MC Eastern Canada

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 and experienced pastors pay for education.

The 0.4-FTE position will initially be a six-month term, with the hope of extension.

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MC Eastern Canada executive minister resigns

Leah Reesor-Keller resigns as MC Canada Executive Minister. (Photo courtesy of Leah Reesor-Kellor)

Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s Executive Council regretfully announced the resignation of Leah Reesor-Keller, executive minister on Sept. 28.

Individual donations trend up within regional churches

(Photo by PiggyBank/Unsplash/piggybank.ca)

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.

Moses Mugisha’s gift of song to God

Moses Mugisha began his music career at age seven. (Unsplash photo)

‘I want to serve God with the gift that he has given me,’ says Moses Mugisha, a 21-year-old gospel singer/songwriter living in Ottawa. ‘Without God I wouldn’t be me. I wouldn’t have this talent. I owe it back to him.’ (Photo courtesy of Moses Mugisha)

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.

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.

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.

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 physical, technological, communications, financial and human resources needed to operate MC Eastern Canada. Previously, he worked in management with cause-related or faith-based organizations.

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Celebrating the life of John Cornies (1940-2020)

John Cornies with his grandson Henry at the Out-Spok’n Bike-A-Thon, MennoHomes Ride for Refuge in support of affordable housing. (Photo courtesy of the Cornies family)

“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 felt blessed by a very generous God throughout these experiences."

Celebrating new beginnings at MC Eastern Canada

Leah Reesor-Keller, newly installed MC Eastern Canada executive minister, speaks from the sanctuary of First Hmong Mennonite Church, Kitchener, Ont., which hosted the physically distanced installation service that was recorded and shared at the regional church’s fall gathering held online. (Screenshot by Janet Bauman)

“Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me . . . I will keep on singing.”

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.”

Credentials terminated for theologian-academic-pastor

John D. Rempel.

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.

Dishonoured treaties are ‘the ghost of our history’

Myeengun Henry, indigenous elder, speaks during the first in a seven-month storytelling series called “Treaty as Sacred Covenant: Stories of Indigenous-Mennonite Relations.” (Screenshot by Janet Bauman)

Myeengun Henry, Indigenous elder, says treaty relationships should be tended.

MC Eastern Canada terminates retired pastor’s ministerial credentials

Mennonite Church Eastern Canada has terminated Waterloo resident Wilmer Martin’s ministerial credentials, citing ministerial misconduct and ministerial sexual misconduct. (Facebook photo)

Mennonite Church Eastern Canada has terminated a retired pastor’s ministerial credential after investigating him for ministerial misconduct and ministerial sexual misconduct. The regional church made the announcement about Wilmer Martin, 75, of Waterloo, Ont., on June 16.

‘He kept looking ahead’

From their home, David and Doris Martin watch the virtual celebrations in honour of David’s retirement as executive minister from Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, after 15 years of service to the regional church and 25 years as a pastor in the regional church. (Photo courtesy of MC Eastern Canada)

David Martin is passionate about curling. He is competitive and once won Steinmann Mennonite Church’s version of The Amazing Race. He is a bit nerdy and techy, and he loves a great superhero movie now and then.

French Anabaptists gather online to worship, celebrate

Michel Monette, catalyzer minister for Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, back row centre, is pictured with the Centre Bethésda Mennonite de Quebec, a French-speaking church plant. (Photo by Charles Tebena)

Serge Gravel describes meeting with other French Anabaptists online like getting a dose of Vitamin C fortified with Vitamin D and zinc, in order to gain spiritual victory and encouragement, enthusing about how good it was to see the radiant faces and shining eyes of everyone.

Three churches withdraw from MC Eastern Canada

Kingsfield-Zurich Mennonite Church, pictured last month. (Photo courtesy of Instagram.com/kingsfieldzmc)

Earlier this spring, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada released the following statement: “We announce with great sadness Kingsfield-Clinton and Kingsfield-Zurich Mennonite Church, Living Water Christian Fellowship and Maple View Mennonite Church have left the MC Eastern Canada family.

‘I hear you, I see you’

Participants at a recent MC Eastern Canada youth workers retreat take part in a super heroes’ cape blessing, reminding each other that they are covered with the love of God. (Photo by Brent Musser)

“Youth need to experience God for themselves. . . . We need to offer Jesus to our youth,” said Michele Hershberger, a Bible and ministry professor and department chair from Hesston (Kan.) College with experience in youth ministry and postmodern culture, at a recent Mennonite Church Eastern Canada youth workers event.

MC Eastern Canada

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