Rodgers hits a high note at New Song church

“I started out by saying the last thing in the world I want to do is be a pastor. That was my starting point. From there it was a process of elimination.”

 

Kevin Rodgers is the pastor at New Song Church and claims he has had the same life journey as  many others. Like many involved in faith, Rodgers was born into a religious family and his father  was a pastor. But religion was not always his clear life choice.

 

“After I got out of high school I worked for a year before going off to college,” said Rodgers. “ I worked at Windsor jail after high school for a while. I was taking flying lessons out at the airport and was thinking about getting my hours and pursuing life as a pilot.”

 

A friend of Rogers would later talk him into attending a bible college in Peterborough. At the time Rodgers still lived in Windsor and was playing in bands. He said that his big dream was to pursue a life of music. Rodgers also believed that even though he wanted a music career, going to a Bible college would be beneficial due to his background in religion. Even at this point Rodgers still had no desire to work in the Church.

 

“Couple years into it I still had no deep sense about working in a church or being a pastor,” said Rodgers. “I was really more interested in the music thing, that was the virus of being a starving musician and continuing to be involved in music.”

 

Rodgers’ music career would begin to gain traction and doors were beginning to open for him. Rodgers started to reflect heavily on his life and started asking himself some critical life questions.

 

“The closer I got to doing music there was also this sense of ‘I wonder if this is enough? I wonder if this is what I should be all about?’,” said Rodgers

 

Rodgers started a five-year journey of pursuing multiple paths in life including studying journalism at Loyalist College. During this time he never really found a sense of certainty. But Rodgers always felt no matter the path, he should be living a life of purpose. He found this life of purpose through the church.

 

It was not always smooth sailing and required lots of growth. Whenever he hit a rough point Rodgers would always go back to that feeling of certainty the church gave him. He said this is the reason he felt the need to open New Song Church in Windsor.

 

Betty Nickerson met Rodgers 15 years ago and has been a regular at New Song since the two met. She said she is thankful Rodgers came to this realization and opened the church.

 

“He is so graceful, so merciful, so passionate, so compassionate,” said Nickerson, smiling as if she had won the lottery. “I have never met anyone like him in my life, he would give you the shirt off his back if it would help you. There is nobody we turn away in this church. “

 

She also said she has felt welcome to multiple churches in her life, but New Song is not just a church but a home.

 

New Song church is much different than most. The building itself is just an old bar, repurposed . Rodgers said when he purchased the bar it had a negative reputation and he wanted to turn it around and make it a positive part of the neighbourhood. Rodgers also welcomes people from all walks of life whether they live well above the poverty line or below it.

Nickerson said even though some people come from a rougher past and some may even still live a rough life, Rodgers is always welcoming. She believes the reason Rodgers is like this is because of how connected he is to his faith.

 

“He loves Jesus he is in his heart so much that – that is what he portrays in him ‘what would Jesus do’,” said Nickerson. “That is how he lives his life.”

 

Rodgers said the reason he does not judge people who come into his church is due to a realization he had while working in other churches. This realization is the fact anyone can point out what is broken in the world. As well who was he to point out the faults in others when he himself had faults. So rather than tear things apart Rodgers decided he would fix things and tend wounds rather than leave them exposed.

 

Rodgers also said when he was younger he was told by a pastor each person has two journeys in their life. The journey away from home where a person goes out a discovers the world for themselves. And the journey home where people reconnect with essential values and relationships.

 

Rodgers said no matter where life takes him however he always looks to keep learning and changing.

 

“I look forward to whatever is ahead with that expectation that there is more to learn, more to experience,” said Rodgers. “The world has changed a lot and I just want to always be learning and keeping up. I don’t want to be one of those old guys who reminisce about their high school years.”