Mark Goring is the pastor of Church In Regent Park. For decades it was a pocket of poverty, addiction and violence. For the last couple years, the poor are being displaced and development is erasing what once was there. The church has emerged from Church In The City, another urban church with a rich history of intersection with the poor.

Part of Mark’s journey involved ministry in the Malvern neighbourhood where pressure from a gang led to death threats and Mark moving out of the city. But, the urban cry never left Mark’s soul and so he re-emerged a few years later to the ministry he now leads.

What do you think it takes to be a person of faith in a high-risk neighbourhood? For those of you familiar with David Wilkerson and the history of Teen Challenge, it starts with a person who hears the urban cry. When the injustice, humanity and tragic storylines no longer can be ignored, God’s people go with the belief that Jesus can set people free.

I think part of Mark’s effectiveness is his non-threatening friendliness. He loves people as they are and has a humble gravitas that makes him approachable. He truly is a gift to Regent Park.

Let’s join Mark now in a session recorded in September 2019 at the Our City Toronto conference at Stone Church.

Links:

https://cirptoronto.ca/