My journey

I was born and raised in Abbotsford, B.C. by godly parents, Victor and Herta Thiessen. Pastor David Nickel led me to faith in Jesus Christ and I was baptized in my youth. I served with MCC for two years after completing high school. During this time I made the intentional choice to make my faith in Jesus an integral and active part of my life.

Married to Irene Berg in 1977, I have made Ontario my home since 1981. We are blessed with two sons, Dave (22) and Brian (20). Today I head up the information technology department for a trucking company called Erb Transport Limited.

In 1989, I was elected to be moderator of Glencairn MB Church in Kitchener, Ont. without ever having been on a formal committee before, let alone having led one. I know God called me to serve in this capacity through a number of affirmations. With strong support from Hardy Klassen and Henry Petkau, I had opportunity to develop leadership skills within the church. Additional leadership experience was gained with the National Church Development refocusing process for Glencairn Church. It is here where I dynamically experienced the power of prayer alongside the administration and organizational progress. My involvement with the Ontario MB Conference began as Leadership Council member, then assistant moderator and now as moderator (2003).

During opportunities for service, my relationship with God was growing. Through specific circumstances, God called me to change my focus from the “works about Him,” to just knowing and experiencing Him. He wanted me to want just Him and be obedient to what He asked of me. I continue to experience a newfound freedom in serving Christ. I describe it as moving from “destination driven” to ‘journey conscious.” Most importantly, I find myself falling deeper in love with Jesus.

The key component to serving as provincial moderator is my prayer team, the men and women who pray regularly for me. I am able to share my feelings of concern and expectation with them, and then they do the real work. I believe the true battle is played out in the realms beyond the meeting rooms. It is through prayer where God advances His kingdom, and then calls us to move into these new areas of occupation as ambassadors for Him.

God has placed on my heart a deep love and appreciation for the people and churches of Ontario. Visits to our churches have encouraged me with what God is doing in the local church. I desire that our churches will, first and foremost, be increasingly drawn to the love God wants to extend to each of us. I desire that we hunger more for prayer with God, and be expectant to the voice of God. And I desire a renewed boldness in reaching into the world outside our churches.

Out Front is a column written by leaders in our Conference.

Vic Thiessen is moderator of the Ontario MB Conference.