Ronald Edward Matthews was born in Dagenham, Essex, England on October 28th 1927 the sixth child of nine. He grew up in London where he and his family lived through the war years and survived the London blitz. He left school at the age of 14 to begin an apprenticeship as a scientific instrument maker. As the war ended he was conscripted to the forces and served with the seventh infantry tank regiment, known as the Desert Rats. Though he did not see active combat he did serve for two years in Germany as part of the forces of occupation.

In the years following the war he travelled extensively throughout Europe and his love of exploration eventually led him to plan a trip around the world. His first destination was Montreal where he moved around doing various jobs, heading westward. His last stop in Canada was to be Vancouver before heading off to South Africa. It was at this point that his old firm in London contacted him to help set up a new plant in Toronto. He agreed to head back east to use his expertise in supporting the company’s expansion, despite having vowed to never go back to Toronto.

Three weeks later his life was completely turned around by the most decisive and surprising experience he ever encountered. On a Sunday morning he picked up a Readers Digest and read an article about a Southern Baptist pastor working among indigenous people in the USA. No human reason can explain the compulsion God placed upon him to get out of bed and visit Long Branch Baptist church, which he had passed while walking through the neighbourhood. He heard the gospel for the first time and committed his life to following Jesus that very day. A year later he enrolled for three years at Central Baptist Seminary (now Heritage) where he met and married fellow student Audrey Wright.

Together Ron and Audrey decided to go on the mission field and ended up in Colombia, South America where they served as church planters for 13 years. It is here they raised their three sons until returning permanently to Canada in July 1977. On January 1st 1978 Ron became Secretary of the Association of the Regular Baptist Churches based at Jarvis St Baptist Church in Toronto. Four years later he took up his first pastorate in Canada at New Dundee Baptist Church, where he served for 10½ years.

It was at the end of this period that he became aware of a small struggling work in Blair, Cambridge that had closed its doors. Though at retirement age he returned to his first love of pioneering church work and joined the small group of 7 people. Through God’s grace the doors reopened and Blair Community Church, now Grace Bible Church, saw great blessing in the years that followed.

We thank God for his faithfulness and the way he used Ron to further his kingdom across two continents. To God be the glory!