Messenger
The
EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE
VOLUME 45 NUMBER 14 AUGUST 15, 2007
Look inside
for more
Convention
coverage
Messenger
The
EMC Annual Convention 2007
The
Messenger
Sorry, no new angle this year
I
EDITOR
Terry M. Smith
ASSISTANT
EDITOR
Rebecca Buhler
THE MESSENGER is the publication
of the Evangelical Mennonite
Conference. It is available to the
general public. Its purpose is to
inform concerning events and
activities in the denomination,
instruct in godliness and victorious
living, inspire to earnestly contend
for the faith.
Letters, articles, photos and poems
are welcomed. Unpublished material
is not returned except by request.
Views and opinions of writers are their
own and do not necessarily represent
the position of the Conference or the
editors.
THE MESSENGER is published
twice a month (once a month in July
and August) by the EMC Board of
Church Ministries, 440 Main Street,
Steinbach, Manitoba.
Subscriptions: $12 per year
(Manitoba residents add 7% PST,
total: $12.84). Subscriptions are
voluntary and optional to people
within or outside of the EMC.
Subscriptions are purchased by
the Conference for members and
adherents.
THE MESSENGER is a member of
Meetinghouse and Canadian Church
Press.
Second-class postage paid at
Steinbach, Manitoba.
ISSN #0701-3299
PAP Registration #9914
Publications Mail Agreement
#40017362
We acknowledge the financial
support of the Government of Canada,
through the Publications Assistance
Program (PAP), toward our mailing
costs.
Mailing information: Undelivered copies, change of address and
new subscriptions, should be addressed to:
440 Main Street
Steinbach, Manitoba R5G 1Z5
Phone: 204-326-6401
Fax: 204-326-1613
E-mail: emcmessenger@mts.net or
emcterry@mts.net
On-line edition available at
www.emconf.ca/Messenger
MESSENGER SCHEDULE:
No. 16 – September 19
(copy due September 7)
2
editorials
f the EMC annual convention fell apart, Three churches joined our conference, the
it would provide a new reporting moderator was present, and the regional
angle.
planning committee (with Ruth Anne
It’s unusual news if the speaker does Peters from the national office) is to be
poorly, the ministerial meeting ends in a commended.
pew-clearing brawl, the council goes into
Yes, conference council’s reports and
lockdown till decisions
discussion were cut
are made, the food is What’s regularly positive
short by workshops, no
terrible, and churches
women’s session was
or people boycott the news about our EMC annual
held (for the second
event.
year), and a moderator’s
convention is its focus on
Maybe it would be
address (more common
Christ, His grace and Spirit,
ear-catching to hear
a few years back) would
people
grumble
in our togetherness in Him, and be useful. No event is
print, if churches leave the work of His Kingdom.
perfect.
the
conference,
the
But what’s regularly
moderator didn’t show,
positive news about
and the regional planning committee our EMC annual convention is its focus
apologized to people who came.
on Christ, His grace and Spirit, our
Perhaps it might seem dull, routine togetherness in Him, and the work of
reporting that the reverse, actually, took His Kingdom. While the grace of Christ
place. The 57th Annual EMC Convention risks being taken for granted (Romans
was well-run, Dr. Arley Loewen spoke 6:1–12), it was experienced afresh during
effectively, the ministerial was peaceful, Convention 57.
the council operated smoothly, and
If you don’t find this exciting, prepare
T
churches and people supported the event. for some dull reporting. M
Terry M. Smith
Jesus, the centre of our faith
C
onvention speaker Dr. Arley
Loewen didn’t speak much
directly about the Bible; he may
have mentioned the Koran more
often. He may also have referred more
often to Muslim faith than Christianity.
Some might be tempted to say his
messages were unbiblical, but this would
be misleading.
Why? Because at the heart of Dr.
Loewen’s messages stood Jesus. Jesus
also stands at the centre of our faith.
Jesus is the fulfillment of centuries of Old
Testament prophecy. Jesus is the focus of
the gospel stories. Jesus is the foundation
of the church (1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus’
mission in the world is the reason we must
become more acquainted with the claims
of other faiths, and more able to defend
those of our own.
Dr. Loewen said Christ’s mission in the
world is to be accomplished through His
followers: “Christ gave the commission…
and then He stepped aside.” How are
we working to accomplish this? Are we
in conversation with those outside our
church circles, daily showing them Christ
so we can win them to Him?
A Christian friend recently encountered
a person of another faith who said Jesus’
claim to be “the way, and the truth and the
life,” and the only way to the Father (John
14:6), merely means that when we all get
to heaven, it is Jesus who will be standing
at the door to greet us. How
would you respond to such a
Jesus’ mission in the world is the reason we must
person? Would you even have
become more acquainted with the claims of other started such a conversation? MT
Becky Buhler
faiths, and more able to defend those of our own.
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
letters
Eden history
The June 6 Messenger carried an
announcement of Eden’s (Eden Health
Care Services) 40th anniversary. The
July 4 Messenger carried a report of that
occasion. The guest of honour was Archie
Penner. In the announcement he was
described as “the only living founding
visionary of Eden.” I as well congratulate
Dr. Penner. I think visionary describes
him well.
If I may I would like to add what likely is
a little known fact about Eden’s founding;
and if it is deemed suitable and of some
worth, it could become a postscript to
Eden’s history. (And here is where the
value of a church archives comes in, which
the EMC established many years ago.)
Since I had been involved in finding and
archiving EMC Ministerial minutes when
I was in the employ of the Conference, I
was quite sure we had even more specific
information on Eden’s founding as I see it.
I believe I discovered it. Surely the saying
coming events
August 26
Camp Moose Lake
50th Anniversary
35 kms NE of Sprague, Man.
204-895-2267
September 8
Eden Foundation
Head for the Hills
bicycling fundraiser
Pembina Hills, south of Morden, Man.
866-895-2919
www.edenhealth.mb.ca
September 12–14
17th annual Winnipeg
Prophecy Conference
Victoria Inn
Winnipeg, Man.
204-832-4627
www.wpgpc.org
October 19
Going Barefoot: Entering a Brave
New World of Communication
Conference for communicators
$80, students $40
Canadian Mennonite University
Winnipeg, Man.
204-487-3300
November 1–4
MEDA: Trust in a World of Change
Business as a Calling 2007
Hilton
Toronto, Ont.
800-665-7026
www.meda.org
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
that big doors swing on little hinges
would hold true here. We return to a date
in 1955.
On April 2, 1955, the EMC ministerial
met in our Rosenhof EM church. Point
#3 on the agenda records the following
question posed by Rev. David P. Reimer,
then senior pastor at our Blumenort
church, East Reserve, Manitoba (I
translate as best I can make it out): “The
question was raised by Aeltester D. P.
Reimer whether it was time to think of
building an institution where we could
bring our ‘Geistes Kranken’ (literally
spirit sick). He went on to add that this
could involve the Mennonites of the East
Reserve or also all of Manitoba.
The assembly, at the same meeting,
put action to Rev. Reimer’s words and
elected a committee of three to further
investigate this and later report back.
By the June 1955 Ministerial it was
already reported that there was good
interest. The July Ministerial again had it
on the agenda, stating that the standing
committee had worked; looked around
at other Mennonite churches where it
had been greeted with interest; and the
interest for the need of such an institution
was clear. The committee was encouraged
to keep working on. Mr. Penner was one
of the three members elected at this EMC
ministerial back in 1955. Thus it was very
fitting that he would appear at Eden’s
anniversary event.
Dave Schellenberg
Steinbach, Man.
Editor’s note: What Rev. Dave K.
Schellenberg will not say is that he has been
the main worker and the passion behind
the EMC archives. If it weren’t for Rev.
Schellenberg, the archives might not have
a storage space problem, only the need for
a shoebox or two.
Letters continued page 14.
Tim Dyck appointed as
General Secretary
The General Secretary Search
Committee, with representation from
the Board of Missions, the Board of
Trustees, and the General Board, is
pleased to announce the hiring of Tim
Dyck as the new General Secretary
for
the
Evangelical
Mennonite
Conference.
Tim and his wife Brenda have a
family of three children, Andrew
(recently married), Mark, and Aubrey.
Tim and Brenda plan to make their
home in Steinbach. They are members
at Prairie Rose EMC.
Tim is a graduate of Winkler Bible
Institute (Biblical Studies), and the
University of Manitoba (Bachelor of
Computer Science), and has taken
management courses at the University
of Calgary.
Tim has served, under the EMC
Board of Missions, in an administrative
role with Wycliffe Bible Translators
for 12 years, six of them at the WBT
headquarters in Dallas, Texas; and the
past six years in Calgary. As director
of Information Technology he has
received considerable experience
in working with people and in the
administration of programs and
projects.
As General Secretary, Tim will have
responsibilities in areas of financial
planning and management, office
management, directing the work of the
Board of Missions with a specific role
in overseeing Associate Missions and
partnership arrangements, and serve
as executive director to the General
Board. He will work closely with
administrative assistant Ruth Anne
Peters.
We welcome Tim to the conference
staff effective September 1, 2007. Our
prayers are with him and Brenda
as they settle into this new and
challenging position.
Search Committee
Tim and Brenda Dyck
Speaking
Excerpted and Condensed
Swahili: Jesus’ journey
into the world
God, the invisible One,
speaks not primarily in a
Book, but in Person. At the
heart of God is His love for
nations, so He enters this
world. In Jesus, God entered
language, culture, society,
and meets us in our situation
in Jesus. This is incarnation.
4
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
H
ow does God relate to Man? How
does man relate to God? With
what shall I come to Him? From
ancient times, humans have tried
to understand, figure out God and how to
approach Him. Plato said, “Guesswork is over
all, never man and God can meet.” Celsus, a
second century Roman philosopher, mocked
the idea of God: “God is away beyond
everything.”
How does God come to man in Islam?
How does God come to Man? At a
university in Pakistan, a student said
we can’t use word shinakkt (knowing,
understanding) because God can’t be known.
In Islamic theology, God is unseen, but also
unknowable. Only God can know God. There
is no correlation between creation and God.
Nothing can come near to Godhead, less His
absolute transcendence.
God is too great to be known, even by
prophets and angels. The duty of the creature
is not to think about God, but about the
creation of God. “Revelation,” Kenneth Craig
has said, “is not a personal self-disclosure of
Divine…God reveals His will, rather than His
nature.” God sends; he does not come.
How does God make His will known in a
Muslim view? In heaven exists the “Mother
of Books,” golden tablets, the eternal Will
of God, the Islam. God sends it down to
mankind as guidance. It comes to Adam,
Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad. But
how? God is hidden. There must be a gobetween—through the angel Gabriel, then to
Muhammad.
God remains hidden. Man’s duty is know
His will and follow it as a servant. There is
a deep reverence for the Koran in Muslim
culture. It’s the “speech of God” given to
Muhammad in Arabic. One of the greatest
“means of grace” in Islam is a khattum—
reciting the entire “speech of God” in one
sitting. Islam is a religion of sound, listening,
poetry, words, speech.
In Muslim witness, the Arabic language
must follow, because God’s Word or law was
given in Arabic. It is an Arabic-centric message.
What are we left with? If God is unseeable
and unknowable, what can man do? How
does one put God in framework? A Persian
poet wrote, “If someone asks me to describe
Him, what does one without a soul say about
God without a sign?” The modern Iranian
poet, Shamlu, rejects the notion of a God
who only gives his law: “I was not a servile
little slave…I deserved a God of another
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
EMC Annual Convention 2007
kind, worthy of a creature…And a God, of
another kind, I created.”
How does God come in Christian Faith?
God meets Adam and Eve in the Garden
in cool of day. At the burning bush, God
gives His own name to Moses and speaks to
him. At Mount Sinai, God meets with people
and says, “I will be their God and they will
be My people.” In the Holy of Holies of the
temple, I will meet with you! Finally, God
comes in the Messiah, Emmanuel, incarnated
(in the flesh). The Word became flesh and
lived among us. In Islam, Jesus is called
Kalimatullah, the Word of Allah.
G
od enters this world, God comes to
us in person, to our human world,
on our terms. Jesus is the Speech
of God, God’s Word for this world,
God’s will, way, life.
Christians are called “people of the Book”
by Muslims. In Islam there are four books
which God gave to the prophets, respectively
Moses, David, Jesus (Injil, gospel), and
Muhammed. Jesus received the gospel from
God. However, the common notion is that
Christians rejected the gospel that Jesus
revealed; the real gospel is lost, changed or
cancelled.
This great misunderstanding is because
we Christians believe that Jesus Himself is
Word, the Reflection of God, the Image of
Invisible God. Jews, Muslims, and Christians
agree no one has seen God, but God does not
remain isolated, separated, cocooned in His
transcendence.
God enters the world. God, the invisible
One, speaks not primarily in a Book, but in
Person. At the heart of God is His love for
nations, so He enters this world. In Jesus,
God entered language, culture, society, and
meets us in our situation in Jesus.
This is incarnation. Not a book, but a
Living Word became flesh, who dwelt among
us, in culture and language. The Word of God
became Son of Man, dwelt among us. The
New Testament witness is that Jesus is the
Messiah, himself the gospel; he did not bring
5
We must translate
the Gospel. We must
constantly have a
Pentecost gospel,
and speak it in the
languages of the world.
the gospel. The four writers of
gospel accounts are witnesses
of the Messiah, who is the
Gospel.
Jesus clearly saw Himself
as an extension of the Father,
His image, His reflection, His
revelation. He came down to
show the Father to this world.
Jesus Himself is the Will of God.
“I have come down from heaven not to do my will but
to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). “I come
from God and now am here. I have not come on my
own; but he sent me” (John 8:42).
Jesus Himself is the Word of the Father: “I do nothing
on my own but speak just what the Father has taught
me” (John 8:28). “Whatever I say is just what the Father
has told me to say” (John 12:50).
Jesus Himself is the Picture of the Father: “When a man
looks at me, he sees the one who sent me” (John 12:4445) and “anyone who has seen me, has seen the Father.
How can you say, show us the Father?” (John 14:9).
Over and over, Jesus sees Himself as the extension
of Father. He came to show the Father. He translated,
showed God to world. But then Jesus went away. Is this
world without a picture of God again?
Followers of Jesus
Followers of Jesus must continue the reflection, the
translation of God. “Anyone who has faith in me will do
what I have been doing. He will do even greater things
than these, because I go to the Father” (John 14:12).
What are the greater things? We will continue what
Jesus did. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name
[through you], so that the Son may bring glory to the
Father. You may ask me for anything in my, and I will do
it” (John 14:13).
Is this another way to look at prayer? Not only asking
God for things, but expecting, wanting, realizing Jesus
to speak and work through us. He wants to continue to
live here on earth through me and you! “As the Father
has sent me, so I am sending you!” (John 20:21). You
continue this. You are the image of God on earth.
At the Ascension, Christ gave the commission:
Continue my life among nations; and then He stepped
aside. At Pentecost, he showed how we are to do this.
Pentecost was the loudest statement from heaven that
the gospel to be spoken and expressed in languages of
people. God made sure, from beginning, every person
“from the ends of earth” would hear and understand
the message of the gospel in our own language and
culture—in Swahili, in Pashtu.
There were two miracles: Believers spoke in other
languages, and people from every nation under heaven
understood the message of God in their own native
language. It was a demonstration that God enters all
cultures, desires to be known in cultures of the world.
We must translate the Gospel. We must constantly
have a Pentecost gospel, and speak it in the languages
of the world. We are to be the great decoders,
explainers of the gospel.
W
hen God revealed Himself ultimately,
he did so through Jesus. Here we see
divine truth and beauty. Beauty attracts
the heart. Not the beauty of words, but
of something to see. Ironically, it is a beauty with the
Cross, the ugliest scene of
Jesus’ life. Many Arabs fell in
love with Jesus because of the
movie The Passion of the Christ.
And now, we are to continue
that beauty through you and
T
me, as the people of Jesus. M
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
Ministerial treads on
dangerous ground
On Friday, July 6, 2007, Treesbank Community Church
in southern Manitoba was packed. Pastor Kenton
Penner of TCC welcomed people and had a devotional.
Board of Leadership and Outreach chairman Art
Dueck introduced the topic: Pastoring on Dangerous
Ground: Money, Sex, and Power. There were presenters,
and then panels responded to questions.
Pastor Fred Buhler (Pineridge, Hudson Bay, Sask.)
spoke on Money. He grew up in the home of a partially
self-supporting pastor and has lived as a “rich”
missionary in a developing
country.
Buhler said a pastor earns
the right to speak by having
his own house in order. Silvia
Presenters (clockwise from top left): Ed Peters,
Fred Buhler, Dave Funk
Ronsdale observes that “people
will be about as generous as the senior pastor,” he
quoted. Deceptions to be confronted include: wealth
equals freedom, once I catch up I’ll be generous, a bit
more will be enough, isolation is safer than accountability,
I deserve this because I earned it, and money is the
reward for our work.
During discussion, Randall Krahn (Cornerstone,
Swift Current) said contentment is the key. Bill
McCaskell (MacGregor) said money can be deceitful;
there is no automatic protection for a pastor. David
Thiessen, conference pastor, cautioned against pastors
fundraising, though they can teach biblical stewardship.
Panel members said it is tough to shepherd wealthier
people.
Ed Peters (Steinbach EFC) presented a paper on Sex.
“Despite the goodness of God’s gift, the intention of our
sexuality has been confused,” he said. The problem
is reflected in a Leadership magazine survey, where
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
EMC Annual Convention 2007
23 percent of pastors said they had “done something
sexually inappropriate” in a local church ministry,
“12%” admitting to extra-marital sex, and “18%” to
inappropriate sexual contact. While non-pastors’
“incidents of immorality were nearly double,” Peters
cautioned against taking comfort in this.
“But I believe that the primary contributing factor
that leads to an undernourished soul and vulnerability
to sexual sin is isolation,” he said.
He counseled humility, nurture your marriage, nurture
the soul, take precautions,
be cautious of growing
“I believe that the
emotional/spiritual intimacy, be
primary contributing
accountable, and remember the
consequences.
factor that leads to an
Peters said the church needs
undernourished soul and
to “rediscover, celebrate, and
vulnerability to sexual sin
communicate the goodness
of God’s gift of sexuality”;
is isolation,” said Pastor
acknowledge that “sexual
Ed Peters.
brokenness already exists
in our congregation and
our leadership”; and consider carefully “the issue of
restoring the fallen.”
One delegate said the survey figures were low, if
fantasies are included. Another said pastors need to be
careful when talking about sexual addiction lest they
feed others’ fantasies.
After lunch, Ward Parkinson and company presented
a comedy skit where organizers approached a pastor
about joining a union, including benefits such as double
time for working on Sunday.
“Power is a fact in ministry,” said Pastor Dave Funk
(Abbeydale, Calgary). He said “power is given from God
and its purpose is to “advance the mission of God.” The
end result “of this mission is the defeat of death and of
sin and the devil, and the creation of a new heavens and
a new earth in which all shall be well, and all manner of
thing shall be well.”
This power’s nature is “thoroughly subversive
and counterintuitive,” shown not in Jesus’ miracles,
but “in his cross.” It isn’t “about control. It is about
servanthood.” He quoted Eugene Peterson: “It is the
Jesus way, wedded to the Jesus Truth, that brings about
the Jesus life.”
“The power and salvation of God will be shown not
through triumphalism or by any conventional means,
but through a cross-shattered Christ, and through us,
his cross-shattered community,” Funk said. The “power
7
to advance God’s mission will be given to those who
share God’s preferential love for the least of these
instead of engaging in social ladder climbing.”
The temptations are to use power to create uniformity
instead of unity, to wield power by loving conditionally,
to perpetuate the distance between clergy and laity, to
think and act as if the church were an organization to
be controlled by those in authority, and to create God’s
church in our own image.
During discussion, Layton Friesen (Fort Garry)
said the Church has often asked for a vow of celibacy
or poverty, but not for power. Richard Klassen
(Straffordville) said to say we have prayed or studied
Scripture can be a subtle use of power.
Conference Pastor David Thiessen led in a time of
church reports and prayer ministry.
At the day’s close, chairman Art Dueck gave a short
appeal that if ministerial members were involved in
sexually dangerous ground, and were unable to stop,
T
they should resign. M
Terry M. Smith
Abe Berg, minister at Straffordville EMC, stands to ask a question of the panel—
Dave Funk, Peter Janzen, Richard Klassen, and Layton Friesen.
Council meets briefly
The discussion at the EMC
conference council was briefer this
year, to make way for four workshops
held during Saturday’s afternoon.
The council, which gathers twice
yearly, met on July 7 at the Western
Manitoba Centennial Auditorium in
General Board
Brandon, Manitoba.
The General Board affirmed varying
Delegates were welcomed by EMC
gifts in the conference. In the Visioning
moderator Ron Penner. Luis Antonio
Day, leadership development was a key
Pitta (who prefers Antonio), pastor
emphasis. With Len Barkman retiring, a
at Ebenezer Christian Church in
Pastor Antonio Pitta gave the devotional.
General Secretary is being sought (see
Brandon, gave the devotional. He said
announcement elsewhere this issue). There is concern
we need to encourage people to go into missions to save
for strong communication lines with local churches. A
people from “damnation.” John Abbors led in elections
statement was shared on a lawsuit in which the EMC is
(see sidebar).
named (see sidebar with an announcement).
EMC Annual Convention 2007
Terry Smith, Becky Buhler, and Doris Penner participated in the Board of Church
Ministries report.
(photo credit Stephanie Penner)
8
Board of Church Ministries
Becky Buhler (assistant editor and BCM
administrative assistant) and Doris Penner (BCM
member) interviewed Gerald Reimer (conference youth
minister), Terry Smith (BCM executive secretary), and
Henry Friesen (board chair).
Gerald Reimer reported on Abundant Springs which
took place in May 2007. Over 500 youth attended from
34 churches. Including leaders and support staff, those
in attendance represented about a tenth of Conference
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
membership. Reporting on Inter-Mennonite Chaplaincy
Association, Gerald said that chaplain Mark von
Kampen is kept busy, and more support will be needed.
Terry Smith said the task of
the archives committee is to
preserve EMC history. Proper
storage is needed to make
accessible materials such as an
original sermon by Klaas Reimer
(Terry showed a copy). Terry
also highlighted some projects
of the education committee.
Henry Friesen, on behalf
of the Evangelical Anabaptist
Committee, spoke of the
importance of Anabaptist
Gary Herrfort pastors Church
of Living Water in Tillsonburg,
teaching materials in passing
Ont.
on our theology to the next
generation. Conference staff are a good resource
for churches seeking help in the area of Christian
education.
Board of Leadership and Outreach
Chairman Art Dueck said the ministerial meeting held
on July 6 was a “great, great job” on discussing money,
sex, and power. David Thiessen, conference pastor, is
putting lots of effort into trips, though he gets tired
after, Dueck said.
David Thiessen said that, based on the Visioning Day,
the BLO and other boards have a mandate in leadership
Lester Olfert prays with Nicaraguan delegates Ramiro Morena and Nicolás Sequeira.
Announcement
Several years ago the pastor of one of our churches
had an improper relationship with a woman in the
church. The pastor was immediately removed from his
position and his credentials as a minister revoked. Efforts at
reconciliation were made to bring healing and resolution
to those involved. Recently a civil suit was filed against the
pastor. The suit also named the church, its directors and
the conference as having vicarious responsibility in this
matter. Legal counsel has been sought with the purpose of
working through this case with integrity.
Len Barkman
General Secretary
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
development. He
Conference Council
interviewed George
Toews (who spoke
Elections
of his passion for
mentoring), Dave
Moderator
Funk (who benefited
Ron Penner
from study funds),
and Garry Koop
Board of Church Ministries
(who was examined
Robert Goertzen
as a minister). Koop
Trenton Penner
was asked if the
Doug Barkman
examination process
Rod Dueck
went too easy on
him; he replied it was
Board of Leadership and
helpful and encourages
Outreach
more in this direction.
Jacob Enns
Ward Parkinson,
Layton Friesen
Canadian church
planting coordinator,
Board of Missions
introduced planters
Luis Pitta
Gary Herrfort (who
Rick Kroeker
spoke of delays in
building at Tillsonburg,
Board of Trustees
but trusts God’s
Reinnie Brandt
timing), Antonio Pitta
(the Brandon church
Nominating Committee
is managing more on
Frank Klassen
its own and workers’
David Plett
families are now
Mervin Brandt
arriving from Mexico),
Abe Berg
and Abe Bueckert (was
encouraged by sodturning, using a rope and a plow, at Picture Butte).
Board of Missions
Chairman Ernie Loewen said BOM is concerned
about unreached peoples, Latin churches, aboriginal
leadership, and intentional high-level tent making.
Len Barkman spoke of the Low German Mennonite
conference being formed in Mexico with EMMC and
EMC. Don and Minna Thiessen will spend a year in
Mexico helping the new conference. Gerald and Sandy
Reimer and family are going on a “four-year” (Len
corrected it to say “four-month”) assignment in Mexico.
Two delegates from the EMC-related conference
in Nicaragua brought greetings, translated by Lester
Olfert. Nicolás Sequeira Brizuela is pastor of the La Paz
church and president of the Nicaraguan conference.
Ramiro Moreno is pastor of the First Mennonite church
in Managua and coordinator of the social commission
for the conference.
Lester and Darlene Olfert are going to Nicaragua
with Action International and will serve at Gethsemane
Orphanage.
Len Barkman introduced Siaka and Claire Traore; and
Rod Hollinger-Janzen. Siaka Traore is president of the
Burkina Faso Mennonite Conference. Hollinger-Janzen
is executive coordinator for Africa Inter-Mennonite
9
Mission. The vision for church
Ruth Anne Peters, national office
planting in Burkina Faso is
workers, for their efforts.
developing, delegates were told.
Gifts were given to Len Barkman
Affiliate agencies
by Siaka Traore on behalf of the
Steinbach Bible College’s
Burkina Faso Central Council and
Gord Penner reported positive
by Rod Hollinger-Janzen on behalf
happenings at the college,
of AIMM.
including a new president Rob
Missionaries are coming and
Reimer. Told he only had one
going. Associate status is being
minute, Mennonite Foundation of
explored with Send International.
Canada stewardship consultant
Tribute was given to David and
Edwin Friesen successively held up
Mildred Pashe, who have served as
three books and said, “Free! Free!
Gloria and Randy Fehr reported on behalf of Grace
church leaders in the community
Free!” He sat down to an ovation.
Community Church in Aylmer, Ont., a church plant that was
of Sioux Valley; they are now
MCC Manitoba was present.
accepted into the Conference.
moving to Portage la Prairie area.
Moderator Ron Penner spoke
Chris Kroeker brought greetings from Good News
positively of Mennonite World Conference, its 2009
Ministries (MBN) in Paraguay.
assembly in Paraguay, and the welcome by and positive
testimony of the First Lady of Paraguay, Maria GloriaT
Council motion
Penayo de Duarte, a Mennonite church member. M
Art Dueck moved that congregational board chairs
Terry M. Smith and Becky Buhler
would be additional delegates at conference council.
Information will be sent to churches, and the motion
will be voted on in December 2007.
Board of Trustees
An increased budget was accepted for 2007 even
while 2006 receipts were a half-million short, according
to chair Gordon Reimer; the 2006 budget was met. To
the end of June 2007, the shortfall is $348,495, less than
in 2006, according to the delegate package report. The
2007 budget is $1,920,000.
Reimer thanked Larry Eidse, BOT’s executive
secretary, for two years of work and Wannetta Fast and
Rod Hollinger-Janzen, executive coordinator for Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission,
introduced Siaka and Claire Traore, church leaders in Burkina Faso.
The friendship blessing of convention
T
he blessings of friendship
from our youth! In the early
’50s our churches started
with having conferences (now
known as EMC convention). This was a
highlight for many of our youth; here,
we met youth from other churches.
Esther and I met in those years and
became friends. It was more or less
at conferences or weddings where we
could meet. At that time, 30 to 40 miles
was a long way to go.
After, we were both married and
moved to different places. Conference
was about the only time we would
meet.
Years went on, each busy with our
own families and churches. Both our
10
husbands have pastored churches in
different and far away places.
After we were empty-nesters, we
moved back home. Lo and behold, my
friend and her husband moved this
way, and built right on our street. At
first I could hardly believe that it was
really true.
But I’m so thankful that our
friendship from our youth carried and
has grown. Now as couples we love
to spend time together: to travel, play
games, share a cup of tea, or pray for
each other.
Clara Koop
Clara Koop and Esther Dueck. Clara writes, “We had not
planned to buy the same outfit, but it happened.”
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
Youth event was a ‘pretty
good’ day!
On Saturday, July 7, for the EMC convention my dad Les Kroeker,
youth pastor at Portage Evangelical Church, helped out with
organizing
the youth event for the day. We all had a fun, dusty, and sandy ride
through the trails of Spruce Woods in the boxes of the trucks, enjoying
God’s beautiful creation. It was a great day for being outside!
After the trail drive we all headed off to the beach (I think some of
us were pretty coated in dust and we needed it) to cool off and have a
good time, and play some football and frisbee.
Then, afterwards we had a wiener roast for supper and made some
delicious dessert burritos over
the fire. Following that we had a
Young people got dirty on a trail drive...
bit of sharing time, and sat around
for a time of worship and sang a
few songs along with Stuart Enns
playing guitar. For the teaching time,
Jon Giesbrecht was our speaker and
he included a part of his testimony.
I’m sure a lot of the youth were
a bit hesitant, and maybe a few
were a bit out of our comfort zones
in going to the youth event for the
day and being with people we have
never met before. Throughout the
day, though, everyone seemed to
get along okay; and we were all
communicating pretty good by the
end of the day, getting to know each
other.
Everything worked out pretty
good! I think everyone had a good
time; were inspired by worship,
teaching, God’s creation; and met a
few new people.
Jessica Kroeker
EMC Annual Convention 2007
...washed off in the
water...
...and listened to a
devotional.
Convention Project
Offerings
Missions
Steinbach Bible College
Convention Costs
Total Giving
$23,411
$2,034
$5,664
$31,109
Thank you for your gracious
giving!
Larry Eidse
Board of Trustees
(photo credit Gerald Reimer)
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
11
Saturday workshops
Church must teach peace, Burkina Faso
leader says
Four workshops were offered twice on
the Brandon University campus on July 7:
Being a peace church in West Africa (Siaka
Traore), Witnessing and ministering in
difficult countries (a couple to be serving
in Central Asia), Praying with the Lord’s
heart for the lost (Flo Friesen), Pilgrim
experiences, coming alongside local friends
in an Islamic society (Janice Loewen).
The religious make up varies among
African countries, Siaka Traore said. In
West Africa, Islam predominates.
Since denominations are expected to
have distinctives, Anabaptists choose
peacemaking. It is not an illusion, but an
invitation by the Prince of Peace to be
practiced.
Relationships are being worked on
between Catholics and Protestants,
Christians and Muslims, Christians and Traditional
Religions. We must strive to understand peace values in
Jesus Christ. We must teach peace in our catechism and
church program, Traore said.
Flo Friesen said that Ephesians 6:18 refers to all
kinds of prayers and requests and listed intercession,
strategic prayer, warfare prayer, and listening prayer as
a part of that “all kinds.”
Some people say that Jesus did not pray for the lost,
but he did. To pray “on earth as it is in heaven” is a
prayer for God’s Kingdom to be established, with all
peoples of the earth as loyal
subjects. Jesus also prayed and
wept over the lost people of
Jerusalem.
Flo Friesen: To pray “on earth
as it is in heaven” is a prayer
for God’s Kingdom to be
established, with all peoples of
the earth as loyal subjects.
Friesen said prayer is
communicating with the Father. It
is a transfiguring experience; it is
having an intimate relationship.
Listening prayer involves opening
our ears and hearts to the heart
and voice of God.
12
Janice Loewen used shoes
to illustrate how we classify
people according to outward
appearances, and referred to
walking, stumbling, and climbing
in stages of witness.
Janice Loewen: Talking about
faith is easy and natural with
Muslim people.
Walking: Because God
encompasses the entirety of life
in Islam, talking about faith is
easy and natural with Muslim
people.
Stumbling: The Muslim view of
a foreigner as “just another arm
of the U.S. government” is deeply enrooted. Jesus is
seen as a Western idea, which is an obstacle. It can be
tempting for Western people to withdraw and associate
only with other Western people because initially it
is difficult to build trusting relationships with local
people. As a Christian, the question becomes “how do I
cope in a dark society without withdrawing?”
Climbing: In teaching, it is important to begin in
the Old Testament and
demonstrate how Jesus
has been God’s plan
right from the beginning.
When people come to
faith in Christ, there
are many challenges:
For example, how can
a believer get married
without all the Muslim
rites?
Loewen encouraged
workshop attendees to
see that Muslims are
people we need not fear
and with whom we can
learn to relate—they
need to know the love
Apply now
and forgiveness that God
for September 2007
can give, just as we do.
call cathy for info
Becky Buhler and
1.800.230.8478
Terry M. Smith
www.sbcollege.ca
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
EMC Annual Convention 2007
Some members of the praise and worship team
Several on-stage displays illustrated the life and work of
Jesus.
Worship through music was an important part of each session.
A group of young people from Ebenezer Christian Church
in Brandon, Man., performed a dance during the Saturday
evening session.
Registration
Mary and John Wiebe from Picture Butte Mennonite Church in Alberta
were first-time Convention attenders.
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
1
letters
continued
Uncommon and special
Our folks were much surprised at the
beautiful article on the Chipewyan church
meetinghouse dedication [Community
Church gets new building, May 23]. Most
of them signed a card to that effect the
other day. I told them I still had a copy
of the story, in the same magazine, of my
home church’s first building-opening (ca.
1980?), and it wasn’t nearly as substantial
as this one!
I was moved by how your writing
sounded more like narrative/story than
report, Terry. There was something like
a building of momentum throughout the
article, which to me felt uncommon and
special.
Arlyn van Enns
Fort Chipewyan, Alta.
Times have changed
I’d like to respond to Peter Hall’s letter
Why not publish a guilt-free cookbook?
(July 4). I encourage those who are
concerned about food justice and their
health to check out two cookbooks
published by MCC: More-with-Less
Cookbook and Simply in Season. As a
young homemaker, More-with-Less has
been my handbook for preparing healthy,
economical meals. I recently discovered
Simply in Season in an attempt to eat
more local foods.
While I also enjoy perusing my
grandmother’s copy of the Mennonite
Treasury, I realize that the recipes therein
are from a physically hard-working
generation that could handle the extra
calories. Times have changed, and,
although I do enjoy a rich Mennonite
meal from time to time, I find recipes
from More-with-Less and Simply in Season
more suited to my lifestyle. And, I can
use them with a clear conscience.
Jaimee Loewen
Winnipeg, Man.
Reflections on
healing article
I also point out that it is clear from this
passage that God is our first source for
healing. But sadly, even as believers, we
usually first seek out every conceivable
human source to relieve our condition,
and when all has failed, we turn to
prayer as a last resort. Does this mean
the human resources are outside God’s
plan for healing? Definitely not. I agree
with Dr. Allan Lysack when he says, “We
doctors do the cutting and the sewing,
but God does the healing.”
This prayer for healing falls within the
wider context of verses 13-18. James is
pointing out the efficacy and power of
prayer. To illustrate his point, he uses
Elijah’s experience when he prayed God
to stop the rain for three and a half years.
He begins with emphasizing that “Elijah
was a man just like us” (5:17 NIV). His
point? God’s answer to our prayers does
not depend on our religious status but
on our faith in Him; the most profound
requests are open to all.
In layman’s language, if God performed
such a miraculous feat as stopping the
rain for three and a half years at the
request of an ordinary man, and then at
his request start the rain again, would
He not answer the prayers of the church
elders, who in obedience to His Word,
anoint the sick and pray for his healing?
Brother Plett is right when he points
out that all too often we look to the
physical to bolster our faith, especially
in the area of physical healing. What I
find troubling in his thesis, though, is
that, instead of expounding the passage
in James 5 in its immediate context, he
moves out of the context and expounds
the Greek verb sozo to save (the noun
soteria, salvation) in multiple divergent
contexts.
I am quite in agreement with his
explanation within those contexts, but
his departure from James 5 to prove
his thesis that faith is not “dependent
on physical evidence” has the effect
of downplaying the relevance of the
teaching in this passage.
I am not a “name-and-claim”
believer, and I have also witnessed
spiritual devastation in people who
built their faith on the evidence of
physical healing; however, in my years
of spiritual ministry, I have witnessed
many inexplicable physical healings, and
rather than encouraging people to make
God’s instruction for healing primary,
this approach encourages them to seek
other sources first.
Henry Hiebert
Steinbach, Man.
people movement
Rosey and Travis Zacharias left for
Paraguay on July 24, 2007, to begin their first
term of service with EMC Missions. Please
pray for them in their cultural adjustment
and as they work in church outreach in East
Paraguay.
Gerald and Sandy Reimer, together with
their three children, will be leaving for
Cuauhtemoc, Mexico, for a four and a half
month short-term mission assignment.
Reimers will be working with the Spanish
church conference, which will include
teaching in the Saturday Bible Institute.
Please pray for Reimers, who left home on
August 13, 2007.
Board of Missions
I found Rev. Darren Plett’s article in
the May 23 issue, Healed though the Illness
Remains, interesting. Over the years,
especially during my pastoral ministry, I
have been inundated with people asking
for prayer, either for their own health or
for the health of loved ones and friends.
To these requests I invariably turn to
James 5:13-18 and explain the context
and significance of the passage.
14
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
with our missionaries
Oaxaca, Mexico
Contented, amazed, and encouraged
The Zapotec word ritta ebá leri’i is
the kind of contentment and happiness
that might be expressed by whistling or
singing as one works or walking along
with a lilt in one’s step. We used the word
when translating joy in the list of fruits of
the Spirit found in Galatians 5.
It was that kind of contentment I felt
as I watched and listened as my cotranslator lead the read-through of the
recently revised book of Galatians in
Yareni Zapotec. He asked questions of
the two women who had agreed to come
and help us determine the clarity of the
translation and he skillfully answered
their questions. My job? Well, I answered
a few exegetical questions, but mostly I
was the scribe.
One of the women, a believer for many
years, learned to her amazement what
circumcision is. My co-translator and I
learned that the phrase we were using
for justification was not understood the
way we had hoped it would be, so it was
back to the drawing board on that one.
We had some good laughs as both
women, when they got stuck trying to
answer our questions, would appeal for
help from the other one.
To put yourselves in
their shoes, think about
how you might respond if
asked to explain the end
of Galatians 4 where Paul
talks about Abraham’s
two sons; two women,
one a slave (there is
no word for slave in
Zapotec), the other free;
God’s covenants, one
bearing children who
are slaves; Sarah being our mother; the
present day Jerusalem....
The principal message of Galatians
came through to all of us: We are saved
by Christ’s death on the cross alone; not
by obedience to the law or anything else
we might do, however good it might be.
For me personally, the read-through
was just a glimpse of what I hope and
pray will happen one day: Zapotecs
reading and interacting with God’s Word
in Zapotec. And in the meantime, I was
again encouraged by Paul’s word as found
in Galatians 6:9: “Let’s not get exhausted
doing good, because if we don’t get give
up, the day will come when we will enjoy/
benefit from the good we are doing.”
I’ve no doubt I will need to be reminded
of this verse in the weeks to come as we
tackle the revision of the book of Acts.
It’s a long book—13.16 per cent of the
New Testament—albeit, an easier book
to translate than Galatians.
Grace Thiessen
Grace Thiessen (Steinbach) lives in the
southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, where
she has been involved for more than 20
years in translation and literacy among
people who speak Yareni Zapotec.
with our churches
Being 60 isn’t all that bad, right, Pastor Richard?
Straffordville, Ont.: We have come to
know and love our new pastoral couple,
Richard and Katherine Klassen. They
have faithfully served us, and we are
thankful for them.
We saw the congregation unite and
grow as some of our members left to
join different churches, especially one
couple who were long-time deacons in
the church. This was a very difficult time
New members: Michael Thiessen, Elmer and Tina Loewen, Jake and Lisa Peters, Pastor
Richard and Katherine Klassen
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
for us, but God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “I
know the plans I have for each of you.”
His plan is for us to be faithful and to
serve Him wherever we are.
(continued next page)
New deacon couple: David and Anna Froese. Canadian church planting
coordinator Ward Parkinson and Katherine and Richard Klassen stand with
them.
15
(continued from page 15)
We are also joyful for the new people
who have come, and for those that have
joined Straffordville EMC as members.
We had a deacon commissioning service
on March 25, 2007, for Dave and Anna
Froese, and on April 15, 2007, we had
a baptism and membership reception
service. Michael Thiessen got baptized.
Elmer and Tina Loewen and Jake and
Lisa Peters were accepted as members.
I believe these commitments to be
a result of our Deeper Life Meetings
that were held in February 14-18, 2007,
with Glenn Loewen (pastor of Portage
Evangelical Church). We enjoyed special
items such as singing, testimonies, and
children’s stories. A men’s breakfast was
enjoyed by a number of men. It was a
special time of renewal and
spiritual growth for the whole
congregation.
On May 30 we had a fun
evening at the church, as
we surprised our pastor
with a celebration of his 60th
birthday! We enjoyed some
singing, visiting, and, of
course, food. Being 60 isn’t
all that bad, right, Pastor
Richard?
United we stand as we
“encourage one another
and build each other up” (1
Thessalonians 5:11).
Aggie Blatz
A birthday cake for Pastor Richard Klassen.
ACF honours Helen Cameron
Abbeydale (Calgary, Alta.): On May
27, 2007, a retirement party was held in
Helen Cameron’s honour, who retired
from teaching Sunday School to two- and
three-year-olds after 30 years. Helen
was presented with flowers and a cake
and skits were performed to represent
Helen’s years of teaching.
On June 3, 2007, during our morning
service, our high school graduates were
honoured. They were presented with
personalized gifts from the church.
Trevor Plett, one of our youth workers,
presented them with gag diplomas,
to the delight and amusement of
our congregation—and possibly the
embarrassment of the graduates.
Pastor Dave Funk said a special prayer
for our grads and there was a narrated
PowerPoint presentation about all the
graduates.
On June 10, 2007, we had a baptism
and membership transfer service. Kellie
Lissel was baptized, and Joyce Rochel,
Randy and Kathy Dueck, Gerald and
Marion Mann and Karen Lissel were
Helen Cameron with some of her students.
welcomed into our family by membership
transfer.
Camp this year was at Camp Kannawin,
Sylvan Lake, Alta., June
15–17. Despite the soggy
weather, a few brave
souls went boating
and tubing and had the
sore bodies to prove it.
There were also plenty
of indoor activities for
those who preferred to
stay dry, warm and in
one piece. Our guest
speaker,
DeWayne
Bartley, challenged us
at the Saturday evening
Baptized after giving their testimonies at Sylvan Lake on June 17 were: (back) and Sunday morning
Bruce Dyck, Charlene Mack, Eva Mack, and (front) Fuji Jian. Also pictured are
services.
(front, centre) Kellie Lissel (baptized June 10) and Pastor Dave Funk.
16
On Sunday, Perry Metheral was
crowned King of the Older than Dirt Club
as he turned 40 that day.
Kathy Dueck
Members received on June 10 were: (back) Kathy
Dueck, Randy Dueck, Gerald Mann, Karen Lissel,
(front) Joyce Rochel, Kellie Lissel (baptism), Marion
Mann. Pastor Dave Funk stands with them.
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
Pansy has three-in-one day
Pansy, Man.: Our Mothers’ Day service
on May 13 turned out to be a special
three-in-one event.
Besides seeking to bless and encourage
all mothers, we also celebrated a parentchild dedication where the raising of
five little ones was committed to God.
Involved were Ed and Sabrina Giesbrecht
with Ethan, Wendell and Kendra Rempel
with Morgan, Wes and Ang Fehr with
Malachi, and Dylan and Sheila Barkman
with Hudson and Jasmine.
Since most of the grandparents and
others came out to support the event,
we had a good crowd and a happy festive
feeling. Third, Angia Fehr was also
received into membership at this service.
Welcome, Ang. We wish you many happy
years with us.
June is always grad month. This year
we had five grads to honour: Breanne
Doerksen,
Danielle
Hofer,
Daniel
Goertzen, Thomas Patenaude, and Derek
Neufeld. The church put on a pleasant
little barbecue and party-time for them
and their parents on Sunday night, June
10. May God’s blessing and guidance go
with each of you as you venture out into
the bigger world.
All the unpredictable weather this
year made us wonder, but we needn’t
have worried. June 24 turned out to be a
perfect day to wind up the Sunday School
year and celebrate our annual picnic.
And Pansy Park was an ideal location, in
spite of the fact that the ball diamonds
were rather soggy.
We had a Penny Carnival with various
booths holding the interests of every
age group. The organized potluck was
scrumptious as usual, and the guests
we had out for the open-air morning
service—Matt Funk to sing and Dale
Loewen to speak—were very well
received. God bless you all for making a
great day even greater.
Betty Barkman
Pansy’s church picnic took place on June 24.
Members received
Kleefeld, Man.: April 22, 2007, was a
special Sunday at Kleefeld EMC, in that
two members were added to our church
family. Transferring from the Tres
Palmas EMC were Heinz Uwe and Alana
Siemens.
Alana moved to Paraguay to pursue
her nursing career. Heinz was born and
raised in Paraguay. Their friendship
Alana and Heinz Uwe Siemens
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
began as both were attending the Tres
Palmas youth group, and they were
married in 1999. Together with their
children Nicanor, Nicol, and Norbert,
they moved to Kleefeld a couple of years
ago, and we sincerely welcome them into
our fellowship.
Another special event occurred on
June 10, 2007, when seven people were
baptized and received into membership.
These included Karen and Rob Wiebe,
Jared Dueck, Beth Reimer, Ellie Naylor,
Tiffany Banman, and Kendra Bartel. We
were blessed by their testimonies, and
wish them God’s richest blessings as
they continue in their walk with the Lord
and in service to others.
Louella Friesen
Karen and Rob Wiebe, Jared Dueck, Beth Reimer, Ellie Naylor, Tiffany Banman, and Kendra Bartel
17
Tributes and challenges exchanged
Stony Brook (Steinbach, Man.): Do
you care that people are dying and
on their way to hell? If so, take hold of
this message and don’t give it up. This
challenge was put to us on February 19,
2006, as our congregation paid tribute to
two couples.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says we are
“surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses,” and we were pleased to join
four witnesses who ran the race with
perseverance and fixed their eyes on
Jesus as they paid public tribute to the
Lord’s faithfulness. Those two couples
were Peter and Kathy Friesen and Marvin
and Wendy Thiessen.
Kathy Friesen said entering full-time
ministry was an act of obedience. She
heard God say to her, “If anyone comes
to me and does not hate his father
and mother, his wife and children, his
brothers and sisters—yes, even his own
life—he cannot be my disciple (Luke
14:26). Following Jesus does not come
without a price tag, she told us, but if we
do not obey we miss out on many great
blessings in store for us.
Peter Friesen challenged us to take
the torch. There are three steps in
responding to Christ: to salvation, to
Christian living, and then to Christian
service or mission work. We come across
these three steps gradually as we mature
in Christ, and this comes out of a heart of
commitment.
REV. BEN FRIESEN
1928–2007
On Monday, July 23, 2007, Reverend
Ben Friesen passed away at the
Bethesda Hospital after a short and
courageous battle with cancer.
His memory will be cherished by
Henrietta, his wife of 57 years; son
Mervin and wife Eunice, grandsons
Brendan, Christopher and Patrick;
18
These three stages are not optional.
He came to the same conclusion as did
Peter the apostle: Seeing how one day
the whole earth will be destroyed that we
ought to be people who lived their faith
daily. “You ought to live holy and godly
lives...to be found spotless, blameless,
and at peace with Him” (2 Peter 3:12, 14).
His desire for us is that we be filled with
the Holy Spirit and to let him direct us. If
we do this, there will be much fruit and
much to rejoice about.
Because Peter and Kathy
Friesen and Marvin and
Wendy Thiessen spent time in
full-time Christian ministry
there will be more souls in
heaven. The question is: How
many souls will be in heaven
because of what we’ve done?
Marvin and Wendy Thiessen spoke of
how good God had been as they served
in full-time ministry with Janz Team.
They both had a heart for missions
when they met, and dedicated their
lives to introducing people to Christ. In
the tourist town of Granada in southern
Brazil they began programs to train local
people for ministry.
son Lyndon and wife Bonnie, grandsons
Carter and Jackson; daughter Marlylles
and husband Gordon, grandsons
Nathan, Andrew, Michael and Jeremy;
daughter Sheri and husband Christopher,
granddaughters Aidyn and Ella.
He was predeceased by his parents,
Henry and Helen Friesen; his sister Anne
Smith, brother Harry Friesen, as well as
his wife’s parents Isaac and Maria Hamm
and brother Elmer Hamm.
Dad was born on October 28, 1928.
He was a faithful servant and followed
God’s leading into a life of ministry. His
early years of service were spent with
the EMC, church building and pastoring
in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and in
Manitoba. Dad’s strong character, his
loving compassion, and his commitment
to the Lord’s service were a testimony
of his faith and helped him build lasting
friendships he treasured.
Dad’s richest blessing was his
sweetheart, Henrietta. Together, God
They spoke of summer camp
programs they began in Brazil and
Eastern Paraguay, which are going today
and have a strong discipleship program.
They spoke of crusades Marvin preached
and sang at where many people came
to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
They helped start a Bible school, now a
seminary. Many pastors, missionaries,
and church workers are being trained,
and it is only through the grace of God
that so much is accomplished.
After 18 years in South America,
Marvin and Wendy moved back to
Canada and Marvin became the North
American director of Janz Team. He
traveled to many places, preaching and
singing.
Marvin said that it takes a forceful
man to be a missionary, and there are
many challenges and much excitement
in being one. Being a missionary makes
a difference. The Kingdom of God is
advancing and it’s taking over! God needs
people to take this world for Christ. He
asked us to pray that Christians would
be so dangerous that demons flee when
they enter rooms.
Because Peter and Kathy Friesen and
Marvin and Wendy Thiessen spent time
in full-time Christian ministry there will
be more souls in heaven. The question
is: How many souls will be in heaven
because of what we’ve done?
Miryam Bueckert
blessed them with two sons, two
daughters and eleven grandchildren.
He was a loving, devoted husband;
father, grandfather and friend,
emanating the love of Christ in all he
did and to everyone he met.
His legacy is one of sincere
compassion for others, an absolute
love for his family, and his unfailing
dedication to the Lord’s service. We
praise God for the time we were given
with Dad, and we rejoice that he was
called home to be with his Father in
heaven.
His funeral service was held
Monday, July 30, 2007, at the
Evangelical
Mennonite
Church,
422 Main St., Steinbach, Man., with
interment at Heritage Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers donations can be
made to the Evangelical Mennonite
Conference.
His Family
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
shoulder tapping
Wilderness Edge Conference and Retreat
Centre is a 115-room facility that caters largely to
church and family gatherings. We are currently
looking for a capable evening guest attendant
to join our team. Responsibilities include assisting
with supper, being responsible for night snack,
and light office work. Cleaning skills are an asset.
Accommodations are available as well as meals.
For information, contact Kevin Penner at 204753-2535.
The smaller 50-year-old congregation is part
of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, a community that
has a Christian history going back to 1879. The
congregation is located about 45 minutes from
Virden and Brandon.
A strong sense of God’s call and a love for
people are required. Direct inquiries to David
Pashe, 204-730-0409, e-mail: pashed@westman.
wave.ca; or to Len Barkman, 204-326-6401,
e-mail: emclen@mts.net.
Endeavour Fellowship Chapel in eastcentral Saskatchewan, is currently looking for
a pastor. We have a fairly young congregation
consisting of 18–20 families, with about 16 children
in Sunday School. Contact Tom Treen (Elders’
Chairman) at 306-547-3383 or tdpromise@sasktel.
net.
Island Gospel Fellowship, in Burns Lake, BC,
seeks an interim pastor and a permanent pastor.
Burns Lake is a village in the geographic centre of
the province, in the heart of the lakes district.
The village’s population is 2,726, and it serves as
the supply centre for 8,000 people in neighbouring
communities. The congregation, with about 110 in
average attendance, is comprised of people from a
range of cultural and church backgrounds.
Inquiries should be addressed to Johnny
Janzen, chair, pastoral search committee, IGF, Box
145, Burns Lake, BC V0J 1E0. Another contact is
interim church chairman Cole Clifford, 250-6987319; cole.clifford@lakescom.net.
What team do you like to play on?
EMC Missions desire to send a team of church
planters to Mexico. Following two semesters
of Spanish language study, the team will be
placed in one of the cities in Chihuahua State
working alongside national church leaders and
missionaries.
For information contact Ken Zacharias at 204326-6401 or emcken@mts.net.
Hodgson Christian Academy (HCA), an
almost new school with 20 Native students, seeks
applicants for both the lower grades and upper
grades teacher positions for 2007–2008. HCA
opened in 2003 and is now operated by several
churches. HCA serves families in the Hodgson,
Peguis, and Fisher River communities.
HCA is located about 2 hours north of
Winnipeg. For information please contact
principal Tim Reimer at treimer@juno.com or
204-364-2466.
Fish Creek Christian Fellowship (a nine-year-old
EMC congregation meeting in South Calgary) is
seeking a bi-vocational senior pastor to begin
this summer or fall. We currently have about 40
people attending, and our aim is to reach the lost
in our area.
We are looking for an organized, selfmotivated candidate with a strong pulpit
ministry and gifts in evangelism, discipleship
and visionary leadership for church re-planting.
For details and discussion please contact
Dean Buhler, 1452 Lake Sylvan Dr SE, Calgary, AB
T2J 3C8. Phone 403-271-5171 or e-mail kbuhler1@
telus.net.
Mission Heights Community Church, in the
busy city of Grande Prairie, Alta., is seeking a
full-time senior pastor. We are a family oriented
congregation of 180 people. Direct enquiries to
Wayne Friesen at waynefriesen@neufeldonline.
com or call 780-538-1605.
Reserve Fellowship Chapel (EMC), located in
Sioux Valley (west-central Man.), seeks a fulltime pastoral couple to serve the church and to
develop long-term relationships with people of
the community.
THE MESSENGER August 15, 2007
EMC Board of Leadership and Outreach seeks
planters to start congregations in Canadian cities.
The national office works with local churches
and regions to envision, equip, and respond
to these needs. Cities envisioned are Grande
Prairie, Edmonton, Regina, Windsor, and London.
Also needed are core families willing to be part
of the church plants. Together it can happen!
Contact Canadian church planting director Ward
Parkinson at 204-326-6401, emcward@mts.net.
Pelly Fellowship Chapel (EMC) seeks a
youth worker or couple to develop a program for
youth and junior youth. PFC is a small church in
the village of Pelly, located in central Sask., close
to the Manitoba border. Applicants need to have
a strong personal commitment to Jesus Christ
and a sense of God’s call on their life. He/she will
need to be flexible, have strong communication,
organizational, relational and leadership skills, as
well as being self-motivated. Music skills would
be an asset. Submit resume to Pastor John Froese,
Box 70, Pelly, SK S0A 2Z0. Phone 306-595-2074.
E-mail pastor@pellyfellowship.com.
MCC seeks applications a full-time Low
German program coordinator (Winnipeg,
Man.), to manage its LG program in Mexico and
have a coordinating role for LG programs within
the MCC system. This highly relational position
requires excellent communication skills and
understanding of the LG-speaking communities.
Qualifications: An ability to relate with
sensitivity to all Mennonites; administrative
and leadership skills; fluency in Low German
and openness to acquire Spanish; willingness to
travel to Latin America, the United States, and in
Canada.
The job description may be viewed on the
web at www.mcc.org. All MCC workers are
expected to exhibit a commitment to a personal
Christian faith and discipleship, active church
membership, and nonviolent peacemaking.
Contact Marsha Jones at 204-261-6381 or email:
mgj@mennonitecc.ca. Applications are accepted
until September 10, 2007.
Mennonite Central Committee Canada
seeks applications for a half-time domestic
policy analyst in Ottawa, Ont. The placement of
this position on Ottawa indicates MCC Canada’s
increasing commitment to governmental work.
Although this position’s focus is on select
Canadian domestic issues and policies, flexibility
is necessary in order to meet the mandate of the
Ottawa office. The role will include monitoring and
responding to federal government legislation and
action relating to our priorities. This is done in the
context of regular communication with relevant
MCC provincial and international programming,
other Mennonite agencies, and related coalitions.
The goal of our involvement with the government
is to find ways in which we and our constituency
can participate in the struggle for justice within
Canada.
The domestic policy analyst uses a teamwork
approach to collaborate with all members of the
National Programs department of MCC Canada
and to interact with MCC provincial offices, other
organizations connected to MCC, and coalitions,
where appropriate.
All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a
commitment to a personal Christian faith and
discipleship, active church membership, and nonviolent peacemaking. For further information
contact Marsha Jones at 204-261-6381 or e-mail
mgj@mennonitecc.ca.
Mennonite Central Committee seeks
applications for a full-time water and food
production coordinator in Winnipeg, Man.
The coordinator is a member of MCC’s
Program Development department within
the International Program department and is
responsible to support the development and
strengthening of MCC’s international work
related to water and food production, focusing
on changes in climate that impact water and food;
work with MCC’s international country programs
to plan/design, monitor, and implement water
and food production activity; educate MCC
constituency on this work, by collaborating
with the MCC Resource Generation Network,
and with regional and provincial MCC offices for
communication and consultation.
All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a
commitment to a personal Christian faith and
discipleship, active church membership, and nonviolent peacemaking. For further information
contact Marsha Jones at 204-261-6381 or e-mail
mgj@mennonitecc.ca.
High Level Christian Academy, in northern
Alberta, is a K-9 school currently seeking a
certified teacher for a 7–9 split grade. For
information please contact Eugene Peters at 780926-4126 or e-mail eugsam@telusplanet.net.
19
pictures of God
Joanna Plett
Pictures of the Holy Spirit
I
used to think of the Holy Spirit as more of an event
than a person. Although I believed in some vague
sense that the Holy Spirit lives within every Christian,
I didn’t really see his work as a regular part of life.
He was a part of radical moments and intense
encounters—the sort of events that could define years
or even decades. Very spiritual people, I suspected, had
these encounters more often than the average Christian,
but even in those cases I saw them as the exception
rather than the rule.
A few years ago, despite my skepticism towards
charismatic Christianity, I wanted to experience the
Holy Spirit more in my own life and began to seek the
spirituality that I thought would take me there.
Around that time, a week of sessions by Steve Robbins
on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit revolutionized my perception
wanted to encounter him, he wanted to speak to me—to
teach me how to pray, to show me how to live, to give me
words to speak.
As I expected him to speak to me, I began to hear him
in daily life and conversations. My tentative requests
for gifts and wisdom became bolder and bigger with
the knowledge that they were not essentially about my
hopes and dreams and needs, but that they were about
God’s kingdom forcefully advancing as he worked in and
through me.
“If you…know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13).
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with us always as we
T
experience, proclaim, and enter the kingdom of God. M
God longs to pour out his Spirit on us, because as his Spirit
heals us, guides us and flows through us, his glory is
revealed on earth and his kingdom is spread.
of the Holy Spirit. That week I encountered a God who is
on a mission to spread his kingdom throughout the earth,
and who has commissioned all his resources to fulfill it.
I thought the gifts, like the Holy Spirit himself, were
just that: Gifts. They were unearned and given freely, but
essentially, they were for the recipient. As such, I was
thankful for the gifts I was given, but felt unworthy to ask
for more.
But, as I caught a glimpse of God’s commitment to
spreading his kingdom on earth, I discovered that the
gifts of the Holy Spirit really had far less to do with me
than with his kingdom they were meant to advance. God
longs to pour out his Spirit on us, because as his Spirit
heals us, guides us and flows through us, his glory is
revealed on earth and his kingdom is spread.
Contemporary stories of healings, revelations, and
miracles revealed that the work and the plans of the
Holy Spirit completely eclipsed my paltry perceptions. I
discovered simultaneously that He was infinitely farther
beyond me and intimately closer to me than I had ever
imagined.
As my eyes opened to the Holy Spirit, I discovered
that encounters were no longer far away and far between.
My quest changed from a distant search for him to a
discovery that he was with me constantly. More than I
PAGE 20
THE MESSENGER
Evangelical Mennonite Conference
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