LocalChurch 8-12

Wingham church closes its doors

Elm Creek, Man.

John Klassen, left, visits with Martin Sawatsky (right) and Peter Zacharias over lunch at the Wingham church. Zacharias is pastor of the Blumenort Mennonite Church which has had a close relationship with Wingham.

Today marks the end of the story of the Wingham Mennonite Church but not the end of God’s faithfulness in our lives,” said pastor Martin Sawatsky at the closing service of this congregation on April 25. “The local church is always a temporal expression of the universal church.”

After 71 years, this small rural congregation decided to close its doors. For a congregation that was actively missional before the word was popularized, this decision did not come without pain. The realities of expanding farms and a shrinking population caught up with this congregation.

Despite its small size, Wingham carried on a Sunday school program for eight community children who had no church home. Susan Froese, who has taught Sunday School for the past 18 years, kept the program going with the help of others, even though members no longer had children attending.

Since its early years, Wingham church ran a Vacation Bible School program with more than 80 children some years. The choir was an important part of every Sunday morning service. Alvin Janzen doesn’t recall missing Saturday evening practice in 50 years.

“I started singing in the choir when I was 14 and haven’t missed a practice except when I went away to study at MCI [Mennonite Collegiate Institute].”

“Today there is pain but God’s blessings outweigh the hurt,” said Isaac Bergen, chair of the congregation who has sung in the choir and taught Sunday school for close to 50 years.

It was hard work for the small group of Mennonite families who moved to the Wingham district near Elm Creek in 1933. They built community by worshiping together in their homes. By 1939, this worshiping community had grown to about 30 families and they realized the need to build a church.

A mixed group from at least five different Mennonite groups, they were served by ministers from surrounding communities.

“It was the best thing that could have happened to us,” said a founding member, Roland Dyck. “We invited ministers from all over.”

“What a joy it was for me to be part of this community of faith,” said Sawatsky, who served as pastor for seven years. “Yours is a story of faith, vitality and enthusiasm.” He also recognized the struggles they have suffered over the years and the difficult decisions of the past year.

John Klassen, director of Leadership Ministries for Mennonite Church Manitoba, came to represent “the 48 sister congregations of MC Manitoba who are praying and thinking of you.”

Klassen assured the congregation that “there is power and promise in planted seeds.… It is comforting to know that the good seeds you have planted are not vanishing but are in God’s hands.”

The church hosted one last fellowship meal. As one guest said, “Nobody puts out a fellowship meal like Wingham.” Other notes of gratitude from the community and beyond reflected the hospitality of this worshipping community.––Evelyn Rempel Petkau

Historical society features Toews lecture

Edmonton, Alta.

Did Ed and Edna really say “hysterical” society? During lunch in an otherwise serious meeting here April 23-24, members of the Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta enjoyed some humour from “Ed and Edna of Barley Gove.”

In an interview with Ms. Martens, a reporter from the CBC, Ed and Edna discussed what they knew of the organization. They called on the “Old Historian” who enlightened them from his dusty collection of books. Amanda Pauls and Bob Bartel did a great job in the Readers’ Theatre presentation.

The featured speaker at the historical society annual meeting was John B. Toews, well-known historian and author. Toews, born in Coaldale, Alberta, retired recently from teaching at Regent College in Vancouver.

Toews’ Friday evening topic was, “Why did we fight in 1860?” He explained the background of the Mennonite Church in Russia in the mid-1800s.

Some Mennonites were sharing their faith with their Russian neighbours, and even baptizing them, which was viewed by the official church as contrary to its agreement with the Russian government.

Out of this conflict arose the Mennonite Brethren church. Its focus was on repentance and forgiveness. They were ridiculed for their exuberant expression of faith. The dissension between the two groups lasted many generations.

In Toews’ second presentation, “Michael, row your boat ashore,” he spoke of returning to one’s roots. Some church practices, such as restrictions in dress and behaviour, have made young people turn away from the church, he said. After stretching their wings, they are often ready to “row their boats back to shore” in a more tolerant frame of mind.

Another speaker was Tena Wiebe, who has recently published Neu Samara, a Mennonite Settlement East of the Volga. The book is a translation of writings by Jacob H. Brucks and Henry P. Hooge. She explained the journeys from the Molotschna Colony in Russia, and conditions under which people lived.

A third speaker was Lorne Buhr, who until his retirement was a librarian in the Alberta Legislature. Buhr spoke about the new Privacy Act and what impact it could have on getting personal information from the archives.

The business session, included an update on library and archives expansion in the MCC building, and a vote to comply with MCC policy not to accept lottery funding. The budget of $56,890 was adjusted accordingly. —From report by Irene Klassen

Canyon, B.C.

Photo: The Gailius children enjoy an Afghan dinner with friends. Julie and Leah Gailius are in the back, with shawls.

When a Common Place magazine arrives in the Gailius household, it disappears quickly. One of the children will sneak away to a quiet place and read it cover to cover.

Odd, when you consider that a Common Place isn’t necessarily designed for children. It introduces the people, programs and vision of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and tells inspiring stories from around the world. In the Gailius household, it is also a textbook.

The magazine provides “real social studies,” says Joanne, mother of 14-year-old twins Julie and Leah, and Grant, 9. “They learn history, geography and social science, political economy and world food distribution in a way that touches their hearts.”

The Gailius family has home-schooled for a decade. They began when they were living in Black Creek, on the east coast of Vancouver Island where many families home-schooled.

Mornings are devoted to academics, including French lessons on Tuesdays for the twins at a neighbour’s house. Fridays include a trip to town, German class at the home school centre, and tea out with dad. In the afternoons there are music lessons, sports, horseback riding, or meeting for a “random act of kindness” group of other home-schooled children.

Joanne first heard about a Common Place when she attended Black Creek Mennonite Brethren church on the island.

“I had worked in the developing world with CUSO [Canadian University Services Overseas] and had heard of MCC,” she says. “We were so happy to find a Common Place—a community with similar interests and concerns.” The magazine has become the children’s social studies program.

Copies of the magazine photos go up on the wall, with the world map and timeline, she said. Then they find the country, cities and regions on various maps. “We read the history of the country and mark the important spots on our timeline. We read the story, take notes and pray about, ponder on the issues, concerns.”

The family reads more about the chosen country in the encyclopedia. They have developed other ways to support their learning.

“The girls find a fact-based fiction book at the library on the area or on the issues presented, read it and write a book report,” said Joanne. “We make the craft, research the food [provided by the magazine] and invite a family over for a night of dress-up, food, music and fun.

“We often find movies at our little library about that country too, and often borrow ones from the MCC video library.”

Each child also researches a topic and writes a report on it, often using the MCC web site. For example, one child did a report on cluster bombs while studying Afghanistan.

“It takes about a month per country, but we don’t rush,” said Joanne.

A Common Place is available free from MCC at Box 500, Akron Pennsylvania, 17501-0500, or e-mail: acp@mcc.org. Visit the web site at www.mcc.org/acp.—From a report by Angelika Dawson