Annual Conferences
Brief History of Conference (since 1890)
The Annual Conference has been held in Detroit for over one hundred years and owes its beginning to the believers that gathered at Dickinson's Hall during the late 1800's. The very first Annual Conference was held in 1890 in Dickinson's Hall, located above Dickinson's Hardware. Believers at this assembly were eventually able to build Central Gospel Hall, but as attendance grew at conferences, other local halls were rented for the purpose. Today the Annual Conference continues at Curtis Gospel Chapel.
129th Annual Conference Information (2019) with Wade LeBlanc
The Annual Conference has been held in Detroit for over one hundred years and owes its beginning to the believers that gathered at Dickinson's Hall during the late 1800's. The very first Annual Conference was held in 1890 in Dickinson's Hall, located above Dickinson's Hardware. Believers at this assembly were eventually able to build Central Gospel Hall, but as attendance grew at conferences, other local halls were rented for the purpose. Today the Annual Conference continues at Curtis Gospel Chapel.
129th Annual Conference Information (2019) with Wade LeBlanc
Saturday, October 5, 2019
2:45 Welcome / Prayer / Special Music / Message
4;00 Break
4:15 Special Music / Message
5:00 Dinner
6:20 Special Music / Message / Closing Prayer
Who is Wade LeBlanc?
I was born May 13, 1949 in Saint John, NB the oldest of seven children. My parents were Zenon & Doreen LeBlanc. My dad was from Shediac and mother from Saint John. Our family moved to the village of Fairvale when I was five years old. I attended high school at Rothesay Regional and graduated in 1967. Although my parents were not religious, they ensured that I and my siblings attend a Protestant denomination faithfully. I received several perfect attendance certificates. I did not hear the gospel but I came to believe the Bible as truth and to have respect for the name Jesus Christ. When I was approximately 15 years old, while sitting in a service with the adults, it began to pour rain. When the service was over, I hurried outside to hitchhike a ride home with hopefully one of the members of the congregation. As the cars left the parking lot, one by one, they all pretended not to notice me and left me standing in the rain. On that day, I made a decision not to return to that particular denomination and abided by my decision. Like the vast majority of teenagers in the 60's, I too embraced the music of rock & roll bands, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc., These bands promoted anarchy both politically and morally. Drugs, drinking and doing your own thing became a way of life for many young people including myself. At age 17, I met and fell deeply in love with a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl named Lynne Beaudet. We courted on and off for six years, and then we married. I began a career in Consumer Credit which lasted until 1978. During these years, God blessed us with two sons, Wade and Dennis. I was, by the world?s standards, successful in this life. I held a position of manager of a finance company, followed by Loans Manager of a bank. I was president of the Jaycees and we had many friends, a new car and owned our own home. However, I felt empty within and unsatisfied. I thought perhaps fulfillment in life may be found in Lynne?s religion. For several weeks, in 1976, I met with a priest regularly and studied Roman Catholicism. I was received into their numbers and became a most devout Catholic. I partook of the mass six mornings a week. However, I also, faithfully attended the local tavern in the evenings. I began to abhor myself and felt like a hypocrite.
One morning in the large cathedral, I looked up at the life-size statue of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and proclaimed audibly, "I don?t even know you". In December, 1976, I was transferred by the bank from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In January, 1977, I met a drug dealer who lived on the same street. It wasn't long until my state was like that Japanese proverb, "First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes the man". Drugs, alcohol and rock music became my whole life. I began losing interest in my family and my work. My performance suffered. The bank transferred me to Wolfville, NS but things were no different there. In March 1978, I resigned from the bank and began managing rock bands. I was rather successful at this but did not earn enough to pay the bills and support my drug habits. I sold most of our possessions. I began staying up late in the attic of the old home which we rented, reading books on the occult. This subject and the idea of drawing near Satan fascinated me.
Then, in December, 1979, a new album by Bob Dylan caused me to consider something I had never considered before, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. At this same time, we heard news of Lynne?s brother, Dennis Beaudet, in Saint John, NB, getting very religious. We were informed that he was going to church twice on Sunday and on Wednesday also, to top it off. He was reading his Bible all the time. The family felt sorry for him. To me, it was a ray of hope, for I was a man most miserable. The house we were renting was sold and in January 1980, we returned to Saint John after an absence of 3« years. I was in Dennis? presence for only five minutes when he brought out a Bible, turned to the book of Romans and explained to me the need of a new birth. It was the first time that I ever heard the gospel. I did not like it for it condemned me and it required a turning from my sin. I did not want to let go of my lifestyle. I could not envision myself being at all happy without drugs and alcohol.
I wrestled with the Gospel for about four months. I went out to a few meetings at the Courtney Avenue Gospel Hall. I came under great conviction of sin. I went to see the Roman Catholic priest with my predicament. He told me to pay no mind to my brother-in-law and that he probably was getting his information from the book of Revelation implying to me that it was not a reliable source. He again stated that no one could be sure of Heaven and that all we could do was live in the hope of going to Heaven. This is what I wanted to hear, that I could keep my sinful habits and still maybe go to Heaven in the end. However, whenever I saw the Christians, I felt condemned. Deep down in my heart, I knew I had heard the truth. I recall that whenever a Christian spoke to me, it was with God?s Word and that the Roman Catholic priest, never once quoted or read Scripture.
Decision day came on April 29, 1980. The night before, I came home to Lynne?s mother?s house with an ounce of drugs in my sock which I had purchased and, I was under the influence of alcohol. Lynne recognized my familiar condition and was most upset as she thought I might change my ways in Saint John. In the presence of her sister and her mother, I promised her I would never do drugs again. I was, of course, lying. On the afternoon of the 29th, coming back to my mother-in-law?s apartment from a walk uptown, I casually threw my leather coat over a chair in the kitchen and went into the bedroom to get ready for work which was as a security guard at the building site of the new Regional Hospital. Lynne's sister was sitting in the kitchen talking on the phone. At the door, appeared my friend, from whom I had purchased the drugs the day before. As I began to speak with him, he asked me, "Whose joint is that?" I turned around and there on the red carpet was a gleaming white joint of marijuana. It had obviously fallen out of a hole in the pocket of my coat when I threw it over the chair. It must have fallen down through the lining and fell onto the floor through another hole. Both holes were no bigger than the size of a quarter. My sister-in-law sat red-faced, still on the phone, embarrassed for me as she had heard my solemn promise of the night before. I sat down on a chair, astounded, staring at the bit of drugs on the floor. Although two others were present in the room, I felt all alone with God. He spoke to my heart and it was as if He said, "Wade, you've been searching for the truth and now you've found it in the message of the Gospel. If you want freedom, then come to me now. If not, then pick up your drugs and go back to your wretched life". The drugs on the floor represented my life; living for self - living for pleasure.
I felt that this may be my last opportunity to find God. I picked up the joint and went to the bedroom and retrieved the one from its hiding place and walked to the door and presented all to my friend. He, knowing my dependence on drugs, and my love of them, said, "You mean you want me to keep them for you". I replied, "No, I do not want them anymore". I could hardly believe that it was me saying them but I was sure and amazingly, I meant it. I was set free in a moment of time on that day. Salvation surely is a miracle. I began telling others of their need of Christ. God burdened my heart for souls. The Lord saved my dear wife in October of that same year. He subsequently saved three of my five brothers, my
sister and my father. In 1997, my two sons Wade and Dennis were saved. I was baptized in June, 1980, and received into Assembly fellowship at Courtney Avenue Gospel Hall in Saint John in September.
The burden the Lord gave me for souls increased and He gave me opportunities to help in Gospel preaching. The Lord opened the door for me to again work in Consumer Credit for a large oil company. Their head office was located adjacent to King Square in Saint John. As my habit was, I enjoyed my lunch hours in the square distributing tracts and talking to souls about their need of a Saviour. My activities in the square were brought to the attention of my superiors. They commanded me to stop as I was an embarrassment to the company. I told them I could not stop and did not feel my activities embarrassed them as I kept a low profile and did this during my free time. During this time, the Lord was definitely dealing with me in a very direct way, and I was certain He was calling me into full-time Gospel work. I met with the oversight and expressed my desire to obey the calling of the Lord. They were not surprised and were behind me. I resigned my position with the oil company on May 31st 984. The Lord provided grace and opportunity for me to do the work of an evangelist. I spent a few weeks helping brother Alex Stephenson in Newfoundland with tent meetings. Upon my return in July, I was able to help brother Harold Smith with children?s meetings in Nova Scotia. I was commended to the work of the Gospel and to the grace of God by the brethren at Courtney Avenue Gospel Hall, Saint John on August 15, 1984.
2:45 Welcome / Prayer / Special Music / Message
4;00 Break
4:15 Special Music / Message
5:00 Dinner
6:20 Special Music / Message / Closing Prayer
Who is Wade LeBlanc?
I was born May 13, 1949 in Saint John, NB the oldest of seven children. My parents were Zenon & Doreen LeBlanc. My dad was from Shediac and mother from Saint John. Our family moved to the village of Fairvale when I was five years old. I attended high school at Rothesay Regional and graduated in 1967. Although my parents were not religious, they ensured that I and my siblings attend a Protestant denomination faithfully. I received several perfect attendance certificates. I did not hear the gospel but I came to believe the Bible as truth and to have respect for the name Jesus Christ. When I was approximately 15 years old, while sitting in a service with the adults, it began to pour rain. When the service was over, I hurried outside to hitchhike a ride home with hopefully one of the members of the congregation. As the cars left the parking lot, one by one, they all pretended not to notice me and left me standing in the rain. On that day, I made a decision not to return to that particular denomination and abided by my decision. Like the vast majority of teenagers in the 60's, I too embraced the music of rock & roll bands, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc., These bands promoted anarchy both politically and morally. Drugs, drinking and doing your own thing became a way of life for many young people including myself. At age 17, I met and fell deeply in love with a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl named Lynne Beaudet. We courted on and off for six years, and then we married. I began a career in Consumer Credit which lasted until 1978. During these years, God blessed us with two sons, Wade and Dennis. I was, by the world?s standards, successful in this life. I held a position of manager of a finance company, followed by Loans Manager of a bank. I was president of the Jaycees and we had many friends, a new car and owned our own home. However, I felt empty within and unsatisfied. I thought perhaps fulfillment in life may be found in Lynne?s religion. For several weeks, in 1976, I met with a priest regularly and studied Roman Catholicism. I was received into their numbers and became a most devout Catholic. I partook of the mass six mornings a week. However, I also, faithfully attended the local tavern in the evenings. I began to abhor myself and felt like a hypocrite.
One morning in the large cathedral, I looked up at the life-size statue of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and proclaimed audibly, "I don?t even know you". In December, 1976, I was transferred by the bank from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In January, 1977, I met a drug dealer who lived on the same street. It wasn't long until my state was like that Japanese proverb, "First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes the man". Drugs, alcohol and rock music became my whole life. I began losing interest in my family and my work. My performance suffered. The bank transferred me to Wolfville, NS but things were no different there. In March 1978, I resigned from the bank and began managing rock bands. I was rather successful at this but did not earn enough to pay the bills and support my drug habits. I sold most of our possessions. I began staying up late in the attic of the old home which we rented, reading books on the occult. This subject and the idea of drawing near Satan fascinated me.
Then, in December, 1979, a new album by Bob Dylan caused me to consider something I had never considered before, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. At this same time, we heard news of Lynne?s brother, Dennis Beaudet, in Saint John, NB, getting very religious. We were informed that he was going to church twice on Sunday and on Wednesday also, to top it off. He was reading his Bible all the time. The family felt sorry for him. To me, it was a ray of hope, for I was a man most miserable. The house we were renting was sold and in January 1980, we returned to Saint John after an absence of 3« years. I was in Dennis? presence for only five minutes when he brought out a Bible, turned to the book of Romans and explained to me the need of a new birth. It was the first time that I ever heard the gospel. I did not like it for it condemned me and it required a turning from my sin. I did not want to let go of my lifestyle. I could not envision myself being at all happy without drugs and alcohol.
I wrestled with the Gospel for about four months. I went out to a few meetings at the Courtney Avenue Gospel Hall. I came under great conviction of sin. I went to see the Roman Catholic priest with my predicament. He told me to pay no mind to my brother-in-law and that he probably was getting his information from the book of Revelation implying to me that it was not a reliable source. He again stated that no one could be sure of Heaven and that all we could do was live in the hope of going to Heaven. This is what I wanted to hear, that I could keep my sinful habits and still maybe go to Heaven in the end. However, whenever I saw the Christians, I felt condemned. Deep down in my heart, I knew I had heard the truth. I recall that whenever a Christian spoke to me, it was with God?s Word and that the Roman Catholic priest, never once quoted or read Scripture.
Decision day came on April 29, 1980. The night before, I came home to Lynne?s mother?s house with an ounce of drugs in my sock which I had purchased and, I was under the influence of alcohol. Lynne recognized my familiar condition and was most upset as she thought I might change my ways in Saint John. In the presence of her sister and her mother, I promised her I would never do drugs again. I was, of course, lying. On the afternoon of the 29th, coming back to my mother-in-law?s apartment from a walk uptown, I casually threw my leather coat over a chair in the kitchen and went into the bedroom to get ready for work which was as a security guard at the building site of the new Regional Hospital. Lynne's sister was sitting in the kitchen talking on the phone. At the door, appeared my friend, from whom I had purchased the drugs the day before. As I began to speak with him, he asked me, "Whose joint is that?" I turned around and there on the red carpet was a gleaming white joint of marijuana. It had obviously fallen out of a hole in the pocket of my coat when I threw it over the chair. It must have fallen down through the lining and fell onto the floor through another hole. Both holes were no bigger than the size of a quarter. My sister-in-law sat red-faced, still on the phone, embarrassed for me as she had heard my solemn promise of the night before. I sat down on a chair, astounded, staring at the bit of drugs on the floor. Although two others were present in the room, I felt all alone with God. He spoke to my heart and it was as if He said, "Wade, you've been searching for the truth and now you've found it in the message of the Gospel. If you want freedom, then come to me now. If not, then pick up your drugs and go back to your wretched life". The drugs on the floor represented my life; living for self - living for pleasure.
I felt that this may be my last opportunity to find God. I picked up the joint and went to the bedroom and retrieved the one from its hiding place and walked to the door and presented all to my friend. He, knowing my dependence on drugs, and my love of them, said, "You mean you want me to keep them for you". I replied, "No, I do not want them anymore". I could hardly believe that it was me saying them but I was sure and amazingly, I meant it. I was set free in a moment of time on that day. Salvation surely is a miracle. I began telling others of their need of Christ. God burdened my heart for souls. The Lord saved my dear wife in October of that same year. He subsequently saved three of my five brothers, my
sister and my father. In 1997, my two sons Wade and Dennis were saved. I was baptized in June, 1980, and received into Assembly fellowship at Courtney Avenue Gospel Hall in Saint John in September.
The burden the Lord gave me for souls increased and He gave me opportunities to help in Gospel preaching. The Lord opened the door for me to again work in Consumer Credit for a large oil company. Their head office was located adjacent to King Square in Saint John. As my habit was, I enjoyed my lunch hours in the square distributing tracts and talking to souls about their need of a Saviour. My activities in the square were brought to the attention of my superiors. They commanded me to stop as I was an embarrassment to the company. I told them I could not stop and did not feel my activities embarrassed them as I kept a low profile and did this during my free time. During this time, the Lord was definitely dealing with me in a very direct way, and I was certain He was calling me into full-time Gospel work. I met with the oversight and expressed my desire to obey the calling of the Lord. They were not surprised and were behind me. I resigned my position with the oil company on May 31st 984. The Lord provided grace and opportunity for me to do the work of an evangelist. I spent a few weeks helping brother Alex Stephenson in Newfoundland with tent meetings. Upon my return in July, I was able to help brother Harold Smith with children?s meetings in Nova Scotia. I was commended to the work of the Gospel and to the grace of God by the brethren at Courtney Avenue Gospel Hall, Saint John on August 15, 1984.
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