MB Seminary Celebrates the Class of 2020
For all that the MB Seminary class of 2020 has accomplished, they might be most remembered for what they have not yet experienced. April commencement ceremonies in British Columbia and Manitoba were postponed this year from their usual dates in April due to social gathering restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the uncertainty of this crisis, there was significant disappointment …
MB Seminary Board Announcement
April 23, 2020 MB Churches of Canada, Since 1955, the Mennonite Brethren churches in North America have invested in a denominational Seminary for the training and formation of our leaders. For most of those years the Seminary was in Fresno; in the past decade in Canada at ACTS and CMU. Presently, the Seminary trains more than 100 MB students in …
Missional Training in Malawi
Doug Heidebrecht, Director of Global Training at MB Seminary, began teaching the Missional Leadership Training (MLT) program in Malawi in the fall of 2018 (Doug is pictured on the left with William, a translator). In Dzaleka Camp, the Mennonite Brethren Church of Malawi (MBCM) works closely with three other churches, forming an ecumenical network that supports working together to share …
Connect – Winter 2020
MB Seminary’s Winter 2020 newsletter is available for you to download. The features in this edition include: A Message from Mark Wessner – MB Seminary’s President provides a summary of the 2019 year and looks ahead to 2020. A Missional Training Program – an overview of a new global curriculum that’s being used to train church leaders in several countries. …
MB Seminary Releases “In His Footsteps”
Following Jesus requires more than intention—it demands direction. And it’s typically easier to stay the course when you have others travelling beside you and everyone can see the intended destination. Choosing to journey together is one reason why MB Seminary has developed another devotional book for the upcoming season of Lent. In His Footsteps is a collection of readings from …
Public Lecture: Gifts in the Darkness
MB Seminary and the ACTS Chaplaincy Program will host a public lecture on Thursday, December 5. Ann Thakkar, DMin, will speak on “Gifts in the Darkness: Suffering and Spiritual Formation.” Her presentation will be followed by two brief faculty responses. Refreshments will be served at 6:30 with the lecture scheduled to begin at 7:00. This is a free public event …
Connect – Annual Report 2019
MB Seminary’s 2019 Annual Report is available for you to download electronically. This special edition shares how your donations have been put to use. The features include: A Message from Mark Wessner – MB Seminary’s President highlights the past year. Opening Doors to Seminary Education – more than 100 students have already enroled in the ACTS World Campus. Matt’s Seminary …
MB Seminary Organizational Update
June 8, 2019 On April 3, MB Seminary leadership reported a difficult financial situation: after four years of deficits financed by reserves and declining financial support, the Board determined that this was the time to make significant reductions to our costs in order to balance the budget by the next fiscal year. We believed the Seminary needed to take such …
Connect – Summer 2019
MB Seminary’s Summer 2019 newsletter is available for you to download electronically. The edition features: A Message from Mark – MB Seminary’s President shares highlights on the previous months and shares one of the best parts of his job. Building Bridges Between Nations – an alumni story on Amanda, an overseas worker. “I love seeing people from different ministry areas …
Israel Tour 2020
Mark Wessner, MB Seminary President and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, will be leading a tour in Israel from February 8-18, 2020. This “Panim el-Panim” Tour will focus on various “face-to-face” encounters that God had with his people that are recorded in Scripture. Sunworld Tours will manage all of the trip’s administrative details and Mark will lead the teaching components. …
MB Seminary Celebrates the Class of 2019
MB Seminary recognized its 2019 graduates during a commencement ceremony held at Central Heights Church in Abbotsford, BC on April 13. Six degrees were conferred by President Mark Wessner. The ceremony was carried out with the four seminaries that work in partnership together to make up ACTS Seminaries in Langley, BC. Sixty degrees, diplomas, and certificates were awarded. Jacquie Boschman, …
MB Seminary Changes and Restructuring
April 3, 2019MB Seminary has experienced meaningful growth in most areas of our ministry, whether it is graduate education or church-based training. Unfortunately, however, we have also experienced a number of deficit budgets in recent years, and this is not sustainable, regardless of how successful we have been in almost every area of ministry. Expenses have been tightly managed, even …
MDiv Degree Will Launch at CMU in Fall 2019
Beginning in September 2019, Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) will offer the Master of Divinity (MDiv), a new program of its Graduate School of Theology and Ministry (GSTM). MB Seminary is affiliated with the GSTM, located on the campus of CMU. Degrees are granted conjointly by MB Seminary and CMU. The Gold Standard The MDiv is considered a gold standard by …
Repentance: Student Reflection
Growing up as an evangelical Protestant, I knew a little bit about Lent. It meant renouncing something superfluous like ice cream or movies. If I thought about it, I might also spend a little time in prayer and contemplation of the passion of Jesus. But Lent was mostly an exercise in restraint. For early Christians, Lenten fasting served the larger purpose of repentance. Lent began as Christians fasted alongside new converts, or catechumens, who were preparing for baptism at …
Newest Edition of Direction Journal Features MB Seminary Faculty
“Good leaders need the ability to exegete Scripture, their world, and the church.” Pierre Gilbert’s introductory words frame the foundation for the latest edition of Direction Journal (Fall 2018 – Vol. 47 No. 2). The issue features a series of articles written by faculty members of MB Seminary. As the editor of the issue, Gilbert explains that the intent of each …
Dr. Bruce Guenther Publishes New Book
Bruce L. Guenther, Professor of Church History and Mennonite Studies at MB Seminary, has released his newest book called The Ältester: Herman D.W. Friesen, A Mennonite Leader in Changing Times. This 320-page biography was published by the University of Regina Press in September 2018. As the grandson of Herman Friesen, Guenther not only tells this story as a historian, but …
MB Seminary Board Update
Collaboration on leadership development We’re eager to collaborate with our provinces, schools, and ministry agencies toward a new way of encouraging leadership development! This was one of the key outcomes of extensive conversations with Elton DaSilva, our National Ministry Director, at MB Seminary’s Board of Directors meetings that were held on November 15-17. Financial Update Our Board was pleased to receive …
Your Pastor’s Emotional Vocabulary is a Key to their Sustainability
I was 24 years old when I sat down in a counseller’s office for the first time. My fiancé was seated next to me and I remember studying the room in nervous anticipation for what would happen next. What do you talk about during premarital counselling? The counsellor greeted us warmly and asked some questions that didn’t require much thought. …
A Pastoral Response to Legalized Cannabis
Many questions have been raised since the Cannabis Act was implemented in Canada on October 17, 2018 (refer to the legalization and regulation of cannabis for more details). However, the predominant question is this: how can pastors and church leaders provide leadership and care to people who are wondering about the use of non-medical cannabis? In response, MinistryLift has produced a video …
Connect – Dec 2018
MB Seminary’s December 2018 newsletter is available for you to download electronically. You’ll enjoy features on: A New Online Campus – the upcoming launch of the ACTS World Campus Sharing God’s Greatest Gift – an alumni story on Pastor Paul Wicki Bringing Chaplaincy Home – a program update from Dr. Gloria Woodland Furthering the Mission – Harold Janz’s story of missional giving …
MB Seminary Seeks Director of Advancement
MB Seminary is actively looking for an entrepreneurial and energetic person to become our Director of Advancement. If you have a heart to see men and women educated and equipped to lead the church and other ministries in reaching Canada and beyond with the Good News of Jesus, and are an experienced relationship builder and fundraiser, you just may be …
Connect – Fall 2018
MB Seminary’s Fall 2018 newsletter is available for you to download electronically. The newsletter features: A message from President Mark Wessner Priority areas for the next three years Alumni stories A MinistryLift update Fernando’s cultural exchange story You can sign up to receive MB Seminary email updates by following this link and completing the form.
MB Seminary Board Update
MB Seminary’s Board of Directors met on June 7-9 for one of its two annual in-person meetings. The Board spent the majority of its time reviewing the past year (education and finances), considering a new online delivery program, and planning for the future. Eileen Li, English Ministries Pastor at North Shore Pacific Grace MB Church in North Vancouver, was welcomed …
MB Seminary Celebrates the Class of 2018
MB Seminary recognized its 2018 graduates during commencement ceremonies held in Langley, BC and Winnipeg, MB on April 21. Eleven degrees and two certificates were conferred by President Dr. Mark Wessner in Langley and Associate Dean Dr. Pierre Gilbert in Winnipeg. The ceremonies were held at Christian Life Assembly Church in Langley and Portage Avenue Church in Winnipeg. The dual …
New Graduate Program: Evangelical Anabaptist Studies
MB Seminary is pleased to announce a new graduate program in Evangelical Anabaptist Studies in partnership with Tyndale Seminary. President Mark Wessner of MB Seminary and President Gary Nelson of Tyndale Seminary signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the fall of 2017 to formalize this agreement. The partnership was sparked by each institution’s vision to educate and equip men and …
MB Seminary Ministry in Ontario
You are invited to join President Mark Wessner of MB Seminary in December for a regional meeting near you! Mark Wessner and Ben Wohlgemut from MB Seminary, together with Ed Willms and the Ontario MB Conference, are hosting three regional meetings in Ontario to listen to the heart of potential supporters, pastors and ministry leaders and to share the vision …
Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Dyck!
MB Seminary wishes to congratulate Andrew Dyck, Assistant Professor of Ministry Studies, for the successful defense of his Ph.D. dissertation: “Praying Like the Catholics? Enriching Canadian Mennonite Brethren Spirituality through Spiritual Direction, Lectio Divina, and the Taizé Community.” His study was completed through the International Baptist Theological Study Centre at the Free University of Amsterdam, where the defense was held …
MB Seminary Hires Emily Rempel
MB Seminary is pleased to announce Emily Rempel as the new Director of Finance beginning October 3. Emily graduated from Trinity Western University with a Bachelors of Business Administration Honors and proceeded to article at Loewen Kruse Chartered Professional Accountants. She obtained her Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant designation in 2009. In her work at the accounting firm, Emily’s main responsibilities …