Bill C-9, Religious Freedom, and Courageous Leadership with Brett Esslinger

A Warning to the American Church From Canadian Pastor Brett Esslinger

In this episode of The Outstand Podcast, Chandler Boyce sits down with Canadian pastor, author, and church leader Brett Esslinger for an urgent conversation about religious freedom, courageous leadership, Canada’s changing cultural climate, and why the American Church should pay close attention to what is happening north of the border.

Brett Esslinger is the senior pastor of Saints Church, a multisite church serving communities throughout the Edmonton region. He is also an author, leadership coach, former songwriter, church planter, and a trusted voice to pastors across Canada. After nearly two decades in ministry, Brett has experienced church planting, church mergers, organizational challenges, cultural opposition, and the personal cost of building something that lasts.

Chandler and Brett discuss Canada’s Bill C-9, the removal of a longstanding religious-text defense from the country’s hate-propaganda laws, and the concerns many religious leaders have about its potential chilling effect on biblical preaching and religious expression. Brett shares why he felt compelled to speak publicly, even though he never intended to become known as a political pastor.

This conversation is not a call for churches to build their identity around politics, outrage, or constantly fighting culture. Brett explains why pastors must combine courage with wisdom, seek trustworthy legal counsel, understand the laws governing their churches, and boldly preach the full counsel of Scripture without allowing fear to determine what they will or will not say.

They also discuss the danger of building a church around a common enemy. Brett warns that when a church’s entire culture is built around fighting, the people it attracts may eventually turn that same posture toward its leaders. Courageous leadership requires more than reacting to controversy. It requires a deeper foundation of truth, mission, discipleship, service, and genuine community.

Brett shares how Saints Church has built meaningful influence by identifying practical needs and serving its cities exceptionally well. What began with a church-operated bus transporting people to a local food bank eventually grew into a CityServe ministry that has distributed more than $12 million in goods through over 300 community partners throughout the Edmonton region.

Chandler and Brett also explore the unique opportunity churches have to influence their communities by building relationships with local leaders, joining boards and commissions, serving in schools and community organizations, and encouraging Christians to take responsibility for the places where God has positioned them.

The conversation also covers the differences between planting and merging churches, leading in Canada versus the United States, the strengths of pastors serving smaller communities, the realities of Canada’s healthcare system, generosity, church regulation, limiting mindsets, and why changing an existing culture is often harder than building a new one.

Brett closes with a direct challenge to pastors and Christian leaders: You are not where you are by accident. God has placed you in this moment, in your city, and in your nation for a reason. The question is whether you will shrink back in fear or have the courage to faithfully lead, speak, serve, and act.

If you are a pastor, ministry leader, church planter, or Christian concerned about religious freedom, biblical truth, church leadership, and the future of the Church in Canada and the United States, this is a conversation you need to hear.

Connect with Brett and Saints Church: https://www.saintschurch.ca/

Connect with Chandler: https://chandlerboyce.com/

Instagram: @ChandlerDBoyce

YouTube: @ChandlerBoyce

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