MC Sask hires Evan Bueckert as interim youth minister

For the next 10 months, Evan Bueckert will be at the helm of youth ministry in Saskatchewan.

Bueckert, 30, is half-time associate pastor at Mount Royal Mennonite Church in Saskatoon. He steps into the role after Kirsten Hamm-Epp stepped away from it at the end of August after 11 years.

“I’m excited to be working with the youth and I hope they are excited to get to know me,” he said.

Bueckert studied biblical and theological studies at Canadian Mennonite University and worked at Rosthern’s Mennonite Nursing Home in the activities department before pastoring at Mount Royal. He has been working with the congregation’s youth and young adults since last July.

The .25 FTE position with MC Sask opened up at a time when Bueckert was looking for more work in church ministry.

“I knew I was really interested in youth ministry. What is coincidence but God calling us to something?” he said.

Bueckert will plan MC Sask’s MegaMenno youth event this year, lead the Saskatchewan Mennonite Youth Organization and help coordinate planning for the youth gathering at Mennonite Church Canada’s Gathering 2025 in Kitchener, Ont. next July.

Bueckert recognizes the ongoing challenge of nurturing deep relationships with today’s youth.

They are “a group of people that understand connection in a very different way than we do,” he said. “How do we pull them into a connection that is within our physical space, when it's so much easier and takes so much less time to just jump on a computer and be with your peer group?

While planning large events feels daunting, Bueckert looks forward to working with young people.

“What I can do is try to make youth programming at Mount Royal, and now across our province, as inviting, interesting, as desirable as possible,” he said.

MC Sask is currently reviewing its youth ministry programming.

“That is, how MC Sask can support ministry in congregations and how we do things as a body together,” said Len Rempel, MC Sask executive minister.

“We do want to continue the programs that have been established, while the review takes place, but felt that hiring an interim youth minister allows for the freedom to respond to the result of the review moving forward,” he said.

Bueckert started his position on Oct. 10.