Editorial: I fear I would have been in the ‘crucify him’ crowd
♪We sat in an unfamiliar church, in the last row. I could see the stony backs of our young adult children a few rows forward and as I watched them, I knew that this wouldn’t be the day things would change.
Ministerial meeting aims to take 'tribal knowledge' beyond assumptions
♪ “There’s a level of tribal knowledge that we assume people have about being a minister.” Conference Pastor Andy Woodworth began the first session of the Ministerial Day, on November 22, 2024, explaining the Board of Leadership and Outreach (BLO) choice to devote the day to the final sessions of the Minister Credentialing Program.
Co-pastoring in EMC: does it work?
“Sometimes when there’s something new, everyone looks at it to see if it can work, [but] all sorts of churches … have done well [or] have failed with single pastor hires or multi-team hires.… Things go wrong all the time.… If [co-pastoring] fails, it doesn’t mean it always is going to fail, and if it works, it doesn’t mean it’s always going to work.”
Ministerial: strengthening churches
♪ “We do this because we want to better understand who we are so that we can make the necessary adjustments to better serve in our appointed roles within the kingdom of God and advance his work.”
Editorial: Rethinking well-behaved churches and embracing God’s transformative power
♪ A FEW YEARS ago, after an Abundant Springs* weekend, we heard back from Briercrest about how respectful and well-mannered EMC students were compared to some of their other groups. Naturally, we congratulated ourselves because that spoke so well of the students, families and ministry leaders in EMC churches.
Strength and service: Venus Cote’s ministry journey
THE ST. MARY’S First Nation, where Venus Cote lives and does ministry, is inside the city limits of Fredericton, New Brunswick. It is home to the Maliseet people, or “people of the beautiful river.” Although the proximity of the reserve to the city makes it seem like it would be culturally similar to Winnipeg, where her aunt Elvira Cote works, Venus says it is very different and therefore ministry looks different as well.
Editorial: If 71 percent of us are introverts, how do fulfill our mission to love others? One hundred little things.
On the one hand, there is this great need—so many heartbreaking situations and so many lonely people. On the other hand, according to a 2019 Angus Reid poll, (A Portrait of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Canada today - Angus Reid Institute), 71 percent of Canadians are introverts, meaning most of us find it difficult to reach out to other people. That’s a tall hurdle, but let’s break it down a bit.
EMC Ministerial Discusses “WHO’S IN?”
“Who’s IN?” was the provocative title of the EMC Ministerial meeting held on November 24, 2023. The 79 ministerial members assembled at Pansy Chapel spent the day discussing four variations of that question.
Ministerial approves Misconduct Policy and Ethics Commitment
During the June 2, 2023, Ministerial meeting, Cameron McKenzie, Board of Leadership and Outreach (BLO) chair reviewed several documents that have been in process for a few years. The Ministerial Misconduct Policy and the Ministerial Ethics Commitment were both approved by the ministerial and are offered as resources to churches and pastors.
Lorne Meisner addresses longevity in ministry
An occupational hazard of ministry is not finishing well, and this was the topic guest speaker Lorne Meisner was asked to address at the Ministerial meeting held on June 2, 2023.
At EMC gatherings, celebration mingles with concern
You may find some aspects of this issue of The Messenger ironic. There are a lot of pictures in this issue of great worship, laughter, hilarious games, meaningful conversations, prayer times and messages and presentations. But you will see that while we celebrate so much that is great, we’re also concerned.
Is community hermeneutics still possible?
Anabaptists had their challenges with peculiar and dangerous interpretations, but they agreed that all believers had the privilege of reading Scripture, and the safeguard against heresy (and silliness) would be the believing community who discussed and interpreted the Bible together. But that’s history.
A tale of two Trudys
Trudy wasn’t hired as a cross-cultural trainer to explain work orders and million-dollar test equipment to people who don’t understand English, but she’s good at it. It cuts into her own productivity, but she is endlessly patient—well, nearly.
Christmas crossword answers
Answers for the Christmas crossword on page 16 of the Nov/Dec 2022 issue.
I didn’t expect that!
I’m ashamed to admit it but even after decades of being stretched, I’m often caught off guard when I find out there are Christians in this or that place, or that a form of Christianity I assumed to be an empty shell of religion is filled with believers who have a deep and vibrant faith in Christ Jesus and are living it out among their neighbours.
Our fight for freedom
Before we’ve even learned to walk, we humans begin fighting for freedom; first, in play but then more seriously as we object to authority, consequences, expectations, guilt, pain, doubt, anxiety, and death—the freedom wish list is very long.