We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Petr Buzyan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Petr, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
My parents taught me what faith and belief looked like! They showed me that when life challenges are thrown your way, you can and will get through them. I moved with my parents, and two other brothers from the Ukraine in the mid 90’s right after the communist regime fell a part on a religious refugee visa. Which mean that my great grandparents, grandparents, and parents all were persecuted for being Christians in the USSR. My great grandfather spent 10 years in prison for being a preacher. Even my mom and dad could not make anything above a “D” in school because they were christians. They moved with just two suitcases, not knowing the language but felt like it was important for our family to have a place to practice our faith freely. Not only that, but they wanted us to have a better life too! I look at my parents and see them as hero’s! They passed down a faith and belief in me, to not only prioritize faith in my life but willing to stand up for what they believed in. They showed me how to pursue my dreams, even if it meant it could like hard work and disappointment!
Because of them, I was able to be the first in our family to finish college within our families on both sides! I have had a better life than they did because of the hardships they went through. But kept a optimistic spirit with action, that life could be better for us! Ill forever carry that with me and try to my best ability to pass it down to my son, Emerson!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I can’t say I always wanted to be a Pastor. I actually had the dream of becoming a professional soccer player. I ended up getting a scholarship to play at a D-2 school. My hopes and dreams were to one day play at the highest level. It was while I was away at college that faith, out working my faith and following the teaching of Jesus began to take hold in my life. Even though I was chasing this incredible dream of becoming a professional soccer player, there was this part in me that felt empty at the same time! The moment I made a decision to follow the teaching of Jesus, it was as if everything changed in my life. I started volunteering at a local church in the area and as I was finishing up college something in me told me to go to Bible College.
So after I graduated college with my undergrad, I ended up moving to Sydney Australia to study Biblical Studies and Pastoral Leadership at a Bible College, where I also ended up meeting my now wife, Jess. It was my time there that really set the course for where I am today.
This is where at the age of 24, I knew God was calling me into ministry, and I knew I wanted to serve through the local church. I did not even care if it was on staff or as a pastor. I just wanted to make a difference just like my great grandparents, grandparents, and parents. So, when I graduated, I went on to be a part of a church my brother introduced me to that was in Charlotte, NC. Called Elevation Church. It was a church that was started in 2006 my Pastor Steven & Holly Furtick. In 2016 when I graduated, I knew I wanted to be a part of this church. So, I started helping out with the guests greeting team helping out with the children’s ministry as well. My younger brother Tim and I were helping start a location of our church where I lived currently at that time in Asheville, NC.
This became the doorway in which I came on staff in 2017 at Elevation Church. Five years later, I never imagined being a pastor and leading one of our church’s locations here in Orlando FL with my wife Jess and some incredible staff and volunteers.
Elevation Church – Orlando started with 12 people in the fall of 2019, and on Jan 26th, 2020, we launched our first Sunday service with 758 people. 7 weeks later, the pandemic hit, and we shifted online. Like everyone else in the world, we were trying to figure out how to come alongside people in a scary and unpredictable time. One thing about the people and volunteers of Elevation Church here in Orlando is they are resilient. They will do anything to serve and love on Greater Orlando. So that’s what we did. Despite the building being closed throughout 2020, the people of Elevation Orlando served wholeheartedly with organizations like Salvation Army, SALT Outreach, One Heart for Women & Children, Second Harvest Foodbank, Edgewood Children’s Ranch, and many other organizations. Packing and distributing food, hygiene kits, school supplies as kids returned to in-person learning, diaper kits for moms, and any other needs that would arise within our community. Because of the generosity of the people of our church, we were able to help people pay for their rent or food when they needed!
I could not be more proud of the people of Elevation Church – Orlando! They are the most loving, generous, kind, selfless, and fun people on the planet! Since the launch of Elevation Church – Orlando we have been able to serve over 200,000 unique volunteer hrs. as a church. Because of the generous people of our church, we have been able to give over $400,000 dollars into various non-profit organizations in our city so they can continue to do good work in our city.
We love this city and are honored to partner with so many other incredible churches and non-profits who are caring and loving on our city! I never could have imagined to do what I am doing today and being able to do it with so many amazing people here in Orlando. My wife and I, Jess (and our lil guy Emerson who is 8months old) love the people we get to do life with, and our incredible church is family to us. We are excited for what’s ahead and to continue to See What God Can Do Through all of us as we come together and believe for a better Orlando!
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
I can’t say I have always done this best. But I have learned through making mistakes early in my leadership that keeping the “why’ in front of your team is key! When you personally know “why” you do what you do it helps you lead your team as well to see “why” they do what they do! Why does it matter what we do? What kind of change do we bring about, when we show up to work each day?
When you can keep the vision in front of your team, you know where you are headed! Also what I find key to morale, is that the vision is not “your” vision as a leader, but it’s “our” vision as a team! When the team feels like its a team and together you are making an impact, the environment and landscape of your team or business will feel and look different! People will want to be a part of it or associated with it!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
As a pastor, we don’t have clientele necessarily. But if I were to speak to it from a people perspective. It’s intentionality. When you are intentional about the people you get to do life with, work with, care for, or do business with. Being intentional at the core is being thoughtful. It’s not gimmicky or in authentic. It’s personal. No matter what job or occupation you are in, we are all in the business of people. When you simply boil down the most effective strategy of growing anythings is remember that you are working with human beings, and they deserve to be seen as such. So I try my best, I don’t always get it right (we’re all human right) but I try to my best ability be intentional with every person I meet; to get to know them, to hear there story, to encourage them in any way that I can. Ultimately, it’s to make sure they feel seen and heard first!
Contact Info:
- Website: elevationorlando.com
- Instagram: pbuzyan
- Facebook: Petr Buzyan