My faith story

When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. 2 Corinthians 10:18

I wrote this faith bio in response to an inquiry from one of the members of the Global Pastors Network.
He (Simon Mawdsley) wrote:
As you know John, there are many, many saved thru the Cross born again followers of Jesus who are left wing. Here in the U.K. I would say that the majority of those who have truly turned to Jesus through repentance and faith are left wing socialist. However unlike yourself, they place much more importance upon what God's Word says, ALL of it, than any political persuasion. Also, unlike your good self, they know the Way of salvation, walk in it and tell others about it. Come on John. I'm happy to be proved wrong about you. If you're really saved, tell me how, what happened and what you believed. I want to know if you know the saving Gospel and if you've called upon the Saviour, as a sinner and pleaded God's forgiveness, accepted His Cross work for you and turned away from your old life (repentance) and followed Him. (Oops I've given you a bit of a clue there). Be honest. Tell me how u got saved & how I can be saved? I'm not joking or being sarcastic I really do want 2 hear where u stand

This is my response:

Born 1949

1967 - President of Rosedale United’s youth group, first exposure to inner city work

1968 - voted Rosedale United’s Man of the year for my contribution to church life

1969 - left the church, got involved in inner city youth work and head off to University

1971 - quit university to start a rock band, end up moving to California to live with girlfriend attending Stanford University, did the long haired, acid laced hippie thing

1973 - in an apple orchard just outside of Penticton, British Columbia, led by a young 7th day Adventist named Terry Boomer to accept Jesus

1974 - became part of a Jesus people community in North Philadelphia where I became chief cook and house keeper for a Jesus people house of 11 guys. Filled with the Holy Spirit in the middle of a very cold night in February and started speaking in tongues

1975 - moved home to Toronto, joined a charismatic church having upwards of 1500 young people, started writing musical choruses for the church

1977 - married 2 days before Christmas

1982 - the charismatic church my wife and I had met in, where both of us served as deacons imploded with its congregants scattered in many directions

1983 - Deb and I began attending a Christian and Missionary church, Bayview Glen Church.

1992 - for our kids' sake joined a church with more contemporary worship and youth activities.
It was also the year when I became involved in an inner city agency run by the United Church of Canada and was re-introduced to the dynamic of poor communities which provoked significant changes in what I understood the gospel to be. 
Read a lot by Christian writers such as Jim Wallis, John Howard Yoder, Thomas Merton, Simone Weil, Leonardo Boff, Tony Campolo, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and others about the social implications of the gospel. 
The two books that most influenced me during that time were Yoder’s ‘The Politics of Jesus’ and Bonhoeffer’s ‘The Cost of Discipleship’. Profoundly impacted as well by St. Francis of Assisi, particularly as portrayed in GK Chesterton’s biography of him. (see Chesterton - St. Francis)

1996 - the small groups pastor of Unionville Alliance Church, after spending 3 hours with me visiting my various street friends near my office downtown told me and subsequently our church community that my ‘small group was the homeless people I had befriended’ - a charge that has affected my ministry ever since.
In subsequent years, I have became increasingly involved in advocacy - speaking to various levels of government and to churches about the dire need for social housing in Toronto, as well as supports for street people struggling with mental illness and addiction. 
Since the people I advocated for were people I knew intimately and had prayed for, there was some strength to my appeal coming as it was not from a social worker, or social agency employee, but from a downtown business person.  This advocacy is central to what I understand Christ’s call on my life to be.
As someone involved in social advocacy, I have become close not only to other Christians in this work, but people outside the faith, notably Muslims and humanists, in appealing to various groups of political, social and economic influence alongside those who are poor. It was through this period that my 'inter-faith' conversations began and continue to this day.
Among the more dedicated and articulate social advocates I have met are LBGT Christians, who have convinced me that one can be both gay and Christian. Some are indeed "eunuchs for the kingdom’s sake", while others are in monogamous gay relationships.

2003 - was a founding member of a new church start-up (The Olive Branch) in North Markham, an affluent neighbourhood just north of Toronto and lead the community outreach program called 'Branch Out'.  I was also the back-up preacher to the Lead Pastor. From the outset, I was known as the social justice Jesus guy, quite distinct from the regular preacher/pastor, a ministry and perspective he thoroughly supported.

2009/10 - after giving a sermon on ‘The Politics of Jesus’(see Sermon notes), was unofficially taken off the roster of back up preachers. 
That same year I was asked by a inner city Anglican Church (All Saints Community Church) to lead Sunday services 1 to 2 times per month in additional to leading a mid-week sing-along, where old hymns are sung alongside ‘Let it be’, ‘Knock, knock, knocking on heaven’s door’, ‘I can see clearly now’, ‘Lean on Me’ etc., to widen the circle of participants. We close with some scripture verses and prayer, typically lead by the more devout among us.

At present my wife attend an evangelical Anglican Church 20 minutes south of where we live. We have hosted a bi-weekly prayer/bible study group in our home since 2005.

We have 3 grown children, two of whom are married, the third being the closest thing I have known to a saint, he beginning his walk with Jesus in 2001. For more about Michael go to: SDG Imagery
We now have a grand-daughter who has us all amazed at how 'fearfully and wonderfully' each one of us is made.