I have had the blessing of attending Church of the Messiah West since mid-2023. I quickly fell in love with the richness of liturgical worship and have enjoyed exploring the Anglican tradition ever since. I was raised in a Christian home and grew up attending a Free Methodist church in Ottawa. I can testify to the transformative work of the gospel in my own life, and I know few greater joys than seeing others experience God’s grace. I gradually began to sense a call to vocational ministry through small groups and Bible studies, where I could see the power of God’s word at work.

I am currently pursuing an M.Div. through Ryle Seminary while serving as a ministry intern at Messiah West. I have a deep passion for studying and understanding God’s Word and for sharing the light of Christ with others. I am excited to embark on this journey with Artizo, where I hope to grow in my understanding of ministry, learn from experienced ministers, and be better equipped to serve Christ and His Church.

Outside of ministry and studies, I enjoy playing sports and love immersing myself in good fiction.

I have been a lay leader in various capacities at St Peter & St Paul’s in Ottawa over the last eight or so years. I’m passionate about seeing people grow into the fullness of who God has made them to be, and deeply convinced that the Anglican tradition offers particularly excellent tools for doing so. Ottawa has been home since 2008, and I love the city deeply; longing to see the name of the Lord magnified across the city.

My day job is as a federal public servant, managing the financial administration of grants and contributions. When I’m not doing church things or working, I enjoy reading and playing board games. (I own owns over a hundred different board games!)

What excites you most about Artizo training?

I’ve been really enjoying getting to know my fellow apprentices in this cohort. The feeling of fellowship and community is becoming more solid week by week. This is the aspect of Artizo that I looked forward to the most, and I’m very glad to not be going on this journey alone.

What do you struggle most with as you contemplate a life in ministry?

Since hearing a call to walk the path of ordination discernment, I’ve struggled with the fact that I don’t know where the path is going. I can see it at my feet, but the way ahead is constantly rounding a curve that I can’t see past — the image I use for myself is of a labyrinth that curves and bends until it hits a centre; and what’s at the centre, I’m not sure. Each step I’ve taken, however small, has felt like a leap of faith I didn’t think I could make. I still don’t know where it’s going, but I’m learning to trust that Jesus is walking with me.

What does Artizo add to your ministry preparation that you wouldn’t have otherwise?

In addition to the communal fellowship, it feels like Artizo is providing a more structured and thorough training in the art of ministry than I would get otherwise. I get the chance to actually work in my church (King’s Cross), and my church family gets to see me as a ministry apprentice among them. In short, it feels like I have the support of friends and experienced leaders at my back, helping me learn and grow, and that is an enormous gift.

Josiah serves as Ministry Intern at Church of the Messiah, where he and his wife Emma have attended since 2021. He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Heritage College and Seminary in partnership with Ryle Seminary. Before joining the staff at Church of the Messiah, he worked in political and business advocacy and earned a BA (Hons) from Trinity Western University and a Certificate in Leadership and Applied Public Policy from the Laurentian Leadership Centre.

Josiah came to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus at a young age as the Holy Spirit worked through the ministry of his parents. He discovered the sweetness of gospel-centrality through attending Crossway Church, the solid food of expository preaching at Beacon Church, and the rich heritage of the Universal Church through the ministry of Church of the Messiah and its pastor. Josiah is thrilled to receive the mentorship afforded through his placement at Church of the Messiah and the Artizo program and strives to become an effective servant of Christ for His Church, growing in the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

When not studying, you can find Josiah binging Arctic survival stories, shuffling down the Rideau Canal, or discussing the latest episode of the White Horse Inn with his much smarter wife.

How did you hear about Artizo?

My orientation student host recommended Artizo to me in my first week at Regent, saying that of all the students he’s known at Regent, few he respected more than the Artizo apprentices. Indeed, they were some of the most gracious, thoughtful, and compelling people I’ve met there. One of them brought my wife and me to King’s Cross, where I was later invited to apply to Artizo.

What do you struggle most with as you contemplate a life in ministry?

Whether as an Artizo apprentice now or in any ministry work to come, I think I will always struggle to keep the fruit of my work from becoming the measure of my worth—both the pride of success and the shame of failure, magnified by the weight of spiritual work yet easily excused by the respectability of it.

How is Artizo different from other ministry internships or training roles you have witnessed or been a part of?

From my own ministry experience and hearing about other ministry internships, it’s easy to feel isolated and alone as an intern in churches big and small. Small churches might ease relationship-building, but few have multiple interns. A larger church might have more interns, but one can get lost in bureaucracy or siloed into limiting roles. Artizo avoids both pitfalls with a supportive cohort and an intentional ministry vision where the apprentice is not an afterthought.

What excites you most about Artizo training?

As I step into my Artizo apprenticeship, I am most excited about learning tools for thoughtfully and responsibly engaging Scripture, as well as how to then share that knowledge of Scripture with others. As someone with a background in literary studies, I am eager to train the Church to read Scripture well and to walk alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ as we meet the LORD through His written word.

What do you struggle most with as you contemplate a life in ministry?

As someone who has a deeply rooted love for academia, the arts, and the Church, I am trying to discern how to best interweave these passions in my life. Often these three areas can be disparate from—or even antagonistic toward—each other. As I pursue Artizo in conjunction with my studies at Regent College, I pray that God guides me into a deeper knowledge of how to connect these interests.

What does Artizo add to your ministry preparation that you wouldn’t have otherwise?

While I am receiving excellent theological training at Regent College, the academic setting fails to provide opportunities for daily ministry in a local church setting. Artizo allows me to leave the ivory tower and receive “on the ground” ministry experience in a specifically Anglican context. Being able to participate in staff meetings, receive mentorship from senior clergy, and develop practical skills for work in ministry are invaluable.

I grew up in an evangelical-leaning PAOC family. A semi-clear pull towards ministry began when I watched the gospel finally click for someone after months of prayer and discussions, and I was sold. I wanted to be wherever God’s word was coming alive to his people, and to assist in that work however I could.

During my final year of Bible college, I began praying the Daily Office as an experiment in bringing greater structure to my devotional life. Over the better part of the following year, the tensions I had long felt within evangelical and charismatic circles grew increasingly pronounced. At the same time, the more I investigated the Prayer Book, the more I found that it accorded with Scripture and the historic Christian faith — particularly in its sacramental theology. In 2023, I found an orthodox Anglican parish in Abbotsford, and in 2024, I was confirmed. Yet the passion and sense of calling that first drew me toward ministry — the desire to share God’s word and help others encounter it as living and active — never left.

As I pursue an M.Div. online through Packer College while remaining at St. Matthew’s, Artizo’s cohort system is uniquely positioned to help me develop the skills and relationships ordinarily cultivated in a residential seminary setting. More than that, its practical, hands-on approach will bring my theological education into direct contact with the concrete demands of parish ministry, teaching me to recognize and address them faithfully. Its intentional approach — supervised practice, regular feedback, and cohort meetings — will give me the structure and accountability to assess my strengths and weaknesses with sobriety and to pursue growth deliberately rather than through trial and error alone.

How did you hear about Artizo?

I heard about Artizo by attending St. John’s Vancouver. I met two former Artizo apprentices, Jacob Vandiver and Zella Christenson, there. Though they did invite me to apply to Artizo, it was their example, which I desire to follow, that moved me to do so.

What does Artizo add to your ministry preparation that you wouldn’t have otherwise?

Artizo allows me to learn by closely watching and imitating exemplars of faithful pastoral ministry. I am immensely blessed to learn from Rev. Guy Bellerby and the Ven. Rev. Sean Love, two ministers who both by their life and teaching set forth God’s true and life-giving word. And I am also blessed to learn alongside an incredible cohort of apprentices.

What do you struggle most with as you contemplate a life in ministry?

Contemplating a life in ministry is itself the struggle. Who can fathom a whole life of carrying the weight of minister’s responsibility? To preach God’s word, guard the good deposit, duly administer the sacraments, finish the race, complete the task—all the while pride and prayerlessness and powers and principalities beset me? Enough! I shall contemplate Christ. His gaze will hold mine steady.

What did people say (or what did you read) that convinced you to apply to Artizo?

I was told that Artizo provides practical experience in ministry which would be an invaluable supplement to the rigorous academic training I would receive at Regent. Graduates also told me that the cohort model and the opportunity to receive regular, specific feedback on their ministry were some of the most formational parts of their Regent experience. I knew I wanted to find a way to use my intellectual training to bless the church, and I loved that Artizo provided the opportunity to be actively involved in local churches. I’m also incredibly thankful for the rare opportunity to be financially supported while pursuing these opportunities.

What do you struggle most with as you contemplate a life in ministry?

I struggle with the fear of talking more about God than I talk to Him or through Him. I also know my tendencies toward people-pleasing and finding my worth in a sense of my own moral performance, and I know that ministry will only exacerbate those vulnerabilities. I’m so grateful for Artizo’s commitment that our competency never outstrip our character and its relentless focus on the gospel as the center not only of our preaching but of our personal lives. I also appreciate the cohort and mentorship model of Artizo which remind me of truth and affirm my identity in Christ and His calling on my life even as my peers and leaders point out areas where I can grow.

How would you describe the need for ministry training within the wider church?

The need is great. I have read about and witnessed personally the decline in young people going into ministry, and those who do are often thrust into positions with insufficient training, both in practical skills and in character formation. Artizo stands in this gap, providing people a sustained period of intentional training and mentorship for a variety of ministry positions as they discern where God is leading them. I believe the churches its apprentices join, whether as members or as ministry leaders, will be better for it.

What are the core building blocks of Christian ministry? In what areas do you most desire training?

The core of ministry is collaborating with God in his work of bringing good news, healing for broken hearts, liberty, and comfort, as we see in Isaiah 61:1-2. From Matthew 24:45-46, I understand ministry to be faithfully providing nourishment for the fellow servants of God, understanding that those who minister will give an account to Jesus when he returns. Foundational to Christian ministry is possessing character that reflects the fruit of the Spirit. Only work accomplished through abiding in Christ, empowered by him, will last (John 15:5). The aim of ministry is the edification and equipping of the whole church, that we would be unified, and each one growing in the knowledge of Christ, our head, culminating in the body of Christ's growth in love, as we see in Ephesians 4:11-16. I desire training in preaching and in more general shepherding/pastoral care.

By the Lord’s blessing, I was raised in a Christian home, though I wandered away from God for a time. The gospel became clear to me during my high school years, and subsequently my passion and interest in the Christian faith grew. In 2021, during a college program, I met a mentor and close friend who encouraged my interest in Christ, and it was then that the seed for service in ministry was planted.

After completing my College program, I returned home and began searching for a biblically sound, historic, and Reformed church. Soon after, I began visiting St. George’s Anglican in Burlington, Ontario, and I quickly learned that the theology of the Book of Common Prayer landed firmly within the convictions I held. I fell in feet-first. I discussed my interest in studying the Christian faith with pastors and new friends. I met with the pastoral leadership of St. George’s, who recognized a deeper calling to ministry than I had thought; encouraged me to enroll in Bible College; and gave me many opportunities to serve.

Now, as I continue my academic studies at Bible College, the Artizo program seems a perfect pathway for me as my role in the ministry of St. George’s grows. The interpersonal and applied structure of the Artizo program provides a context wherein I can grow in hands-on ministry, develop friendships, and receive the accountability and feedback needed to be a qualified minister in God’s Church.

I was saved by the Lord and filled with the Holy Spirit on November 4th, 2022. Having self-identified as an atheist and later an agnostic leading up to that point, albeit with a philosophically curious and truth-seeking inclination, I began this day with a thought experiment - telling myself I would “pretend to believe in God”. Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, I felt a sense of peace and scales being lifted from my eyes, as if I were seeing the world for what it truly was. I eventually chanced upon an online testimony later that day, in which I read the words “Jesus loves you” and felt a supernatural joy and deep sense of fulfillment leap up in my heart. It was then that I knew I had found the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

In the year following that fateful day, I was eventually brought to St. George’s Anglican Church in Burlington, Ontario, through a mutual connection. Having done no prior research and not yet possessing a denominational conviction, I reflect upon my arrival at St. George’s as God’s divine providence. This church would go on to be my home church over the next almost three years. From my first days of attendance, I experienced the Word of God being preached in clarity and truth, providing me with a firm grounding in Scripture and immense spiritual growth. Since then, I have partaken in church-led evangelism and growth groups and have served as a communion administrator. I currently attend Redeemer University, where I am majoring in Theology. Looking ahead, I am excited to engage in faithful ministry with Artizo, being equipped alongside brothers and sisters in Christ to be Spirit-led gospel ministers.

What excites you most about Artizo training?

Growing alongside other studious and pastorally-minded Christians is a great treasure at this point in our formation. Immediately upon entering the room together we started engaging, sharpening each other and pushing ourselves to be more carefully and effectively articulate for the sake of the Gospel. Cannon Rev. Ben and Rev. Phill also do a great job leading, balancing seriousness in training with good humour.

What do you struggle most with as you contemplate a life in ministry?

Striving to be worthy of the call. Yet is that not the trajectory on which all Christians find themselves? May God continue His sanctifying work in me, you, and all the Church! Amen.

How would you characterize the need for gospel-based teaching in Canada?

I would characterize the need as “very great”. Greater than any political or social issue is the love that God has for every person He has made - so there is obviously tremendous value in the Church boldly proclaiming the Gospel wherever there are ears to hear it.

I have been attending Christ the King since January of 2025 with my wife Jill and we have a baby named Jane. I am a former Pentecostal pastor who decided to switch denominations because of a passion for biblical truth, church history, and the Spirit’s leading. Through this program I am seeking to grow in my own character and competency as I serve at Christ the King Edmonton for God’s glory, the advancement of his kingdom, and the strengthening of his saints.

The Anglican environment is quite different from the churches I have visited and served in, yet I love it. I love the God-centered focus, the scriptures being so evident in a formative liturgy, and the rootedness in history that is apparent. I am expecting to, and already sense that I will, utilize the good things I have learned from the past and see them refined and adapted in this new context through this program.

I personally enjoy a good mocha, playing some guitar, working out, dry humor, and staying up late thinking about theology with a similar level of excitement as a hockey fan thinking about hockey – haha! I also am slowly getting into DIY things which is a good balance for being so caught up in theology.