Canadian Mennonite
Volume 6, number 12
June 17, 2002

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I always felt a call to ministry

Photo: Donita Wiebe-Neufeld.

When I was 19 years old, I preached a sermon at my home church, Bergthal Mennonite in Didsbury, Alberta. I don't remember much about it, but I remember vividly what retired pastor C.G. Neufeld said to me: "I have never thought women should be behind the pulpit, but now I'm going to rethink that."

His smile and this bit of praise from a respected elder have endured as a jewel of encouragement for me.

I remember my growing up years in the church as largely positive. The warm community atmosphere, the genuine caring of teachers and members, and vibrant faith experiences at summer camp all convinced me that being an active part of the church is who I am. I wanted to be a part of this organization with so much potential for healing and hope in a dysfunctional world.

At Swift Current Bible Institute I discovered, to my shock, that I enjoyed public speaking. The next three years at Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) deepened my interest in ministry as I grew more excited about studying scripture and theology. Worlds of ideas and understandings began to open up, and my faith changed and deepened with study, discussion and fellowship.

Although I always felt a call to some sort of official ministry, I felt just as strongly that personal conviction was not enough. I needed the outward call of my church community before I could truly say I was called to ministry.

That call came quickly after CMBC graduation. Within two weeks of moving to Waterloo, Ontario, to study psychology, I was asked by Wanner Mennonite Church to apply for an associate pastor position to work with youth. For the next three years, I studied part time, preached and worked with youth at Wanners, and spent summers as a chaplain at Fairview Mennonite Home. These experiences affirmed my sense of call.

Tim Neufeld and I were married in 1991. We both had a strong interest in camping ministry, and applied to be directors at Camp Valaqua in Alberta. Our eight years there were an amazingly busy, challenging and formative experience. Camp ministry is not easy. We were responsible to a diverse group of churches, all strongly interested in camp ministry but of different opinions about how that ministry should occur.

Tim and I worked through many joys and struggles at the camp, and came out stronger people. We learned diplomacy, discovered complementary ministry gifts in each other, and developed friends across the province. We gained respect for God's amazing creation, and were encouraged in faith through working with young people.

While at camp, Tim earned his Master of Theological Studies degree from Conrad Grebel College. I spent two semesters with the CMBC Seminary Consortium, gaining a Master of Divinity degree in 1997.

After eight years at camp, we were exhausted and needed time with each other and away from church work. We decided Tim would find work and I would stay home with our children. After two years, we would start exploring possibilities for pastoral ministry.

In retrospect, this is where God obviously took control. Tim put out hundreds of resumes in the Calgary area, and sent just one to Edmonton. The Edmonton resume resulted in a job as social worker for the Alberta government. We moved there and began attending First Mennonite Church. We were soon involved in teaching Sunday School and helping out with the preaching while the church searched for a pastor. I also did some preaching in other Alberta churches which were without pastors.

Friends began to tease us to consider the pastor position at First Mennonite. We wanted to be involved, but weren't looking for a church job for a couple of years. Two years rolled by, and within two weeks, several search committees contacted us. God was clearly saying: It's time."

Various members of First Mennonite independently asked us to consider the pastor position here. The encouragement from many different members, from youth to seniors, tipped the balance towards staying in Edmonton. Everything fell into place. We even found a house close to the church.

Tim's government position gave him a year leave of absence so that he will have the option of returning part time. Since April 15, we've been sharing the pastoral work.

Right now, this is the place God wants me to be. I am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to study scripture and theology, to share what I learn, to meet a wide variety of God's people, and to walk with those people through their joys and sorrows. To be able to share this ministry and family life with Tim is a special gift from God.

-Donita Wiebe-Neufeld

Photo: Jai Prakash Masih has a vision for the Mennonite church in India.

Elkhart, Ind. - Jai Prakash Masih, a May graduate of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, is returning to India to create a Mennonite ashram.

"In India, there is an atmosphere of religious conflict," Masih said. "The words 'mission' and 'church-planting' are threatening. We need a shift in ideology from traditional ways of doing mission to methods that are more culturally appropriate."

Ashrams are traditional places of learning, usually located in the mountains. Kings would send their children there to learn the wisdom and skills necessary for administration.

"Ashrams are also places of meditation, self-learning and shelter for the homeless, much like the biblical cities of refuge," Masih said. He envisages The Indian Anabaptist Center as an ashram which "will concentrate on leadership building and on guiding the church in a missional direction."

Masih is a leader in the Bharatiya General Conference Mennonite Church. The ashram will seek to serve the six Mennonite conferences of India in training leaders and organizing seminars for lay leaders. Masih foresees three institutes under the ashram umbrella: one would train leaders in church polity and administration; the second would focus on worship, biblical understanding and mission.

The third institute would provide training in peace and conciliation. It would also seek inter-denominational cooperation to promote peace education in schools.

The Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship of India, a council that includes the six Mennonite conferences, recently accepted the proposal for the centre. Mennonite Mission Network of Mennonite Church USA is also ready to support the project.

-From Mission Network release