The executive board provides overall direction, governance, and fiduciary oversight to the Canadian MB Conference. We want to put “a face” to the current board by introducing its members. We began last month, and continue this month with another 5 of its 20 members.—Eds.
Reg Toews, B.C. provincial moderator, has been on the board since 2007. In his day job, he’s senior pastor at Greendale MB Church in Chilliwack, B.C. Reg and Brenda, who teaches music at the Mennonite Education Institute campus in Chilliwack, have “3 plus 1” children: 2 daughters (plus 1 son-in-law), and 1 son. “I thoroughly enjoy serving on the board as we grapple with the big issues around how to share the good news of Jesus with everyone in Canada,” Reg says. “I am stretched by the other members on the board and consider our dialogue invigorating.”
Paul Loewen became a member of the board in 2002 and stayed through the transition to the current board model, serving as chair of the board of evangelism, then assistant moderator, and now as member at large. After some 20 years in the pastorate, Paul had his own business for 2 years before joining Columbia Bible College in 2008 for advancement: church and constituency relations. He and Melody participate at Mountain Park Community Church, Abbotsford, B.C., and have 3 sons, the eldest of whom is married. “What a privilege and responsibility to serve the MB constituency as we’ve wrestled through a lot of change – governance, structure, and vision – in these last years,” he says. “Of course, lots of laughter and lifelong friendships that are now part of my travels throughout Canada have made some of the ‘tough slogging’ of governance more than bearable – it has been fun.”
Ken Peters became a board of faith and life representative on the executive board in 2004. He is pastor of Killarney Park MB Church in Vancouver, where he has served for the past 14 years. Ken and Yvonne live in New Westminster, B.C., and have 3 adult children. “I really enjoy the visioning process of the board,” he says. “I have enjoyed the success it has had in working out a workable governance protocol for the conference; now on to the larger work of creating a sustainable vision for the conference.” As BFL representative, he adds, “part of our contribution is to act as a confessional conscience to the board itself – not to give the impression the board would run amok without us, but it’s a theological safeguard the conference has put in place.”
Jack Falk is the MB Biblical Seminary representative on the executive board.
The Alberta moderator also sits on the executive board. That position is currently filled by an interim appointee while a new governance model is developed for the province.
