Training to reach the nations
Tyndale offers intercultural ministry training to Ottawa pastors
Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer
The room was abuzz with laughter and greetings. Above the noise of coffee being poured, one sound hinted at the gathering group’s intent—accents from Irish to Egyptian and Indian to Ghanaian underscored that these Ottawa pastors and leaders were intent on reaching across cultural and national boundaries.
July 19 was the group’s second official meeting. They met to discuss the content of an online course they are taking together through the Tyndale Intercultural Ministries (TIM) Centre at Tyndale University.
“The face of Canada is changing. By 2031 nearly one-half of all Canadians aged 15 and older will be a first-generation immigrant or will have at least one parent who is a first-generation immigrant. This will require leaders having greater cultural self-awareness and intercultural competence for effective ministry in our growing multicultural urban-ministry contexts,” explains Robert Cousins, director of the TIM Centre.
“One of the biggest benefits of this program is providing pastors with tools that can help them navigate some of these cultural challenges.”
Thanks to a grant from the Canadian Bible League, the TIM Centre was able to offer an intercultural training course almost free for Ottawa pastors and leaders. The course includes an intercultural-competence assessment, personal coaching, study material, and online video lectures.
Most of the Ottawa cohort’s 20 members are first-generation immigrant pastors, themselves. While the training offers many benefits to Western pastors, Joseph Kiirya, one of the Ottawa cohort’s organizers, emphasizes its benefits for ethnic pastors.
“One challenge immigrants deal with is the difficulty of opening up from the bubble they have,” explains Kiirya, who is an immigrant pastor from Uganda. “The bubble of their culture is comfort, like-mindedness, and [shares one] language. One of the biggest benefits of this program is providing pastors with tools that can help them navigate some of these cultural challenges. It takes away that barrier they have toward the effectiveness of their ministry in Canada.”
“When I was first told about this course I was a bit hesitant,” admits Abraham Sudhakar, founder of Ottawa’s South Asian Christian Fellowship. “After a one-on-one meeting with Pastor Joseph, and going through the initial assessment, I realized the course would be quite helpful.”
“If willing to be humble, the Canadian Church can partner with new Canadians to reach out to people of other religions.”
Now about halfway through the course, Sudhakar says, “I am sure that the lessons learned will be of immense help in reaching out and engaging the various cultures in Ottawa with the gospel.”
But Cousins emphasizes that learning how to understand and effectively engage other cultures is absolutely essential for the Western Church. He believes this is an asset that will help bring increased unity in the Body of Christ.
“It is especially important if the Canadian Church is going to partner with new immigrants in Kingdom ministry, both locally and globally. Many new immigrants come from countries where they have much more experience in living among people of different religions. If willing to be humble, the Canadian Church can partner with new Canadians to reach out to people of other religions.”
Both Cousins and Kiirya say that when Christians from different cultures come together, they bring unique understandings from God’s word. Kiirya adds that each culture has distinct strengths and weaknesses in their expressions of Christian living. It is by bringing these differences together that the Church is strengthened and becomes complete.
Kiirya says the Canadian Bible League sets a great example by funding this training.
“The truth is these [immigrant] churches do not have resources, but they have something that is of great value to the Church. In fact, they are the revival that Canada has been praying for in the Body of Christ, yet the Church is not doing much to embrace or even invest in them. I think churches and Christian organizations in Ottawa need to deliberately think about the reality of an ethnic, intercultural, emerging immigrant Church.”
Similar Articles
Five national ministries partner to spur awakening in Canada
A move of prayer and unity is stirring in Canada. Across the country, leaders from different denominations feel called to join together in humble prayer. Now, five national and international ministries have come […]
Silent heroes amid COVID-19
In this time of COVID-19 pandemic, Christian Horizons provides an essential service through their team of direct-support professionals: workers who value and assist people with disabilities through their day-to-day routines. While the people […]
Sewing seeds
Masks will undoubtedly be part of the norm for months to come. By April, when Canada’s chief public health officer recommended cloth masks, the Metropolitan Bible Church’s city outreach team recognized […]
No Other Name goes digital
No Other Name, Ottawa’s annual Good Friday youth conference, is still running. Although initially cancelled due to the quarantine, No Other Name organizers felt God tell them, “You need to show up” for Ottawa’s youth. On Good Friday […]
CHRI and Pyjama Patrol join forces to warm children’s hearts this Christmas
With winter arriving, warm clothing is in greater demand—especially for kids growing up in difficult circumstances. Family Radio CHRI has partnered with Pyjama Patrol for their annual Christmas pyjama drive, to […]
Leading the Church through choppy waters
“Society is changing at a pace so much faster than we have seen in the past and the Church is just not ready to deal with it.” These stark words, spoken by Ottawa lawyer Albertos Polizogopoulos, frame the need for a recent event which One Way Ministries hosted for church leaders. Titled, “Leading your church through choppy waters,” the webinar highlighted current risks ministries need to […]