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Mark Jantzen became lead pastor of Dalhousie Community Church in Calgary March 1 after serving as associate pastor of ministries development for three-and-a-half years. He replaces Ron Toews, who resigned Jan. 31 to teach at MB Biblical Seminary-ACTS in Langley, B.C. (See MBH, Personalia, Dec. 21.) Previously, Jantzen was pastor of Crestwood MB Church in Medicine Hat, Alta. for nine years and worked in retail management for seven years. He was moderator of the Alberta MB Conference for three years. He has a commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and an M.Div. from Regent College in Vancouver. His wife Sylvia is a receptionist at a doctor’s office in Calgary. They have three children, Theresa, married to Seth; Erica, a student at Mount Royal College in Calgary; and Craig, a grade 11 student.
Don and Sandee Craw began serving as pastor couple/church planters of Hope Community Church in the Stoney Creek-Hamilton, Ont. area on Jan. 11. Hope Community Church is the new name of Mountview Community Church, which closed Nov. 4, 2001. (see MBH, News, Dec. 7.) Previously, he was associate pastor at Park Bible Church in Burlington, Ont. for three years and worked in business management for over 25 years. He has a B.A. from York University and an M.Div. from Tyndale (formerly Ontario Theological) Seminary in Toronto. Sandee is a retired public health nurse, who previously ran In Touch, a ministry to shut-ins, at Park Bible Church. She has a diploma in nursing from Kitchener-Waterloo (Ont.) General Hospital. The Craws have two grown children and two grandchildren.
Eugene and Sonia Harder began serving as interim pastor couple of Hyde Creek Community Church in Port Coquitlam, B.C. in January. Previously, he pastored New Hope Community Church in North Vancouver for 13 years, pastored Mission (B.C.) Baptist Church for two years, pastored Departure Bay Baptist Church in Nanaimo, B.C. for six years and started a Baptist church in Edson, Alta. He has a B.Th. from Northwest Baptist Theological College.
Heinz and Edith Ratzlaff were installed as associate pastor couple at Clearbrook MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. on Jan. 13. They are serving the church in the areas of preaching (German and English) and visitation. Arnie Peters, moderator of the B.C. MB Conference, brought the message, “Soar, Run, Walk”, based on Isaiah 40:28-31. This was followed by prayers of dedication. Previously, Heinz pastored Valleycliffe Christian Fellowship in Squamish, B.C. for two years, Salem Evangelical Church in Calgary for three years and Highland MB Church in Calgary for six years. He also taught at Mennonite Educational Institute in Abbotsford, in the Chilliwack, B.C. area and in Squamish. He has a B.Ed. from the University of British Columbia, an M.A. from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. and an M.Div. from MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif. The Ratzlaffs have four grown children. They began serving Jan. 1.
Jeff Peters has resigned as youth pastor at Hepburn (Sask.) MB Church, effective June 30 after serving for three years. Previously, he did a one-year pastoral internship at Warman (Sask.) MB Church and worked one year at the Window and Door Store in Saskatoon. He has a B.A. from Millar College of the Bible in Pambrun, Sask. He and his wife Connie have a daughter, Jenna, 1. Jeff is planning to attend seminary.
Phil Rushton began serving as part-time worship coordinator at Murrayville Community Church in Langley, B.C. in February. Previously, he was involved in worship at Bakerview MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. for six years and has worked at Camp Qwanoes. He has seven years of training each in guitar and violin. He is a second-year student at Trinity Western University in Langley.
Marv Franz has been serving as campus pastor at Waterloo (Ont.) MB Church since February 2001. He is also working with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, serving at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. Previously, he worked with IVCF for six years. He has a B.Sc. and a B.Ed. from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., an M.Div. from Tyndale Seminary in Toronto and an M.Th. from Regent College in Vancouver. He and his wife Christine have two children, Jillian, 22 months, and Curtis, 3 months.
Scott Young will be serving a pastoral internship at Grace MB Church in Penticton, B.C., beginning May 1, through the B.C. MB Conference Pastoral Apprenticeship program. He has worked as a youth sponsor in the church. He is a third-year student at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C. He and his wife Jo-Anne have two daughters, Elizabeth, 3, and Anna, 1. Young will be mentored by pastor Blake Wagner and church council chair John Balzer.
Sean Hassall began serving a half-time pastoral internship at Promontory Community Church in Chilliwack, B.C. in January. As of March 1, he came on subsidy with the B.C. MB Conference Pastoral Apprenticeship program. He is working primarily as worship leader in the church, and is being mentored by pastor Brian Wiebe. Hassall is a student at MB Biblical Seminary-ACTS in Langley, B.C., and has a diploma in music performance from Mount Royal College in Calgary and a B.R.E. from Alberta Bible College in Calgary. For the past three years, he has worked in employment development for Mennonite Central Committee B.C., helping at-risk youth find jobs. He has done a chaplaincy internship at Foothills Hospital in Calgary. He is married to Shelly, a career management counsellor at CJS Career Management Services in Chilliwack.
Brandon Thiessen is serving an internship in the Spiritual Life Department at Eden High School in St. Catharines, Ont. through the Ontario MB Conference Board of Faith and Life internship program. He is currently leading the school’s Take Flight program, a cross-cultural mission trip to Uruguay with Operation Mobilization. A grad of Eden, Thiessen attended Brock University in St. Catharines for a year but wanted ministry training. He served with Youth Mission International’s Trek program in September and October and took part in the Take Flight program two years ago. He has been a youth sponsor at Vineland (Ont.) MB Church for the last two years. He is being mentored by Ed Heinrichs, director of Eden’s Spiritual Life Department.
Gordon Zerbe, associate professor of New Testament at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, will be the next New Testament editor for the Believers Church Bible Commentary series. He will replace Willard M. Swartley, who has served as New Testament editor since 1989. Zerbe has taught New Testament courses at Canadian Mennonite Bible College (now part of CMU) since 1990. He is a graduate of Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kan., and MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif., and has a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is a member of Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship in Winnipeg. The Believers Church Bible Commentary series, published by Herald Press in Scottdale, Pa. and Waterloo, Ont., is the work of six Anabaptist-Mennonite groups, including Mennonite Brethren.
Twenty-three workers participated in an orientation held at Mennonite Central Committee headquarters in Akron, Pa., Jan. 22-Feb. 1. Fourteen are beginning overseas assignments; 9 are beginning North American assignments. Lois Braun and Siggi Holzhaeuer of Sidney, B.C. are beginning a five-year assignment as country representatives in Zambia. Lois has previously served with Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission and the Commission on Overseas Missions (of the former General Conference Mennonite Church) in Zaïre (now Democratic Republic of Congo). Siggi has previously served in the Congo with another agency. Lois has a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Victoria and was last employed as a preschool French teacher for Maria Montessori Academy in Victoria, B.C. Siggi has a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of Stuttgart in Germany and was last self-employed as a horticulturist and gardener. They have two children, Lucas and Katrina, and are members of Saanich (B.C.) Community Church. Bonnie Klassen of Waterloo, Ont., most recently of Bogotá, Colombia, is beginning a six-year assignment as country representative in Colombia. She has previously served with Commission on Overseas Missions/Mennonite Board of Missions (of the former Mennonite Church) in Colombia and with MCC in Kitchener, Ont. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and peace and conflict studies from the University of Waterloo/Conrad Grebel College. She last worked as an assistant director for JustaPaz, the peace and justice program of the Colombia Mennonite Church, in Bogotá. She attends Teusaquillo Mennonite Church in Bogotá and is a member of Kitchener (Ont.) MB Church.
Gary and Ellie Loewen have accepted a call to become senior pastor couple of Winkler (Man.) MB Church, effective July 1. Gary graduated from the three-year biblical studies program at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C., then earned his B.Th. at Canadian Mennonite Bible College in Winnipeg while serving as half-time pastor of Sterling Mennonite Fellowship. He then served for 10 years with the General Conference Mennonite Church’s Commission on Overseas Mission, doing church planting and establishing a seminary by extension program in Brazil. 
Gary and Ellie, Rosanna, Dan and Charlotte Loewen |
He served as associate then interim senior pastor for two years at Cedar Valley Mennonite Church in Mission, B.C. and then served as church planter for Wellspring Christian Fellowship, a Mennonite congregation in Abbotsford. For the past six years, he has run his own lawn care business. During that time, he also served as interim conference minister for the Conference of Mennonites in B.C. (now Mennonite Church B.C.) for nine months, a Natural Church Development coach (2nd level), guest preacher and retreat speaker. He has served on the board of Columbia Bible College for the past 12 years, including six years as chair and four years as vice-chair. He has also studied toward a master’s degree at Associated Canadian Theological Schools, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Regent College and MB Biblical Seminary. Ellie has been the administrative secretary for Mennonite Church B.C. for the past 10 years. The Loewens have three grown children, Charlotte, Rosanna and Dan.
Baptisms and new members
Note: Baptism photos appear in the paper version of the Herald but not in the online version.
The Neighbourhood Church in Nanaimo, B.C. baptized and welcomed five people into its fellowship Sept. 9 and 1 person Nov. 25: Darren Bahlman, Byron Bahlman, Jessica Lam, Travis Barbour and Gavin Kenny.
Panorama Community Church in Surrey, B.C. baptized 10 people May 27 and 9 people Oct. 21: Daniel Lucia, Margaret Lucia, Scott Dornian, Terry Neithercut, Tara Folk, Benjamin Klassen, Aaron Martin, Samantha Taylor, Tassia Pickard, Ryan Middleton, Kim Googerdyk, AJ Moes, Karyn Mura, Michael Hughes, Doug Birdsall, Jordon Hughes, Jessica Moultn, Greg Hughes and Susan Freethy.
Saddle Ridge Community Church in Calgary, Alta. baptized 6 people in Village Square Leisure Centre on February 10 (See News): Tom Young, Louie Raposo, Diana Raposo, Linnea Rudnisky, Amanda Tenbroek, and Lisa Gall.
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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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