Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac city morning show. I am your host Lee Pierre, and we're going to start the show off the same way. Same way we start every show off. Sorry about that. With a moment of gratitude, I know you could be doing a million other things with your time, and the fact that you spend with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner hit him with the intro.
Speaker 2 00:00:21 Oh, she caught me, loves near listened to the next city morning show.
Speaker 0 00:00:30 All right. And we're back. I'm really excited about today's guest because Allie ethic would barbershop hook this one up. So big shout out to Allie and the boys, uh, for helping me get guests and also always making me look sharp with the hair and the beard. Thank you guys. I think with barbershop next to the black horse pub, uh, the individual that I have on the show today actually don't know, never met before. So you guys know at home, I love to meet strangers. Uh, so on that note, uh, I don't introduce my guests because they can do a better job at that than myself. So can you please tell everybody at home who you are and what you're about?
Speaker 3 00:00:59 Oh, uh, I'm Doug Doyle. Uh, I pastor Fort city church up in thick wood at the top of the hill there across from Patty's in case, you know, better locate people or patties is. And, uh, I also have been to a chair, uh, the, uh, with Buffalo, uh, ministerial association.
Speaker 0 00:01:17 Okay. So I have seen the church on the top of the hill. Um, I've seen some of you guys' stuff on social media. Uh, can you give me and everybody at home, a little better understanding of what that church is all about?
Speaker 3 00:01:31 So we have a little mantra that goes like this. Everyone is welcome. Nobody's perfect. Anything can happen. We're just a community of people from all walks of the Fort McMurry life who, uh, are, are looking to see their lives. Change are looking for growth. And most importantly are looking to be impacted by God. We obviously have a strong faith in the reality of, of God and the difference that he makes in our lives. And we seek to serve people by creating both spiritual services, worship services, and by serving the community in a, in a number of different ways.
Speaker 0 00:02:06 Okay. And so how long have you been a pastor for?
Speaker 3 00:02:10 Oh, I've been at Fort city for 10 years.
Speaker 0 00:02:13 Okay. But
Speaker 3 00:02:13 I've been a pastor for almost 40 years. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:02:16 Okay. Interesting. Now, um, my background, as far as faith is concerned is I grew up in the Catholic church. So you're going to have to like help me out on this one because I only know what I know. Right. Um, what's the difference between a priest and a pastor?
Speaker 3 00:02:32 Ah, that's a good question. So, um, I'm not sure I can answer that really well. That's okay. I'm not a priest,
Speaker 0 00:02:41 But
Speaker 4 00:02:41 You said Ellie, you only know what you
Speaker 0 00:02:43 Know, that's exactly it,
Speaker 3 00:02:45 But basically a pastor. I think pastors and priests are fairly similar. I mean, one of the basic differences we can get married have kids, right? Things like that. We're both wanting to serve the local community where we're both involved churches that seek to make our communities better places to live. And we're both trying to help people get closer to God. So we're, we're similar. Not, not just not identical, we're not as, um, formal and all of that. We're a much more informal church. And so as you notice, I'm not wearing Pete priestly garb. I kind of wear more. Just what other people
Speaker 0 00:03:21 We close. Um, are you allowed to have other jobs other from like being a pastor like can, cause I know preach, like they live in that. I don't know if it's a house. Well, they live onsite, basically the monastery. Thank you. And uh, but I know some other faiths, like some of the, I don't know if you want to call them pastors, but the leaders have different positions or is this like, you're all in your own words?
Speaker 3 00:03:48 Um, so in the years that I've been a pastor I've also served as a camp director, um, uh, things like that, working with kids. Right. Um, not all of our team, um, is full-time so some of them have other things that they do as well. And, uh, so yeah. Um, two of our team are full-time and is where we primarily, this is our primary focus. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:04:13 Okay. Very neat. Now, in regards to getting involved, like what is the process to becoming a pastor? Like is there, um, courses you have to take? Is there schools? I know I had a lot of friends who were Christian and they went to Christian universities and then they were able to kind of get more into their faith and kind of propel that into working in, in their churches. So what what's that process look like?
Speaker 3 00:04:36 Well, the process varies a bit, uh, for me, I did the very traditional route. I, I did a degree, uh, at the university of Toronto bachelor of arts from there, I went to a seminary called Tyndale seminary, graduated with what's called a master divinity, but I have my, uh, my associate pastor. He's the pastor of team development. His name is Lucas Welsh. Uh, he has made tea and background and within our church, the nomination, there's a, we're part of a church family called the Christian missionary Alliance. Uh, and there's provision for, uh, an educational track for people of, uh, may and first nations background. I helped to write it. And so right now, um, he's going through a, a, a program that is not formal schooling, but it is formal school. So it's, it's a whole series of stuff. That's very much like what I did, but I'm not, we're not sending him off to a formal institution to do it. You'll eventually be examined, uh, for it. And, uh, I'm really excited that our church family has allowed him to be able to take the route that he's going to be able to be fully ordained as a pastor as well.
Speaker 0 00:05:47 That's phenomenal. So like, if there is somebody who's local who just has a passion of wanting to help lead and share the word they can do locally, they don't necessarily have to.
Speaker 3 00:05:59 Yeah. And we have various levels of what you can and can't do. So, um, several of my staff are just going through what they call a credentialing process, but they will not be ordained. So those are just strange words. That just mean different levels. Of course. Of, of, yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:06:15 Now with the Catholic church, I know like there's like a hierarchy or a governing body and it kind of all stops at the Vatican. So with, uh, with your church, is there like, is it completely local and like the community supports you or like, like financially and helps you guys keep going or is there a governing system as well that helps support what you guys do,
Speaker 3 00:06:38 Both. And we're, we're, we're definitely, I mean, our existence is totally, you know, locally funded and uh, this past year with a little extra help from Trudeau, but anyways, that's another thing altogether. And, uh, um, but yeah, we're, we're locally funded. It is the giving of the people, the passion of the people to make what we do happen, but we are part of a larger church family. Um, and, uh, and so there are, you know, a number of churches like us in, throughout Alberta, throughout Canada. And then we're part of a there's no, it's not like the Catholic church is not a hierarchy, but we're affiliated with churches like us all around the world. Um, so there are more, uh, churches like us, which we call Christian missionary Alliance churches outside of north America than in north America. And, uh, doing all sorts of different things, just to connect people with God and just to serve their communities really well.
Speaker 0 00:07:32 So there's like a good support system, not just locally, but externally that you can rely on you, you have some people that you can call and say, Hey, this is going on.
Speaker 3 00:07:40 I mean, I have, I have, I have coach mentors, all of that. Um, we have a really rough thing. We do once a year as a church family, we go to the off season, um, to like, uh, lake Louise and do a little retreat together, all of the Alberta and Northwestern, Ontario pastors come together. Um, so yeah.
Speaker 0 00:08:03 So what was it about this direction that like spoke to you that you wanted to get involved in this?
Speaker 3 00:08:10 What a
Speaker 0 00:08:10 Year, 40 years ago? 40 plus years ago now.
Speaker 3 00:08:13 Yeah. That's a long story. So I don't know how much I want to tell, but yeah, my plan was to, uh, to go into teaching, be a high school teacher. Um, and this would give my summers free. I was very influenced by camps. I love the outdoors. I love camping. I love children's camps. I love canoe tripping, all of that type of stuff. So I thought I would be a teacher work with kids then, then, but there is this mysterious thing that we call the call of God. And, um, uh, I've been telling the story to my church on a couple of Sundays. Just how, um, for me, God turned up through a couple of individuals. Um, one girl, I'll just tell one story. This is down in Toronto, right before, um, the, yeah, the Ontario legislature. We're at, uh, college street university, somewhere in that area.
Speaker 3 00:09:06 And there's a busy intersection and there's a girl that I have not seen for years. And she sees me, walks up to me. She had been at my high school and just looks at me and says, you know, um, what are you doing? I haven't seen you for years. How's it going? And we get into a conversation and w what are you doing? What are you planning? I said, well, I'm going to graduate this year. And I'm going to go to teacher's college to become a teacher. And all of a sudden she becomes quite animated. Um, looks me straight in the eye and then yells at me, Douglas Doyle. You know, that's not what you're supposed to be doing. You know what God's called you to pastoral ministry. He looks at me, walks away. I've never seen her since.
Speaker 0 00:09:43 Wow.
Speaker 3 00:09:44 So that was part of three incidents that are all wow stories that I'd let me know that maybe God had a different plan for my life than I had. And so I went into pastoral ministry. You have never looked back. It's been awesome. And then the last 10 years in Fort McMurray, um, have been the toughest and most amazing years of all those years.
Speaker 0 00:10:05 Okay. Well, you totally just segwayed into my next question for you. So you've been informing Marie for 10 years now. How did you hear about the community? What brought you here?
Speaker 3 00:10:13 And that's a fun story too. So, uh, I was, uh, wrapping up thinking it was time to move to another church and had a call to serve actually as the Dean of a seminary, um, in, uh, Saskatchewan, that's kind of, what's going to be the next stage in my career journey, all of this. And then I got this little call from a church in Fort McMurray. Uh, just saying that, Hey, you should consider being a pastor here. There was an interim pastor at the time. I just laughed. And I said, not a chance, six weeks later. Yeah. This guy comes up with a brilliant idea that I knew was a ploy. And all of that, he said, I'd like to hire you to do some consulting for the church. And this is where I go, oh yeah, I get it all. I said, you need them. He says, no, no, no obligation, no nothing. Just come up and tell a story of what you did in your previous church. Work with the people here, give them encouragement that they've just your story would be encouraging to them. And I said, man, an all expenses trip to somewhere I've never been. That would be awesome. Um, yeah. Um, can I get the guide, go see the places where all those ducks died? Um, you know, um, uh, you know, I said there was, uh, you know, this place called the oil can, should go see it
Speaker 3 00:11:32 Anyways. Um, he said yes. And, uh, um, it was an amazing weekend. Um, I, I, I came up, toured, worked with that. Um, yeah. Uh, first night I got a text from somebody who had been in my previous church was up here and said in the boys doing wings at wings and beer at Earl's, um, uh, they want to join us. So I showed the guys and they said, that's fine. Why don't you go? And one of the guys that blank could be a designated driver for, he said, no, I think I could find, I can handle this. All right. And, uh, but he was just, yeah. Anyways, all of that, uh, I went down, had a great time, ended up meeting with a bunch of guys that were asking me about everything from a do I own a truck, which I did. So that alone, I don't know. I would have been in trouble right
Speaker 0 00:12:22 In
Speaker 3 00:12:23 And, uh, do you know, trucks, guns, sleds. And then we got into faith and then I ended up staying longer with one guy. It was just going through a really messy, hurtful divorce, and just stuff was happening. Stayed the weekend, got a great tour of all the inner workings of Suncor. Um, cool. Um, yeah, that was awesome. And then, uh, you know, on the Sunday I preached at the church and, uh, just gave him a message on risk and adventure. Cause it was kind of a risky adventure, some place. And, uh, just took that as a theme, ended up getting a standing ovation at the end of the message. One of the board members comes up to me. He says, you know, this church, isn't very expressive like this, that this must be something like God at work. And eventually I realized that it was God at work. And I turned down the seminary. I came to a church that was much smaller than what I'd been at before. And it's been an amazing up and down, incredible bride, you know, fire floods, all those things, economic downturns, all those things that are Fort McMurray these past 10 years from, from boom to bust, to maybe going somewhere again, been an amazing place to be
Speaker 0 00:13:32 Very cool story. All right, Tanner hit me up with signal that he's ready with his questions. We have a segment on the show called the Mac city minute. He's going to ask you some questions. I have no idea what he's going to ask you. I wish you nothing but the best of luck, Anna, and with the Mac city minute.
Speaker 5 00:13:45 Alrighty, question number one. What is one event? People would be surprised your church puts on?
Speaker 3 00:13:52 Well, maybe they won't be surprised anymore, but we do the, we do the car show every year at father's day. So it is an awesome show. We packed the parking lot with the most amazing vehicles and we get up to, uh, we'll see what happens post COVID, but up to 8,000 people turn up to that show.
Speaker 0 00:14:08 Wow. Cool.
Speaker 5 00:14:10 Question number two. What is a go-to after church activity you like to do with your friends and family?
Speaker 3 00:14:18 Ah, well with friends, I just like to get outside and doors and, and uh, I do a little hunting and fishing. So all of that is awesome with my family, with my wife and kids. Uh, well, my kids are now not in Fort McMurray. Um, we just like to get out and eat at any of the places around Fort McMurray. When we're out, if you get on my Facebook, you'll see the date night eating out is regularly featured. Uh, we get out to all of the different places around town because there's lots of opportunity in this city, um, in the city, outside of the city. We, it, all
Speaker 0 00:14:51 Right.
Speaker 5 00:14:52 Question number three. What is one passage, you know, that you think everyone in our audience should hear
Speaker 3 00:15:01 One passage like as in a Bible passage? Yes.
Speaker 3 00:15:04 So I'll just go with the most simple and most basic that many of you will already know. You know, you'll see. Maybe you remember back in the day when the football guy would have the sign on in the field, maybe not, but anyways, it's John three 16 that says for God, so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life. And if I'm allowed to do one more, it is John 10, 10 that says I have come, Jesus says, I've come that you might have life and have it to the full, which is our faith is all about life, life now, life forever life to the full now life. That makes a difference now.
Speaker 0 00:15:39 Right.
Speaker 3 00:15:40 Nice
Speaker 5 00:15:41 Question. Number four. What is one part of being a pastor that you did not expect to be a part of the job?
Speaker 3 00:15:48 Ah, I have to think about that one for a second, but, um, yeah. Uh, nothing has surprised me in the 40 years, which is, uh, I don't mean that to be an arrogant statement or anything. It's just the surprising thing is everything goes, anything can happen. Right. Um, so you're working with people in the middle of crisis. You're working with government. I guess the part that I didn't expect as much is particularly in Fort McMurray, how closely you, you end up working with, uh, some councilors, mayors and things like that, how you become a part of the whole speed of the city, not just your faith community. Right.
Speaker 5 00:16:28 And your final question. What is one thing you're interested in your, what is one thing that your congregation would be shocked to find out that our pastor loves?
Speaker 3 00:16:39 Well, no. Um, I tell them everything about me so that they won't be shocked when they see me doing it. So, um, they're not shocked to find out that I like craft beer. So, um, some churches they would be, they're not shocked that, uh, um, I'm, I'm involved that I like to shooting sports. I've taken a couple of courses and the shooting sports courses, the long distance shooting course with Rob Furlong who comes up here and teaches things. Um, but I don't think most people outside my church would expect those would be typical of a, of a pastor. Right.
Speaker 5 00:17:15 And those have been your five questions.
Speaker 0 00:17:18 Oh, all right. Now, before we started filming, you were talking a little bit about, um, some of the different programs of the days of the week, from what happens on Thursdays and Fridays and kids can drop in for lunches and stuff. Can you elaborate on some of that or not elaborate tell the people at home what those programs are so that they can potentially get involved if they feel they fall into those categories?
Speaker 3 00:17:38 Yeah. I mean, um, w we'll start with Sunday, which is a core to who we are. We, we offer two worship services with, with kids program. Our worship services are a little bit in contemporary and feel we have a worship band that some might say rocks a bit. So depending on your view of church, this won't be typical of your view of church. So, um, we're an enthusiastic congregation without being wild, somewhere in the, in the middle there. I love that. And, uh, and, uh, so, uh, so yeah, great music, um, great sense of community and just some really practical teaching on, on what it means to, to, uh, live better, live well and live connected to God. Um, out of that flows, um, all sorts of different, small groups where people meet throughout the week and homes online right now, um, just to discuss either something from the message or something like parenting, um, finances, uh, just a prayer, um, just a whole variety of different things.
Speaker 3 00:18:41 We have a particular course that I think is awesome called starting point. Just, it's a safe place where people can ask any questions and just, uh, common explore faith and, uh, anything goes right. And, uh, and that's led by Lucas, uh, the pastor of team development. We, uh, during the week, um, our, our kids' ministry offers, uh, a parent and children drop in a couple of days a week where you can just drop in, get to know one another, let your kids play in a safe area. So that's incredibly, it's just community building and all of that. Um, too, uh, we, we work with an organization called youth with a mission and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we work with them to be able to provide, uh, lunches for youth in the area. And they just drop in and hoard in. They, these kids just come running in for lunch.
Speaker 3 00:19:36 It's an amazing thing, uh, to, to watch. Um, we have out of that, we have a youth night, uh, on Tuesday nights where high school and junior youth just come and hang out and learn about faith and enjoy, uh, each other, uh, Thursday night it's nights, R Y wham offers a family night for, for it's a lot of single parent families, families that risk. Um, a lot of people that were just struggling a little bit, and we provide a meal and out of that, create a pile of support services for these, for these families. Um, so that's, that's part of what we do. I mean, I could keep going. We just have a variety of different activities that work at meeting people's needs for life growth, uh, faith, um, at all ages from nursery through to, through to adults, right? We do have our men get together every Saturday morning and just do breakfast together. Um, and the church church lobby just, it's a hangup. And, uh, and our guys also do these a wing nights out in various, um, you know, uh, pubs and bars around town and, uh, looking forward now that the rules are relaxing to getting that up and going a little bit more as well.
Speaker 0 00:20:49 So just to chill place.
Speaker 3 00:20:50 Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 0 00:20:51 I'll have to be serious.
Speaker 3 00:20:53 Oh, no, it's not all serious. That's for sure.
Speaker 0 00:20:55 That's very cool. All right, man. Listen, I'm very disappointed to say what I'm about to say, but we're at the end of the 20 minutes, that's a show at flies. I have so many more questions for you in regards to, I want to talk to you about your love for food and everywhere you're going. I wanted to talk to you about like the hunting efficient. There's so many more questions and I really do want to hear the other two stories that got you on this journey. So please, please, please come back again and chat with me some more so I can learn a little bit more about you and the church.
Speaker 3 00:21:22 Awesome. Thank
Speaker 0 00:21:23 You. Now, before I cut you loose, though, everybody gets a shameless shout out or plug. So before you go, uh, you got to shameless shout out or plug. So you got the mix to camera and lights on. You have fun.
Speaker 3 00:21:32 All right. So I'll just, uh, yeah, I'll just plug Fort city, church Sundays at then at nine 30 and 1115. We would love to see you out, as we say, everyone's welcome. Nobody's perfect. Anything can happen? You're welcome to join us.
Speaker 0 00:21:46 And how can people find you online?
Speaker 3 00:21:48 We're at Fort city, church.ca.
Speaker 0 00:21:51 There we go. Sweet. All right. Well for Macquarie wood, Buffalo and the rest of the world, that's been another episode of the Mac city morning show. Thank you very much for tuning in. It does mean the world to me. I hope you're having a great day and we'll see you tomorrow. Peace.
Speaker 6 00:22:05 I just dies. That desk is another Mac Sydney morning show Dawn.
Speaker 7 00:22:14 You
Speaker 8 00:22:22 Talk about quenching your.
