MC Canada appoints associate executive minister
Al Rempel began serving as associate executive minister of Mennonite Church Canada on March 1. He will work closely with church leadership ministers across the nationwide church in the encouragement of healthy, well-equipped and effective pastoral ministries. Additionally, he will also be the point person for The Company of 1000, a fund that helps new…
MC Eastern Canada executive minister resigns
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s Executive Council regretfully announced the resignation of Leah Reesor-Keller, executive minister on Sept. 28. “We are grateful for Leah’s service and leadership over the last two years,” says Arli Klassen, chair of the Executive Council. “We remain committed to the identity, purpose, values, vision and priorities that were heartily approved at…
Individual donations trend up within regional churches
Individuals increased direct giving to their regional church in year two of the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth is contrary to the experience of secular charities. According to the CanadaHelps fifth annual Giving Report, charitable giving fell an estimated 12 percent between 2019 and 2021. In contrast, individual donations to Mennonite Church Canada’s regional churches grew…
Moses Mugisha’s gift of song to God
Born in the African country of Rwanda, Moses Mugisha and his family moved to Tanzania, because of poverty and other circumstances. They lived there as refugees for almost six years. “I always loved to sing. I would find myself walking long distances just to get to church to practise, and then again the next day…
MC Eastern Canada creates new eco-minister position
Wendy Janzen began her role as Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s eco-minister, a new quarter-time position, on Jan. 1. She will work closely with both the leadership and the mission portfolios within the regional church. “As a church we are aware now more than ever of the necessity for a faith response to issues of climate…
John Reimer appointed MC Eastern Canada operations director
John Reimer has been appointed the operations director of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, as of Oct. 18. As a member of the executive staff team, he will give leadership to operational systems and processes to strengthen the regional church’s ministry supporting pastors and congregations to thrive. He will lead the development and implementation of the…
Celebrating the life of John Cornies (1940-2020)
“Leadership can be rewarding as well as lonely,” wrote the late John Cornies in his memoir. “I have, however, felt God’s leading and calling in these endeavours. While I felt that God called and equipped me when placed in positions of leadership, my human failings got me into difficulties at times. And yet, I have…
Celebrating new beginnings at MC Eastern Canada
“Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me . . . I will keep on singing.” These words from a praise song led by Keith Ly of Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church, seemed appropriate at the beginning of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s fall gathering on the morning of Nov. 14. Forced online by pandemic safety protocols,…
MC Eastern Canada changes pastoral misconduct procedures
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada staff “will now consider any ministerial sexual misconduct complaints, including anonymous and second-hand concerns, to be sufficient to open an investigation.” The decision was made after the regional church announced in June the termination of Wilmer Martin’s ministerial credential on the grounds of ministerial misconduct and ministerial sexual misconduct during his…
Credentials terminated for theologian-academic-pastor
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada recently terminated the ministerial credentials of John D. Rempel of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., following an investigation into complaints of ministerial sexual misconduct. The complaints were brought to the regional church by Marcus Shantz, president of Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ont., after former students brought allegations of sexual misconduct by Rempel to…
