Open letter sent to Baptist preachers in Canada

Hello Preachers,

I have been greatly burdened for Canada over the past few months. Shame on me that I did not have this same level of burden over the past several years.

It doesn’t take long for anyone ministering in our country to realize we have a problem. No, it is not a political or social problem; it is a sin problem. God has gifted us a wonderful nation that, frankly, I never deserved to be born into. But such wonder breeds much contempt and complacency. As a Christian, I have become reliant upon the safety and creature comforts of our land and not tended to my King’s will as I ought. Sadly, I believe this is the case with many people in Canada.

As a result, God has done a good thing for us. He has put us at a breaking point – a CROSSroads. The solution is simple, but not easy – repent and be humble to the Lord! 

Please don’t take this as me preaching to you. It is not. It is me preaching to me. There are people in our church here in the city of London, Ontario who are one paycheck away from not eating. Some are just a few paychecks away from being homeless for the first time in their lives. Tomorrow, the US gets a new president and this time I believe there will be great pressures on us as a result. I do love America and its people. I am thankful for their friendship and protection. And regretfully, I believe that in some cases we do deserve to be shaken up from our sleep. Added to this is the uncertainty of our own country’s leadership. As it looks now, we will have at least 3 different Prime Ministers in 2025! This comes at a time when we need consistency and strong leadership. I have always prayed for our Prime Minister even if he was not the person I voted for.

Instead of lamenting and doing nothing, God has challenged me to hit the floor in prayer for our country and our people. Next week our church will begin meeting Sunday mornings at 9:30 to dedicate prayer just for our country, our leaders, and our challenges. If you are available at that time, please join with us from wherever you are. Otherwise, may I encourage you if you have not done so already to start a time of dedicated prayer for our nation. I firmly believe that political change is not near as important as God’s people begging God for our daily bread.

God bless you and thank you for our faithful service.

Mike MacDonald

Forest City Baptist Church