David and Marilyn Britton

Dave and Marilyn Britton have had an interesting life. Their past includes sailing on ships as puppeteers, running for parliament, and dressing as Santa and Mrs. Clause for elementary school children. This year (2006) marks their 45th wedding anniversary and it has been 45 years of excitement and hard work. Marilyn and Dave were both born in 1941. Dave’s father was a Fellowship Baptist pastor. He planted a church in 1940 in Queensville, just north of Newmarket, Ontario, and moved to Lachute Quebec in 1946. The family moved to New Brunswick in 1953 and he became a pastor in the United Baptist Convention. Dave’s family background is evangelical, with roots in fundamentalism. Marilyn grew up in rural Chomcook, south western New Brunswick, where her parents owned a general store. Dave and Marilyn met when they were fifteen at a Baptist youth group (the Baptist Young People's Union) where Dave was the president. After High School Marilyn ran a kitchen at a hospital for TB in Saint John while Dave attended Saint John Vocational School in 1959 and studied electronics. He gained employment by CN Telecommunications in 1960. Dave was an electronics technician with Canadian National Railway for 33 years. For ten years, he was the senior technician and was responsible for 10 technicians and the oversight of the maintenance and repair of the CNR's radios throughout the Maritimes. He left this position and went back on the tools in order to attend university. Marilyn and Dave were Married in 1961. They spent 16 years at West Lane Baptist where they were Sunday teachers and Sunday school superintendents. Dave became a Deacon at 21 and he was the youngest deacon in any Baptist church in the history of Baptists in Moncton. They were active member in the NDP party for six years. Dave ran for provincial parliament twice and federal parliament once. In 1968 Dave and Marilyn's puppetry began. They performed for 27 years as puppeteers in malls, schools, community events, churches, including 7 summers as ship's entertainers for Marine Atlantic, working on the ferries between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and between Nova Scotia and Maine. As puppeteers, they performed in a great number of the evangelical churches in the Maritimes.

Dave and Marilyn have three children Andrew, Cheryl and Dan. The three children are now grown and Dave and Marilyn have seven grandchildren. Their youngest son Dan and his wife Susan are also involved in leadership at our church. When the puppetry began, Dave and Marilyn’s oldest children, Andrew and Cheryl, were in elementary school and performed with them until they moved away. Their youngest son was still working with them, and the grandchildren who lived locally wanted to perform with them. Considering the family involvement they named the group, The Family Britton Puppeteers. In 1974 both Marilyn and Dave attended Atlantic Baptist College part time and received a two year Certificate in Arts. In 1983 Dave and Marilyn both completed their B.A. at Mount Allison University. Dave completed his B.A. with First Class Honors and Distinction, with his thesis on the poetry of Henry Alline, revivalist in the Maritimes in the 1760's. Dave began graduate school at the University of New Brunswick in the English Department, but dropped out after he had been hit in face by a chain saw while cutting fire wood, fortunately by the grace of God there was a plastic surgeon in Out Patients, so the scar is not readily noticeable(also due to his large beard). In 1983 the family moved to Riverview where they joined Lower Coverdale Baptist Church and Dave became a deacon at that church, he became chairman of board, and both Marilyn and Dave became Sunday School teachers, and superintendents. When the renewal broke out in Toronto at TACF Dave and Marilyn were included in those who were touched, which led to their starting The Water and Wine Assembly. For the past ten years Dave and Marilyn have been preforming as Mr. and Mrs. Clause for several elementary schools. They take very seriously that role of dispensing joy and love.

Becoming the Water and Wine Assembly

After a lifetime in evangelical churches in 1988 Dave and Marilyn became aware of the Vineyard movement and attended a conference in Saint John, N. B. on Healing, at which John McClure was the speaker. They have attended many conferences since then and began buying teaching tapes from the Vineyard. After hearing of the conferences in Ontario, Dave and Marilyn also began attending those.

Dave and Marilyn’s first contact with the Toronto Airport Vineyard was in attending the "Battle Belongs to the Lord" conference in the fall of 1993. At the time Marilyn and Dave were involved in a mission to the poor in Moncton sponsored by the Baptists. There, their title became Pastoral Parents. They were able utilize the teaching that they were receiving at the mission that they were involved in and, influenced by they Sandfords,  they eventually became heavily involved in inner healing.

In 1994 Dave and Marilyn attended the conference in Toronto entitled "Healing Life’s Hurts", conducted by the Sandfords and purchased the videos, which they have been showing for the last 10 years.

Dave and Marilyn managed to live for several years in the two different worlds, the experiential one of the marginalized and the theological rational one of being a deacon in a Baptist church, but after three years they asked a blessing from the pastors and deacons to focus on the mission work. The Gunningsville Baptist Church granted Dave a licentiate and Marilyn and Dave began leading Sunday night meetings for the mission.

In the meantime, the renewal broke out in Toronto and Dave and Marilyn were included in those who were touched this began the process of them leaving the mission and establishing The Water and Wine Assembly of Christians.

After Dave and Marilyn had left the mission they were asked to train a ministry team for a local church. The Brittons suggested using videos that they had of Inner Healing by John and Paula Sandford as a prerequisite for any position in the church. When the series began, rather then the dozen people that were expected, over 50 began attending from the Christian community .The Sunday attendance in the church also grew significantly. One Sunday when Marilyn and Dave were asked to minister the Holy Spirit began touching individuals as the service concluded. After the service Dave and Marilyn were told the Church desired to be seeker sensitive and the manifestations were not welcome. At this point, Dave and Marilyn decided with a few friends, of about 6, to assembly together, and worship and share,this was the birth of the Water and Wine assembly.

For several years, Dave’s only formal credential was the Licentiate certificate granted him by the Gunningsville United Baptist Church.  Marilyn and Dave also had ordaination creditials with the Fellowship of Christians.

Recently The Water and Wine Assembly of Christians has become a member of Partners in Harvest. For more information Click here.