Mercy Canada is committed to being an effective and well-respected global organization dedicated to transforming lives of generations searching for truth and wholeness.
Please click a button above to learn more about Mercy Canada’s governance, leadership, and beliefs.
Our History
Established as a charity in 2003, the main core values that shape Mercy Canada and the services provided are a passion for God, unconditional love for people, freedom in Christ, and excellence in all we do.
There’s nothing we love more than empowering people to walk in freedom and wholeness through building effective Christ-centred programs and support services, outreach training, resources, and our wellness centre for women struggling with life-controlling issues.
The vision for Mercy Canada was launched in 2003 after President and Founder Nancy Alcorn shared about the work and vision of Mercy Ministries (now known as Mercy Multiplied), following an invitation from Pastor Helen Burns of Relate Church in Surrey, BC.
Convinced that Canada needed Mercy too, and passionate about reaching the hurting and vulnerable, a small team was formed to bring Mercy to Canada; a team that included Executive Director Nicola Bartel.
Nicola’s passion for ministry to vulnerable women was cultivated at a young age when she began to lead in youth ministry at her church. Stemming from her own story of bullying in her early teens, and after walking beside many hurting young women, Nicola said “yes” to God’s call on her life. In 1996, Nicola stepped out of the business world and into full-time ministry. Nicola is an instinctive and caring leader who’s worked with vulnerable women in a variety of program settings, including Mercy Canada since 2008.
Mercy Canada became a registered charity in 2003, governed by a Canadian Board of Directors. After 7 years of preparation and fundraising, in 2010, we opened a residential home for women and, in 2020, a wellness centre offering the same Christ-centred program services on an outpatient basis. Today, we’ve seen nearly 500 incredible, courageous women begin their healing journey. 94% of all our former program participants shared that through our work, their hope was restored, and their lives transformed. (Exit Surveys 2010-2019)
Now, after more than 10 years, we’ve grown and expanded our services beyond the walls of our residential and wellness centre services to see hope restored and lives transformed through Keys to Freedom, our 8-week interactive discipleship study.
Our Leadership
Nicola Bartel
Executive Director
Nicola Bartel has been in active ministry to hurting young women since 1996. She first served on staff at a home for pregnant teens and young adult women, then managed, developed, and implemented a program for adults living with the effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. As the Executive Director of Mercy Canada, she oversees and provides direction for all aspects of the ministry, including programs, staffing, community relations, and finances.
Mercy Canada Board of Directors
Jim Bailey
Board Chair
Jim recently transitioned from a professional career in the grocery business into retirement, while at the same time moving from Edmonton to Mulhurst, Alberta with his wife, Joy, to whom he has been married 39 years. Jim and Joy attend Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton, where Jim currently serves as treasurer on the Board of Elders.
Jim and Joy were first introduced to Mercy Canada when their daughter developed an eating disorder. Through much prayer, and finding Mercy, they witnessed God take her and remold her to know who she is in Christ, and to overcome the bondage that was gripping and controlling her mind. Having been through the experience, Jim’s and Joy’s hearts ache for the many girls and families still torn with so much hurt and destruction. They want to be a support and resource for those families, believing they will find the answer that always points to the power of the cross and how God can transform a life. That is why Mercy.
Debbie Tonn
Board Vice-Chair
Debbie Tonn serves as the women’s pastor of Christian Life Assembly. She has been actively involved in donor development, strategic planning, and event management for over 15 years, working for organizations such as the African Children’s Choir, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, and the British Columbia Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. She is honoured to have the opportunity to serve on the Mercy Canada board.
Yvonne Hogenes
Board Treasurer
Yvonne Hogenes is a businesswomen and entrepreneur who established Malary’s Fashion Network, a leading retailer in the Cloverdale community, over 25 years ago. Yvonne has received several awards over the years, including the Ruby Award from Soroptimist International in 2018 for 20+ years of outstanding constitutions to women of all ages in her community.
Today, Yvonne is honoured to serve as a board member for Mercy Canada, offering her contribution to restoring hope and transforming lives on behalf of Christ.
Sue Osborn
Board Member
Since 2012, Sue has had the privilege to serve on the Mercy Multiplied America board, including serving as board chair in 2018-2019. She is more passionate now than ever that Mercy is a place where the life-transforming power of Christ can be freely shared. Lives are truly transformed and hope is renewed. No matter how dark a situation may be, it is never too difficult. Now, as Mercy is expanding beyond the residential to centres for wellness and counselling, Keys to Freedom, and MPower workshops, the ability to help bring even more people into freedom is greater than ever. Mercy Canada gets the kudos for leading the model of centres for wellness and counselling, and the potential to expand and touch all of Canada is truly exciting.
Krista Penner
Board Member
Krista works for Fellowship Pacific in development and special projects. She connects with church leaders, casts vision for next-generation leaders, and invites people to partner with Fellowship Pacific to help churches engage in sustainable initiatives for God-honouring influence in our culture.
Krista and her husband, Jerome, and their little dog, Mona, live in Mission, BC and have 3 grown children. Her favourite way to relax is to bake something that calls for lots of butter!
Sonia Harding
Board Member
Sonia Harding is the Senior Officer of Relationship and Fund Development at the University of the Fraser Valley, with donors she brings with her over 25 years’ capital markets and post-secondary institutions operations, and development experience.
Sonia is humbled to serve Mercy Canada’s enduring work and as a board member.
Sonia’s dedication to philanthropy is evident through her leadership roles, serving as the Board President for the Vancouver Lower Mainland Family Support Services, supporting women escaping domestic violence, and as Conference Chair, Mission Abbotsford Soroptimist International Club.
Her passion extends globally as she leads Learn N Thrive, an organization dedicated to supporting the education of over 200 primary school students in Sierra Leone.
Outside of her professional and volunteer commitments, Sonia enjoys hiking, traveling, and entertaining. She is married with two adult children.
Tomana McTaggart
Board Member
Tomana McTaggart is an ordained minister and pastors alongside her husband at Southgate Church, which they planted in 1996. Tomana’s passion is to love Jesus, enjoy people, and walk with great faith in what God can do. She has been honoured to speak across North America and abroad. In her spare time, Tomana loves to laugh very loudly, eat good food, and brag unashamedly about her 3 very gifted and musically talented children, their spouses, and her 7 grandchildren.
Statement of Faith
The following statement of faith is a summary and not our exhaustive statement: “We believe the Bible itself to be the infallible, written word of God and is the sole basis and final source of all that we believe.” For the purposes of Mercy Canada’s faith, practice, policy, and discipline, our board of directors is the final interpretive authority on the meaning and application of the statement of faith.
I. The Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by divine inspiration, and that it is a record of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. It is a book of divine instruction. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, John 1:1-14)
II. God
We believe there is only one living and true God, and that the eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity has distinct personal attributes, but yet still one. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:28-31)
- God the Father: He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men. He is all powerful, all knowing, omnipresent, omnipotent, and sovereign. (Jeremiah 10:12; Psalm 139: 7-10; Psalm 147:5; Proverbs 15:3; Romans 1:20)
- God the Son: Jesus is the eternal Son of God. We believe He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He was crucified, willingly shedding His blood for the redemption of mankind and forgiveness of sins to all who receive the sacrifice. He was crucified, dead, and buried. On the third day He rose from the dead with a glorified body, appeared to His disciples, ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of the God where He is the One Mediator, bringing reconciliation between God and mankind. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to complete His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 3:17; Acts 1:8-11; Romans 8:31-34; 1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-6; Titus 2:11-14)
- God the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God (the Comforter, the Intercessor, the Strengthener, the Standby, and the Counsellor). He illuminates men to understand truth, and He draws men to the Father. He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. (John 16:7-8; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 5:16-17; Romans 8:5-13)
III. Sin and the Fall
Mankind was created free of sin and innocent, but with a free choice. By mankind’s choice, sin entered the human race. Thus, the fall came by choosing to follow Satan and his temptation. Redemption comes through receiving Christ as a free gift and believing in the heart that He died for sins through the shedding of His own blood and receiving and accepting the free gift of salvation offered to “whosoever will.” (Galatians 3:17-24; Romans 5:6-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)
IV. Salvation
We believe in the new birth as a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 16: 24-26; John 3:16-18; Romans 10:9-13)
V. The Church
The Church universal is the Body of Christ, and it consists of all true believers who are associated by their covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. The various local churches are smaller entities of the universal body of true believers. The Church operates under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and He raises up pastors and deacons as leaders. The pastors are the shepherds of the individual flocks. (Ephesians 1:18-23; Ephesians 4:4-13)
VI. Marriage
We believe that God instituted marriage as a lifelong sacred union between one man and one woman. (Genesis 1:27-28; Genesis 2:18-24; Proverbs 5:18-19; Malachi 2:13-16; Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:4-9; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:22-23; Ephesians 6:4; Hebrews 13:4).
VII. Man and Woman
We believe that God created human beings in His own image and likeness, and that men and women are each uniquely yet equally created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 5:2; Galatians 3:28; Matthew 19:4-5). We believe that God created human beings either male or female, and desires for us to identify with our God-given biological sex (Romans 1:18-32; Leviticus 18:22; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Deuteronomy 22:5).
VIII. Baptism
We believe in following the example of Christ in water baptism. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, and the believer’s death to sin, burial of the old life, and a resurrection to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus. (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 1:4-11)
IX. The Lord's Supper
We believe in the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church remember the death of Christ by partaking of bread and fruit of the vine. (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26)
X. Tithing
We believe that believers should give a tithe, or a tenth, of their total income to the local church in which they are a part. (Malachi 3:8-10)
XI. Love and Respect
We believe that loving God and loving our neighbour are God’s greatest commandments (Matthew 22:36-40), and that God calls us to love and respect our neighbours as He loves us (John 13:34). We believe that God’s desire is for us to unconditionally love and respect one another, as image-bearers of God (Mark 12:31; 1 Peter 4:8; Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:9).
Financial Accountability
Mercy Canada is a registered Canadian charity (CRA #872742309RR0001) that operates under the highest standards of financial accountability.
All donations will be used for the board-approved projects and programs for which they are given. Should contributions exceed requirements for completion or the project be terminated, funds will be redirected where most needed within Mercy Canada as approved by the board.
Mercy Canada is a certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC).
** Donor Advised Funds: Because Mercy Canada does not routinely apply for grants, the majority of gifts from foundations are initiated by private individuals who support the ministry and have chosen to give through a donor advised fund or family foundation.
*** For a complete financial report, please click here.