ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Reverend James W. Lewis CH. Div.
Senior Pastor
I am Bishop James W. Lewis. I live in Simcoe, Ontario. I am an Ordained Minister with the Canadian International Metaphysical Ministry. I am the Bishop at The Centre For Spiritual Enlightenment. I have accreditation as; a Licensed Officiant with the Province of Ontario. I am a Licensed Ministry Chaplain, Licensed Minister, Ordained Officiant Minister Specialization. I have completed Theology specialization, I have Marriage Ministry Award, Prayer Ministry Award, Pastoral Care Award, as well as level one phycology and Life Coach Ministry. After that introduction I still think one of the hardest things to do is to write about yourself. Although I have written on many subjects as a journalist and what we call “famous people”, I am neither famous nor a great subject mater. Though I know some out there would argue that I am a great subject to talk about.
I guess the best place to start is the beginning. When I was a child my parents insisted, that my sisters and I go to Sunday school, they didn’t care where they just wanted us to go and get out of the house. I began my religious journey as a child and went to a Catholic Church. (Manly because some of my friends went there and I liked the cookie from the priest.) I continued within the Catholic Church right up to my late teens wanting one day to become a priest.
I followed my catholic faith until my early twenties and became disenchanted with organized religion. So much so, I walked all forms of organized religion.
I wandered aimlessly with no direction of my life, made bad choices. Always felt I was not worthy of God’s love or anyone’s love. I fell into deep depression, I felt lost, had no idea what to do with my life. I know one thing even though I always had somebody in my life, I always felt alone, unwanted and unloved, it’s funny how we have that elusion that we are not worthy, that we are not lovable and nobody cares. That is what Christian religion instills on you. They always want you under there thumb, they want control you to tell you how to act, tell what you can and can’t do. Telling us if we sin, we will burn in hell (If that were the case, I should be walking around like a Roman candle.) Telling us to fear God, that God in jealous and vengeful.
What Christian doctrine doesn’t tell us, is that God loves us no mater what and that we are incapable of sin.
Even through everything I just said, I became an ordained Christian minister. And quite frankly, I felt incomplete, I felt the Bible kept a lot of truths out, like the truth that God is not vengeful, God’s not jealous and not an angry man the sky in a chair judging us. What I know is God is love, He likes us just the way we are and He truly loves us and wants the best for us. One more thing, this sin idea, lets call it life mistakes. You won’t burn in hell for life mistakes!
I had said earlier I became an ordained Christian minister; my journey began in the early 1990's with a nondenominational church, (whatever nondenominational means, I think it’s you dip your toe into Christianity but not fully diving in.) I studied under a pastor there for a couple of years just wanting to spread God’s word, and I remember the pastor and I were counselling a couple who are having marital problems and after listening to both sides from this couple who have were problems the pastor looked at the husband in placed blame on him for the problems within the family home. I kept silent while we were inside the home but once we advised the pastor that I was not impressed with the comments he made. I stressed to him that as pastors we are to listen to our congregants, not judge them but give
them loving solutions or directions that can save the marriage. And I felt that this couple did not need a preacher berating one of the parties and placing blame solely on them. It was at this point that I felt at that time I could not be an effective minister and chose to leave that church. And to be honest, I feel that is why most people leave churches today, because most religions try to control and shame their members into believing they are not worthy to be members of their flock and certainly not worthy of God's undying love.
After the experience with that church, I still felt lost though I knew deep in my heart I wanted to spread the love of God and share Jesus’s Walk. After that time, I became a journalist at a community newspaper on Six Nations territory. I loved the job because I got to write about people in that community and I got an inside look at life on an Indian reservation. I learned about land claims between aboriginals and both levels of our government. I learned how our governments rounded up children and placed them in residential schools to “colonize them.”
It’s funny they never taught us any of this in school, they talked about how Christopher Columbus discovered America. (I don’t know what he discovered because the American Indians were already here). I stayed with this aboriginal newspaper for five years then was given an opportunity to be a regional editor in Labrador. And to my surprise and unbeknownst to me Labrador had three aboriginal communities it was like a dream come true I was given an opportunity to learn about their culture and their struggles. I would say Labrador was a wonderful experience, (a nice place to visit, to cold to live in.)
In 2016 I felt a strong urge to serve God and returned to seminary to be a and ordained minister and work on my Masters. I obtained my ordination as a Evangelical Minister in 2020. In 2023 I became a Metaphysical Minister with the Canadian International Metaphysical Ministry.
It is an honour to serve God and the community I live, this provides me an opportunity give hope to all who want to know God. My hope is to provide peace of mind, and assurance that God loves them no mater what. Being a minister means we have to walk the talk; we understand and show God’s love through us towards anyone who feels neglected, downtrodden, and without hope.
As I serve God, allowing the Holy Spirit to enter my heart, I to am served in spirit. My day begins with prayer and contemplation on God’s word, after which, applying revelation throughout the course of the day with those I encounter.
As I was writing this biography, I read it to my wife Tina and she suggested I end it with a statement about where I could use some improvement. I thought about that comment and even slept on for the last couple of days and came to the conclusion that, if we are created in the image of God what improvement could I possibly need? Needless to say, my wife wasn’t impressed with that. In all honesty however, the area that I feel I need improvement is, I need to think before I react, triggers are there to show us our deepest wounds, allowing God in at those moments through pause makes all the difference.
Telephone: 226-802-5715
Reverend Christina L. Shields
I am an ordained Minister with the Canadian Metaphysical Ministry, a certified Art therapist, Spiritual healer, intuitive counselor, and co-writer for the Centre for Spiritual Enlightenment.
After a difficult childhood, I suffered much of my adult life through an endless cycle depression, self-medicated with recreational drugs and alcohol. I was determined to heal myself rather than go on medication or attend an endless series of Psychotherapy sessions that seemed to keep the past trauma alive.
Much later on, after a lot of introspection, a self-taught education in cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy and healing, my life began to move…but I still suffered from suicidal ideation and anxiety about all things in the future.
Then In 2023, My Husband, Pastor James and I sold our house and moved away to a secluded place, I got busy working on myself, completely away from all outside influences. We simply walked away from old friends and family members and focused on ourselves. Both of us had had a lifetime of disappointments where relationships were concerned. In fact, we were the ones holding ourselves back from the important work God intended for us. I completely ignored social media, namely Facebook and was careful to keep the old depression cycles at bay through constant, prayers, meditation and study.
I had studied the Course in Miracles teachings many years previous however, I began a deep dive into its rich psychotherapy and it changed the way I thought completely, after months of study, I became ordained, as did my husband who, already had eleven ordinations behind him in traditional Religion.
In addition, I decided to study Art therapy, a practice that gave me much joy and relief from depression and I became A certified Art Therapist. I began reading many other Spiritual works as well, including the bible, New Testament and I fell in love with scripture. I Practiced yoga and walked daily, attended countless online workshops, podcasts and listened to U-tube lectures continuously.
Now with many tools and a burning desire to share, I feel ready to serve others on their journey home, to reach enlightenment, to bring comfort, to provide relief, and facilitate healing.
Suffering, both physically and emotionally, is a necessary step in motivating us toward a deeper understanding of who we are, and why we are here, it is the calling card of the Creator. To heal is to seek the divine within our own consciousness, and with that - suffering becomes a choice instead of a necessity.
I am now the co-author of a series of cross-philosophical sermons and daily inspirational works based on loosely on A course in Miracle’s dialogue and blended with New Testament Scripture. Influenced by such works a C.S. Lewis and the screw tape letters, and of course the wonderfully inspiring works of Neville Goddard. These works are extremely unique and rich in profound biblical knowledge that can be related to everyday life. They contain ideas that challenge some radical religious ideations.
They offer an opportunity for the audience to listen, embrace and develop their own sense of empowerment through an active relationship with the living Christ who dwells within each of us.
Should we dare to consider a radical departure from an old, unforgiving, victim consciousness and the belief that we are unworthy, each of us has a rare opportunity to learn who we are, why we were created, why we are here on this earth, and what resides within us all.
Our videos are currently listed under Bishop James Lewis’s Facebook page and our website Facebook page The Centre for Spiritual Enlightenment. These videos, are a unlike any sermons you have ever experienced. They are designed to uplift and inspire everyone, are free to everyone, always, to share and enjoy.
Telephone: 226-802-5715