In Canada, as with much of the Western world, the ground beneath our religious assumptions has shifted. Churches are emptying, Christian language feels foreign in public life, and younger generations; many of whom I love and listen to, are often unmoved by institutional faith.
I’m Larry Kroh, Pastor From the Pasture, a retired evangelical pastor who served three decades in ministry mostly in London, Ontario and including serving for 16 years as Larry the Custodian Guy with the TVDSB. Since stepping away from the school, stage and sofas speaking with small groups, I’ve been listening, learning, reading and reflecting. There’s one core conviction that holds my attention and affection: the Christian faith is, at its root, relational—not institutional, not abstract, and certainly not colonial.
This blog—Relational Faith: Replanting the Ancient Roots—is an exploration, not a lecture. Like an onion, it’s an attempt to peel back layers of Western philosophical overlays, re-encounter the God who walks with humanity, and re-imagine what faith might look like in a fractured, post-Christian Canada.
Here’s what to expect from this series:
A relational view of God — exploring how Scripture presents God not as a distant force or a controlling micromanager but as One who desires mutual, covenantal relationship.
Deconstructing distortions — wrestling with how post-Hellenistic and institutional models distorted relational faith into rigid hierarchies and impersonal systems.
Faithful presence in uncertainty — engaging how we live out this relational faith here in Canada, where cultural Christianity is no longer a default.
Intergenerational community — imagining new (but ancient) ways for people of all ages to grow in mutual wisdom and witness.
Faithful imagination — drawing on Scripture and trusted voices to help us discover what relational faithfulness looks like in our time.
This isn’t about being sentimental. It’s about replanting ancient seed, something grounded, gritty and hopeful—right here, among the unplowed and unseeded ground of our time.
If that stirs something in you—whether curiosity, skepticism, or desire—then I invite you to walk with me. The posts will be thoughtful but accessible, biblical yet relevant, reflective yet hopeful. I welcome comments and conversation as we go.
Thanks for joining me.