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Winnipeg, Man.
North Kildonan MB Church rises out of the ashes


The mood was festive as members and guests of North Kildonan MB Church in Winnipeg came together on September 8, 2002 to celebrate the grand opening of their sanctuary.


After a fire destroyed the old church on April 7, 1998 the congregation met at Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute’s Jubilee Place for worship services and Sunday school. The move to the large modern sanctuary took place on Pentecost Sunday but the celebration was delayed until most of the amenities had been completed.

Music by the youth choir directed by music pastor Derek Zeilstra, and by the German choir under the direction of Mary Kasdorf combined with greetings from civic dignitaries and sister churches made the day a memorable one. Organizations that had particularly been helpful to the church during its rebuilding were thanked and presented with a cheque for use in a cause of their choosing.

Pastor George Klassen welcomed the congregation and thanked the many volunteers and sacrificial givers. “But most importantly,” Klassen said, “we celebrate today, because we recognize the gracious and generous nature of our God.”


Jascha Boge, moderator of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches, brought greetings and shared some of his personal memories of worshipping at NKMB Church for many years. He went on to compare the fire that destroyed the church with a forest fire that brings great loss, but, when rejuvenated by the sun and rain, grows stronger, healthier and more beautiful than before. “May God pour out His Holy Spirit among you, that the NKMB Church in this new location and this new facility becomes stronger, healthier and more beautiful.”

Manitoba Conference Pastor Herb Kopp brought greetings from the Manitoba MB Conference and gave a message in which he spoke of God’s longing to have a relationship with His people from the earliest beginnings, as well as humanity’s longing to have a relationship with the eternal God. Isaiah’s lament and that of many generations “Oh, that you would tear the heavens and come down to be among us!” was, however, only fully met in Jesus Christ who tore the heavens open and came to be incarnated as a human being, bringing something new. Suddenly, neither the Tabernacle nor the Temple was most important, but the people who followed God. “If we think that God will live in this place, then we are only partially right. God will live in this place, but God primarily will live in you, and so we pray that God will live in every person who is part of this congregation so that Winnipeg and the whole world will know the love and the care of God.”

A video presentation, produced by Paul Boge and Chris Radtke, showed the history of NKMB Church from its earliest beginnings and then went on to show footage of the disastrous fire; the historic march of the congregation from the old site to the new site; the sod-turning ceremony and the construction as well as the new facility itself, and ended with the words: “In its 74-year history, our congregation has seen a variety of homes. Our present location serves as a reminder that NKMB is not a building, rather it is a group of people, young and old, who share a vision of following and proclaiming Jesus Christ.”

Pastor Roland Marsch, together with the other pastors led in a dedicatory prayer to conclude the service.

 – Marianne Dulder

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Last modified November 21, 2002.

© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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