“The world needs the witness of a Christian Church united in its commitment to Christ and His gospel.”

Jenny Burr
Spur Ottawa Correspondent

The words “fire” and “fusion” bring to mind two different elements, surrounded by flames, melting and fusing to become one stronger element. That is the intended image for a local conference and ministry named “Fire and Fusion”. The ministry is a collaborative effort between the Catholic and Protestant churches.

“Fire and Fusion is the name given to a conference on unity and revival which was hosted by Lift Jesus Higher,” explains Father Bob Poole. “It was [first] held at the Delta Hotel, in August 2014. The speakers included John Arnott, the founding pastor of Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (now known as Catch the Fire Ministry) and Matteo Calisi, who is the Catholic founder of the United in Christ Ministry.”

Poole is the director of Lift Jesus Higher, a Catholic charismatic community of believers in Vanier. As a key organizer for the event, he explains that fire symbolizes the Holy Spirit’s power and fusion is a symbol for unity and revival.

“Any move toward overcoming historical divisions strengthens the Christian message to our world.”

“Fire and Fusion seeks to overcome the divisions of centuries by furthering the will of God,” says Poole. “The world needs the witness of a Christian Church which is united in its commitment to Christ and His gospel. Divisions in the body of Christ weaken this witness. Any move toward overcoming historical divisions strengthens the Christian message to our world. Therefore, Fire and Fusion is strengthening the witness to Christ and His gospel.”

The idea for the Fire and Fusion conference of 2014 began the year before, when Poole attended an International Leaders School of Ministry, in Rome, with another member of Lift Jesus Higher.

“We met up with John Arnott and Matthew Calisi and invited them to come and speak at a conference in Ottawa, which grew into the Fire and Fusion conference of 2014.”

This fall they started up a new season of Fire and Fusion, gathering the third Thursday of every month.

Although the Fire and Fusion movement has only been around since 2014, the concept dates back to the 1960s within the Roman Catholic Church. Under the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Church was encouraged to speak and reconcile with other Christian churches.

“The Lift Jesus Higher community has been the main promoters of the [local] movement,” says Poole. “We also receive significant support from Richard Long and Sarah Jackson of Love Ottawa; Pastors Jonathan Hutchison and John Raymer, of the Peace Tower [Pentecostal] Church; Mark Redner, the pastor of Oasis Pentecostal Church; and Father Doug Hayman, of the Annunciation Anglican Ordinariate.”

In 2015, the team held another Fire and Fusion conference. At the event, participants indicated an interest to participate in monthly Fire and Fusion meetings.

Poole says that as a result, “Pastors and leaders from different Christian churches alternately meet at Lift Jesus Higher and Peace Tower Church. Three monthly revival meetings have been held at different churches.”

This fall they started up a new season of Fire and Fusion, gathering the third Thursday of every month.

“I would like to see more and more churches and pastors from across the entire spectrum of the body of Christ in Ottawa taking hold of the vision of Fire and Fusion and running with it.”