“When I started going to church I really started loving people.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

In high school, Brad Fitchett was a big partier. He wanted to bring people together and make sure everyone could be at the parties he organized. Today Fitchett hosts weekly parties for Ottawa’s youth and young adults—but these parties are all about leading people to Jesus.

Raised as a nominal Catholic, Fitchett believed in a god, but had little grounding in the Faith. In his early teens he became interested in Buddhism and New Age beliefs, until his dance teacher and mentor invited him to church.

“I was 16. I started going to church and heard crazy testimonies about Jesus,” he says. “Fairly early on, they gave people an opportunity to accept Jesus. I prayed that prayer, but didn’t really give Jesus my life.”

Although Fitchett was not truly following Jesus, God began a powerful work in his life. Practically overnight he went from a very shy kid, with few friends, to having a deep passion for the people around him. When his school organized “Super Fan Friday,” for students to showcase whatever they are a fan of, Fitchett showed up with tons of outgoing energy as a fan of people.

“I often prayed before the parties, asking God to bless them and make them go well.”

“I made signs saying, ‘I’m your biggest fan,’ and ‘You got this!’ I just went all around the school encouraging people that day. I really had fun with it, so I started going out and encouraging people every Monday. It was just supernatural, when I started going to church I really started loving people.”

Fitchett’s new persona led to a lot of popularity, but without discipleship his efforts led him in the wrong direction. He started organizing house parties, gathering up to 150 people.

“I often prayed before the parties, asking God to bless them and make them go well, but I was not leading people to Jesus I was leading them to sin, with drinking and sexual immorality,” Fitchett says. “I wanted to bring people together and help people. I actually thought it was a very noble thing, that this was something Jesus would do.”

“I was living in all this sin and I started experiencing death.”

As much as he seemed and felt happy, there was something wrong under the surface. Behind closed doors Fitchett started struggling with anger and self-harm. He would punch holes in walls, slam his head into doors, and one time punched himself in the head so hard he was almost knocked out. Fitchett says there was no clear reason he felt that way, except “The wages of sin is death.”

“I was living in all this sin and I started experiencing death. That verse refers to eternal death, but I believe it also means the wages of sin produce death, right now we get to taste it.”

Yet God was still working in him. While riding the bus one day, he read Romans 13 and was shocked to realize God did not want him partying. Gradually, God began changing his desires. On New Years Eve, 2019, Fitchett was getting read for a party when he decided he wanted to spend the night with Jesus instead. He called Shabach Kerr, a Christian acquaintance he had known in high school, and went to church instead of the party.

Over the next few months, Fitchett made friends with members of Dunamis Army, got baptized and started getting discipled. Just as the pandemic started, he quit his job to focus his time studying scripture and doing street evangelism. As he learned to follow God, he found freedom from his self-harm and anger issues.

Shabach Kerr and Brad Fitchett now work together sharing the gospel with youth and young adults. Photo courtesy of Brad Fitchett.

“Brad has changed drastically over the last few years,” Kerr states. “One big change is his love for truth. A second would be his genuine love for people—not just wanting people to like him, but for people to find freedom and transformation in Jesus. Since being born again, Brad has made it a priority to see his city, friends, and loved ones experience the love and power of God.”

This past summer, Kerr and Fitchett worked together to organize summer outreach parties for Dunamis. As the weather turned cold, they moved inside with parties every Saturday night, gathering believers and non-believers.

“It’s like a youth and young adults group,” Fitchett says. “You walk in, there are cool lights and Christian rap playing. We have a whole gym set up with couches, a TV and game cube, and a bunch of people who love Jesus.”

Although they have worship and a message, Fitchett says a favourite aspect of the parties are the natural ministry moments that happen as they socialize and play games. Through the parties, a number of young adults have decided to follow Jesus, get baptized, and begin discipleship programs.

Hearing Fitchett speak, you can tell he is the life of the party and he is handing out invitations to a big celebration promised in the Bible.

“Jesus came for the lost, hurting, and broken. I was all of those, but I was pretty good at hiding it,” Fitchett states. “The Lord saved me and washed me clean and now I’m living for Him.”