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Winnipeg, Man.
“Newbie” to the MB Conference


Each year, pastors who are new to the Mennonite Brethren Conference, are invited to an orientation weekend. They are informed about the various agencies of the Mennonite Brethren Conference, a short history of the denomination, and other information that will help them become assimilated into the church. In the past, these orientation weekends have been held together with the United States Conference, and usually in Fresno, Calif. Last year, it was held in Abbotsford, B.C. with the United States pastors invited to participate. This year was the first year it was held as a completely Canadian event. Thirty pastors, some with spouses, attended this year’s orientation held at Westwood Community Church in Winnipeg. Here is one pastor’s report of the event.

We had been at Scott Street MB Church, St. Catharines, Ont. for only six days when the church put us on a plane and whisked us off to Winnipeg for Pastors’ Orientation. Travelling from southern Ontario to Manitoba did not seem to be a good idea in March! The temperature back home on Saturday March 9 was plus 17 C while in Winnipeg on the same day it was an incredible minus 7. But what was lacking in warmth outside was more than compensated for by the warmth we experienced at the Conference.

We were welcomed by the MB family; the pastors, pastoral couples and MB Executive treated us like we had known one another for years. There was a definite sense of the family of God that transcended denominational barriers, something we had never experienced before. Thank you for being so warm and open to us when you could have been as cold as a prairie winter.

We were blessed by the ministry of the different conference pastors (that’s such a great title). Each one from B.C. to Ontario had a unique message from the Lord that not only encouraged us but challenged us as well.

We were informed about the history, the resources and the different institutions of the Mennonite Brethren organization. This was of special interest to us. You see, we left a larger organization to come here; this caused us some concern, but it was short-lived! The Mennonite Brethren have a wealth of resources that we never had elsewhere. This was a real eye-opener for us, and we wondered how many people have been in the MB denomination a long time and don’t know about or perhaps have forgotten about such things as MBMSI or Kindred Productions or Canadian Mennonite University (which we were given a tour of on Friday afternoon). Many times over the course of the orientation we marvelled at the wealth of support within the denomination.

We would encourage every church that hires a new pastor couple to send them to the orientation. It will be worth the expense! Your pastor will come home charged about the work of the Lord among the Mennonite Brethren. As a newbie to the MBs we look forward to a long and fruitful ministry at Scott St. MB Church and the rest of the MB family. As we said to our billets in Winnipeg, Dave and Elsie Friesen from Westwood Church, if we can’t find a home among the MBs it will be our own fault because they sure have gone out of their way to make us feel at home.

We even took in an American Hockey League game at the Winnipeg Arena between the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Manitoba Moose. The wrong team won, but we would invite Executive Director Dave Wiebe to come to Ontario next year for a rematch, (Go Dogs, Go!).

Thank you for allowing us to share with you our experience from Orientation, which we understood was the first uniquely Canadian Orientation. Well done!

Patrick Bartley, pastor at Scott St. MB Church, St. Catharines, Ont.

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Last modified April 15, 2002.

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