Student Profiles

Introducing Reese Gaillard

Hello brothers and sisters! My name is Reese Gaillard. To help with the pronunciation of my last name, think “There’s a guy in my yard. Guy-yard”.  Pictured here with me are my loving wife, Courtney, and our precious son Russell, born in January. It’s my privilege to have this opportunity to share a little about us with you, and more importantly, the ways in which the Lord has faithfully led us to this point! It is hard to believe I have nearly completed my studies at CRTS. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing where the Lord calls me in the coming months.

You may notice that my last name is not very Dutch sounding, so let me take this opportunity to explain to you how the Lord brought me to CRTS and the Canadian Reformed Church. I grew up in the oil town of Lloydminster, which is on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Like many prairie boys, I dreamed of becoming an NHL hockey player. Though I grew up in a non-church-going family, I attended a Bible camp as a teenager and was deeply convicted by a message from the chapel speaker regarding Ecclesiastes 1 and the meaninglessness of life apart from God. The speaker must have known their audience of young Canadian boys well, and they emphasized that even if one were to make it to the NHL as a famous hockey player, it would be meaningless without God! This message resonated with me deeply, and I asked my Bible camp counselor to teach me how to become a Christian.

From that time, the Lord gave me a deep hunger to know him more, and I began reading and studying the Bible. Beginning at the age of 17, however, I had three years of serious doubt and testing. I read atheist writers such as Hume, Dawkins, and Hitchens. At the time, their arguments felt strong, and my faith in God felt shaky. Yet, the Lord came to my aid and helped my unbelief. He sustained me and moved me to study, test, and contemplate his word. He strengthened me through this time of growth and certainly heard my prayers. Around this time, I became aware of Reformed theology in high school through the teachings of R.C. Sproul (little did I know at the time, that this American theologian would lead to me meeting my future wife). 

The Lord continued to give me a deep desire and longing to study scripture and theology. I delved into YouTube videos teaching apologetics and found myself so deeply passionate about the truth of Scripture and the necessity of believing its truths that I desired to share it with those around me. I began speaking to my fellow classmates, and I would drive other students home from school in an attempt to evangelize to them.

I began attending Briercrest College in the fall of 2017, in hopes of acquiring a degree in theology so that I might one day become a pastor of a Baptist Church. I was content with my position until I began studying Reformed theology and their confessions. I soon became acquainted with terms such as catechism and covenant, and through this deeper study, I became convinced of its truthfulness. With no Reformed Church around me, I continued attending a Baptist Church, preaching on several occasions.

I met my wife Courtney towards the latter half of my studies. She began speaking to me when she saw me reading a book by R.C. Sproul and soon after, we began dating (You could say that Sproul was my favorite theologian… and wingman). As I neared the end of my studies I proposed. We moved to Hamilton, and I began studying at CRTS. Over these last four years, we have been warmly welcomed by the Canadian Reformed Churches. Courtney and I have often spoken about the feeling of being ‘home’ as we have attended worship.

Through my time at seminary, the Lord has been so utterly faithful to me. I have learned deep and important truths about our faith and doctrine under the guidance and teaching of the professors. I have enjoyed numerous practical opportunities to experience the minister’s vocation under the supervision of Rev. James Slaa (Carman West) and Rev. Peter Holtvlüwer (Ancaster) during which I learned valuable insights about preaching, writing, and shepherding. I also benefited from a mission internship with Rev. Richard Bultje (Niagara River of Life). I thank all of these men for their willingness to come alongside me amidst a busy ministry schedule and provide such valuable guidance. My wife and I are also exceedingly grateful to the church members who have opened their homes to us and welcomed us with open arms.

I hope to present myself to Classis Ontario West in June. We are very excited at the prospect of serving in the Churches, Lord willing. It’s been a real privilege to learn and study under faithful men of God, and I look forward to one day being able to share the gospel behind a pulpit and humbly shepherd God’s people. My deep desire is for people not just to know, but truly see the beauty and riches that our God has given us in his Word.