What Could Be

Those in the picture look towards us with a mix of puzzlement, warmth, wonder and anticipation. Six are members of the Nielsen family, and the young man on the right is Jakob Thomsen Dam. Jakob, raised on the farm “Nygaard,” near Hover, Denmark, had been dating Marianne Nielsen, the woman next to him.

Marianne’s brother, Mads, his wife, Kate, and their three sons, Borje, Gunnar and Harry, were beginning the great journey that many had taken post World War I. They were leaving for Canada and a new life. As the youngest child of a large family, Jakob had little hope of acquiring the land needed for a farm of his own, so he decided to join the Nielsens on their journey into the unknown. Marianne was not as convinced about this great adventure and whether she, too, could live in Canada. She agreed to come along with the understanding that there would be no marriage to Jakob until she was sure about her new home. So, off they sailed to Canada.

As we gather at our General Conference 2026 welcome event at Pier 21 in Halifax, N.S., I will again be reminded that this is where my bedstefar (grandfather), Jakob Thomsen Dam, landed on May 5, 1928, with the Nielsens. As they disembarked from the SS United States of the Scandinavian America Line at the end of its voyage from Denmark, Sweden and Norway, they headed west by train, anticipating “what could be.” They each had 25 dollars in their pockets to finance that dream.

I know a lot of what came to be. Daughters, sons, grandsons and granddaughters. Building not only homes and farms, but lives and communities. A lot of joy mixed with some definite sorrow … even recently. What they imagined could be as they arrived at Pier 21 is what a grandson/grand-nephew experiences in 2026 … and probably more than they could have imagined or thought.  

Spiritually, with renewed vision, we are asking our Pentecostal family to prayerfully consider, and with faith, ponder the General Conference 2026 theme, What Could Be: For Our Sons and Daughters.

The gospel, the good news of Jesus, has not changed. But we also realize 2026 is not 1928 in Canada or globally. The pathways of calling for our daughters and sons are rooted in what the mission of Jesus is for them in their context.

What Could Be:

-            As they respond to the Spirit’s move among their generations globally.

-            As they embrace a discipleship that recognizes Jesus’s 100 per cent call on their lives.

-            As they are called to bring the Good News to the least reached and most vulnerable, in Canada and globally.

-            As they creatively design entirely new ways to share Jesus digitally.

-            As they demonstrate, in a polarized world, the ability to love their neighbours and to “go be among” them full of grace and truth. 

Really, much like my grandparents, what our younger and future generations will experience in life and mission is above and beyond what we could imagine or think. In many ways, that’s good!

Marianne Nielsen, my bedstemor (grandmother), whom I never met, decided to go all in and married Jakob Thomsen Dam on April 2, 1930, in Dalum, Alta. She made a 100 per cent commitment to what could be for Jakob and, eventually, their three girls.

As a Fellowship of churches and ministries, we are calling for a 100 per cent commitment to champion our daughters and sons to be all that Jesus calls them to be. Our General Conference 2026 theme aligns with our Mission Global focus on developing the call on our “sons and daughters.” This is done in conjunction with our missional partners within the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. The gift book for our Fellowship with this theme is developed by our own Mission Global executive director, Murray Cornelius, in association with the Assemblies of God World Missions executive director, John Easter.

In Halifax, we will honour Murray Cornelius for his 20 years of leadership as our executive officer for Mission Global. Murray and his wife, Cindy, will be recognized for their lifetime of missional service, including their significant season in Africa.

From generation to generation, the mission of God is served by those who not only dream of what could be but act upon it. And so, we pray in these days, “Lord, pour out Your Spirit on all people. Let our sons and daughters prophesy, as our youth see visions, and we who are older dream dreams. For Your glory, Amen.” 

This article was written by David Wells, the general superintendent of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. This article appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of testimony/Enrich, a quarterly publication of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. © 2026 The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. Visit www.testimonyenrich.ca.