Personalia

Ross Penner resigned as associate pastor of youth ministries at Dalhousie MB Community Church in Calgary, effective Sept. 1, after four years of ministry. Ross and his wife Dawn have moved to Hepburn, Sask., where Ross has become senior pastor of Hepburn MB Church. He previously served as associate pastor at Westside Community Church in Morden, Man. He has studied at Capernwray Harbour Bible Centre on Thetis Island in B.C. and Winnipeg Bible College (now Providence College) in Otterburne, Man., and has a B.A. from the University of Winnipeg and an M.Div. from MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif. Dawn has an M.A. from MBBS. They have two sons, Jotham, 9, and Matthew, 8.

Marvin Dyck will become pastor of St. Vital MB Church in Winnipeg in January, 1997. He and his wife, Edith have been members of Mountview MB Church in Stoney Creek, Ont. for 15 years. While at Mountview, Marvin served as church moderator from 1982 to 1995, taught Sunday school and was pianist for worship leading and many other events. He has been a criminal lawyer in Hamilton, Ont. since his call to the bar in April, 1983. Edith served as worship leader at Mountview and was the driving force behind Kingdom Kids--a children's music and drama ministry. She also served on the Ontario MB Conference Board of Church Extension. Marvin attended Bethany Bible Institute in Hepburn, Sask. for three years; he has a B.R.S. from MB Bible College (now Concord College) and a law degree from Osgoode Hall in Toronto. The Dycks have four children, Elise, Joanna, Jonathan and Stephen.

Rod Ens has resigned as associate pastor at Hepburn (Sask.) MB Church, effective in August. He had served in that position since Feb. 19, 1996 and had previously served in that position from August, 1990 to August, 1995. He has a B.R.E. from Northwest Baptist Theological College in Vancouver and was an intern at Faith Baptist Church in Vancouver for two-and-a-half years. He began training as an R.C.M.P. officer Sept. 2. He and his wife Monica have three children, Nikita, 7, Zachary, 5, and Nolan, 3.

Twenty-four North American young people have begun a year in Europe with the Intermenno Trainee program. They began with an Aug. 11-13 orientation at Mennonite Central Committee headquarters in Akron, Pa. Program particiapnts spend a year in a European country, working and living with European Mennonites. Most participants spend six months in each of two locations. Participants this year included Karen Klassen of Manitou, Man., who will begin her term in La Ferriere, Switzerland, where she will work at the Hotel Pension La Chaux-d'Abel. She attended Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., is a member of Manitou MB Church and is affiliated with Salem MB Church in Freeman, S.D. Karen Shantz of Blainville, Que. is beginning a one-year term with the Intermenno program in Bolsward, the Netherlands, where she will work as kitchen staff at a Mennonite Retirement Centre. She was last employed as a daycare worker at Garderie Les Croquignoles Inc. She graduated from Universite de Moncton in Moncton, N.B. She is a member of River of Life MB Church in Riverview, N.B. Angela Toews of Fort St. John, B.C., is beginning a one-year term with the Intermenno program in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands, where she will work in a flower nursery. She is a member of North Peace MB Church in Fort St. John.

Chris Loeppky has been hired as a quarter-time youth minister at Fraser Heights Community Church in Surrey, B.C. He has attended Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C. for two years. He is married to Julie. Nelson Boschman has been hired as quarter-time music minister. He has attended Bethany Bible Institute, has a B.R.S. from Columbia Bible College and is in his second year of music studies at Capilano College. Both started in September.

Grace Church of the Mennonite Brethren in Cranberry Portage, Man. held a commissioning service for new pastor couple Bill and Darlene Lothian July 28. The service was led by church moderator Bob Hay. John Unger, pastor of Richmond Park MB Church in Brandon, Man. and moderator of the Manitoba MB Conference, preached a message from Joshua. Eleven members of sister church Richmond Park MB Church drove to the service on motorcyles to join in the celebration. The Lothians previously served for seven years as pastor couple of Gospel Chapel in Hays, Alta.

McIvor Ave. MB Church in Winnipeg hosted a farewell and appreciation service for Wes and Doreen Dahl Aug. 25. Tribute was paid to them through music, skits and presentations. Wes and Doreen received mountain bikes as a farewell gift from the church. Their three children were presented with t-shirts signed by their friends from McIvor. The Dahls have since moved to Langley, B.C., where Wes is senior pastor of South Langley MB Church.

Panorama Community Church in Surrey, B.C. welcomed 14 new members by baptism June 30, including Jason Barnick, Laurie Barnick, Bob Fulford, Betty Fulford, Carrie Gorkoff, Danielle Haggerty, Leanne Hawkins, Bruce Hawkins, Bronwynne Higgins, Sharon Miller, Katherine Stiller, Mark Taylor, Judy Taylor and Rommel Villa.

Rey Nickel has accepted an assignment as interim pastor of Kennedy Heights MB Church in Delta, B.C. effective Oct. 1. He previously served 13-and-a-half years as senior pastor of Gospel Chapel Fellowship in Grand Forks, B.C. Prior to that, he served seven years as associate pastor at Central Heights MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. He studied at Regent College. He is married to Anne.

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