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Tim Thiessen has accepted a call to pastor College Drive Community Church in Lethbridge, Alta., beginning this spring or early summer. He is currently pastoring New Beginnings, an independent, non-affiliated church in Winnipeg, where he has served since 1988. His last Sunday in that church will be Mar. 24, and he is planning to go on a short-term mission trip to Zambia from mid-April to May. Previously, he has done several short-term mission trips to Zambia, doing relief work and leadership training in a church there. He has worked in the retail food industry, including managing his own supermarket, for 12 years. He has studied towards a B.Th. from Vision Christian College in Ramona, Calif. and has a five-year ministry-training certificate through Victorious Faith Ministries of Winnipeg. He and his wife Marilyn have three daughters, Heather, 18, a student at Canadian Mennonite University; Stefany, 16, in grade 11; and Britany, 13, in grade 9.
Vern and Carol Heidebrecht, senior pastor couple at Northview Community Church, Abbotsford, B.C., are on a three-month sabbatical that began Jan. 9. The Heidebrechts have been senior pastor couple at Northview for 14 years, and have been serving in pastoral ministry for 39 years.
Greg Harris began serving as executive pastor at Northview Community Church, Abbotsford, B.C. on Jan. 1. He has been pastor of administration there for over a year. Previously, he was pastor of administration at Evangel Church in Kelowna, B.C. for eight years and worked in commercial lending at a bank for nine years. He has a bachelor of business administration degree from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. and a master of business administration degree from the University of Alberta and is a member of the National Association of Church Business Administrators (NACBA); he is preparing to pursue a master’s degree in Christian studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. He and his wife Patricia have three children, Jocelyn, 8, Michele, 7, and Marika, 3.
Bev Peters began serving as pastor of women’s ministries at Northview Community Church, Abbotsford, B.C. in January. Since Aug. 1, 2001, she has been serving as director of women’s ministries. She has led Precept Upon Precept inductive Bible study classes for 12 years and has been part of the women’s ministries at the church for nine years, leading women’s study classes, ladies’ retreats and leadership training workshops. She and her husband Lorne have three sons, Karl, 17, Brad, 15, and Adam, 13. They live on a poultry farm.
Peter Reimer has resigned as Mennonite Brethren Stewardship Ministries representative for Saskatchewan, Alberta and northern B.C., effective in January, after serving since Sept. 15. Stewardship Ministries is a service agency of the Board of Management for the Canadian MB Conference. Reimer and his family live in Valemount, B.C., where he practises as a notary public and works in insurance.
Randy and Holly Berg began serving as half-time interim youth worker couple at Dalmeny (Sask.) Community Church in December. Randy also works at the Sherbrook Community Centre in Saskatoon. Previously, they served as volunteer youth workers in the church. They both attended Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute in Camrose, Alta. Randy has fourth class engineering training from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary. He grew up in Mission, B.C. Holly, who is originally from Langenburg, Sask., trained for a year with Youth With A Mission in Mexico. They have two children, Stefan, 8, and Amy, 5.
Jenivere Peters began serving a one-year full-time pastoral internship at Killarney Park MB Church in Vancouver on Sept. 1, 2001. As of Jan. 1, she came on subsidy with the B.C. MB Conference through its Pastoral Apprenticeship program. She is ministering in the areas of youth and worship and is being mentored by senior pastor Ken Peters (no relation). She has completed two years at Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C. She is married to Jesse, a professional jazz musician.
Tom Friesen began serving a full-time pastoral internship in Scott Street MB Church in St. Catharines, Ont. last April. He is working with the youth and the college and career. Friesen, who is from the Scott Street church, has been working with the youth for the past five years. He is close to completing a B.Th. from Tyndale College in Toronto.
As of Feb. 1, Phil Toews, who has been serving a part-time pastoral internship at Central Heights MB Church, Abbotsford, B.C. since last fall (see MBH, Dec. 21, 2001), has moved to 3/4-time and come on subsidy under the B.C. MB Conference Pastoral Apprenticeship program.
D. Merrill Ewert of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., will become the 10th president of Fresno (Calif.) Pacific University on July 1. FPU is owned and operated by the Pacific District Mennonite Brethren Conference. Ewert currently is professor, director and associate dean of Cornell Cooperative Extension and is associate dean for outreach in Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Human Ecology. He will be replacing FPU interim president Harold Haak, who is completing his term in June. Previously, Ewert was assistant and associate professor of education at Cornell, director of extension and continuing education at Wheaton (Ill.) College and assistant professor of adult/extension education and cooperative extension specialist at the University of Maryland. He was relief coordinator and extension educator with MBMS International in Congo 1967-69 and was project director with Mennonite Central Committee in Congo 1973-76. He has a bachelor’s degree from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan. and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Bob Enns has resigned as senior pastor of South Park MB Church in Altona, Man., effective this July after serving for 13-and-a-half years. Previously, he was assistant pastor at Mayfair Mennonite Church in Saskatoon for four years. He has an M.Div. from Providence Theological Seminary in Otterburne, Man. His wife Vicki works for Friesen’s Printers. They have two daughters, Carrie, 16, and Tracy, 14. They are open to further ministry.
Baptisms and new members
Note: Baptism photos appear in the paper version of the Herald but not in the online version.
River West Christian Church in Edmonton baptized and welcomed into its fellowship five people on Nov. 25: Heather Kuhl, Jessica Morrill, Norm Normand, Walter Ruiz and Simon Ghali.
Bakerview MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. welcomed 5 new members by baptism Nov. 25. Pictured are (l-r) pastor Michael Dick, Adrian Reimer, Andy Voth, pastor Tim Wiebe, Brian Allan, Sharon Kemp-Allan and pastor Ross Johnston. Not pictured is Amber Balzer.
Hindi Punjabi Fraserview Gospel Chapel in Surrey, B.C. welcomed 2 new members by baptism Oct. 30. Pictured are (l-r) Gurjeet Janjua, Gurmej Mehai and pastor Santosh K. Raj.
On June 21, l’Église chrétienne de St-Jérôme, Que. received eight new members, two by baptism, four by confession of faith and two by transfer. Pictured are pastoral team member Abraham Medeiros, Lucille and Alain Pessione (cf), Yves Charbonneau (cf), Jeannine Couture (cf), Marie-Claude Deneault (b), Martin Laurier (b), Benoît Cloutier (t), Carla Martens (t) and pastor Jean-Calvin Kitata.
Port Rowan (Ont.) MB Church welcomed 7 new members Dec. 2, 3 by baptism and 4 by confession of faith. Pictured are (back, l-r) pastor Randy Dueck, pastor Sandy Young, Jim Ness (cf); (front) Rick Heinrichs (b), Alex Solga (b), Dan Meulemeester (b), Janice Eves (cf), Brenda Ness (cf) and Les Eves (cf).
On October 13, the Mennonite Brethren church in Charlesbourg, Que. welcomed 53 people who had formerly been members of l’Église évangélique de Montmorency, a nondenominational congregation from which several of the founding members of the Charlesbourg congregation had come. The purpose of the event was to rekindle the flame of love for Christ in many of these former members and invite them to return to active participation in an evangelical congregation. The evening featured a buffet supper, skits, humour and a concert of praise, led partly by the Charlesbourg church worship team and partly by two singers from the former era. One couple, who had previously written several songs, bravely dusted off their old guitar and, with great emotion, led those present in praise. The event was a great blessing to the Charlesbourg congregation, uniting them in prayer and preparation for the event for over six months. As a result of the event, one woman is now regularly attending the church again. The Charlesbourg church, in a suburb of Quebec city, has gone through some difficult times but is now being “restarted” under the leadership of pastor couple Pierre and Claudette Pellerin.
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Last modified March 28, 2002.
© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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