Vol. 43 No. 16 September 21, 2005

Finding calm in the chaos
reverence
through an exclusive
The
Messenger
EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE
VOLUME 43 NUMBER 16 SEPTEMBER 21, 2005
The
editorials
Messenger
EDITOR
Terry M. Smith
Suicide and church’s response
Y
ears ago I tried to help a man
who had been hospitalized for
mental illness. He told me that
he would rather die than go
back. Though he had contact with two
ministers and me (not a minister then), he
died of suicide. I wish he had gone back.
When a journalism student, I was
aware a bit of an instructor’s need but
shied away, as an immature Christian,
from approaching this thoughtful teacher.
Later, I overheard instructors discussing
It’s tough, but necessary, for families,
pastors, and churches to talk about
suicide and its effects upon us. Is the
church a safe place to do this?
her death by suicide. I wish she still taught
Canadian literature today.
I officiated at the wedding of a young
couple. A few months later I awoke
thinking of people who had committed
suicide. Alarmed, I inquired about a
person, who was fine. Later that morning
I was called at the office—the groom had
died of suicide. I wish that young man had
lived to see some of his better plans come
true.
It’s tough, but necessary, for families,
pastors, and churches to talk about
suicide and its effects upon us. Is the
church a safe place to do this?
This magazine’s pages tend to be filled
with news that mostly we feel good about.
Grief, mental illness, and suicide are not
mentioned as much as they affect families,
churches, and society.
Memorial articles rarely remember
people who died by their own decision.
This magazine would publish them. How
would readers respond? Sensitively, I
hope.
I will remember these people—and
others—who have committed suicide. As
a minister and a former pastor, I encourage
churches to continue to grapple with what
it means to rejoice with those who rejoice
and to mourn with those who mourn
T
(Romans 12:15). M
Terry M. Smith
From one black sheep to another
B
elieve that God can be gracious
to me?
God can be gracious to others,
but not to me.
Others have not committed my failures.
They don’t have the same past. They are
basically good people. They deserve to
be forgiven. But not so for the people who
struggle. The church really is for basically
good people, you see.
Church people are either hypocrites
or have minor flaws. There’s no sense in
wanting to be a hypocrite, or in pretending
that my sins aren’t as bad as they are.
There’s no disguising the ugliness of what
happened.
It’s too bad, really! It would be great
to be part of the church. It would be
nice to believe that God loves me, that
Christ covers my sins too, that God’s
forgiveness can be mine. It would be
good to have peace in life and comfort
2
in death. To have a church family would
be great!
The result? Some of us are shut out.
Being part of the church isn’t possible for
us.
Those church people smile, know the
songs, dress nicely, but they’re not like
me. Or are they?
God “justifies the ungodly” (Romans
4:5). In other words, God can forgive those
who of us who think we are unforgivable.
The church isn’t really intended for only
neat, nice and decent people. It includes
people who feel dirty, failing and are
conscious of our shortcomings. Christ
the shepherd invites black sheep into his
fold!
That’s why I’m in the church. Sometimes
it’s hard to believe that I am in, but by the
kindness of Christ it was possible. From
one black sheep to another: There’s a
T
spot for you too! M
Terry M. Smith
ASSISTANT
EDITOR
Rebecca Buhler
THE MESSENGER is the publication
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MESSENGER SCHEDULE:
No. 18 – October 19
(copy due October 7)
THE MESSENGER
letter
coming events
God works in ways I don’t understand
As I write I am overwhelmed with
the book One Who Dared by Doreen
Reimer Peters. She did an excellent job,
one that told the story with all his ups
and downs. After having read 17 other
similar stories, I am somewhat more
at ease about people like her Dad, Ben
Reimer. Up to that time I was not at all
in line with many of the men who left
their family to find their own way while
he was doing what they felt was God’s
work.
In fact, I felt they were cowards in
doing what they felt led to do while
the family was left without a father in
the home. I had them labelled as bad
fathers, and felt very much against
there being such a think as doing the
work of God when the family was left
out. My question was how could they
say they were in the will of God when, in
fact, they didn’t look after the family?
Well, as I sit now and write, I must say
I have changed my mind to say God does
his work in ways I don’t understand or
ever will. People suffer in different ways
and the lack of understanding needs
to be addressed, and that from Bible
School to the preachers of our day.
Not that the story was one where I
could sit and read without shedding
some tears—not the case. I have
memories of Ben Reimer coming to
Winnipeg and showing movies at the
Redwood Chapel that Lee Toews and I
helped fill with kids from the area. We
would hand out tickets at the school
gate. I knew then Ben had left family to
come and show the movie and would
not be back for his own kids to see him
before they went to bed.
The question is, will any of those
kids be in heaven, as they sure heard
the call and were given a chance to
respond.
Let me say of the 17 books I read,
only a very few did right, in my view.
One was right out to lunch, yet God
used her to save over 200 hundred
university students from being lost
even if it meant being beheaded for
Christ. Over 200 hundred orphans were
saved from death as well—all because
she felt God called her.
Did others think she was qualified?
No, as she didn’t pass her Bible school
exams, yet she went. I had to wonder
why would someone go against all who
told her, “It is impossible. You just don’t
have what it takes to be a missionary”?
This must be that God makes some
that dare to be different, and I must say
that brother Ben Reimer was just that
kind of a person.
Henry Dyck
Landmark, Man.
Doreen Peters responds
We’re all concerned about getting our
priorities straight. Balancing family and
ministry, in terms of both the quantity and
quality of time we give to each, is a big
piece of the puzzle. Nowadays, however,
hobbies, vacations, leisure activities (even
reading good books, as our pastor stated
in a recent sermon) also compete with the
family for our time and attention.
I remember a remark made in the mid80s by a missionary who had experienced
family life in another country, about the
way North American parents and children
related to each other. She saw a dynamic
within families that often bordered on
children being treated like little “gods.” If
she is right, then such instances certainly
are examples of the child-centred approach
taken too far.
Towards the other extreme are families
where the children suffer from a parent’s
neglect. My father Ben D. Reimer
discovered, to his dismay, that his initial
guiding principle was wrong: If I do the
Lord’s work, the Lord will take care of my
family. He learned that spending time with
his children was a very important part of
doing God’s will.
What happens, then, with the service
he did for God at times when his life was
out of balance? I believe that, as imperfect
people, prone to imbalances of all kinds,
we can’t really pass judgment.
The One who is merciful sees the
motivation of the heart and guides us
through our mistakes (to the point of
saying, it was no mistake; it was the means
to learn a vital life lesson. He also redeems
our smudged lives, brings beauty out of
ashes, produces strength of character out
of adversity, as well as lasting fruit. The
fruit, of course, is the work of God and will
remain, in spite of us.
September 30–October 1
Mennonite Hosts and Refugee
Newcomers:
1979–the Present
Weekend History Conference
Eckhart Gramatte Hall
University of Winnipeg
Winnipeg, Man.
204-786-9391
October 15
Management Issues for Churches and
Charitable Organizations
Rosenort EMC
Rosenort, Man.
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
204-326-6401
October 18–19
Canadian Mennonite University
J. J. Thiessen Lectures
Curiosity: Towards a Theology
of Intellectual Appetite
Speaker: Paul J. Griffiths
Winnipeg, Man.
877-231-4570
October 19–21
Winnipeg Prophecy Conference
The Ancient Book for Modern Times
Victoria Inn
Winnipeg, Man.
204-888-7270 or 204-853-7786
October 20
Song of the Soul
Eden Health Care Services
Fundraising Banquet
Steinbach Mennonite Church
Steinbach, Man.
866-895-2919
edenfdn@valleycable.com
October 21–24
Ministering with the Emerging Church
Speaker: Dr. Gary Collins
Providence Seminary
Otterburne, Man.
204-433-7488 ext. 258
www.prov.ca
Vietnamese Mennonite pastor Nguyen Hong Quang
is greeted after being released from prison on
August 30, 2005. He had been moved among five
prisons since his arrest on June 8, 2004. Evangelist
Pham Ngoc Thach remains in prison.
(MWC)
September 21, 2005
3
Finding Calm in the Chaos
through an
exclusive
exclusi
ve reverence
T
Rev. Rod Masterson
here is nothing particularly sinister about the names Paul or Karla.
But any Canadian who knows of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka
instantly associates these names with one of the most evil criminal
acts in our history.
Conversely, the names Graham and Theresa take on hugely positive
dimensions when prefaced with Billy and Mother.
A person’s name is more than a name. It fundamentally reflects who that
person is and what that person does. To connect a person’s name wrongly to
something negative is to do a great injustice to that individual.
When Texas governor James Stephen Hogg named his only daughter Ima
he labeled his girl with an undeserved and debilitating legacy (contrary
to popular legend there was no twin sister named Ura). How an individual
chooses to define himself either negatively or positively is their willful choice
as they come of age. Fortunately Miss Ima chose to define herself in kind and
positive ways.
When God chose Israel to be His people, His name was forever linked to
them. God’s Law defined for Israel the boundaries of their relationship.
Interestingly He chose to include a stipulation regarding their use of His
name. This reflected who He was as their God and what His intentions were
with regard to them and, as we shall see, all of mankind.
The commandment states simply that they were not to misuse the name
of the Lord their God, for the Lord would not hold guiltless anyone who
misused His name (Exodus 20:7).
To violate this command is to incur God’s wrath and with certainty bring
upon one’s self some unspecified punishment. God does not take lightly the
misuse of His name. He demands an exclusive reverence for His name. What
does this mean? What does it have to do with giving calm in a chaotic world?
4
THE MESSENGER
No mere ban on vulgarity
There is much more implied here
beyond the obvious prohibition
against profanity, or the vulgar or
contemptuous use of God’s name.
Since most believers today abhor
the taking of God’s name in vain, or
cursing, we need to understand the
deeper implications of the command
to assure that we are obeying it and
that God’s ultimate purposes are not
being hindered.
Originally the command seems
to have referred to swearing a
lying oath (R. Alan Cole). It was
permissible under the law to bless
or curse in Yahweh’s name as a
declaration of God’s will regarding
various types of persons (Leviticus
19:12). To use God’s name in an oath
but not keep the promise was to call
into question the very existence and
power of God (Cole).
John I. Durham suggests that “the
third commandment is directed
not toward Yahweh’s protection,
but toward Israel’s. Yahweh’s name,
specifically the tetragrammaton
(YHWH), but in principle all
Yahweh’s names and titles, must
be honored, blessed, praised,
celebrated, invoked, pronounced,
and so shared. To treat Yahweh’s
name with disrespect is to treat his
gift lightly, to underestimate his
power, to scorn his Presence, and
to misrepresent to the family of
humankind his very nature as ‘The
One Who Always Is.’”
I
srael went to considerable
lengths to keep this command.
To protect themselves they
chose to not use God’s name at
all (other than the high priest once
a year in the blessing on the Day of
Atonement) and to this day simply
Open declaration of God’s
name was not limited to the
nation Israel. His name was
to be made known to all the
peoples of the world.
September 21, 2005
refer to Him as Hashem, meaning the name.
This was not God’s intention since He elsewhere asks that
His name be proclaimed. In Exodus 9:16 God’s message to
Pharaoh is “but I have raised you up for this very purpose,
that I might show you my power and that my name might be
proclaimed in all the earth.”
King David writes, “I will declare your name to my
God’s name is misused when we openly claim to be His,
but then we live life without obvious correspondence to
His life and character. It is to suggest He is not enough.
brothers; in the congregation I will praise you” (Psalm 22:22).
Later he appeals to his people, “Glorify the Lord with me; let
us exalt his name together” (Psalm 34:3).
But this open declaration of God’s name was not limited to
the nation Israel. His name was to be made known to all the
peoples of the world.
David says, “I will praise you among the nations, O Lord;
I will sing praises to your name” (Psalm 18:49). Later in the
Psalms the sons of Korah explain, “Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 48:10).
A matter of mission
“At the deepest level, use of God’s name is a matter
of mission” (Terence E. Fretheim). To use His name
wrongfully—that is, to not use it in prayer, praise or witness
both within the assembly of God’s people and among the
nations—is to bring disrepute not only on His name, but His
character and purpose.
God’s name is misused when we openly claim to be His,
but then we live life without obvious correspondence to His
life and character. It is to suggest He is not enough.
I once knew a Christian man who knew and quoted more
Scripture by memory than anyone I knew. But the sad reality
was of a man who abused his wife and children, forcing them
finally to flee in terror from the chaos that was their home
life. Thankfully he eventually came to his senses, repented,
and was reunited with his family.
To misuse God’s name means to worship Him dutifully and
without joy. Such worship by the folks who purport to be His
people drastically devalues His worth in the eyes of others.
How many of us have known our own pitiful, insipid
worship that reflects a stressed out, humourless existence
that shouts that God doesn’t exist at all? We too, like the
elder brother of the prodigal, need to humbly repent and
return to our Father.
The misuse of His name occurs when God’s people shrink
from the wonderful privilege of joyfully proclaiming His
name among the nations that they might know His glorious
deliverance from bondage. It argues that He is no Deliverer
after all.
5
What of our wealthy churches
that cringe when yet another
missionary comes seeking support
or that discourages its youth from
going to the ends of the earth with
the Good News of Jesus? Are our
internal struggles as churches
often because we have become,
like ancient Israel, so piously
preoccupied with our needs that
we have forgotten God’s greater
purpose for us? Is this too not a
misuse of the Name that is above
every name?
What’s in a name? What’s involved
in misusing the Name of the Living
God?
Listen carefully to God’s warning
to Israel if they failed to keep this
commandment: “If you do not…
revere this glorious and awesome
name—the Lord your God…the Lord
will scatter you among all nations…
you will find no repose, no resting
place for the sole of your foot. There
the Lord will give you an anxious
mind, eyes weary with longing, and
a despairing heart. You will live in
constant suspense, filled with dread
both day and night, never sure of
your life” (Deuteronomy 28:58,
64–66).
Our Father, help us to hallow your
T
Name, and so grant us your peace! M
Rod Masterson, BRE, MA, is president
of Peace River Bible Institute in
Sexsmith, Alberta. He has served as
a pastor of Baptist, Evangelical Free,
and Evangelical Mennonite Brethren
churches, and as a missionary-pastor in
Mali, Africa.
6
The Future of
O
ver the course of my life I have done my bit
in lectures and books to make 16th century
Anabaptism visible to our people and time.
I have been and remain an advocate for the
Anabaptist form of Christian faith as put forward by, for
example, Pilgram Marpeck. The fact that my wife Ruth and
I now worship and work in the Anglican church has done
nothing to change that.
But I have grown increasingly uneasy, indeed, disturbed,
by the now common designation of Mennonites as
Anabaptists. We seem to think that in spite of our often
uncritical cultural accommodation we can somehow preen
ourselves with the bright feathers of a heroic tradition.
And then we go on to imagine that we can be like those
who were part of that tradition those centuries ago by
adopting the nickname their enemies gave them.
I suspect that all this is part of what we call
multiculturalism. We celebrate our distinctiveness from
others in church and world. It looks suspiciously like
another brand of sectarianism.
Those of us who have studied and written about
th
16 century Anabaptism, including myself, have not
emphasized sufficiently that our 16th century forebears
were not out to separate from the old catholic church
of their day. Like the reformers Martin Luther, Huldrych
Zwingli, and Thomas Cranmer, they were out to reform the
One church and not to create another.
It was the lamentable consequence of an intolerant
century that their efforts were rejected and came to
nothing because Anabaptists refused to embrace the
coercive methods of the other reformers. Their vision to
contribute to the reform of the One church failed, as did
that of the other reformers. Perhaps we can identify the
Mennonite tradition as a long-term holding action in order
that the original vision not be lost.
What especially characterized 16th century Anabaptists
was that they stood consciously against and challenged
virtually everything their Christian culture took for
granted. They rejected all religious coercion, and insisted
that governments had no role in the internal life of the
church. They rejected the emerging capitalist economic
system of the time primarily because it discriminated
against the poor and defenceless. They refused to accept
any justification for the use of force and killing in the
defence of the gospel.
THE MESSENGER
the Anabaptist Vision
Dr. Walter Klaassen
They paid an extremely high price for accepting
through the darkness of their time to the light of his
the baptism of believing adults as a sign of
eternal kingdom.
commitment to follow Christ because it was against
It is a betrayal of Anabaptism to reduce Christian
the law and often carried the death penalty. If
faith to social activism as we are inclined to do.
we in North America are going to call ourselves
We are not called to change the world by our own
Anabaptists, it would seem to me that there ought to efforts. We do not build God’s kingdom; it is a gift
be some resemblance between us and them.
God gives us when we have faith in Christ and which
th
The Anabaptists of the 16 century are our
we may, by God’s grace, receive.
spiritual ancestors and we
There are, however,
th
rightly celebrate their life,
some
Mennonites who
What especially characterized 16
witness, and martyrdom
may justifiably use the
century Anabaptists was that they
by rehearsing their story.
name Anabaptist. They
But that does not make us
live in Vietnam, Colombia,
stood consciously against and
Anabaptists.
Ethiopia, and in other
challenged virtually everything
First, with very few
places in the world
their Christian culture took for
exceptions, we are not
where they were and
rebaptized, for that is what
granted. If we in North America are are being persecuted for
the name means. We are not
going to call ourselves Anabaptists, their faith by repressive
persecuted and hounded
governments and
it would seem to me that there
into prison and death for our
therefore know what it
faith. We are affluent and
was like to be Anabaptists
ought to be some resemblance
conformed to this world in
back then.
between us and them.
our enthusiastic embrace of
And then there are also
consumerism and therefore
those who have come
don’t have the singleness of heart which was
into the Mennonite churches from churches that
required of them for living faithfully in the face of
still baptise infants, and who have been rebaptized.
imprisonment, torture, exile and death.
These also have a right to be called Anabaptists.
Without doubt, we too are trying to live faithfully
So, perhaps we could dignify all of these as modern
in our time and place, but it’s hard because it costs
Anabaptists, and the rest of us be content with being
us virtually nothing to be baptized; baptism has
called Mennonites, our old nickname.
no life and death outcome for us. It is confusing
If we are going to be faithful to the Anabaptist
because we are no longer sure about our faith; its
vision, then we will renounce all separatism and ethnic
basis keeps shifting uncertainly for us as for other
pride, and participate in the incomplete, ongoing
Christians. Inviting to our institutions people like
reform of the whole church to the glory of God and his
T
John Spong and Tom Harpur, and applauding their
Son Jesus who prayed that we all might be one. M
siren voices, is a sign that we are confused about
Walter Klaassen, D.Phil. (Oxford), has long served as a
what the truth is.
professor of Anabaptist studies, and has written books such
Anabaptists were human and did not always get
as Anabaptism: Neither Catholic nor Protestant (Conrad
things right, but without exception they knew that
Press, 1981, rev. ed.) and edited books such as Anabaptism
their faith basis was that Jesus Christ, the Son of
Revisited (Herald Press, 1992). He is currently writing a
God, had come into the world to save sinners, that
biography on Pilgram Marpeck, an early Anabaptist leader.
in his death they had forgiveness of sins, and that
His father and grandfather were ministers. He grew up
in his resurrection they had the light and power to
in Eigenheim Mennonite Church near Rosthern, Sask.
live the Christian life. They had confidence and trust Klaassen lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
in God’s love and judgement that would see them
August 17, 2005
7
window on missions
Lester Olfert
Dealing with retirement adjustments
W
hat do missionaries face when they
retire? Is their situation different from
other persons that retire?
Believing that they face unique
challenges, a re-entry retreat for missionaries was held
August 23–25, 2005. The purpose was to help them deal
with the difficulties of leaving colleagues and friends
far behind; adjusting to a changed home culture;
and re-connecting with family, friends and church
relationships.
others now for the support and counsel needed.
Missionaries are third culture individuals. In their
country of service they adapted to their host culture
and through the years adopted it. Returning to their
home culture, to their surprise they discover they do
not feel at home. This is frustrating, but it is normal.
One needs to celebrate the way life has been enriched
by the diversity of culture.
Ask for the ancient paths…the good way…and walk
in it. Do not try to find your way through on your
own. Find friends from whom to seek advice. Ask the
church to walk with you. Search the scriptures for the
unchanging principles that you have
depended on for a guide rule. The
Change is not a new
church should be patient and not
experience. Roles,
expect the missionary to immediately
take on major responsibilities.
relationships and
All the participants were
locations change, but enriched
by the retreat discussions,
our mission does not. sharing and reflection. Ron Penner
(Conference moderator), Ruth
Penner (BOM member), and Len Barkman (BOM
general secretary) joined in the wrap-up and closing
The location was St. Benedict’s Retreat Centre, just
celebration service. It included Communion led by Ron
north of Winnipeg on the banks of the Red River. Dr.
Penner, reminding us of Jesus’ sacrificial death and the
Lois Edmund, professor at Menno Simons College and
hope of his return. Missionaries were encouraged to
professional counselor, was the facilitator.
walk in the way trusting the Spirit to guide, confident in
The theme verse chosen by Dr. Edmund was
the plan that God has for each one, and in this way find
T
Jeremiah 6:16, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask
rest for the soul. M
for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and
walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
The following are some of the key lessons learned.
Stand at the crossroads and look. Retirement is a time
of transition. Transitions have a mix of joy and sorrow,
negatives and positives. If one acknowledges the
negative (grieves the losses) it will be easier to find the
positive. Pause to celebrate (the missionary recognition
supper did this). Do not rush into new commitments.
Friends and churches can help missionaries by giving
them opportunities to tell their stories.
Change is not a new experience. Throughout life we
have dealt with change, some minor and others major.
Roles, relationships and locations change, but our
mission does not. God’s faithfulness carried us through
before and we can trust Him to carry us through now
The participants were Doris Friesen, Darlene and Lester Olfert, Elsie and
again. Just as we counted on the support of others
Ernest Funk, Peter and Anne Wiebe, Kathy and Peter Friesen, and Catherine
(family, friends, and church) before, we can look to
Thiessen.
8
THE MESSENGER
with our missionaries
Lesotho, Africa
A Noah-complex and an
interesting predicament
Those of you who know Melvin well
also know that he always has a project
on the go if not two or more. Well, this
project started with a boat motor that he
found at one of the mountain clinics.
The big question was what was the
motor doing there in the first place? And
Evangelical Anabaptist
Seminary Program
Equipping men and women for
the ministries of the church
in the evangelical Anabaptist
tradition
FALL COURSE 2005
Offered on the Canadian Mennonite
University campus
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB
The Church and God’s Mission
Ray Bystrom, D. Min.
Tuesday–Saturday, October 11–15
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
EASP Courses may be taken for credit
($460) or audit ($150)
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE
CONTACT:
Website: www.ambs.ca/easp
Pierre Gilbert [pgilbert@cmu.ca] or
Anne Friesen [annefriesen@cmu.ca] or
call 204-487-3300
Sponsored by Associated Mennonite
Biblical Seminary and MB Biblical
Seminary and fully accredited by
the Association of Theological
Schools.
September 21, 2005
then, how long had it been there? And
whose was it? The more the questions
were asked, the more it became clear that
the motor had probably been there a long
time; so long, in fact, that no one could
remember why it was there and to whom
it actually belonged. So Melvin asked if
he could have it and they said yes.
Well, if you have a boat motor then you
need a boat. It didn’t take Melvin long to
put two and two together and soon some
fuel drums and leftover steel from the
hangar renovation became a raft. He just
added wood planks for a floor and steel
tubing for railing and it was done.
The next dilemma was getting it to
water. He would need a trailer of some
kind to manage that. Well, the answer to
that question came when a friend asked
him to help dismantle a car wreck for
parts. Melvin agreed to help if he could
get the rear axle. With a bit of welding
and a couple trips to the scrap-metal
yard, Melvin had a boat trailer. Oh, and it
needed a couple tires. No problem.
You must understand that by this time
Melvin was getting a lot of ribbing from
his friends. He was beginning to get a
Noah-complex. He had a boat, but what
was he planning to do with it? You see,
Lesotho is a mountain country. There
are no bodies of water on which to float a
boat. There are no lakes, no large rivers,
nothing—except two dam reservoirs and
that water belongs to South Africa. Access
to this water would mean getting through
a lot of red tape, but Melvin pressed on.
After a couple phone calls to a certain
engineer from our church the process was
begun in typical African fashion—very
slowly. When Jim realized that Melvin’s
inquiries were serious and that he did,
in fact, have a boat that was already in
Lesotho and ready for use, the ball really
started rolling and Melvin was given a
temporary permit to have his boat at
Mohale Dam.
In return Melvin helped Jim out with
a “small job”—putting out marker buoys
for a two-kilometre rowing course for the
high-altitude training centre. This in turn
led to a bigger job: Moving furniture to
the new resort built on one of the islands
in the reservoir.
Now the big question for us has been,
“Why, God? What are you doing here?
Why is this happening?” This sequence
of events is not the result of coincidence.
This is the way God works in our lives—
one thing leads to the next till we find
ourselves exactly where God wants us to
be—in the perfect position to see him do
something miraculous.
We cannot keep the money that Melvin
has made from this boat job—Revenue
Canada says so. God knows that too,
so what does he want us to do with it?
An interesting predicament, don’t you
think?
Kari Peters
Kari and Melvin Peters (La Crete) serve in
Lesotho with Mission Aviation Fellowship.
21st Annual
EMCup Hockey Tournament
November 11–13, 2005, at
Steinbach, Man.
There is room for 20 teams.
Interested churches can contact
Russ Dyck at 204-326-6503.
9
Four missionaries
recognized on August 25
Anne and Peter Wiebe, Catherine Thiessen, and Doris
Friesen were recognized on August 25, 2005, for their
missionary service at a special supper sponsored by
the EMC Board of Missions, held at Steinbach EMC in
Steinbach, Man.
Doris Friesen served in Nicaragua and Paraguay
(1973–2005), Catherine Thiessen in Mexico (1974–2005),
and Peter and Anne Wiebe in Mexico and Canada (1994–
2005).
General Secretary Len Barkman welcomed about
80 people—honoured guests, their families, and wider
church family. Former General Secretary Henry Klassen
read how Paul rejoiced when Christians are partners in
spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1);
he led in a prayer of thanksgiving.
Lester Olfert, Foreign Secretary, read Scripture. He
spoke of how workers commented positively on being
involved within a missionary re-entry retreat held earlier
in the week in Winnipeg, Man. Through the retreat
presenter Dr. Lois Edmund, he was reminded of how we
need others in our times of transitions; just as ministry
is a team effort, retiring workers still need people.
Special music was provided by Cliff and Pauline
Loewen and family of Blumenort EMC.
Board chairman Ernie Loewen gave a devotional. Does
terror reign? No, our God reigns, he emphasized. When
growth happens in missions, it isn’t because of EMC
10
strategy, or name brand, but because “our God reigns.
He will reign forever and ever. Amen,” said Loewen.
Tributes were given to the workers, a PowerPoint
display was presented on each ministry, and responses
were given by missionaries. Gifts were presented of a
mantelpiece clock soapstone carving with the inscription,
In appreciation for your years of faithful service with EMC
Missions 2005.
Terry M. Smith
Lester and Darlene Olfert present Doris Friesen with a gift of appreciation for
years of service under the Board of Missions.
THE MESSENGER
Tribute to Catherine Thiessen
Cathy
Thiessen
served
two years at Los Jueyes Clinic
(Quellen Colony), Mexico, and
was accepted on February 1,
1974, as a career missionary,
when she began serving in
Chihuahua. She was involved
in church planting efforts in
Chihuahua City, working with
Edward and Leona Friesen.
She served in the Efrata
church, where she worked
with Randall and Faith Krahn,
Peter and Louise Hiebert, and
Arnaldo and Rebecca Gonzalez.
After furlough in 1998 she relocated to Oscar Soto Maynez,
where she worked with five rural churches. Here she served for
seven years. Over the years Cathy had a strong involvement
and commitment to VBS and camp work, sometimes running
the programs with less-than-adequate help from others.
Cathy also taught Sunday school and worked with youth.
A great contribution to leadership with the national church
was her mentoring of Arnaldo Gonzalez, pastor and National
Directiva member.
Cathy will also be remembered for her adult Bible study
programs and her faithful visitation to the elderly or the shut-in.
Mount Picacho overlooks much of the area Cathy ministered
in. Her own constancy and dedication in service might be
characterized by the permanence of Mount Picacho. We pray
that the fruit of her labours will continue for many years to
come, even though she is no longer there physically.
We also pray that she will have the strength and the Lord’s
enabling to be able to climb any other mountains that might
present themselves to her in the future as she adjusts to her
new life in Canada.
God bless you, Cathy, for your many years of faithful service,
and may He continue to use you here in the furtherance of his
kingdom.
Ernie Koop, BOM member and former colleague
Tribute to Doris Friesen
Doris Friesen was accepted
by EMC Missions in 1973. She
had graduated from Steinbach
Bible College in 1968 and as a
registered nurse in 1971.
She began serving in
Nicaragua in 1974. Her main
assignment was to establish
rural health clinics and thereby
minister to their spiritual needs
and assist church planting
efforts.
The first clinic was started
in San José where church
planting was in progress. It was
connected with Provedenic, a Nicaraguan Baptist organization
focused on primary health care.
Four rural churches were established in areas where clinics
operated. Doris has always been concerned about people’s
spiritual as well as physical needs.
September 21, 2005
Doris lived through the turbulent years of the Sandinista
Revolution and was evacuated June 1979. Two months later she
returned and served another four-year term. With improved
health care under the Sandinista government, Doris terminated
her ministry in Nicaragua in June 1983.
Doris investigated the need for a primary health care
program in Paraguay and volunteered to head up that ministry.
She encountered numerous challenges. Some Paraguayan
leaders did not have the vision for clinics to be part of a church
planting effort. Some clinics were established and promoters
were trained and continue to serve.
A ministry in preventative health care opened through
the nutritional use of soybean flour. She developed a widelyused cookbook, and is affectionately known in Caaguazú as
the soybean lady. As always Doris has used this to emphasize
spiritual well-being.
Doris also served in children’s Bible classes in public
schools, correspondence Bible lessons to follow up the
contacts in the schools, Vacation Bible Schools, and Sunday
school teacher training seminars. A one-liner she uses is, “It is
easier to build boys and girls than to mend men and women.”
Through God’s grace Doris has touched many lives-children, women, young people, and men. She will be missed
in Paraguay and she will miss her many friends.
Lester Olfert, Foreign Secretary
and former colleague in Nicaragua
Tribute to Peter and Anne Wiebe
Over the last ten
years we have gone to
Mexico to visit almost
every year. Whenever
we were there we
tried to visit some of
the missionaries and
found this to be a very
enriching bonus to our
visits. We attended
Christmas gatherings,
went to de Prips for
pie and coffee and
participated in some of the ministries. One of the couples we
enjoyed visiting was Peter and Anne Wiebe.
Our friendship with them went back to the time when sat
across from each other in a Region 1 Convention and discussed
the opportunities of Low German ministry in Southern Alberta.
Something in our discussion triggered a desire in Peter and Anne
to move to Taber and begin a visitation ministry in 199?. I soon
found that Peter was a real church planter: the word impossible
was not in his vocabulary. In a few months a group was meeting
on Sunday mornings. Not long after that they rented a church
building and the group purchased a place to meet.
When Peter and Anne moved from Taber to Mexico I was
not surprised. They were simply continuing to serve a people
that had become dear to them. Their passion for this ministry
had grown deeper and soon a new building was on the way
beside a hill near Los Jayes. The church has grown and their
ministry there completed.
When we lunched with Peter and Anne a while ago I sensed
that, although this was a time of retirement, it was actually more
like a transition. The ministry would continue—somewhere.
Don Thiessen, former EMC Conference Pastor
11
Burkina Faso/Canada
Siaka
Traore:
Thank you for being ‘fools for God’
“I think I am a reward for you,” said
Siaka Traore on August 19, 2005, at
a breakfast gathering of Africa InterMennonite Mission supporters, held at
Smitty’s Restaurant in Steinbach, Man.
“This day my heart is full of joy to be one
in…this one body.”
Traore, chairman of AIMM’s international council and vice-president of the
Evangelical Mennonite
Church
of Burkina Faso,
spoke of how he
moved from Islam
to becoming a
Christian through
reading, but, like
the Ethiopian leader in Acts 8, needed help to better
understand. That
help came from
missionaries. Now
a minister, he also
sells books, an
idea for which he
gave the credit to
“our father Ben
Eidse,” a long-time
EMC missionary
in Africa.
He
thanked
Siaka Traore
missionaries and
supporters for being “fools for God,”
used to bring him and others to Christ;
and the task is not finished yet, he said,
referring to Philippians 1:6.
Burkina Faso has a population of 12
million people, with about 20 percent
identified as Christian; the remainder
are Muslims or practice folk religions.
“As Mennonites, we want to face this
challenge,” he said.
Recently AIMM has gone through
structural change. The Burkina Faso
Partnership Council allows for greater
decision-making together by both
Africans and North Americans; this is
what is wanted, he said.
The BFPC desires to shift efforts to
plant churches in urban areas (while
maintaining rural work) and to nurture
young people who have moved there.
It wants to work in translation, health,
agriculture and economic areas. It
desires to share the source of peace
12
(Christ) and to start a peace centre in a
city. Help is needed to begin this project,
both in people and money. “We are one
body, the same body,” he said.
Traore is also MCC’s West Africa
coordinator of peace and reconciliation.
His work has taken him to Sierra Leone.
Len Barkman, EMC General Secretary,
earlier welcomed people and mentioned
how the North American churches need
the gifts offered by African churches: The
sense of gratitude, worship traditions,
hospitality, and sense of joy. He hoped
churches will have the humility to accept
such gifts.
Rod Hollinger-Janzen, AIMM executive
coordinator, said Paul’s description of
the church is that “to each one is given
the manifestation of the Spirit for the
common good” (1 Corinthians 12).
On September 20 Siaka Traore spoke
at a breakfast meeting at Blumenort
EMC.
Terry M. Smith
EMC General Secretary Len Barkman, Rod Hollinger-Janzen, Siaka Traore
On July 3, 2005, during convention, Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer
(Ebenezer Christian Church) in Brandon, Man., was received as an
EMC congregation by moderator Ron Penner. Church representatives
were Margarita and Eduardo Pitta (left), pastoral couple Ester (Mayte)
and Luis Antonio Pitta (right) and Ricardo Medina (not pictured).
THE MESSENGER
Project Macedonia ’05:
10 go to Paraguay
Ten people, four days of orientation
involving sessions and extensive mime
and singing practice, and a delayed flight
later, Project Macedonia Paraguay ’05 was
underway.
Our team met for the first time at
Steinbach Bible College to begin orientation
on July 11. Team members were Dallas and
Tara Wiebe, Betty Neufeld, Janelle Penner,
Jessy Neufeld, Juanita Wevursky, LeRoy
and Faith Siemens, Mathilde Niessen, and
Sara Bergen. We got acquainted and were
inspired in missions by speakers Lester
Olfert, Diane Koop, and Ken Zacharias.
The ladies get their hands into the chipa dough.
A constant theme was “It’s not better or
worse, just different.” On July 14, we left
for Paraguay.
Upon our arrival, we were introduced
to Paraguayan culture. Our first five days
were spent with the Roque Alonso church
and missionaries in Asuncion, where
we spent the majority of the time with
the youth. We toured the local market,
and held an outreach evening where
community youth were invited, and an
evening program, where we presented
mimes, songs, and testimonies together
with the church youth. We also spent a day
doing work projects, with six of the girls
painting at Alto Refugio (High Refuge), a
ministry to people living with AIDS; the
rest of the team helped begin work on a
wall around the church.
We were then split up into different
missionary homes in other parts of
Paraguay (Caaguazu, Tres Palmas, and
Lucero) to experience missionary life
and then into a Paraguayan home for two
days. Here we were exposed to the way
Paraguayans live and relate as families
and were shown much hospitality.
During our time in these homes we
visited a church in Camp 9. This church
was a great encouragement to us. Here
we saw national Paraguayans and German
Mennonites working together to reach out
to their community. We spent an afternoon
in a nearby neighbourgood handing out
invitations to an evening program. We
The 2005 Project Macedonia team: (back) Jessy Neufeld, Faith Siemens, LeRoy Siemens, Juanita
Wevursky, Dallas Wiebe, (front) Betty Neufeld, Mathilde Niessen, Janelle Penner, Tara Wiebe, and Sara
Bergen.
September 21, 2005
performed mimes interchangeably with
the Camp 9 youth and talked with people.
It was exciting to see a church planning
a church plant in this neighborhood and
how we were able to be involved in the
beginnings and see how connections can
be made.
Another highlight for many team
members was the week we spent at Camp
Lucero. From there we went out to various
ministries, including playing at a daycare,
visiting a church, painting at the camp and
at the hospital, visiting Santa Theresa (an
Mbýa reservation set up by Paraguayans)
and going into school classrooms. In
the school we performed mimes and Gil
Rempel, an EMC missionary, explained the
way of salvation. Even though we didn’t
say anything, we felt that we were able to
help in touching these young lives with
Christ’s message.
Other team members were affected by
their visits with missionaries. These were
times of questioning and of looking into
the possibility of this being their calling
also. Another team member was greatly
affected by time spent with the youth in
Caaguazu. Yet another was prompted to
take time away from work and look into
future ministry.
While not everyone on the team came
away from this experience saying, “Yes,
I want to be a career missionary,” we all
came away from it with a greater awareness
of another part of the world, the great
qualities of its people, and a greater heart
for reaching out to others, whether that be
at home or in another country. Our hearts
were touched by these people of God and
we now have a bond with more of our
brothers and sisters.
Dallas and Tara Wiebe
Jessy Neufeld, and Faith and LeRoy Siemens record
programs at Radio Mensajero for Friendship Day.
13
Colombia/Canada
‘Here we can live in peace’
Every night before Colombian
refugee claimant Diego de la Torre
climbs into bed, he prays for his
wife and young daughter. He has not
seen his family in over five months.
He prays they are safe from violence
in their home country of Colombia.
Drug lords, thieves and criminals,
and shootings are among dangers in
his country. He prays they will soon
be able to join him in Kitchener, Ont.,
a city that took him in after gunmen
threatened to hunt him down back in
his homeland.
“My body is here, but my mind is
there,” Diego says, as he gazes at three
framed photographs of his young
family. “It is terrible to wait for them.
Time is my enemy.”
He is one of 10 refugees living
at Welcome Home in KitchenerWaterloo. Welcome Home, a ministry
of International Teams, offers a safe
environment for refugees: Short-term
housing, orientation to the culture,
support in a faith-based community,
Bible study and discipleship, as well
as volunteer support from the
outside community. Welcome Home
accommodates up to 15 people.
People housed here have come
from difficult situations and have
experienced great loss as they have
traveled what we call the “Refugee
Highway.”
When he commented about his
stay in Welcome Home he said, “For
us, this is the best; it’s quiet and we
have nice people to try to help us.
Most importantly, here we can live in
peace.”
There is no peace in the home that
he left. In his home city of Palmira,
when you can be killed.”
Diego’s own life was put in jeopardy
last year when he discovered a string
of thefts while working for a branch
of the government that oversees
pharmacies and medications. It was
not long before he was in the middle of
a scandal and hard choices in regards
to his own integrity. He had to say no
to what was happening, which meant
death or flight. He fled, and so began
his journey and his family put into
hiding. Life becomes very difficult as
a refugee.
Life is difficult as a refugee. When
refugees finally arrive in Canada,
the journey still is not over. They
are faced with lawyers, paperwork,
culture shifts, and more. This is where
believers, the church and facilities like
The world is coming to us and we have the opportunity to bring
the gospel to the world on our own doorstep. We must not forget
our brothers and sisters in need.
in the southwest, violence occurred
regularly as drug wars raged. He
remembers the day his neighbors were
shot to death. Diego was just 15 at that
time and heard the gunshots ring out
in the house next door. Later he saw
armed men gun down a stranger as
he walked along the street. Deigo was
half a block away and ducked into a
nearby business for shelter. That is life
in Colombia, he said. “You never know
Welcome Home can make a difference
for people like Diego.
At this time, Welcome Home houses
people from Sudan, Colombia, El
Salvador, China, Iraq, and Iran. The
world is coming to us and we have the
opportunity to bring the gospel to the
world on our own doorstep. We must
not forget our brothers and sisters in
need (1 John 3:17).
Gordon Skopnik
Management Issues for Churches
and Charitable Organizations
A seminar for church leaders, and church board and committee members
October 15, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Rosenort EM Church
Rosenort, Man.
October 29, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Cornerstone Fellowship Church
Swift Current, Sask.
Please pre-register at the EM Conference office,
204-326-6401.
14
Gordon Skopnik (Wymark) is director
of Refugee Ministries in Canada and
Welcome Home program director through
International Teams.
THE MESSENGER
with our churches
Eight baptized in Joubert Creek
Pansy, Man.: June was a month of
celebration for many of our senior
youth. Church leaders hosted a hearty
barbecue and fun party for 12 grads—a
record for us.
And then came baptism. For the first
time a choice of location was offered,
and so just a few stone throws away
from the church, in the overflow of the
then-swollen Joubert Creek, eight young
people were baptized. Surrounded by
luscious greens in a beautiful setting,
the whole crowd felt deeply moved,
rejoicing in God’s goodness. We wish
each candidate courage and strength for
the journey, even when that, at times, is
challenging.
As a church we have again gone
through some transitions, but God is so
faithful. After much prayer, ballots and
interviews, we now have three new elder
couples in place: Jim and Rose Funk,
Dennis and Betty Ann Braun, and Allan
and Doris Penner. We are thankful. The
plan also calls for forming cell groups
under this new direction. We are trusting
God for His wisdom, His leading and
blessing in all these things.
Our elders previously were Bernie
and Pauline Schlamp and Ed and Sandi
Falk. Thank you for your years of hard
work and faithful efforts!
Betty Barkman
SBC offers
Intro to Psychology I
November 14 – December 21
Monday & Thursday 7–10 pm
Weekend Counselling Course
“Dealing with the Demonic”
Pastor Leonard Barkman, Rebecca Wood, Rachel Klassen, Natasha Gresiuk, John Senkiw, Brianne Doerksen,
Ashley Braun, Seth Goertzen, Steven Preteau, Pastor Ed Giesbrecht and Pastor Dennis Friesen. Barkman
and Giesbrecht did the baptizing, while Friesen gave the welcoming handshake.
Different journeys, same God
EFC (Steinbach, Man.): On Sunday, June
26, 2005, our church family shared in the
joy of baptism.
It was held at Bob and Debbie
Giesbrecht’s place on William’s Lake, a
gravel pit just northeast of Steinbach.
There we heard testimonies from two
believers, two sisters in Christ. Their
stories were different, yet the same;
God is calling people to himself. The
past might be distinctive, but God is the
same.
After singing we heard from Amy
Peters. Amy shared with us her journey of
taking her parents’ faith and making it her
own. Having always been the preacher’s
kid made the quest more challenging.
She shared her struggles and some ways
in which God taught her about himself.
It was a special moment as her father
(Pastor Ed Peters) baptized her.
We then heard from Marnie Marceniuk,
a new believer. Marnie shared of her
search to fill the void, the emptiness.
It was through a group of ladies with
whom she played volleyball that she
found the answer. Jesus filled the void.
She felt peace and joy. The journey is not
complete. There are continual struggles,
but God is there. It was touching to
watch pastors Ed Peters and Mo Friesen
baptize her. The joy of Jesus shone from
her face.
Diane Koop
November 17-19, 2005
Thursday & Friday evening 7–10 pm
Saturday 9 am – 4 pm
For more information
contact Christal Penner
204-326-6451•800-230-8478
admissions@sbcollege.mb.ca
www.sbcollege.mb.ca
Amy Peters and Marnie Marceniuk were baptized on June 26, 2005.
September 21, 2005
15
Grad plans
and God’s
guidance
Abbeydale (Calgary, Alta.): On June 24
we celebrated with our church’s high
school graduates at
an evening planned
by Dennis, Irene and
Trevor Plett with help
from ACF’s Grade 11
students.
Chris Verge: I plan on
finding a good job so I
can spend some cash on
Chris Verge
things I’ve really wanted
for the past 10 years.
Then, saving up a little
extra for Mount Royal
College, which I hope to
apply for next fall, and
applying for a diploma
in Broadcasting!
Karla Kolman: I am
Karla Kolman
going to work for a year.
Hopefully by then God
will have shown what
I’m supposed to do
next.
Melissa
Kamphuis:
I will be working this
summer and fall and
then in January, I Melissa Kamphuis
am heading down to
Capernwray in Australia
for six months. I’m really
looking forward to this
experience, and I’m
excited to see what God
has in store for me. When
I get back, if I come back
David Schindel
(wink), I’m thinking of
attending Olds College
for their Equine Studies
program.
David Schindel: I plan
to get my license and
then I seriously plan on
planning.
Zane Kroeker: I plan
Zane Kroeker
on working for a year
and after that we’ll see what gives. I’m
thinking of chef’s school.
As a church family we wish them
God’s guidance and richest blessings
as they embark on accomplishing their
goals.
Brenda Dick
16
VBS at Anola
Anola, Man.: On July 4-8, 2005, Anola
Fellowship Chapel held its annual
Vacation Bible School. This year the
week’s theme was Good News Clues.
Each day’s lesson revolved around two
themes joined together: Searching for
clues and the wordless book.
The kids knew that as soon as they
arrived each evening that whatever
colour the staff was wearing fit the
theme of the night. For instance,
Monday we talked about sin, so the
colour was black; on Tuesday we
learned about The Lord’s Supper, and
the colour was red.
But the theme was also set as a
mystery—each day was arranged like
a different room in a house—almost
like walking through a giant game
of Clue. There were a lot of people
from our church cooperating to make
this VBS happen. Many thanks to
people involved in organizing and
running it, including the pre-planning,
registration, decorating, music, skits,
Bible lessons, crafts, games, team
leaders, snacks and more.
We had 69 kids registered, and
about one-fourth of the families had
never come before! Since only onequarter of the families were from
Anola Fellowship, it was exciting to see
how many kids could learn about God
possibly for the first time. I recommend
to you that if you have a chance in the
future, volunteer at a VBS near you.
It so much fun and a valuable way to
invest your time!
A group of six youth and three adults
helped at Pembina Valley Bible Camp,
where we (yes, I was one) groomed
trails and did other miscellaneous
jobs for a few days. We faced hurdles
such as mosquitoes, extreme heat,
poison ivy, as well as some frustration
and discouragement. However, we did
manage to have fun, joke around, and
get to know each other better. We also
learned how blessed we are to be able
to take showers, wash our hands with
soap, and be indoors whenever we
want. God is so good to us!
Jessica Wichers
Caleb was among the many children
who enjoyed games each VBS day.
Karleen, Katlyn, and Sarah made pottery.
Bible lesson time was at the heart of
Anola’s VBS.
THE MESSENGER
writings shared
Terry M. Smith
Fierce Goodbye: Living in the Shadow of Suicide,
G. Lloyd Carr and Gwendolyn C. Carr (Herald
Press, 2004), 167 pp., $15.99.
M
y family has been damaged by suicide at
least four times.
I ordered the
DVD Fierce Goodbye
for our national library for EMC
churches and members to use—
then a member of my family died.
The DVD was useful as I worked at
my grief.
Later, as I approached a loved
one’s death anniversary, I turned
to the book of the same title. Just
as the DVD is helpful, so is the
book.
Lloyd and Gwendolyn Carr
write about the suicide of their
daughter-in-law Katie. They speak
of their grief. At this stage in my
walk and pain, Fierce Goodbye is
a gripping, readable book—short
chapters, brief poems, and careful
thoughts.
Lloyd, now retired from
teaching biblical and theological
studies at Gordon College, Mass., examines Bible
passages, church history, and pivotal scholars
(Augustine and Aquinas) for what is said about suicide.
A detailed appendix is included.
“Are we still caught up in the ‘unforgiveable sin’
mentality? Are we still caught up in the false
theology that if we have enough faith we will never
have the problems that our less believing brothers
and sisters have?”
Carr’s conclusions are that within Scripture suicide
is viewed as another death and the bodies of those
who died are treated normally. Suicide, though since
Augustine’s time held by some to be a damnable sin,
does not in itself separate a person from Christ: “It is
an act that we do not want to condone or encourage,
yet there is no evidence that it brings eternal
damnation” (p. 103).
Gwendolyn Carr introduces each chapter with a
September 21, 2005
short poem. While not a keen reader of poetry, I found
the poems to be fitting, touching, and helpful.
The Carrs counsel patience by suicide survivors as
we grieve and adjust.
They also counsel openness by the church in
discussing such matters. After Katie’s death, they
discovered friends who, unknown
to them, had suffered a similar
loss. Lloyd Carr asks, “Why had
no one told us? Why had no one
shared? Why do we want to hush
up the event, bury the scandal,
deny the reality, and torture
ourselves for years? Is it because
we are the only (or at least the
very rare) Christian family that
has had a suicide?”
The book also asks us to
examine our assumptions about
suicide. “Are we still caught up in
the ‘unforgiveable sin’ mentality?
Are we still caught up in the false
theology that if we have enough
faith we will never have the
problems that our less believing
brothers and sisters have? Do we
actually believe, deep down, that
bad things really don’t happen to
good (truly spirit-filled) people?”
Fierce Goodbye was first published as After the Storm
(date unclear), Carr says, to mixed reviews. It was
re-released in conjunction with the DVD by Mennonite
Media.
In an afterword, the Carrs tell of speaking frequently
about suicide—with individuals, and in larger and
smaller group settings.
They say, “One of the saddest things that we have
observed in our working in this area, is the inability
of those coping with suicide to be able to talk openly
of their loss, and in many cases, even to admit it” (p.
127).
A footnote quotes the statement, “No man, with
suicide especially, is an island unto himself, or, more
pithily, suicide is the skeleton left by the deceased in
the survivor’s closet” (p. 130).
The DVD is available through our national office,
and the book can be ordered (ISBN 0-8361-9267-2).
Both can be tools used by church leaders, church
groups, and hurting families to move past the silence.
There is a website with resources at
T
www.fiercegoodbye.com. M
17
MARY GIESBRECHT
(nee REMPEL)
1920–2005
On Saturday, June 11, 2005, at the Portage
District Hospital, after a stroke on June 4,
2005, Mom passed away at the age of 84
years and eight months.
Mom was predeceased by her parents
Jacob and Anna Rempel, her husband Abe,
her infant son Donald; four sisters, Annie,
Helen, Margaret and Leona; three brothers,
Pete, Isaac, and Corny.
She leaves to mourn three children
and their families: son Ed (Vi) Giesbrecht
of Oakville, with grandchildren Vanessa
(Richard) Klassen and great grandsons
Tristan, Liam, Xander, and Marius; Cindy
ANNIE (ANNE) KLASSEN
1925–2005
Born on April 19, 2005, in Schoenenburg,
Russia, to Frank and Nettie Isaac, Annie was
the youngest of three siblings to survive
infancy. Her parents, along with herself and
her brother Frank and her sister Nettie (the
oldest), immigrated to Canada when she was
six months of age.
While she was raised in a rural community
near Gretna, Man., her parents had three
more children, Jake, Herman, and Menno.
She attended grade school at Silberfeld
School, then Elim Bible College, and
Mennonite College Institute (Gretna, Man.);
she got her teaching certificate at Winnipeg
Teacher’s College in 1948.
Annie then taught at Arran School in New
Bothwell, Man., and continued teaching fulltime for the next 14 years at various schools
18
Giesbrecht and great-grandson Justice;
Chad (Brittany) Giesbrecht and Alyssa
(Tom) Hudel; daughter Elsie (Ike) Banman
of Morden, with grandchildren Jason (Lori)
Banman and great-grandchildren Naomi and
Jordon; Carolyn (Brent) Qually and greatgrandson Luke; son Vic (Linda) Giesbrecht of
Oakville, with granddaughters Jen, Lindsey
and Amy Giesbrecht.
Also surviving is one sister, Elfrieda
(Jake) Baerg of Abbotsford, BC; sisters-inlaw Margaret Rempel, Sarah Giesbrecht, and
Tina Giesbrecht; along with many nieces and
nephews.
She will be sadly missed by family and
many friends.
Mom was born September 25, 1920, in
Gruenfeld, Russia, daughter to Jacob and
Anne Rempel. She had five brothers and three
sisters. In 1923 at the age of three she came to
Canada, settling in Hochfeld, Man., south of
Winkler, and then on a farm in Manitou.
She had a great gift of hospitality and
generosity, and expressed it by her baking
that she often shared with others. Mom
enjoyed having her family over and always
had our favourites for us. Mom’s hands
were never idle. She was either digging in
the ground, mixing dough, or doing needle
work.
Her funeral service was held on
Wednesday, June 15, 2005, at 10:30 a.m., at
Highway Tabernacle Church. Pastor Glenn
Loewen, of Portage Evangelical Church, led
the service. Ed Giesbrecht, Mary’s oldest
son, shared the obituary and Jake Schmidt
gave the eulogy.
Granddaughters Alyssa Hudel and
Vanessa Klassen sang In the Garden. The
congregation joined together in singing God
Will Take Care of You and On Christ the Solid
Rock I Stand, with Vi Siemens presiding at the
piano.
Family and friends gathered together
immediately following the service in the
lower auditorium for the reception served by
the Portage Evangelical Church ladies.
The flowerbearer and pallbearers
were grandchildren Jason T. Banman,
Chad Giesbrecht, Vanessa Klassen, Cindy
Giesbrecht, Alyssa Hudel, Jen Giesbrecht,
and Carolyn Qually. Mary was buried beside
her husband Abe at Oakville Cemetery.
As expressions of sympathy, if friends
so wish, donations may be made in Mary’s
memory to Portage Evangelical Church
Building Fund, 502 – 5th Ave. NW, Portage
la Prairie, MB R1N 0E6, or to the Gideon
Bible Plan Representative, 705-8th St. NW.,
Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 3L4. A tree will
be planted in Mary’s memory, by McKenzies
Portage Funeral Chapel, who was in care of
arrangements.
Her Family
through rural Manitoba and one year in
Picacho, Mexico.
In 1963 she met Daniel Klassen and
married that year and resided in Lac Du
Bonnet, Man., where Daniel farmed. In 1965
they adopted two infants, Mark and MaryAnn.
In 1969, Daniel sold his farm and they
relocated just outside of Portage la Prairie,
Man. It was here that they opened up their
home to receive numerous foster children. In
1974 they relocated to Mexico for 10 months,
in the service of the Lord, along with their
two adopted children.
Upon their return to Portage la Prairie,
Daniel and Annie released her first
publication, The Tribe of Dan (1975), which
chronicled their pre-Mexico experiences
and then Mountains Removed (1976), a sequel
primarily of the mission trip to Mexico.
Subsequent books followed: Great Things
He Hath Done, Cleansed by His Blood, Under
God’s Wings and 30 Christian Plays.
During those years, Annie worked
for home care and was involved in many
church-affiliated organizations, including
Christian Women’s Club and Friendship Bible
Coffee. Annie and Daniel worked together
within the community, ministering to others
through Portage Evangelical Church and
independently from their home, with a focus
on visitation to the elderly. They also hosted
a public access television show that centred
on their faith and sharing the gospel.
In the summer of 2004, Annie’s health
deteriorated rapidly, but she continued to be
a blessing to all those around her, from her
six-month stay at Portage General Hospital,
to her stay at Douglas Campbell Lodge where
she passed away 10 months later.
Annie was a devoted and loving wife and
mother and a caring friend to many. She will
be best remembered for her love for Jesus,
her kind spirit, her modest and loving nature,
and her love for others (especially children).
Her Bible storytelling will not be forgotten,
nor her zeal to spread the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to all whom she came in contact with.
Her desire to see others blessed by God and
happy in their lives always took precedence.
We love you, Mom. We will not forget
you. Your words, friendship, kindness, and
laughter will always live in our hearts.
Her funeral service was held at Highway
Tabernacle on Sunday, July 17, 2005, at 3
p.m. Pastor Glenn Loewen led the service.
Interment followed at Evergreen Memorial
Gardens. Family and friends gathered
together for the reception at the Knights
of Columbus Hall, served by the ladies of
Portage Evangelical Church.
As expressions of sympathy, if friends
so wish, donations may be made in Annie’s
memory to the Gideon Bible Plan or to the
Portage Evangelical Church Building Fund.
Her Family
THE MESSENGER
shoulder tapping
Executive Position
A church planting director
is required for the Evangelical
Mennonite Conference. The
position requires a passion for
church growth and development. The Director
will work closely with regional churches to
encourage and initiate new church plants. Strong
written and oral skills are essential. This is a .5
position. For a job description and information,
please contact the office at 204-326-6401 or
e-mail emconf@mts.net.
Anola Fellowship Chapel (EMC) seeks a full-time
pastor to bring solid leadership and teaching to
our church family of approximately 130 people.
This person will help equip the people in our church
family to reach out in their area of influence and
lead others to Christ. AFC is a rural church located
25 minutes east of Winnipeg and is comprised
of people from diverse cultural and church
backgrounds. Contact Orville Friesen at 204-3719922 or ofriesen@nutrihealthgroup.com.
Mount Salem EMC in southern Ontario seeks a
full-time senior pastor. Education flexible and
some pastoral experience preferred. Services are
in English. Attendance is around 150 with much
room and potential for growth. The pastor will
work with two lay ministers and two deacons.
Contact Isaak Fehr at 519-773-2564 or Bill Siemens
at bhsiemens@sympatico.ca.
Inner-City Youth Alive, a holistic Christian ministry
in the North End of Winnipeg, Man., seeks an
administrative assistant/receptionist (full-time
permanent). Fax resume to 204-582-4729 or mail
to ICYA, 418 Aberdeen Ave. Winnipeg, MB R2W
1V7; or email icya@mts.net. Pastoral reference
required.
Crestview Fellowship (EMC) seeks a parttime youth director with a strong personal
spiritual foundation who is able to build strong
relationships with youth. Must have the ability
to work alongside a team of youth sponsors in
discipling youth, and be creatvie and energetic
in planning regular Bible studies and organizing
fundraisers. Contact Pastor Vern Knutson at
204-837-9490. Resumes can be forwarded
by e-mail to finkswpg@mts.net or by mail to
Crestview Fellowship, c/o Christine Fink, 271
Hamilton Ave., Winnipeg, MB R2Y 0H3.
La Crete Christian Fellowship seeks a full-time
youth pastor, an energetic leader with vision
who has a geniune love and passion to reach out
to young people and the ability to be a partner
with us to build a strong ministry with the young
people in our congregation and community.
To find out more about La Crete and the
church, see www.lacretechamber.com; www.
telusplanet.net/public/lccfc; e-mail: lccfc@telus.
net or lfem@telus.net; phone: Frank Winsor at
LCCF, 780-928-3783.
Endeavour Fellowship Chapel in east-central
Saskatchewan, with a congregation of about 50,
is currently looking for a pastor. Contact Tom
Treen (Elders’ Chairman) at 306-547-3383 or
tdpromise@sasktel.net.
Inner City Youth Alive, a Christian ministry in the
North End of Winnipeg, Man., seeks a workshop
program director (full-time, permanent with
support-raising required). Fax resume to 204582-4729; mail to ICYA, 418 Aberdeen Ave.,
Winnipeg, MB R2W 1V7; or e-mail icya@mts.net.
Pastoral reference required.
Winkler Bible Camp seeks a full-time discipleship
director who is passionate about discipling and
teaching young adults (ages 18–25) over an eightmonth period as a part of the post-secondary
discipleship ministry of WBC. The Cross Current
Discipleship Program strives to be a balance of
academic and practical learning. Gifts in teaching,
shepherding and administration as well as postsecondary training are preferred. Contact Dale
Wiebe at 204-325-9519; fax 204-325-0091; e-mail
crosscurrent@winklerbiblecamp.com; check our
website at winklerbiblecamp.com; or Box 2340,
Winkler, MB R6W 4C1.
Kleefeld EMC, a church of about 300 members in
Kleefeld, Man., is seeking an associate pastor. The
primary focus would be to work with the youth
program in a discipling and mentoring capacity,
involving youth and youth workers. This position
would also include one other major involvement—
depending on the applicant’s giftedness—such as
Christian Education resource, music ministry, etc.
We are looking for a leader to join us in catching
the vision and excitement of a growing church
community. Send resumes to Ron Harder, Box 4,
Kleefeld, MB R0A 0V0; e-mail camohead@hotmail.
com; phone 204-377-4248.
Eden Mental Health Centre seeks a nursing
unit coordinator (head nurse) with formal
training, current registration, and experience
in psychiatric setting and in supervision. The
coordinator will provide leadership, support and
direction to ward staff in order to ensure the
provision of a high standard of nursing care in
the centre’s 40-bed inpatient unit.
EMHC is located in Winkler, Man., and is a
service of Manitoba Mennonite churches and
the RHA-Central Manitoba. Direct applications
to Personnel, Eden Mental Health Centre, 1500
Pembina Ave., Winkler, MB R6W 1T4; phone
204-325-4325; fax 204-325-8429; e-mail
edenment@edenhealth.mb.ca.
High Level Christian Fellowship (EMC) welcomes
applications for full-time pastor to our church.
We are a congregation (average attendance 150)
of diverse and multi-cultural people located
in a thriving community in northern Alberta.
Expectations of education and experience are
flexible. To find out more about our community
and church, contact Doug LeMoal at 780-9264679 or lemoal@telusplanet.net or; Marie
Derkson (church secretary) at 780-926-4177 or
hlcf2sec@telus.net; www.town.highlevel.ab.ca.
September 21, 2005
Roseau River Bible Camp (CSSM), in southern
Manitoba, seeks a camp director to start October
1, 2005. Qualifications: managerial experience,
strong background in Christian camping, proven
record of staff and volunteer recruitment, ability
to program events, work well with the public and
have maintenance skills. The ministry-minded
leader is to have a vision for future programs and
facilities.
RRBC has a strong summer ministry to children
and youth, and a retreat ministry throughout the
year. Annual salary is negotiated. Send applications
(official form available) and resumes to CSSM
Ministries (MB Branch), Attn: Director, 200-189
Henderson Hwy. Winnipeg, MB R2L 1L7. Phone
204-668-2776, fax 204-667-1496, Email mb@cssm.
ca.
MCC
Canada
seeks
a
director
of
communications (Winnipeg), to be salaried
between .8 and 1.0 FTE. The director leads
staff in the department. Previous experience
in journalism or public relations required. All
MCC workers are to be committed to personal
Christian faith and discipleship, active church
membership, and nonviolent peacemaking.
Contact Marsha Jones at 204-261-6381 or
mgj@mennonitecc.ca. Job description at www.
mcc.org.
A registered nurse is needed for Lucero Hospital
in Paraguay. The 12–bed hospital is operated by
Tres Palmas EMC and ministers to a multicultural
population
(Guaraní/Spanish,
Indigenous,
Brazilian, German). A minimum four-year
commitment is required; the first year involves
Spanish language studies in Edinburg, Texas.
Inquiries and application should be made to EMC
Board of Missions. Contact Ken Zacharias at 204326-6401, emconf@mts.net.
MacGregor EMC is looking for a youth pastor
with a love for God and students to serve
approximately 30 junior and senior high youth
and their friends of our church family. This is a
new, currently half-time position for our church;
however, we would assist the leader in finding
suitable complementary work. Contact Bruce
Unger at bunger@mpi.mb.ca or send your resume
to Box 133, MacGregor, MB ROH ORO.
Leamington EMC is seeking a senior pastor (to
start January 2006) or an interim pastor (who
could start January 2006 for six to twelve months,
should a senior pastor not be found). We have
a Low German and English worship service. We
are looking for someone who has experience
leading as a senior pastor; education is flexible.
Salary meets conference guidelines and housing
is available. Please contact Andy Fehr at 519-7379281 or Abe Klassen at 519-816-1840.
weddings
KLASSEN–SAWATZKY: George, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Isaak Klassen, and Nettie, daughter of
Ben and Nettie Sawatzky of Aylmer, Ont., were
married on August 20, 2005, at Mount Salem
EMC with Jim Froese officiating. The couple
lives in Aylmer, Ont.
19
kids’ corner
Loreena Thiessen
Do you like CHANGE?
D
can learn
we
gs
hin
PAGE 20
something. If you have a new teacher this year you will
get to do all the great things she has planned. Without
her you would miss this chance. Meeting a new friend is
an opportunity to get to know and have fun with another
person.
Changes can be beautiful. In summer we enjoy the
brilliant green grass, the vibrant colors and fragrant
smells of flowers and the bluest sky. In fall we marvel
at the warm shades of yellow, red and brown of leaves
changing. Then it gets colder and suddenly one morning
the whole world around us is sparkling dazzling white.
Each change brings beauty.
Changes are useful too. A sudden rain drenches the
earth. It soaks the roots and is a drink for the flowers
and grass. The heavy winter snowfall that covers our
backyard, the playground and the farmer’s fields acts
as a blanket. It protects the roots of plants and trees. It
helps keep the animals warm as
it covers the burrows and tunnels
where they hibernate. We can
skate on frozen lakes and rivers.
In the north, frozen lakes become
roads for trucks to carry supplies
over. And when you meet someone
Unscramble the following words
new you may discover something
you never knew before. This is
another way you can grow.
1. dunplgrayyo
Changes make life interesting
2. olscoh
and we can learn new things.
But not everything changes.
3. etehrac
God does not change. In Malachi
3:6 God says, “…I am the Lord,
4. nearigd
I change not…” What does
5. empbSeetr
this mean? It means that God’s
character does not change. He
6. ptrmecou
is who he says he is; he keeps
his promises. His love does not
7. nhlcu
change. He knows who you are—
8. morwheok
that does not change. He cares for
you, he protects you. This does
9. kcbacpka
not change.
10. hamt
As you enjoy new things this
T
year remember Malachi 3:6. M
School
Unscramble
wt
ne
Changes make life interesting an
d
o you wish that summer would stay year
round? Do you change the posters and pictures
on the walls of your room? Would you paint the
walls a different color? Do you rearrange your
bookshelf?
What about at school? Are you in a new classroom? Do
you have a new teacher?
Do you like change? Or do you wish that things would
stay the same?
Changes are natural. The yellow down of ducklings
and goslings on the pond has turned into brown feathers.
Now they look just like their parents. In September they
gather on the pond with all their friends and relatives and
prepare for the long flight south for the winter. They flap
their wings to exercise them. They eat to get stronger.
When the pond begins to freeze they take off together.
Changes bring new experiences or a new chance at
.
THE MESSENGER
Evangelical Mennonite Conference
440 Main Street
Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5
Publications Mail Agreement #40017362
PAP Registration #9914