John Counsell brings back talk show with renewed gospel focus

Elizabeth Mabie
Special to Spur Ottawa

John Counsell is back on the air. Counsell’s show “Late Night Counsell” airs live, exclusively online, weeknights from 9 until 11 p.m.

“What? You thought I was just going to ride off into the sunset and pastor my nice, little church in Vanier? Not gonna happen,” laughs Counsell in the new program’s intro.

Two months after his show was cut from CFRA, the radio veteran of 34 years announced to the twitter-verse that his show would be “resurrected”. Counsell breathed life into that promise April 29, with a half-hour test broadcast, explaining the show’s new and improved presentation. His first official, independent broadcast aired Monday, May 9, 2016.

“A couple of very technically gifted fans of my work came together and provided me with thousands of dollars in free studio time, research, and website development to make it all possible,” says Counsell. “If you ask them why, which I have, they reply, ‘God wants me to.’”

Photo courtesy of John Counsell.

The new “Late Night Counsell” kept some of the popular segments from its CFRA expression, like “Ask the Pastor” and “Freebie Fridays.” However, on the Monday and Tuesday current-event discussions, and Wednesday’s “Ask the Pastor,” Counsell plans to feature more guests, providing insight on the evening’s topic. Past guests include former CFRA talk-show host Nick Vandergragt and Climate Science International’s Tom Harris.

Freed from Bell Media’s broadcast restrictions, listeners experience an unfiltered, genuine Counsell.

Counsell says being his own boss is “way more freedom, way more fun. I have never worked harder in my life.”

“I don’t mind being wrong on political stuff. If we’re wrong in communicating Christ’s love, we all lose.”

As the lead pastor of Vanier Community Church and the Capital City Biker’s Church, Counsell has a reputation for his innovative approach to spreading the Gospel. He plans to work that more into his renewed show.

“Being honest, truthful, and loving people is the way Christ taught. When I was at my worst He loved me enough to die for me,” says Counsell, paraphrasing Romans 5:8. “I have no choice, as His follower, to do anything less. I don’t mind being wrong on political stuff. If we’re wrong in communicating Christ’s love, we all lose.”

Counsell’s vision for the restored “Late Night Counsell” is to take the opportunity God has provided him and use his gifts to reach listeners, showing them there is hope in a world that often seems beyond repair.

“I want them to know the risen Christ and have His power flowing through them. There is no better way to make the world a better place.”