“Right down to having their parking paid for, we want this whole thing to feel like a big gift.”

Craig Macartney
Senior Writer

Pastoring has always been a challenging job. COVID magnified those stresses, separating pastors from their congregations, forcing them to learn new ways to lead, while society and friendships fractured in the divisiveness of the culture. With restrictions now gone, One Way Ministries hosted a special evening to show appreciation to Ottawa’s pastoral community.

“Pastors’ lives have only gotten harder and more complicated,” says Mark Peterkins, executive director of One Way Ministries. “We recognized that they have a hard job. They are often not treated well. For the last two years, as a team, we have been watching for the right opening to be able to do this.”

On May 19, One Way welcomed 250 pastors and their spouses at the Horticulture Building, in Lansdowne Park. With a party atmosphere, the evening included appetizers and desserts catered by Chef Rick and his team from the Ottawa Mission. After time for fellowship, One Way hosted a worship service where the pastors could relax, without the usual cares of leadership.

“Every couple left with a gift, just to say, ‘Thank you for what you are doing. The Church in this city appreciates you,’” Peterkins states. “This event doesn’t have any strings attached to it. We are not trying to recruit them or get them into anything. Right down to having their parking paid for, we want this whole thing to feel like a big gift.”

“Some pastors don’t have a staff team and people who are standing in their corner. It can be lonely and challenging. People have high expectations.”

Ryan Dawson, lead pastor of Sequoia Community Church, says the pandemic was especially hard on pastors, whose job is so hands on. As pastors adjusted to online ministry, he says they often worked much harder, without experiencing most of the life-giving aspects of ministry work.

“Some pastors don’t have a staff team and people who are standing in their corner. It can be lonely and challenging. People have high expectations,” Dawson says. “For those pastors, I can only imagine the gift this event would be, to come to that environment. The unity of seeing 100 colleagues, all in a large room, that is something most of us haven’t experienced in a few years, and it is a real joy.”

One Way has hosted these events in the past, but not since 2017. Peterkins says these events foster new friendships and strengthen existing ones. Ultimately, they strengthen the networks between ministry and church leaders in the city by encouraging and building up the leaders, themselves.

“When someone goes out of their way to bless you and say, ‘We see you. We know it hasn’t been easy. We love you and we are standing with you,’ that is a real gift,” says Dawson.