In Case You Missed It: Highlights from Our Hiatus

A lot has happened since the last time we published the Focus. The last time I wrote an article for the Focus, we were just beginning to accept pledges to support the Ministries Coordinator position. We are well on our way to the support level needed but can still use help. Check out the Ministries Coordinator Support page here on our website for more information.
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We are finishing the last of our three retreats for pastors and their wives this month. I always look forward to this time of year, when we can spend time together connecting and encouraging one another. Pray for your pastors and their families.

I do not have space to share all that has happened in the past few months, but allow me to give a few highlights:

Commission Leadership Updates

• Rev. Tim Knelsen (Rhineland) and Rev. Tim Johnson (Beloit) have joined the Commission on Churches.
  
• Mike and Lauryn Olson (Rapid View) have stepped down from the Commission on Pastoral Care.
  

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Church Leadership Updates

• Rev. Hans Elgby has retired from his ministry at Hodgson Bible Church (Hodgson, MB). 
• Rev. David Glader resigned from ministry at Marion EMB Church (Marion, SD).
• ​Rev. Ben Funk resigned from ministry at Richer Fellowship Church (Richer, MB).

We are grateful for the years of service provided by these men of God. Pray for these men and the churches that are seeking a new pastor.

• Lustre EMB (Lustre, MT) hired Wayne Hathaway to be their new pastor.
• ​Grace Church (Abbotsford, BC) hired Andrew Martens as their new pastor.

Praise God for his provision! We welcome these men who have chosen to serve within the FEBC.

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Other Church Updates

• Grunthal EMB Church is now Grunthal Evangelical Bible Church! The name change was approved at their recent annual meeting.

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Praise and Prayer

• Praise God that we successfully sold our International Office, helping with finances.
• Pray for our staff as we adjust to working strictly from home offices.
• Pray for Rev. Mike Comtois and his wife Renee (Winkler, MB), as Renee continues a difficult recovery from surgery.
  
• ​Continue to pray for Salem Church (Waldheim, SK) while they wait for building repairs.

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In Memoriam 

Paul Boeker, longtime leader in the FEBC, including time as our Administrator and as our Fellowship Focus Editor, passed away. We are so grateful for the many ways he blessed our Fellowship over the years – including an article in our most recent issue.

We also lost Gerry Epp (Waldheim, SK), who, among other things, served as President of our Fellowship.

We are so grateful for the men who have sacrificed time and energy over the years to lead this Fellowship.

​As we approach the Easter season, I am reminded of the amazing love that God showed for us through Jesus. The sacrifice he made so that you and I could be free is such a foundational part of our faith, and such an inspiration to serve him. Ephesians 5:25 says that: “…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (ESV). Let that sink in for a moment. Christ loved the church so much that he gave himself up for her. That knowledge motivates me to serve this Fellowship – as our Fellowship exists to serve, support, encourage, and love the church through our 40 local churches.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Stone has been in full or part-time ministry for over 30 years. Before accepting the position of President, he spent 12 years as the full-time Pastor of Worship at Crosspoint Bible Church in Omaha, NE - one of our FEBC churches.