'I believe the gospel still works in 2022 if we'll give it the chance to work'

The Believers Church in Winnipeg is excited to see growth in their community including from many different backgrounds and cultures.

"About 11 years ago I was approached by the then senior pastor who was looking to step back and eventually retire," says Senior Pastor Wayne Bustard. "I came on board with what was back then Wide World of Faith Church. Shortly after I became Senior Pastor."

Roughly one year ago the church changed its name to Believers Church. 

"We had such a mixture of people who started attending, different cultures and languages. Wide World of Faith Church was a mouthful for anybody, but especially for some of our people whose English was their second language. So we decided to come up with a name that was easier to say and remember."

After meeting with people, the congregation decided that Believers Church fit who they are. 

"We're very multicultural, multi-generational and it's really, to me, a snapshot of what heaven is going to look like."

The church is in the inner city of Winnipeg located at 465 Alexander Avenue. 

What God is Doing at Believers Church

"One of my goals and dreams that I felt God had placed in my heart when I first took the church was to become a multicultural church," says Bustard. "Our city is very diverse and I felt our church needed to mirror that. We prayed about that and took steps to be more inclusive to the different cultures that are represented in our city."

This fall Believers Church will be hosting their first ever All Nations Sunday, celebrating all the cultures in their congregations. 

"Some of the things I've seen God doing lately, in our assembly, we're seeing a lot of broken people coming to know Jesus. Whether that's the single parent who's been struggling and now finding community in our church. We have those that are suffering from addiction, finding hope and deliverance through the power of the gospel. Something I've been seeing recently is marriages that have been in trouble, God is turning that around and bringing families back together."

Bustard is thrilled to see all that God is and has been doing in the congregation. 

"I believe the gospel still works in 2022 if we'll give it the chance to work."

While many churches across Canada noticed people leaving their congregations during the pandemic when services had to change their presentation style to accommodate restrictions, Believers Church grew in attendance. 

"God has been faithful to us. Like every pastor going into this pandemic, my concern was for our people, for the church as a body, for finances and how are we going to survive this? Through it all our giving went up and we have grown. I give all the glory and honour to God for that."

Bustard says their focus over the next year is building fellowship with the community outside of just Sunday morning services. 

"We're going to be looking at small groups again. We just did something called It's So Sweet Sunday. On a Sunday night, we all brought our favourite dessert into the fellowship hall of our building, had our desserts, and every 15 minutes we would switch tables to connect with other people."

For anyone interested in checking out Believers Church further, click here.