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Alberta MB Conference convention • March 22–23
Edmonton, Alberta
Celebrating the journey


A convention that was running along smoothly – except for longer than scheduled times for reports and stories – faltered when it came to hiring staff and finding an executive.

The Alberta MB Conference convention was held March 22–23 in Summerside Community Church in Edmonton. Hosts also included the other Edmonton churches: Lendrum MB Church, River West Christian Church and Sunrise Community Church. Summerside is a relatively young church in the southeast part of the city with services Saturday evening. The church building is being leased, is used almost every evening, and is already too small for some of the church’s ministries.

Special guests at the convention were two delegates from Coaldale Mennonite Church. Because of that church’s discomfort with some of the direction of Mennonite Church Canada, the church is looking for another conference to which to belong.

Testimonies

Nelson Senft

The convention began with a banquet. Nelson Senft, pastor of La Glace Bible Fellowship, briefly talked about the joys of ministering in a small town “where turn signals on cars aren’t used much because everyone knows where you are going”. He indicated that people were coming to the church and to the Lord; pastors of the four La Glace churches are praying together, and they enjoy a healthy pulpit exchange.

Two people from Tofield Gospel Chapel, interim pastor Henry Wiebe and member Ed Woelk, shared how the church had suffered during the past months, losing a number of members; however, claiming Jeremiah 33, they worked toward restoration.

John Moerman and Chris Gunther

Wiebe said he had learned to be transparent and open, and, because people are working together, there are new people coming to the church and a baptism is planned. Financially the church was in dire straits, but churches across Alberta sent love gifts and they were able to meet their expenses.

College Drive Community Church in Lethbridge has also experienced difficulties in the last number of years, but, according to some of the letters read by church moderator John Moerman and member Chris Guenther, real healing has taken place. A joint service with neighbour church Lakeview Mennonite Brethren has resulted in further healing.

New churches

Grant Galpin, church planter at Saddle Ridge Community Church, Calgary, was excited to have his church join the Alberta MB Conference. The church began services October 14 after having distributed flyers in the community and forming “life groups”.

Murray Schmidt prays

“God has given us favour in the community and a real freedom to minister,” stated Galpin. Even a Muslim MLA gave his blessing to the congregation at the launch. Rob Kroeker is serving as a church planting intern in the church under MBMS International and appreciates the opportunity of working with a growing group of youth in the heart of the community.

The other new church is The River, also in Calgary, where Curt Snell is the pastor. There are now about 100 people who consider this their church home. This congregation also was welcomed into the Alberta MB Conference by Murray Schmidt, a member of the Board of Church Extension.

Both of these churches are part of Mission Calgary. According to Board of Church Extension chair Willy Reimer, this will be transitioning into Mission Alberta as more churches become involved in planting new churches all across the province.

Inspiration

Rick Schellenberg

Rick Schellenberg, president of Bethany Bible Institute, Hepburn, Sask., was the guest speaker on the theme of “Celebrating the Journey”. He began by giving examples of people who were on the journey. Peter was one such man. He was enthusiastic in his commitment and excited to walk on water until his faith failed, and in the Garden of Gethsemane he slept while Jesus prayed. However, Jesus could still use him, and commissioned him to “feed My sheep”. Schellenberg then named some of the people who had walked with him in his own journey to a time when he could say that Jesus was Lord. He concluded with the fact that God walks with believers in the midst of joy and pain.

Saturday morning, Schellenberg continued the journey metaphor by naming some key mountains on which to meet God. At Mt. Carmel, Elijah challenged Israel’s loyalty and by a miracle showed God’s power. Everyone rejoiced at the victory, but the next day there was a warrant out for the arrest of Elijah. Miracles produce short-term results, but, by revealing Himself to Elijah, God showed Elijah that He was more interested in Elijah himself, than in the result of his ministry. Schellenberg challenged the delegation to think of their own and the Conference’s challenges and points of growth, asking, “What are you doing with the mountain in your path?” He ended with the promise, “We never walk the path alone.”

The talks were illustrated with short skits by a drama group, Bethany Players, from Bethany Bible Institute.

Business

Business was conducted in the afternoon, after delegates had had the opportunity to hear ministry reports in small group settings.

Camp Evergreen is proposing to build a mini-lodge as well as family cabins this fall. A larger lodge with hotel-type units will be built later.

The Church Extension Commission recommended that Jake Balzer be reappointed as part-time director for another year.

The Faith and Life Commission is again planning a pastors and spouses retreat, as well as a prayer and fasting retreat for pastors.

A budget of $174,600 was accepted. This is down from the previous budget of $201,500, but more accurately reflects the Conference’s actual spending in 2001–02 of $151,423. Discretionary funds of $28,000 for church planting and for camp improvement, which were part of last year’s budget, are not included in this year’s.

Staffing

By Saturday afternoon, the delegates were ready for an early adjournment. Then, the recommendation re staffing was brought forward, and the proceedings ground to a slow crawl. The Faith and Life Commission and the Conference Executive presented similar recommendations of moving in the direction of hiring staff, for the areas of church planting and conference minister. This was amended to state that “we take steps today to put a full-time Executive Director in place by March 2003 to report and work with Alberta MB Conference in areas of vision”. This produced much discussion about the needs in all areas, about the financial implications and about whether one person would be able to do all that was expected. It was suggested that money now set aside for a Church Planting Director could be allocated to this staff position. Concern was expressed that this person would not be able to meet the needs of the churches in the way that a Conference Minister is currently doing, but the motion was carried.

Conference Minister Abe Konrad suggested that it was time to call for prayer and fasting, as well as decision-making in regard to this position. Also included in the call for prayer was the fact that there were no nominees for the positions of moderator and assistant moderator and that only the secretary, Irwin Warkentin, is on the executive for the coming year. The pastors’ prayer and fasting retreat, scheduled for May 27–30, will be focused on this, but the dates will be shifted so that other leaders in the churches can also attend to help make this decision. It was then requested that the current executive members remain in office until the time of that retreat.

 – sbb

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Last modified April 30, 2002.

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