A Blessing

Written by Rev. Dr. Seán McGuire

TrueCity Leadership Team member, Pastor (Wentworth Baptist 2014 - 2025)

There is something special about the city of Hamilton. Many times, God has used Hamilton to renew the Church. The Second Great Awakening began here; denominations have started here; and movements have emerged that have blessed the Church near and far. In the 1990s, the Lord compelled a missionary family — the Witts — to move to Hamilton. While Dave grew up in Chicago, Alison grew up in Dundas, so moving here was like coming home. As Dave began ministering to inner-city pastors, helping to protect them from burnout, he began to hear the Holy Spirit speak a word over the churches of our city: “Unity.” And as Dave shared what he heard the Lord saying, he realized the pastors he was ministering alongside were hearing the same word spoken to their churches. Thus, it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to these initial churches to begin meeting, learning together, and working alongside one another for the glory of God and the good of the city.

For over twenty years, Dave has led this movement of churches called TrueCity, helping local congregations engage in mission and serve as a visible expression of the unity-in-diversity of the body of Christ. Over these decades, the Lord has used Dave’s gifts of facilitation, peacemaking, encouragement, mercy, and wisdom, all held together with faith, hope, and love, to grow a handful of churches learning from one another into a movement of churches and ministries across the city. Moreover, TrueCity is now a movement known throughout North America — not for what the movement has done, but for what the Lord has done in our midst.

As Dave now listens to the Lord’s voice again, stepping out of his role as Network Developer and into something new, what can be said other than to thank Dave for listening to the Lord’s voice and faithfully finishing the task the Lord gave him, and to thank God for sending the Witts to minister in our midst and remind us of the unity that Christ Jesus prayed his church would have. May TrueCity continue to flourish in this work of unity, and may the Lord bless Dave as he enters a new season of life and ministry.