The Pastorate Podcast

In today’s episode, Father Justin Huang invites us into his journey of faith, vocation, and pastoral ministry. From a teenage conversion to a long and costly discernment of priesthood, Father Justin reflects on the ways that God leads us through surrender, suffering, and trust into deeper freedom and joy.Father Justin and Jason talk about the heart of Christian discipleship by exploring encounter with Jesus, dying to self in order to receive more of God, and the slow, patient formation of a life rooted in prayer. Father Justin shares honestly about exhaustion, panic attacks and the interior battles of ministry, while offering a hopeful vision for pastors who long to remain alive in Christ despite the weight of care, responsibility, and expectation. Together, Father Justin and Jason explore:Father Justin’s teenage conversion and his journey toward a lifelong call to priesthood, shaped by fear, surrender, and learning to trust God,The difference between surface-level happiness and the deeper peace that comes through obedience, encounter with Jesus, and costly discipleship,Why encounter with Jesus must come before asking people to embrace costly discipleship,Leading parish renewal by centering ministry on God’s mercy, presence, and love,The unseen toll of ministry: exhaustion, panic, burnout, and learning to recognize early warning signs with honesty and humility,How patterns of prayer, rule of life, retreat, and silence help pastors create space to receive God’s love without striving or proving.Father Justin offers a generous window into the interior life of a pastor who has learned, often painfully, that holiness is not found in doing more for God, but in making space to receive more of Him. Whether you’re navigating ministry fatigue, discerning a call, or longing for deeper intimacy with Jesus, this conversation invites you to slow down, listen, and trust the Father’s patient work in your life.Show Notes: St. Anthony of Padua Parish — South VancouverFather Justin's BlogCatholic Christian OutreachThe Liturgy of the HoursThe Examen Prayer (St. Ignatius of Loyola)PartnersSpecial thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for making this episode possible. We invite you to explore their ⁠Bible Course⁠ to help your church grow in Scripture engagement.

In today’s episode, Jason sits down with Chris Dias of Hope Bible Church in Oakville, Ontario to discuss Chris’ journey from the corporate world into vocational ministry. Chris reflects on Hope Bible Church’s unique co-lead model, grounded in long-term friendship and clear “highest and best use” roles, and shares honestly about the joy and struggle of being a church committed to equipping and sending out ministers and church planters. Along the way, he highlights the importance of prayerful discernment and the courageous work of calling and forming leaders for the good of the local church.Chris and Jason explore:The story of Hope Bible Church and what God has done in the past 20 years,Chris’ journey from bank executive and church elder to full-time vocational ministry, and what that discernment looked like over time,Why Hope Bible Church shifted from a senior pastor model to a co-lead model, and the ingredients that make it work,The burden of Matthew 9:38, praying earnestly for labourers, and how leadership development requires both prayer and courageous invitation,The worthwhile cost of being a sending church: money, bandwidth, change, and the grief of releasing friends, A framework for multiplication: conviction, culture, constructs, and why the Church needs all three.Chris offers a grounded, hope-filled vision for pastors who feel the weight of leadership shortages, who long to develop future leaders with depth, and who want to build churches that both grow and send. If you’re trying to steward what God is doing without drifting into self-reliance, may this conversation renew your dependence on Jesus, expand your imagination for multiplication, and strengthen your courage to call leaders forward.Show NotesHope Bible Church OakvilleGive to The Pastorate’s Year End CampaignEmerging Leaders Lab ApplicationSpring Pastors RetreatPartnersContact 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.

Five years into planting The Way Church in Vancouver and five years into The Pastorate, Jason steps into the guest chair to reflect on what he’s seeing in the Canadian church and what gives him real hope for pastors today. In this role-reversal episode, Jordan interviews Jason about his life as a local pastor, the story behind The Pastorate, and why he still wants to serve pastors as a practitioner, not a commentator.Jordan and Jason talk about:How Jason’s pastoral curiosity shapes the way he hosts the podcast and listens to guests,Planting The Way Church during the pandemic and how that journey has run alongside The Pastorate’s first five years,A concrete story of church revitalization through The Way’s “marriage” with Sutherland Church in North Vancouver, and what it meant for legacy, humility, and hope,The current pastoral landscape in Canada: a shortage of pastors, but a deep hunger, especially among younger leaders, for character, depth, and a real life with God,The power of small pastoral cohorts and friendships: sharing burdens, praying together, rejoicing and mourning with one another, as a key to staying in ministry for the long haul,What’s next for The Pastorate: retreats, cohorts, city meetups, and the dream of a national gathering that centres on Jesus and the renewal of the church in Canada.The episode ends with Jason speaking directly to pastors, a reminder that God’s kingdom is at hand, that shepherding a local church is costly and precious work, and that one day in the new creation, the unseen faithfulness of ordinary pastors and congregations will matter more than we can even begin to imagine.Show NotesAlex and Caleb’s Story | a film by The PastorateAaron’s Story | a film by The PastorateThe Way ChurchThe Way CollegeGive to The Pastorate’s Year End CampaignEmerging Leaders Lab ApplicationPartnersWe 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.Special thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for making this episode possible. We invite you to explore their ⁠Bible Course⁠ to help your church grow in Scripture engagement.

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, Derrick Miller invites us into the story of Makers Church in San Diego and the co-vocational calling that’s shaped his life as both pastor and firefighter. Derrick shares how a surprising “church marriage” with a 100-year-old congregation, neighborhood change, and a multi-million-dollar building renovation have forced him and his team to slow down, listen carefully to the Spirit, and rethink what sustainable leadership actually looks like. Along the way, he offers a lived picture of priesthood-of-all-believers, where every follower of Jesus is sent into their workplace, street, and city as a full participant in God’s mission.In this conversation Jason and Derrick talk about:The origin story of Makers Church and how Derrick’s firefighter calling shaped their co-vocational model,How a young church plant “married” a 100-year-old congregation, and inherited a spiritual legacy, not just a building,How neighbourhood change and selling church-owned homes opened the door for new mission and a major renovation,The shift from pastor-led decisions to communal discernment, elder leadership, and governance that reflects real church life,Why co-vocational ministry is about more than budgets and how it reframes staffing, power, and how we view congregants as sent ones,Practical ways pastors can affirm everyday work as mission and equip people to live as the church where they live, work, and play.Derrick offers a hopeful and grounded vision for pastors wrestling with limited resources, changing neighbourhoods, and questions about what’s next for their church. Whether you’re leading in a rented gym, renovating a century-old sanctuary, or simply tired of feeling like everything depends on you, may this conversation expand your imagination, ease some pressure, and help you see your people, and their everyday work, as central to the kingdom story God is writing in your city.Show Notes⁠Makers Church – San Diego, CA⁠ ⁠Lead Pastor Fellowship Application⁠⁠Emerging Leaders Lab Application⁠PartnersWe 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.Contact ⁠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.

On today’s episode of The Pastorate we welcome Junie Josue, pastor of International Worship Center, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. From a three-day fast in Manila to planting a multi-ethnic church in central Canada, Junie shares a Spirit-led story of obedience, discipleship, and multiplication. The conversation traces the discernment journey that brought Junie and his wife, Fatima, to Canada in 1999, the cell-church structure that fuels IWC’s inter-provincal growth, and a vision to plant 100 churches across the nation. Junie also opens up about the inner life of a pastor, moving from performance to presence, and letting God heal old wounds. Jason and Junie explore: How a season of prayer and fasting led to a call from God to plant a church in Winnipeg.Why International Worship Center chose a cell-church architecture to disciple deeply and multiply churches.Releasing real authority to the next generation and why reaching dominant Canada culture will be led by second generation immigrants to Canada.Fostering a church culture where every site plants new sites, supported by ongoing coaching, care, and connection.The strength of bi-vocational leadership: volunteers and part-time pastors who stay embedded among the lost.The inner work of the pastor: healing from past wounds, resisting performative spirituality, and receiving God’s goodness before ministering it.This conversation shares Junie’s story and invites pastors to receive God’s goodness in their own inner life while being attentive to the work of God in the lives of those they’ve been called to serve. ShownotesInternational Worship Centre - https://iwcentre.com/Lead Pastor Fellowship Application - https://www.thepastorate.ca/lpfCoram Deo Foundation Joseph Chung Scholarship - https://coramdeofoundation.com/joseph-chung-scholarship-applicationFall City Meetups - https://thepastorate.ca/gatheringsPartnersSpecial thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for making this episode possible. We invite you to explore their ⁠Bible Course⁠ to help your church grow in Scripture engagement.The 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?

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. 

In this conversation, Jason sits down with Ryan Johnson, pastor of Church Untitled in downtown Vancouver. Ryan shares openly about how the church began after the collapse of another, walking through seasons of anxiety and depression, and learning to cultivate a dependence on God while shepherding people who were hurting. What started with a small group meeting in the corner of a nightclub has grown into a worshipping community in the heart of the city marked by prayer, consecration, and God’s presence.Jason and Ryan explore themes that matter deeply to pastors today, including:- Consecration before vision: The formative role of Joshua 3:5, focusing on internal formation and God’s presence ahead of programs and plans.- Dependence vs. strategy: Learning to follow the Spirit’s guiding, and how to keep choosing dependence even after growth and momentum arrive.- Worship as shepherding: How worship shapes us beyond emotion, trading what we feel for what we know of God, and the importance of extended spaces of prayer and song.- Ongoing healing for leaders and churches: Naming self-protection, practicing vulnerability, and letting love perfect what fear distorts in the life of a community.- Citywide unity and hunger: Stories of collaborative worship nights, overflowing prayer ministry, and a growing hunger for God across ages and backgrounds.If you’ve walked through church hurt, or are leading people who have, this episode offers an honest, hope-filled account of how God turns ruins into foundations and pain into worship.Show Notes- Church Untitled | https://www.churchuntitled.com/- Fall City Meetups⁠⁠ | https://www.thepastorate.ca/gatherings- Lead Pastors Fellowship⁠⁠ | https://www.thepastorate.ca/lpf⁠⁠- Fall 2025 Pastors Retreat at Barnabas Landing⁠⁠ | https://www.thepastorate.ca/events/pastorsretreatfall2025- The Pastorate Listener Survey⁠ | https://www.thepastorate.ca/surveyThank You to Our Episode SponsorSpecial thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for making this episode possible. We invite you to explore their ⁠Bible Course⁠ to help your church grow in Scripture engagement. | https://biblesociety.ca/thebiblecourse/

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. 

In this conversation, Jason sits down with Dom Ruso, pastor of The 180 Church in Greater Montreal, to talk about the joys and challenges of church planting in one of the most secularized contexts in North America.Dom shares openly about his discernment journey, how God drew him and his wife back to Quebec despite initial resistance, and what it has looked like to build a church community from scratch in a region where many are spiritually open but institutionally skeptical.Jason and Dom explore themes that matter deeply to pastors today:Dom’s honest wrestle with returning to Quebec, and the slow ways God confirmed the call to plant a church there.The unique dynamics of Quebec culture and what it means to preach the Bible in ways that connect with people who carry wounds from religion or who feel indifferent toward Christianity.How congregations can embody health and unity in a divided cultural landscape, and what Canada’s regional differences can teach us about God’s work across the country.Why it’s not enough to “tell” people what the Bible says, but to invite them into its story, and how plot points of Scripture resonate with modern longings for justice, meaning, and identity.Why it matters to recover a distinct vision of pastoral calling, and how the overlap with modern leadership and coaching culture can blur what shepherding the people of God really means.Dom also talks about his new book, The Bible for a Shifting Secular Age, which brings together his pastoral experience and academic work to offer handles for understanding secularism and fresh ways of presenting Scripture today.Show Notes
The 180 ChurchThe Bible for a Shifting Secular AgeGive to our $30,000 August Match Campaign⁠⁠Fall 2025 Pastors Retreat at Barnabas Landing⁠⁠The Pastorate Listener Survey⁠Thank You to Our Episode SponsorSpecial thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for making this episode possible. We invite you to explore their ⁠Bible Course⁠ to help your church grow in Scripture engagement.

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.

The Old Testament can feel daunting to preach, but it’s an essential part of the story we’re called to tell. Many pastors avoid preaching texts of violence, trauma, and grief but what if these difficult texts are exactly what our churches need to hear? In this conversation, Old Testament scholar and Anglican priest Dr. Lissa Wray Beal offers a thoughtful and deeply encouraging guide for engaging the harder parts of Scripture. Drawing from her current writing on the book of Jeremiah and her years of pastoral ministry and academic scholarship, Lissa makes the case that these ancient texts are essential for helping congregations find language in time of suffering and struggle.Together Lissa and Jason explore: - Preaching texts of trauma with both theological clarity and pastoral care, especially in communities shaped by grief, abuse, or injustice,- Finding solidarity with Jeremiah as a model for faithful ministry in seasons of exhaustion, obscurity, or rejection,- Navigating denominational shifts with humility, theological conviction, and an openness to the diverse expressions of the Church,- Recovering the Psalms as vital resources for congregational prayer, especially in times of cultural and spiritual disorientation,- Rethinking the future of seminaries: the importance of embodied formation, theological depth, and renewed partnership with the Church.Lissa is thoughtful and pastoral, blending scholarly depth with real-world insight. This is a thoughtful conversation about formation in the word, pastoral faithfulness, and the steady grace of God in the complexity of everyday life.Show NotesLissa Wray Beal’s PublicationsThe 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. 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? Thank You to Our Episode SponsorSpecial thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for making this episode possible. We invite you to explore their ⁠Bible Course⁠ to help your church grow in Scripture engagement.

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 today’s episode, Jason sits down with pastor and church planter Pradeepan Jeeva for a vulnerable conversation on calling, suffering, and leading a church where everyone can find their place. Pradeepan and his wife Amritha co-lead Kalos Church in Bellevue, Washington, a vibrant, multicultural community born out of a literal dream and built one backyard barbecue at a time.With tender honesty Pradeepan shares about the joy and heartbreak of planting in one of the most unchurched cities in America, and how his family’s story, from Sri Lankan refugees to pastors in Seattle, has shaped the unique multicultural demographic of their church. From his personal mental health challenges to his children’s autism diagnoses, Pradeepan opens up about what it means to keep pastoring when life gets tough, and how the Church he founded became an essential support to his family.In this conversation, Pradeepan shares:The spiritual roots of Kalos Church and how a dream led them to plant a church in Seattle,How the Church helped carry him through personal grief, personal breakdown, and family hardship,How his son became the inspiration behind their church’s thriving special needs ministry,A fresh, practical model for discipleship borrowed from his son’s individualized education plan,and why story-sharing and vulnerability are non-negotiables for building a diverse, healing community.Pradeepan’s passion for Jesus, love for the Church, and unwavering commitment to those on the margins will leave you encouraged, challenged, and deeply moved.Show NotesPradeepan’s Mailing List and Book NotificationsKalos Church The Pastorate Listener Survey Fall 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. 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? Thank You to Our Episode SponsorSpecial thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for making this episode possible. We invite you to explore their Bible Course to help your church grow in Scripture engagement.

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 long-time pastor, professor, and marketplace theologian R. Paul Stevens to explore the sacredness of daily work. Paul’s ministry journey spans decades, from student ministry in Halifax to pastoring in Vancouver, teaching at Regent College, and even a mid-career stint as a carpenter. Paul unpacks the heartbeat behind his conviction that every follower of Jesus is in full-time ministry and that whatever your vocation, be it a pastor, a police officer, or a mother, your work matters to God. In this conversation Paul shares about: How Ephesians 4 set helped him come to realize that all Christians are in “full-time ministry,” The danger of dualism among our congregations and the importance of reclaiming whole-life, integrated discipleship,How pastors can empower their congregations for Monday-to-Saturday faithfulness, A story of meeting a young seeker on public transit and the unfolding of their year-long discipleship journey.Paul is thoughtful and intentional, bringing over 50 years of ministry experience and theological rigor to the conversation. In this episode Paul will remind you that pastoral leadership isn’t confined to a platform or pulpit, and you’ll be inspired by stories of a seasoned pastor living out the Gospel in his ordinary, everyday moments. Show Notes: Fall 2025 Pastors Retreat at Barnabas LandingPaul’s WebsiteInstitute for Marketplace TransformationPartners: 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.Learn more about the Canadian Bible Society's "Bible Course."

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.⁠

In today’s conversation Preston Pouteaux shares what it means to be a tenderhearted pastor in a fast-paced world. Speaking from Chestermere, Alberta, Preston invites us into a vision of pastoring that’s slow, rooted, and profoundly local. From RCMP ride-alongs to keeping bees and loving neighbours, Preston offers a poetic yet practical vision of what it means to love and serve a place and its people. In this conversation Preston shares about: How pastoral imagination is formed,How curiosity and inquiry is a needed pastoral posture, Riding along with RCMP officers at night as a Chaplain,Beekeeping and the theology of pollinators, and Why presence, more than expertise, is a pastor’s most powerful gift.This episode is for any pastor who is seeking to better understand their context and to serve their people well. You’ll be reminded that gentleness is not weakness, and that being embedded in your local community might be the most courageous thing you can do.Show NotesPreston’s Book: The Bees of Rainbow Falls: Finding Faith, Imagination, and Delight in Your Neighbourhood Lake Ridge Community Church PartnersContact 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.

What does it look like to stay tender and human as a pastor, even while holding the weight of others’ pain? In this rich and deeply practical conversation, Steve Cuss shares wisdom from decades of ministry—including his years as a hospital chaplain, a lead pastor, and now, a trusted voice equipping leaders around the world in managing leadership anxiety.Steve reflects on transitioning out of senior leadership, the gift of simply being a congregant, and how to stay present in rooms thick with grief and unspoken pressure. With vulnerability and humour, he unpacks how pastors can become aware of their own coping mechanisms, grow in emotional health, and shift from reacting to reflecting.Whether you’re navigating your own expectations, dealing with system-wide stress, or walking with people through deep loss, this conversation is packed with soul-forming insight.In today’s episode:Lessons from chaplaincy on presence, restraint, and incarnational ministryHow anxiety circulates in church systems (and how to disrupt it with calm leadership)The “expectation gap” in our relationship with God and how to close itBiographySteve Cuss is a leadership coach, speaker, and former hospital chaplain and pastor who helps leaders grow in emotional and spiritual health. With years of experience in Family Systems Theory, chaplaincy, and church leadership, Steve equips others to manage anxiety, stay grounded under pressure, and lead with greater presence. He’s the author of Managing Leadership Anxiety and The Expectation Gap, and the founder of Capable Life—a practical resource that’s helped thousands of leaders around the world break free from stuck patterns and lead with clarity, peace, and purpose.PartnersWe 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.Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bible Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Guest NotesSteve’s Website https://www.stevecusswords.com/The Expectation Gap https://www.amazon.ca/Expectation-Gap-between-Beliefs-Experience/dp/0310156378Managing Leadership Anxiety https://www.amazon.ca/Managing-Leadership-Anxiety-Yours-Theirs/dp/1400210887Capable Life ​​https://capablelife.com/Show NotesWebsite⁠⁠Blog and Episode Write Up⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠Instagram