John Roddam
Richmond, B.C.
Forty years ago, when John Roddam was just beginning his ministry as an Anglican priest in Nova Scotia, he ached to have a seasoned pastor from any evangelical tradition with whom he could meet to pray and share about the challenges of ministry life. Such supports may have existed, he says, but he was never able to discover them.
“Most leaders were focused on their own ministry and didn’t have a vision for supporting younger leaders,” he recalls.
He resolved then and there to one day make himself available to encourage and mentor younger leaders as opportunities arose.
You could say opportunities arose throughout his decades of ministry because he deliberately created them. Whenever he moved into a new community, he would strategically invite other pastors for lunch.
“I’ve never had anyone turn down a free lunch yet,” he chuckles. “That led to meeting regularly for prayer, supporting one another. Anywhere I’ve served I’ve really tried to encourage leaders to pray for and support one another.”
He and his wife Holly travelled widely throughout his pastoral career, often speaking at charismatic Christian conferences, such that their circle of acquaintances was large. And when he retired in 2019, he was able to transition easily from his pastoral ministry to what he describes as a ministry of encouragement and support for younger clergy.
“It’s a lot like spiritual direction,” he explains. “It’s a relational kind of thing – trying to encourage people in their walk with God.”
Today, using online communication platforms from his home in Richmond, B.C., he regularly provides such encouragement to about three dozen Christian leaders across North America, Europe and Southeast Asia.
He calls this time of his life, “One of the richest seasons, to be able to encourage other leaders.”
When asked his advice for others who might be looking ahead to retirement, he says, “What is your passion? Is there anything that God put on your heart as a younger person that is unfinished business? Now may be the time to revisit it, and to do so with a sense of optimism and joy.”