Faith At Work In Canadian Cities
Heskias Mandefro has been serving in pastoral ministry for over 17 years at the Ethiopian Evangelical Church in Toronto. As the English pastor in an Amharic language church, he finds himself functioning as a cultural translator between generations.
Heskias strives to lead with ideas that are well thought through biblically, and culturally. He is passionate to engage ethnic churches in reaching their city.
Bill Ryan started his ministry in Toronto after graduating from Ontario Bible College in 1982. This led to his work at Yonge Street Mission where he served for over 25 years in numerous roles first serving as Program Co-ordinator at Evergreen, Pastor of Church on the Street, Director of the Christian Community Centre, Director of Staff care and Interim Program Officer. He later served as Director of Men’s Ministry with Scott Mission until 2021. He is a seasoned Urban Ministry practitioner for the past 30 years and teaches from his vast experience in ministry. He is a spiritual director and passionate Social Justice advocate. Bill's ministry life has been grounded by being a husband to Lillian and father to Jordan and Caitlin.
Links:
Yonge Street Mission
Scott Mission
Erinn Oxford was born and raised in Toronto, a city that she loves. She has been working in Parkdale, a neighbourhood in the city’s west end since 2007. In 2012 she was invited into her current role as Executive Director and Pastor. Tasked with re-visioning the work, Erinn sought the feedback of the community and proposed a full reboot, one that would include giving up a building, spilling into the streets, creating a nomadic routine, and becoming The Dale Ministries. She longs for and pursues the building of community in which all people are welcome and those who experience poverty are placed at the core, seeking to nurture relationships where we can understand and learn from one anothers’ histories, experiences and hopes. Erinn is a Christ-follower, caregiver and advocate, mother to Cate, partner to Dion, a musician and lover of the arts, a self-confessed klutz, and an aspiring friend to many.
Links:
My continuing conversation with Levi Samson Beardy and Dan Collado as we talk about the gospel at work in First Nations, Metis and Inuit. With 50% of the Canadian indigenous population living in urban centres, there is a greater opportunity to build bridges and engage in reconciliation.
The billboard in this picture was posted in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2014 as part of an art exhibit.
It is my honour today to invite a team of indigenous Christians from various parts of Canada onto the podcast to talk about what it means to be an indigenous or aboriginal person living in Canadian cities. Stats Canada uses the terms ‘aboriginal’ and ‘indigenous’ to refer to people that are First Nations, Metis and Inuit. It is estimated that about one-half live in urban areas as compared to those living on reservation land and non-urban areas.
Dan Collado, has been serving the Lord in full-time ministry since 1993. He initially took a step of faith and went to live and pastor in small isolated fly-in Indigenous communities in northern Ontario, and later in Nunavut. After some 15 years of pastoral ministry, while continuing to feel the burden for Indigenous initiatives, Dan accepted the role as Academic Director of Aboriginal Bible Academy (ABA) in 2009. Dan is part of the Mohawk nation and resides in Napanee, ON.
Jim Thunder is Director of Economic Development at Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg, MB. He is an adjunct professor of Indigenous Economic Leadership at University of Manitoba.
Levi Samson Beardy is the Oji-Cree pastor of Aboriginal Believers’ Church in Toronto.
Links:
Dan Collado - Mission Canada Indigenous Priority
https://paoc.org/canada/workers/priorityindigenouscanadians
https://paoc.org/canada/workers/dancollado
Aboriginal Bible Academy
https://www.aboriginalbibleacademy.ca/about
Jim Thunder MBA
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jimthunder
Levi Samson Beardy
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/levi-samson-beardy-9639537
Aboriginal Believers’ Church
https://www.facebook.com/AbOriginalBelieversChurch/
The population of street-affiliated people in Peterborough, Ontario has sky-rocketed. Many are homeless, unemployed and without hope. As a Mission Canada worker, Scott has responded to God’s call to go. With 30 years of pastoral ministry in PAOC churches, Scott has stepped into a new season and calling as a “Street Level Advocate” in Peterborough’s city core, where a population of over 80,000 reports more than 300 homeless individuals (Peterborough Social Services, July 2021). Unemployment, food insecurity and inadequate housing are all serious issues which are often compounded by mental health challenges, addictive behaviours, loneliness, and lack of purpose in life.
Scott is intentionally present among individuals who need to see God’s love demonstrated toward them. He knows that it is through kindness expressed in non-judgmental ways, that hope can be realized (Romans 2:4) and the love of Christ experienced. Utilizing his many connections with church leaders, social services and local police, Scott builds relationships and connects individuals to helpful services and resources. His deepest desire, however, is to be a human bridge, seeing people restored to right relationship with a Heavenly Father who loves them and has a good plan for their lives.
As followers of Christ, God calls us to care for those who find themselves in the gaps of society. As a “Street Level Advocate”, Scott’s mission is to:
CONNECT people to their Heavenly Father as kindness, respect, hospitality, and patient listening is lived out. As trust and friendship is built, hearts can become open to the message of hope found in the person of Jesus Christ.
BE A BRIDGE between the local church and those in the urban core so that the Church can partner to reach out and advocate for an individuals’ physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
NETWORK street-affiliated people with resources that already exist for their help and benefit. Many are unaware of services available to them or how to access their assistance.
BRIDGE THE GAP of communication between the local police service and those on the streets of the city. Through his role as volunteer police chaplain, Scott is well positioned for meaningful conversations and connections.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV)
Links:
Part 2 of my conversation with Timothy Meisenheimer from Ottawa. In this episode we discuss some of the challenges for the poor brought on by pandemic restrictions.
Also, the spiritual formation that can take place when people experience grief and loss.
Links:
Ottawa’s Heart with Ears - Timothy Meisenheimer interview (part 1)
Capital City Mission
http://capitalcitymission.com/
Ottawa Mission
Cathy Tollefson is the executive director of Global Family Canada, an organization with chapters in eight countries. Today we are again looking at human trafficking in Canada with a goal of educating and inspiring our listeners to get involved in strategies that make a difference.
When we think about the hidden magnitude of human trafficking, it can be overwhelming. But if we start to look at the ones being freed from slavery, we have a better story to tell.
I’ve entitled this episode ‘Finding The Lost Daughter’ because that is at the heart of the gospel, finding lost sons and daughters and bringing them home.
Links:
Global Family Canada
https://www.globalfamily.care/
Daughter Project Canada
https://www.facebook.com/daughterproject.ca
More on Human Trafficking in the Kelly Franklin interview
This is part 2 of my interview with Kelly Tallon Franklin.
As a young Torontonian living in an upscale neighbourhood, Kelly lived with the secrecy of sexual abuse. Fuelled by her insecurities she took to the street with a vengeance. Her associations would eventually lead to her being trafficked.
Today Kelly Franklin leads Courage For Freedom, an organization committed to ending trafficking in Canada and helping its victims find a new life of healing and recovery.
Learn more at www.courageforfreedom.org
Kelly is available to speak and can be reached through office@courageforfreedom.org
As a young Torontonian living in an upscale neighbourhood, Kelly lived with the secrecy of sexual abuse. Fuelled by her insecurities she took to the street with a vengeance. Her associations would eventually lead to her being trafficked.
Today Kelly Franklin leads Courage For Freedom, an organization committed to ending trafficking in Canada and helping its victims find a new life of healing and recovery.
Learn more at www.courageforfreedom.org
Kelly is available to speak and can be reached through office@courageforfreedom.org
Top Row: Doug Whitelaw, Kevin Rogers, Rodger Fordham
Bottow Row: Mike Morency, Kevin Coghill, Sarah Campbell
Robert D. Lupton wrote a book entitled ‘Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help’. In the book he has this intriguing quote:
“Giving to those in need what they could be gaining from their own initiative may well be the kindest way to destroy people. We mean well, our motives are good, but we have neglected to conduct care-full due diligence to determine emotional, economic, and cultural outcomes on the receiving end of our charity. Why do we miss this crucial aspect in evaluating our charitable work? Because, as compassionate people, we have been evaluating our charity by the rewards we receive through service, rather than the benefits received by the served. We have failed to adequately calculate the effects of our service on the lives of those reduced to objects of our pity and patronage.”
So, what do you think? How do we move from creating dependency on services to supporting initiative in the people you are helping? And how do we promote the vision of the organization in ways that dignify the people that we are committed to serve?
Kevin Coghill is a pastor and staff member at Royal City Mission in downtown Guelph. Their tagline is to ‘Make the Invisible Visible’.
When I was a youth pastor in Exeter, I would bring some of my youth and our musicians to help at Ark Aid Street Mission in downtown London. That was a place that had a great influence on my later decision to move to Windsor and start New Song Church. Ark Aid Mission outgrow the little storefront and moved into larger quarters in later years. One of its directors was the recently retired Doug Whitelaw and the one replacing him was Sarah Campbell.
After I moved to Windsor to begin New Song Church, I became acquainted with Mike Morency. He would leave his youth pastorate in Kitchener and move back to his hometown of Windsor and join as part of the pastoral team in our first few years as a new church.
Eventually he would return to University of Windsor and get his degree in social work. After working in the field, he returned to a faith-based organization named Matthew House, a residence that assists refugee claimants as they integrate into Canadian society. Mike then led them from a three-bedroom bungalow to a complex that can house many more.
Our very first podcast in season 1 was with Rodger Fordham, director of Feeding Windsor. What started with a handful of people at a downtown Presbyterian church then migrated over to New Song Church where I pastor, once the starting church closed for good. Together we have witnessed the growth of Feeding Windsor.
Links:
Part 1 of this interview:
Rodger Fordham - Feeding Windsor interview
Royal City Mission, Guelph ON
https://www.royalcitymission.ca/
Ark Aid Mission, London ON
Matthew House, Windsor ON
http://matthewhousewindsor.org/
Feeding Windsor
We have been examining model of ministry in Canadian cities using the acronym QUEST. There are five models from our urban guiding group survey that start to give definition to God at work in our communities.
Q – Qualitative Neighbouring. These are people who choose a front porch instead of a pulpit and view being a neighbour as a primary vocation.
U – Urban Churches. These houses of worship seek to be an expression of God’s goodness in their city context. A love for God and city keeps them located where needed, and not necessarily where it will be easy.
E – Energizers. Who are the communicators, artists and influencers that bring God’s Spirit to the surrounding culture?
S – Street Ministry Workers. With a backpack and a cell phone, these are the mobile pastors and evangelists that will follow the scent to people in trouble and on the margins of society. Like St. Bernard dogs, they will go the distance to save someone that has fallen.
T – Transformers. Who are the people that organize relief and development for the most vulnerable citizens? As they feed, clothe, shelter, and bring hope to their city, community transformation inevitably happens.
Today we are going to meet the transformers. No, not Optimus Prime and company, but men and women that are just as heroic in their own real -world context.
Kevin Coghill is a pastor and staff member at Royal City Mission in downtown Guelph.
When I was a youth pastor in Exeter, I would bring some of my youth and our musicians to help at Ark Aid Street Mission in downtown London. That was a place that had a great influence on my later decision to move to Windsor and start New Song Church. Ark Aid Mission outgrow the little storefront and moved into larger quarters in later years. One of its directors was the recently retired Doug Whitelaw and the one replacing him was Sarah Campbell.
After I moved to Windsor to begin New Song Church, I became acquainted with Mike Morency. He would leave his youth pastorate in Kitchener and move back to his hometown of Windsor and join as part of the pastoral team in our first few years as a new church.
Eventually he would return to University of Windsor and get his degree in social work. After working in the field, he returned to a faith-based organization named Matthew House, a residence that assists refugee claimants as they integrate into Canadian society. Mike then led them from a three-bedroom bungalow to a complex that can house many more.
Our very first podcast in season 1 was with Rodger Fordham, director of Feeding Windsor. What started with a handful of people at a downtown Presbyterian church then migrated over to New Song Church where I pastor, once the starting church closed for good. Together we have witnessed the growth of Feeding Windsor.
Links:
Royal City Mission, Guelph ON
https://www.royalcitymission.ca/
Ark Aid Mission, London ON
Matthew House, Windsor ON
http://matthewhousewindsor.org/
Feeding Windsor
In the second part of the Sidewalk Pastors interview, we talk about the stereotypes around poverty and the spiritual formation that is grossly neglected in the field of social work. We will hear more amazing stories about real life people and their courageous struggles.
Our guests are great examples of Street Ministry Workers (letter “S” in our QUEST acronym).
If you have not listened, to part 1 please go back and listen to that first to get a proper introduction to our guests Bob Gal, Anna Morgante and Ejay Tupe.
Links:
Mission Canada
Bob Gal
https://paoc.org/canada/workers/bobgal
Anna Morgante
https://paoc.org/canada/workers/annamorgante
Ejay Tupe
In the acronym QUEST describing models of engagement for Canadian urban ministry, the letter ‘S’ stands for Street Ministry Workers. Often, the role is pastoral in nature so we have sidewalk pastors.
You will enjoy my conversation with Bob Gal (Edmonton,Alberta), Anna Morgante (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Ejay Tupe (Toronto, Ontario).
What happens if you intentionally hang around with people on the streets looking for ways to befriend, show hospitality and nurture their spiritual formation? Instead of a formal office with a sign on the door, the office is a backpack, a vehicle or a cell phone.
Street ministry workers find themselves visiting in jails, shelters and hospital wards. They go where they see an opportunity to be the sidewalk pastor of the unchurched. And miracles happen there.
Read MorePaula Castrucci has lots to say about living as a single person involved in urban ministry. This session was recorded at the Our City Toronto 2019 conference.
Combining her two passions of working with youth and with the homeless, she has found a way to blend these in her work for Youth Unlimited Toronto. Part of this work is with Light Patrol, an initiative helping homeless youth.
Read More
Dr. Michael Krause has a broad range of ministerial experience in an urban context in churches, social service agencies and educational institutions. He was the director of Evergreen, Yonge Street Mission’s outreach to street-involved youth, supervising 20 staff overseeing a thriving menu of programs including health care, housing support, employment training, drop-in and meal programs, and a broad range of advocacy support.
He was the youth pastor at Flemingdon Park Church, the assistant pastor at the Stone Church in downtown Toronto and the senior pastor at Church on the Street, an experimental church reaching out to street youth in the urban core. He has been active as a church planter in other contexts, pioneering Hills Church, an innovative, house church network based in Thornhill.
Before joining the faculty of Tyndale in 2014, he functioned as the Staff Care director at Yonge Street Mission where he provided leadership development, ministry coaching and counselling to staff members working with the urban poor. He has been teaching courses with the TIM Centre Diploma program since its inception in 2010. He also has a private practice as a leadership coach and church consultant. Michael is ordained with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. (description from Tyndale faculty page)
In this session from the Our City Conference (2019) in Toronto, he shares principles of longevity. How do you prepare and maintain a ministry life for the long haul?
Links:
Tyndale University
https://www.tyndale.ca/faculty/michael-krause
Yonge Street Mission
Church On The Street Reunion
Michael & Ejay Tupe
Debbie Kunst pastors an inspiring church in downtown Edmonton. Father’s House is a great example of how urban churches can be missional and parish-focused with a strong sense of being Spirit led.
There is a great need for spiritual mothers and fathers in the urban core. For some the ‘family’ gathering will be the greatest sense of ‘home’ that they will experience on a daily basis.
Read MoreMark Goring is the pastor of Church In Regent Park. For decades it was a pocket of poverty, addiction and violence. For the last couple years, the poor are being displaced and development is erasing what once was there. The church has emerged from Church In The City, another urban church with a rich history of intersection with the poor.
Part of Mark’s journey involved ministry in the Malvern neighbourhood where pressure from a gang led to death threats and Mark moving out of the city. But the urban cry never left Mark’s soul and so he re-emerged a few years later to the ministry he now leads.
Read MoreWelcome back to Sidewalk Skyline Podcast where we explore faith at work in Canadian cities. This is our fourth episode looking at gangland preachers. While gang activity is prevalent in parts of Canada, there are also men and women in those neighbourhoods that are making a difference one-on-one.
Today I am talking with Ejay Tupe, an urban missionary in downtown Toronto. I have had many conversations with my friend Ejay and heard about his pimp exit strategies, interaction with gang-affiliated youth and the pastoral care he provides to people in crisis all the time.
Read MoreWell, as we promised we are bringing you part two of my interview with Dr. Anthony Hutchinson, or Dr. Hutch as some of his students call him.
If this is your first time listening, I would recommend that you go back and listen to part one of this interview or go back two episodes to hear all the content so far in this chapter called Gangland Preachers.
Tony Hutchinson is literally in demand across the nation as a leading expert on gang psychology and intervention. Here’s my conversation with him at the Mission Canada office in Mississauga.
Read More