Politics in the Pulpit Conference

The Local Church’s Responsibility in Political Engagement

The familiar saying, “Keep politics out of the pulpit” has led to the disengagement of Christians in the political sphere. This attitude has been a large contributor to Canada’s moral and cultural decline. Political and cultural engagement is not an optional suggestion for the Church – it is a command we are required to obey. It may look like different activities for different Christians, but we have a duty to bring the Lordship of Christ to every square inch of Canada.

The Politics in the Pulpit Conference is designed to help Christians engage in the political and cultural spheres in effective and godly ways. Our plenary sessions and Q&A period will offer Biblical and practical teaching on what Christians can and ought to do in order to be faithful to Christ. Rather than keep politics out of the pulpit, Christians must speak boldly and clearly into Canadian culture and politics.

Meet our Speakers

Marty Elson

Marty grew up in Goderich, Ontario. He and his wife, Shannon, spent seven years where he pastored a small congregation in Carling Township, Ontario. Nineteen years ago, they moved to Berwick, Nova Scotia, to become part of the fellowship in Shannon’s home church where he helped in various ways including speaking. For the last 8 or 9 years he has been a speaking elder at Weston Christian Fellowship Church. He and Shannon have been married 28 years and have 5 children and one daughter in law.

Nate Wright

Rev. Nathanael Wright (B.A, MDiv.) is the Canadian Director of the Ezra Institute. He is a Christian leader, theologian and cultural apologist, and has worked in Christian ministry and church leadership in Canada for over fifteen years. He has been the senior pastor of Crossroads Bible Church in Ingersoll, Ontario since 2013. Nathanael and his wife Colleen live in London, Ontario, and together they have 4 children.

Paul Dirks

Paul is a husband, father of five, and lead pastor at New West Community Church, where he has served for fourteen years. He has been highly involved in sex and gender issues, advocating for women's sex-based rights and against child medical-transition, appearing before the Senate on Bill C-16, and organizing public rallies. He is the author of “Deep Discipleship for Dark Days,” a Christian manual for surviving and thriving in the rising tide of evil, ethical compromise, and totalitarianism.

Andrew DeBartolo

Andrew is the Director of Operations for Liberty Coalition Canada, where his aim is to provide Canadians with a distinctly Christian and conservative worldview to make sense of social, political, and theological issues. He has also had experience serving in pastoral ministry for 15 years. He and his wife Kathryn have been married since 2009, and together they have 5 children.

David Haskell

A professor and social scientist at Wilfrid Laurier University for nearly two decades, David has researched, taught, and published on the connection between Christian conservatism and positive societal outcomes and the tensions between Christian conservatives and the country’s cultural elites. He is the member of several advocacy organizations fighting for freedom of expression, freedom of conscience and freedom of religion.