We arrived in Etobicoke just after noon to meet with Ron Morin at the church building his multi-ethnic congregation uses on Sunday evenings.
Ron graciously drove us around the west side of Toronto for two and a half hours and explained to us many of the unique characteristics of the G.T.A. We made a quick stop at a strip mall where the Toronto church is planning on renting space this summer. Then we drove through dozens of ethnic communities. It was obviously true what Ron said about Toronto being the most multinational city in the world.
I was feeling a growing excitement as I realized how closely my own vision for a multi-national Foursquare Church paralleled Ron’s vision. He has relationships with dozens of ethnic pastors, and his missionary heart (Ron and Joan spent many years as missionaries in Brazil, and he still travels several weeks out of the year to care for and oversee pastors in various nations of the world) is open to starting scores of multi-national congregations in the G.T.A. Toronto is about 55% populated by immigrants.
Our dinner on Wednesday evening was a delight. Susan and I met some of the pastors who work alongside Ron and Joan. The table was diverse—Nigerian, Caribbean, Filipino, Brazilian and us out-numbered Caucasians.
There was a buzz of enthusiasm as we shared our visions for reaching Canadians of all colours and racial backgrounds, as well as the unique flavours of our own church cultures. I am very optimistic about the growth and health of the Ontario Unit of Foursquare Churches. We arrived after midnight at our hotel in Thorald, not far from Niagara Falls.
Ron graciously drove us around the west side of Toronto for two and a half hours and explained to us many of the unique characteristics of the G.T.A. We made a quick stop at a strip mall where the Toronto church is planning on renting space this summer. Then we drove through dozens of ethnic communities. It was obviously true what Ron said about Toronto being the most multinational city in the world.
I was feeling a growing excitement as I realized how closely my own vision for a multi-national Foursquare Church paralleled Ron’s vision. He has relationships with dozens of ethnic pastors, and his missionary heart (Ron and Joan spent many years as missionaries in Brazil, and he still travels several weeks out of the year to care for and oversee pastors in various nations of the world) is open to starting scores of multi-national congregations in the G.T.A. Toronto is about 55% populated by immigrants.
Our dinner on Wednesday evening was a delight. Susan and I met some of the pastors who work alongside Ron and Joan. The table was diverse—Nigerian, Caribbean, Filipino, Brazilian and us out-numbered Caucasians.
There was a buzz of enthusiasm as we shared our visions for reaching Canadians of all colours and racial backgrounds, as well as the unique flavours of our own church cultures. I am very optimistic about the growth and health of the Ontario Unit of Foursquare Churches. We arrived after midnight at our hotel in Thorald, not far from Niagara Falls.
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