Gateway Christian Ministries Pastor Tim Osiowy had plenty of reasons to celebrate when a 40th anniversary for the church was held over the weekend, starting with the 1,000-person congregation the church has grown into from the "handful" he first took on the posting.
Osiowy became the pastor in 1972, when the church was one year old.
He and his wife, Sandra, had moved to Prince George in 1967 so he could take on some construction work but left again to complete college and become a pastor. But he knew he'd be back someday and when the church's first pastor, Ed Funk, called him, Osiowy didn't hesitate.
"I believe God really called me to come here," Osiowy said Saturday afternoon, a few hours before a celebration was held at the Coast Inn of the North. "It was very, very clear. When I was leaving this city after I had worked here, I just felt like I heard God's voice and I would back here one day and give my life to help this city."
Originally known as the Full Gospel Tabernacle, the church was located on Ospika where the Lakewood funeral chapel is now found. Osiowy found himself continuing to work in painting and decorating, real estate and business machines to make ends meet during the first few years because the church could not support him.
But the perseverance paid off. By the early 1980s, the church had grown to about 600 people, was renamed the Full Gospel Christian Fellowship and had moved to a 17,000-square-foot home on 20th Avenue in the Gateway neighbourhood from their old 5,000-square-foot digs. In 2000, it was renamed Gateway Christian Ministries in recognition of its location.
The church is affiliated with the Apostolic Church Of Pentecost (Canada) but Osiowy said the relationship is loose and the church maintains contact with several organizations. He describes Gateway as self-sustaining and independent with its own charter.
"Our church is quite an interesting church. We're quite diverse in the things we do," Osiowy said.
Gateway had been home to a Christian school for 27 years before amalgamating with Cedars Christian and it's planted a further half-dozen churches in surrounding northern B.C. communities.
Former members have gone on to start churches in other parts of Canada and overseas.
Osiowy's missionary work, meanwhile, has taken him to more than 30 countries.
"We have orphanages in different parts of the world," he said. "We do a lot of mercy work and send teams out internationally so it's been quite an exciting life with all that we've been involved in. "
Closer to home, Gateway is also involved in a recovery home for women and the Life Centre on Third Avenue near Vancouver Street downtown.
After 40 years, Osiowy, 63, still feels young but is also looking to passing on the reigns. Specifically, Osiowy sees son Barkley taking over with the support of the 10 staff now at the church.
"We've got a great team who's ready to do what has to be done and take it even further," he said. "I see no reason why this church could grow to 2,000 in this community.
"I've always had a vision for that, I've never had a vision for a small church and we also have people around us that are very energetic and very committed and so I can see this going to another level not long from now."
