Witness workers provide Thailand overview
Two Mennonite Church Canada International Witness workers are at the centre of an initiative to train, mentor and support church leaders in Thailand. Tom and Christine Poovong, together with Thai colleagues, form the leadership of Friends of Grace, a church planting network. The network opened the Friends of Grace Bible School in Roi Et…
Students dream of new churches in South Sudan
A recent article in Anabaptist World stated there were no known Anabaptist congregations in South Sudan. Praise God that that is no longer the case. Gatjiak (Simon) Tongyik, one of the new students sponsored by Mennonite Church Alberta to attend the Meserete Kristos Seminary in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, says there is now one small Mennonite church in…
Church connects with Witness workers in Thailand
“There is a great deal of love for the work Tom and Christine do, and for them as a family. Their stories and visits are always warmly received,” says William Loewen, pastor of Trinity Mennonite Church in Calgary. Tom and Christine Poovong are Mennonite Church Canada International Witness workers in northeastern Thailand, providing pastoral leadership…
Watch: Witness workers extend greetings from Ethiopia
The latest additions to Mennonite Church Canada’s team of International Witness workers extend greetings from their new home in Ethiopia in a new video. Werner and Joanne De Jong arrived in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, in January. They plan to spend the next three years at Meserete Kristos Seminary, where Werner has joined the teaching staff. Joanne…
A dehydrator and a dream
When the COVID-19 pandemic began a year ago, global food security networks were put to the test. In the Philippines, where Dann and Joji Pantoja serve as Mennonite Church Canada International Witness workers, the people in the city were suddenly cut off from their food supply as the country locked down. In the mountain region…
You are invited to join the table
Mennonite Church Canada’s International Witness program invites congregations across its nationwide community of faith to join networks of support for its International Witness ministries. “Being part of the network for the Philippines reminds us that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves,” says Marlene Friesen of Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, B.C.…
Coffee for Peace employees affected by COVID-19 shutdown
The shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting employees of Coffee for Peace, a social enterprise managed by Joji Pantoja, a Mennonite Church Canada International Witness worker in the Philippines. Joji and Dann Pantoja. Pantoja, who is CEO of Coffee for Peace, and her management team decided to temporarily close down the Coffee for…
Glimpsing the face of God
Why are we doing international ministry? As I engage with people in many regional churches I often get this question. It is my favourite question. Don’t ask unless you are prepared for my long answer, but I can also point you to the answers of others for a shorter version. The Ministry Initiative Development Guide…
