Personalia

New Hope Community Church in the "Bird's Hill" area of East St. Paul, Man. voted last March to close down. The last service was held at the end of May. The church had been founded less than two years earlier, under the leadership of pastor Vic Neufeld, when Winnipeg Central MB Church closed. Some Central members joined Elmwood MB Church in Winnipeg, while others, with the blessing of the full Central congregation, developed a vision to plant a new church in East St. Paul. The new group was composed largely of older middle-aged couples and young adults, but ran into difficulty when many of the young adults moved away for a variety of occupational and other reasons.

Abe and Alvina Klassen will become interim senior pastor couple at Forest Grove Community Church in Saskatoon, beginning in October, for a one-year term. They recently completed eight years as senior pastor couple of Elmwood MB Church in Winnipeg. They previously were church planters in Prince Albert, Sask. for three years and then senior pastor couple of West Portal MB Church in Saskatoon for 17 years. They have two grown children.

Paul Loewen resigned as associate pastor for college and career and young adults at Forest Grove Community Church in Saskatoon, effective Aug. 22. He and his wife Melody have three sons, Andrew, David and Simon. The Loewens have moved to Fresno, Calif., where Paul will study at MB Biblical Seminary.

Jolaine Stangeland is taking a one-year leave of absence from her position as children's ministries director at Forest Grove Community Church in Saskatoon while her husband Dale serves a one-year engineering internship in Moose Jaw, Sask. She has served in the position over three years and has a diploma from Briercrest Bible College, a B.Sc. from Grace College of the Bible in Omaha, Neb. and a B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan.

John Klassen is serving as interim senior pastor at Yarrow (B.C.) MB Church from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31. The assignment constitutes his supervised ministry experience while completing his M.Div. at the B.C. Centre of MB Biblical Seminary. Klassen is on a 13-month sabbatical from his position as senior pastor of Northgate MB Church in Dawson Creek, B.C., where he has served for 14 years. Before coming to Dawson Creek, Klassen earned a B.A. from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., studied at MBBS in Fresno, Calif., pastored the Yarrow Church for three years, served as church planter at Burke Mountain Bible Fellowship (now Eagle Ridge Bible Fellowship in Coquitlam, B.C.) for three years, was associate pastor of Richmond (B.C.) Bethel MB Church for two years and then worked in secular occupations for four years. His wife Elfrieda is now enjoying renewed health after undergoing cancer treatments over the last year and a half.

Brian Palmer is serving as interim pastor of Northgate MB Church in Dawson Creek, B.C. for 11 months, beginning July 22. He served terms in the Canadian army before and after studying at the University of Guelph (Ont.). He established a legal precedent when he became a conscientious objector while in the military and was allowed an honourable discharge. He then earned a B.R.E. at Ontario Bible College (while being active in Yorkdale Community Church in Toronto) and an M.Div. at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, Va.

Herman Neufeld has resigned from Orchard Park Bible Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., effective Dec. 31, 1997. A native of the Niagara area, he has served for eight years as associate pastor at the church and for the last two-and-a-half years as interim senior pastor. Before entering ministry, he worked for a year in a chartered accountancy firm, for three years in the purchasing department of a paper mill and for 20 years in agricultural research for the federal Department of Agriculture in Vineland, Ont. He and his wife Kathy have two grown sons and were expecting their second grandchild at the end of August. They are open to further ministry.

Doug Hiebert began serving as part-time youth and worship pastor in his home church, Cornerstone Community Church in Virgil, Ont., in September. He is also working at a local building supply company. He is a graduate of the University of Waterloo, and has served several terms with Youth Mission International, most recently for six months in the Congo. At the church, he replaces Doug Heinrichs, who was working part-time for the church and part-time as a chaplain at Eden High School in St. Catharines, Ont. Heinrichs has now become a full-time chaplain at the school.

Steve Baril resigned as pastor of youth and Christian education at Bakerview MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C., effective Aug. 31, after serving for four years. He has a B.A. from Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Sask. and previously served as associate pastor for youth ministry at Evangelical Covenant Church in Minnedosa, Man. for four-and-a-half years. He and his wife Lori have two sons, Niklaus, 4, and Harrison, 9 months.

Randy Thompson has resigned as youth pastor at South Abbotsford MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C., effective Aug. 31, after serving for six years. He previously served for two years with International Teams in a chaplaincy program for youth of American military personnel in Germany, and for two years with Athletes in Action in San Diego, Calif. He has a B.R.E. from Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Ore. His wife Paula has a B.A. from Fresno Pacific College and a teaching certificate from Simon Fraser University, and for the last six years has taught at W.J. Mouat Secondary School in Abbotsford. They have two children, Mackenzie, 3, and Amanda, 6 months. The Thompsons have moved to California, where Randy will study at MB Biblical Seminary and serve as part-time youth pastor at Mountain View Community Church in Clovis, Calif.

Matt Ewert began an eight-month term as interim youth pastor at South Abbotsford MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. on Sept. 1, on a three-quarter time basis. He served a four-month internship at the church last summer. He has completed two years at Northwest Baptist Theological College in Langley, B.C. and is engaged to be married to Dawn Veer.

Larry Plett began serving as full-time children's ministry pastor at Willow Park Church in Kelowna, B.C. on Sept. 1. Before entering ministry, he ran his own business as a plumber and tinsmith. He has been active in the Willow Park Church for six years, serving as boys' club leader and Sunday school teacher. He and his wife Annette have four children, Meghann, 16, Tony, 14, Elizabeth, 11, and Samuel, 8. Before moving to Kelowna, the Pletts were active in an Evangelical Mennonite Conference church in Landmark, Man.

Roger Ginter has resigned as youth pastor at Waldheim (Sask.) MB Church, effective Aug. 31, after serving for three years. He has a B.A. in youth leadership from Providence College in Otterbourne, Man. He previously served for five months as part-time youth pastor at Steinbach (Man.) Evangelical Mennonite Church and for two summers with Youth For Christ in Steinbach. He and his wife Judi have two sons, Joel, 4, and Aaron, 2, and one daughter, Michaela, 10 months. The Ginters have moved to Steinbach, Man. and are open to further ministry.

Randy Neilson, associate pastor at Linden (Alta.) MB Church, has made a confession and resigned, effective June 1, due to a longstanding pornography addiction. Randy and his wife Sharon have served for a little over three years in Linden. The church has asked for prayer for them as they seek counselling and God's healing.

Lendrum MB Church in Edmonton has called Jenny Trotter as a part-time intern in Christian education. She is a recent graduate of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta. Part of her internship includes seminary studies at North American Baptist Seminary. She will be married to David Benke in the fall.

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