Across the street another home was rented by a single school teacher by the name of Noella Maurice. The Lord brought other single women to live with Noella. Most of the brothers and sisters in these households became very active in the St. Joseph Parish prayer group under the headship of Father McDonald in 1974.

 

 

 

In 1977 the leaders of St. Joseph's Prayer Group were encouraged by Father McDonald to visit an ecumenical community known as the Word of God at Ann Arbour, Michigan. The leaders were so inspired from their visit that they decided to a make covenant to one another to live out the early Christian life as described in the book of Acts 2:42-43.

 

 

 

 

 

Father McDonald encouraged the prayer group members to be an ecumenical community that would operate separately from the parish. 21 members of the prayer group made the covenant and committed themselves to one another in 1977. At this time the community sought the Lord for a name to identify themselves. They were lead to a passage in Ezra Chapter 5 which states.

 

 

 

The Servants of God vision was to rebuild the temple by renewing the church - the mission of all Christians. But it was recognized that it was not possible unless there was a protective structure and pattern of life provided by committed relationships in covenant community. Our primary mission is to evangelize but we believe it is not possible to protect our selves from the world, the flesh and devil without the support provided by our life in the Servants of God.

 

 

 

In 1979 the entire community went to Ann Arbour, Michigan for an entire week of instruction on covenant community. Direction was provided to the community leaders from Dick Herman, a leader from the Bread of Life community in Akron Ohio. This relationship with the Bread of Life community still exists.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1980 the community members decided to cluster together in the Ottawa area. They chose Blackburn Hamlet to buy or rent homes so that they could be closer to one another to share their lives in Christ. A pastoral care system evolved in 1982 where every person was assigned a pastoral leader to comfort, encourage and urge one another in Christian faith. Men were assigned a pastoral leader, whereas married woman were pastored by their husbands. Single sisters were assigned another woman as a pastoral leader. This system still exists today. Community members meet with their pastoral leader in a group or one on one every two weeks to submit four areas of their life: prayer, study of Christian literature and scripture, service that builds up the Kingdom, and relationships. Note that people are still responsible for their decisions in life. People carefully consider the counsel of their pastoral leader but are not required to follow it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1985 the community was lead to put a greater emphasis on outreach. Mixed small groups were formed to evangelize neighbours, coworkers, or nominal Christians by conducting Life in the Spirit Seminars and bible studies. In 1991 this movement was identified as the Living Stones. As an interdenominational, charismatic movement, for couples or singles, its mission was to spread the Christian faith and sustain this faith in small groups that met weekly. Every three months there was a Living Stones function such as a picnic or prayer meeting that all the Living Stones groups attended.

 

 

 

 

 

As a community we have celebrated Christmas and Easter together. Since 1987 the Servants of God has celebrated Easter together as community early on Easter morning before community members go to our different churches. Our celebration usually starts with a reenactment of the women at the tomb at the morning of the resurrection, or the disciples on the road to Emmaus as they encounter the Risen Lord. A time of prayer and praise is then followed by a breakfast with a traditional egg cracking ceremony.

 

 

 

 

In 1984, the Servants of God was lead to sponsor a Vietnamese couple that wanted to immigrate to Ottawa. More recently in 1990 the community sponsored Luiselipe from Costa Rica. The community has supported other families in need in other Sword of the Spirit communities since 1990.

 

 

One of the founders of the Servants of God community was Bill McEachern. Bill has always had a heart to live out the mission of the Christian church - to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. However, he realized that a support system was necessary to sustain him in his zeal to evangelize. A desire to live in committed relationships was in his heart, so he started to seek out covenant community in 1972. He couldn't find one in Ottawa, so the Lord told him to rent a house in the Sandy Hill area and open it to others. Soon this house was filled with single men who had a desire to share their lives in Christ.

 

 

 

The first family that moved in the neighbourhood and started relating to the households was the Pollocks in 1976. Some of the single brothers and sisters started to marry, such as Andre and Mary Beth Pion in 1981. This resulted in more and more children becoming involved with the community.

 

 

 

 

"They devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching and the communal life, to the breaking of bread and prayers. A reverent fear overtook them all, for many signs and wonders were performed by the apostles. Those who believed shared all things in common. They would sell their property and goods dividing everything on an equal basis according to each one's needs. They went to the temple area each day, while in their homes they broke bread."

 

 

 

 

"We are the Servants of God of heaven and earth and we are rebuilding the house built here many years ago, which a great King of Israel built and finished."

Neh 4:11 "Each worker did his work with one hand and held a weapon in his right hand."

 

 

 

 

One of the first efforts by the community to spread the Good News was to act as the steering committee for the 1978 Ontario Charismatic conference hosted at the Civic Centre in Ottawa. This was quite an undertaking for the relatively small community, but the conference was a complete success.

 

 

 

 

At this time in the community it was decided to emphasize brother and sister relationships in the Lord. So the community formed men's groups and women's groups that met on a weekly basis for fellowship and encouragement in the faith. This principle is still lived out in the Servants of God. There are men's retreats each year that usually take place outdoors, in order to worship the creator in the midst of his creation. The sisters in the community also have their retreats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1984 there was a serious turning point in the community as it struggled with leadership and ecumenism. The community unanimously decided to join the Sword of the Spirit, an international community of communities with it headquarters in Ann Arbour Michigan. There are 64 communities around the world on four different continents. A Sword of the Spirit elder, Bob Morris, was assigned to care for and provide direction to us in the selection of new leaders. He was contacted by community leaders every two weeks, and made 2 visits per year to Ottawa. This responsibility was taken over by Bob Tedesco of the People of God community in Pittsburg. The Sword of the Spirit provides us over 60 hours of teaching to develop individual faith, family renewal, and community relationships. An annual Pastoral Training Institute is also hosted by the Sword of the Spirit which members of the Servants of God are welcome to attend. -~ sixteen one week sessions +h~~~have been developed. Many of our community members have been blessed by a visit to the Bread of Life community in Acron Ohio where Bob Morris resides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pattern of life in the Servants of God has evolved over the years to include many regular activities. We devote a good deal of time celebrating the goodness of God - particularly our Lord's Day Celebration. A day of rest is set aside each week starting on Saturday might to commemorate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. It is celebrated with special prayers at our home, and, since 1990, as a community every second week. The community Lords Day celebrations have included a meal, a prayer meeting that includes the whole family followed by a talent show or games night.

 

 

 

 

 

Efforts have been made for community members to have some of their holidays together. In 1987 most of the community went to Waupoos Island to pray work and play together for a one week period. Since 1988 the community has had a camping weekend at Fitzroy Provincial Park on the July 1st weekend.

 

 

 

The Servants of God experienced the loss of one of the original members of the community in 1985. Anthony O'Reilly was a faithful member of the community and a prayer warrior. His intercessions for the Servants of God have been instrumental in community members maintaining committed relationships in Christ since 1977.