Previous | Next 

Reichenhall, Germany
20-year church-planting veterans leave missionary service for pastorate in Germany


After 20 years of church planting in Germany, MBMS International missionaries Paul and Ina Warkentin are taking a break from missionary service to pastor an established German church.

The Warkentins, who are in their mid-40s, began a Mennonite Brethren church in Bad Reichenhall, a town of 18,000, eight years ago. By the time the church completed renovation of its current building three years ago, attendance on a Sunday morning was about 40 people. Now, the church has a weekly attendance of 80–90.

The Warkentins are leaving because the church-planting phase has been completed. “Every church needs a break from the starter ideas of a church planter,” says Paul. “In addition to doing outreach, the church needs to consolidate, to work on inner relationships.”

The new pastor couple, Andreas and Irmi Peters, came to the church in September 2001, allowing for six months of transition from a full-time missionary couple to a half-time pastor couple supported by the church.

In fall 2002, the Warkentins will take over as pastor couple of Immanuel MB Church, in Bielefeld, Germany, a church that was planted by MBMSI missionaries John and Mary Klassen over 14 years ago.

The Warkentins replace Alexander Neufeld, who left Immanuel Church after serving for 14 years to pastor the MB church in Dresden, Germany. The Dresden church was planted by Paul’s parents, Lawrence and Selma Warkentin.

“The Immanuel Church request came at the right time,” Paul says. “If it had not come, we would have gone into church planting again. There were no openings in the Bavarian province, and we were looking for opportunities in the former East Germany.”

The Warkentins say they also wanted to consider the needs of their two sons, John-Michael, 17, and Daniel, 12. “It is difficult in a church plant to find a community of youth, and they need a church with young people,” says Paul.

The Warkentins are no strangers to Immanuel Church. For their first year of service with MBMSI 20 years ago, they interned with many of the church’s young leaders, who were then in the youth group.

“Immanuel is a young church: dynamic, fluid and creative,” says Paul. “Of the 400 attenders, 200 are under the age of 24. I think we will fit in well.”

 – Brad Thiessen, MBMS International

Previous | Next 

Last modified June 14, 2002.

© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
Masthead and usage information.