The Story of Catch The Fire Ottawa

Catch The Fire Ottawa is one of a large group of churches and ministries that make up the Catch The Fire World movement. It all started with Catch the Fire Toronto https://ctftoronto.com/about. Catch the Fire Toronto became a well-known church due to the revival that happened in the 1990s. Many thousands of people around the world have been impacted by what became known as the Toronto Blessing, where many people have given their lives to Jesus, many have been healed, and many have had encounters with the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the subsequent years, many churches have been planted from that revival, Catch The Fire Ottawa being one. In Ottawa, the first event was held at the Brookstreet Hotel in Kanata on 27 March 2015. The event was planned as a way to announce to the city that Catch The Fire was coming to Ottawa.  Interest was high, and over 450 people showed up to hear live worship music and hear from John and Carol Arnott, the founding pastors of Catch the Fire.

Warm-up meetings began at the Kanata Recreation Center during the summer of 2015. At one meeting, representatives of St Paul’s Anglican Church in Kanata asked if we would be interested in using their church for meetings.  We were warmly welcomed to share the building. Services started at St Paul’s in September 2015. CTF Ottawa continues to meet at St. Paul’s on Sundays at 2pm.

Jeff and Cheryl Duncan joined Catch the Fire Ottawa in September 2020 as lead pastors.

Why the Name Catch the Fire?

In scripture, fire is symbolic of several things. The pillar of fire led the children of Israel in the desert. Fire came and consumed the sacrifice on Mt. Carmel in a demonstration of power. Fire represents purification and the process of refining. Tongues of fire rested on the believers’ heads at Pentecost.

We desire to be people of His presence, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring the kingdom of God to earth.

Our name is our mandate: the fire of revival, the fire of purification, the fire of demonstration of mighty works, the fire of passionate encounter.

We have been named not only for our past but for our destiny, our inheritance, and our future.