Canadian Church Leader's Podcast

For this 30-minute episode, we're stepping away from our usual podcast format to dive deep into a topic that we know many pastors feel stuck or uncomfortable in – the art of communicating about giving and generosity to a church. Our friends at Generis are passionate about helping pastors nurture a culture of biblical generosity and stewardship in your churches. Join Jon Wright from Generis, and Executive Pastor Jordan Michalski from Soul Sanctuary, as they provide insights to guide and lighten your load as you foster a healthy culture of giving in your community. Bio | Jon has worked as an entrepreneur, founding and leading a product development company for 15 years, and served eight years as Executive Pastor at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN. He and his wife, Julie, also led a Missionary Training Center in Germany for several years. As an Executive pastor, Jon was a client of Generis. He found the process so effective and beneficial that he joined their team. He has 30 years of experience in innovatio

No matter where you fall on your church's organizational chart, we believe that this conversation with Ebonie around thoughtful discipleship in the youth space will serve you. In their time together, Ebonie and Jason explore how the church can play a vital role in nurturing a Jesus-centered joy among young people. They also touch on topics like contextual spiritual formation for the next-generation and adopting a “whole church” vision for youth discipleship within a community. Ebonie also courageously shares her deeply moving and inspirational journey of discovering Jesus. We hope you enjoy the conversation with the joy-exuding Ebonie Davis.   Bio |  Ebonie Davis is a founding member of the Arbor Research Group and an expert in qualitative research and program evaluation. She is a graduate of the DeVos Urban Leadership Institute, where she focused on Urban Youth Ministry, and holds a Master’s degree in Student Leadership from Huntington University.  Ebonie is an international conference speaker and co-aut

In this episode, we deviate from our typical format of interviewing a pastor, to host a conversation with Pieter Valk from Equip on how the Church can live into loving and serving the LGBT+ community. Through conversations with pastors across Canada and beyond, we know that this topic holds a lot of questions and tensions for the pastor. To speak to that, we invited Chris Price, Teaching Pastor at The Way Church, to wade with Pieter into not just the theology of sexuality, marriage and singleness, but also how pastors can bridge the gap that often exists between the Church and this community. In the conversation they discuss Pieter’s personal story of enduring same-sex attraction, why he landed outside the revisionist sexual ethic, what he wished pastors said to him growing up & much more. We hope this conversation serves to fuel your empathy and consideration for what it might look like for the Church to love a community that’s dear to the Lord’s heart. Bio | Pieter Valk is the director of EQUIP, a Nash

In this episode, join Jason Ballard as he interviews Jason Matta, the senior pastor of Hope Church Toronto West. This dynamic community, rooted in the gospel, unwavering in proclaiming the Word, and deeply reliant on prayer, has been serving the people of Toronto since 2012. In this episode, we explore Jason's story, stopping to discuss themes like navigating the temptation to give up in ministry, the importance of relying on prayer, and the significance of not sacrificing one's family life for the sake of the church. Canada is blessed with many pastors who embody passion, boldness, and humility in their service to their communities, and Jason is no exception. We hope this conversation encourages and spurs you on where the Lord has you. Bio | Pastor Jason grew up in a Christian home, and devoted his life to Christ at an early age. The Lord continued to guide Jason’s life to pursue ministry, which resulted in a seminary degree. It was through God’s direction that Jason was connected to Hope Bible Chur

It's not everyday that we have an Archbishop on the podcast... In this conversation, Jason and Archbishop Michael Miller dive into the story of how he ended up in such a prominent position in the Catholic Church, and the insights he's gleaned on church leadership along the way. Archbishop Miller generously shares his experiences overseeing seventy diverse parishes and navigating different challenges, including criticism. He also offers profound insights into the process of nurturing future priests and shared valuable resources on prayer, silence, and solitude from sages within the Catholic tradition. We hope that this episode encourages you in your own journey of following and leading with Jesus. Bio | Archbishop Miller is the chief shepherd of over 70 parishes in Vancouver with 400,000 baptized Catholics and has been a prominent figure in the city's religious community since 2007. Originally from Ottawa, he has a rich background in ministry and academia, studying and teaching theology in Rome, t

One of the most requested topics for the podcast has been preaching. Here it finally is… a long-awaited conversation on preaching featuring a friend of the podcast – pastor, preacher, and author Chris Price. After delving into Chris' captivating journey to faith, Jason and Chris devote the majority of their discussion to the art of preaching. Specifically, they focus on five insights Chris has gleaned from his years of preaching to the people of Vancouver. Whether preaching is your weekly duty or not, we hope this conversation can offer guidance on what to bear in mind when communicating the Gospel and the truth of Scripture. Bio | Chris has been a pastor for over 15 years and currently serves as a pastor at The Way Church in Vancouver, Canada. He is the author of 'Radical Hope: Resurrection Hope in a Hurting World' and 'Suffering With God', ‘A Response to Questions on Sexuality’, and co-author of ‘The Whole Church: Women, Leadership, the Church, and Why It All Matters’. He is married to

St. Paul’s Bloor Street, the largest Anglican Church in Toronto, carries a 180-year-old history of ministry to one of Canada’s greatest cities. Leading this diverse and expanding community is Bishop Jenny Andison. Join Jason and Jenny as they delve into her eclectic story – a life of ministry that covers the world, including places such as Tokyo, London, and Pakistan. They also explore topics like evangelism, church revitalization, and what Jenny describes as cultivating “the monastery within.” We hope this conversation with the brilliant and humble Jenny Andison encourages you as you seek to serve Jesus and His Church. Bio | Bishop Jenny Andison is the former area bishop of York-Credit Valley in the Diocese of Toronto and became Rector of St. Paul’s Bloor Street in 2021. Bishop Jenny was born in England and has lived in Pakistan, India, Singapore, and Japan. She earned an Honours BA from Queen’s University in 1994 and received her Master of Divinity from the University of Toronto (Wycliffe College) in 1997.

For this interview, we welcome Jonny Hughes, an English pastor and close friend of Jason's, joining us all the way from Nottingham, England. Jonny's journey as a pastor began in London and Southern California, where he served in various churches for nearly a decade. In 2016, along with his wife, Amy, Jonny made the significant move to Nottingham to establish Trinity Church, a name that serves as a tribute to the longstanding legacy of Holy Trinity Church, which faithfully served Nottingham for over a century. Jason and Jonny spend the bulk of the conversation discussing the pivotal moments and attitudes that paved the way for the founding and flourishing of Trinity Church. We hope you find Jonny's reflections in this episode as moving and helpful as we did. Bio | Jonny Hughes is the Lead Pastor of Trinity Church Nottingham, a vibrant Church of England congregation that he and his wife, Amy, founded seven years ago. Over the past 15 years, Jonny has devoted his time to various roles in church lead

In a span of just a few decades, Montreal underwent a remarkable transformation, shedding its once-revered title of "city of a hundred steeples" to become one of Canada's most secularized urban centers. Today only 0.7% of Montreal's population identifies as evangelical Christians. Nevertheless, amidst this trend of secularization, God is building His Church in Montreal and David Pothier and his team at La Chapelle are no exception. In this conversation, David shares his own journey of faith, the challenges and triumphs of pastoring in Montreal, the historical decline of religious affiliation, and the approach behind La Chapelle's growth over the decade. Join us for the second episode of this mini-series where we are highlighting the ways God is moving in Montreal. Bio | David Pothier is the lead pastor of La Chapelle, a French speaking church planted in the heart of Montreal in 2013. La Chapelle is multiplying churches with a vision to plant several churches in Montreal, Quebec, and Fren

In just a few decades, Montreal has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from the once-revered "city of a hundred steeples" to becoming one of Canada's most secularized urban centres. As a result, the percentage of Montreal's population identifying as evangelical Christians stands today at a mere 0.7%. However, despite this trend of secularization, God is building His Church in Montreal. Pastor Patti Miller, leading the 107 year old community of Evangel Church, stands as a shining example of this reality. Join us for this special two-episode series that focuses on two churches in Montreal and the pastors who lead them, beginning with the one and only Patti Miller. Bio | Patti is a pastor, blogger, urban-dweller, sometimes-runner, who laughs at her own jokes. Loves her spiky-haired husband Jeff, and visits Ukraine any chance she gets. Most of all, she's a follower of Jesus, loved by God. ⁠⁠⁠Give today⁠⁠⁠ to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in Canada. Partners:

In 2020, John Lamos sat down next to his wife Jessie after a long day at the church, and she expressed with great fatigue and honesty: “John, if this is what ministry is like, I can’t keep doing this.” John was leading on reserves at the time — he knew it and so did his family. He was lonely, restless and well into a trajectory towards complete burnout. He’d be the first to tell you his own discipleship was lacking and he couldn’t even find himself in his own vision of what it meant to be a pastor. The picture was a pastor at the end of himself, and his family following right behind him. But today, John, Jessie and their three kids are more alive in Jesus and His call than ever before... What happened in-between? We'll let John tell you. Bio | John Lamos is the Senior Pastor of Lighthouse Church on Grand Manan, a small island off the coast of New Brunswick. He is married to Jessie and has three kids, Adaline, Olive, and Samuel. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Give today⁠⁠⁠⁠ to CCLN and help seed a hopeful future for the Church in

What might it look like for us to match the complexity of our time with courageous and creative responses for discipleship? Join pastor and thought leader Mark Sayers as he seeks to answer this question amongst many others in this long-form conversation for pastors. In this interview, Mark marries a thoughtful dissection of felt, current issues around discipleship with ancient Christian responses such as perseverance, prayer and radical dependency on God. With the backdrop of these “renewal spot fires” occurring around the world, Mark engages the challenges and questions leading in the church today with a message of hope, grounded in God’s inbreaking Kingdom. We know this is a long one… but we hope in a single listen or a few that you’ll ultimately be moved through this episode to continue seeking renewal and deeper discipleship where the Lord has you. This past April, we gathered around 100 pastors from across Canada for an online gathering titled Discipleship in Our Complex Age. This conversation with Mark

Into a revolving door of senior pastors, Ken Shigematsu arrived to lead a struggling community in Vancouver, BC by the name of Tenth Church in 1996. After over two decades, Ken is still at the helm, having led Tenth to become one of the largest and most diverse city centre churches in Canada. But you’ll notice, Ken doesn’t exude an ambitious, pioneering spirit that you might attach to a story like that. He’s more of a soft-spoken, thoughtful contemplative who is seeking to see the Kingdom come in and through his life. In this conversation, Jason and Ken chat largely about themes from his new book Now I Become Myself - touching on emotions that can be destructive for pastors like envy and shame. We hope this conversation gives you a vision for how Jesus wants to meet you in and beyond those very feelings. Bio | Ken Shigematsu is the Senior Pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, one of the largest and most diverse city-centre churches in Canada. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal

“You will love the guns out of their hands.” These are the words that Jonathan Tremaine Thomas sensed the Lord say to him in his junior year after he led a violent drug dealer to Jesus on the curb of a McDonalds in North Carolina. Since that moment, Jonathan Tremaine has given his life to seeing the Church bring transformation, justice and reconciliation in places of unrest and pain. As the founder of Civil Righteousness, Jonathan Tremaine is a leading voice on how Christians can bring justice in the way of Jesus. In this conversation between Jonathan Tremaine and Jason, hear them discuss the profound origins of Civil Righteousness, how to put the gospel into action amidst unrest, where the world’s understanding and God’s understanding of justice vary & more. We hope this conversation with Jonathan Tremaine gives you vision for how the gospel can remedy and bring hope where there is incredible pain. Bio | Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is an actor, activist, pastor, producer, social entrepreneur, fifth generat

Albert Chu has spent decades leading in the same community, in the same area, with the same mission – creating room for people to discover and grow as disciples of Jesus. With his pastoral experience planting and leading a multisite community, alongside his missional passion as the current Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership, Albert offers thoughtful wisdom for forming churches that reflect and captivate the place they’re in. In this conversation, Jason and Albert talk about the Tapestry Church growing from a living room gathering to what it is today, how expanding a church’s reach can produce both grief and increased opportunities for discipleship, how a second chance to keep leading shaped Albert as a disciple and pastor & more. We hope this interview with Albert reminds you of God’s desire to take care of His Church & Its leaders. Bio | Albert has been the Lead Pastor of the Tapestry Church - a multi-campus church in the Lower Mainland - for nearly two decades. He is also the Director

When Jason, Chris and Jeremy set out to plant the Way Church in 2020, they found in the Vancouver Church many allies – one of them being Brett Landry. With Brett’s own history of planting in one of Canada’s most secularized cities and his desire to see more life-giving churches join its neighbourhoods, Brett offered deep wisdom and encouragement. For this conversation, instead of informally gathering in a coffee shop or church office, Chris, Jason and Brett sit down for a recorded conversation to tell the beautiful story of Christ City Church, how Brett came to know Jesus, how he has navigated the inevitable tumultuous stretches that come in pastoral ministry & more. We hope this conversation with Brett Landry serves to encourage you. Bio | Bretty Landry is the pastor of Christ City Church in Vancouver, BC – a network of neighbourhood churches currently serving South Vancouver, East Vancouver and Kitsilano. Brett has been married to his wife Alison for almost 2 decades, and they have three teenage daught

Studies have shown that a pastor typically stays at one church for an average of 4 years. For Dr. Henry Schorr however, that is far from the case. With 43 years of pastoring under his belt at Centre Street Church alone, Henry sets an incredible example of both faithfulness and fruitfulness in the pastorate. In today’s episode, Jason and Henry talk about the fascinating story of Centre Street Church, the Kingdom values that led to the church’s explosive growth in the 1980s, the wisdom Henry would offer to young pastors, the integration of family and mission & more. We hope your imagination is captured by Henry’s faithful example and his reflections on over 40 years of pastoring. Bio | Dr. Henry Schorr is the lead pastor of Centre Street Church, an influential, resourcing church in Calgary, Alberta that has been serving Calgary and beyond since 1958. Henry has been lead pastor of Centre Street Church for 43 years, with 37 of those years spent as the lead pastor. Under Henry’s leadership, Centre Street Churc

Have you ever wondered if anyone reads those New Testaments that you can sometimes find in hotel bedside tables? Well, that is exactly how Jess DiSabatino’s parents came to know Jesus… and her life was never the same. In today’s episode, Jason and Jess move stage by stage through Jess’ story of her family coming to Christ, how she ended up in the pastorate and how Journey Church, the church she leads today, came to be. It’s a story that starts with an unplanned, late night reading of the Book of Acts, and ends with a pastor seeking for God’s Kingdom to come in Northwest Calgary. We hope that it inspires you. Bio | Jessica DiSabatino is a renowned communicator in both business environments and the Church. Following the death of her younger brother, Jess and her dad founded MySafeWork, a philanthropic initiative to bring justice to workplaces in Canada and around the world. For this ground-breaking work, Jess received the Governor General’s award in 2016. In tandem with her foundation work, Jess has pastored in

Right alongside the name Billy Graham when it comes to discussions on evangelism, is the name Luis Palau. Luis was a passionate evangelist who preached in over 80 different countries, and saw millions of people come to know Jesus before his death in March of 2021. Carrying forward the spirit of Luis’ ministry is his son Kevin Palau. Kevin, who now runs the Luis Palau Association, is an incredible leader who has helped form profound gospel movements in secular cities; movements that in certain instances engaged over 200 churches and 32,000 people in over 300 service projects. Join Kevin and Jason as they discuss how Luis finished his life, the postures that contribute to gospel movements, working with municipalities for the sake of a city & countless stories of Jesus using the “yes” of people to bring His Kingdom to earth. We hope this episode encourages you and gives you vision for the impact that’s possible in your community. Bio | Kevin Palau is President and CEO of the Luis Palau Association. Under his

Over decades in the church, Ross has seen pastors pass the preaching test, and even the pastoral test, but seen less pass the character test than one would want. Today Ross is giving much of his time seeking to understand how pastors can cultivate holiness in the busyness of ministry and be a part of the 15% who finish well in the pastorate. Join Ross, Jason and guest interviewer Chris Price as they discuss how Ross was formed pastorally through personal depression, a grid for making ethical decisions, the significance of beholding Christ & more. We hope this episode encourages you to look to Jesus and be transformed into His character. Bio | Ross Hastings, a Zimbabwean Scot, holds PhDs in organometallic chemistry and theology. His teaching interests include Trinitarian theology, pastoral theology, theology and spirituality of mission, ethics, and the interface between science and theology. Ross's most recent work is Theological Ethics: The Church's Integrity in Contemporary Context. Ross l