Canadian Mennonite
Volume 6, number 7
April 11, 2002

---

Photo: Phyllis Wiebe sings her tribute "to the 10 or more men I've worked for...who made me what I am!" Photo by Dan Dyck

Phyllis Wiebe's cubicle at the Mennonite Church Canada offices here is not especially distinctive. Like the other secretaries and administrative assistants, she has a small space with desk and half-walls, brightened with photos of her grandchildren.

And yet, during a farewell banquet in March marking Phyllis' retirement after 19 years (the longest serving staff member in the organization), this small space was variously described as "a magnet," "an anchor desk," "centre fuse," a place where people "flocked 'round" to chat, to laugh, to ask for wisdom.

The banquet, held during the MC Canada Leadership Assembly, evoked an outpouring of affection, as co-workers, moderators and general secretaries (past and present) offered glowing tributes in poetry, prose and song.

"The Queen of Hearts," they called her, "who symbolizes love and lives out the theology of service." Other descriptors: the great connector who knows everybody, the mother hen, the woman who passes along "jokes" from the web as sermon illustrations, friend and mentor, a gifted administrator.

And Phyllis, ever modest, responded to these accolades with a laugh: "How wonderful to hear such nice things! Quitting can be even more fun than working!" Then she gave a brief history of how she "married into the faith," worked for Mennonite institutions for most of the next 45 years, and "slowly became more Mennonite." She concluded with her own tongue-in-cheek song of tribute "to the 10 or more men I've worked for...who made me what I am!"

In an interview a few days later, Phyllis reflected on her life and work. She spoke about beginnings in Nebraska, how she "grew up at Maranatha Bible Camp where my parents were directors and my best friends were Back to the Bible kids from the Theodore H. Epp and G. Christian Weis families," and how, as a student at Grace Bible Institute, she felt called to overseas missions and planned to remain single.

But then she met David Wiebe, and went to Canada instead, leaving behind her church (Berean Fundamental) and family for this "funny northern place."

"When I arrived in Winnipeg, I knew very little about Mennonites...so it was a time of listening and opening my eyes. But I didn't become a Mennonite right away!"

In 1967-after ministry and study in places as varied as Canadian Mennonite Bible College in Winnipeg, the Janz Team mission in Europe, outreach at Sumas Prairie, B.C. and The Pas, Manitoba, and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in the U.S.-she and David moved to Altona, Manitoba. Here Phyllis became an associate member of the Mennonite church, perhaps because some "older women took me under their wing since David travelled a lot, while I cared for three small children."

In the early 1970s, during their first pastorate in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Phyllis became a full member, "partly because it was expected" of a pastor's wife, she laughed, "but more because the time was right for me personally."

Later, while pastoring at Arnaud, "I learned about community," she said with delight. "I formed life-long, supportive friendships with several women there.... 'The Arnaud Diaspora' we call ourselves and we still meet once a month. It was a time of recognition for me as a person, with my own unique gifts in music and choir. I wouldn't trade those years for anything!"

"But now I'm right into the Mennonite world," she continued. "Sometimes when you choose something, you're more committed than when you're born into it. I'm proud to be considered a Mennonite. Maybe because I don't carry so much baggage and I make my own version of borscht!"

She added, "In addition to welcoming people from other 'ethnic' backgrounds into the Mennonite fold, it might be helpful to remember caucasian North Americans who are new to this family of faith as well."

As for the gift of mentoring, "I never thought of it as a gift I had. I really like people.... Perhaps if people see me that way it's because I've shared my own pain and vulnerability during difficult times in my life. I don't think I could have got through the past couple of years without the love and support of my co-workers."

What about her gift of administration? "Yes, I'd pick that from the list in the Bible, although it wasn't so much that I was 'assigned' to do these things as that the work just sort of fell into place." In 1957, she was asked to do some work for Mennonite Pioneer Mission. In Altona, the "need was there" with the German radio mission.
Farewell From page 4

"I enjoyed the work so I continued when the office moved to Winnipeg. That led to my work as an editorial assistant with The Mennonite, some part-time work with Mennonite Central Committee, and eventually, to my work as administrative assistant for moderators and general secretaries of Mennonite Church Canada.

"It feels like my natural bent somehow; I find it very fulfilling. That's why, after a month of retirement-free from scraping windshields and busy schedules-I look forward to working part-time at Home Street Mennonite, my long-time spiritual home, where everything is familiar.

"It's a wonderful thing," she concluded, "to be able to do what you like to do in a place filled with great people and with a sense of eternal value.... And the icing on the cake is that I get paid for it!"

-Leona Dueck Penner

Abbotsford, B.C.

Photo: Gary and Ellie Loewen with their children, Rosanna, Dan and Charlotte, are moving to a Manitoba pastorate.

During the 11 years that Ellie Loewen has served as administrative assistant for the Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, she has seen a lot of change. She's worked with three conference ministers, two youth workers, two evangelism and church development directors and a young adult missions program.

She's also witnessed a name change to Mennonite Church B.C.

She's seen a lot of progress, too. Initially, her job was part-time and involved communicating with churches mostly by phone. But recently her communication is done "by the touch of a button," since almost all churches have e-mail. She has added more bookkeeping and less typing, and has adapted to the needs of the different directors. She had more of an administrative role with David Chiu (former evangelism and church development director), while Chris Arney, the current director, does most of his own correspondence.

The job was not one that Ellie came into easily. She went from being a pastor's wife, a role she enjoyed, to being a "working mom" in an office-a role less hands-on than she was used to.

"I'm happy to be working in an office job that helps with Kingdom ministry," she says. "But that's also my frustration-not being in direct contact with people. It's too quiet in the office!"

One of the recent changes in her role has also been one of her greatest joys-supporting church secretaries. In the past year, secretaries from the area have met for several luncheons and Ellie has been able to provide resources for their work.

"For example, we worked on church rental policies and have worked on a draft package for the hiring, evaluation and articulating a job description for secretaries," she explained, adding that often support staff can be overlooked in the evaluation process of a congregation's ministry team. "This has been a highlight because it's been a felt mutual encouragement."

Encouragement is what Ellie gives freely and she looks forward to continuing in that ministry as she and Gary begin a new role with the Winkler Mennonite Brethren Church in Manitoba. It's a large, established congregation with many good programs.

"I see my new role in active church ministry beside Gary. I hope to be a listener and an encouragement to fellow church members, walking alongside those who are already busy and doing a good job at church." The move also gives her the opportunity to spend time with aging parents; she's lived away from home since she was 16 years old.

Still, there is uncertainty about what she will encounter. She likens it to an old family photo where she as a two-year-old is standing in her dad's shoes beside a big suitcase as the family leaves for Mexico. Ellie's parents, Dan and Elma Peters, were long-term missionaries in Mexico with the Commission on Overseas Mission.

"I feel like [that little girl again], standing in daddy's shoes and he's planned a trip change and all I have to do is follow," she says. "I never understood my ministry to be behind a desk for such a long time and now my ministry will be quite undefined; so as long as I am pliable in the potter's hands, I hope the change will be an easier one."

Ellie finishes her role with Mennonite Church B.C. in June. She has planned a secretaries' luncheon to welcome the new person to the job.

-Angelika Dawson