The Messenger
WHERE IS THE PEACE ON EARTH?
P. 5
CO-PASTORING IN EMC: DOES IT WORK? P. 6
TWO KINGS, TWO KINGDOMS P. 10 MEMORIES OF A “CHRISTSAM” PAST P. 14 A MORNING ON THE TRAIN TRACKS P. 16
‘Lord, help my unbelief!’
MY SKEPTICISM WAS triggered immediately; it felt like an uncontrollable reflex. That was my reaction when reading this testimony from Jeremy and Adrienne Penner’s October newsletter: “My health was slowly deteriorating, and so I went to the hospital. The doctor found a large tumor in my abdomen and told me they would need to operate.… I didn’t know a lot about Jesus yet, but I began to pray that he would heal my illness.… When I went back to the doctor for my scheduled operation, there was absolutely no sign of the tumor!” The person goes on to recount another miraculous healing through prayer for a co-worker with an injury.
My instant thought was, is there actually a rational explanation for this?
I doubt my ability to truly see the hand of God at work, but not God’s ability to intervene. With the father in Mark 9:24, I proclaim, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Now, why would I question the stories of others but not my own? I don’t—there could be rational explanations for the miracles I experienced. Perhaps my car stopped so suddenly because it hit the gravel shoulder (unlikely, given the speed I was going, but possible). Perhaps the medical professionals were wrong about their diagnosis (although that wouldn’t explain the voice of God— but that could have been wishful thinking). Yet, my faith persists in the face of my doubts.
This is because I am convinced that faith cannot exist without doubt—doubt, at least, in some things. I doubt my ability to truly see the hand of God at work, but not God’s ability to intervene. With the father in Mark 9:24, I proclaim, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
As a questioner, I find myself in good company in the Advent story. Zechariah asked, “How can I be sure this will happen?” (Luke 1:18) when faced with a message of his own promised son to come. Mary, similarly, asked, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin” (Luke 1:34) when told she would conceive the Messiah.
Despite their earlier questions, both pour forth with praise as they witness to the greatness of the One in whom they put their trust (Luke 1:46–35; 68–79).
I’m unsure of the source of my knee-jerk skepticism. Personally, I have experienced God’s miraculous intervention at least twice—that I know of. Once, as my car was sliding on icy roads toward the ditch, my knee-jerk reaction was to cry aloud, “Jesus, help me!” The vehicle stopped immediately—as if running into an invisible force. The second intervention I can recall is the unlikely (impossible?) conception and safe delivery of our youngest child, a son—a child who was promised by a message from God.
As you read and reflect on this issue, we hope you have opportunity to be helped in your unbelief as you are pointed to the One we celebrate this Advent and Christmas season—and beyond. May you confess in faith and in doubt, “because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace” (Luke 1:78–79).
– Rebecca Roman, Editor
Poem: Where is the peace on earth?
By Luann Hiebert
Co-pastoring in EMC: does it work?
By Erica Fehr
Pastors from Abbeydale Christian Fellowship, Steinbach EMC and Many Rooms
Church Community share their stories.
Two kings, two kingdoms
By Alain Reimer
The Pax Romana under Augustus and the source of true peace.
Memories of a “CHRISTSAM” past
By Jake Buhler
Osler’s school Christmas concert, 1953
A morning on the train tracks
By Angel Infantes
Ministering to migrants in Guadalajara.
Global impact Celebrating a lifetime of ministry
By Gerald Reimer
His light to my path Tenacious faith in grief and sorrow By Karla Hein
Further in and higher up Pastors pastor women By Layton Friesen
Inviting faith
We need grandparents in children’s ministry By Ruth Konrad
Editorial Letters and Notices With Our Missionaries With Our Churches News In Memory Shoulder Tapping
MANAGING EDITOR
ERICA FEHR
EDITOR REBECCA ROMAN
PUBLICATION AND PURPOSE
The Messenger is the publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference, 440 Main Street, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5. Its purpose is to inform concerning events and activities in the denomination, instruct in godliness and victorious living, inspire to earnestly contend for the faith.
Phone: 204-326-6401 messenger@emconference.ca www.emcmessenger.ca
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The articles printed in The Messenger are owned by The Messenger or by the author and may not be reprinted without permission. Unless noted, Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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From the web
www.emcmessenger.ca
“A surprising discovery” p. 36, July/Aug 2024 issue
“Stories of tragedy and trust: honouring the legacy we started with” p. 16, Sept/Oct 2024 issue
Thank you for this article. It confirms what I have hunched for quite some time. People (I, we) want to “know” how can be sure we have access to God, and how (I, we) can “know” at a deep level when and how God is speaking to (me, us).
– Hilda Franz
In addition to what has been mentioned, the article sheds light on the identity of the current generations. A long time ago, when they came to the Lord the people confessed ‘My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live as a foreigner in Egypt. His family arrived few in number, but in Egypt they became a large and mighty nation’ Dt. 26:5. This phrase is repeated several times in the sacred text, as a reminder of dependence on the Lord.
The article provides information to be added to my confession of dependence on the Lord.
Thank you Gary for the insights.
– Angel Infantes
Where is the peace on earth?
By Luann Hiebert
sleepless she slumps in tears on the couch peers through the blinds a street lamp her only light where is the light for her soul? where is forgiveness?
a lone leafless tree shivers beneath the icy stars as night creeps into every crack what is a star in this dark stark cold? where is the comfort & joy?
winter whips round the trunk & branches bare carries the cries of a lone child caught in the crossfire why do hearts & minds wage war? where is the peace on earth?
fear not! said the angel how can this be? it’s impossible without faith name the child Jesus a baby will save us? that’s impossible without faith
there is good news for ALL people? impossible without love shepherds spread the joy what child is this? it’s impossible without love
star gazers see the sign the birth of a king? an impossible journey without hope Immanuel—God among us the messiah finally here? impossible without hope
the impossible made possible? with faith love & hope
Co-pastoring in EMC: does it work?
By Erica Fehr
“Sometimes when there’s something new, everyone looks at it to see if it can work, [but] all sorts of churches … have done well [or] have failed with single pastor hires or multi-team hires.… Things go wrong all the time.… If [co-pastoring] fails, it doesn’t mean it always is going to fail, and if it works, it doesn’t mean it’s always going to work.”
Although Chris Hughes, co-pastor at Abbeydale Christian Fellowship (ACF) in Calgary, expresses this caution, his focus throughout our conversation was on co-pastoring’s strengths. “There is something about having ... two pastors that embodies this idea that … Jesus is our Lord. He is our king. He is the one who has this congregation.”
“Having it [embodied] at a structural level … expresses our values,” he says.
Chris had already been the youth pastor at ACF for ten years when lead pastor Larry Nutbrown retired and the congregation needed to decide whether he would continue as youth pastor or move into the lead pastor position—and they weren’t agreed. The solution was to hire another pastor to work alongside him, and so, Davies Mpinga joined the pastoral team.
Steinbach EMC (SEMC) switched to a co-pastor model in 2021, with associate pastors Garth Koop and Jason Heide taking on the shared role. One influence on their decision, Jason says, was a friend who co-pastors at a church in Winnipeg.
Chris Hughes and Davies Mpinga
“He shared about how it was working for them, and he was pumped about it.”
At Many Rooms Church Community (MRCC), the coleadership model evolved over time. They began by moving from a late evening ice cream and prayer time to volunteer-led meetings; then, eventually, to three part-time paid leaders: Stephanie Unger, Jen Kornelsen and Dave Guenther.
Why choose to co-pastor?
Is co-pastoring easier or better than pastoring alone? Is it better or worse for the congregation? Why try this uncommon approach to leadership?
Every team agreed that co-pastoring had the following three advantages: having someone with whom to share the workload, being able to work in their area of strength, and having more than one perspective on the pastor team.
Having someone with whom to share the workload was one of Garth and Jason’s primary reasons for deciding to present the idea of co-pastoring to their church council. Though both have clear pastoral gifts and years of experience in pastoral roles, the prospect of leading the church alone and preaching almost every Sunday was daunting.
Working in their area of giftedness has the double benefit of helping the pastor work more confidently and joyfully in
their role—and serving the congregation better. “They get authentic service rather than … the person who just has to do it because they’re the warm body” is how Dave phrases it. This doesn’t mean co-pastors avoid being stretched to learn and grow. In fact, learning from each other is another strength the teams mentioned; when they did need to work in areas of weakness, they didn’t need to do it alone.
Having different perspectives on the pastoral team was particularly important when working in challenging situations, Jason and Garth report. When one pastor struggled to make a decision, a co-pastor could help to sort things out and provide confidence. When one is in a frustrating situation the other can bring calmness and perspective, and sometimes new information. Co-pastoring also gave them a buffer—when they were uncertain about a request, they could take a “time-out” by saying they needed to talk to each other. This also gave them the chance to rethink and potentially change direction before acting.
Having two pastors also benefitted the congregation, as it increased the chance of having a pastor with whom they felt comfortable. Pastors understand they don’t always connect well with everyone they serve; and don’t always have the insight required. Jen specifically named the challenge of pastoring the other sex. Before Dave joined the
Working in their area of giftedness has the double benefit of helping the pastor work more confidently and joyfully in their role—and serving the congregation better.
team, she and Stephanie worried that the men were neglected. “Stephanie and I kept nudging our husbands to do pastoral work that we couldn’t do for the guys in our church,” Jen says.
Challenges
It was also in this area, however, that a pastoral team could fracture. Jen noted that certain people would contact Dave with questions even though she was the person planning that event; she was left wondering why—did they find her abrupt?
Jason and Garth talked about the same challenge. Jason says he sometimes thought Garth was the more likeable pastor and Garth relates his struggle with envy: “All of a sudden you look at the other person, you see their gifts and [ask] how come they’re getting the accolades or how come they’re getting this and that recognition and I’m not getting the recognition.” When he recognized this tendency in himself, Garth says, he needed to confess it to the Lord and recognize that there was work to do in his heart. He chose to deliberately validate Jason on those occasions, joking that Jason could tell when he was struggling by how encouraging he was.
The co-pastor teams acknowledged that working as a team is slower. Jason recounts how a woman on church council described the church: “In three words, ‘slow to move.’ Yeah, she wasn’t wrong,” he adds. While decisions may take more time, “it also means that more decisions are made in loving relationship, where we (by the grace of
the Spirit) balance out each other’s weaknesses,” says Stephanie.
Differing lengths of service can also create tension in a pastor-team relationship. Chris knew that as the established pastor at ACF, he and Davies would need to be deliberate about becoming equals. There needed to be room, Chris said, for Pastor Davies to “become close to people’s hearts.… I’ve married some of these people. I have buried their loved ones. I’ve dedicated their children and baptized them … that brings you close.”
He and Davies made a deliberate effort to share leadership—beginning by washing each other’s feet on the Sunday Davies was installed and Chris was ordained. They alternate serving on the church executive and preaching, and do important events, such as baptism and communion, together. Yet even with that mindfulness, Davies says, Chris’s longer tenure gave him greater influence in the congregation, and this created stress between them.
In contrast, Jason and Garth had already been friends and colleagues for years before co-pastoring, and they continued to golf and play hockey together three years later. “Doing this with Garth has been as easy as I could have imagined,” Jason says.
Recognizing and acknowledging each other’s varied gifts is important, but there’s no guarantee
“Our model forced us to keep working on our conflict because we did not have a structure in place that enabled one person to forge ahead without reaching some kind of agreement.”
– Stephanie Unger
that gifts will be complementary—both co-pastors might prefer preaching over visitation, for example.
External factors, such as financial stress, may also test the ability of pastors to work together effectively. This nearly ended the MRCC team early in their partnership, just as they were about to start receiving the EMC church planting subsidy.
In the years before this, they had been exceptionally close, Jen says, with “deep sharing and crying and carrying burdens and laughter.” Yet, when they entered a season of financial pressure combined with family pressure, the team descended into a conflict so intense they were not sure they would be able to put it behind them. “We had like a fighting match where we were yelling and there were like—I’ve never had … angry words in our house church like that before ... we kind of wondered whether our friendship would be over, would suffer too much from that conflict.”
They had become mired in misunderstanding and distrust about each other’s motives while struggling to get ready for a deadline they could not meet and distracted by their young families.
Though it was difficult, the MRCC team stayed together, agreed to forgo the subsidy while they worked out their differences, and rebuilt their friendship and the trust they had lost. In fact, as Stephanie points out, “Having a co-leadership model in place was a big factor in making it through that time … without fracturing. We were already in the practice of discussing deep and difficult things as a leaders’ team and in making decisions together. Our model forced us to keep working on our conflict because we did not have a structure in place that enabled one person to forge ahead without reaching some kind of agreement.”
Jason Heide and Garth Koop
What must be present to succeed?
For co-pastoring to succeed, some things are essential. Character is at the top of Jason’s list, he says, referring to A Church Called Tov by Scott McKnight and Laura Barringer. Though the need for character isn’t unique to co-pastors—its absence will be felt very quickly on a co-leadership team.
The relationship between pastors needs to be built on trust and mutual respect which, all three teams agree, means communicating regularly, often, and without rushing. If that communication does not happen, Davies adds, trust erodes; instead of collaborating, ministry silos form, making it difficult to work together.
Clear job descriptions and boundaries need to be in place, Garth and Jason agree, and a refusal to undermine each other. “You know your job description and you stay in your lane,” Garth says. “I think that’s a massive thing.… When somebody comes to me and it’s not my lane … ‘I know the answer to that, and I can give that to you, but you actually need to go to Jason.’”
Theological agreement is important, and even some of the finer points can matter when working as co-pastors. Shared vision also matters, but the most important need is for humility—to truly value each other’s abilities without competing or comparing.
What will “sink the ship?”
In the podcast episode “Does Co-Pastoring Really Work? ” (Rainer On Leadership), the hosts note that when co-pastor teams fail, it is often due to ego. They go on to explain that this is not because pastors are necessarily egotistical, but rather because it is so difficult when one pastor experiences “success” or appreciation from the congregation that the other does not.
The pastors we spoke to agreed, adding another aspect of ego—that if one or both pastors needed to be in control or be in the spotlight, it would be nearly impossible to work effectively as co-pastors.
Even when pastors are spiritually and emotionally mature—as most are—there will almost certainly be personalities that don’t lend themselves well to co-leadership, and circumstances where personal desires, old wounds, or ordinary human frailty will test the ability to work together.
A formational path
Since no one steps into a pastor role perfectly mature, it is welcome news that co-pastoring is also formational. As Stephanie—with more than two decades of co-pastoring
experience to draw from, says, it’s a “safeguard against some of the big leadership temptations like seeking power and control, pride/arrogance, taking offence and showing favouritism. Working with others,” she said, “can make sure that all ‘glory’ must be shared.”
“I have been grateful,” she continues, “on more than one occasion when I have been deeply hurt by the words or actions of someone in our church, to have other leaders there with a different perspective who keep me on the path to forgiveness and reconciliation. I have been saved from making decisions out of anger or hurt because the others on my team could see what was happening and loved me enough to remind me of who I hope to be!”
Erica Fehr is EMC’s director of communications and administration, which includes serving as managing editor of The Messenger
Since the interviews, Garth has taken on another nonpastoral role and SEMC has reverted to a solo lead pastor model with Jason in the position. Both Garth and Jason were clear that their experience was very good and neither the career change nor SEMC moving back to a solo pastor was related to them working as co-pastors.
ACF has experienced some difficulties since the interview, and they are now in the process of discernment. Again, it is unrelated to the co-pastor model they employed.
Many Rooms continues to serve as a co-pastor team with no intention of changing the model.
Dave Guenther, Jen Kornelsen and Stephanie Unger
two kings two kingdoms
a Christmas reading
By Alain Reimer
THE PAX ROMANA was a phrase coined by perhaps the most successful authority figure in world history. Directly translated it means the “Roman peace,” and it was a phrase dreamt up and made common by Caesar Augustus, the first and by most considered the greatest Augustan emperor of the renowned Roman Empire. When his great uncle Julius Caesar died without a son to be heir, he left the rule of Roman society to the 18-year-old Octavian.
Later, after Octavian had vanquished all threats to the throne, the Senate awarded him with the name Augustus, which when translated
carries the religiously loaded definitions of “majestic one,” “great one,” or “venerable one.” Augustus called for god-like admiration and submission from all his subjects, from the greatest of senators to the lowliest of slaves.
Under his rule, the Roman military gained victory after victory, acquiring land and more land, and subjecting people after people. Augustus’s subjects grew exponentially in diversity and quantity, increasing the taxation income at his disposal, allowing him to build stronger armies and more sophisticated infrastructure. By the time Augustus died in AD 14 the Roman Empire was militarily impenetrable to outside forces, culturally robust in exquisite tradition, geographically united through state-of-the-art highways, and religiously devoted to the Greco-Roman pantheon of divinities. And the Pax Romana was fully in place and going nowhere.
Yet near the middle of the reign of Augustus, unbeknownst to the king, something took place that would threaten to turn his kingdom on its head. While Augustus sought to flex his imperialistic muscles to the world by having the full number of his subjects counted and made known, a young Jewish couple, occupying the lowest rung of Roman society, and living in perhaps the most uninfluential corner of the Roman Empire, travelled to their place of family heritage to be counted. While they were there in submission to the king of Rome, a baby was born to them. Humble, meek, vulnerable, and exposed to the
ISTOCK
dangers of infancy, no one could have imagined that the influence of this unassuming baby would far exceed that of the king who ruled the world he was born into.
Even as this child grew older, and then began to travel through his irrelevant pocket of the empire proclaiming the coming of a new, heavenly kingdom on earth, no one could have imagined his message, or his supposed kingdom, would ever take root in any meaningful way. His message was too unconventional, the way of life he taught and modelled too “un-Roman.” It was a message and method doomed to fail from the beginning, sure to implode on itself amidst the powers and glories of Roman civilization.
THE STRENGTH OF Rome under Caesar Augustus was built on the foundation of clearly defined classes, with every citizen striving to advance upwards on the societal ladder through unwavering submission to those in the higher classes, and ultimately to the king himself. Those in higher classes had more status, more honour, more authority, and were not shy in demanding reverence and respect. The unfailing devotion and dedication of those seeking higher status drove the success of the empire.
Yet this young Jewish teacher spoke to his followers, saying things like, “You know that the rulers of the [Romans] lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant … just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:25–28).
AUGUSTUS CENTERED THE cultural potency of the Pax Romana on indulgence and luxury. The gratification of every self-indulgent urge was made possible through the seemingly bottomless pit of monetary resources flowing from the throne of the king, who himself lived in an exceedingly lavish palace. It was expected, even admired to be a hedonist in Rome.
Yet in Galilee, this pronouncer of a new kingdom embraced the life of a homeless nomad,
saying things like, “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the [Romans] run after all these things” (Matthew 6:31–32). He even went so far as to pronounce woes on those who were financially prosperous and lavish in their enjoyment of it (Luke 6:24–25).
IN THE ROMAN empire under Augustus, the oldest living male, the “paterfamilias,” held absolute power over his wife and children. Women and children were treated as little more than objects, to the extent that the paterfamilias could at his discretion disown his children, sell them into slavery, or even kill them by the practice of child exposure; and women found guilty of adultery could be put to death.
Yet the nomad preacher of Nazareth embraced women as full equals with men both in value and influence in his new society. He made statements
such as, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. [For] whoever takes the lowly position of [a] child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3–4).
AUGUSTUS EXPANDED AND ruled his kingdom through the strong arm of force. Anyone with the audacity to oppose the king was met with the sword; any nation with the nerve to become Rome’s enemy was quickly laid waste by the power of the Roman military machine. An influential Roman poet in the days of Augustus penned the words, “Roman, remember by your strength to rule the earth’s peoples!” (Virgil, the Aeneid).
Yet this humble Jewish carpenter turned rabbi preached an ethic of meekness and love of enemies, condemning self-preservation through violence. He said things like, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” (Matthew 5:5). And even instructed those in his kingdom saying, “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you ... [and] if someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also” (Luke 6:27–29).
All that remained of what he had referred to as the “kingdom of heaven” was a small handful of hesitant, doubtshackled folllowers.
day of his burial to honour the provider of the culture, the prosperity, and the might of the everexpanding imperial kingdom: the Pax Romana.
Yet the Galilean preacher’s time spent establishing his kingdom was short-lived, three years at most. It came to an abrupt, grinding halt when he was condemned and executed as a common criminal, fixed to a Roman cross to die the cruel, shameful death of crucifixion. All that remained of what he had referred to as the “kingdom of heaven” was a small handful of hesitant, doubtshackled followers, who hastily buried their master without fanfare in a borrowed tomb.
The suffocating power and relentless expansion of the kingdom built on the strategy and courage of the divine Caesar Augustus seemed poised to continue unabated for millennia; while what remained of the meekness-embracing, status-rejecting, enemy-loving, and servant-exalting kingdom of the teacher from Galilee seemed a dim flicker of flame, if not already a snuffed, wetted wick.
BUT THINGS ARE not always as they seem.
Mustard seeds, though small, withered, and lifeless can grow into trees large enough for birds to find rest in. Yeast, outwardly displaying no substantive quality can work its way undetected through whole batches of dough. Rejected stones can become capstones. Babies born to slaves and cradled in feeding troughs can grow to start movements that infiltrate and outlast empires.
“To us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the [kingdom] will be on his shoulders.... Of the greatness of his [kingdom] and [its] peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6–7; my paraphrases in brackets).
IN THE END, Augustus reigned for forty-one years, and when he eventually breathed his last, his death was met with an unprecedented outpouring of kingdom-wide sorrow. His funeral procession from ancient Nola to his home in Rome lasted days and stretched almost 150 miles, with multitudes of loyal devotees accompanying his body. The whole empire paused life on the
Alain Reimer lives in Fort Frances, Ontario, with his wife Emily and their three young children. He serves as pastor in the Fort Frances Evangelical Fellowship Church.
Memories of a
Osler’s school Christmas concert, 1953
By Jake Buhler
ALWAYS FIRST WERE the grade ones and twos who did the Christmas acrostic. Margaret was first and she boldly held out the C. “C is for the Christ child, born that morn so long ago,” she said crisply. The concert was off to a fine start. Harold was next, and during practice, he had had some difficulties with his line which was simply, “H is for King Herod who slew the Hebrew boys.” Harold looked confident.
“H is for King Harold who slew the Hebrew boys,” he offered unsteadily, as giggles followed. The R , I, S, and T went off well. But Peter had traded his
M letter with Tena’s S, and before Miss Janzen could correct the mistake, the final word boldly spelled C-H-R-I-S-TS-A-M. For some time after that, Peter was called Sam.
The grades 3 and 4 pupils were next and had practiced their choreographed Santa Claus drill for weeks. But before the program began, the red and white crepe paper uniforms were fitted onto the pupils. All of us looked wonderful. We were ready. Miss Janzen put the needle arm onto the record player, and the marching music started from the 78 rpm disc.
Portage EMC Sunday school Christmas program c. 1960.
I was a fourth-grader and led half the boys in the parade. Henry was the other leader, and the other half followed him. After the first routine, all looked well. But in the second routine, Bob stepped on Henry’s foot which brought down his costume pants. But he continued on bravely. In the next crossover, Harry hooked Henry’s Santa coat, and it tore away which then dragged behind him. After the last routine Henry was totally without a Santa suit. But as we lined up for the bow, Henry got the loudest cheer of all as he nervously held fast to his Santa toque, fearing it might yet come off.
The senior students did the dramas. In one play there was a very poor boy who was wandering in the village on Christmas Eve without proper clothing. He was hungry and had no Christmas presents. Someone noticed the orphan boy and invited him inside. As he entered, a voice said, “Come in and warm yourself here by the fireplace.”
It seemed to me that every year there was a drama where someone was invited inside to warm themselves by the warm fireplace which was made of red and brown crepe paper. Next, the poor orphan boy was asked to take a gift from the stocking above the fireplace. The stocking idea was strange to me because in our home we had bowls or Kommen. And then the orphan was given food, and everyone was happy.
The choir then sang, “Here we come a-wassailing, among the leaves so green.” No one said what “wassailing” meant but I found out later that it meant “singing, or caroling.”
Eleanor read the Christmas story from the Bible. She read well, especially the part about the angels telling the shepherds not to be afraid. I thought about the angels and wondered about
After the last routine Henry was totally without a Santa suit. But as we lined up for the bow, Henry got the loudest cheer of all as he nervously held fast to his Santa toque, fearing it might yet come off.
them being real or not. We had figured out earlier that Santa Clauses were made-up people. But as there were no Santas in the Bible, we figured the angels must have been real.
There was a recitation where all the lines rhymed, but I cannot recall what the subject was all about. Words like Isaiah, and the Messiah, and the Christchild were part of the poem. My cousin Edna recited it from memory.
Mr. Neufeld, the senior room teacher, then announced that we would sing “Joy to the World,” while Santa was unhitching his sleigh outside the two-room school. And sure enough, in came Santa Claus, who we could see was really Mr. Wieler, the board chairman. He was carrying a burlap sack as was Mr. J. C. Giesbrecht who managed the McCabe’s elevator and was the local blacksmith. They called out “Ho, Ho, Ho” before they opened the two sacks containing dozens of brown bags of goodies: peanuts, a Christmas orange, a big 10-cent chocolate bar, and other nuts and candies.
And then we put on our overshoes and parkas and woolen mittens and walked home: Mother and Dad, Irvin, Ruth, Wilf, and two-year-old Benny. Our warm breath created white frost build-up on our woolen scarves. There were stars out that night, and I could
easily make out several constellations that my older brother Leo had pointed out to me earlier. I wondered if the North Star was the one that had stopped over Bethlehem. No one had ever told me which star it had been.
As we turned off the dirt road and walked over a snowbank through our garden, I remembered a poem we had studied. I liked the opening lines: “I walked on a snowbank that squeaked like leather, or two wooden spoons that you rub together”
I felt so good as I walked home–Christmas morning was just two sleeps away. I had a feeling inside of me that I could not express. A feeling that something special was happening and I never wanted it to go away.
Jake Buhler grew up on a dairy farm near Osler, Sask. While he previously worked overseas, today he spends time at the Mennonite Historical Society and is active in the Osler Mennonite Church. He is married to Louise Wiebe and they have two daughters and 6 grandchildren.
A morning on the train tracks
By Angel Infantes
IT’S SATURDAY MORNING: What should we do? For a family like mine, with young children, there are many options on a weekend. But one Saturday, we decided to try something different after a train whistle reminded us of what God calls us to do.
We live in Guadalajara, Mexico. The city captivates you with spring weather, various types of flowers year-round, and mariachi music in the streets. However, there is a less visited place there too, a fenced corridor that crosses the city, isolated from everyday life. It is the train tracks that migrants pass through on their way north to what they hope will be a better life.
A few days after we first arrived in Guadalajara, the media announced that thousands of
people were coming from Central America and would cross the streets on their journey to the north. The city planned to turn Benito Juárez Coliseum into a shelter for five thousand people, with sleeping mats, space for cooking, and collection centres to receive donations from the community.
Convinced this was an opportunity for the church, we decided to get involved. My job was at the collection centre. We had lists ready for those who wanted to help; others arrived with their own ideas.
“I would like to bring food for the people who will arrive,” shared one young man, who was around thirty. I handed him the item list we were collecting. “I want to bring food ready to eat,” he insisted. I suggested he bring ready-made
Migrants talk about extreme poverty, violence against young people, and the lack of job opportunities. Their broken voices crush my heart.
lunches, and two hours later he was back with bags full of food.
Soon people from Central America began to arrive. Some walked, others came on a flat trailer or trucks of all sizes. Groups of men, women, and children, all of them exhausted with sad faces. The lunches I passed out were grabbed and instantly gobbled up.
The migratory experience in Mexico has been going on for a long time; more than forty million nationals have made the journey to the United States to live there. Seeing someone passing through Mexico is an everyday occurrence. A more recent change is how they travel, in groups of thousands at a time. They are from various places, including Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and even Africa and Asia.
Why do people migrate? When we visit with the migrants along the train tracks, we listen to their stories, the reasons why people take such a dangerous journey. They talk about extreme poverty, violence against young people, and the lack of job opportunities in their countries. Their broken voices crush my heart. In that moment I wish they could travel in peace, or even feel compelled to return home instead of continuing this journey where they might perish.
As a father, I think about doing the impossible to ensure the well-being of my family. It is biblical—an angel once told Joseph, “Get up … take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt”(Matthew 2:13). So the little boy, Jesus, migrated with his family for their safety; the holy family was once an immigrant family in Egypt.
Author Luis Llosa writes, “We all come from a history of migration.” I have my own story. After studying in the United States, I moved to Canada to work as a pastor. My children were born there, and there I finished my postgraduate degree. This could be read as a success story.
I know other migrants who crossed the border on foot, who worked hard and prospered, but
rarely shared their stories. Now that I’m in Mexico I realize there is an “untold story” about the journey, where the displaced suffer hunger, verbal abuse, robbery, rape, and even death.
Since my first encounter with the migrants in 2018, I have highlighted in the church the passages that evoke biblical migration: the exodus going to the promised land, the move to Babylon, and Jesus’ itinerant preaching throughout Palestine. These stories have motivated members to join our efforts in providing food, cleaning supplies, and clothing for the migrants.
My family is right there with them. Just recently, during Saturday morning breakfast, we heard the train whistle. Our eyes met, filled with compassion—we knew we must go to the train tracks. Quickly the kitchen turned into a work center; after making the lunches, we loaded them into the car. Saraí, my sixteen-year-old daughter, and Belén, fifteen, came with us carrying boxes with food and clothing.
We approached a group of people lying on the ground and found it was a family coming from Brazil. The young girls from the group began talking with our daughters. They were smiling, talking about fashion and music, the topics that young people talk about, right there in that isolated area of the city on the train tracks.
The girls’ mother told us, “We started our journey two months ago, but I just noticed that my daughters need this, to smile and talk with young people of the same age.”
We’ll keep going to the train tracks, spreading hope and love to those most vulnerable. What will you do when you next hear a train whistle?
Angel Infantes serves with EMC Missions in Guadalajara, Mexico, together with his wife Blanca and their four children.
Global
impact • By
Gerald Reimer
Celebrating a lifetime of ministry
TIM AND LAUREL Schroder’s first trip to Pukapuki, Papua New Guinea (PNG), included an eight-hour boat trip up the river during which they nearly collided with another dugout, wrecking their propeller and almost swamping their boat with all their belongings.
Nearly 70 people gathered on September 14, 2024, to hear this story— among others—celebrating Tim and Laurel Schroder’s lifetime of ministry. Attending the luncheon, held at a Holiday Inn in Winnipeg, were current and former EMC mission workers, church mission committee members, and people interested in serving in the future.
Before lunch was served, the group spent some time getting to know one another, particularly their experiences serving around the world. For instance, the longest tenure of service mentioned was 47 years. One worker indicated she knew at least some of nine different languages. Two people confessed to having been involved in fender benders while serving in another country, one of them twice!
Travis and Rosey Zacharias, serving in Paraguay, shared about their ministry, focusing on the joys of their church work in Minga Guazú, and the adventures of growing the Che Roga camp ministry which sees hundreds of kids each summer.
Board of Missions chair, Anthony Reimer, spoke about the life of Gideon in an encouraging devotional. He reminded us that “God uses ordinary people, even those who struggle with fear and self-doubt, even me, to do extraordinary things for him.” While we can make excuses and ignore the
Laurel and Tim Schroder are presented with a painting.
Worship led by Jeff Neufeld served as a reminder to give God glory for faithful service.
Global impact • By
Gerald Reimer
“Laurel made it clear that she was going into missions work, and that Tim was going to need to be on the same page if their relationship was to continue to grow.”
call, when we ultimately surrender to the Lord, he can and does use us for his glory!
After a fried chicken lunch, Jeff Neufeld (Steinbach EFC) and two fellow musicians pointed us to God’s goodness and our need for him through song. Gerald Reimer followed, paying tribute to the Schroders’ life and work, reflecting on more than 30 years of service in Papua New Guinea, giving guests the opportunity to hear some of the adventures of these quiet servants.
Gerald Reimer (far right) prays for Rosey and Travis Zacharias, serving in Paraguay.
“Did you know,” Gerald asked, “that Tim and Laurel met at the Northern Fellowship Chapel in Creighton, Saskatchewan, and that when Laurel realized their relationship was getting serious, she made it clear that she was going into missions work, and that Tim was going to need to be on the same page if their relationship was to continue to grow?”
After getting married they applied both with New Tribes and EMC Missions and set out for PNG in 1993. Tim and Laurel spent many years in evangelism and discipleship in the remote
community of Pukapuki. In 2003 they adopted two Haitian children and continued on the field for another 20 years.
Tim and Laurel wrapped up the event with a presentation showing photos of the many people they had come to love in PNG and sharing an overview of their years of ministry.
The EMC is so blessed to have workers like the Schroders and many others who have faithfully served on different continents around the world. Many of these people were in attendance and it was a joy to hear their voices as they shared stories and gave God the glory!
As EMC Director of Global Outreach, Gerald Reimer supports EMC missionaries all over the world.
With Our Missionaries
How will they know if they have not been told?
By Teah Goossen
IN 1991, THE Salem Express, a ferry boat, slammed into a coral reef and sank in the Suez Canal. Around 470 passengers and crew died. Harvey Thiessen recounts that night. He was on the Doulos, OM’s ministry ship, when a mayday signal was heard over the radio around midnight. By the time they had gotten to the Salem Express, other ships were on site. Thiessen describes a tender rig crew yelling to the passengers “Jump! Jump! Jump!” But most of those on the sinking vessel would not jump. Most could not swim. They went down with the ship.
The sinking of the Salem Express deeply impacted the friends, family, and communities of those onboard. It also left a mark on those who served with the rescue. Amidst the sorrow of the loss of life, there was another depth
to the pain. This ferry was carrying many passengers coming home from their pilgrimage to Mecca; they would not have known the hope of everlasting life through Jesus Christ.
Contrary to modern opinion, telling people about Christ’s salvation holds incredible relevance. Romans 10:14 says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
“That image sits with me still,” Thiessen says, reflecting on the night of the Salem Express’ sinking, “of people being offered salvation, yet being so filled with fear that they could not receive it.”
Harvey has been a missionary with Operation Mobilization for 40 years. His wife, Brenda, has been serving
for 35, and their deep desire is to see churches and missions responding well in collaboration with the new and energetic church in the Global South. Their ministry with OM is about growing “vibrant communities of Jesus followers amongst the least reached.”
Thiessen’s call to the church is this: We need to realize the powerful reality of walking with God. “Sometimes we are simply happy to be together with ourselves. We forget that our role in life is in the community.”
“[Being together as a church] is absolutely vital and beautiful, but we can get stuck … and we lose our vitality,” Thiessen says. We have not been called simply to enjoy ourselves. We have been given a great commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [Jesus has] commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20a).
Romans puts forth a simple thought: if someone hears about Christ’s salvation, maybe they will believe it. Maybe they will see that their current situation is leading to death and risk it all, take that leap of faith, to be saved.
Teah Goossen is on a mission to live purposely and authentically for the kingdom. Teah has recently returned from slowly cruising across North America in her Honda Odyssey while gathering stories, painting pictures, and fellowshipping with nomadic folk.
Brenda and Harvey Thiessen have been missionaries for over 30 years.
Testimonies of healing and transformation
By Jeremy Penner Multiply, Thailand
“I came here thinking I knew a lot about God. Turns out I knew so little, and was so full of pride and unforgiveness. I came with so little faith, and had such a small picture of who God is... This three months [of discipleship school] has made me realize how little I know, how little I am, but also how BIG God is and how good his plans are!” – student testimony
WE WERE SO blessed to hear the students share their experiences of the discipleship school we ran July to September and how God had impacted them during their time in school. Many of the 25 young disciples are preparing to enter ministry as apprentice church planters and interns.
A few weeks after grad, students returned for the annual Myanmar family camp, joining believers from each church to play, learn and spend time together. There was a moment while worshipping when all of us senior leaders were at the back, and we realized that the whole worship team was made up of young church members—not a single pastor or leader was up there; it was the church leading the church! For us that felt like such a beautiful and prophetic moment as we saw the blessing of these young disciples who are so passionate and are serving so faithfully.
Trauma healing groups on the border
Pastors and interns alike are constantly engaging with people who have experienced great hardship and suffering.
After leading the Bible school students in Ko Pho through a trauma healing group, Adrienne and Mai Mai, her good friend and Lighthouse MB Church accountant, could hardly wait to lead another trauma healing group on the border.
We have seen the Spirit move powerfully through an incredible curriculum we are using. People are learning to bring their pain to Jesus, and allow the greatest Healer there is to bring freedom to the wounds of trauma.
And as we worshiped, prayed, studied Scripture, learned about trauma, grief, abuse (and many more topics), lamented, shared vulnerably, brought our pain to the cross, and then ... chose forgiveness! God really moved and brought healing to many who attended.
“As an intern in the Lighthouse Mae Sot church, I often find myself … serving behind
the scenes … but this time I was thrilled to be able to attend the trauma healing group. I praise God for what he did in my heart during those four days. I was able to recognize the pain and wounds I held, and Jesus graciously walked me toward freedom and healing. The forgiveness lesson, especially, had a significant impact on me. The Spirit gently revealed how I had been harboring unforgiveness toward my father, for the pain he had caused me since childhood. Though I know it is a process, I was able to begin the journey of forgiving him. And what freedom follows when we release our offense and our pain! Praise God for this trauma healing group and the way God is working in my life!” – church planting intern’s testimony
Jeremy Penner and his wife Adrienne serve with Multiply in Thailand, church planting among Myanmar worker communities.
Some trauma healing group attendees participate in an exercise.
Fifty years of change is good! … or not? With Our
Abbeydale Christian Fellowship Calgary, Alberta
HALF A CENTURY ago, a young family travelled west to Calgary to begin a church plant. Shortly thereafter, another family followed. Trusting in God’s faithfulness, they embraced the change.
They began by reaching out to neighbourhood children; through them, entire families, and through them, communities were impacted. Then migration from other provinces brought more families to continue to grow the congregation, which by then could no longer fit into a home.
In the fifty years since then much has changed, mostly for the better. The church has become mortgage-free and able to rent out space in which other groups of believers are able to meet. That’s a good change! As conference pastor Andy Woodworth stated on September 22 at Abbeydale Christian Fellowship’s 50th anniversary celebration, the cars in the parking lot look much different than they did fifty years ago; clothing and hair styles have changed.
Abbeydale’s outreach methods have changed; technology has changed recordkeeping methods, communication avenues, and visual and audio formats. Some might debate whether these are all good changes, but change happens, nonetheless.
The trip down memory lane at ACF’s 50th anniversary celebration highlighted other changes as well. The musical selections, whether heartily sung by the choir or congregation,
reflected the favoured songs of each of the past five decades. These were interspersed by the introduction and recognition of past and current pastors as well as congregational chairpersons of the paralleled decade. Appropriate photo slides accompanied a short verbal snapshot of the church’s history by decade, complimenting the more detailed take-home trifold handout.
Over a served sandwich lunch, many memories of the past were shared and new memories created in the spirit of fellowship and praise, each one testifying to God’s faithfulness during the past half century.
As expected, change and transformation continues, reflected in everything from landscaping to congregational demographics and potluck dish choices.
ACF is not the church of 1974 nor the church of 2074, fifty years from now—and neither should it be. Growth means change and stretching, which is not always easy or comfortable. Thank God for most of the changes ACF has undergone; praise God that he will never change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Trusting in his unchanging faithfulness, ACF looks forward to the next half century of transformation and positive changes which will continue to reach more children, more families and more communities because “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
–
Ivy Plett
Leaders and descendants of charter members represent the beginning of the 1970s Calgary church plant.
Welcome Pastor Ryan and Uma
Pelly Fellowship Chapel
Pelly, Saskatchewan
GREETINGS FROM PELLY Fellowship Chapel. It was my pleasure to interview Pastor Ryan Rear and his lovely wife Uma on October 10, 2024—one year to the day from when they arrived. We were so excited to have a pastor again.
Pastor Ryan and Uma have been a pastoral couple with the EMC for about 10 years. Before that they worked with Youth for Christ—both take a personal interest in youth. Ryan and Uma came to Pelly to grow the church and
Ryan and Uma came to Pelly to grow the church and are sharing Christ wherever they can with whoever will listen.
are sharing Christ wherever they can with whoever will listen. They saw the potential Christ has for Pelly and felt strongly this was where God wanted them to be. Each one brings their own gifts, and they work together as God intended a pastor couple to work. Watching the two of them, I can see that they work very well together—like a hand fits in a glove.
Ryan and Uma have been in ministry for over 30 years and are semi-retired but they still want to serve and build a church and work in a community. Pastor Ryan has connected with some of the congregation through personal interests like fishing and hunting. Uma enjoys cooking and reading, getting together with women and enjoying the fellowship together
with them. They love the small quiet town here and are involved in the community, volunteering in things that interest them.
Before I left, I asked each of them for a favourite verse and why. Uma said 2 Corinthians 5:14–15. Why her favourite? Uma realizes she can only operate with Christ. Christ alone gives her encouragement and peace to do it God’s way.
Pastor Ryan said 2 Timothy 1:12. Why his favourite? Pastor Ryan said he chose this one of his favourites because the verse has inspired him during ministry and encourages him.
Ryan and Uma have big hearts for Christ and want to do nothing less than his will.
– Rhonda Brodeur
Uma and Pastor Ryan Rear
Growth and change in Morweena
Morweena EMC Morweena, Manitoba
OVER THE LAST couple of years our church has grown in some unexpected ways. The influx of Ukrainian refugees to Canada in 2022 led many families to the Arborg area. Machine shops and businesses in the area provided jobs, and our church (and others) helped many families settle into their new life here.
A number of these families have made MEMC their home church and are forming deep friendships. As we hear testimonies of God’s work in their lives we are encouraged. However, we also grieve with them over the tremendous loss and separation many continue to experience. It has been such a blessing to get to know our brothers and sisters in Christ from Ukraine.
Our church membership has also grown through baptism and transfers of membership. Youth baptized in 2024 were: Nia Dyck, Kate Friesen, Noah Friesen, Heaven Loewen, Amber Unger, Agatha Wall, and Tobias Wall. Church membership transfers in 2024 were: Pete and Doris Unger, Anthony Unger; Vern, Lana, Reuben and Rachel Knutson; Ser gii and Natalia Lozoyvi, Anna Lozova and Anush Lozova; Sergii and Natalia Kuzma
Morweena Christian School, our K–12 school, is one of the primary ministries of our church. The school has been growing through the years and currently has an attendance of approximately 200 students. Tim Reimer has been the principal for the last 35-plus years. Sadly, he is planning to retire
after the current school year. He has been a positive role model, an innovative educator and a wise leader all these years. The school community will greatly miss his steady presence there. The MCS board is actively searching for a new principal for the 2025–26 school year.
Kendall and Mikayla Reimer, who faithfully served as youth leaders since 2018 have recently stepped down from that position. They are continuing to plug into our church in other ways as they raise their growing family; we are so thankful for them and their cheerful service. Joel Plett, who recently moved back home to Morweena, is now heading up our youth committee. There are also changes on the horizon for our ministerial group. Some ministers and deacons have indicated a wish to retire from active leadership. This includes Glenn Plett (minister), Tim Reimer (minister), and Delmer and Janice Plett (deacons). With love
Appreciation is shown to Kendall and Mikayla Reimer (pictured with their children) for their years of faithful youth pastor work.
and gratitude, we acknowledge their many years of sacrificial service to God, to our congregation and beyond. They leave a legacy of love, selflessness, and faithful service. Harold and Marlene Reimer and Henry and Sara Reimer are new additions to the deacon team and have joined Sid and Bea Dueck in this work. This was a natural fit as we see them simply continuing to do the work of mercy ministry they were already doing. We are planning to hold a minister election soon.
God’s hand is at work in our church through the addition of new congregants and as people step up to serve in leadership. Times of testing can feel like a long, dark night. We rejoice now to see a sunrise of new life that God is bringing to our little congregation in the Interlake. As we navigate change, we cling to the faithfulness of God and to his promise to never leave us or forsake us.
– Amanda Plett
Sergii and Natalia Lozovyi and their children: Bogdan, Matthew, Timothy, Vira, and Emmanuel; Anush Lozova, Anna Lozova, and pastor Eric Isaac at a membership transfer August 18, 2024.
Associate pastor Trevor Fleming commissioned With Our Churches
monthly missions prayer calendar is being replaced with an ANNUAL WALL CALENDAR Sign up or learn more at www.emcmissions.ca/calendar or by contacting the EMC office info@emconference.ca 204-326-6401
Main St, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5
Evangelical Fellowship Church Steinbach, Manitoba
STEINBACH EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP Church gathered for the commissioning of our new associate pastor, Trevor Fleming, on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
The day was marked by heartfelt prayers, uplifting worship, and a deep sense of community as we officially welcomed Pastor Trevor, his wife Jamie, and their family, into his new role. After the service, everyone enjoyed a time of fellowship together with a delicious barbeque.
We are blessed to have Pastor Trevor serving at EFC and look forward to the journey God has in store for all of us.
– Kevin Davis
Ernie Koop (senior pastor), associate pastor couple Trevor and Jamie Fleming and LeRoy Siemens (elder chair) bow their heads while Hilda Friesen, who served on the search committee, leads in prayer.
Bizuayehu Abera of Ethiopia follows in the footsteps of Joseph in the Bible
As told to Linda Espenshade and MCC staff in Ethiopia
I HAVE BEEN the Tigray relief project coordinator for Meserete Kristos Church Development Commission (MKCDC) for the past four years. Because of this work, people gave me a new name. They called me Joseph, after one of the most renowned figures in the Bible, who saved his family and all of Egypt during the famine.
The war that broke out in Tigray has profoundly affected our lives. During the conflict, many people were killed by both the Ethiopian National Defense Force and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. In addition, many homes were intentionally destroyed using heavy artillery.
Families have lost their sons, daughters and homes, leaving them in a state of profound grief and loss. Among those who perished were my aunt’s son, and also a Meserete Kristos Church (MKC) missionary, whom I considered my spiritual son. (MKC is a Mennonite church and an MCC partner in Ethiopia.) The memory of these losses weighs heavily on my heart.
I grew up in the church, and I have served with various MKC churches and church plants for 16 years. Currently I am a pastor for the MKC congregation in Mek’ele, the capital of Tigray.
My primary interest lies in work that focuses on community development and growth. I have a bachelor’s degree from Meserete Kristos College in peace and conflict transformation
Bizuayehu Abera, Tigray relief project coordinator for Meserete Kristos Church Development Commission (MKCDC), speaks with Gash Tareka Gebreyesus, a beneficiary of MKCDC’s cash transfers.
“I had no means of communication with my family, like telephone or internet. I was completely cut off from my wife, child and other relatives.”
and a diploma in legal services. The expertise and skill I have gained fuel my passion to assist those who require support and courage.
At the beginning of the war, I shared information about the situation directly with MKC’s head office in Addis Ababa and via social media. Despite the inherent risks, I assumed the responsibility of being a voice for the people suffering from hunger in Tigray.
After MKC sent a first round of MCC-supported relief supplies to Tigray, I brought a relief report to Addis Ababa. But while I was there, everything went under blockade, and I was stranded for a year.
I had no means of communication with my family, like telephone or internet. I was completely cut off from my wife, child and other relatives.
I was worried about how they were eating. I was concerned that the war
MCC
would cause many deaths, sickness and much damage. I had internal anxiety, which I shared with nobody, that drone attacks in Mek’ele streets might kill my family.
While in Addis, I continued working with MKC’s Development Commission. I proposed the idea to MCC representatives to bring cash to Tigray on a United Nations airplane to help my people. They studied the idea and then agreed.
When I arrived at the airport, I would board the plane, keeping the bag containing the money securely under my feet. Undeniably there was a fear associated with carrying a large amount of money.
The entire process was extremely stressful and filled with tension. But God never let us down.
We utilized the local bank in Wukro (another Tigray municipality impacted by the conflict), depositing funds through the local banking system to accounts set up for each recipient. In Mek’ele, we directly distributed funds to beneficiaries in the beginning, until we could work through its bank.
Whenever I arrived in Mek’ele, the people were full of hope. For instance, once a young girl saw me arrive and quickly ran home to tell her mother. Her mother responded, “Why didn’t you tell me that Jesus has come? Don’t you know that when Bizuayehu arrives, it means God has arrived?”
I felt my contribution was minimal, but the community’s profound thankfulness led them to nickname me for the Joseph that we read about in the book of Genesis (who not only helped his people, but was also separated from his family). This experience reminded me of God’s past work in my life that
prepared me for a time such as this. Personally, these past four years stand out as a period where my faith was profoundly tested by the devastating impact of the war; the multitude of challenges and upheavals experienced by the whole nation and my family; and the uncertainty I felt when my movements were restricted in my own country.
My prayer life faced its own tests as I grappled with questions like why these events were happening despite my prayers, why God seemed silent and why intervention appeared delayed. In many ways, these experiences and questions tested the core of my faith, challenging me to find resilience and trust amid uncertainty and adversity. When I finally returned to my family and children after the peace agreement, I was overwhelmed with tears of joy as I rejoiced in seeing them
after such an unforgettable war and situation. I wanted to stay with them, but I felt I needed to continue to travel back and forth to Addis Ababa for MKCDC. Sometimes taking risks is necessary to effectively assist people who are vulnerable and disadvantaged. By taking these risks, I aimed to embody a life of service, prioritizing the needs of others above personal safety.
This initiative provided me with the opportunity to become a bridge of peace, love and compassion. It positioned me as an intermediary for the people of the country, especially those in Tigray, fostering understanding and unity.
Bizuayehu Abera, who is based in Mek’ele in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, is a pastor in the Meserete Kristos Church and the Tigray relief project coordinator for MKC’s Development Commission.
with his wife,
after being
for a year.
Bizuayehu Abera holds his daughter, Medan, and stands
Senayt,
reunited. Because of the war, Abera was separated from his wife and daughter
MCC PHOTO/PAUL MOSLEY
Youth are challenged and entertained at SBC’s Expedition Now
IT WAS A cool, brisk morning on October 19, 2024, when over 100 youth descended on the Steinbach Bible College campus to test their skills against fellow youth groups, while learning how to “Go All In” for Jesus.
After an inspiring time of praise and worship lead by SBC’s Free Servant, youth heard the first of two powerful messages from EMC Director of Next Gen Mo Friesen. Groups then spent time together, discussing what they had heard and answering some thought-provoking questions. After lunch (provided by Chef Gil and his team) and a brief orientation, the groups set off to complete a series of challenges. From Lego building in “Citizens of Heaven” to shooting arrows at each other in “Archery Tag,” all 24 challenges were designed help the youth learn how to go all in for Jesus while having fun and learning to work together as a team.
As the SBC Expedition Now crew tallied up the score cards of each team, the youth enjoyed a comedy extravaganza in the chapel. Local comedians Matt Falk and Joel Brandt had the youth
Youth take aim in a game of archery tag, one of 24 challenges youth groups were to complete.
roaring with laughter in between the politely raised hands of youth asking Falk what Disney princess he would be or requesting that he impersonate their favourite movie characters.
Following a delicious supper, the youth met again in the chapel for Friesen’s final message and more praise and worship. The challenge winners were also announced after two of the teams competed on stage in a tiebreaker round of tower building.
The evening concluded with a fivestation concert of prayer. Each station provided prayer prompts for the youth as they were given opportunity to
spend time with God and talk to him about whatever was on their hearts and minds.
Steinbach Bible College would like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work and support as we prepared to host this fantastic event, including the local camps and youth related ministries that spent the day with us. We would also like to thank the youth groups who came out and made the day such a success. We look forward to seeing many more of you again next year!
– Kari Bachmeier
SBC Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Free Servant leads worship for the over 100 youth who gathered for Expedition Now on October 19, 2024.
MennoMedia and Mennonite World Conference to launch Global Bible Read-a-Thon for 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement
HARRISONBURG, VA—IN CELEBRA -
TION of the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement, MennoMedia is partnering with Mennonite World Conference to host a unique Global Anabaptist Bible Read-a-Thon, featuring 500 (or more) voices reading the entire Bible in multiple languages.
Anabaptists around the world are invited to join this historic celebration by participating as readers in the project, with video recordings captured through a designated Zoom link. Participants can receive their passage and additional instructions by registering at www.mennomedia.org/registernow/. Participants are invited to read their assigned Bible passage in whichever language they choose.
Beginning January 18, 2025, a recording of the complete biblical text—from Genesis to Revelation—will stream for 72 consecutive hours. It will culminate in a live-streamed worship service at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana, on January 21, 2025, the date commemorating 500 years since the baptisms that marked the birth of the Anabaptist movement.
“This read-a-thon focuses on the centrality of Scripture for Anabaptists across countries, languages, and traditions,” shared John D. Roth, Anabaptism at 500 project director. “By uniting 500 voices from around the world, we celebrate our shared commitment to the Bible as a living Word that speaks across cultural differences.”
Evangelical Mennonite Church of Tanzania (KMKT)
“This read-a-thon focuses on the centrality of Scripture for Anabaptists across countries, languages, and traditions.”
– John D. Roth
How to Participate
Interested individuals or groups can register at www.mennomedia.org/register-now/, whereupon they will receive an assigned passage and recording instructions. Participants will need to
submit their readings by December 15, 2024. All voices, all languages, and all backgrounds are encouraged to join this commemorative event as we prepare to celebrate half a millennium of Anabaptist heritage.
Streaming Information
The entire 72-hour Bible reading will be available for live streaming beginning January 18, 2025, on AnabaptismAt500. org, MennoMedia.org, and their social media channels. Viewers can tune in to listen, reflect, and celebrate this milestone in Anabaptist history.
– MennoMedia/MWC
Connecting with the Word through words
EMMC/EMC/SBC writer’s conference 2024
WRITERS WITH CONNECTIONS to the Evangelical Mennonite Conference (EMC), Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference (EMMC) and Steinbach Bible College (SBC) students gathered— both in person at SBC and online—on November 2, 2024, to learn how to better practice their craft.
Luann Hiebert, a literature professor at both SBC and Providence University College, opened the event with prayer that participants would be able to “share [God’s] love and [God’s] Word to others through words.”
Will Braun, editor of Canadian Mennonite, gave the first presentation, “Deep Calls to Deep.” “There’s something within us,” Braun said, “that wants to connect with the deep in other people. And there’s something within us that needs to connect with the great deep that is God. And I think that writing at its best can connect the deep and the deep.”
He presented tips on finding good stories, asking good questions, and conducting good interviews.
The second presentation was given by Geralyn Wichers, an agricultural journalist: “I [Don’t] Know What You Did Last Summer.” Using “what I did this summer” as a jumping-off point, Wichers walked participants through
an exercise in learning how to write a narrative, non-fiction story. She warned participants that, to report on an event, “it’s preferable that you’re actually there.… I have heard of people reporting on things by watching them on TV. No, don’t do that,” said Wichers.
After a break for lunch, participants heard again from Hiebert on “For the Love of the Word.” Telling participants “For me, words matter a lot,” Hiebert described her love for poetry and Scripture. “Can we with our words and our eyes,” she asked, “offer light and beauty and hope and love to those around us?” She concluded with some practical tips to writers, such as using their own honest and true voice and the need to declutter their work.
The writer’s conference ended with a time for participants to ask questions and share their takeaways from the day.
– Rebecca Roman
Luann Hiebert, literature professor
Geralyn Wichers, agricultural journalist
Will Braun, editor of Canadian Mennonite
In Memory
DIANA JOAN REIMER
1930–2024
It is with a great sense of loss that we announce the passing of Diana Reimer, beloved mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, sister and aunt, on Saturday, September 14, 2024.
Diana was born on November 4, 1930, the first child to Henry and Anne Toews in Steinbach, Man., and was predeceased by them, as well as her husband, Clifford, her brother Melvin, niece Marjorie, and granddaughter-inlaw Lauren.
In 1951, Diana married her shy, farm boy sweetheart, and in 1959, as a young wife and mother, Diana moved with her husband, Clifford, to Panama as missionaries. She left the familiarity of her home and embraced the challenge of a new culture, climate and language.
She was the quiet support behind the ministry that led them there, initially establishing a school for missionary children. They were also involved in church planting and Bible study. They lived and raised their family in Panama until 1978, at which time they moved back to Steinbach. Diana moved again when Clifford’s new role in the mission took them to Kansas City, Missouri, to work out of the Avant Ministries (GMU) headquarters. On his retirement in 1995 they relocated to Winnipeg, where she lived until her death.
When Clifford died in 2007, she once again embraced a new life, seeing that she was not alone in her situation. She became a friend and support to many of the women around her.
She was known as a prayer warrior by the congregants of the Fort Garry EMC and was one of a group of seniors who pray regularly for the youth. She left behind many notebooks filled with prayer requests and notations of answered prayers for the people she loved.
Her quiet and gentle spirit will be missed by all who knew her.
She is survived by her children Corinne and Melvin Klassen, Heather
and Wayne Winser, Douglas Reimer and Mary Frederick, Keith Reimer and Marnie Munro as well as her grandchildren Paul and Mari, Jordan, Meghan and Jeremy, Michael and Joana, Joseph and Laura, Sarah and Juan, Morgan and Andrew, and Brenna, and nine great-grandchildren. She also leaves to mourn her younger brother Reg and his wife, Phyllis, four other sisters-inlaw, two brothers-in-law, and nieces and nephews.
– The Family
EMC Prayer Teams 2025
EMC Missions invites you to come and discover the power of prayer and worship in a cross-cultural setting.
Guadalajara, Mexico
Approx. dates: February 27–March 5, 2025; registration deadline January 31
Cost: $850 plus flights and travel/ health/cancellation insurance
Spain
Approx. dates: March 27 – April 7, 2025; registration deadline February 15
Cost: $1,600 plus flights and travel/ health/cancellation insurance
If your heart is beating for intercession and you are ready to explore new places and ways of praying, this is definitely something for you. Grade 12 and up.
Call the EMC office at 204-326-6401 or email Ruth (rkonrad@emconference. ca) to request an application form.
Shoulder Tapping
Please send all position ads (150 words or less), including pastoral search ads, to messenger@emconference.ca. Ads may be edited. Please advise us when it is no longer needed.
Additional EMC Openings
Often there are more churches looking for staff than are identified on this page. For information on additional openings, contact Conference Pastor Andy Woodworth (awoodworth@emconference.ca or phone 204-326-6401).
EMC Positions
Lead Pastor: St. Vital EMC (Winnipeg, Man.)
Associate Pastor: Steinbach (Man.)
Evangelical Mennonite Church
Steinbach Evangelical Mennonite Church is seeking a full-time associate pastor with a love for Christ and a desire to care for his body. Located in Steinbach, Man., a small city with an ethnically diverse population, SEMC is a community of Christ-followers with an average Sunday morning attendance of 275 and a wider congregation of 460 that calls SEMC their home church. It is a member church of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference.
As part of SEMC’s vision to gather, grow and go, the associate pastor will provide leadership to existing congregational care ministries as well as equip and assist lay leaders to develop and implement ministries that will positively impact the congregation and broader community to follow Jesus. Other responsibilities include counselling, visitation and some preaching. For more details see the full job description at https://semconline.com/news-highlights/
Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found.
St. Vital EMC is looking for a lead pastor beginning summer of 2024. Our church is located at 2005 St. Mary’s Rd in Winnipeg, Man., with an average Sunday attendance of 100. We are looking for a leader who is guided by the Holy Spirit and exhibits the qualities in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9. Our church works as a team where the board and pastor(s) set the agenda, but major decisions are made by members. The lead pastor does most of the preaching but shares the pulpit with other leaders. The lead pastor would be part of a paid team with the associate pastor and secretary. Job ministry descriptions are available upon request. Education, experience and agreement to the EMC Statement of Faith will be considered. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Mike Hopcraft at pastoralsearch@svemc.org in addition to submitting your cover letter and resume.
Pastor: Morris (Man.) Fellowship Chapel
Morris Fellowship Chapel is a Christfollowing, Bible-believing, family-friendly church of around 130 people in the small rural town of Morris, Manitoba. People of all ages are a part of Morris Fellowship, including children, young adults, adults and seniors. We are looking for a pastor to help with preaching, teaching, and building community in our church. This would include preaching on Sundays, teaching midweek Bible studies, personal visits and church community events. Contact Cliff Reimer, Pastoral Search Committee Chairman: cliff0955@gmail.com.
Director
Canadian Outreach: EMC national office (Steinbach, Man.) The EMC national office is seeking an individual with a passion for Christ and the church to fill the position of Director Canadian Outreach (DCO), starting January 2025.
This position replaces the previous Director Canadian Church Planting. This position has a split focus between championing church planting in Canada and assisting existing churches with strategic planning, administration and church health. The successful candidate will do this by providing expertise, resources and a forward-looking perspective to staff, boards and churches as they seek to serve and inspire the growth of the church in Canada.
Qualifications include a degree in theology or Christian ministry, pastoral and/or leadership experience, experience with church planting or missions, experience and/or training in leadership development and strategic planning, communication and conflict resolution skills.
This position requires travel in Canada. It offers equitable pay and benefits with opportunities for professional development.
To apply, go to our website www. emconference.ca/serve/ or request an application form by emailing applications@emconference.ca. Applications will be accepted until November 29 or until a suitable candidate is found.
Shoulder Tapping
Other Positions
Lead Pastor: Gospel Fellowship Church, (Steinbach, Man.)
Gospel Fellowship Church is seeking a fulltime lead pastor. We are a congregation with an average attendance of 75; our church is a part of the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference (EMMC). GFC is a faith community in a broken world, sharing the hope of freedom in Christ. We are searching for an individual who passionately loves God and loves people, one who is able to provide vision and direction for our church, and willing to compassionately lead our congregation with sound biblical teaching.
For a full position description, please visit our website (www.gospelfellowshipchurch.ca) or contact us at applications@ gopselfellowshipchurch.ca
Principal: Morweena Christian School (Arborg, Man.)
Morweena Christian School is a K–12 school with approximately 200 students located near Arborg in the Interlake region of Manitoba. We are searching for a candidate to apply for the principal position. Job opening is for the 2025–26 school year. A Bachelor of Education is required as well as a minimum of five years of teaching experience. Preference is given for a master’s level of education. Please forward inquiries and resumes to James Plett, board chair, at boardchair@morweenaschool.ca
Welcome to recently hired pastors
INTERIM PASTOR
KARL POPKE and his wife Sherry Community Bible Fellowship
PASTOR RYAN
REAR and his wife Uma
Meet Lisa
Lisa is a 24-year-old living on Belice Colony, a Mennonite colony in Bolivia. Due to severe illness as a baby, Lisa has never been able to walk or talk. In September, EMC missionary Nancy Friesen met up with Lisa and her mom and noticed that her cheek was swollen. Her mom said she had a toothache and was not feeling well, but the family could not afford to take her to a doctor.
Nancy helped to arrange for Lisa to see a doctor, who removed all of her teeth, and her very swollen tonsils. Going home from the hospital Lisa was streteched out in the back seat of Nancy’s car and as they were going over some pretty big bumps in the road, Nancy heard her giggle for the first time.
Lisa and her parents say a very big “thank you” to the EMC churches here in Canada that made this possible! Nancy was able to help Lisa because of EMC’s compassionate funds— funds donated by EMCers to help people like Lisa in Bolivia, Paraguay or Spain!
PASTOR DARCY SPROULE and his wife Lina Anola Fellowship Chapel
Pelly Fellowship Chapel
His light to my path • By
Karla Hein
Tenacious faith in grief and sorrow
THE BATHROOM FLOOR seemed an appropriate place for a meltdown. My sympathetic friend waited for me to gather my thoughts. Though separated by a province, we were connected by phone and heart.
I struggled through tears as I faced medical fears and mothering shortcomings. The immediate issues, though, were not what I was truly wrestling with. I faced the conviction that, despite these emotional circumstances, I was tasked with obedience, not simple adherence to a strict code of conduct but a raw obedience in the inner recesses of my heart. I faced the call to count it all joy. The reminder that love is patient and kind. The call to trust in the Lord with all my heart.
My weak faith and feeble knees were being summoned to either stay in a puddle on the ground or declare “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). A lesson learned while walking through the shadowy unknowns that torment the mind, gnawing at our resolve, compounding our sorrow. My soul would have perished if not for Christ’s strength in my weakness.
This situation occurred over a year ago, but more recently the call to trust in the Unseen One has resurfaced. A few short months ago, it became evident that my mother’s cancer would not be going away without the Lord’s intervention. This time, the lesson on faith wasn’t learned on the bathroom
This time, the lesson on faith wasn’t learned on the bathroom linoleum. My children were the ones reminding me how to grieve with confident sadness. They know they will miss Grandma, but they also absolutely know that heaven is the end of object of delight for every believer, and it will be unexplainably good.
Karla Hein (Westpointe, Grande Prairie) is the wife of one and mother of two.
linoleum. My children were the ones reminding me how to grieve with confident sadness. They know they will miss Grandma, but they also absolutely know that heaven is the end object of delight for every believer, and it will be unexplainably good.
The simple faith of a child reminds me that my own faith has a firm resting place on truth. I don’t grieve like those who have no hope. For Job, his entire life lay in shambles, yet the Bible says, “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:22). It’s a gentle reminder that, even in my grief, I am still accountable for what I do and speak. I don’t get a pause button on the greatest commandment to love the Lord with all my heart and my neighbour as myself. I mourn the loss and endure hardships, but with the comforting, certain knowledge that my Redeemer lives (Job 19:25).
I grieve, but it’s not possible to be hopeless because this life is but a breath and eternity stands glorious before us. “Set your affection on things above,” Paul writes (Colossians 3:2 KJV). I rejoice that my mother will soon be where my affections already are. And I look forward to that wonderful day when my faith will be sight. “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). For now, I will continue to dust off my tenacious faith that rests on Christ’s character. As we’re encouraged in Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Further in and higher up • By
Layton Friesen
Pastors pastor women
I STATE THE obvious: As a male pastor, I should be a pastor to women. It should not be said of my ministry that the men got good teaching, mentoring, and compassionate attention, but not so much the women. Female pastors may have these challenges too, but here I am focusing on men.
This is not always easy. As a man, it’s more natural to relate to men. Also, all the recent cases of pastoral misconduct strike fear in my heart. Wouldn’t it be safer for men just to relate to men and women to women? However, gospel reconciliation is a healing of the wound between men and women.
How should that work in pastoring? When I preach, I will preach to both men and women. The women listening should feel I understand them and reach their hearts and minds. I will mentor both men and women as the next generation of leaders. My pastoral care should extend to both men and women. A teenager with gender dysphoria, a young mother with postpartum depression, a single 40-year-old woman, a widowed grandmother, all deserve to be prayed with and encouraged by their pastors to be strong daughters of Zion.
Of course, this all needs to be qualified. I am not saying any pastor needs to be everything for everybody. A team working together can minister widely.
Further, ethical boundaries in ministry are essential. Nothing ruins the church’s witness more than a pastor whom women cannot trust. Before becoming a pastor, a man needs to ask himself, can I be trusted in a room
Wouldn’t it be safer for men just to relate to men and women to women? However, gospel reconciliation is a healing of the wound between men and women.
alone with a woman or a child? If there is any doubt, he should not be a pastor. But ethical practices are there to make healthy pastoral ministry with women possible, not to make it unlikely. They provide safe places for a healthy, godly pastor to encourage, pray for, and work alongside women in the church. Each pastor will need to create a practice that’s comfortable for him (and his wife, if he’s married), that avoids even the appearance of wrong, that keeps relationships healthy, natural, and thus results in wonderful ministry with the women in the church.
Should male pastors meet one-onone with women congregants? This deserves caution and will vary with the local culture, situation and individual. What makes this delicate is the power difference between a male pastor and a female congregant. A first test is to ask, are the women in my church comfortable meeting with male counsellors, chiropractors, doctors or other professionals? If so, then it could work for pastors as well, if like
other professionals they have established practices and codes of ethics. It’s important that both the pastor and his spouse, and the women in the congregation all feel safe and comfortable with how the ministry is happening. And this all needs to happen within churches where men and women have healthy friendships with the other gender. There are few places in society where young and old, married and single, can have meaningful friendships with the other gender. Church can be a rich place when this happens in a healthy and transformative way. The pastor can lead this. Like Elijah provided for the widow of Zarephath, like Jesus shared water with the Samaritan woman, like he visited Mary and Martha’s home, like Peter prayed for Dorcas, like Paul befriended Lydia at the riverbank, like he taught Priscilla, like John wrote to “the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth” (2 John 1), pastors pastor everyone.
Layton Friesen is academic dean at Steinbach Bible College. He lives in Winnipeg, Man.
Inviting
faith • Ruth Konrad
We need grandparents in children’s ministry
WHEN I SERVED in the children’s ministry in my home church as a young adult, one of our faithful volunteers was Grandpa Ed. Grandpa Ed showed up nearly every week and was what we called a “listener”—he wasn’t in a classroom or teaching a Bible lesson, but as kids worked through their memory verses in their classroom, he was available to work one-on-one with kids to memorize or recite their verse. And they loved him.
Julie (not her real name) was a young girl in our midweek children’s ministry program. Her leaders were pretty sure she came from a rough home, and she clearly struggled with her self-image. But when she walked through the door, she found another grandparent-ly couple that loved her. They became a special part of her life, loving her and her family in and outside the church building.
I didn’t get to know Harvey, but when I started attending Blumenort Community Church, it was clear that he was a beloved “grandparent” to many, even though he had no kids of his own. He was an integral part of our church’s camp and made a positive impact on many.
I remember conversations with the ministry’s leadership team at my childhood church asking why this was—why the grandparents in our ministry were so loved by the kids. And while we tossed around many ideas—some don’t have grandparents nearby, or maybe they are ill or have passed away—in the end, it boiled down to the fact that grandparents are just special, and not every kid has a grandparent in their life.
As one of my more impactful Sunday school teachers liked to say (a grandparent-aged one,
RESO URCE COR NER
Helping grandparents have a greater spiritual impact on their families. Legacy Coalition Canada website https://legacycoaltion.ca
now that I think about it)— so what? What can we do to encourage natural and intentional relationships with the young families or the seniors we worship with?
Keeping kids in the sanctuary for at least part of the worship service is a great start. Learning the names of the kids (or grandparents!) in the pew next to you and getting to know them, even if that means moving out of the ‘young families’ safe zone, is another step in crossing generations. A potluck with the whole church, not just young families or seniors can help us mix better (though focused potlucks have their place too!)
And for the churches with a formal children’s ministry, making sure your
Ruth Konrad is EMC’s Outreach Assistant. She has served for nearly 20 years in children’s ministry, most recently at Blumenort Community Church.
volunteers cover every generation is a great idea. If kids don’t have grandparents around, chances are you also have grandparents in your church without their grandkids close. Invite them to be grandparents to the kids in your ministry. Can they serve snacks? Help with greeting and check-in? Lead a small group time? Memorize verses? Pull out the flannelgraph to teach a lesson like they used to? (Side note: if you haven’t used flannelgraph in a while, that means it’s something new!) Help with a craft night? Colour or do a puzzle with the kid who can’t participate in physical activity or just needs a break?
Grandparents—the kids in your church need you! Even if they have grandparents of their own, you have the opportunity to love, connect, and be kept young and “in the know” by the kid in the chair in front of you!