Rev. Sterling Gosman named Recipient of 2019 Alumni Distinguished Service Award

Acadia Divinity College posthumously presented the 2019 Alumni Distinguished Service Award to Rev. Sterling W. Gosman during the annual ‘ADC Friends and Alumni Lunch’ on August 23, 2019 in Moncton, NB. With members of their extended family present, Sterling’s wife, Ann, and their son, Rev. Dr. Neville Gosman, Pastor of Maugerville United Baptist Church, received the award. Dr. Anna Robbins, President of Acadia Divinity College, noted during the award presentation, “Caring for people is at the heart of pastoral ministry. No one exemplied this more than Sterling.” Before he passed away in June, Sterling was deeply moved and humbled when he learned, in April, that he was selected as the 2019 Award recipient.

Rev. Sterling Gosman

The ADC Alumni Distinguished Service Award, inaugurated in 1995, honours graduates of Acadia Divinity College (ADC) who have contributed signicantly to the Christian Church in Canada and throughout the world. Rev. Gosman was recognized for his outstanding work in the ministry of pastoral care and visitation.

Following his retirement from a 33- year career at CBC Fredericton, Sterling experienced a call to ministry. At the age of 58, he moved to Kentville, NS to pursue a Bachelor of Theology degree at ADC, attending university for the rst time. Five years later, in 2007, Sterling graduated and, shortly thereafter, accepted a call to serve as Minister of Visitation and Care at New Minas Baptist Church, where he was ordained and served until his death.

Before entering ordained ministry, Sterling served the Lord as a layperson at Brunswick Street Baptist Church in Fredericton, NB, as a member of the Baptist Men’s Association, the Canadian Bible Society, and as former President of the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada. He was also a very active community member in Fredericton as a city councillor, a Director of the Chamber of Commerce, and as an Auxiliary Police Ocer. Sterling was also inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame for his athletic accomplishments.

Acadia Divinity College posthumously presented the ‘2019 Alumni Distinguished Service Award’ to Rev. Sterling Gosman on August 23, 2019. Dr. Anna Robbins (far left) presented the plaque to Sterling’s wife, Ann (beside Dr. Robbins). Sterling’s daughterin-law, Donna Gosman (second from right), and his son, Rev. Neville Gosman (’92, ’93) (far right) were also in attendance.

Sterling’s ministry and life were rooted in his deep faith and love for his Lord Jesus, which was marked by profound compassion for people. He showed genuine care for everyone that he met, whether in the church, at coee shops, on the streets of New Minas, or in the halls and rooms of the hospital in Kentville. His distinguished service is a testimony of his faith and an exceptional example of the importance and power of the ministry of pastoral care.