We Welcome Pastor Joel Lucas da Silva and His Wife Lucy to the Fort McMurray Church

Come January 1, 2026, Pastor Joel will be the new pastor of our Fort McMurray Church.   
 
Pastor Joel and his wife Lucy Magatti (see photo) have been living in the Calgary area for the past year, where Joel has been a Bible Worker in Strathmore, and Lucy has been teaching Bible classes at Chinook Winds Adventist Academy.  Pastor Joel has had an enjoyable and productive year in Strathmore.  He studied the Bible with dozens of people, many of whom he has had the privilege of baptizing.   
 
Pastor Joel and Lucy hail from Brazil.  They have two adult children – Ronnie Andrew (Calgary), and Kemilie Nathi (USA).  Joel started out as a teacher right after graduating from the Adventist University of Sao Paulo with a bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Theology.  Joel was ordained in Brazil, where he served as a pastor for 10 and a half years.  After serving for several years, Pastor Joel went on to lead a 1,000-member district in Cotia, a suburb of Sao Paulo.  There, he had the joy of baptizing nearly 200 people in two years! 
 
So that he might serve better, Joel went back to school and pursued a Master’s in Public Health (Mexico) with an emphasis on family relationships. Additionally, Joel took a course in Church Planting in Lincoln, Nebraska (USA) where he learned the importance of community outreach. 
 
In addition to pastoring, Joel has served as a professional mentor and consultant.  Lucy is an accomplished teacher.  She is currently completing a Master’s in Education.  She loves working with young people! 
 
The theme of Pastor Joel’s ministry has always been loving and serving people. He believes all Christians must develop their identity in Christ and that all members and visitors should have their need for acceptance, belonging, and purpose fulfilled when coming to church. 
 
We welcome Pastor Joel and Lucy to Fort McMurray. We’re delighted to have them on our Alberta Conference team!