Horizon Stories 2020 Micheal Fischer
Alumnus pastor Michael Fischer of CT Brandon shares about starting a new ministry during COVID and publishing his first book.
Get a copy of Michael's book, They Said You Were Safe: Why Young Leaders Are Leaving the Church
Alumnus pastor Michael Fischer credits his training at Horizon for building his capacity to adjust to ministry despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fischer transitioned into the role of lead pastor at Calvary Temple in Brandon, Manitoba in March 2020, just as the coronavirus crisis began to turn our world upside down. He recalls that his first official act as pastor was to cancel church and tell the congregation he was so eager to meet: “Stay home!” However, alongside his amazing team of creative leaders, he has been able to successfully adapt to the new reality of conducting 75% of the
church’s ministry online.
Fischer points out that he is a three-time graduate of Horizon – first with a diploma, then a degree, and finally an MA in leadership from the seminary just prior to being hired by CT Brandon. He attributes graduate courses in change management and understanding vision for giving him the confidence and resourcefulness needed to lead through this difficult season.
If not for his education at Horizon, he says, “I’m pretty sure I would have been sunk by now,” thinking of how he would have handled beginning ministry in a new setting smack in the middle of a pandemic.
Furthermore, Fischer has been able to turn his master’s thesis project into a book entitled They Said You Were Safe: Why Young Leaders are Leaving the Church. Born out of heartache over research that showed strong young Canadian leaders were falling away from established churches prematurely, the book challenges church leaders in their 40s and 50s to take the reins and guide the next generation into a place of safety that allows them to lead in new and creative ways.