Amid the Russian Revolution, John’s father put his young family in a borrowed wagon to Moscow, 400 miles away. They reunited with extended family in Landmark, Man. At 17, John was conscripted. Because of an ear infection, he was rejected but reapplied as a conscientious objector. At Yarrow MB Church, he accepted Jesus as Saviour and was baptized. Meeting his sisters’ friend Elvira Harder developed into a lifelong love and mutual service to God’s family. They married Sept. 24, 1950, and moved to Vancouver where John ran a construction company. They built own house, a cottage outside Mission, B.C., and cabins for Columbia Bible Camp. Despite his growing business and family, which now included daughters Marilyn and Elizabeth, John felt dissatisfied, until Vancouver MB Church asked him to build a new church in Burnaby, B.C., Willingdon MB. As his first daughter entered Grade 1, John entered his first year at Vancouver Bible Institute. He rose early to direct his building crew, then hurried to school from 7 a.m.–1 p.m., returned to his construction sites until 5 p.m., then did homework until 1 a.m. In 1963, he became Vancouver MB’s youth pastor. In Burnaby, Edward was born. They returned to Vancouver where John completed Grades 11–13 in 2 years (1965–66). John continued youth work at Vancouver MB while building a home in Richmond and welcoming son Robert (1966). After building the Culloden Church, John began seminary studies while pastoring Richmond Bethel. In 1969, John returned to Vancouver MB Church as assistant pastor, graduating with a BTh from Northwest Baptist Seminary a year later. He was associate pastor at Culloden MB Church and was ordained within the MB conference. In 1981, John became associate pastor at Clearbook MB Church, where he and Elvira loved working with seniors. They were loved back: when their Richmond house didn’t sell, they faced great loss—until a church member heard of it. Within days, church seniors had paid the loan (and were reimbursed when the house sold). John filled the years after his 1987 retirement with construction projects for his children and Lithuania University; disaster relief work; road trips to New York, California, and Alaska; and happy hours in his workshop with his grandsons. He was grieved to lose Elvira in 2022 and followed her to meet the Lord Dec. 13, 2023.
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