The Pastorate Podcast

Nestor Abdon is a Filipino-Canadian pastor serving as Global & Local Outreach Pastor at Bramalea Baptist Church in Brampton, Ontario. Having ministered among newcomers, refugees, and diaspora churches across Canada, Nestor carries a deep passion for hospitality, multicultural mission, and the vital contribution of diaspora communities to the life and future of the church in Canada.In this conversation, Nestor traces his journey from growing up in the Philippines to arriving in Canada in 2010, pastoring within a Filipino church, serving at a refugee centre, and eventually leading newcomers and diaspora ministries at large churches in the Toronto area. His life and ministry have been shaped by the conviction that migration is not just a social reality but a biblical lens, that God is gathering the nations in Canadian cities, and that welcoming newcomers is central to the church’s participation in the gospel today.Together, Nestor and Jason explore:How Nestor’s own experience as a newcomer to Canada shaped his pastoral calling among immigrants, refugees, and international students,Practical ways churches can embody hospitality, through ESL programs, settlement partnerships, shared meals, and newcomer fellowships,The importance of a listening posture and intercultural competence in majority-culture churches, rather than rushing to fix problems without hearing people’s actual needs,The unique role and strengths of diaspora and ethnic monocultural churches within the wider “gospel ecology” of Canadian cities,How majority-culture churches can move diaspora leaders from the margins to the centre, offering real voice, leadership, and shared decision-making,The tensions and possibilities of first and second generation dynamics, and why second-generation immigrants can serve as “cultural bridges” for the church,What it means to contextualize the gospel across cultures and why diaspora Christians give Nestor deep hope for the future of the church in Canada.Nestor speaks with warmth and a reflective wisdom formed in the overlap of the academy and local church. His story invites pastors to see their city as a global mission field, to make room for diaspora leaders at the table, and to embrace the beautiful, diverse foretaste of Revelation 7 that God is already bringing to life in Canada.Show NotesNestor’s Book: Marginality of Visible Minorities in CanadaJason Georges Book: The 3d GospelBramlea Baptist ChurchGive to The Pastorate’s Year End CampaignLead Pastor Fellowship ApplicationEmerging Leaders Lab ApplicationPartnersContact John Wright at Generis for help cultivating a culture of generosity in your church.

In today’s episode, Darrell Johnson opens his journal and his toolkit, sharing how a hard year has softened his pastoral heart and how a simple morning liturgy that includes journaling, reading Scripture, and listing notes of gratitude have helped refresh his soul. Darrell invites us into his new book, an Advent reader titled Awaken Wonder, and shares six practical frameworks for preaching through Advent that he invites pastors to glean from and borrow. Darrell helps us imagine Advent preaching that’s both bold and deeply formative.In this conversation Jason and Darrell talk about: Darrell’s morning rhythm that sustains tender heartedness,Why Christmas is history, not myth, along with a helpful guide to chronological reading of the Christmas story, Darrell’s new book Awaken Wonder, and the four-week outline it provides for preaching Advent,Practical help for solo pastors through six ready-to-preach Advent frameworks,How to give ethical and freeing attribution when we use sources to inform our preaching.Darrell offers us a timely invitation to preach Advent with clarity and courage, and a helpful roadmap that will help those who are still figuring out what they will preach this Advent. Whether you’re mapping a four-week series or just searching for Sunday’s next faithful step, may this conversation steady your heart, spark courage, and help you lead your people to wonder at Jesus’ coming.Show NotesDarrell Johnson’s Website - https://www.darrelljohnson.ca Order Awaken Wonder - https://a.co/d/fbKOL1uLead Pastor Fellowship Application - https://www.thepastorate.ca/lpfEmerging Leaders Lab Application - https://www.thepastorate.ca/lab Guest Biography Darrell W. Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored eight books, including The Glory of Preaching and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through Revelation. ‍He is currently serving as a pastor at The Way Church and The Pastorate Ministries Canada. ‍He and his wife Sharon have been married over 50 years. Together they have raised four children adopted from four different countries of the world, and now enjoy loving 11 active grandchildren.PartnersSpecial thanks to Generis for helping us make this episode happen. Contact John Wright at Generis for help cultivating a culture of generosity in your church. - https://generis.com/team/jon-wrightThe work of strengthening pastors across Canada is only possible because of generous partners like you. As we look to the future, would you consider joining us in prayer, sharing this episode, or ⁠making a gift to invest in a vibrant, Jesus-centered church in every community⁠? - https://thepastorate.ca/give.

Today’s episode features a conversation between Tammy Giffen, Lead Pastor of Groundswell Church in Turo Nova Scotia and Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada and Senior Vice President at Alpha International. It’s a recording of a conversation that took place live in front of our Lead Pastor Fellowship cohort, two weeks ago when they were gathered together in Vancouver for a city meetup. Over the course of that week together, the cohort, made up of 15 pastors from across Canada, spent time learning from local pastors and leaders, touring local churches, and enjoying quality time together. This conversation between Tammy and Shaila was one of the sessions of the week that was designed to help encourage our cohort members and sharpen their pastoral imagination, specifically around the themes of evangelism, prayer, and ministry to Gen Alpha and Gen Z. Shaila shares how a late-night encounter with the Holy Spirit reframed her entire sense of calling and how that moment has shaped Alpha Canada’s vision for the next generation. In this conversation, Shaila unpacks the four questions God gave her in the middle of the night and how they’ve become a compass for her leadership. She reflects on what it looks like to hold a big vision while cultivating deep spiritual rhythms of prayer and fasting, and why people across Canada are uniquely open to the gospel during this time.Along the way, Shaila highlights:Why naming 4.4 million Canadian high school students has expanded Alpha’s vision for youth ministry.How Made for This, a national prayer initiative, is mobilizing churches to cover schools across the country.Why she believes Gen Alpha is more spiritually open than any generation in decades.How equipping students to run Alpha for their peers strengthens discipleship and mission.This conversation will encourage pastors to think bigger about the next generation, lean deeper into spiritual dependence, and not grow weary in ministry. Shaila closes with a moving word of encouragement: to keep going, for the sake of those who do not yet know Jesus.Show NotesShaila’s WebsiteGen Alpha Data and Resource PackMade for This CampaignAlpha Student Leadership Collective Coram Deo Foundation Joseph Chung Scholarship PartnersThe work of strengthening pastors across Canada is only possible because of generous partners like you. As we look to the future, would you consider joining us in prayer, sharing this episode, or ⁠making a gift to invest in a vibrant, Jesus-centered church in every community⁠?Generis helps churches to cultivate a culture of generosity. Contact Jon Wright at Generis to learn more.

Today’s episode of The Pastorate looks a little different. Instead of our typical format where Jason interviews a guest, we’re pulling back the curtain on our Lead Pastors Fellowship and inviting you into a conversation that Pete Hughes, pastor of KXC London, had with our cohort participants during one of their monthly Zoom sessions. We’re sharing it here because it speaks directly into the cultural moment we find ourselves in, and because applications for the next round of the Lead Pastors Fellowship open next month.In this conversation, Pete Hughes unpacks the “quiet revival” taking shape across the global West, especially among Gen Z, and what courageous, Spirit-led pastoring looks like in this season. He names why many are rejecting secularism both intellectually and experientially, and why this surge of spiritual openness demands bold, clear invitations to follow Jesus.Pete invites pastors to imagine what courageous and Spirit-dependent leadership looks like in a cultural moment hungry for more. This conversation wrestles with how to speak with clarity in contested spaces, how to shepherd both skeptics and seekers, and how to walk at a pace that can endure renewal. It points to a vision of ministry that pairs bold invitation with deep formation, offering hope for leaders who long to see Jesus meet people with power and presence. Stay tuned until the end of the episode as Pete concludes the conversation with a prayer for Canadian pastors.Show NotesKing’s Cross ChurchPete’s InstagramFall City MeetupsLead Pastors FellowshipThe Pastorate Listener SurveyFall 2025 Pastors Retreat at Barnabas LandingPartnersThe work of strengthening pastors across Canada is only possible because of generous partners like you. As we look to the future, would you consider joining us in prayer, sharing this episode, or ⁠making a gift to invest in a vibrant, Jesus-centered church in every community⁠?Generis helps churches to cultivate a culture of generosity. Contact Jon Wright at Generis to learn more.

Howard Jolly has served as a pastor, musician, and leader among Indigenous churches across Canada for decades. Recently retired as Executive Director of the Indigenous Alliance Churches of Canada, Howard carries a deep passion for reconciliation within the Church and the renewal of Indigenous communities in Christ.In this conversation, Howard shares his journey from growing up in Moose Factory, Ontario, to pastoring First Nations Community Church in Winnipeg for 15 years, and leading a national network of Indigenous Alliance churches. His life and ministry have been shaped by a conviction that First Peoples reaching First Peoples is central to the gospel’s witness in Canada, and that reconciliation is not just for the healing of Indigenous communities, but for the health and fruitfulness of the whole Church.Together, Howard and Jason explore:How ministry to Indigenous peoples must engage colonial history, identity loss, and generational trauma,Why reconciliation is essential for the whole body of Christ, not just Indigenous peoples,The role of relationship, dignity, and presence in pastoral ministry,Howard’s personal story of coming to faith through the transformation of his father’s life,and Howard’s hopes and prayers for the future of the Church in Canada and the righteous reign of Jesus in our land.Howard speaks with warmth, humility, and deep wisdom born of a long obedience to Christ. His story invites pastors to move toward reconciliation with courage, to honour the dignity of all people, and to believe afresh in the hope and healing found in Jesus Christ.Show NotesIndigenous Alliance Churches of CanadaGive to our $30,000 August Match Campaign Fall 2025 Pastors Retreat at Barnabas LandingThe Pastorate Listener SurveyPartnersContact Jon Wright at Generis for help cultivating a culture of generosity in your church.

In this episode, we welcome Matthew Price, Lead Pastor of North Langley Community Church, for a deeply personal conversation about pastoral ministry.Matthew opens up about his unexpected journey into preaching, the powerful influence of mentors like Darrell Johnson, and how a vision from God reshaped his love for suburban ministry.Matthew and Jason explore:• The complexities and beauty of multi-site church leadership, including revitalizing declining churches• Matthew’s experience of burnout—the physical and emotional toll, and practices that led to healing• Wrestling with theological questions and pastoral identity in public ministry• Leading differently now: embracing limitation, trusting his team, and cultivating a slower, more sustainable paceMatthew’s story is a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness in the midst of suffering—and an invitation for pastors to slow down, be honest about their limitations, and rediscover their identity as beloved children of God.This is a conversation about learning to lead from a place of rest, receiving God’s love afresh, and finding joy in the ordinary work of pastoring.Show Notes:North Langley Community ChurchThe Pastorate Listener SurveyFall 2025 Pastors Retreat at Barnabas LandingSupport the Work of The PastorateThe work of strengthening pastors across Canada is only possible because of generous partners like you. Would you consider joining us in prayer, sharing this episode, or making a gift to invest in a vibrant, Jesus-centered church in every community?Thank You to Our Episode Sponsor:Generis helps churches cultivate a culture of generosity.Contact John Wright at Generis to learn more.

In a time when Christian sexual ethics are increasingly seen not just as outdated but as morally offensive, how can pastors lead with both clarity and compassion? In this conversation, author and apologist Rebecca McLaughlin engages with questions around Christian sexual ethics and makes a case for why the Christian story is ultimately good news for everyone. Rebecca reflects on how the cultural conversation surrounding Christian apologetics has shifted over the last two decades, from intellectual skepticism to moral resistance and she explores how the Church can respond to increasing secularism without losing its moral conviction or its tenderness.Rebecca explores key challenges and opportunities facing pastors today including: Articulating historic Christian beliefs on sexuality and gender in ways that draw people toward Jesus with both conviction and compassion,Reframing singleness as a vital, gospel-shaped calling, not a transitional or secondary state,Recovering a vision of Christian marriage and singleness as signposts pointing to Christ and His love for the Church,Recognizing that today’s cultural objections often reveal a deeper hunger for love, identity, and belonging that only the gospel can satisfy.Rebecca is bold and gracious, bringing sharp cultural insight, theological depth, and a pastoral sensitivity to the conversation. You’ll be encouraged to lead with both truth and tenderness, and to see even the hardest conversations as opportunities to point people to Jesus.Show Notes: ⁠Rebecca's Website and Books⁠⁠⁠The Pastorate Podcast Listener Survey⁠⁠⁠Fall 2025 Pastors Retreat at Barnabas Landing⁠⁠The Pastorate CareersPartners: Contact ⁠John Wright at Generis⁠ for help cultivating a culture of generosity in your church.We couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠give⁠⁠⁠⁠ towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church.

In this episode, Jason sits down with Dustin Funk, Lead Pastor of Oasis Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dustin shares his journey from encountering God at summer camp as a teenager, to stepping into leadership at a small Italian-speaking church, to guiding that same church through a remarkable season of cultural transition and growth. Dustin reflects on the lessons he’s learned over 27 years in pastoral ministry, how to lead through change, how to apologize well, and how to stay grounded in the faithful work of local church leadership. He talks candidly about what it was like to preach through an interpreter in an ethnic church context, how his church embraced a portable season before building a permanent home, and how he has come to embrace annual rhythms of rest. In this conversation Dustin shares about: How a camp experience shaped Dustin’s call to ministry,Preaching in a language he didn’t speak,The transformation of Oasis Church from an ethnic congregation to a multi-generational community,The highs and lows of 12 years as a portable church,Why he takes a study break every year,How the gospel offers something the world is hungry for.Show NotesOasis Church – Winnipeg, MBLearn more about ⁠Baptize Canada.⁠