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Hello! My name is Corey Wilcher, and I am a missionary called to the country of Canada. The Lord laid Toronto specifically on our heart for birthing churches. For many that know me, this news might come to you as a shock. I never dreamed of leaving the United States, let alone my own town! but this is what God has called my family and I to, and we are going to follow his call on our life.
Many of you are probably wondering, "How did this happen in the first place?" Some may be asking, "What do you mean God called you to Canada?" In this first blog post of mine, I would love to take the time with you to answer those questions. Let's begin...
The Call
Throughout scripture, we see God call men into ministry. We see where God called Jeremiah, as well as Isaiah for specific tasks. Even in the New Testament, we see God call men such as Paul to bring the gospel to areas he led Paul. As Christians, we know we are all called to share the gospel (Matt.28:19-20). All Christians, in other words, are called to be missionaries. You do not have to go to a foreign land to be a missionary because wherever the lost are, that is your mission field!
For my family, God touched our hearts specifically to bring the gospel to a city we were not living in, that needed the gospel. This call began for me when I was a junior in high school. It was around December that the Lord first touched my heart for ministry. After praying for a while, as well as seeking the Lord's guidance; God opened the doors for me to go into ministry right out of High School, at the age of 18. After working for Bible Baptist Church in Mt. Orab, Ohio for a couple years, the Lord touched my heart yet again, but this time to birth a church in Athens, Ohio. This is obviously not Toronto, but this part of the testimony plays a vital importance for anyone who believes they are called into ministry, or called to start a church somewhere.
Knowing that this was without a doubt a call from God, it came as a shock in March of 2021 when God gave different marching orders. We were at a missions conference at our church, and on that Tuesday night, God called my family and I at the alter during the invitation, to be missionaries. Some might be thinking "Obviously you cannot go to two different places at the same time, so how did God do this, and why?"
An Open Door Closed
Allow me to share with you Acts chapter 16. Paul at the time was set to go to Asia to bring the gospel there. Knowing Paul, he would not have made such a long trip without the Holy Ghost being in it. So, Paul is going to Asia to bring the gospel there, knowing God is for it. Yet, we see in verse 6 that what seemed like an open door, is now closed. The Holy Ghost forbids him to go. They then try to go to Phrygia but the same event occurs. Finally, that night, The Holy Ghost gives Paul a vision of a Macedonian man begging for someone to help them. Paul then knew that the door was now officially open for Macedonia.
So, here's the question, does God not know what he's doing with Paul? Did Paul mishear God? As Christians, we know the Shepherd's voice. When God speaks, it is not misunderstood, you will know. God also is a perfect God who does everything in order. So, what happened here? It was a test of faithfulness. God wanted to see if Paul would be willing to go where he was first told to go. Once Paul proved by actions that he was listening to God, God closed the door, and opened the door that he wanted Paul to go through.
Athens, Ohio does need a good Baptist Church and I knew God was calling me here but he was testing my faithfulness. When God told me to take my family and move to Canada as missionaries, I thought that something was being misunderstood on my part. After praying only 3 days on where God wanted my family and I to go, the Lord made it clear to me that I was not misunderstood. My faithfulness was simply being tested. Not only did God test Paul in this chapter, but God throughout the years was testing me to see if I would move my family to Athens to start a church, and once he saw my faithfulness, he closed that door and burdened our hearts for Canada! Sometimes, God wants to test our faithfulness to him, to see if he can trust us with something that requires a lot of faith! This is a great lesson to learn for any younger person who is called into ministry.
From then on out, my wife and I have continued praying for Toronto, Canada. The Lord daily confirms that this is the place through his Holy Word, and everyday life events. We are excited to begin this journey of deputation as we will be traveling the United States for the next 2 years gaining support from Baptist churches across the United States of America. We are excited for the day that we officially move to Toronto, to begin birthing churches in a city that is starving spiritually.