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HISTORY
OF JIL
OTTAWA CHURCH
1994 was a very significant year for the JIL Church Canada.
A bible study started in a humble home in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada!
The following year, they initiated
contact with JIL Toronto and informed of their intention and desire to officially begin Jesus Is Lord Church in Ottawa. Without
wasting any time, JIL brethren went and visited the capital city with a declaration that the JIL Church is now open! The JIL
vision has reached another milestone in that year.
By July 1995, the first Sunday Service was held with great anticipation
of God’s intervention and favour. It was a time of huge expectation for what God will do. Truly, the joy of the Lord
was overflowing with the prospect of growth and blessing for an infant congregation.
When the celebration of the
first anniversary came choosing the theme “But If, I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself”
taken from John 12:32, people were invited to witness a glorious occasion of God’s goodness.
The need to
find a permanent place of worship was a priority to continue the momentum. As always, God never fails to provide the needs
of His people. JIL Ottawa was on its way to fulfill the JIL vision in the capital city of Canada!
Continued growth
were seen especially when families after families arrived and became part of the growing congregation. Then God opened a door
last December 1999 when some brethren were used by God to assist in starting the work in Montreal, Quebec. They were faithful
week after week every Sunday to provide assistance and support to the new JIL Church in the French-speaking province of Canada-Quebec
for almost a year.
Another breakthrough came when Pastor Bong Gonzales, a veteran pastor from JIL Ilocos Norte,
Philippines came to Canada as an immigrant together with his family, was given the assignment to become the JIL Ottawa Church
Pastor from 2003 to 2005. In just a few years, JIL-Ottawa had experienced significant spiritual and numerical growth with
Pastor Bong’s leadership and with the assistance of his wife Pastor Rose Gonzales as well.
Finally, after
much prayer and searching for almost four years, a leased building was found last December 2005 to provide a more permanent
place for the JIL Ottawa congregation. It was a beautiful place where worship, praise, prayer and ministry towards the Lord
Jesus were done to give Him the proper honour and glory by the JIL people.
Since then, JIL Ottawa’s faithfulness
in serving God was a great testimony and an encouragement to all that have been part of JIL Ottawa since its beginning. Breakthrough
was manifested in the lives of the JIL people in many aspects including financial breakthroughs and the purchasing of new
homes in all shapes and sizes.
As a testimony to the growth of JIL Ottawa, a 2nd service started last December
2007. The vision is to have another CHURCH SERVICE in the West Ottawa side and more. This will be fulfilled for God’s
glory alone. JIL-OTTAWA had gone through tough times, but because of God’s mighty and awesome power, JIL Ottawa had
overcome all those trials. Therefore, JIL Ottawa give thanks to God for all the people He used and is continually using for
the furtherance of His kingdom in the capital region of Canada.
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