The Pastorate Podcast

• Nestor Abdon on Multicultural Ministry in Canada, Welcoming Newcomers, and Second-Generation Immigrants as Cultural Bridges

  Nestor Abdon is a Filipino-Canadian pastor serving as Global & Local Outreach Pastor at Bramalea Baptist Church in Brampton, Ontario. Having ministered among newcomers, refugees, and diaspora churches across Canada, Nestor carries a deep passion for hospitality, multicultural mission, and the vital contribution of diaspora communities to the life and future of the church in Canada.In this conversation, Nestor traces his journey from growing up in the Philippines to arriving in Canada in 2010, pastoring within a Filipino church, serving at a refugee centre, and eventually leading newcomers and diaspora ministries at large churches in the Toronto area. His life and ministry have been shaped by the conviction that migration is not just a social reality but a biblical lens, that God is gathering the nations in Canadian cities, and that welcoming newcomers is central to the church’s participation in the gospel today.Together, Nestor and Jason explore:How Nestor’s own experience as a newcomer to Canada shaped his pastoral calling among immigrants, refugees, and international students,Practical ways churches can embody hospitality, through ESL programs, settlement partnerships, shared meals, and newcomer fellowships,The importance of a listening posture and intercultural competence in majority-culture churches, rather than rushing to fix problems without hearing people’s actual needs,The unique role and strengths of diaspora and ethnic monocultural churches within the wider “gospel ecology” of Canadian cities,How majority-culture churches can move diaspora leaders from the margins to the centre, offering real voice, leadership, and shared decision-making,The tensions and possibilities of first and second generation dynamics, and why second-generation immigrants can serve as “cultural bridges” for the church,What it means to contextualize the gospel across cultures and why diaspora Christians give Nestor deep hope for the future of the church in Canada.Nestor speaks with warmth and a reflective wisdom formed in the overlap of the academy and local church. His story invites pastors to see their city as a global mission field, to make room for diaspora leaders at the table, and to embrace the beautiful, diverse foretaste of Revelation 7 that God is already bringing to life in Canada.Show NotesNestor’s Book: Marginality of Visible Minorities in CanadaJason Georges Book: The 3d GospelBramlea Baptist ChurchGive to The Pastorate’s Year End CampaignLead Pastor Fellowship ApplicationEmerging Leaders Lab ApplicationPartnersContact John Wright at Generis for help cultivating a culture of generosity in your church.

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• Derrick Miller on Co-Vocational Calling, Merging with a 100-Year-Old Church, and Leading Through Change

  In today’s episode, Derrick Miller invites us into the story of Makers Church in San Diego and the co-vocational calling that’s shaped his life as both pastor and firefighter. Derrick shares how a surprising “church marriage” with a 100-year-old congregation, neighborhood change, and a multi-million-dollar building renovation have forced him and his team to slow down, listen carefully to the Spirit, and rethink what sustainable leadership actually looks like. Along the way, he offers a lived picture of priesthood-of-all-believers, where every follower of Jesus is sent into their workplace, street, and city as a full participant in God’s mission.In this conversation Jason and Derrick talk about:The origin story of Makers Church and how Derrick’s firefighter calling shaped their co-vocational model,How a young church plant “married” a 100-year-old congregation, and inherited a spiritual legacy, not just a building,How neighbourhood change and selling church-owned homes opened the door for new mission and a major renovation,The shift from pastor-led decisions to communal discernment, elder leadership, and governance that reflects real church life,Why co-vocational ministry is about more than budgets and how it reframes staffing, power, and how we view congregants as sent ones,Practical ways pastors can affirm everyday work as mission and equip people to live as the church where they live, work, and play.Derrick offers a hopeful and grounded vision for pastors wrestling with limited resources, changing neighbourhoods, and questions about what’s next for their church. Whether you’re leading in a rented gym, renovating a century-old sanctuary, or simply tired of feeling like everything depends on you, may this conversation expand your imagination, ease some pressure, and help you see your people, and their everyday work, as central to the kingdom story God is writing in your city.Show Notes⁠Makers Church – San Diego, CA⁠ ⁠Lead Pastor Fellowship Application⁠⁠Emerging Leaders Lab Application⁠PartnersWe couldn’t do the work we do at The Pastorate without your generous support. We invite you to pray, share, and ⁠⁠give⁠⁠ towards seeding a hope-filled future for the Canadian church.Contact ⁠John Wright at Generis⁠ for help cultivating a culture of generosity in your church.

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• Darrell Johnson on Preaching Advent: Six Frameworks to Borrow, and His New Book Awaken Wonder

  In today’s episode, Darrell Johnson opens his journal and his toolkit, sharing how a hard year has softened his pastoral heart and how a simple morning liturgy that includes journaling, reading Scripture, and listing notes of gratitude have helped refresh his soul. Darrell invites us into his new book, an Advent reader titled Awaken Wonder, and shares six practical frameworks for preaching through Advent that he invites pastors to glean from and borrow. Darrell helps us imagine Advent preaching that’s both bold and deeply formative.In this conversation Jason and Darrell talk about: Darrell’s morning rhythm that sustains tender heartedness,Why Christmas is history, not myth, along with a helpful guide to chronological reading of the Christmas story, Darrell’s new book Awaken Wonder, and the four-week outline it provides for preaching Advent,Practical help for solo pastors through six ready-to-preach Advent frameworks,How to give ethical and freeing attribution when we use sources to inform our preaching.Darrell offers us a timely invitation to preach Advent with clarity and courage, and a helpful roadmap that will help those who are still figuring out what they will preach this Advent. Whether you’re mapping a four-week series or just searching for Sunday’s next faithful step, may this conversation steady your heart, spark courage, and help you lead your people to wonder at Jesus’ coming.Show NotesDarrell Johnson’s Website - https://www.darrelljohnson.ca Order Awaken Wonder - https://a.co/d/fbKOL1uLead Pastor Fellowship Application - https://www.thepastorate.ca/lpfEmerging Leaders Lab Application - https://www.thepastorate.ca/lab Guest Biography Darrell W. Johnson has been preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel for over 50 years. He has served a number of Presbyterian congregations in California, Union Church of Manila in the Philippines, and the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver, Canada. He has taught preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary, Carey Theological College in Vancouver, and Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored eight books, including The Glory of Preaching and Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through Revelation. ‍He is currently serving as a pastor at The Way Church and The Pastorate Ministries Canada. ‍He and his wife Sharon have been married over 50 years. Together they have raised four children adopted from four different countries of the world, and now enjoy loving 11 active grandchildren.PartnersSpecial thanks to Generis for helping us make this episode happen. Contact John Wright at Generis for help cultivating a culture of generosity in your church. - https://generis.com/team/jon-wrightThe work of strengthening pastors across Canada is only possible because of generous partners like you. As we look to the future, would you consider joining us in prayer, sharing this episode, or ⁠making a gift to invest in a vibrant, Jesus-centered church in every community⁠? - https://thepastorate.ca/give.

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• Junie Josue on Empowering a Young, Multicultural Church, Hearing God’s Call from Manila to Winnipeg, and Carrying a Vision to Plant 100 Churches Across Canada

  On today’s episode of The Pastorate we welcome Junie Josue, pastor of International Worship Center, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. From a three-day fast in Manila to planting a multi-ethnic church in central Canada, Junie shares a Spirit-led story of obedience, discipleship, and multiplication. The conversation traces the discernment journey that brought Junie and his wife, Fatima, to Canada in 1999, the cell-church structure that fuels IWC’s inter-provincal growth, and a vision to plant 100 churches across the nation. Junie also opens up about the inner life of a pastor, moving from performance to presence, and letting God heal old wounds. Jason and Junie explore: How a season of prayer and fasting led to a call from God to plant a church in Winnipeg.Why International Worship Center chose a cell-church architecture to disciple deeply and multiply churches.Releasing real authority to the next generation and why reaching dominant Canada culture will be led by second generation immigrants to Canada.Fostering a church culture where every site plants new sites, supported by ongoing coaching, care, and connection.The strength of bi-vocational leadership: volunteers and part-time pastors who stay embedded among the lost.The inner work of the pastor: healing from past wounds, resisting performative spirituality, and receiving God’s goodness before ministering it.This conversation shares Junie’s story and invites pastors to receive God’s goodness in their own inner life while being attentive to the work of God in the lives of those they’ve been called to serve. ShownotesInternational Worship Centre - https://iwcentre.com/Lead Pastor Fellowship Application - https://www.thepastorate.ca/lpfCoram Deo Foundation Joseph Chung Scholarship - https://coramdeofoundation.com/joseph-chung-scholarship-applicationFall City Meetups - https://thepastorate.ca/gatheringsPartnersSpecial thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for making this episode possible. We invite you to explore their ⁠Bible Course⁠ to help your church grow in Scripture engagement.The work of strengthening pastors across Canada is only possible because of generous partners like you. As we look to the future, would you consider joining us in prayer, sharing this episode, or ⁠making a gift to invest in a vibrant, Jesus-centered church in every community⁠?

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• Shaila Visser with the Lead Pastors Fellowship: Reaching Gen Alpha, the Future of Alpha Canada, and Canada’s Unique Spiritual Moment

  Today’s episode features a conversation between Tammy Giffen, Lead Pastor of Groundswell Church in Turo Nova Scotia and Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada and Senior Vice President at Alpha International. It’s a recording of a conversation that took place live in front of our Lead Pastor Fellowship cohort, two weeks ago when they were gathered together in Vancouver for a city meetup. Over the course of that week together, the cohort, made up of 15 pastors from across Canada, spent time learning from local pastors and leaders, touring local churches, and enjoying quality time together. This conversation between Tammy and Shaila was one of the sessions of the week that was designed to help encourage our cohort members and sharpen their pastoral imagination, specifically around the themes of evangelism, prayer, and ministry to Gen Alpha and Gen Z. Shaila shares how a late-night encounter with the Holy Spirit reframed her entire sense of calling and how that moment has shaped Alpha Canada’s vision for the next generation. In this conversation, Shaila unpacks the four questions God gave her in the middle of the night and how they’ve become a compass for her leadership. She reflects on what it looks like to hold a big vision while cultivating deep spiritual rhythms of prayer and fasting, and why people across Canada are uniquely open to the gospel during this time.Along the way, Shaila highlights:Why naming 4.4 million Canadian high school students has expanded Alpha’s vision for youth ministry.How Made for This, a national prayer initiative, is mobilizing churches to cover schools across the country.Why she believes Gen Alpha is more spiritually open than any generation in decades.How equipping students to run Alpha for their peers strengthens discipleship and mission.This conversation will encourage pastors to think bigger about the next generation, lean deeper into spiritual dependence, and not grow weary in ministry. Shaila closes with a moving word of encouragement: to keep going, for the sake of those who do not yet know Jesus.Show NotesShaila’s WebsiteGen Alpha Data and Resource PackMade for This CampaignAlpha Student Leadership Collective Coram Deo Foundation Joseph Chung Scholarship PartnersThe work of strengthening pastors across Canada is only possible because of generous partners like you. As we look to the future, would you consider joining us in prayer, sharing this episode, or ⁠making a gift to invest in a vibrant, Jesus-centered church in every community⁠?Generis helps churches to cultivate a culture of generosity. Contact Jon Wright at Generis to learn more. 

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