture and interprets both personal and national events.
[IMAGE: Dr. John Neufeld teaching from the Bible on location]
Personal Life
John Neufeld is married to Kathy Neufeld. Their son, Jonathan Neufeld, has spoken publicly about growing up as a pastor’s kid, describing himself as the child who “had all the answers in Sunday school” while privately wrestling with whether he actually believed them, a wrestling match that eventually led him to his own faith commitment.
Influence and Legacy
Neufeld’s influence runs through two very different platforms. At Willingdon, he shaped one of Canada’s largest Mennonite Brethren congregations for a decade and a half, helping it plant additional churches across the Vancouver area. At Back to the Bible Canada, he’s built a national and international listening audience, becoming the ministry’s first distinctly Canadian voice in a lineage that includes American broadcasters like Theodore Epp, Warren Wiersbe, and Woodrow Kroll.
Ten years into that role, Back to the Bible Canada marked the anniversary with a celebration event, a recognition of just how far his reach had extended beyond the walls of any single congregation.
Interesting Facts
- Neufeld has been in pastoral ministry since 1976, nearly five decades as of the mid-2020s.
- He was Back to the Bible Canada’s first Canadian Bible teacher in the ministry’s 75-year history.
- He holds degrees from four different schools across Canada and the United States.
- He taught at a Bible college in Germany during the gap between his pastoral ministry and his radio ministry.
- His personal blog theme, “Meticulously Sovereign,” reflects his central theological emphasis on God’s sovereignty.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Begins pastoral ministry |
| — | Teaches at Columbia Bible College; plants Peace Arch Fellowship (now Gracepoint), Surrey, BC |
| — | Serves as preaching pastor and lead pastor, Bakerview MB Church, Abbotsford, BC |
| 1999 | Becomes senior pastor of Willingdon Church, Burnaby, BC |
| 2014 | Resigns from Willingdon Church in September after 15 years |
| 2015 | Joins Back to the Bible Canada as its first Canadian Bible teacher |
| 2025 | Marks 10 years with Back to the Bible Canada |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dr. John Neufeld?
Dr. John Neufeld is a Canadian Mennonite Brethren pastor, best known for leading Willingdon Church in Burnaby, BC for 15 years and for his current role as national Bible teacher at Back to the Bible Canada.
What is Back to the Bible Canada?
Back to the Bible Canada is a national radio, video, and podcast ministry focused on daily expository Bible teaching. Dr. John Neufeld joined in 2015 as its first Canadian Bible teacher in the organization’s 75-year history.
Why did John Neufeld resign from Willingdon Church?
He resigned in September 2014, telling the congregation in his final sermon that he felt it was best to leave because of the church’s vision and future direction. He didn’t publicly detail further specifics at the time.
Who is Dr. John Neufeld’s wife?
His wife is Kathy Neufeld. The two resigned from Willingdon Church together in 2014.
What denomination is Dr. John Neufeld?
His pastoral background is Mennonite Brethren, having served at Bakerview MB Church and Willingdon MB Church. Back to the Bible Canada itself operates as a non-denominational teaching ministry.
Does Dr. John Neufeld have a Wikipedia page?
No, he does not currently have a Wikipedia page. His biography is documented instead through Back to the Bible Canada, the Mennonite Brethren Herald, and The Gospel Coalition Canada.
How old is Dr. John Neufeld?
His exact birth date isn’t publicly documented. What is confirmed is that he has been in pastoral ministry since 1976, spanning close to five decades.
Was Dr. John Neufeld involved in an accident?
There’s no verified, publicly documented accident tied to Dr. John Neufeld himself. This appears to be a search mix-up with unrelated stories, and we won’t speculate on unconfirmed claims.
