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B.C., Alberta MB Conferences seeing new growth this fall
MB church launched in Winfield
Winfield, B.C.
The B.C. MB Conference Board of Church Extension is pleased to announce the beginning of a new church in Winfield, B.C., a growing city between Kelowna and Vernon. Steven and Angela Pahl and their family moved from Medicine Hat, Alta., to begin this assignment, July 1, 1999.
BOCE has been in active dialogue with a core group of families from this area for the past year in preparation for the new church, which has been named Orchard Valley Church. Both Garden Valley Community Church and Willow Park MB Church, Mennonite Brethren congregations in Kelowna, are providing various levels of support, involving people, finances and equipment.
The official launch of public services is expected to take place Oct. 17, 1999 in a newly renovated school now known as Woodsdale Community Centre, 3051 Woodsdale Rd., in Winfield. Sunday evening worship events for believers this summer have attracted 35-40 attenders.
 For the past seven years, Steven Pahl has been student ministries pastor at Hillcrest Church, an Evangelical Missionary congregation in Medicine Hat. Before that, he served for a year as a pastoral intern at Forest Grove Community Church in Saskatoon. He had grown up in Coaldale (Alta.) MB Church. He is a graduate of Bethany Bible Institute and has a B.A. in history from the University of Saskatchewan. He and his wife Angela have two children, Sarah, 4, and Michael, 16 months. – Board of Church Extension news release
Mission Calgary appoints another church planter
Calgary, Alta.
Joseph Chun-Jen Liou has been hired by Mission Calgary, the joint church planting initiative of the Canadian MB Conference Board of Evangelism and the Alberta MB Conference, to plant a Mandarin-speaking Chinese MB church in Calgary, beginning Sept. 1.
Liou has a B.A. from Soochow University in Taipei, Taiwan, an M.A. from Tamkang University in Taipei and an M.A. from Regent College in  Vancouver. Previously, he was involved for a year in New Life Lutheran Church in Vancouver, was a youth leader for a year at Shiloh United Church, New Westminster, B.C., taught three years at Christ’s College in Taipei, was executive secretary for China Ministries International in Taipei for a year, worked as a research assistant, and served two years in the Taiwanese marine corps.
Liou’s wife Deanna has a B.Ed. from University of Calgary and an M.A. from Prairie Graduate School, Three Hills, Alta. Previously, she was a resource teacher at John Knox Christian School in Burnaby, B.C. for three years; taught special needs children in Salvation Army Children’s Village in Calgary for a year; was Christian education director at South Calgary Chinese Alliance Church for three years; taught special needs children for the Calgary Board of Education for five years; was a sessional instructor at Mount Royal College in Calgary; sat on the board of directors for the Canadian Chinese Christian Youth Winter Conference Ministries for three years; was associate pastor of Mountainview Grace MB Church in Calgary for a year; and was a teacher in China with Overseas Missionary Fellowship for two months. The Lious have a son, Benjamin, 3 months old.
Jack To, pastor of Mountainview Grace Church, a Cantonese-speaking MB church in Calgary, is the mentor for the Lious. For at least the first year, the Lious will work in the Mountainview Grace Church and begin outreach to Mandarin-speaking people, with the goal of eventually establishing a separate Mandarin-speaking MB church. – PW
MB church restarted
Mission, B.C.
Ron and Marcella Redekop have been appointed as pastor couple to restart the only Mennonite Brethren church in Mission, B.C., effective Sept. 1. The Redekops have just completed seven years at Central Heights MB Church in  Abbotsford, B.C., where Ron served as college and career pastor and adult ministries pastor. The B.C. MB Conference is grateful for the partnership and support of the Central Heights leadership and church regarding the Mission appointment.
The new church in Mission, called Northside Community Church, will have its public launch service Oct. 3. The previous MB church, Mission Christian Fellowship, closed in February. The new church will take over the MCF building.
At information meetings for interested families in July and August, 50 families indicated that they are seriously considering being part of the new church. Northside Community Church is inviting others in the Mission area and beyond to join in the new venture.
The B.C. MB Conference took charge of the reorganization of the church and appointed the Redekops. A temporary leadership team from the Mission area has been appointed to participate in making some of the interim decisions regarding the pastoral appointment and doing some facility upgrades. To assure a strong start, the B.C. MB Conference Board of Church Extension has contracted the services of veteran church planters Paul and Betty Fast on a part-time basis to assist the Redekops in the restart.
The commissioning service for Ron and Marcella Redekop was to be held Sunday, Sept. 19 in Central Heights Church. The Redekops have a one-year-old daughter, Darya, adopted from Russia. Marcella has studied at the University of Calgary, Camrose Lutheran College and Briercrest Bible College, and has a B.A. in psychology from Trinity Western University. Ron has an A.A. from Trinity Western College (now Trinity Western University), a B.A. in sociology from the University of British Columbia and an M.Div from Associated Canadian Theological Schools. – Board of Church Extension news release
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Last modified September 28, 1999.
© 1999 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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