Nov. 16 to 22 marks National Addictions Awareness Week, and Pastor Dylan Chambers visited Ashern on Nov. 1 to share his story of addiction and recovery, hoping to inspire others to believe that change is possible.
Chambers was a guest speaker at an evening concert hosted by Conrad and Sherry Anderson of Anderson Family Funeral Home. The event, originally scheduled to feature U.S.-based southern gospel group Soul’d Out, shifted unexpectedly when the group was unable to cross the border. Local musician David Bracken stepped in on short notice, and Chambers delivered a message of faith and recovery as part of the evening program. “Dylan grew up in Winnipeg, was involved in drugs, and today he’s a pastor at the church just down the street from where he grew up,” Anderson said. “He has a great story to share of how God set him free from a life of addiction.”
Born and raised in central Winnipeg, Chambers began experimenting with cocaine and marijuana at age 12, just two years after his father passed away. By 16, he had started using methamphetamine.
“The neighbourhood is a dark and depressed place that is engulfed in alcoholism and drug addiction,” Chambers said. “Even though I was raised in the inner city, I like to say I was brought up in the best of both worlds, in both a stable and unstable way in terms of parenting.”
His family lived near Believer’s Church, and while his mother attended services, Chambers said he never felt personally connected to God or faith growing up.
By junior high and high school, he was smoking and selling marijuana before progressing to cocaine. As a young adult, he dropped out of school and experienced recurring episodes of drug-induced psychosis.
“It was not a good season of my life,” he recalled.
At age 22, he attended an evening church service that marked a turning point.
“I had a radical encounter with the presence of God. It was like a veil was torn from my eyes and the blinders were taken off—I knew I needed to get help.”
Chambers began engaging with church programs and his faith community. While he saw early progress, he later relapsed and struggled with addiction for another three years.
“I found myself at rock bottom again, so I reached out to my church and the pastor encouraged me to go into a program,” he said.
With support from his pastor and his doctor, Chambers began formal treatment, but said his faith continued to be the strongest force in his recovery.
“I was in a place where I was surrounded by drugs. In the neighbourhood where my peers were all doing them, it was hard to get out of that environment,” he said. “I always tell people that a tool God gave me to get me out of the environment was my church community. My sobriety and me not using drugs is because of my higher power—Jesus Christ.”
Chambers first completed a 28-day program through the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, followed by two years in a sober living home with other men rebuilding their lives. He later lived independently at AFM’s River Point Performance apartments, where he worked and finished his high school courses.
He said the biggest difference between his first and second attempt at recovery was access to support and accountability.
“I knew I needed to be sober, I just didn’t have the tools to do it,” he said. “The second time around I had those supports.”
He encourages others to take the first step, even when it feels overwhelming.
“Initially anyone who is addicted and bound to drugs just wants to get their life back,” he said. “We know the barrier everyone struggles with is they think they will be judged. But it’s really that first step of recovery—admitting you need the help and seeking it.”
Chambers believes complete abstinence has been key to his long-term recovery. After trying a methadone program, he found that structured abstinence-based treatment combined with strong community support was the best fit for him. For Chambers, that support came from his church.
“Church family is more family to me than my real family. We go where the need is and want to support everyone who needs it.”
In 2018, Pastor Wayne Bustard began mentoring him, a relationship Chambers now describes as paternal.
“Since I lost my biological father, I consider him to be like a dad and I actually call him Dad now,” he said.
In 2020, Chambers was ordained at Believer’s Church, and last year he accepted a full-time pastoral role.
“It’s been a great journey with a lot of community support. It’s almost been like a movie—I never thought any of this would be possible.”
Now 31, Chambers continues to serve full time while pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work, with the goal of working directly in addiction support.
He encourages anyone seeking help to contact agencies such as the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, Main Street Project, Salvation Army, Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, local health teams or faith-based organizations.
“If there is a hope for recovery, there is help,” he said. “There’s a ton of resources available both spiritual and non-spiritual. Jesus is real, God is real and he does have a plan for us—and we can find freedom and victory in this.”
