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Kerry Dyck became lead pastor at River West Christian Church in Edmonton on Jan. 1, after serving as associate pastor of small groups and worship for three years. Previously, he was worship pastor at Waterloo (Ont.) MB Church for two years, was a church planter with Cornerstone Community Church in Dartmouth, N.S. for three years and was an intern associate pastor at the Cornerstone Church for two years. He has a diploma from Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C., a B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan and an M.Div. from MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif. He and his wife Sandy have three children, Kevin, 11, Erin, 9, and Graham, 5.
Church planters Dwayne and Janet Harms (l) with Ralph Gliege. |
West Portal MB Church in Saskatoon held a commissioning service July 9 for its church planters Dwayne and Janet Harms. Special guests included former pastors Ewald Unruh, Abe Klassen and Ralph Gliege. Senior pastor Dwayne Barkman spoke about the present state of the church. Dwayne Harms spoke about the future of the new daughter church, called Living Hope Church. Unruh, executive director of the Canadian MB Conference Board of Evangelism, gave the message, saying that the West Portal Church is not planting a church because it is too big, but rather because it cannot reach everyone in Saskatoon. Barkman and Gliege, Saskatchewan MB Conference minister, led the commissioning service. Harms’s grandmother, Agatha Harms, gave a special prayer. About 100 people call Living Hope Church their home church. It began holding Sunday evening services at the West Portal building in January 2001, but is seeking a more permanent location. The Harmses have two children, Ashlynn, 7, and Tyler, 4.
Paul Woodburn began serving as pastor of worship at Forest Grove Community Church in Saskatoon on Feb. 4. Previously, he was director of worship and creative arts at Community Fellowship Church in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. for three years and was associate pastor at White Pine Baptist Church in Riverview, N.B. for three years. He has a B.Mus. from the University of Western Ontario in London and an M.Div. from Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. He and his wife Anna have two children, Caleb, 21 months, and Kara, 6 months.
Linda Thiessen began as half-time assistant director of children’s ministries at Forest Grove Community Church in Saskatoon on Sept. 15. Previously, she was director of DVBS in Asquith (Sask.) Baptist Church for five years, was director of her own play school for seven years and taught in Turtleford, Sask. for a few years. She has a B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan. She and her husband Wally have two daughters, LeeAnne, 21, and Shannon, 18.
On Aug. 17, Vicki Grassick began serving as pastor of children’s ministries, a new position, in Waterloo (Ont.) MB Church. Previously, she was a part-time field placement supervisor with the child studies program at Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology in Kitchener, Ont. for a year, was a full-time case worker in home child care for the Regional Municipality of Waterloo for eight years, taught at Ross MacDonald School for the Blind in Brantford, Ont. for one-and-a-half years and ran her own daycare at home for a number of years. She has a diploma in early childhood education from Conestoga College and has studied at the University of Waterloo. She is married to Reid, a lead hand fitter/welder. They have two sons, Ian, 6, and James, 3.
In December, Rudie Willms began serving two Sundays a month as guest speaker at Valleycliffe Christian Fellowship in Squamish, B.C. Willms is also serving as quarter-time pastor to seniors at Ross Road Community Church, Abbotsford, B.C. Previously, he pastored Scott Street MB Church in St. Catharines, Ont. for five years, Culloden MB Church in Vancouver for 11 years, East Aldergrove MB (now Ross Road Community) Church for 14 years and Salem MB Church in Winnipeg for six years. He and his wife Louise have three sons and 10 grandchildren.
Alfred Lee resigned as pastor of Chinese Community Church in Regina, effective Nov. 30, 2000, after serving for over five years. Previously, he served one year as mission interim pastor at Chinese Alliance Grace Church in Montreal. He has an M.Div. from Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina. He and his wife Korea have two daughters, Anna, 8, and Esther, 5. The Lees are open to further ministry.
Robert Winslow resigned as associate pastor of youth and worship at Highland MB Church in Calgary in May 2000, after serving for seven months. He is now pastoring a Baptist church in Medicine Hat, Alta. He is married to Carol.
Rey Nickel has resigned as senior pastor of Kennedy Heights MB Church in Delta, B.C., effective April 30, after serving for four-and-a-half years. Previously, he pastored Gospel Chapel in Grand Forks, B.C. for 14 years and was an associate pastor at Central Heights MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. for seven years. He has a teaching certificate from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., a diploma from Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alta. and a B.A. from Fresno (Calif.) Pacific College; he also studied for one year at Regent College in Vancouver. He and his wife Anne have two children and five grandchildren.
Craig Ginn resigned as associate pastor of College Drive Community Church in Lethbridge, Alta., effective Feb. 1, after serving for nine-and-a-half years. Currently, he teaches part-time at the University of Lethbridge and is working with Soul Survivor Canada, a youth renewal movement from the United Kingdom. Previously, he was an associate pastor at Temple Baptist Church in Medicine Hat, Alta. for two-and-a-half years and was an associate pastor at Fort Garry MB Church in Winnipeg for three-and-a-half years. He has a B.R.S. from MB Bible (now Concord) College in Winnipeg, and a B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Lethbridge. He and his wife Carla have four children, Sarah, 15, Aron, 12, Silas, 8, and Rachael, 5.
Dan King has resigned as associate pastor at College Drive Community Church in Lethbridge, Alta., effective April 11, 2001, after serving for five-and-a-half years. He was working with junior and senior high youth and most recently was overseeing the multimedia ministry in the church. He previously did a summer pastoral internship at Central Heights MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. He has a B.A. from Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford. He and his wife Charlene have two children, Jordan, 3, and Sierra, 1. The Kings are open to further ministry.
Ron Flaming has been named director of international programs for Mennonite Central Committee, effective in early 2002. He will succeed Edgar Metzler, who will remain in the position until Flaming begins. Flaming is currently executive secretary of the Mennonite Church’s Commission on Overseas Mission. Previously, he served through COM at Woodstock International School in India, including six years as school principal, was dean of students at Bethel (Kan.) College, was pastor of Southern Hills Mennonite Church in Topeka, Kan., was admissions counsellor at Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind., and was youth director for the Western District Mennonite Conference. He has a B.A. from Bethel College, an M.A. from Indiana University and an M.Div. from Mennonite Biblical Seminary; he also has done course work toward a D.Min. at Philips Graduate Seminary in Enid, Okla.
In January 2001, Paul Friesen began serving as executive assistant for resource programs for Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba. He replaces Kathy Fast, who has taken a position with Mennonite Church Canada. Friesen’s job includes working with the three MCC relief sales in Manitoba, coordinating the annual “Bike the Whiteshell” cyclathon and making presentations to various groups about MCC’s work. When Martha Klassen retires in spring, he will also assume her responsibilities as thrift store coordinator for Manitoba. Previously, he worked at MCC’s material aid warehouse in Ephrata, Pa. 1995-97 and helped coordinate the Mennonite Disaster Service’s Red River flood efforts from the MCC office in Winnipeg. For the last one-and-a-half years, Friesen has been a self-employed renovator. Paul and his wife Eleanor and their two sons live in Steinbach, Man.
Lorne Willms, lead pastor of Coaldale (Alta.) MB Church, appears before the congregation wearing Middle Eastern garb. On Jan. 7, he began the first in a series of recitations on the entire Gospel of John, conveying his audience back in time to a more original delivery of the gospel message.
Elizabeth Fedrau of Abbotsford, B.C. celebrated her 100th birthday Jan. 6 in the multipurpose room of Menno Home. Great-grandson Kevin Fedrau emceed the program. John Klassen, former pastor of Clearbrook MB Church, made opening remarks and asked God’s blessing on the occasion. Her great-grandchildren contributed a piano solo, a vocal solo, a duet and a group song, and the audience sang “How Great Thou Art” and “Trust and Obey”. Congratulations were extended by Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and various governmental officials including the Mayor of Abbotsford. Henry Claassen, a former chaplain of Menno Home, read Psalm 100 and commented on “How great is our God” and “It is He who has made us, and we are His people.”
Baptisms and new members
Note: Baptism photos appear in the paper version of the Herald but not in the online version.
North Kildonan MB Church in Winnipeg welcomed 8 new members Feb. 4, 5 by baptism and 2 by transfer and 1 by confession of faith. Pictured are (back, l-r) pastor George Klassen, pastor Bob Marsch, Paul Neufeld (b), Thomas Penner (b), Philip Kroeker (b), pastor Derek Zeilstra; (front) Danelle Kasdorf (cf), Kim Falk (t), Laura Hochheim (b), Armin W. Martens (b), Matthew Schmidt (t) and pastor Roland Marsch.
Summerside Community Church, a new church plant in Edmonton, welcomed 4 new members by baptism June 18. Pictured are (l-r) church planters Ray and Kathryn Wiens, Karmen Selsky, Sharon Wiens, Deneal Renneberg and Clayton Renneberg.
Summerside Community Church, a new church plant in Edmonton, welcomed 2 new members by baptism June 25. Pictured are (l-r) Jim Hartley, pastor Ray Wiens and Shirley Hartley.
Kennedy Heights MB Church in Delta, B.C. welcomed 5 new members recently, 4 by baptism and 1 by transfer. Pictured are (l-r) pastor Rey Nickel, David Sutton (t), Margaret Sutton (b), Luke Flaming (b), Jonathan Warkentin (b) and Gordon Giesbrecht (b).
Hyde Creek Community Church in Port Coquitlam, B.C. welcomed 3 new members Nov. 19, 1 by baptism, 1 by transfer and 1 by confession of faith. Pictured are (l-r) pastor Ted Klassen, Madeline Sept (b), Charlene Bowley (cf) and Tim Rempel (t).
North Kildonan MB Church in Winnipeg welcomed 8 new members Apr. 23, 2000, 7 by baptism and 1 by transfer. Pictured are (back, l-r) Aaron Hoard (b), Justin Olfert (b), Willi Rahn (b), pastor Derek Zeilstra; (middle) pastor George Klassen, pastor Bob Marsch, Anthony Fast (b), deacon Helmut Kasdorf; (front) Ruth Goetz (b), Clair Rahn (t), Ramona Pauls (b) and Jodi Loewen (b)
Coaldale (Alta.) MB Church welcomed 6 new members Nov. 5, Dec. 3 and Jan. 7, 4 by baptism, 2 by transfer and 1 by confession of faith. Pictured are (back, l-r) Ang Penner (cf), Brent Matthies (b), pastor Dale Friesen; pastor Randy Klassen (front) pastor Lorne Willms, Helen Rempel (t), Nicole Leusink (b), Sherry Unser (b) and Lance Unser (b).
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Last modified March 6, 2001.
© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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