“One of our goals is to create space where unity comes out of this fellowship.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

Meeting Point Ministry just celebrated five years of fostering prayer and unity among Ottawa’s pastors. Although Meeting Point has not been very visible in Ottawa, its impact has been significant.

“In practical terms, we get to meet with pastors and leaders in fellowship and prayer,” explains Isaac Gimba, Meeting Point’s founder. “In that way, we are able to help get two different congregations engaging one another. It has been fascinating to see what the Lord has done.”

A key, Gimba believes, is relational unity: building unity out of healthy relationships. When Gimba first came to Ottawa, God put it on his heart to pray for local pastors. He started a list of pastors he didn’t know and began praying for them regularly.

“Sometimes the Lord would lay a searchlight on an individual. I would call them and introduce myself and we would meet at Tim Hortons. What was amazing in those moments, here I am meeting a total stranger, but they were so comfortable, they would be very vulnerable and I would be able to bring a word of encouragement.”

Isaac Gimba and his wife Diana (right) stand with a group of other Ottawa pastors. Photo courtesy of Meeting Point Ministry.

The ministry marked their anniversary with a special three-hour service held December 10. More than a dozen local pastors helped lead the service, giving brief messages, leading prayer, and joining in a panel discussion led by Pastor’s Wives and Women in Ministry. Yet the celebration went beyond a meeting, embodying unity by welcoming all those present to share a meal and fellowship at the end.

“It was networking, building relationships, and encouraging ourselves in building more authentic fellowship in the Church,” Gimba explains. “One of our goals is to create space where unity comes out of this fellowship.”

Gimba says a repeated message highlighted at the event is the need to be Kingdom focused, rather than ministry focused.

“We are all hoping to achieve unity in the city, but there is no way that unity can be achieved if we are all flying our own flags,” he says. “We are all part of one Body. We have to lower our denominational influences and lift up the flag of Christ.”

As an outflow of the event, Meeting Point aims to pull together a team of pastors to pray together and strategize how to expand on the unity God is establishing in the Ottawa Church.

Making prayer central

Fostering prayer is a key aspect of Meeting Point, and has been another way they have brought pastors and leaders together from different groups. Three years ago, Gimba felt led to start “Midnight Incense”—an hour of group prayer, held every night at midnight. Since then, they have felt led to add two more daily hours of group prayer, at 6 a.m. and noon.

“We now have many other pastors who are consistent. It has built so much momentum. There is only one day we don’t meet to pray, and that is December 31. Every other day, whether or not it’s a holiday, someone has been on for those three times of prayer.”

“That is when the change started happening in my life.”

Christelle is one of the many people who has been impacted by Meeting Point. She says the ministry helped her develop real maturity in her faith. A year ago, Meeting Point called for a month of prayer and fasting. During a celebration at the end, Christelle asked God to show her that He was really working.

“Within the twinkle of an eye, it was like a wind moved me,” she says. “I was pushed toward the middle of the congregation and fell. I wasn’t hurt and, when I got up, it was like something heavy had left me. That is when the change started happening in my life.

“My heart has changed, completely. I no longer take offense. I used to be a hot-tempered person, but that has changed. I no longer get angry for little things. I take my time to think before I respond.”

Gimba says it is easy for Christians to lose focus and zeal in the monotony of life. The same is true among leaders; they get used to the same rhythms of ministry, and it can be easy to let their personal time with God slip. Yet, the rhythms of prayer God called Meeting Point to, have a profoundly different effect.

“I look forward to these times of prayer. Honestly, the improvement they have brought in my personal walk with God cannot be quantified with words.”