Humans of Downsview: Pastor Bill Sunberg, community hero

BY: KOMAL BIALA

A man, a father and an inspiration to many, Pastor Bill Sunberg. Pastor Bill Sunberg has been a Pastor of the Emmanuel Church of the Nazarene located on 1875 Sheppard Ave W, North York, ON M3L 1Y6 since January 1, 2005. He has worked as a Pastor in Nova Scotia for ten years and has worked in Vancouver for four years. Pastor Bill grew up in the United States of America but has lived most of his

life in Canada and says that this is where he belongs. It is where his heart is. As his wife's roots are from the GTA, Pastor Bill felt very welcome since he was around many families and fantastic community members. 

In 2007, directly across from the Emmanuel Church of the Nazarene, he noticed yellow tapes, police cars and people crowding the area. After finding out a boy was shot and killed in a gang shooting, it broke his heart. He was in awe and felt the grief and sorrow of the Downsview community. Community members had candles and flowers and were paying their respects to the shot boy, and Pastor Bill says he felt like he needed to do something for the people. He brought all the candles he could find from the Church along with food and anything else he could. The people around him were talking to each other, sharing stories and sharing each other's sorrows, and that is when Pastor Bill knew that this was the community he wanted to be a part of. A community that welcomes you with open arms and with people that work as a team to help each other. "Pastors exist in the four walls in their church", but not for him. He wants to be a pastor and a friend to community members even outside of the Church because he feels the most comfortable and says it is more real. 

A boy named Jeremiah Ranger was at the Church a lot. He had participated in the basketball league, attended summer school for numerous years and eventually became a part of the youth group, Awaken. Jeremiah Ranger meant a lot to Pastor Bill, and they were able to form a valuable connection. At 15 years old, Jeremiah was pronounced dead at the hospital after being killed in the Jane Street and Sheppard Avenue West area. This affected Pastor Bill rigorously, and he thought all these kids have so much potential and are labelled as "Jane and Finch kids", but that is not what they are. After hearing so many stories and seeing the outcome of these tragic events, life does not see the beauty in them and the strength they have, that is why I want to give them endless opportunities to showcase themselves and give them the ability to try out different things without being worried or scared. This opened his eyes, and he wanted to do more, but what does it mean to do more? He started this journey by reading books on the coloured communities and went into depth with their history, speaking and learning from others and doing his research. As a racial justice advocate, Pastor Bill created Anti-Racism workshops called 8th street church board sessions, honouring the truth reconciling the future, how to fight racism, Church in color, and church group workshop. You can join these workshops through Pastor Bills website, Pastorbill.ca.

Pastor Bill is committed to providing the youth with what they need to succeed. He has shown up and helped out at Youth Programs. Also, on Friday evenings, youth would come and spend time in the Church and play sports in the gym connected to the Church and play ping pong and video games. He says the Church is like a “community centre and is a safe space for everyone”. To give back, they have Food Banks where youth volunteers and workers come together and give out food! Some kids come after school just to hang out in the gym. During spring or late winter, they begin the Basketball Program accessible for all youth in Downsview. 

Pastor Bill Sunberg is a person that we are very proud of having in our community. From him wanting to help the youth to his care for people, Pastor Bill has shown us all what type of community Downsview is, one to be proud of. 

A MESSAGE TO THE DOWNSVIEW COMMUNITY FROM PASTOR BILL SUNBERG: 

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of an amazing community and for sharing your lives, passions, ambitions, ups and down with me. You all have made me a much better man and Pastor. I think so many people in our society have been taken advantage of and they are some of the most amazing individuals I know. I only hope I can give back what you all have given to me. You guys are all awesome, don't let the world take that away from you. And to the youth, you all have amazing potential, dream big, live big.