About

David Hayward: Master of Theology, Diploma in Ministry, over 30 years professional pastoral experience. 

David was baptized Anglican as a baby, came to faith in a Baptist church when he was a teenager, changed to Pentecostal in his late teens, married another Pentecostal named Lisa, was ordained Presbyterian, pastored a Vineyard church, and planted others.

He has a Masters in Theological Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, as well as a Masters in Religious Studies and Ministry from McGill University in Montreal.

But in 2010 David left the professional paid clergy. He is still passionate about how people can find and follow their own spiritual path with courage and joy, as well as in how people can freely gather and form community in healthy ways.

David started a blog called nakedpastor in 2006, and initiated his public analysis of religion, religious community and spirituality through his writings, art and cartoons. Thousands of people are challenged and entertained by nakedpastor every day.

In 2012, David launched The Lasting Supper, and online resource site and community for the spiritually independent.

His art, cartoons, writings and book have found their way all around the world.

David lives with his wife Lisa on the beautiful Kennebecasis River near Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. They have 3 grown children close by.

Here is my timeline:

1957 Born in Toronto, Canada, to Richard (British) and Joan (Irish/ Italian).
1957 circumcised by a Jewish mohel.
1957 Infant Baptized in the Anglican Church.
childhood: sporadic church attendance.
1973 was “born again” at a Baptist youth night. My family followed along.
1974 switched to the Pentecostal Church.
1975 filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues
1976 graduated from Newmarket High School
1977 worked as a security guard at Toronto’s parliament buildings.
1978 went to Central Bible College in Springfield, MO for music degree.
1978 met Lisa Washington (“missionary fox”), from Alabama.
1980 Married Lisa.
1981 Graduated with B.A. in Bible and Theology. My goal was to teach Bible.
1983 M.A. in Theological Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Needed ministry experience if I wanted to teach at a Bible College.
1983 Assistant to the minister at Zion Presbyterian Church in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It was here I experienced a major spiritual crisis. You can read about some of it here.
1986 Was informed by the elders that my contract had been discontinued because it was believed I should go back to school. So I went to Knox College at the University of Toronto to get my PhD in Biblical Studies.
1986 Lisa finds out she is pregnant and all our plans change. Through a fortuitous meeting with Dr. William Klempa, the president of Presbyterian College at McGill in Montreal, we end up transferring there for the Masters in Religion and Ministry. I also serve two small presbyterian churches in the Adirondack mountains of New York for income.
1987 Our first child, Joshua, is born. I graduate and am ordained into the ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. I accepted the charge of three small presbyterian churches in rural Nova Scotia for the next 5 years.
1989 Our second son, Jesse, was born.
1992 Our daughter Casile was born.
1993 I accepted a call to plant a presbyterian church in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia.
1995 Fell into hopeless despair because I felt trapped in a system I couldn’t escape.
1995 Lisa and I attended a Vineyard conference in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Received prophetic words and met some pretty amazing people. Long story short: decided to move to the church who hosted the event just to enjoy that kind of church life and community.
1996 The pastor, Steve Witt, asked me if I would take over him as pastor of Rothesay Vineyard since he felt called to return to Ohio to plant another one.
1997 Not even one year after I accepted the pastorate of Rothesay Vineyard, we went through a horrific church split that would initially take half of the congregation, and eventually take three quarters.
2002 Accepted John Paul Jackson’s invitation to plant a church in New London, New Hampshire, to serve the community, as well as his ministry, Streams Ministries International.
2002 John Paul Jackson fired me for insubordination because I would not participate in a required public repentance to hopefully banish sin from the camp and increase revenues for the ministry. We were caring for Lisa’s dying father in our own home. He died in our home the same week.
2003 Returned to Rothesay Vineyard under the invitation of the leadership team and Doug, my assistant who took my place as pastor when I left, in order to recover from our recent traumas. Started my blog nakedpastor.
2006 Doug decided to go into business and I was asked to return as the pastor of Rothesay Vineyard. Started cartooning on nakedpastor.
2008 Lisa is accepted into the nursing program at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John.
2010 I quit the ministry after years of struggle and frustration, as well as experiencing increasing hostility about my blog.
2010 Accepted a position as a teacher of English as a second language to international students at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. Josh has his own business True Life Training. Jesse works on heavy equipment out west. Casile goes to Mount Alison University.
2012 David launched The Lasting Supper, and online resource site and community for the spiritually independent.