Article/Interview by ShaDé Productions

History Makers Church - Making a Difference in Durham Region 

In today’s Church era of strenuous change, hot topic debates, and everything from out-dated church models to celebrity preachers, lights, cameras and fog machines, History Makers Church is unique, and living up to its name. 

History Makers Church has been one of the fastest growing churches in Durham Region this past year (apart from the incredible growth of The River Worship gatherings at Canada Christian College). That’s not including HMC’s “Online Church”, another cutting-edge feature making this church unique. 

History Makers Church is a non-denominational church where people experience freedom. From Holy Spirit filled services, the Gifts and the miraculous, to specialized equipping for anyone wanting to discover their calling. Everyone from the “down and outs”, to political figures, and those just tired of “manufactured religious church” call HMC home. 

When walking through the doors of the newly renovated Harmony Rd Event Centre (where HMC holds its weekly services) you are immediately struck by chandeliers, modern decor, and the buzz of people coming from the Marriott bistro into a church service right on site. On multiple screens surrounding the room a typical “church countdown video” begins. Although reluctant to stand after experiencing the chairs (that have a comfortable slight recline), a service host does what is typical for a Sunday morning service and invites everyone to stand for worship. However, worship at HMC is anything but “typical.” 

Without a famous band, or concert dynamic, worship ascends, and the Presence of God comes down. In fact, most HMC attendees say that’s why they come. They feel the Presence of the Lord in a way they never have before, or “haven’t felt in years.” Somehow History Makers Church discovered a link between the “Church of the past” (Presence, power and true Pentecost) and the “Church of the future” (In person/Online and reaching society). This is all done without many of the props, programs and church trends prevalent today. HMC is something new and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. It’s hard to believe that it was founded just over a year ago.

Natasha from ShaDé Productions had a chance to sit down with Pastor Derek Schneider of History Makers Church - former rapper, now pastor and founder of History Makers Society.

NATASHA: Pastor Derek… HMC is making a lot of good noise these days, and the growth seems fast. What would you say is the reason for this? Some would say these are tough times to build a church. 

PASTOR DEREK: This is a good question and one I myself try to understand. I can tell you this, History Makers Church was born of the Spirit, and from pain and trial. Great grace is always found on the other side of such things. 

I would also say it is the radical sacrificial commitment we as a leadership team made to pursuing His Presence. Our main goal is that anyone walking through those doors will leave assured they have seen God. 

This is actually what makes the local church different from a concert venue or social club. People come to church to encounter God. Not really for the programs or the pastor’s personality. They can find those things in secular society and on YouTube. Not knocking anyone else, but at HMC we made the decision to pursue His Presence above the pursuit of programs and church growth. However, out of His Presence, has come strategy and Church growth.

One other thing I should speak to regarding the growth of HMC, is its church structure and foundation.  We place more emphasis on being Kingdom driven than pulpit driven. We believe every person has a ministry in God’s Kingdom, rather than all ministry revolving around a pulpit on Sundays. We use a New Testament model as outlined in the book of Acts. Unfortunately, this model is often overlooked, misunderstood or drowned out by the neutralizing effect of some denominational structures. 

NATASHA: Why did you choose Oshawa to plant this new church? 

PASTOR DEREK: There was some controversy over this. But I did not choose Oshawa for our church, the Lord led us this way. As for my own calling and ministry to this region, I came to Oshawa with my parents when I was 3 years old. Dad (Pastor Doug Schneider) began pastoring a church here and built that church over the next 40 years. I had the privilege of pastoring with my father and establishing significant spiritual roots here, and saw many breakthroughs in Oshawa and beyond. 

When Dad entered hospital due to terminal cancer, the leadership of our church met with me requesting we part ways as they wanted to go in a different direction. I accepted their request, and they blessed me to begin our own work. With HMC, I am continuing the work according to the spiritual DNA the Holy Spirit gave both Dad and I to do here in the region, and beyond.

NATASHA: Was this transition here in Durham difficult? What were some of the challenges?

PASTOR DEREK: Not everyone was happy about me planting in Oshawa. One pastor said, “Why doesn’t he plant in Whitby, or Ajax?” But then pastors in Whitby or Ajax would not be happy we planted there! 

This highlights a great problem among many pastors today. They tend to view their ministry in a region through business or corporate lenses. Their church is their business. Therefore, anyone planting a church in the same city is viewed (intentionally or not) as a competitor. Next the comparing begins, followed by squabbling over a few people that left one church for another and on and on it goes. This is totally anti-Kingdom thinking. When you view your ministry through Kingdom lenses, you realize you own nothing, and every church is part of the same Kingdom. 

All Tim Hortons’ revenue flows up to head-office. The same should be said of churches. All of the fruit of our united efforts as pastors in a region flows up to Heaven. It is my understanding of the Kingdom of God, that didn’t allow me to engage with fleshly thinking when we planted. If you ask me, we need as many hands as possible to reach our precious city of Oshawa and the Durham Region. 

NATASHA: Beyond the preaching and teaching, one of the things I found most impressive about HMC is the worship experience - and without a worship team! How did this come about? Was it intentional?

PASTOR DEREK: This has been a very interesting journey. I won’t give away exactly what we do for the worship segment of our services. We do have worship, and I invite you to come and experience it for yourself. I will say this, what we are facilitating comes out of a great longing for the genuine Presence of the Lord in our church. 

After 20 plus years of ministry in various settings and demographics I have become concerned with what’s happening with worship these days. We have arguably never seen an era of such props, packaging, and hyped up choreography taking centre stage in our churches. For me, coming from the music industry, I know what’s going on. Even down to the songs themselves being all about us. I believe this actually hinders someone from encountering Jesus. A person may leave church “feeling” like they encountered God or moved with emotion. But then Monday thru Saturday there is no personal life transformation.

Let me be clear, I am not knocking churches that facilitate a concert feel, or the latest technology. We also use today’s technology to worship and reach people. But for all of our bells and whistles, just make sure that Jesus is there. Only Jesus can transform the human being. 

NATASHA: What does the future hold for History Makers Church? 

PASTOR DEREK: History Makers Church is committed to facilitating an environment to truly encounter God and equip people in their calling. We also have a unique strategy and system of equipping people to connect all that happens IN the building we call church, to the community outside the building. With God’s help we have achieved and gone beyond our first-year goals and are excited for what’s next. 

Through our “ClubLife” Clubs and “Society Small Groups” we are already beginning to bridge the gap between what happens in the church building, and society. The “Church without walls” model has always been the biblical one. Ironically, it is the only sure model that fulfills the Great Commission, brings people in and results in real church growth. In this day and age, making the Great Commission solely about filling a building, only leads to frustration and decades of ministry futility. 

The gospel of the Kingdom works, and it deserves centre stage.