By Jackson Watts, summer intern at Holy Trinity Yellowknife (2025)

My time in Yellowknife was a great blessing and I’m sure I will never forget the experience. As I told many people in Yellowknife, people down south know very little about the north in general. Since I told my friends and family I was doing an internship in the Diocese of The Arctic, I believe most of them thought I would be dogsledding across sea ice and living in an igloo all summer. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I did know that Yellowknife was a modern city and that life is much like anywhere else – especially in the summer.

When I arrived, I was surprised at how connected to the outside world it really was. I was also surprised at how diverse it was. I didn’t expect to see people from all over the world in Yellowknife. Not only were there people from around the world in Yellowknife, but immigrants made up a significant portion of the population. Most people in the US have no idea this was the case. It did give me an opportunity to get to know people from around the world. I believe I got lucky this summer because instead of experiencing one new culture I experienced many new cultures, and received a warm welcome both from those whose families have called the area home for countless years, as well as from those who bring their cultures and traditions from parts of Africa or the Phillipeans.

Coming from the part of the U.S. known as the “Bible Belt,” – where it is often assumed that pretty much everyone knows the Bible and has a basic understanding of the Christian faith, it did amaze and sadden me how few people in the city attended church or even knew anything about Jesus. (Editor’s note: It’s true! In the city of about 25,000, only about 1000 (4%) attend one of the city’s churches even on Christmas, and it is only about 0.2% of the Yellowknife population who attend a church of any denomination on a weekly basis – the need is great!)

Although presenting a challenge for the churches in terms of getting new people in the doors, I believe this is also a huge opportunity. If the Christians share the gospel message in the city, odds are very high they are sharing it with someone who may not hear it from anyone else! Christians in the city are already doing that, and I know it will continue. Some in the congregation of Holy Trinity told me they can feel revival coming for the North. I can feel it too.

There were a couple of real blessings over the course of my time. Even though it was summer and things in many places wind down, there were a number of youth around, so it was a real gift to get to be part of the team launching a new youth group especially for pre-teens and those in their early teen years. I could draw on my experience in youth and camp ministry and, even though it was only for a short season, there was opportunity to really connect with the kids.

I had the opportunity to be part of a youth camp that brought together Anglicans and Pentecostals. That was a real exposure to Northern ministry – a wildfire had closed the road while we were on the way to camp – with a van load of kids, already a day’s drive from home! Most of the counsellors and camp team were stuck in Fort Resolution, while me, the bishop, and 10 or so kids were stuck in Hay River! In northern ministry I saw that people trust God and do what needs to be done, even if that means making a few phone calls to find an empty church where kids can sleep on the pews (as it turns out, the counsellors and staff came to meet us in Hay River, pulling together a great week of camp, even with a change of town and venue at the last minute!).

In my short time, I can see that Northern ministry is a place with some challenges, but some enormous opportunities for sharing the Gospel. I can’t wait to see what God has in store in the future.

The Diocese of The Arctic invests a small portion of our annual donations and operating budget in recruiting interns from around the world for summer placements. This is part of how we share the good news of what God is doing in the North, and how help to keep Northern mission and ministry in the minds of those in theological colleges… and where else can you try your foot at the traditional Northern game of high kick?