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Panorama Community Church in Surrey, B.C. received Tom Janovsky as a new member by baptism Jan. 18. Six others joined the church that day by transfer.
Harry Strauss has resigned as senior pastor of Parliament Community Church in Regina, effective Dec. 31, 1998, after serving for 10 years. Before coming to Regina, he pastored for six years at Allan Baptist Church near Saskatoon, and was associate pastor for three-and-a-half years at Forest Grove Community Church, Saskatoon. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan, an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Tex., and a D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif. He and his wife Judy have four children, Stephanie, 19, Jason, 16, Jeffrey, 13, and Curtis, 10. Strauss is open to future ministry.
Paul Hamilton has been hired as part-time pastor of Glacierview Christian Fellowship, Comox Valley, B.C., effective Jan. 1. He also works as an itinerant resource teacher for special needs children in B.C. He has a B.A. from the University of Toronto, and a Masters in educational administration from the University of Victoria, and has studied one year at Regent College. He has been a teacher in B.C. since 1978; he taught in Woodstock School, a Christian international school in India, 1981-90. He has been on the church leadership team for several years. He is married to Lynn; they have three children, Aaron, 17, Angali, 14, and foster son Matthew, 11.
Cliff Janzen has been appointed senior pastor of Portage Ave. MB Church in Winnipeg, beginning in July. Janzen was executive director of Manitoba MB Conference Missions and Church Extension for the past two years. Prior to this, he was senior pastor of South Abbotsford (B.C.) MB Church for nine years. He has also held a pastoral position in St. Catharines, Ont., and was director of Redberry Bible Camp in Saskatchewan. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1971, and was a teacher and later a farmer before attending MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif. He and his wife Edith have two sons living in B.C.
John and Gloria Block have resigned as pastor couple of Christian Fellowship Chapel near Orillia, Ont., effective Aug. 31, after serving since July, 1990. They will become pastor couple of Gem (Alta.) MB Church beginning in September. They have previously pastored North Battleford (Sask.) MB Church, Carman (Man.) Gospel Light Church and an MB missions church in Winnipegosis, Man. John has an M.A. from MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif. He is a graduate of MB Bible College, Manitoba Teacher' College and Bethany Bible Institute. The Blocks have four grown sons.
John B. Toews of Regent College, Vancouver, was guest speaker at Coaldale (Alta.) MB Church for its heritage weekend celebration April 17-19. On Friday, he spoke to a large audience from the Coaldale MB and Mennonite churches, giving his audience a better understanding of the Mennonite Brethren split from the Mennonite Conference in 1860. Saturday evening, he graphically portrayed the period of anarchy and revolution in the Ukraine that led to the compromise of the Mennonite peace position in the form of Selbstschutz militia units. Sunday morning, he pointed to the revitalized church that arose from the aftermath of suffering, with vibrant MB churches emerging in the former Soviet Union, in North America, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil. He closed on a note of gratitude for the men and women, many now resting in the cemetery, who kept their conviction that they were pilgrims and strangers in the world.
During January, February and March, Elmwood MB Church in Winnipeg had services on "The Caring Community". On Sunday, Jan. 25, Doug Longstaffe, chaplain at Selkirk Mental Health Centre, spoke on "Accepting Each Other", based on Jesus' healing of a leper in Mark 1:32-45. Asking "Who are the lepers of our time?", he encouraged his audience to accept people with mental illness. Most mental illnesses, he said, come from trauma or sins against the individual or are biochemical, not caused by sins the person has committed. Therefore, the church needs to reach out with acceptance and be a caring community, since caring has a curing effect.
Darren Holland will begin a one-year pastoral internship in September in Philadelphia MB Church, Watrous, Sask. He has completed his third year at Millar College of the Bible, Pambrun, Sask.
Leslie Bushman has resigned as part-time minister of children's ministries at West Portal MB Church in Saskatoon, effective June 15.
Mike Krause and Jeff Lockyer were hired in April as associate pastors of Fairview-Louth MB Community Church in St. Catharines, Ont. Krause, who does most of the preaching, has been studying for his M.Div. at Tyndale Bible Seminary (formerly Ontario Theological Seminary). He has a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo, and spent a term in Austria's Capernwray Bible School in 1991. He is a graduate of Eden Christian College. Lockyer is focussing his role on developing teams for ministry and on small groups. He has a degree in engineering from the University of Toronto, and has worked with youth in the past. He is a native of St. Catharines.
Cedar Park MB Church in Ladner, B.C. held a commissioning service April 19 for its new youth pastor, Mark Friesen and his wife Rachel. Friesen, who began his ministry April 1, is a recent graduate of Columbia Bible College. The youth pastor position is a new one that was created because of the increasing number of youth from the church and the community. Friesen joins David Esau, who became senior pastor on Dec. 1. Esau has a B.R.S. from MB Bible College and an M.Div. from Regent College. He has most recently been serving as associate pastor at Sherbrooke Mennonite Church in Vancouver, but had been associate pastor of Cedar Park 1992-95. He and his wife, Elaine have lived in Ladner for seven years. They have three children, Jessica, 5, Nathan, 3, and Ryan, 2.
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