The host pastor opened FCA Canada’s national convention tonight with a self-revealing message on why “Holy Spirit-Empowered Leadership” (the convention theme) is so vital. Lorne Fisher, senior pastor of Richfield Christian Fellowship, began by describing “a recent time of personal repentance–especially the last seven or eight months.” He said God had been pursuing him to clean up unhealthy attitudes, hurts that had been harbored, and especially not caring about Him as exclusively as in the early days of his ministry.

Fisher’s key text for the audience of more than 200 pastors, missionaries, Bible college students, and church delegates was Isaiah 63:7-14, which asks the poignant question “Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, who sent his glorious arm of power…who led them through the depths?” He recounted extensive history of “the genes of the FCA” in which the moving of the Holy Spirit was central.

“The truth is,” he declared near the end before calling listeners to the front for prayer, “the church will not win Canada to Christ without a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit.” Earlier, he had confessed, “I have tried to do church with every kind of method to come along–to get people saved, to straighten out their issues through hours and hours of counseling–but not in the power of the Holy Spirit. I finally became so discouraged that I left the pastorate for a while. I went into the business world and was very successful–but ever so miserable. Eventually, I returned to God’s calling on my life, more convinced than ever that the only power that changes lives is the Holy Spirit.”