Tribute: Elmer Martens
Sow generously, reap abundantly
The father heart of God
Volume 55, No. 6 Publications mail registration number: 09648; Agreement number: 40009297 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circ. Dept., MB Herald, 1310 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3M 3Z6
Proxy war and broken peace
November/December 2016 WWW.MBHERALD.COM
W
Why?
atching my grandchild, I look forward to the stage when she’ll ask “why” 10 times, and then once more. She’ll be laying essential foundations for life.
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In 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12, Paul urges new converts to “do more and more” in two domains. First, learn holiness in your sexual lives – reserve sex for marriage, treat your own and others’ bodies with respect, and don’t take advantage of anyone. Second, love your families and neighbours – keep calm, work responsibly and earn the respect of people outside the church. I have two “why” questions: Why do these instructions matter? Why is this reading fitting for the Advent season? Verse 1 addresses my first question. By living uprightly, we please God. God desires to reconcile the world and its people to himself. Whenever his children develop his character, their actions show what God is like so that others can know him too. This gives God pleasure.
1 Thessalonians 4:1–12
PREPARE
Adults also ask “why.” During a person’s 50s and 60s, they sometimes ask it because they’ve experienced reversals and disappointments that challenge their assumptions. Since God wants everyone to become his adult children – not remain infant children – I’m confident God welcomes our questions.
November/December | www.mbherald.com
A response to my second question lies in the verses that bracket today’s reading (3:13, 4:13–5:11). Not only is God giving us his Spirit now (4:8), but also Jesus is returning to be present with us. We need to live in ways that are consistent with who Jesus is, so that we’ll truly be “at home” with him when he returns. —Andrew Dyck is professor of ministry studies with MB Seminary at Canadian Mennonite University and attends Westwood Community Church, Winnipeg. This reflection is from As We Wait, a book of daily Advent devotionals for 2016 published by MB Seminary and Kindred Productions. Download a PDF copy: ministrylift.ca/advent2016
ILLUSTRATION BY COLTON FLORIS
[CONTENTS
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 In this issue
8 12 14 18 4 15 16 34
19 20 21
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
Rich in good deeds
5 Letters
7 churches who gave their time away
6 Homepage
—Angeline Schellenberg
Drive-thru generosity —Mark Wessner
Freely we have received...
22 News 28 Transitions, births, weddings 29 Anniversaries 30 Finish lines [Obituaries]
—Conrad Stoesz
Tribute: Elmer Martens
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE
In everything, educator
DIGITAL EDITION issuu.com
COLUMNS
FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/MBHerald
Editorial A generosity of spirit —Karla Braun
Viewpoint Be my guest —Nikki White
ICOMB — Wiebe’s witness Proxy war and broken peace: Angola as a case study —David Wiebe
Crosscurrents
TWITTER twitter.com/MB_Herald WEBSITE mbherald.com JOBS jobs.mbherald.com PDF SUBSCRIPTION Email karla.braun@mbchurches.ca to subscribe via email
Face-to-face peacebuilding —Karla Braun
CONFERENCE NEWS Executive director Giving and the father heart of God —Willy Reimer
C2C Network/MB Mission task force begins Moderator resigns
CORRECTION: “Oxygen for ministry” (Gathering 2016 business report, September/October) failed the include the entire amended motion. The full wording: “That CCMBC take all necessary actions to achieve a balanced ministry budget (in accordance with designations in page 21 of 2015 audited statement).” “That CCMBC direct stewardship income (Legacy) to take all necessary actions to replenish investment reserves by annually directing all net capital gains, all profits from for-profit companies (embedded in stewardship), all net returns on impaired mortgages and 10 percent of net investment returns (beginning in 2018).”
Church transformation survey 2016 —Sam Reimer
COVER PHOTO: Colton Floris Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
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[ EDITORIAL
A generosity of spirit Have you ever been a target of drive-thru generosity, when the person ahead of you pays for your coffee (pages 12–13)? Or maybe members of your church have brought you food after a death in the family or during an extended illness. Maybe you’ve even received a larger gift, like the Mennonites fleeing Russia in the 1920s – to whom the Canadian government granted travel loans, then forgave $1 million in interest when the Depression made it difficult for them to repay their debt (page 14). It feels good to receive these gestures, and it feels good to give them as well. We might even get a thrill from our acts of magnanimity. But does our spirit of giving extend beyond our actions to our ways of thinking?
Opening more than our pocketbooks Giving, as sacrifice stories in the Old Testament and offering stories in the New Testament show, is about more than the money or objects donated; it’s about the heart of the giver. Do we truly embody a spirit of generosity in the way of Christ, who “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7)? Often, our generosity is carefully managed. We prefer to share on our own terms, to remain in control, even of what we are giving away. We get tax receipts for our monetary donations; we give panhandlers food instead of money; we donate things we have no use for. And if ever our generosity isn’t received or employed the way we expected – no more! The tap is turned off. Generosity has a cost – and that doesn’t only refer to the price tag. Are we willing to give of our possessions, resources and time? As Nikki White points out (page
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15), it won’t all be warm fuzzies and feelings of virtuousness. A small offer may be turned into a big favour. Needs will arise at inconvenient times. There may be none of the thanks that fill our tanks. Sometimes generosity means trying again and again when our gift is rebuffed or even abused. Are willing to share “not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well” (1 Thessalonians 2:8)?
Generous thinking We can practise generosity in our thinking. When the MB Herald asked, “How do you practise everyday generosity?” on social media, Janessa Giesbrecht responded that she is becoming increasingly aware of the value of listening as generosity. “Generous listening means allowing people to have the space to share,” she says. “There is something very powerful about creating a space for someone to speak from the heart and be heard.” We often rush to give answers (or judgment) or fix problems, but that can be more harmful than helpful. “Without generous listening, we keep people hidden behind public faces while they try to wrestle through struggles alone,” says Janessa. When we think we are at our holiest, we can fall into outcome-driven thinking that fails to be generous. Not discounting the truth and power of the gospel, could we be generous enough to understand another person’s beliefs without first needing to change them? Could we allow that, perhaps, as letter writer Carol Penner says (page 22), we ourselves have something to learn from others? As the highly polarized debate from the U.S. election occupies the media in the days leading up to publication of this issue, I’m personally challenged to generous thinking. Internet platforms can insulate us from perspectives unlike our own. But what if loving my neighbour means listening to – and not
immediately judging – the reasons he or she supports the other candidate? In our churches, could generosity mean inviting the perspectives of those we think are choosing the wrong path on issues like Zionism, women in leadership and sexuality? It’s not easy to open ourselves up to those whose ideas worry or threaten us. But as a church that believes the Holy Spirit speaks among us as the community gathers, should we not make room for a diversity of voices? A spirit of generosity can lead us to walk toward fear rather that away from it, to live out our call to be God’s agents of reconciliation in the world (2 Corinthians 5:18). As the settlers and displaced people of Reserve 107 (page 34) discovered, extending and responding to generosity of spirit, and journeying together can conquer fear and build shalom even between groups that might have been enemies. Janessa’s Facebook post ended with a question worth pondering: “What does it look like for us to listen with enough generosity to sit in the complexities of all of our lives and invite God to pour his generous grace into that?” Freely you have received; freely give (Matthew 10:8). —Karla Braun
How do you practise everyday generosity? I try to practise the fruit of the Spirit in dealing with others, especially with my family. When my youngest says, “Mom, watch!” for the 100th time in a day, I try to be excited and engaged. For people outside my family, I sometimes send a card through the good old fashioned mail system for a bit of encouragement. —Elenore Doerksen, CCMBC communications team lead
[Reader response
off target. In fact, it is the annual transfer of all remaining funds from Stewardship to ministry that has caused the lack of reserves.
Troubling finances
Arthur Block’s statement that “We have not been healthy in this entity for some time” is right on target. In the previous two years alone, in excess of $6 million was transferred out, leaving nothing for reserves, sucking the oxygen out of the stewardship division.
In “Oxygen for ministry” (Gathering 2016 report, September/October 2016), a delegate is quoted as saying, “Here is a way to increase revenue: our churches investing in the conference.” It should be pointed out that churches have their own challenges meeting their local budgets. Besides, look at how CCMBC handles our finances. The approved 2015 budget was $1,575,000, but actual receipts from the churches was $1,322,619. At the same time, the C2C Network received $1,250,000 from CCMBC. In other words, 94.5 percent of the churches’ donations went to C2C, an interdenominational church plant protocol that will use $30.2 million from 2012–2017, based on CCMBC reports! Many of us are still trying to find out what these funds were used for. In addition, a $9.9 million writedown on CCMBC’s assets was called a “dust bunny.” CCMBC leadership allowed the reserve funds to be depleted: why should churches send more of their limited funds? To make matters worse, a bylaw amendment now requires a quorum of only 30 people to approve the annual budget in years when there is no Gathering. In other words, the CCMBC head office staff can pass their own budget without consultation with the churches. Until the CCMBC leadership can demonstrate transparency in their decisions and provide proper accounting of fund usage and regain our trust, it will be difficult for the local churches to be motivated to invest in the conference which isn’t doing much to support existing churches. K. Sawatzky Sherwood Park, Alta.
Re “Oxygen for Ministry” (Gathering 2016 report, September/October 2016). As a professional accountant and someone who has a special interest in the Stewardship/RRSP department of our conference going back to 1980, I believe some clarification is needed. The original intent was to make mortgage funds available to churches and pastors. Any earnings in excess of direct costs and interest paid were to be used to fund missions, not conference operations. At some point, missions were superseded by the funds needed by the conference operations budgets. In light of the original intent, Len Penner’s comment that the need for reserves should not occur at the expense of ministry is somewhat
We need to bring health back to the program to which many have entrusted their savings and retirement. A sudden need to return funds to depositors could create problems; church properties and land are not great sources of liquidity. It would be good stewardship to have sufficient reserves. Churches paying their dues would go a long way to improving the situation. George Kroker Kelowna, B.C.
CCMBC interim CFO Jim Davidson responds to financial questions The $1,575,000 is one component of a budgeted revenue pool of $16,212,125. Included is $3,065,971 that the C2C Network raised to support their expenditures of $4,268,790. C2C’s $30.2 million expenditures are significant, but only approximately 25 percent was CCMBC-supplied using approved budgeted funds. C2C raised the balance. Currently, the primary use of the principal portion of the funds on deposit is to provide mortgages to pastors and churches. Excess principal is directed to low-risk investments for a competitive rate of return. At no time have any of the principal amounts on deposit been spent on international mission or CCMBC ministry operations. The practice for many years has been to use excess revenue to support Stewardship and subsidize ministry. To the best of my knowledge, we have not transferred any portion of the investment reserve to support ministry. The $9.9 million adjustment identified was proposed by KPMG, our auditors, to reflect the impact of a change in accounting treatment. The margin earned (amounts received from mortgages and investments, less interest paid and administration fees) was $2.75 million in 2015. All of these funds were used to support the four ministries of CCMBC. [C2C Network falls under Multiplying Churches.] Legacy Fund Inc. has been implemented to segregate the previous Stewardship function from the ministry function. Legacy will manage deposits, the mortgage and investment portfolios, land and buildings and will provide administrative support services to
Letters continued on page 22
November/December 2016 Mennonite Brethren Herald is published bimonthly by the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, primarily for the use of its members, to build a Canadian MB community of faith. We seek to 1) share the life and story of the church by nurturing relationships among members and engaging in dialogue and reflection; 2) teach and equip for ministry by reflecting MB theology, values and heritage, and by sharing the good news; 3) enable communication by serving conference ministries and informing our members about the church and the world. However, the opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the church as a whole. Advertising and inserts should not be considered to carry editorial endorsement. Winner of Canadian Church Press and Evangelical Press Association awards for Writing, Design, and Illustration: 1996–2016.
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Copyright The articles printed in the Herald are owned by the Herald or by the author and may not be reprinted without permission. Unless noted, Scriptural quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Subscription rates 1 year $18 2 years $36 3 years $54 Please add tax to domestic subscriptions. See www.mbherald.com or phone 204-654-5766 for rate. Contact karla.braun@mbchurches.ca for electronic options. Change of address + subscriptions Notice of change of address should be sent to circulation office, and should include both old and new addresses. 3-4 weeks before cover date for changes to become effective. Email circulation office at subscribe@mbchurches.ca or phone 204-654-5766.
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Letters to the editor Mennonite Brethren Herald welcomes your letters of 150–200 words on issues relevant to the Mennonite Brethren church, especially in response to material published in the Herald. Please include name, address and phone number, and keep your letters courteous and about one subject only. We will edit letters for length and clarity. We will not publish letters sent anonymously, although we may withhold names from publication at the request of the letter writer and at our discretion. Publication is subject to space limitations. Letters also appear online. Because the Letters column is a free forum for discussion, it should be understood that letters represent the position of the letter writer, not necessarily the position of the Herald or the Mennonite Brethren church. Send letters to: Letters, MB Herald, 1310 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3M 3Z6, or by email to mbherald@mbchurches.ca.
Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
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MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD
HOMEPAGE Prayer permeated
[From the web
A summer student reflects
Sharing God’s love through relationships Summerbridge participant Andy Balzer practised reaching out to neighbours at his home church, The Well, Dartmouth, N.S.
1 Through a project focused on Mennonite Brethren and Indigenous peoples, I discovered that Mennonites played a significant role in creating the issues facing Indigenous communities to this day. I also came to appreciate the complexity of coming alongside Indigenous communities because of this history. As the project took form, I was introduced to several churches who have built strong relationships with Indigenous communities. Their friendships are a beautiful model for what reconciliation can look like when God leads people in patient and discerning action.
2 The beautiful, timely, and thoughtful
productions put forth by CCMBC come from a small team of tight-knit, highly talented people. They help each other, ask difficult questions, brainstorm together and pray for one another. I learned that within a well-functioning team each member needs to have a voice, as each member has something to contribute regardless of rank or station.
3 I really appreciated the amount of time
we were able to spend in prayer. At the beginning of each day, we were encouraged to take 30 minutes to read a passage of Scripture and pray. We prayed to open and close meetings, we prayed for one another and we also had a collective prayer time once a week. As a community invested in doing God’s work, regular prayer seems like an appropriate rhythm to take up. In the career path I am currently pursuing, that communal focus on prayer is unlikely to be a part of my daily work experience. However, working at CCMBC has modelled to me how the children of God in a workplace should behave. —Conrad Mann, communications summer student 2016 Download Conrad’s research project on MB and Indigenous people: bit.ly/stories-of-friendship
Life together at CMU Professors from Mennonite Brethren and Mennonite Church backgrounds reflect on the enrichment of working across denominational boundaries. Devastation in Haiti Mennonite Central Committee responds to the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti. Global Mennonite Peacebuilding Conference considers Peace Network Mennonite World Conference’s Peace Commission spearheads initiative to unite peacemakers. Well done, good and faithful servants MBs across Canada recognized for generous service and excellent work.
There’s always more online at mbherald.com.
Memory from MAID Christmas cheer in a bleak time
In 1929, the local people hosted a Christmas celebration for the Mennonite refugees in the camp in then-Hammerstein, Germany (now Czarne, Poland). A few months later, these families who had fled persecution and deprivation in Soviet Russia moved on to carve out new lives in Brazil and Paraguay. Photo (NP015-01-13) from the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies is available to the public in collaboration with MAID: the Mennonite Archival Image Database. Research more images from Mennonite churches and organizations at archives.mhsc.ca.
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November/December | www.mbherald.com
[coming events Five Historical Commission grants for 2016–2017
Katie Funk Wiebe research grant, 2016
Conference Events Partner Events
The Historical Commission is announcing two new grants for 2016–2017. With the three existing annual grants, this brings to five the number of funded initiatives aimed at fostering historical understanding and appreciation of Anabaptist-Mennonite history and theology.
Doug J. Heidebrecht is the 2016 recipient of the Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission’s Katie Funk Wiebe research grant for his research project: Sisters Leading Brothers? Mennonite Brethren and Women in Ministry Leadership.
2016
New
Grants up to $2,000 each to support development of Mennonite archives around the world. Stipends of $50 to $100 for approved articles for the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.
Returning
Project grants of up to $2,500 in support of a historical and/or theological project. Summer archival internship. Katie Funk Wiebe research grant. Criteria, application details and information about past recipients for all five funded initiatives are available at the Commission website. www.mbhistory.org
How do you practise everyday generosity? At Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I bake something sweet for friends, but also for at least one person or family who wouldn’t be expecting it. Sometimes this is anonymous and other times it’s a way of reaching out. And something trivial, but intentional: I try to make space for at least one vehicle to merge ahead of me during my commute to or from work. —Audry Goertzen, CCMBC communications assistant Practising generosity takes practice. Supporting individuals like missionaries and church budget goals is a planned strategy. There are also non-monetary ways: listening in conversation, volunteering at an organization like the Gleaners and MCC.—Rudy Hiebert, submitted via Facebook
“Over a period of 50 years, Mennonite Brethren have attempted to respond to questions about the role of women in the church through four study conferences (1974, 1980, 1989, 2004–05) and in nine resolutions (1957, 1975, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2006),” writes Heidebrecht. “These have often been difficult and even painful conversations. No other issue has received this level of attention by Mennonite Brethren during the second half of the 20th century.” Heidebrecht plans to complete a manuscript that “would not only tell the story of the Mennonite Brethren journey regarding the issue of women in ministry leadership but also, through careful reflection, offer suggestions for how Mennonite Brethren can continue to read the Scriptures together as they seek to live faithfully as God’s people.”
Nov. 1–3: ABMB regional meetings. Nov. 7: “Increasing your board’s capacity
by orienting and training board members,” MinistryLift seminar.
Nov. 14: “Shepherding the flock,” MinistryLift seminar.
Nov. 18: Disciple Making International
global mission banquet, King Road Church, Abbotsford, B.C.
Nov. 21: “Building a strong board team” MinistryLift seminar.
Nov. 26: MBCM Council of representatives, 83 Henderson Hwy, Winnipeg.
Nov. 28: “Hiring and firing (and other HR)
best practices and leading through pastoral transitions” MinistryLift seminar.
Dec. 6–8: C2C Network Assessment Centre, Toronto.
2017
Jan. 22–29: CCMBC Week of Prayer. Jan. 22: Mennonite World Conference World Fellowship Sunday.
Feb. 8–9: Multiply conference, Vancouver. Mar 3–4: MBCM Assembly. Mar 7–11: The Church on Mission: an ICOMB consultation, Chonburi, Thailand.
Mar 10–11: SKMB convention, Parkland Community Church, Yorkton, Sask.
Apr 22–23: ABMB convention, Calgary. Apr. 22: Commencement ceremony and
banquet, Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C.
Apr. 22: Graduation, Steinbach (Man.) Bible College.
Apr. 22: Graduation ceremonies, MB Seminary (with ACTS Seminaries), Langley, B.C.
Apr. 23: Commencement ceremonies
“A project like this honours the path that Katie Funk Wiebe has charted, reminding us of the gifts that both men and women can bring to the church,” says Don Isaac, Commission chair.
(with MB Seminary), Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg.
The $2,000 research grant is made possible with support from the Katie Funk Wiebe fund.
retreat, Whistler, B.C.
—Jon Isaak, executive secretary, Historical Commission
Apr 28–29: BCMB convention. Apr 28–29: AEFMQ convention: worship night
at Saint-Laurent, all-day AGM at ETEQ, Montreal.
Apr 30–May 2: BCMB Pastor and Spouse Nov. 1–3: Equip, Abbotsford, B.C. View more events from churches and agencies at mbherald.com/calendar.
Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
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[FEATURE
Seven churches who gave their time away "Tell them to use their wealth for good things; be rich in good works!" (1 Timothy 6:18, The Voice)
Churches are known for generously donating funds to mission projects, but some share an even more precious resource – their volunteers – with another church, camp or school, building God’s Kingdom together.
Sharing from abundance I’m a big believer that we’re all part of Christ’s church in different locations,” says Cory Alstad, associate pastor of worship ministry at North Langley (B.C.) Community Church. So when pastor Peter Helm from the C2C Network church plant Evergreen Community Church in nearby Coquitlam mentioned their shortage of worship leaders, Alstad asked his team if they’d chime in. Once a month, from December 2015 to June 2016, some 25 musicians from NLCC took turns leading worship at Evergreen. “My thinking is on the side of abundance rather than scarcity. God has provided NLCC with people with great hearts to lead music, and we want to share that with others because that will benefit the kingdom and NLCC as well.” Alstad says collaboration is the church’s posture. He and worship leaders from other churches regularly help one another with resources, advice or conversation. Being part of the beginnings of another church community helped prepare NLCC’s leaders for their own planting initiative: they launched their Yorkson Campus at Richard Bulpitt Elementary School on Sept. 18.
Turning a rental agreement into a relationship When The Westside Gathering, Montreal, learned that, at the school they rented for activity nights, some 40 children arrived every morning without breakfast, the church got cooking. “We felt strongly about building a relationship with the school,” says pastor David Manafo. Five years ago, Westside started supplying Springsdale Elementary with dairy and fruit to start a breakfast program. Two–three times a year, a volunteer team from Westside puts on a pancake breakfast for them. The school has since taken ownership of the breakfast program, finding additional donors and lessening their dependence on the church. Westside also began sending volunteers to an orientation night that acquaints parents with the school community. The church sets up games and food, serving alongside teachers. Springsdale Elementary promoted Westside’s activity night program called Flipside. Some 20–40 area children attended each month from 2010–2015. In its last year, Westside added a lounge for parents from the community and the church to connect while their children played.
“We were trying to bless this church plant, and we were blessed as we did it,” says Alstad.
“Our church has grown a lot with young families, whose time is limited during the hours the school needs help,” says Manafo, “but we’re hoping to discover more personal ways we can serve the school, such as mentoring.”
His advice for other churches is “Don’t hang on too tightly to what you have, and be willing to share. We’re all part of the body, and if we’re able to help others, we have obligation to do what we can.”
Now working with their fourth principal, Westside celebrates the continuing relationship: “The support staff contact us with needs, and the school mentions the church in staff meetings and assemblies as a positive resource for their families.”
ILLUSTRATION BY COLTON FLORIS
Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
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When double-booked becomes double-blessed When their food bank’s Valentine’s dinner coincided with The Well’s worship time, First Baptist Church, Dartmouth, N.S., wanted to honour both their clients and The Well’s rental agreement. They told The Well’s pastor, C2C Network church planter Adam Greeley, their predicament. Rather than an imposition, Greeley saw an opportunity. “We shortened our worship gathering and our people came alongside FBC to serve the food bank staff and clients.” Motivated by “the values of Kingdom collaboration and care for the poor,” Feb. 15, 2015, some 20 people from The Well served dinner to 100 food bank guests. “It was a chance to remind our people that worship is intended to lead into serving God through our care for the marginalized (Isaiah 1:10–17),” says Greeley. “We gained the joy of serving together as a church plant.” Greeley reports many smiles and words of thanks from First Baptist: “Such a small act went a long way in continuing to build relationship.”
To Montreal, with love Previously widowed, retired newlyweds John and Beth Thiessen spent their honeymoon with dozens of students, hundreds of envelops and a cabbage roll dinner. After Grantham MB Church, St. Catharines, Ont., advertised the need for volunteers at ETEQ (the MB Bible college in Montreal), the couple stepped forward. “We agreed not to take on any long-term service commitments in our first year of marriage,” say the Thiessens, “but we were looking for opportunities to do short-term volunteer work, so we could explore what God may be calling us to in the future.” Grantham pastor Michael VandenEnden “was excited we were considering it and encouraged us to go,” says Beth.
Church fired up about camp “It’s been neat to see how our relationship with Camp Evergreen has deepened over the past 10 years,” says pastor Tom Mulhern of Dalhousie Church, Calgary, “and to see benefits of that in the leadership development of our youth who’ve gone there to work.” “Our people on the camp’s board, staff and volunteer teams experience life change, and they keep going back,” he says. Many church members feel an emotional connection because Evergreen is where they met Jesus – and in some cases, their spouse. Some of the camp’s founders still attend Dalhousie and return to the Sundre, Alta., camp for seniors’ retreats.
For five days last December, the Thiessens stuffed hundreds of envelops for ETEQ’s Christmas card mailing, and did the set up and clean up for the school Christmas dinner – a traditional Mennonite meal.
Mulhern himself caught the bug. When he moved from the role of youth pastor to associate pastor of worship and missions in 2013 and no longer needed to accompany youth to Evergreen, “I still wanted to go,” he says, “so I decided to lead worship at the camp.”
“John and Beth shone out the love of Christ in every interaction they had with staff, faculty and students,” says ETEQ president Kristen Corrigan.
“At Camp Evergreen, we see the great commission lived out: discipleship happens,” says Mulhern. “With so many Bible schools struggling, to see camp so healthy is encouraging.”
“We learned so much about this part of our Canadian MB family,” say the Thiessens. “We knew so little about the school; now we have a special connection to it.”
Dalhousie spotlights Evergreen in the bulletin and announcements, but the main way church volunteers hear about opportunities is through the camp staff in their fellowship. Several of Evergreen’s current directors, Bob and Bev Kroeker and Courtney Armstrong, recently joined Dalhousie. “They’re sharing the needs of the camp one-on-one over coffee time,” says Mulhern.
Grantham MB values the couple’s service on the mission committee, as greeters, in Sunday school, and on the grounds. The church also blesses them to volunteer regularly at Camp Crossroads. (In 2014, John committed to helping the camp for four months and stayed for 16!) The Thiessens’ advice to other volunteers is “Trust God with all of your concerns, and don’t wait for the perfect situation to come along. Expect to be stretched and to be blessed.” 10
November/December 2016 | www.mbherald.com
“I encourage churches to look outside of volunteers doing inward ministry,” says Mulhern. “The payoff is that it gets people excited about what the church is doing. Youth get a passion to serve because of ministry experience in the church and at camp.”
[FEATURE CONTINUED God uses Deere friends “It was incredible having another MB church ask how they could serve us,” says Ben Stevens, pastor of The Pool, Moncton, N.B. “We are small church and one of only a few MB churches in the Maritimes, so we can often feel disconnected from the greater MB family.” A year ago, Stevens received a call from Dave Lunn, youth pastor at Westside Church, Morden, Man, who was planning a mission trip to Moncton and wondering how his youth group could help The Pool. So, for The Pool’s vacation Bible school, July 22–31, 2016, eight leaders and youth travelled from Morden to Moncton, to love children, lead games and serve snacks in a rented hall. The setup and cleanup alone would have been as much as The Pool’s 10 volunteers could have handled on their own. More than 30 children came. Many were The Pool members’ friends, classmates and neighbours who do not attend the church. “I echo what everyone from our church kept saying: ‘This is an amazing group of youth,’” says Stevens. While The Pool has a good number of children, Stevens’ son is the only teen. “Westside included him in everything,” says Stevens. A special connection formed between Stevens’ three-year-old John Deere fan and a Westside leader who works at a John Deere dealership. The leader drew pictures of tractors for Adonijah, gave him a tour of a local dealership and presented him with a toy tractor and John Deere hat. When Stevens said thank you, both men had tears in their eyes.
Toiling now to see fruit in the future “The campus of Bethany College is providing fertile soil for the people of Hepburn to dream,” says Hepburn (Sask.) MB Church member Donna Andres. And the people of Hepburn have been getting their hands dirty helping the dream along. Last summer, Andres organized six work bees on the campus of Bethany College, which closed its doors in spring 2015. Some 38 volunteers – most from Hepburn MB but some from as far as College Drive Community Church, Lethbridge, Alta. – rolled up their sleeves. Volunteers mowed the lawn, weeded flowerbeds, purged furniture and cleaned every office, classroom and closet – to free up rental and storage space for new partners. Like many in Hepburn, Andres has a strong connection to the school: Bethany is where she studied (1985–87), met her husband, worked (1989–94), volunteered on the alumni committee and sent her oldest daughter (2012–13). Andres’s passion for Bethany stems from seeing “young lives shaped through the atmosphere, teaching and programming on that campus.” “I feel spoiled to live in the same community as this college: the staff and students enriched this town,” she says. The Bethany Transition Team is taking steps toward an eight-month modular program – which will include mentorship, intercultural experiences and community living – beginning in fall 2017. Sharing the campus with partner organizations will ensure financial stability and engage students in the wider community. Andres’s prayer is that MB churches rally together to support the school. “Launching a new program is not easy,” she says, “and we are counting on many volunteers to sacrifice their time to see Bethany affect the lives of young adults once again.” —Angeline Schellenberg
Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
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A lifestyle of tangible generosity can be found throughout the pages of the Bible. In Genesis, we see Abraham’s hospitality generously expressed to his three unexpected guests. The closing chapters of the same book describe a shockingly generous Joseph interacting with his selfish and self-centred brothers.
Jesus tells the story of a father who is
H
ave you ever gone through a drive-thru and arrived at the window to pay for your order, only to find out that the person in front of you had already taken care of it? Wow! Not only are you completely surprised, but you now have a smile on your face and an emotional boost to your day. If you are like me, you want to race through the parking lot, find the person, roll down your window and say, “Thank you so much. You didn’t have to do that!” Of course, they didn’t have to pay for your food. But that wasn’t the point, was it? No doubt, as they drove away, they were imagining the look on your face when the drive-thru attendant gave you the news. They probably also remember the smile on the attendance’s face when they paid your bill. After all, that is precisely why they did it. To cause you to smile for a reason that you didn’t see coming. That, I think, is the essence of generosity. You and I are generous when we give some of what we have to someone else simply because we want to, not because we have to. The person in front of you at the drive-thru didn’t buy your breakfast for the recognition. Instead, they did it so they could look in their rearview mirror and see your look of surprise and the smile on your face. Then they drove away. And they were probably already planning the next time they were going to do the same thing for someone else. Generosity can be addictive. Generosity, of course, is not limited to our finances. We can be generous with our time, our resources, our expertise and even our relationships. It seems to me that in order for our actions to be generous, though, our gifts must be tangible. 12
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remarkably generous with his wayward son who returns. And, of course, the widow at the temple gates is a profound example of sacrificial generosity. Why, though, would you and I choose to live generous lives? What would motivate us to live that way? A lifestyle of generosity is deeply rooted in Scripture. We can discover a potentially life-changing truth expressed in Deuteronomy 8:17–18: “You may say to yourself, My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God...” Nothing we have is ours. Everything we have is actually a gift from God, either directly or indirectly. Wait a minute, you may be thinking to yourself. I am the one who goes to work every day. I am the one who has invested my time, money and energy to earn what I now have. Me. Yes, you and I work hard every day and we produce a lot of…stuff. But who gives us the ability to work, to create, to achieve, to produce? God does. The context of the verses in Deuteronomy 8 is significant. The Exodus has happened. The Law has been given. A glimpse of a prosperous new future has been shown. In other words, God has been (and will continue to be) generous. And then, a warning: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.… Do not forget the Lord your God…. Otherwise, when you eat…, build…, settle down, and when your herds...grow…and your silver and gold increase…, then your ILLUSTRATION BY COLTON FLORIS
[FEATURE heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 8:10–14). “Remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Generosity is our response to God, and it reflects who we think he really is. “Remembering the
changes and blesses the world around us. We are simply redistributing what God has given us, whether finances, time or abilities. That is exciting! Perhaps, then, there are a few questions we need to ask ourselves: • Since I have been given someone else’s money to spend and gifts to give, what are the most exciting and meaningful ways that I can do it?
Lord” is not the result of our generosity (i.e., God gets the credit), rather, it is our motivation for generosity. When we are generous with others, we are acknowledging the sovereignty of God and are thanking him for his generosity toward us.
• Whose life can I impact or improve without seeking any recognition or credit for myself?
In a sense, as followers of God and imitators of Jesus, we are blessed with the amazing experience of spending someone else’s money and sharing the gifts that someone else has given to us. In a very real way, our generosity actually costs us nothing, but it
• How can I be generous with what I have been given, without having to be asked first?
• In which ministries can I invest to multiply my time, expertise and/or money?
Big questions, aren’t they? We are generous, because we know the
difference our generosity will make in the lives of others. The more generous we are, the more lives we impact (mission). The more generous we are, the more effective our churches, schools and ministries become at affecting lives (multiplication). And the more generous we are, the more our own lives are changed for the better (transformation). How would my world be different – how would the world of the people and ministries around me be different – if I were to make a lifestyle of generosity? I know what I’m going to do the next time I drive up to the window and there is someone placing an order behind me. And as I make a quick getaway, I won’t be the only one with a huge smile on my face! A drive-thru is just the beginning. Will you join me in a new life of generosity? —Mark Wessner is president of MB Seminary.
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Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
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Freely, we have received… Conrad Stoesz As a young surveyor, John Stoughton Dennis witnessed the first arrival of Mennonites from Russia to Manitoba in 1874. Dennis was intrigued with this group of immigrants aboard the paddlewheel river boat International. He saw how they “struggled to get a foothold” in new settlements on the prairie. He continued to watch them from afar, noting how quickly they paid off their debts to the government. Later, Dennis became aware of the Mennonites’ alternative service work as Red Cross medics during WWI in Russia.
of bringing persecuted and impoverished Mennonites out of the increasingly chaotic and dangerous Soviet Union to Canada. The CPR was not in the practice of extending credit; however, with the lobbying of Colonel John S. Dennis, Toews was able to secure a deal with CPR president Edward Beatty. On the strength of Toews’ name and the Mennonites’ reputation, the CPR extended an initial $400,000 in credit. It was a contract based entirely on trust. With David Toews leading the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization in Rosthern, Sask., and Benjamin B. Janz working from the Russian side, more than 20,000 Mennonites escaped the Soviet Union to Canada between 1923 and 1930. The CPR extended more than $1.7 million in loans to the Mennonites. However, the Great Depression made farming especially difficult, and many Mennonites found the travel debt (Reiseschuld) an oppressive burden. Fathers sent their young women to the “dangerous” city to work as maids in wealthy homes so they could send money to their families on the farm. In 1937, the Mennonite community held a service of appreciation in Coaldale, Alta., to thank Dennis, Beatty and the CPR. The actions of the CPR “meant salvation of the body from death of starvation,” said B.B. Janz that day, “but also salvation from moral and spiritual peril.”
As a commissioner of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1922, Dennis recommended the CPR extend extraordinary generosity to the Mennonite community. Dennis understood the Mennonites to be industrious, hardworking and honest, making them good pioneers on the land the CPR was selling. Saskatchewan Mennonite bishop David Toews met with CPR officials to find a way 14
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Not just one generation was saved, but also their children and the generations to come. In the midst of a world full of suspicion and ill will, the act of trust on the part of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which they have shown towards our people in recent years, will be outstanding for all times.... Col. Dennis, you have continued with trust and confidence, where ordinary business had no place for such things.... You allowed your office to become a house of God, where the resolution to save so many lives was passed and carried out, an act of Christian Charity unequalled in the history of today…. We thank you for this confidence and
faith, which you have shown up to this present day. Elderly Dennis struggled to keep his composure as teenaged girls laid bouquets of flowers at his feet, saying, “You saved our lives; thank you.” His chin quivered and tears began to roll down his face. But, the debt was not behind them! Toews had many sleepless nights, offered earnest prayers and shed tears as he struggled for 20 years to conquer the debt. Some people could not repay, some chose not to repay and others paid much more than their share. Toews was adamant that the debtor’s conscience should be motivation enough for repayment and the “worldly court” had no place in this matter. In April 1946, Toews sent out his last appeal, urging families to contribute $40 and congregations to take a collection. The CPR forgave more than $1 million in interest, but the community needed to finish repaying the principal. Toews was ill and had to leave the debt to others to wrestle down. Now, money was collected for his medical expenses. At the end of 1946, frail and dying Toews received the news: “You have not been disgraced with your guarantees. Malice has not won the day.” The debt was repaid. Col. Dennis’s faith in the Mennonites and the CPR’s generosity to the community were not misplaced. There was a long pause. As tears fell from his eyes, Toews rejoiced: “God be praised!” —Conrad Stoesz is archivist at the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Winnipeg.
PHOTOS: CMBS ARCHIVE, CARSON SAMSON
[VIEWPOINT
Be my guest Nikki White “Drop in any time!” I waved goodbye to our guests, then closed the door and slumped against the wall, bleakly surveying the detritus left in their wake. What a mess. The idea of hosting a support group for new immigrants seemed simple enough. We excitedly prepared for the dozen or so that responded to our invitation, but were completely unprepared for the 43 that arrived over the course of several hours. We should have known that setting a start time might be considered only a suggestion. We ought to have expected that our guests would bring along extended family and neighbours. We might have checked whether “potluck” actually translated well, and saved ourselves a frantic raiding of the freezer and a panicky last-minute trip to the grocery store. It could have occurred to us to stock emergency rations of Kibbles, for those who assumed that it was perfectly normal to bring their dogs.
Strangers and sojourners Hospitality is inconvenient. But, being one of the gifts of the Spirit (1 Peter 4:9– 10), it is also a command. Ancient Israel incorporated love for the stranger into the very fabric of its law, with extensive legal rights established for the alien (Leviticus 19:9–10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 10:17–19; 24:14–15, 17), a provision not found in any other culture of that time. Israel’s history of captivity and exile added poignancy to God’s command to care for other sojourners (Leviticus 25:23). In a Near Eastern culture, it would be unthinkable to withhold hospitality; Israel was to be a paragon of this virtue, ever vigilant at the gate and in the town square, watching for those in need of welcome. Likewise, the early Christians – sojourners called to be in the world, yet not of the world – were also commanded to show philoxenia, the Greek word for hospitality
which is literally “a love for strangers.” New Testament writers left no doubt as to the importance of hospitality (Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2), making it one of the specific character requirements for church leaders (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8), and Jesus saw it as an essential evidence of salvation (Matthew 25:31–46). The inclusive, communal meals in Acts 2 were defining elements of Christian community in the first three centuries. Diverse humanity came together in peace (Ephesians 2:14–18) and anticipated becoming a countless multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, worshipping together before the throne of God (Revelation 7:9).
Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (John 14:23). Globally, God’s people are rising to the challenge of this vision.
Around the table In small, cramped apartments in Berlin, more than 30 Syrian, Macedonian, Canadian, German, Chinese, American, and Vietnamese people gather monthly to eat together as God’s children, graciously open their homes to neighbours and soon-to-be friends. All are invited to come and share their food, friendship, stories and, inevitably, their perspectives on God and faith. The same is happening in the thatch and bamboo shelters of Myanmar, mud huts of Burundi, barrios of Panama and shanty slums of South Asia, where homes are not just a refuge, but a primary means of extending the Kingdom of God. Lives are being transformed around the kitchen table.
In the midst of a worldwide refugee crisis, the Holy Spirit is transforming catastrophe into life-changing encounters with Jesus Christ. In a global climate of fear and angry protectionism, the church is modelling sacrificial love, radical hospitality and risk. In Central Asia, Christians are finding creative ways to reach local Syrian refugee communities. In Southeast Asia, where Burmese immigrants are not even granted legal personhood by the government, the church boldly presents a biblical perspective on social justice. In Europe, God’s people oppose the abuse refugees face on politically antagonistic foreign soil, and advocate for safety regulations to protect the vulnerable. In North America, the nations are on our doorstep. Members of our faith community are literally moving into the neighbourhoods where refugees are settling, crowding their families into tiny apartments to offer friendship and guidance through the complexities of cultural integration, and to share Jesus.
The cost There is a cost. The knock at the door always comes when we’re at our busiest. The phone always rings just as we sit down to our favourite episode on Netflix. The people with whom we have the least relational connection will come to our homes needy, hungry and oblivious to the myriad social cues we emit. Some will stay for a meal; others may end up moving in. Fragments of fish and bread and compassion somehow miraculously emerge as Jesus multiplies what we give away. And as we open our hearts and homes to others, the triune God comes to make his own home in and through us. Drop in, any time. —Nikki White writes for MB Mission, and is a member of North Langley (B.C.) Community Church. For more stories about how MB global workers share radical hospitality, visit www.mbmission.org/news/stories/.
Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
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ICOMB:
International Community of Mennonite Brethren
Proxy war and broken peace Angola as a case study
I felt the burn rising in my head. “You mean to say the civil war in Angola was really a proxy war between the USA and Russia during the Cold War?” I asked. JeanClaude answered, “Yes, it became that.” Jean-Claude drove three ICOMB delegates – José Arrais, Valdas Vaitkevičius and me – to pay fraternal visits to rural churches in the Angola Mennonite Brethren conference (IEIMA) after our 2014 ICOMB Summit in Luanda. As we drove through the countryside, we had hours to touch on all kinds of subjects.
Civil war
One topic was the 27-year civil war. Angolans had split into several factions after independence from Portugal in 1975. One was Marxist, called “MPLA.” It eventually became the elected government, at first empowered by Cuba, and later backed by Russia. Another faction, called “UNITA,” fought the Marxists, supported by South Africa and later, the U.S. It only ended in 2002. 16
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Over 27 years of war a lot of terrible things can happen – and did. The tragedy is expressed most poignantly in the church. I felt that “burn” on behalf of our church in 2014, and I still do today.
Poverty
One obvious tragedy is the poverty of our brothers and sisters in Angola. While oil and diamonds are found in abundance, this wealth bypasses the majority of Angolans. IEIMA churches struggle to find land, build meeting places, or put roofs on them.
Tribalism
Another tragedy is how conflict can be fed by tribal origins. Different tribes participated in different factions. These differences continue to fester after people join the church because their emotions are still loaded from the traumas of witnessing violence and death. Last year, leaders from regions near Congo were openly criticized because of their origins.
Politics
Politics affects IEIMA too. We visited a local church that had to move its worship location. They were renting a facility, and someone told the landlord the church was “UNITA” because it was “Menonitas.” You can hear the resemblance as you sound out the two words. In the past, you could get someone killed by simply saying, “That person is ‘UNITA.’” In 1990, the MB conference split, each side accusing the other of ties to UNITA. More recently, the leader of IEIMA used his former military connections to his advantage and got IEIMA in deep trouble. Not only was IEIMA in danger of being dissolved by the government, it had drawn the other four Angolan Mennonite conferences into jeopardy as well. ICOMB negotiated his resignation, and now supports a new interim team that’s working to resolve a myriad of problems. I recently re-read the history of IEIMA and sighed when I realized almost the exact same thing happened in 1991. PHOTOS COURTESY DAVID WIEBE
Wiebe’s Witness
[WIEBE’S WITNESS
Drawing from his travels to visit MB churches around the world, ICOMB executive director David Wiebe offers insights on faith.
did you know? IEIMA (Evangelical Church of Mennonite Brethren in Angola) reports 12,000 members in 90 churches. They plant new churches every year, hoping to reach every province. Joana Garcia is the current president of IEIMA. Some churches meet under trees in compounds, in mud buildings with thatched roofs, in brick buildings with tin roofs, etc. MB Mission has churchroof project supports in various countries including Angola.
Take-aways
There are a couple of take-aways for me. First, there is no “just war.” A significant element of Christianity seriously questions this theory, and furthermore, the practical reality is that war devastatingly affects the life of the church. So, I’ve stiffened my resolve to live into our peace-church conviction.
politics, poverty, conflict and more. The way of Jesus and the teachings of Scripture show us how to live together, care for each other, and love. “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8, ESV). “Above all these things put on love” (Colossians 3:14, NKJV). November 11 marks Armistice Day – when the treaty to end World War I was signed. Canada, USA, Belgium, France, United Kingdom and others observe it. As Christians, let’s remember what war does to the church, and commit once more to live in love and peace.
Unceasing war now characterizes our world. So the responsible Christian must first question any political rhetoric that says “we have to be at war in this situation.” Why? The church is likely present in that —David Wiebe is a fan of The Hitchhiker’s situation. Why are we so quick to agree Guide to the Galaxy and podcasts on with our governments on this point? church history (57 hours and counting). Where is our faith? Where is our peace After two decades of working for the conviction? Our social engagement to Canadian Conference resolve conflict and address injustices of MB Churches, that open doors to conflict? When will he has served Christians stop killing Christians much the International less anyone else our government tells us Community of are our “political enemies”? Mennonite Brethren Second, the church is incredibly resilient, as executive director praise God. We find our way through war, since 2011.
The Bielefeld MB church in Germany raised $10,000 to put on a church roof in Angola in early 2015. The factions of the civil war – including MPLA, the Marxist group – were led by men with Christian backgrounds. The churches of Angola “finally awoke,” and through public worship services, marches and meetings with government leaders, set the stage for peace. Further reading: “Peaceable Witness in Contexts of Conflict” by Lutiniko Landu Miguel Pedro with David Wiebe, in The Church in Mission: Perspectives of Global Mennonite Brethren on Mission in the 21st Century, Victor Wiens, editor, Kindred Productions: 2015.
Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
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[TRIBUTE “In everything, educator”
Elmer Martens Aug. 12, 1930 – Sept. 21, 2016
Scholar, teacher, administrator, pastor – but, in everything, educator – Elmer Martens’s life was a testament to faith and knowledge. Martens, 86, died suddenly Sept. 21, 2016, of a massive heart attack. “Elmer Martens was the MB church’s scholar for nearly 50 years,” says Lynn Jost, who, like Martens, is a faculty member and former president of what is now Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary (FPBS). Though Martens led in a multitude of ways, including as seminary president, he “left his greatest mark as the MB Old Testament scholar who served his church,” says Jost. “Elmer continued to experiment with creative approaches to teaching, preaching and scholarly writing throughout his career, making his classes engaging, his preaching innovative and his scholarship future-oriented,” says Jost. A week before his death, Martens submitted a scholarly paper “that plowed new ground in both method and content” – which he intended to present at a professional conference.
back, rolled away.” Interested in study and ministry at an early age, he preached his first sermon, at camp, at age 14 – two years before his baptism into Main Centre MB Church in the Saskatchewan River. After studying at Bethany Bible College, Hepburn, Sask., and the Universities of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and teaching in Stewart Valley, Sask., Martens joined the first class at MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Cal. There, he met Phyllis Hiebert (daughter of missionaries J.N.C. and Anna Hiebert), whom he married Aug. 24, 1956, in Mountain Lake, Minn. Martens pastored Butler Avenue MB Church in Fresno for eight years before embarking on PhD studies at Claremont Graduate School. The next chapter of his life was devoted to MBBS (now FPBS). He was a full-time member of the Old Testament faculty from 1969–95, teaching part-time from 1959–61 and for many years after his retirement. He was president of the seminary from 1977–86. In addition, he taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Ill., the Southern Baptist Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Cal. One of Martens’s passions was Christian mission. He served on the MB Missions/ Services board from 1978–97, and taught in 14 countries. Locally, he volunteered with CoSA (Circles of support and accountability), a group that supports sex offenders.
Martens was born in Main Centre, Sask., to Jacob H. and Susanna Nickel Martens. He described his conversion at age seven as having his sin, “like a huge bag on my
Martens served on the MB General Conference boards of Christian Literature from 1966–78 (chair 1969–78) and on the Hymnal Committee from 1966–72. He
Students and colleagues:
to ICOMB. His invaluable work in this specific project will impact our global movement for decades.—David Wiebe, executive director, ICOMB
Elmer’s love for and commitment to the church continued to inspire me long after I left MBBS. As editor of the MB Herald, I would regularly receive articles and updates from Elmer about the global church along with personal notes of affirmation and encouragement.—Laura Kalmar, associate director of communications, MCC Canada Elmer was passionate about the church. His vision for a commentary on the International Confession of Faith was a direct contribution 18
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[Elmer] modelled a happy relationship between scholarship and pulpit ministry. His preaching was appreciated in his home congregation and at national and international gatherings. I thank God for mentors like Elmer.—Jon Isaak, director of the Centre for MB Studies, Winnipeg Elmer’s legacy is felt around the world. One of the students at Mennonite Brethren
was part of the U.S. Conference Executive Committee and Board of Reference and Counsel (1959–62). For the Pacific District Conference, he was a member of the boards of Faith and Life (1958–59), and Home Missions (1963–66). He was conference vice-chair 1972–73. An accomplished author, Martens’s books include God’s Design: A Focus on Old Testament Theology (1981), now in its fourth edition, and Old Testament Theology (1997). His 1986 book Jeremiah is part of the Believers Church Bible Commentary, a series for which Martens served as founding editor in 1972. He served on the translation team of the New American Standard Bible and assisted with the New King James Version. He edited Direction journal 1989–95 and wrote numerous articles in scholarly publications. Martens was “a daily evangelist in the true sense of the word,” says his eulogy. He would organize block parties, pray for neighbours and provide Bible studies for anyone interested. “Though we have lost a friend, colleague, encourager and mentor, we can be grateful to God that Professor Elmer Martens led and served the church with creative energy for more than half a century,” says Jost. Phyllis Hiebert Martens, his wife of 60 years, died Oct. 1, 2016. Their children are Lauren (Helen), Frances Martens Friesen (Kenneth), Vernon (Sally) and Karen Bartlett (Rick); and nine grandchildren. He and Phyllis lived in Fresno, Cal., and attended North Fresno MB Church. —MB Herald staff with files from Fresno Pacific University and eulogy Centenary Bible College in Shamshabad, India, used Elmer as an example of a servant leader. He said we know him as a footwasher: he came here and he washed our feet. —Doug Heidebrecht Dr. Elmer was very simple and humble. He was my mentor and well wisher. When I was going through a time of discouragement, he stood by me, encouraged me and comforted me.—B.I. Premaiah, assistant professor, MB Centenary Bible College, Shamshabad, India More: mbherald.com/tribute-elmer-martens
[
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Giving and the father heart of God Christmas is the giving season. It is the time of the year when the giving catalogues that come through Canada Post or email tug at our hearts with the circumstances of those who have less and, perhaps, by the awareness that we have more than we need. There is a strong message – in churches, charitable institutions and even in the news – that no one should have to do without at Christmas.
humanity would respond. God did not give because of anything we did, would do or could do. God did not give because it was good stewardship or because he would receive a good “return on his investment.”
At Christmas, we also feel the tug of expectations, year-end fundraising campaigns and the desire to feel good about giving.
But we have a problem living like our Father. How do I know? Statistics and my own heart.
I want to take a different approach to giving as we prepare for this season. What is the greatest single discipleship tool available to us? Money. That’s right; you heard me. Money. Okay, “greatest single tool” may be a bit of an exaggeration, but before you stop reading, consider this. What is one thing that we look to for independence, power, security, self-worth, self-determination, significance and so on? For most people, it’s money. We live in a culture that places value on material wealth. As Christ followers, we know that the heart of God is to give. One of the first passages Christ followers often learn is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son…” The heart of God is to give which means generosity reflects the Father’s heart. The more we grow in Christ, the more we develop God’s heart and live it out through our actions. Notice that John does not give any explanation for God’s generosity other than to say it was motivated by God’s love for humanity. God did not give because
God loved, so he gave. The heart of God the Father is to be generous. That is his nature. As his children, we are invited to live as he does.
This conversation illustrates the gap between our intentions and our actions: A pastor asked his farmer friend, “If you had 100 horses, would you give me 50?” “Certainly,” the farmer answered. The pastor asked, “If you had 100 cows, would you give me 50?” “Yes,” the farmer said. Then the pastor asked, “If you had two pigs, would you give me one?” The farmer replied, “Now cut that out, pastor; you know I have two pigs!”
The more we grow in Christ, the more we develop God’s heart and live it out through our actions. We are generous in principle, generous in theology, generous in our intentions, generous in our emotions, but not always so generous in our actions. How do I know? In Statistics Canada’s 2015 information on charitable giving,
Steinbach and Abbotsford top the charts with 6.6 percent and 2.7 percent respectively. Giving 10 percent of our income has become the high-water mark for Christian giving when, in fact, it ought to be the base figure. To paraphrase St. Augustine: “If you’re not going to give, then tithe.” Christ followers could turn the world upside-down in short order if we would do the thing that we all know we are called to do: give. Be generous like our Father is generous. I have found the practice of generosity in general, and financial generosity specifically, to be more challenging, more transformative, more spiritually and relationally invigorating than anything else in following Jesus. I love the thrill of giving, yet I struggle to give in faith with no strings attached. I often engage in mental and emotional gymnastics of processing personal motives, while seeking to live selflessly. Whether you struggle to be generous or you unsparingly give regularly, here is an invitation: Ask how your generosity reflects the heart of God your Father. How would God respond to the opportunity in front of you? How can you love as God loves? May this Christmas be the season where you experience freedom and joy as your expressions of generosity flow from the Father’s heart through the leading and power of his Spirit. —Willy Reimer is executive director of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches. He was in Bethlehem on a learning tour with Mennonite Central Committee when he wrote this article.
How do you practise everyday generosity? Treat people with a generous spirit: think highly of others, give others the benefit of the doubt. This takes a certain level of humility on our part. For those closest to us, do the little things that give evidence to the fact we have the other person’s best interest in mind: opening the door, emptying the dishwasher, fixing clothes, making a favourite meal, being gracious with mistakes, holding our tongues, being appreciative.—Conrad Stoesz, CMBS archivist
Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
19
[CONFERENCE NEWS Moderator resigns Sept. 16, 2016, the Executive Board of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (CCMBC) announced the transition from moderator Harold Froese to acting moderator Bruce Enns. The Executive Board regretfully accepted Froese’s resignation, effective Sept. 12, 2016. At the request of the Executive Board, assistant moderator Bruce Enns, appointed at Gathering 2016, assumed the role of acting moderator. This follows the process outlined in the CCMBC Executive Board governance manual. Froese began serving on the Executive Board in 2011 in the capacity of moderator of the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba, and he assumed the role of national moderator in 2014. CCMBC deeply appreciates the wisdom and leadership he provided to the Executive Board, and to the Finance, and Audit Review Committees. Froese assumed the role of moderator while CCMBC was without a staff Director of Finance and was facing some major financial decisions, including the imperative to form what is now the Legacy Fund. He helped lead the conference through these decisions with expertise and integrity. Froese submitted his resignation for personal reasons related to governance and operational issues between CCMBC senior staff and Board leadership. “I continue to be very excited about the ministry opportunities God has before us,” says Froese. “Thank you again for the privilege of serving with you. My faith has grown as we have discerned God’s leading together, and I thank you all.” Froese remains a member of the Legacy Fund Directors Board, continuing to give direction and stability to CCMBC’s financial future. “We are so thankful for Harold’s significant contribution to our conference,” says Enns, “and for having his ongoing wisdom and input in the Legacy Fund”. The Executive Board held a special meeting on Sept. 13 to pray and discern a plan 20
November/December | www.mbherald.com
moving forward, and will continue to keep its constituents informed and to build stronger and more accountable relationships with CCMBC staff and constituency.
affect those pre-existing agreements. “This is a governance and organizational matter for us to resolve.”
The Board, together with CCMBC staff, remains committed to the mission of multiplying Christ-centred churches to see Canada transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ.
Appointed by the CCMBC executive board
For more information, contact mbboard@mbchurches.ca
CCMBC Executive Board Michael Dick (BC) Ruth Schellenberg (MB) Matt Dyck (AB) Bruce Enns (Sask.) Marilyn Hiebert (BC) Paul Lam (BC) Zacharie Leclair (QC) David Maclean (BC) Tony Martens (SK) Karen Grace Pankratz (MB) Don Petker (BC) Howie Wall (SK) Karen West (ON)
—Executive board release
C2C Network/MB Mission task force begins Delegates at Gathering 2016 approved the creation of a task force to create and monitor accountability structures for the C2C Network’s operations to be sustainable over the long-term and to explore governance options and implications of a potential merger of C2C with MB Mission. The Canadian Conference of MB Churches task force on C2C and MB Mission met Sept. 6–7, 2016. Members (listed below) became acquainted with each other and the mandate they hold. Over the next year, the task force will meet regularly. “The task force will provide accountability for C2C’s operations and develop appropriate metrics to measure ongoing effectiveness,” says co-chair Michael Dick. Though C2C has many interdenominational partnership, “we view C2C as wholly owned and operationally accountable to the Canadian MB conference,” says Dick. The possible merger with MB Mission does not
Task force members: Co-chair: Jim Barkman, attends South
Abbotsford (B.C.) Church, Abbotsford. Serves on the national C2C advisory committee Co-chair: Michael Dick, attends Bakerview
Church, Abbotsford, B.C. CCMBC executive board MAL, served on task force that oversaw expansion of Church Planting BC into the national C2C Network Secretary: Marilyn Hiebert, attends
Central Heights Church, Abbotsford, B.C. CCMBC executive board secretary, retired B.C. conference administrator Howie Wall, attends Forest Grove
Community Church, Saskatoon. CCMBC executive board finance committee chair Karen West, pastor at Waterloo (Ont.) MB
Church, Waterloo. CCMBC executive board Ontario representative Appointed by MB Mission board
Rick Reimer, attends Willingdon Church,
Burnaby, B.C. MB Mission board member Appointed by the U.S. Mennonite Brethren conference Gary Wall, attends Neighborhood MB,
Visalia, Cal. USMB Pacific District conference minister Ex officio members
Willy Reimer, attends Sunwest Christian
Fellowship, Calgary, Alta. CCMBC executive director
Gord Fleming, attends North Langley
Community Church, Langley, B.C. C2C Network executive director Randy Friesen, attends Central Heights
Church, Abbotsford, B.C. MB Mission general director Don Morris, attends Cross Timbers
Church in Edmond, Okla. USMB executive director —Task force release
Church Transformation Survey 2016 Results The responses to the second Church Transformation Survey have been received and the results tallied. In this second year of the survey, 150 churches participated. (At 61 percent of our 245 churches, up slightly from the 144 last year.) Our sincere thanks to all the pastors and church leaders who completed it. The purpose of the Church Transformation Survey is to track the impact and use of CCMBC initiatives toward our goal of multiplying Christcentred churches to see Canada transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ. To do this, we look at the aggregated responses from churches in three areas: Life Transformation, Church Transformation and World Transformation. With two years of data now, we can begin to measure change over time.
82.5%
“An attender at our church would be exposed to a clear declaration of the gospel in a weekend service.”
60%
66%
“We’ve developed a plan for equipping” and “We’re regularly engaging in equipping.” One hundred churches filled out the survey in both 2015 and 2016, and these 100 churches provide the best sample for measuring change over time. We also now have a combined sample of 193 different churches who filled out the survey in at least one of the two years. This combined sample represents nearly 79 percent of our churches, which is best sample for looking at overall averages.
joy and
Churches focused on least-reached people groups increase (May be related to Syrian refugee sponsorship, mentioned by several respondents)
Churches with multiplication increase strategies
6%
The full results of this survey are available at mennonitebrethren.ca. As more churches complete the survey consistently each year, we will have a better measure of movement toward our mission! —Sam Reimer, former chair of the Measurement Committee, for the Executive Board Learn more: bit.ly/transformation-2016
�s we celebrate God’s gift
Join in the
12%
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to us this Christmas, honour family or friends with a gift that changes lives. Give a teacher the gift of education, your favourite chef a gift of food, or your grandparents gifts of peace and hope.
Browse and purchase gifts at mcccanada.ca/joy-of-giving or call toll free 888.622.6337 to request a printed booklet.
C H R I S T M A S GI V I NG 2016
Mennonite Brethren Herald | November/December 2016
21
[NEWS
Apprentice pastor: a social worker in the church
It’s a familiar refrain: you can’t get a job without experience but you can’t get experience without a job. The challenges are compounded when professional fields, like the pastorate, expect advanced degrees. Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba and MB Seminary are collaborating to help with a program called Elevation. MB Mission Central Canada’s TREK internship is an entry step. Elevation is an apprenticeship, intended to span four years, during which the participant serves half-time in a local MBCM congregation, while taking courses for an MA in Christian ministry at MB Seminary’s Canadian Mennonite University campus in Winnipeg. “We want to provide opportunities for training in the context of local ministry,” says Elton DaSilva, MBCM executive director. Alleviating the financial pressures that can hold people back from the risk of career change and retraining, the participant’s half-time salary is provided equally by MBCM, the church and personal fundraising. MBCM also funds two courses per year (6 credit hours). “Seminary students who have experience in church ministry are more equipped to
assess the significance of what they’re studying, and to ask sharper questions about what they’re hearing and reading,” says Andrew Dyck, MB Seminary assistant professor of ministry studies. “These students are also more equipped to make meaningful connections between their congregational experience and seminary studies.”
An unlikely trailblazer Elevation’s first participant Jonathan Muehling had no intention of becoming a pastor. The psychology graduate was working with at-risk youth when “I started to have some mental health issues and was battling with anxiety. I needed a change.” Just then, MB Mission Central Canada launched their TREK internship, so he signed up, expecting to find a ministry placement in his field. Instead, after conversations with the influencers in his life and his pastor, Russ Toews of Westwood Community Church, Winnipeg, he served his internship at the church.
Jonathan Muehling “Internship is learning about being a pastor,” says Muehling. “Apprenticeship is learning how to be a pastor.” It’s no longer asking if it’s “a good fit,” but doing the work. He not only receives Toews’s tutelage, but also the advice of congregation members. After Sunday services, congregation members are “very gracious [even with their corrections], always encouraging me to keep going,” he says. “As an apprentice, I have a lot more freedom to make mistakes,” says Muehling. “People look at lead pastors like you’re perfect. People recognize I’m in a learning process.”
“Jonathan and Melanie have a servant attitude,” says Toews. “There’s always a willingness to get involved, jump in and get dirty.” After TREK, “I was sad to see him leave,” says Toews. “I wanted to continue that on as long as it could,” so Elevation became the next step.
The Elevation program is also in development. Dyck is still clarifying guidelines. “Presently, for instance, I’ve been designing questions that can be asked of apprentices in order to help their formation as evangelisticallyoriented pastors,” he says.
between cultural and spiritual. Eating faspa or having bannock are both cultural experiences we enjoy. For seven years, we lived in Aboriginal communities.
We may say that Christians can use sweet grass differently, without the traditional spiritual intent; however, the Aboriginal community may assume that we affirm the spiritual beliefs they attach to sweet grass and smudging.
Letters continued from page 3 CCMBC, provincial conferences and churches. Legacy includes all the support staff in Finance, HR, Communications and IT. The Executive Board and the CCMBC Leadership Team will be providing a more detailed communication addressing many of these concerns. Jim Davidson Interim Chief Financial Officer, CCMBC
Native spirituality: teacher or danger? In How to Wear Moccasins (Viewpoint, September/October 2016), we appreciated the writer sensitizing us to how we may thoughtlessly impose our culture on people of other backgrounds. We were concerned about “sweet grass and stained glass.” Contextualizing the gospel is vital; however, there is need to differentiate 22
November/December | www.mbherald.com
Many do not distinguish between culture and religion. But before Christ followers incorporate Indigenous practices, there is a need to discern whether those rituals or objects have spiritual significance in the Aboriginal context. Sweet grass is considered sacred, used ceremonially to bring calmness, remove negative forces, bring refreshment and cleanse mind, body and spirit. Smudging is a ritual of using smouldering sweet grass for a spiritual purpose. But that spirituality does not acknowledge that it is Jesus Christ who cleanses from sin or the Holy Spirit who brings peace and joy. A smudge is contrary to what the Bible teaches about cleansing and peace.
Ken and Carolee Neufeld Winnipeg
Re MB Church Transformation Survey 2016. As pastor of my church, I filled out the survey. One question reads: “Please indicate if your church ministries will be focused on any of the following cultural, religious or other least-reached people groups: Aboriginal Peoples, Francophones, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists.” Two out of three Canadian Aboriginal people are Christians. Inuit and First Nations in Canada have been one of the most reached cultures in terms of Christian evangelism with tragic results. PHOTO: CARSON SAMSON
Peace on an unexpected path Muehling has been surprised by his enjoyment of sermon preparation and delivery. “As I open the Bible, it comes alive and God meets with me in that study period,” Muehling says. “I don’t feel like I’m very gifted with public speaking, yet God always shows up and gives me the words to say.”
CELEBRATING FAITHFULNESS INSPIRING GENEROSITY
He still has a desire to see healing among at-risk youth, “but I never had a peace about…the position I was in. “I feel motivated to see people develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ,” says Muehling. “It breaks my heart that Christ is so misrepresented in society.” It has been a circuitous journey, but Muehling doesn’t regret the steps along the way. “A BA in psychology is a great background to working in the church.” Training in suicide prevention and crisis intervention are useful skills: “Mental health issues run rampant in society and often churches are blind to them.”
Learn how to plan strategically and invest wisely.
“Becoming a pastor wasn’t my choice,” he says. But “as soon as I said, yes, I will learn what it means to be a pastor, there was overwhelming peace.”—Karla Braun
This service is provided in partnership with the Mennonite Foundation of Canada.
Learn more: mbcm.ca/elevation/
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Beginning in the 1600s and continuing till today, most evangelists assume that First Nations know nothing about God. Is God so powerless and uncaring as to be unable to reach or communicate with a whole continent of people for thousands of years? Why are we still referring to Aboriginal Peoples as “the least reached”? Have we learned nothing from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission meetings? Can we share about Jesus? Absolutely! And with joy! But can we do this with humility, trusting that God has been active in every culture? Maybe God is trying to reach us through the medium of First Nations spiritualities. White people have a lot to learn. We are the least reached.
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The Board of Governors of Conrad Grebel University College invites applications and nominations for the position of
WE ARE NOW
PRESIDENT Conrad Grebel University College, founded by the Mennonite church, is affiliated with, and situated on the campus of, the University of Waterloo. The mission and programs of the College are rooted in and inspired by its Christian identity and its Anabaptist/ Mennonite heritage. The College offers undergraduate courses in History, Mennonite Studies, Music, Peace and Conflict Studies, Religious Studies, and Sociology, and has graduate programs in Theological Studies and in Peace and Conflict Studies. The College residence houses 174 students, from across all University of Waterloo faculties, in a dynamic community. The board is seeking a strategic, energetic, creative, and collaborative leader who will consolidate and extend program strengths, foster academic excellence, and advance relationships of the College with the world-renowned University of Waterloo and the broader community. For further information about the College, position description and application procedures, see www.grebel.ca/positions. Review of applications will begin December 1, 2016, and will continue until the position is filled. The College is committed to employment equity and welcomes applications from all qualified persons; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. All inquiries will be kept in confidence and should be addressed to the Presidential Search Committee, chaired by Fred Redekop, at grebelsearch@uwaterloo.ca.
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[FAMILY NEWS
Transitions The Saskatchewan Conference of MB Churches voted Sept. 17 to affirm Philip A. Gunther as director of ministry, beginning Oct. 2. Phil has pastored for 25 years, 17-plus years at Parliament Community Church, Regina. Phil has served as a volunteer case worker with Regina Police Victim Services. He has also served on the SKMB board as executive secretary, assistant moderator and, since November 2015, as moderator. Phil will work from Regina. Assistant moderator Tony Martens assumes the moderator position vacated. Phil and Janine have 3 sons and 1 daughter-in-law. In June 2016, the board of directors of ETEQ (École de Théologie Évangélique du Québec) adopted a management structure with a president to oversee the school. Kristen Corrigan was appointed president of this new school resulting from the merger of École de Théologie Évangélique de Montrèal and Institut Biblique VIE. Kristen has an MA in Christian Studies in leadership and Bible from Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C., and is a member of The Westside Gathering, Dollard-desOrmeaux, Que. She served one of the predecessor schools, ETEM, since 2008, when Gracepoint Church, Surrey, B.C., affirmed the call for her and her husband Garry to return to serve in their province of birth. Assisting the president will be academic dean John (Jean) Martin. John has a PhD in theology from Laval University and served as director of IBVIE, the other predecessor school, since 1998. Columbia Bible College welcomed Jesse Nickel as the newest member of the biblical studies faculty. Jesse earned a BA in classical studies from UBC in 2009 and completed a MACS at Regent College in 2012, with a focus on the New Testament. He just completed his doctoral dissertation under the supervision of N.T. Wright at 28
November/December | www.mbherald.com
University of St. Andrews and defended his thesis, focused on eschatological violence and the teachings of Jesus in the synoptic Gospels, in October 2016. MB Mission welcomed Scott Thomas to the staff team as U.S. church planting resource team leader based out of Nashville, Tenn. Scott will resource USMB churches and beyond with all of the systems and strategies available in the C2C Network. Scott led C2C in Eastern Canada 2014–2016 and will continue to serve within the broader C2C staff team even as he steps into this new partnership role with MB Mission. This is a new chapter for both MB Mission and C2C, responding to God’s invitations in the North American mission field. At their national convention, the U.S. Mennonite Brethren appointed Don Morris to the newly created position of national director. Don served as interim executive director for the past 2 years since Ed Boschman’s retirement, and also served USMB as director of Mission USA starting in 2004. Rick and Jacquie Block of Saskatoon have been appointed as Canadian Foodgrains Bank regional representatives for Saskatchewan. They replace Dave Meier, who retired in September. Rick graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a BSc and MSc in Soil Science. He and Jacquie served with Mennonite Central Committee in Mexico with a food security/ agroecology project. Jacquie has an MA in Theological Studies from ACTS, Langley, B.C., and worked at Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask., for 5 years. She is a member of the board of Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan and president of the Mayfair School Community Council. Rick and Jacquie both provide leadership at Faith River Christian Fellowship, Saskatoon. The Blocks have 2 children. Paul Wicki began as lead pastor at Culloden MB Church, Vancouver, Aug. 15. He has an MA in Christian studies from ACTS Seminaries and
has previously served as associate pastor at Northside Community Church, Mission, B.C., for 5 years, lead pastor/planter at Gateway Community Church, Port Alberni, B.C., for 9 years, then worked in sales positions. Paul and Naomi have 2 children. MB Seminary welcomed Emily Rempel as director of finance Oct. 3. Previous director of administration and finance John Webber, an MB Seminary MA graduate (chaplaincy), will work with Emily as he transitions into other ministry opportunities. Wayne Driedger started as lead pastor at New Hope Christian Church, Delta, B.C. He has a BA from Briercrest, and an MA from Trinity Western University/ACTS Seminary. Wayne planted and pastored at Coast Hills Community Church, Surrey, B.C., for 12 years. He also served at Sunwest Christian Fellowship, Calgary, and at Central Heights Church, Abbotsford, B.C. Wayne and Susanne have 4 young adult children. Scott Koop completed a year as interim pastor at Manitou (Man.) MB Church and began as associate pastor at Portage Avenue Church, Winnipeg, Oct. 1. He previously pastored MB churches in Selkirk and Flin Flon, Man. Scott and Natalie have 2 young adult children. Kyle Miller started as associate pastor at Highland MB Church, Calgary, May 1, after serving as youth intern for a year. Kyle and Sarah previously served at University Drive Alliance Church in Lethbridge, Alta. He graduated from Ambrose Seminary, Calgary, with an MA in leadership and ministry in April. Brian Stewart began as lead pastor at The Life Centre, Abbotsford, B.C. Aug. 1. He studied economics at York University, Toronto, and received an MDiv from Tyndale Seminary, Toronto, and a DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary, Boston, Mass. He previously pastored a variety of Baptist churches in Ontario and B.C., and teaches homiletics at Pacific Life Bible College, Surrey, B.C. Brian and Carol have 2 adult children. The Donwood Manor board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Nina Labun as chief executive officer. Donwood is a not-for-profit faith-based housing and care organization supported by 8 Winnipeg MB churches. Nina brings experience in administration, management and resourcing of senior health care facilities to her new position, begun in July. She is enthusiastic about integrating her faith into the provision of exemplary seniors’ housing and health care services. Nina and Jonathan and their 3 sons worship at North Kildonan MB Church.
Church plant celebrates 50 years Crestwood MB Church, Medicine Hat, Alta., celebrated their 50th anniversary, May 22, 2016. A small group began meeting in pastor Art Martens’ home Nov. 10, 1965. Signing the charter Mar. 13, 1966, were 10 members from two diverse groups: Mennonite Brethren with roots in South Russia and new believers from Woodrow, Sask., with a background in Swabia, Germany. When Seven Persons Mennonite Church closed in 1968, a large number joined Crestwood. Crestwood accepted attenders from a GC background as full members in 1975. The group met in a strip mall until they built a church across the street in 1969. During Mark Jantzen’s tenure (1990–97), the church added a new sanctuary, with room for relationship building after the service. Crestwood’s present membership of 60 shares their facility with The Life Church and Amor En Accion. Current pastor Kevin Koop echoes the founding minister’s words from 1966: “We as a church are needed here, and we are here to stay.”
PCO 2017
BIRTHS
Bergen – to Kyler & Amanda (Kehler) of Steinbach, Man., a daughter, Mia Nicole, Aug. 12, 2016.
Braun – to Jason & Donetta (Sawatzky) of Fort St. John, B.C., a daughter, Paige Donetta, June 16, 2016.
Entz – to John & Ruth Ann (Ives) of Kincaid, Sask., a son, Paul David, May 6, 2016.
Giesbrecht – to Isaac & Christy (Peters) of Fort St. John, B.C., a daughter, Lylah Grace, July 6, 2016.
Loewen – to Shawn & Joanie (Braun) of Fort St. John, B.C., a daughter, Dahlia Faith, June 21, 2016.
McFie – to Braden & Jaclyn (Boomsma) of Saskatoon, a daughter, Emelia Rose, Aug. 14, 2016.
Neufeld – to Branden & Ashlea of Saskatoon, a daughter, Aurelia Elizabeth, Aug. 30, 2016.
Rempel – to Bryce & Courtney (Dunbar) of Hodgeville, Sask., a daughter, Karlee May, Sept. 1, 2016.
Wollf – to Josh & Rachel (Laird) of Hague, Sask., a daughter, Arianna Rae, July 12, 2016. WEDDING Dave Braun & Rachel Peters, both of Fort St. John, B.C., June 11, 2016. Logan Bueckert of Austin, Man., & Alicia Schatz of Lucky Lake, Sask., July 23, 2016. Joshua Grimm of Hodgeville, Sask., & Emma Jane Hildebrandt of Wymark, Sask., July 30, 2016.
Pastors Credentialing Orientation
Ryan Koop of Fort St. John, B.C., & Sarah Marchand of Terrace, B.C., Sept. 3, 2016.
Feb. 21-23: Niagara Region, Ontario
Benjamin Thiessen of Hyas, Sask., & Rebecca Pouteaux of Hodgeville, Sask., May 21, 2016.
June: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Jon Tinholt & Mary Snyder, both of Kitchener, Ont., Aug. 6, 2016. ANNIVERSARIES
Dirks: Walter & Marie Dirks of Fort St. John, B.C., celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary Sept. 2, 2016. They were married Sept. 2, 1951.
Unruh: John & Susan Unruh of visit: pco.mennonitebrethren.ca email: events@mbchurches.ca
Fort St. John, B.C., celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Sept. 18, 2016. They were married Sept. 16, 1956.
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FINISH LINES I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. —2 Timothy 4:7
Helen (Braun) Goossen Jan. 16, 1924–Jan. 21, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Altona, Man. PARENTS Peter & Katherina Braun MARRIAGE Jacob H. Goossen, July 7, 1945 [d. March 1998] BAPTISM Altona (Man) MB, age 15 CHURCH Manitou (Man.) MB; Westside, Morden, Man. FAMILY children Carolyn, Ted (Mary), Milli (Don) Stewart,
Debra (Don) Riley, Gareth (Gayle), Eldon (Gwen), Iris (Gerald) Buller; 16 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren
When Helen was 12, her dad led her to the Lord. Helen met Jake in 1939. They farmed in the Manitou area until 1997. Helen and Jake were active in their church, even serving as youth sponsors in their 50s. Their home was a place of hospitality and laughter. Helen played piano and sang, often accompanied by Jake on his mandolin. They instilled in their children a love for music. Helen and Jake served many summers at Simonhouse and Winkler Bible camps. Helen moved to Morden, Man., in 2005. She loved to visit and encourage people in Tabor Home. Helen found great solace and strength in her faith in Jesus. Her Bible was well-worn and marked. She prayed for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She generously supported many Christian organizations. Even when she struggled with dementia, she retained clarity in her prayer life; her love for her family and others remained strong; her sociable nature and sense of humour continued to surface.
Henry H. Dueck Sept. 27, 1927–May 13, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Namaka, Alta. PARENTS Henry J. Dueck & Katharina (Barg) Dueck MARRIAGE Mary Regehr, July 1950 BAPTISM Lake Ontario, August 1943 CHURCH Virgil (Ont.) MB; Kitchener (Ont.) MB; Bakerview MB,
Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY Mary; children Theodore (Deborah), Karen Pennington (David), Christine Petkau (Brent); 10 grandchildren; 3 greatgrandchildren; siblings
When Henry was 6, his family moved to Ontario, where they farmed fruit. He accepted Jesus as Saviour following a sermon by H.H. Janzen on Revelation 3:19–20. Henry was passionate about education; he
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persevered in his goals to finish high school and university, earning a BSc from University of Manitoba. He married his high-school sweetheart Mary whom he met at Mennonite Collegiate Institute, Gretna, Man. They spent the first year of married life in Germany, where Henry had earned a university scholarship, then another year teaching in England. They continued these shared passions of travel and learning for 60 years, teaching in Ontario and California before retiring in Abbotsford. Henry was a board member for MB Bible College, Winnipeg (now CMU) and the MB Board of Higher Education before becoming vice president of MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Cal., 1977–85. Henry and Mary taught English in China and Russia. From 1994–2006, Henry chaired the board of St. Petersburg Christian University in Russia, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2006. To his children, he was an example of perseverance and dedication to Christian service.
Henry Wall Dec. 5, 1925–May 21, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Rudnerweide, South Russia PARENTS Herman & Elizabeth (Kliewer) Wall MARRIAGE Nettie Friesen, 1948
Roland Rempel Mar. 27, 1926–May 23, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Main Centre, Sask. PARENTS Jacob & Anna (Neufeld) Rempel MARRIAGE Margaret Ewert, 1951 CHURCH Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C.; Kennedy Heights
MB, Delta, B.C.; Bakerview MB, Abbotsford FAMILY Margaret; daughters Evelyn Dewar, Beverly Lewis, Sharon Bell, Julia Brotherston; 11 grandchildren; 7 greatgrandchildren
Roland met Margaret at Mennonite Educational Institute, Abbotsford. At Clearbrook MB, he sang in the choir and quartets. At night school in Vancouver, Roland earned a journeyman’s diploma. He worked for the Delta School District in the maintenance and carpentry department. During the family’s 28 years in Delta, choir practice at Kennedy Heights MB was the highlight of Roland’s week. In retirement, Roland and Margaret moved back to Abbotsford. They enjoyed travelling and camping with friends and family. Roland took up picture framing and wood carving. For 26 years, they attended Bakerview and enjoyed singing in the fellowship choir. Two years ago, his health began to fail. Roland demonstrated his faith in a quiet and gentle way. Bible reading and prayer were his daily joy.
BAPTISM 1946 CHURCH Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY Nettie; children Al (Dolores), John (Kelly), Barbara (Warren) Schmidt; 10 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; 3 siblings
Henry’s family immigrated to Canada in 1926, settling first in Morden, Man., then Foam Lake, Sask. Six months after they moved to Yarrow, B.C., in 1937, Henry’s father died, leaving his mom to raise 4 children. Henry continued his education, including Bible school. Henry and Nettie lived in Vancouver, Surrey and Richmond, B.C. He had a garden everywhere they lived. Henry worked for Buckerfield’s for 10 years, then for Crown Zellerbach in Richmond until he retired in 1990. Henry and Nettie moved to Abbotsford to be near friends and family. They visited Alaska, Hawaii, Germany, Italy and California. Henry enjoyed music, reading, chess and Rack-o games with his grandchildren. Henry was a man of few words, but every night, he read to Nettie in bed. He was committed to God and his family. In his prayers, Henry always thanked God for salvation through Jesus Christ.
Arthur (Art) Klassen Nov. 27, 1927–June 3, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Culross, Man. PARENTS John & Gertrude Klassen MARRIAGE Rita Epp, July 16, 1954 BAPTISM Community Fellowship, Newton, Man.,
July 20, 1944 FAMILY Rita; children Lori (Rob) Loewen, Bob [d.] (Linda), Carl (Laura), Glenn (Karen), Tim (Sheri); daughter-in-law Sherry [d.]; 18 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; 3 siblings
Art was devoted to his family and always enjoyed the time spent with his children, grandchildren and extended family. He had a deep faith in God. Art did road construction, farmed and drove school bus. As a carpenter, he could tackle almost anything. In retirement, he volunteered with Rita at the Portage la Prairie (Man.) MCC Thrift Store as “fix-it man.” Art will be missed by all who knew him.
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[FINISH LINES Lydia Froese
Dwight David Nickel
Elizabeth Wall
May 28, 1920–June 5, 2016
Sept. 6, 1948–June 19, 2016
Dec. 8, 1933–June 23, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Kuban, South Russia PARENTS Franz and Kathrin (Lepp) Dyck MARRIAGE Bernard Froese, June 1950 [d. 1994] BAPTISM Manitou (Man.) MB CHURCH Eastview, Winnipeg FAMILY children John (Irma), Elvera, Cathy [d. 1986], Frank
BIRTHPLACE Borden, Sask. PARENTS Victor & Katie Nickel MARRIAGE Elvira (Vera) Janz, Nov. 20, 1971 BAPTISM Carrot River, Sask., 1963 CHURCH La Glace Bible (Alta.) FAMILY Vera; children Kleanza (Mike) Bennett, Jared
(Colleen), Eleanor; son-in-law Rich (Cheryl) Wilton; 11 grandchildren including Christa Wilton [d. 1986]; 5 greatgrandchildren including Audrey Wilton [d. 2014]; niece Helena Fitzsimmons
(Shannon), Kara (John) Skeoch; 10 grandchildren; mother; 4 siblings
Lydia’s family immigrated to Canada in 1925. Enduring the Depression, they established a farm in Manitou. During WWII, Lydia attended Winkler (Man.) Bible Institute, which helped her set spiritual goals. She graduated from St. Boniface Hospital as a nurse in 1948. When their children were small, Bernard studied medicine. The family lived in Winkler before moving to Winnipeg, where they were active in church, para-church agencies and the community. Lydia dished up many meals and conversations to family and friends. After the children left home, Lydia and Bernard offered a home to young women from abroad. In later years, leading Bible studies with young couples enriched their lives. Lydia’s trust in God was a daily reality, and she drew on him for strength, particularly after the deaths of her daughter and granddaughter. After Bernard’s death, an independence and strength, which she’d always had, surfaced and buoyed her spirit. Her expressions of thankfulness were never more than a sentence or two away.
When Dwight was six, his mom led him to Jesus; he never wavered from this commitment. At Bethany Bible Institute, Hepburn, Sask., he met Vera, and they married after graduation. Dwight also graduated from MB Bible College, Winnipeg, and University of Manitoba. He enjoyed music, technology, his motorcycle, photography and nature. Like his dad, he could fix practically everything. He was a finishing carpenter, teaching many others the trade. After 1.5 years of pastoring, Dwight realized he could still serve God as a parishioner. This he did: teaching adult Sunday school, singing with the Saddle Hill Boys quartet, using his gift of discernment on the elder board. Dwight and Vera sang together for the first time on their wedding day: “Be Thou Our Vision,” and for the last time, months before he died: “I Need Thee Every Hour.” Battling cancer, Dwight’s faith deepened in intensity, as he clung to God’s inherent goodness and love.
Helen Mary Marceniuk Dec. 2, 1935–June 21, 2016
Peter Hamm Aug. 13, 1921–June 12, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Schoendorf, Ukraine PARENTS Abram & Susanna Hamm MARRIAGE Katie Schartner, 1950 [d.]; Helen (Esau) Wiebe, 1992 BAPTISM Gem (Alta.) MB, age 18 CHURCH Central, Chilliwack, B.C. FAMILY Helen; his children Elvera (Wayne) Penner, Ron (Judy),
Loraine (Russ) Wahl, Myrna (John) Loewen, Henry (Irene), Heidi (Ken) Franz, Caroline; 24 grandchildren including Katrina Wahl [d.], Anthony Bargen [d.]; 33 great-grandchildren; Helen’s children Dan (Jennifer) Wiebe, Dave (Deleen) Wiebe, Marilyn Wiebe, Pauline (Mario) Alleckna; her 11 grandchildren; her 13 great-children; 2 sisters
Peter and Katie raised their family in Black Creek, B.C., where he owned a construction company. Peter was a valued, active church member. After Katie’s death, he married Helen; together they served MCC and The Gideons in Chilliwack. Peter’s joys included his family, travel and God’s creation. His greatest concern was that his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren would know the saving grace of Jesus.
BIRTHPLACE Piney, Man. PARENTS Augustin & Irene Thibodeau MARRIAGE Nick Marceniuk [d. 2012] CHURCH Coaldale (Alta.) MB. FAMILY children Warren, Nicole, Carol [d.]; 6 grandchildren;
1 brother
After the accidental death of her father, at 16, Helen became a parent to her 8 younger siblings. She married Nick at 19, hoping to make a home for her youngest brothers. For 58 years, Helen and Nick were faithful to each other. In 1974, Helen accepted Jesus as Saviour. She talked freely of her love for Jesus to anyone she met, and wanted others, especially her family, to accept him too. She rarely missed care group Bible studies. Visitors to Helen’s home were greeted with Christian music, and her Bible and devotional booklet were always on her table. She made blankets for MCC and volunteered at the MCC Thrift Store. As she was preparing to move to Claresholm, Alta., to be near her daughter, Helen was diagnosed with cancer; she quoted Philippians 1:23. Helen will be remembered for her unshakeable faith in Jesus.
BIRTHPLACE Chaco, Paraguay. PARENTS John & Elizabeth Boldt MARRIAGE John Wall, October 1956 CHURCH Grantham (Ont.) MB FAMILY John; children Lil (Jerry) Koop, Ron (Kathy), Linda Grigg [d. 1985]; 8 grandchildren including Alison Koop [d. 1996]; 6 great-
grandchildren; 5 siblings
Liz accepted Christ into her heart at a young age. Liz and John fell in love as teenagers in Chaco. Her family immigrated to Canada when she was 19, and his followed 2 years later. Liz loved taking care of her children, her husband and, later, her grandchildren. She experienced cancer in her 30s and the loss of her daughter Linda 20 years later, but her trust in God never wavered. She lived by Hebrews 13:5. Liz was happiest surrounded by family. She hosted many pool parties, made many batches of rollkuchen and baked countless peppermint cookies. She volunteered for years at the Christian Benefit Shop. Liz loved having yearly garage sales, so she could visit with her neighbours. As much as she didn’t want to leave her family, Liz did not fear death.
Bruce MacDonald Dec. 2, 1943–June 23, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Vernon, B.C. PARENTS William & Faye MacDonald MARRIAGE Alice Froese, Dec. 31, 1971 BAPTISM Lendrum MB, Edmonton, 1972 CHURCH Mill Woods MB, Edmonton; McIvor Avenue
MB, Winnipeg FAMILY Alice; children Brian, Yolanda (Steve), Rachel (Trevor); 12 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren
Bruce accepted Jesus as Saviour at 21. In 1985, the family moved to Winnipeg, where Bruce worked at Palliser Furniture. After retirement, he volunteered at the MCC Thrift Store. Bruce is best known for his art. His chainsaw carvings dot the neighbourhood. He loved to surprise friends with portrait sketches. In 2012, Bruce was diagnosed with a liver condition, which slowed him down and proved fatal. He was proud of his grandchildren and participated in their lives with joy. His faith remained strong during his illness, and he was ready to meet his Maker.
Hilda Susanna Heidebrecht Oct. 10, 1930–June 25, 2016 BIRTHPLACE Lethbridge, Alta. PARENTS Jacob & Maria Quapp continued on page 32
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MARRIAGE John Heidebrecht, June 25, 1960 CHURCH Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY John; children Douglas (Sherry), Janet (Alvin) Hubert,
Joyce (Peter) Wiebe; 8 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; 5 siblings
At 10, Hilda trusted in Jesus as Saviour, and her faith remained strong her entire life. She attended Coaldale School to Grade 9, but stayed home for a year after Grade 8 to help her mom with her baby sister. She attended Coaldale Bible School (1947–50). After completing Grade 12 in 1956, Hilda earned a teacher training certificate from University of Calgary. She taught 2 years in Lethbridge and 1 in St. Paul, Alta. Hilda and John had a 2-month honeymoon through 9 European countries. They lived in Alberta and Ontario. Hilda taught Sunday school, served with Pioneer Girls and led Christian Women’s Club. After John retired from teaching in 1983, they moved to Abbotsford, B.C. Hosting Japanese students opened doors for Hilda to provide English tutoring for many Korean newcomers to Canada. Hilda and John returned many times to Europe. In 2001, on a Disciple Making International trip, Hilda visited her grandfather’s estate in Neu Samara. Hilda’s servant heart was most evident with her own family. She put others first and readily gave of her time and what she had. She was always open to looking after her grandchildren. She devoted considerable time for prayer: because she found her strength in the Lord, she knew God would meet the needs of others. Hilda increasingly assumed the role of caregiver for John. After John entered a care home, her own health deteriorated rapidly. She developed intercranial bleeding and died on their 56th wedding anniversary.
Anne Friesen Aug. 20, 1929–July 2, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Brandon, Man. PARENTS Henry & Helen Epp MARRIAGE Fred Friesen, Sept. 29, 1951 [d. Sept. 8, 2015] BAPTISM Community Fellowship, Newton, Man., August 1945 FAMILY children Ron (Vicki), Ken (Bev), Dianne (Ed)
Giesbrecht, Rick, Barry (Jan); 8 grandchildren; 6 greatgrandchildren; 5 siblings
Anne was proud of her beekeeper father and liked working with him on the farm. She enjoyed a year of practise teaching Grades 1–9 in a oneroom school before accepting a job with Newton Enterprises. Anne’s faith was a vital part of her life. She met Fred at the MB church in Newton, where she attended her whole life. Anne and Fred raised their family on the Friesen family homestead near Elie, Man. They moved to a farm near Oakville, Man., in 1967. Anne loved being a grandma and great-grandma. She drove school bus in the Elie and Oakville districts for many years. She enjoyed gardening, canning, baking, sewing and reading. She taught sewing at Oakville Community 4H Club. Anne found joy in Friendship Bible Coffees and the church ladies group. She taught Sunday school and prayed for the children and youth.
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After Fred’s death, Anne missed him greatly and her desire to join him in Jesus’ presence grew. Anne will be remembered for her care and constant prayers for her family, church and friends.
to B.C. for his health. Eben-Ezer Mennonite, Abbotsford, called him as associate pastor in 1995. His preaching ministry ended with a stroke in 1999. Dorothy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2007. In his last years, John handed out 8,000 tracts from his scooter.
Harry Peter Willms Feb. 1, 1933–July 4, 2016
Helen Frances Wolfe Nov. 22, 1921–July 10, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Daly, Man. PARENTS Gerhard & Katharina (Bergman) Willms; stepmother
Nina Rempel MARRIAGE Mary Harder, June 7, 1959 BAPTISM Justice (Man.) MB, Aug. 31, 1958 FAMILY Mary; children Cathy (Shane) Macialek, Greg (Linda); 5 grandchildren including Kevin Nicholls [d.]; 5 siblings
Harry attended Robert Burns School near Alexander, Man., and Gourlay School northeast of Forrest, Man. He left home at 15 and worked with a plastering contractor. After 5 years, he took an apprenticeship, and in 1959 obtained his certificate. A member of Justice MB Church, Harry loved people, his family, hunting, farming, cars and coffee time.
John Unrau Aug. 26, 1936–July 7, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Grunthal, Man. PARENTS Peter & Lena Unrau MARRIAGE Dorothy Hait, Aug. 27, 1960 [d.2012] BAPTISM Grace (EMB), Abbotsford, B.C., age 14 CHURCH Scott Street MB, St. Catharines, Ont.; Clearbrook MB,
Abbotsford FAMILY children Myron, Marla, Mark, Jeremy; grandchildren; siblings
When John was born at 4 lbs, his mother said, “Let him die,” but his father, sister and midwife cared for him. Growing up in a strict home in Kleefeld, Man., though he learned the Bible stories, no one invited him to receive salvation. At 12, John and his twin Pete visited their brother Henry, who asked if they’d like to ask Jesus into their lives. The twins shared their conversion with their parents and siblings. In 1949, the family settled in Abbotsford, B.C. At 19, John and Pete attended Winnipeg Bible Institute. John completed a BRE at Briercrest College, where he met Dorothy. John became youth pastor at People’s Mission, Kelowna, B.C., then pastor at Cedar Valley Mennonite, Mission, B.C. After joining Greater Europe Mission in 1963, John and Dorothy planted churches in Lebach and Saarlouis, Germany. Starting in 1972, they led the Janz Team Singers. John organized and conducted Janz Team Israel tours in 1975, 1976 and 1977. After returning to Canada in 1981, John and Dorothy represented Europe’s spiritual needs at colleges and churches in the Pacific Northwest. John pastored Yarrow (B.C.) United Mennonite and Scott Street MB. After John’s 1991 heart attack, they moved
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BIRTHPLACE Zagradovka, Ukraine PARENTS Franz & Lena (Berg) Toews MARRIAGE Peter Wolfe, June 4, 1944 [d. 1993] BAPTISM Yarrow (B.C.) MB, 1938 CHURCH Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY children Diane (Victor) Martens, Kathleen (Don)
McNaughton, Peter (Annette), Alexandra Christon; 10 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; 1 sister
Helen’s family immigrated to Canada in 1924. At 13, Helen lost her mother. Helen left school at 16 to contribute to the family income by picking hops, peas, tobacco and raspberries. She loved attending Bible school (1938–42). For two years, she taught vacation Bible school for Western Children’s Mission. During WWII, Helen worked for wealthy people in Vancouver and lived at the Maedchenheim. Helen and Peter corresponded while he was a conscientious objector in a forestry camp. When Helen and Peter lived in a new chicken barn covered in shiplap, she became critically ill with pneumonia and pleurisy. They planted raspberries, and when the market crashed, sold the car to pay the pickers. When Peter was out of town on construction projects, Helen ran the farm. She was a creative seamstress. She taught Sunday school at Yarrow MB. After Peter’s death, Helen did visitation, worked in a gift shop, volunteered at Tabor Home and sorted clothes for MCC. With the Yarrow MB ladies’ club, she cut blankets for MCC and knit pneumonia vests for newborns. She led a Bible study for 5 years. When her eyesight prevented her from driving, Helen attended Clearbrook MB. After a brief bout with pneumonia, she died peacefully.
Jake Petkau Sept. 2, 1926–July 12, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Lower Fort Garry, Man. PARENTS David & Maria (Block) Petkau MARRIAGE Mary M. Suderman, Oct. 28, 1950 BAPTISM age 19 CHURCH Port Rowan (Ont.) MB FAMILY Mary; children Doug (Tammy), Bert [d.] (Teresa),
Lorraine (Andy Dunne); 7 grandchildren; 2 greatgrandchildren; 1 sister
After Grade 6, Jake left school to support the family. He accepted Jesus as Saviour at 17 and attended Bible School at Cornerstone
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[FINISH LINES MB Church, Virgil, Ont., and Eden Christian College. On Lake Erie, Jake and Mary bought a farm, where they raised cattle, pigs and chickens and grew wheat, corn, soybeans, tomatoes and cucumbers. Jake had a deep faith in Jesus. At Port Rowan MB, he led Christian Service Brigade and taught Sunday school. He served on the deaconate, in the adult and men’s fellowship, on pastoral search and building committees, in conference leadership. Jake loved people; he was encouraged by how God could turn people’s lives around.
John Gerhard Sawatzky Oct. 12, 1927–July 12, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Gnadenthal, Man. PARENTS Jakob G. & Maria (Schellenberg) Sawatzky MARRIAGE Agnes Anne Janzen, June 10, 1951 CHURCH Cedar Park, Delta, B.C. FAMILY Agnes, children Sharon (Hagel), Robert, Lawrence
(Lori); former daughter-in-law Shelley Kenney; 8 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren
In his twenties, John moved to Vancouver, where he met Agnes. He was a jack-of-all-trades who built his own home. He started his own plumbing company in Ladner, B.C., which he handed over to his partner, his son Lawrence. Once retired, John and Agnes enjoyed touring in their RV and spending quality time with grandchildren. In his later years, John turned to his passion of woodworking. From making furniture and candleholders to being the apartment handyman until he was 80, John kept busy. The family will miss his twinkling eyes, his warm smiles and his heart-felt hugs.
Irene Rennert Dec. 27, 1926–July 15, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Neu-Chortitza, Ukraine PARENTS David & Katharina Neufeld MARRIAGE Walter Rennert, Feb. 13, 1954 CHURCH Culloden MB, Vancouver; King Road MB, Abbotsford,
B.C. FAMILY Walter; children Ernst, Norbert, Karin, Ralph; 12 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren
In 1932, Irene’s family moved to Nikopol, where Irene became a Christian. Shortly afterward, they were separated from her father, whom they never saw again. In 1943, following the retreat of the Germans, the family fled to Germany via Poland. They immigrated to Paraguay in 1948. Irene attended Bible school and studied nursing. Irene and Walter were missionaries to the Nivaclé people. They immigrated to Canada in 1967. Irene worked as a nursing aid for a German care home in Vancouver and ran her own home business. She enjoyed cooking meals for her growing
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family. In Abbotsford, Irene devoted her time to knitting for humanitarian causes and gardening. After her first stroke in 2011, she lived at Menno Home for 5 years. Never idle, Irene’s hands were dedicated to blessing others.
Henry Klassen Sept. 8, 1930–July 15, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Dunrae, Man. PARENTS Kornelius & Helena (Ratzlaff) Klassen MARRIAGE Margaret Neumann, 1954 CHURCH Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY Margaret; daughters Kathy Peters, Karen (Ken) Welsh,
Lynn (Mark) DuMerton, Lori (Norm) Nickel, Jean (Harv) Bergen; 14 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren
Henry and Margaret met at normal school in Vancouver. He taught 30 years at Mennonite Educational Institute, Abbotsford, followed by 2 years at Chongqing (China) Medical University. He concluded his career with 15 years of teaching inmates for Corrections Canada, quipping that he’d finally found his captive audience. Henry was a tireless volunteer for MCC’s annual relief sale. A charter member, Henry served Bakerview MB for 50 years. He was a loving husband, an encouraging grandfather and great-grandfather, his daughters’ greatest cheerleader.
Elisabeth Schulz Aug. 16, 1923–July 16, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Fernheim, Crimea, Ukraine PARENTS Jakob & Elisabeth Reimer MARRIAGE Johann (Hans) Schulz, Feb. 2, 1948 CHURCH Zion MB, Kitchener (Ont.) MB FAMILY Hans; children Gerda (Ron [d.]) Wirick, Rudy (Elizabeth),
Werner (Elsie), Harold [d.] (Cherie), Irene (John) Janzen, Elizabeth (Herman) Goertz, Marian (Phil) Wiens, John (Krista), Walter (Kathy), Heidi (David) Coon; 35 grandchildren; 37 greatgrandchildren
The Communist Revolution stripped Elisabeth’s family of their citizenship, home and possessions. They resettled in Landskrone, Molotschna colony, where they barely survived the induced starvation of 1933. Her father and 3 brothers were sent to concentration camps. Elisabeth was chosen to attend medical school in Halbstadt; then WWII broke out. As the Germans advanced, her youngest brother was arrested and killed. Elisabeth cried out to God. Under German occupation, churches reopened, and she walked 18 km to a service in Gnadenheim, where she heard Psalm 95:7–8 and accepted Jesus as Saviour. Elisabeth went to Berlin to complete medical studies. There she spent many nights in an air raid shelter – praying for safety. After the war, Elisabeth reunited with her mom and sisters near Hamburg,
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Germany, where she met Hans. Elisabeth and Hans immigrated to Fernheim, Paraguay, on an MCC-sponsored refugee ship. They lost their first son at 3 weeks. Elisabeth’s health necessitated a change in climate, and in 1954, the family arrived in Canada with $5. At Zion MB, Elisabeth arranged picnics and played goaltender. At Kitchener MB, she organized singing in the German service. After retiring, Elisabeth and Hans visited relatives in Germany and their former home in Paraguay. They spent several winters ministering in Chihuahua, Mexico. Elisabeth loved playing tag, feeding ducks or hunting frogs with her grandchildren. The annual family camping trip is a 28-year tradition. Elisabeth wrote her story of God’s faithfulness. After her stroke July 5, the family gathered around her every evening to sing hymns and express their love.
Albert Walter Friesen Sept. 21, 1946–July 16, 2016
BIRTHPLACE Brandon, Man. PARENTS Peter & Helen (Unger) Friesen MARRIAGE Dianne Carolyn Dick, June 9, 1973 BAPTISM Yarrow (B.C.) MB, June 10, 1962 CHURCH Crossroads, Winnipeg; Bridgeway, Swift Current,
Sask.; St. Ann’s (Ont.) FAMILY Dianne; children Dana (Joel) Crawford, Jared; 1 grandson
Albert loved life because he loved God and people. At 9, he gave his life to Jesus during evangelistic meetings. While at MB Bible Institute (B.C.), he made a total commitment to God, which remained a priority in his life. He studied voice at MB Bible College and Waterloo (Ont.) Lutheran University. At WLU, he met Dianne. Albert taught at Winkler (Man.) Bible Institute, followed by graduate studies in music of world cultures at University of Michigan. After teaching at Eden High School, St. Catharines, Ont., he graduated from MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Cal., in 1981. God led Albert and Dianne to serve with MB Mission, first in Neuwied, Germany; then in Liezen, Austria, where he served as pastor. After returning to Canada in 1987, Albert pastored MB churches in Winnipeg, Swift Current and St. Ann’s and became chaplain at Tabor Manor, Ont. Singing always played an integral role in his ministry. Albert enjoyed visiting, reading, hiking, cycling and model trains. At 57, he began a 13-year journey of suffering with Lewy Body dementia. The family came together and cared for Albert at home until his needs exceeded their abilities and resources, necessitating a move from Kitchener to Toronto in 2009. He clung to two phrases from a sermon: ready for anything; for this I have Jesus. Others watched Jesus lift Albert to a new level of intimacy with himself; he sustained Albert to the end.
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[CROSSCURRENTS Hereditary Chief George Kingfisher and Ray Funk
Face-to-face peacebuilding Reconciliation is not achieved with the signing of an agreement, the celebration of an event or the release of a documentary film. But all are “steps on the journey,” says filmmaker and Canadian Mennonite University alumnus Brad Leitch (nee Langendoen). His documentary Reserve 107, screened at CMU’s fall fest alongside a panel of its “stars,” introduces the story of members of Young Chippewayan First Nation and a group of settlers in Laird, Sask., who have the courage to talk to each other about stolen land. “Our prayer was to honour people we filmed,” says co-producer and researcher Adrienne Leitch. In making the film, Brad and Adrienne became part of the unfolding story. Thirty square miles of farmland called Reserve 107 had been granted to Chief Chippewayan in 1876, but the people were not residing there in 1897, when the federal government turned the land over to Mennonites for settlement, without either party’s knowledge, writes MCC Saskatchewan Aboriginal Neighbours coordinator Leonard Doell. In the midst of Reserve 107 lies Stoney Knoll – a sacred place known to the Young Chippewayan Band as Opwashemoe Chakatinaw – part of the farm Wilmer and Barb Froese have worked for 42 years, and Wilmer’s father before that. There was trepidation when members of Young Chippewayan asked to commemorate the signing of Treaty 6 with the settlers, but the Froeses – raised on Sunday school “lessons of love, peace and justice” – responded to the invitation. “Meeting people face to face who might be your enemies is the best way to begin peacebuilding,” says Wilmer. “You can’t do it through texting or emails or even telephone calls.” “Acknowledging [guilt] existed, seeing how hospitable they were toward us,… that has taken guilt away,” says Barb. 34
November/December | www.mbherald.com
“They didn’t strike out, but invited us to look at it with them.” “We want to settle this peacefully,” says George Kingfisher (hereditary chief). His father had advised him: “We are not to take land back from people – that’s their home now. They’ve been there 100 years; you look as bad as government if you do that.” Doell says there are two parts to settling question of Young Chippewayan lands: building reconciliation with church and community and resolving land claims. The attention generated by the meetings and the movie has moved up the issue in priority for the government, says Ray Funk, a former public servant and Mennonite farmer involved in the process. “I grew up in the ’60s, when the idea was to ‘seize the time’… Revolutions – feminism,
peace, Black Power – were moving forward,” says Funk. “I think we’re in a time like that now in the relationship between First Nations, Metis and settler people.” Reserve 107 captures a moment in this unfolding story. “Peacebuilding is a precarious process; [it takes] hard work,” Brad says. Intentional gatherings continue to occur between the two groups. “Bridge building happens in small incremental steps,” says Wilmer. “Fear is replaced with trust, a desire to right wrongs,” says Barb. “We have seen each other’s faces, we have heard each other’s voices, we understand now we are in this together.” —Karla Braun
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Your Investment, touchIng LIves Mortgage fund provides housing for new immigrants For several years, Crossroads Mennonite Brethren Church, in the heart of Winnipeg’s French Quarter, has shared space in their building with a small French-language church. In 2007, when the French-language church experienced a major influx of African immigrants in need of housing, Crossroads felt called to help by purchasing a home where immigrant families could live while finding their footing in this new country. When a house next door to the church was put up for sale, the opportunity coincided with both the influx of immigration and Crossroads’ vision for the future. “It was perfect,” says John Hiebert, moderator. “We’d already had visions of building an expansion beside our church, but needed to own the house next door to do so. Purchasing this house would allow us to not only provide a home for immigrants, we could also maintain a community garden on the land in between.” Approaching financial institutions for a mortgage, however, would prove to be a challenge.
“As a church and charitable organization, we would have had a very hard time,” Hiebert says. “The bank would have sent out an appraiser, and we may have faced roadblocks based on how the bank perceived the value of the home and our investment.” At this point, Crossroads approached the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches’ finance team regarding their mortgage fund. “They helped us every step of the way, from the purchase through to the mortgage process,” says Gilles Piché, vice-moderator. “Before we purchased the house, they gave us advice, and the mortgage was essentially pre-approved.” Since buying the house, the Crossroads congregation has dedicated more than 800 hours of volunteer time to upgrade and renovate the home. When new immigrants arrive, they pay what they can afford for monthly rent. An agreement with the Government of Manitoba means the Province covers the balance of the rent. Once that family becomes self-sufficient, the church helps them find new housing, and another family moves in. “It’s revenue neutral for the church – otherwise we’d be losing large sums of money and couldn’t keep the house,” says Hiebert. The quiet, family-friendly area also provides safety to children, away from predatory gangs in the city centre, says Piché. “These families couldn’t otherwise afford to live in our area, or even nearby. Living here helps keep children in a safe area while their families adjust.”
November 1-3, 2017 Northview Community Church, Abbotsford equipstudyconference.mennonitebrethren.ca