Personalia

Rey Nickel has become senior pastor at Kennedy Heights MB Church in Delta, B.C., effective July 1, after serving as interim pastor since October , 1996. He previously served as pastor of Gospel Fellowship Chapel in Grand Forks, B.C. for 13-and-a-half years and as associate pastor of Central Heights MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. for seven years. He attended Prairie Bible Institute, earned a B.A. from Fresno Pacific University and spent one year studying at Regent College. He is married to Anne.

Warren Schmidt is the new youth pastor at Kennedy Heights MB Church in Delta, B.C., effective Aug. 18. He recently completed three years of youth ministry at Zion Baptist Church in Edmonton. He has a B.A. from North American Baptist College in Edmonton and is working towards an M.A. at Edmonton Baptist Seminary. He and his wife Cindy have an infant son, Fraser Brynn.

Garry Paul has resigned as associate pastor of Parliament Community Church in Regina, effective Aug. 17, after ministering since October, 1993. He previously studied music at Canadian Bible College in Regina, and worked in music sales and education in Surrey, B.C. He later completed a B.B.S. at Canadian Bible College and began M.A. work at Canadian Theological Seminary. He and his wife Lillian have three grown daughters. The Pauls are awaiting direction for a future vocational ministry.

Jedd Russell has become the new youth pastor at South Langley MB Church in Langley, B.C., effective July 15. He recently graduated with a B.A . from Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C. He served in an intern ministry at Hillside Community Church in Aldergrove, B.C. during his last year of studies. He married Melanie Ginter June 28. Melanie has a B.N .Sc. from Trinity Western University and works as a registered nurse.

Ernesto Pinto will become full-time Spanish producer at MB Communications in Winnipeg, effective Jan. 1, 1998. He is currently working three-quarter-time with MB Communications and one-quarter-time as pastor of Spanish Christian Church in Winnipeg. He has served as pastor of the church since July 1, 1988 and has made the transition from full-time to quarter- time over the past several years. He was ordained as a minister in the Honduras Filadelphia Church in 1979. He served as an evangelist for seven years, then for three years as an associate pastor. He has an M.Th. from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He and his wife Marina have two sons, David, 14, and Daniel, 8.

Kerry Dyck has resigned as pastor of music and worship at Waterloo (Ont.) MB Church, effective June 30, after serving since August, 1995. He and his wife Sandy previously spent five years as church planters with Cornerstone Community Church in Dartmouth, N.S. Kerry has a diploma in biblical studies from Columbia Bible College, a B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan and an M.Div. from MB Biblical Seminary. They have three children, Kevin, 7, Erin, 5, and Graham, 1. The Dycks are open to further pastoral ministry.

Don and Darlene Hannah have resigned as pastor couple of New Hazelton (B.C.) Community Gospel Chapel, effective July 31, after serving since May 1 , 1995. Previously, Don was a chaplain with Transport for Christ, a ministry to truck drivers. He has also worked with Shantyman ministries. He is returning to secular work in the Fraser Valley in B.C.

John and Elaine Hiebert became the new pastor couple at Parkland Community Church in Yorkton, Sask., effective July 1. John recently completed a five-month interim pastoral role at Orchard Park Bible Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. He spent the previous seven years as pastor at Grantham MB Church in St. Catharines, Ont. and before that served as pastor at Nechako Community Church in Vanderhoof, B.C. and as associate pastor at Kennedy Heights MB Church in Delta, B.C. He has studied at MB Bible College, MB Biblical Seminary and Regent College. The Hieberts have two grown children. The Hieberts replace outgoing pastor couple Dan and Berni Warkentin, who resigned in mid-April to become church planters in Pitt Meadows, B.C.

Thirty workers participated in orientation at Mennonite Central Committee headquarters in Akron, Pa. June 17-27. Thirteen are beginning overseas assignments, and 17 are beginning North American assignments. Brent Peters of Kelowna, B.C., most recently of Akron, Pa., is beginning a two -year assignment with China Educational Exchange in Nanchong, China, where he will teach English. He has a bachelor's degree in English from Okanagan University College in Kelowna. For the last two years he has been serving as an assistant printer with MCC in Akron. He is a member of Willow Park Church in Kelowna. Carol and John Hiebert of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., most recently of St. Catharines, Ont., are beginning two-year assignments in Hindman, Ky. Carol will be working as a crafts cooperative manager and John as an adult education tutor. Carol attended Brock University in St. Catharines. John received a bachelor's degree in theology from Brock University. Carol was last employed as an adult English as a Second Language teacher at the Folk Arts Centre in St. Catharines. John last worked as a teacher at Eden High School in St. Catharines. They are members of Cornerstone Community Church in Virgil, Ont. Their children are David , Douglas and Patricia. Sandra Janzen of Winnipeg is beginning a two-year assignment in Vancouver, where she will work as a library technician. She has a master's degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Manitoba and was last employed as an environmental engineer in Winnipeg. She is a member of Elmwood MB Church in Winnipeg. Theresa Jantzen was featured in the June 9 edition of Sports Illustrated, in the Faces in the Crowd section, which highlights up-and- coming sports stars. Along with a photo, the magazine listed the 16-year-old Jantzen's athletic achievements: She is the current Miss Alberta Basketball, an annual honour given to the province's top women's basketball player; she averaged 27.4 points per game this year, leading her team, the Kwahommies, to their second straight provincial title. According to Western Report magazine, her coach has received 40 scholarship offers from US universities hoping to recruit her. She is the daughter of Mark and Sylvia Jantzen, pastor couple at Crestwood MB Church in Medicine Hat, Alta.