Wearing Faith in Public
In an age where faith is often pushed toward the private margins of life, Christine Koneri is building a business around the opposite conviction: that belief should be visible.
Christine, founder of the Calgary-based brand Bethel Masterpiece, creates faith-centered home décor, apparel, journals, and accessories designed to weave Scripture and encouragement into everyday spaces. What began as a personal creative outlet has quickly grown into a small but expanding business serving customers across Canada and the United States.
The idea emerged from something remarkably ordinary.
After a conversation about finding a hobby, Christine began searching for aesthetically designed Scripture-based décor for her own home. Unable to find what she envisioned, she decided to create it herself. One handcrafted piece soon became many — bookmarks, coasters, journals, apparel, and eventually an entire brand centered on faith-filled intentionality.
But for Christine, Bethel Masterpiece is not merely a business venture. It is an expression of vocation and ministry intertwined.
That conviction is deeply informed by her Indian background and her awareness of growing hostility toward Christians in parts of India. During the interview, she describes persecution there as “rampant,” noting that despite increasing pressure on churches, Christian communities continue to grow.
International watchdog organizations including Open Doors International and USCIRF have documented rising incidents of anti-Christian violence, restrictions, and intimidation in several regions of India in recent years. Yet Christine points toward another reality emerging simultaneously: migration and globalization are bringing nations into close proximity across cities like Calgary, creating unexpected opportunities for spiritual conversations.
Sometimes those conversations begin quietly.
One such moment occurred when Christine’s husband wore a simple shirt bearing the phrase Faith in God while meeting friends for coffee. The understated message prompted a question from a woman who had drifted away from Christianity fifteen years earlier after painful experiences with other believers.
That small interaction opened the door to prayer, encouragement, and renewed interest in returning to church — not only for her, but potentially for her family as well.
For Christine, the moment reinforced a growing conviction that everyday objects can become instruments of presence and witness. A shirt, a framed verse, or a journal may seem insignificant on their own. But when paired with intentionality, they can create space for conversations people have been silently waiting to have.
Underlying her work is a theological idea both ancient and deeply personal: that human beings themselves are masterpieces crafted intentionally by God.
In a culture saturated with disposable messaging and endless noise, Bethel Masterpiece is attempting something quieter — embedding faith into ordinary life one conversation at a time.
