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Alberta MB Conference Convention
Linden, Alta.  •  March 23-24
Church plants buoy Conference


A comfortable, rural atmosphere pervaded Linden MB Church at the annual convention of the Alberta MB Conference, and the sound of friends greeting each other echoed through the registration area. The theme for the convention, March 23-24, was “On wings of prayer”, and it was fitting that many had already spent the afternoon praying together.

Worship

Delbert Enns, director of Family Life Network (a ministry of the Manitoba MB Conference), was the guest speaker. To introduce Enns, Moderator Harry Heidebrecht

Delbert Enns

shared that he had happened to watch Enns on Willard Thiessen’s, It’s a New Day TV program one day. Enns had shared about his experiences in praying; for Heidebrecht, this was the impetus to invite him to speak to the Alberta delegation.

Enns did not disappoint. He was passionate about his subject. On Friday evening he concentrated on “Walking in the spirit of weakness”. Enns stated, “I am a God-chaser. This is about chasing God and His ultimate will for churches.” As an example, he cited that the churches in Latin America have just completed a time of prayer and fasting, and as a result God is bringing awakening to that area. Enns suggested that believers need to see where the Father is at work, and then join Him.

Enns then went on to cite 2 Chronicles 7:14. The Israelites had been celebrating the completion of the temple for 14 days, double the time usually spent, because they had so much to be thankful for. Solomon had been so busy during this time that the only time God was able to speak to him was during the night. God reminded Solomon that the temple was really God’s place: “I have heard your prayer and chosen this place,” and if the people would pray, God would answer.

Enns held up a wood carving from South America which featured an old man carrying all his belongings on his back, and a little boy playing with an old tire rim. Enns stated that this illustrated his life at one time – he had nothing. But then Enns drew attention to the empty bowl the man was carrying, and stated that the man had nothing to give, nothing to offer, nothing to hold back, but that God could fill the empty bowl. If believers come with an empty bowl, God will know they are hungry and will give more than they can imagine – there will be revival and reawakening, and churches will be filled to the rafters, not with numbers but with people who are hungry for God.

Enns’s second message, Saturday morning, focused on “Arising in strength”. When Enns was invited to come to Canada to be associate director of MB Communications, he realized that success would come only as he relied on God. He had too often in the past relied on his own strength, which had led to some successes but also to failure. When, in January 2000 he was invited to step up into the role of director, he was afraid of messing up again, but then his wife gave him a painting of an eagle, and encouraged Enns to be like the eagle and rise in strength above the circumstances.

Enns told about the transformations that are happening in cities around the world, particularly in Latin America. Christians in a particular Latin American city prayed around that city and then went to the central plaza to pray specifically for the lottery ticket sellers, an influential group, that they and others would turn to God. Enns brought this back to Linden by asking, “What are we praying for? Large numbers? A good program? Rather, we need to pray for a surge of faith.”

Enns concluded with the illustration of a roller coaster. When one gets into a roller coaster, one knows how many loops there will be in the ride; however, when one decides to get into real life with God, the number of loops is unpredictable; one thing that is predictable is that the Lord is the everlasting God; if an eagle hangs onto its perch, it can’t rise. It’s only as it lets go that it can rise in strength. God has a perfect plan for each person and He brings to perfection what He has started. He has perfect timing, and when believers rely on that perfect timing, they can also rise in strength.

Newness

Two churches, Ridgeview Community Church in Calgary and Summerside Community Church in Edmonton, were accepted into the Alberta MB Conference. Phil Wideman, Ridgeview’s pastor and the first church planter with the Conference’s Mission Calgary, was excited about what God has been doing. “I’m having so much fun in the Lord’s work,” he said. There were 200 people at the church’s last service, and 10 people prayed to receive Christ into their lives in March. Yet he affirmed that nothing of consequence is accomplished without prayer. Moderator Harry Heidebrecht and veteran churchman George Reimer prayed for continued growth in the church.

Ridgeview Church

Ray Wiens, pastor of Summerside, stated that Jake Balzer, consultant to the Alberta Conference Church Extension Commission, had challenged the Board members to each plant a church. Wiens felt he was off the hook since he had already planted a church in B.C. (Whistler Community Church). However, when the opportunity came to plant another church, he did not hesitate. Wiens stated, “It’s clear that Someone Else is in control,” since the church has already had 10 baptisms and one more is planned. Besides seeking to be culturally relevant, the church is reaching all age groups and is overrun with young people and children.

At the Saturday morning breakfast sponsored by the Church Extension Commission, other church planters briefly shared about their ministries. Curt Snell of The River, indicated that his church was in a new area of Calgary which will have about 15-20,000 residents. This church is the only evangelical witness. About 30 families, both seekers and mature believers, are already attending. They have a solid leadership team, an emerging children’s ministry, “life groups” and the Alpha program. The group is also helping another church plant, Promontory in Chilliwack B.C., being started by Brian and Becky Wiebe, former intern church planters at The River.

Grant Galpin started Saddleridge Community Church in September from ground zero. After surveying various areas of Calgary, he found the most response came from the northeast quadrant, where 46 % of the people surveyed showed an interest in a new church. A number of families from other churches in the city have come to help. They have begun life groups and house groups. These groups meet jointly once a month for fellowship. They already have eight new believers, even before the projected launch date of October 14. The core philosophy is taken from Luke 10: “The harvest is plentiful, go.”

Vic and Mary Peters are bivocational church planters who felt God’s call to plant a church. When other doors closed, they came to Alberta, where they chose the community of Langdon, close to Calgary. This growing community, projected to double in the next 3-4 years, has only one church. A survey of 56 homes indicated that 22 were not interested and 34 wanted to be kept informed; 17 of the latter were open to having a Bible study. Vic is working in construction during these beginnings.

Workneh Mogesse of the Ethiopian Church in Calgary stated that there are 3000 Ethiopians in the city, and the community is quite favourable to his church. They have a group of about 60 and are focusing on one-to-one evangelism.

Business

The Commissions again used the venue of workshops to bring information about their work to the delegates. They then summarized this information at a general session Saturday afternoon.

Executive Committee. This last year has been a year of implementation of the decisions made at last year’s convention. The new three-person Administrative Committee is in place and is assisting the Executive with financial and management matters. This was the first year the Executive Board, consisting of the Executive, the chairs of the Commissions and the Administrative Committee, met, and also the first year the Council of Leaders was convened. It is hoped this new structure will facilitate better communication within the Commissions and between the Conference and the churches.

The Executive Committee also recommended that the salary grid for Conference employees be increased by 3.5% (based on the Consumer Price Index for Alberta).

Discussions regarding paid staffing for the Conference have been started, and will become a priority in the coming year. One of the options is to jointly hire a Church Extension Director with the Saskatchewan MB Conference.

Finances. Interim treasurer Monte Blue informed the delegates that revenues ($192,650) had been higher than expenditures ($164,650) during the past year, so, according to Conference policy, the excess funds ($28,000) were distributed equally to the Church Planting Fund and the Camp Capital Improvement Fund. The budget for the coming year is set at $201,500. This includes $70,000 to Mission Calgary, in order to continue funding new church plants. Blue also indicated that giving has increased substantially over the last three years, possibly because there are projects which need the support.

Web site. Every Alberta Mennonite Brethren church and/or pastor is now on e-mail, and Webmaster Irwin Warkentin has built a Conference Web site (http://ab.mbconf.ca) to provide information about the churches and the Conference; and to facilitate communication.

John Thiessen

Camp Evergreen. Chair John Thiessen reported that approximately 6000 children and young adults had been a part of the camp this past year. This includes the summer camps and other camps during the rest of the year. The main challenge for the coming years will be to upgrade the facilities to maintain public health and safety standards as well to enlarge the lodge.

Church Extension Commission. Ed Browne, standing in for chair Willy Reimer who is on sabbatical, indicated that the Commission would like to begin another 2-3 churches if church planters can be found or if established churches are willing to plant daughter churches. Jake Balzer, volunteer church planting director was thanked for his ministry to the province. Balzer stated that Alberta had modelled working together, particularly the churches in Calgary. He was affirmed for another one-year term.

Faith and Life Commission. Chair Gerhard Reimer introduced pastors new to the province. Conference Minister Abe Konrad stated he had spent much time visiting churches and visiting with hurting pastors, and he appreciated the prayers of pastors and churches during these times. He testified that he had spent more time chasing God during the past five years than he had in the previous 20.

Christian Education Commission. A survey of the needs of churches in this area, and the value of the Commission to the churches, elicited both disconcerting and heartening responses. This has led the Commission to suggest that perhaps it should be disbanded and the work absorbed by other agencies. This was referred to the Executive Committee for further discussion.

(l-r) Harry Heidebrecht, Lorne Willms

There were no new nominations to the Christian Education Commission. This leaves current members Vic Mensch (Canadian Christian Education Ministries Board representative) and Lois Barranoik to carry on what work there is.

Elections. Lorne Willms was acclaimed as the new moderator, Irwin Warkentin as the secretary and Monte Blue as the treasurer; however, no assistant moderator was discerned.

Closing

The convention was wrapped up with a communion service led by newly elected moderator Lorne Willms. Basing his message on Ephesians 3:20-21, he stated that God can work through His people and their prayers and they can achieve “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine”. It can happen only through God’s power working through His people, and it will happen only for God’s glory.

 – sbb

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Last modified June 4, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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