Pastor Veta M. Saunders was born in Westmoreland, Jamaica and later grew up in Kingston, Jamaica. She is the fourth-born of thirteen siblings, and acknowledges the positive impact of her paternal grandmother’s ministerial influence on her life.

 

In 1976, Pastor Saunders immigrated to Canada from the Bahamas. At the age of 27, she had a radical encounter with Jesus Christ. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour and joined the Church of God of Prophecy. She was raised under the leadership of the late Bishop Headley Raymond and later Bishop Eustace Levy.

 

Pastor Saunders developed a passion for evangelism which led her into various ministerial roles. At Dundas Street Church, she served as the Sunday School Superintendent, Women’s Ministry Director, Director of Evangelism, and Small Group Leader. In 1987, she graduated from George Brown College with a Child Care Worker diploma.

 

In January 1990, while attending a Leadership and Evangelism Conference in Alabama, USA, the Holy Spirit ignited a fire and passion within Pastor Saunders to win souls for Jesus. This led her to Halifax, Nova Scotia in August 1990 along with the Armstrong family where they organized a Youth and Children’s Summer outreach program and conducted five days of Vacation Bible School for seventy-five children. In 1991, she became a licensed minister in the Church of God of Prophecy, and also enrolled in the Bachelor of Religious Education Program at Ontario Bible College (later renamed to Tyndale University College). Pastor Saunders later graduated from Ontario Bible College in 1995 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Education.

 

In 1996, Bishop Wade Phillips- the National Overseer for the Church of God of Prophecy-Eastern Canada- along with World Team- an interdenominational mission agency- appointed Pastor Saunders to pioneer a new Christian-based outreach mission. Her work and service in this outreach later led to the birth of the New Toronto Church of God of Prophecy in June 1996.

 

In the spring of 1999, Pastor Saunders launched Oikos Enrichment Consulting- a ministry aimed to promote and facilitate small groups- which emphasized people impacting their social circle and sphere of influence with the message of the gospel. 

 

In August 2001, Pastor Saunders joined forces with the local police and initiated a month-long free art and music program called Camp Can-Do for 100-120 youth and children in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore area. This program was geared toward fostering positive relationships between the police and Lakeshore area youth. From 2002-2003, Pastor Saunders also initiated the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Youth Group who created music programs to address youth issues of anti-drug and substance abuse, and bullying and harassment. 

 

Pastor Saunders’ passion for children and youth did not go unrecognized: In 2002, she received the Commemorative Medal for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee for her significant contributions to Canada, her community, and to at-risk youth.

 

From 2003-2005, Pastor Saunders served as the National Director for Pastoral Care and Cell Ministries, under the leadership of Bishop Levi Clarke, the National Overseer for the Church of God of Prophecy-Eastern Canada. 

 

In 2017 and 2018, Pastor Saunders visited her birthplace in Westmoreland, Jamaica to minister to local youth in the Cave Mountain community.

 

Pastor Saunders has been blessed with three children—two daughters, one son, one daughter-in-love, one son-in-love, and six grandchildren whom she loves dearly. She has also acted as a foster caregiver with the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.

 

Pastor Saunders is the founding pastor of Etobicoke Praise Centre (formerly New Toronto Church of God of Prophecy), where she serves to this present day. She continues to devote her passion toward preaching and teaching the Bible, and helping people think through what the Bible says, what it means, and how to apply it. Pastor Saunders has a passion for youth and children- assisting and mentoring at-risk youth and improving relationships between them and the police. She also has a passion for small group ministry, with a focus on building a strong local congregation of small groups that are committed to prayer. Her vision is that the church will be the tool that the Holy Spirit uses to disciple the nations of the world one person at a time.