The Pastorate: Strengthening Pastors for the Renewal of the Church in Canada
In 2019, a group of young pastors and their families moved from Langley to Vancouver, British Columbia, answering God’s call to plant a church and establish a ministry to support pastors across Canada. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, under Jason Ballard's leadership, CCLN launched the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast. Over four years later, the podcast still provides Canadian pastors with a place to explore what it means to lead and pastor faithfully in Canada’s socio-cultural landscape. With insights from both Canadian and global voices, the podcast tackled the challenges of pastoring in a secular environment and discipling people on their journey with Jesus. Throughout 2020, the podcast resonated deeply with thousands of Canadian pastors, sparking meaningful conversations on topics unique to the Canadian church. As restrictions eased, CCLN brought pastors together through in-person retreats and gatherings across the country, and the first year long pastoral cohort program was successfully launched, designed to equip pastors for long-term church ministry.
Now, five years from our inception, we’ve built a thriving community of pastors across Canada, providing formative resources, fostering transformative connections, and empowering pastors to cultivate vibrant and resilient churches. We’ve come to understand our purpose as being a companion to Canadian pastors, co-labouring with them towards the renewal of the Canadian church.
We are captivated by the possibility of a flourishing pastoral landscape across Canada where healthy pastors work to form healthy churches, which have the ability to shape healthy towns, cities, provinces, and territories. As of October 7, 2024, we’ve changed our name from the Canadian Church Leaders Network to The Pastorate in order to best represent our unwavering dedication to strengthening pastors across Canada. Our aim is to equip pastors for the complexities of real-world ministry. Unlike a traditional network or denomination, we strive to create a dynamic environment for pastoral formation, bridging the gap between theological knowledge and practical church leadership. We seek to serve pastors by creating and curating accessible culture-shaping content, hosting inspiring and equipping gatherings across the country, and facilitating cohort-based leadership programs.
The heart of The Pastorate beats for the pastors of Canada. We’re committed to being a relentlessly optimistic voice that meaningfully engages with the difficult realities of the pastoral landscape, all the while remaining full of hope and courage for the future of the Church. We are here to see a generation of pastors filled with hope, connected in friendship, and equipped to lead resilient churches that shape the future of Canada.
Pastors—we are here to serve you, strengthen you, and walk alongside you as you lead your communities in faith and love.
