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The commencement address, "Whatever You Do . . . " was presented by Ron Penner, interim dean, who this summer will become academic dean at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C.
Prior to Penner's address, president Henry Schmidt praised Penner for his work in reshaping the MBBS curriculum and expanding student services, particularly in mentoring and supervised ministry. Penner came to MBBS in 1985 and served as a faculty member in Church and Family Ministries, as dean of students and as interim dean (covering the duties of both the dean of students and academic dean).
"We all experience testing and temptation," Penner told graduates. "The question is not whether we will be tempted, but whether we will be up to the challenge".
He focussed first on Luke 4, where Jesus was tempted by Satan. Penner told graduates they would face similar tests and temptations faced by Jesus. The temptation to turn stones to bread could be seen as "the temptation to indulge our passions". Satan's invitation to Jesus to leap from the temple could be seen as a temptation to "manipulate God for our glory", and the temptation to worship Satan in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world as the temptation to pursue material possessions.
He then focussed on three phrases from Colossions 3: In "Whatever you do:"
1. Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
2. Giving thanks to God the Father, and
3. Do it as unto the Lord.
Penner was presented a plaque as a thank you gift from the board of directors. The offering at the service went toward the endowment for the Multi-Cultural Leadership Scholarship. Throughout Schmidt's first four-year term as president, the commencement offering has gone toward the scholarship. The first two scholarships were awarded during the spring semester to two '97 graduates, Gary Chiu, pastor of Fresno Chinese Gospel Church, and Alexander Ponomarov, a native of Ukraine who is seeking a church-planting opportunity.
Responses of two graduates, Stephane Rheaume and Marci Winans, followed Penner's address.
Receiving the Master of Divinity degree were Gary Chiu of Fresno; Erica Esau of Kitchener, Ontario; Brian Henderer of Springfield, Ore.; Greg McAllister of Fresno; Leonid Morgun of Ukraine; Sue Nylander of Fresno; Jon Pipes of Kingsburg, Calif.; Alexander Ponomarov of Ukraine; Stephane Rheaume of Ste-Monique, Que.; Dennis Weil of Fresno and Marci Winans of Fresno.
Receiving Master of Arts degrees were Todd Adams of Turlock, Calif. (Marriage, Family and Child Counseling); Armando Alvarado of Dinuba (Theology); Viktor Avdeev of St. Petersburg, Russia (Church Ministry); David Barton of Fresno (Old Testament); Alice Hedlund of Pine Ridge, S.D. (Church Ministry); Donald Kruse of Leone, American Samoa (Church Ministry); Darrell McCulley of Fresno (Old Testament); Doug Porisky of Tofield, Alta. (Church Ministry); Randy Reiswig of Dinuba (Church Ministry); Michelle Roth of La Habra, Calif. (Theology) and Herman Stahl of Abbotsford, B.C. (Marriage, Family and Child Counseling).
Scholarships were awarded May 9 to students at MBBS. The Peter and Sophie Enns Scholarship went to Murray Schmidt of Calgary, the current student council president at the seminary. It is awarded annually to a student who has completed 60 or more units toward a Master of Divinity degree, has a grade point average of 3.5 or better, and who demonstrates promise of effectiveness in ministry and contribution to Seminary community life.
The Nettie Toews Honors Scholarship went to Doris Goertz of Winnipeg. The scholarship was created in memory of the late wife of J.B. Toews. The scholarship goes to a female student who has completed 30 units at MBBS, and who also meets criteria for grade point average, promise of effectiveness in ministry and contribution to Seminary community life. Goertz is vice president for Student Council and has worked for MBM/S as a media assistant.
Goertz was also the recipient on May 9 of the Christian Apologetics and Missions award for writing the best paper on "Jesus and the Religions of the World". This scholarship was established by Victor and Helen Adrian.
A new scholarship was awarded earlier in the semester, the Mental Health and Integration scholarship, which is given to a student who has demonstrated significant interest and made a contribution to the dialogue between faith and the social sciences. The award went to Herman Stahl of Abbotsford, B.C.
Mennonite Health Services also recognized three MBBS students with scholarships. Each year MHS awards six Elmer Ediger Scholarships of $1,000 each in honour of the late executive director of Prairie View Mental Health Center in Newton, Kan. Pearl Heppner and Fay Magee of Waldheim, Sask. and Jeanine Janzen of St. Catharines, Ont. received the scholarships this year.
Kent Gaston, MBBS
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