The curious history of a kid from Canada.
Meet Blaine
Blaine is a modern day Lazarus.
Jesus resurrected him out of 23 years of sexual addiction and the death of everything he held dear. Today he coaches men out of sexual brokenness and into the Jesus life.
Blaine and his wife Lori reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They love going on long walks from the kitchen to the living room and have a weakness for reality shows. Along with his speaking and coaching, Blaine is a writer and has recently shared his resurrection story in a his latest book, “Death by a Thousand Lies.”
For the inquiring mind, a complete history is below.
The Sixties - Origins
1960
Blaine Bartel was born in 1960 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Early on in life, he dreamed of joining the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
1966
Blaine grew up loving sports… playing football, hockey, baseball, lacrosse, tennis and communist kickball. (soccer)
1969
One of Blaine’s early mentors was Canadian Olympic Judo coach, Dr. Yosh Senda. He instilled confidence and discipline in Blaine. By age nine, Dr. Senda helped Blaine become a Provincial Champion.
The Seventies / Formation
1972
Blaine grew up in a loving home, but by the time the 70’s hit, his Dad had become a workaholic and his Mum suffered from depression. Blaine came to Christ in a high school revival and shortly after, his entire family gave their lives to Jesus.
1976
By age sixteen, Blaine’s passion was freestyle skiing. Living just an hour away from the Canadian Rockies, he competed in arial acrobatics every weekend in the winter, while dry-land training in the summer.
1979
Blaine loved just about every aspect of life except school. He dropped out half way through 12th grade, with no idea what he was going to do with his life. Six months later, he attended a Bible School called Youth With a Mission in Los Angeles. One year later, on an airplane home, he felt the Lord call him into ministry.
The Eighties / Television
1986
In the early 80’s, Blaine joined the ministry team of Pastor Willie George. Pastor George helped Blaine launch Fire by Nite, which would become the Christian alternative to Saturday Night Live. Five thousand churches subscribed to the program and it was later broadcast on several faith networks.
1988
Blaine was quickly becoming one of the most sought after communicators in student ministry. His sudden celebrity would take him 49 states and more than 30 countries, speaking in churches and conferences.
1989
By 1989, Blaine and his wife Cathy had started their family, being blessed with three boys, Jeremy, Dillon and Brock. Today, his boys are all in their thirties and enjoy a gratifying relationship with their Dad.
The Nineties / A Movement
1996.
In 1996, Blaine and his spiritual mentor, Pastor Willie George, collaborated on a student outreach called Oneighty®. Over the next seven years, it would become the largest weekly youth group in America, ministering to 2,500 young people every Wednesday night.
1998.
In 1998, Blaine shared a book idea for a “Little Black Book” for Christian teenagers with Harrison House Publishers. It turned into a best-selling series that provides practical wisdom for young people on subjects like dating, money and how to share Christ with their friends.
1999.
By 1999, Oneighty® had become a national movement, with more than a thousand churches attending Oneighty® training events and reproducing the unique blend of games, food, music, and engaging messages to reach the teenagers of their community.
The Two Thousands / The Launch
2005
In perhaps the pinnacle of Blaine’s speaking events, he was invited to headline on the main stage of Creation Festival, challenging more than 30,000 exuberant attendees to live the Jesus life.
2006
2006 was a year of transition from student ministry to a dream Blaine held close to his heart for years. He and a team of friends launched a brand new church in the fastest growing city in America at that time — Frisco, Texas.
2009
Northstar Church quickly took off, mushrooming from 25 people to nearly 1000 in just three years. Blaine, along with his staff and congregation built a brand new $5 million dollar ultra-modern church facility in the heart of Frisco.
The Tens / Ruin & Resurrection
2010
There was one thing nobody knew during Blaine’s rapidly rising ministry career. He had become addicted to pornography in his late twenties. By the time he hit his forties, Blaine was living a horrific double life, spiraling out of control in a secret world of anonymous sexual encounters. After being outed and forced to disclose his transgressions to his family and church, he attempted to end his life on a busy parkway in Frisco. Five police cruisers surrounded him, taking him to the ground. Two days later, Blaine was shipped to rehab in Phoenix, Arizona.
2011
Blaine stepped completely away from ministry, with no plans to return. After a year of rehabilitation, he took a job as a marketing director for a anti-bullying organization. It was during this season that Blaine heard a whisper in his soul, “I am not going to give you a recovery, I am calling you into resurrection.” This was the impetus for Jesus completely setting him free from sexual addiction.
2014
Blaine met his beloved wife Lori in 2013 and they were married one year later. Lori is a dental hygienist and the CEO for a successful dental practice. Together, Lori and Blaine began their outreach to men and their wives who have been devastated by pornography, affairs and sexual addiction.
The Twenties / Reimagining Life
2020
Surprisingly, Blaine and Lori’s ministry enjoyed it’s best year ever during the year of Covid-19. Zoom was Blaine’s best friend, coaching men out of porn addiction, walking pastors out of brokenness, and teaching online messages for churches across the country.
2021
Blaine launched his new Kathoros® Masterclass for Men, as well as an online platform for pastors and church leaders, called The Confessional, where ministers can share their private struggles confidentially with Blaine.
2022
The Lord has placed a vision in Blaine and Lori’s hearts to build the House of Resurrection Center for Healing. This will be a sacred and secluded sanctuary for pastors, men, and couples to encounter resurrection. Architectural planning is in process and the search for land and funding have begun.