John Estabrooks is a Canadian Baptist pastor serving as Lead Pastor of Bonavista Church in Calgary, Alberta. He previously pastored Park Meadows Baptist Church in Lethbridge and served as interim minister at Awaken in Calgary. Estabrooks is known locally for leading his congregation through a 2022 fire that damaged the Bonavista Church building, and for partnering with International Justice Mission Canada on anti-trafficking rescue work.
Estabrooks ministers within the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada (CBWC) network. He’s married to Jennifer Estabrooks, who has joined him in teaching at least one church series. [IMAGE: Bonavista Church building exterior, Calgary, Alberta]
At a Glance
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full name | John Estabrooks |
| Spouse | Jennifer Estabrooks |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Ministry | |
| Title | Lead Pastor |
| Church | Bonavista Church, Calgary, Alberta |
| Denomination | Baptist (Canadian Baptists of Western Canada) |
| Previous church | Park Meadows Baptist Church, Lethbridge, Alberta |
| Previous role | Interim Minister, Awaken (Calgary) |
A note on this table: fields like birth date, age, hometown, and education aren’t included because they haven’t been published anywhere we could verify. We’d rather leave a gap than guess.
Early Life
Public details about John Estabrooks’s early life, upbringing, and education haven’t been published anywhere we could confirm. He doesn’t have a Wikipedia entry or a widely circulated press profile. What’s documented starts with his ministry work in Alberta.
If you know Estabrooks personally or have verified details about his background, Flicxa welcomes corrections and additions to keep this profile accurate.
Ministry Journey: From Lethbridge to Calgary
Park Meadows Baptist Church, Lethbridge
Estabrooks pastored at Park Meadows Baptist Church in Lethbridge, Alberta, with recorded sermons dating from at least 2018 through 2021. Message titles from that period include “Joshua: Strong and Courageous,” “Elders: Shepherd’s of God’s Flock,” and “The Joy of Mutual Submission.” One 2020 message, “Understanding Sabbath,” was co-taught with his wife, Jennifer.
Park Meadows Baptist Church is affiliated with the Alberta Baptist Association and the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada.
Interim Ministry at Awaken, Calgary
Between pastorates, Estabrooks served as interim minister at Awaken, a Calgary congregation, according to CBWC’s regional newsletter. Interim ministry roles like this typically bridge a church between settled pastors, handling preaching and pastoral care without a permanent appointment.
Lead Pastor, Bonavista Church
Estabrooks now leads Bonavista Church in Calgary, previously known as Bonavista Evangelical Missionary Church. The church holds Sunday services and describes its mission around four simple words: worship, grow, belong, serve. [IMAGE: Sunday worship service inside a Calgary church]
The 2022 Bonavista Church Fire
In August 2022, Calgary firefighters responded to a fire at Bonavista Church around 3:20 a.m. Smoke and flames were reported pouring from the building, and more than a dozen emergency vehicles attended the scene. No one was injured, though one firefighter was treated on-site for heat exhaustion.
Estabrooks addressed the congregation directly afterward. He called the situation “perplexed but not crushed,” and said the church would consult contractors and plan its rebuild while staying in contact with members about next steps.
“We’ll talk to people who know how to repair and rebuild, and we’ll make those plans to move ahead.”
The line borrows its shape from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, where Paul describes being hard-pressed but not crushed, and it framed how the church talked about the setback publicly.
Justice-Focused Ministry
Bonavista Church has partnered with International Justice Mission (IJM) Canada on Advent giving campaigns focused on anti-trafficking rescue work. In 2024, the church set a goal of funding two rescue operations, roughly $20,000, in partnership with IJM’s work in the Philippines. The congregation gave enough to fund ten operations instead of two.
Estabrooks described the season as one of the most meaningful and mission-focused Advents the church had experienced, tying the giving directly to worship rather than treating it as a separate fundraiser.
Public Voice on Interfaith Issues
Estabrooks is a signatory to “Faith Communities Standing Together Against Hate Based on Religious Identity,” a joint statement from Canadian faith leaders responding to rising religious-based violence and division. He signed as Lead Pastor of Bonavista Evangelical Missionary Church, alongside leaders from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and interfaith organizations across Canada.
Personal Life
Estabrooks is married to Jennifer Estabrooks. The two have taught church series together, including a 2020 message on Sabbath rest at Park Meadows Baptist Church. Beyond that, details about the couple’s family life aren’t publicly documented.
Ministry Philosophy
Estabrooks’s public sermon titles and church partnerships point to a few consistent themes: practical discipleship (elders, prayer, Sabbath), congregational resilience during hardship, and justice as an act of worship rather than a side project. Bonavista Church’s stated framework, worship, grow, belong, serve, reflects a fairly standard evangelical Baptist emphasis on community and outward mission rather than a distinct theological brand.
A Note on Limited Public Information
Most pastors on Flicxa lead churches with extensive media coverage, published books, or long-standing public ministries. Estabrooks leads a mid-sized congregation with a much smaller public footprint, and that’s reflected here. This profile includes only what’s been independently verified through news coverage, church records, and organizational statements. We haven’t included birth date, age, net worth, or family details that aren’t publicly available, because guessing at those wouldn’t serve you or him.
Interesting Facts
- Estabrooks led his congregation through a middle-of-the-night fire at their church building in August 2022, with no injuries reported.
- Under his leadership, Bonavista Church’s 2024 Advent campaign raised five times its original fundraising goal for anti-trafficking rescue work.
- He’s one of dozens of Canadian faith leaders, across multiple religions, who co-signed a national statement against religiously motivated hate.
Timeline
| Period | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2018–2021 | Serves as pastor at Park Meadows Baptist Church, Lethbridge, Alberta |
| Undated | Serves as interim minister at Awaken, Calgary |
| By 2022 | Becomes Lead Pastor of Bonavista Church (formerly Bonavista Evangelical Missionary Church), Calgary |
| August 2022 | Leads congregation’s response after a fire damages the Bonavista Church building |
| 2024 | Church’s Advent giving campaign with IJM Canada raises five times its rescue-funding goal |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Pastor John Estabrooks?
John Estabrooks is a Canadian Baptist pastor and the Lead Pastor of Bonavista Church in Calgary, Alberta. He previously pastored Park Meadows Baptist Church in Lethbridge.
What church does John Estabrooks pastor?
He currently leads Bonavista Church in Calgary, Alberta, formerly known as Bonavista Evangelical Missionary Church.
What denomination is John Estabrooks part of?
His ministry background runs through the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada (CBWC), a Baptist network active across Western Canada.
Is John Estabrooks married?
Yes. He’s married to Jennifer Estabrooks, who has co-taught church series alongside him.
What happened at Bonavista Church in 2022?
A fire broke out at the church building in the early morning hours of August 2022. No one was injured, and Estabrooks led the congregation’s public response and rebuilding plans.
Is John Estabrooks the same person as Bishop Joseph Estabrook?
No. They’re unrelated. Joseph Walter Estabrook (1944-2012) was a Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop who served in the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. John Estabrooks is a Baptist pastor currently serving in Calgary, Alberta.
A Final Word
John Estabrooks’s public ministry so far shows a pattern worth noticing: steady local leadership, a congregation that responds to crisis without panic, and giving that goes toward rescuing real people rather than staying inside church walls. As more of his story becomes public, this profile will be updated to reflect it.