” Mobilizing church members to reach their own community enables a church to bridge the contextuel gap naturally, the very thing that must be done if we are to carry forward the urgent business of reaching urban communities for Christ. ” (Conn & Ortiz, Urban Ministry, 2001, p. 469)
In 2023, the Zoellners continue their primary ministry: urban mission. J.G. is associate minister of L’Église réformée St-Jean in the heart of Montréal. Working as a team, the Zoellners are concentratring on discipleship: (1) preaching grace and practicing justice, trusting the Holy Spirit will use them to make new disciples of Jesus; and (2) equipping and mobilizing fellow believers to reach their urban communities for Jesus.
From 2015 – 2021, John Garnet (Jean in French) was Director of Institut de théologie réformée Farel in Montréal. Farel provides missionary and pastoral training for future and current leaders in French-speaking churches, as these students and leaders pursue academic studies (B.Th, M.Div., Th.M) at the Faculté de théologie évangélique de Montréal, with whom Farel is affiliated. John Garnet continues to teach part-time at the Faculté de théologie évangélique (Urban Missions, Pastoral Ministry) as well as doing short-term courses for ministers/church planters in the Congo, Burkina Faso, and Senegal.
Born and raised in Canada, JG (1955) and Daryl (1956) have been ministering in French-speaking Canada since 1983. They have had the joy and honour of being part of 3 church plants (Beauce, Quebec City, Montreal) and of pastoring 2 of them (Beauce, Montreal). In JG’s last pastoral role, from 1998 – 2015, the Zoellners served an international, inter-cultural congregation in downtown Montreal. During this time they saw men and women become Christians, take initiative in local congregations and integrate their faith into their workplaces and professions, both in Quebec and in many places around the French-speaking world.
Now in their late 60s, they hope to serve with vigour – one day at a time – as long as God enables them to do so.