The heritage-designated building is being re-purchased by the church that built originally it.

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

The National Housed of Prayer (NHOP) is moving. After 15 years in the heart of Ottawa, the ministry has sold their beautiful heritage building and begun transitioning to a new model, with teams spread across the country.

“Over the last year and a half, we’ve seen fewer teams coming from across Canada to be here,” says Rob Parker, who founded NHOP with his wife Fran. “Over the last year, it became evident that God was speaking to us about selling the building we are in. That became very specific when the Catholic Church behind us approached us and asked to purchase the building.”

The two ministries reached an agreement on the sale of the building and the property will transfer to St. Clement Parish at the end of September. Rob and Fran are moving to Alberta, where they will be closer to their grandchildren, but they believe this transition will actually increase the effectiveness of the ministry.

While the ministry will no longer have a physical property, they are establishing “field teams” across the country, meeting monthly to pray for Canada.

A visiting team prays at the National House of Prayer. Photo courtesy of NHOP.

“Our goal is still to raise up prayer for issues affecting our nation and of course praying for government. God is spreading us out, but through this increasing the amount of prayer for our nation and our government. The teams weren’t able to come to us, so we are going to them through social media.”

Currently they have 30 to 40 teams signed up, including three in Ottawa. Each month, teams will receive prayer points and a video with updates and guidance for praying into what God is doing in Canada. NHOP also has a secure social media page where teams can connect and share what God shows them in prayer.

“Every quarter we will be doing webinars, looking at God’s intent for government, how do we pray for government, issues that are affecting our nation, and biblically how we should feel about these issues.”

“We will choose specific times of the year to make it worthwhile, like during the National Prayer Breakfast, the March for Life, and the opening of Parliament.”

Rob and Fran also plan to maintain a presence in Ottawa, returning several times per year to lead prayer teams meeting members of parliament, providing in-person teaching, and leading prayer walks.

“We had a hotel offer us a really good rate and a room that we can designate for prayer with the teams,” Rob says.

“It is the same as what we did before when people would come and stay with us, only we will be doing it at a hotel,” adds Fran. “We will choose specific times of the year to make it worthwhile, like during the National Prayer Breakfast, the March for Life, and the opening of Parliament. Economically, this makes more sense.”

Meanwhile, the St. Clement Parish is very excited to have the property back. The building was built in 1921 as a rectory for Saint Anne Church, which backs onto the NHOP building and is owned by the St. Clement Parish.

“We have not had a church hall since 2012.”

“It is a beautiful building, probably one of the grandest ecclesiastical buildings in Ottawa,” says Edward Hall, Chairman of the parish pastoral committee. “We intend to return it to something very close to its original vocation, and that is to serve as the parish centre, to house the administrative offices of the parish, and to serve as meeting space.”

They intend to convert some of the space on the upper floors into a conference centre and banquet facility—something that means a lot to the parish.

“We have not had a church hall since we moved to Old St. Patrick Street, in 2012. It has meant that we sometimes rent facilities elsewhere. We often pitch a tent and meet on the front lawn during the nice months and we have actually done so on one occasion when the temperature was 30 below.

“Like the majority of Christian organizations, we need space where our people can meet, build community, and grow. It will be absolutely wonderful to soon have our own hall again and to have it in a building that has strong links to Ottawa’s heritage and our own church. It is going to be fabulous.”