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Hi friend,
This is my first On the Level as the new Executive Director of Mennonite Disaster Service Canada, so it seems fitting to introduce myself and share why I’m excited to join MDS.
Throughout my career I have often related to the many unlikely people God chose in scripture; people like Moses, Mary, David, Ruth, and Paul. Because of their personal traits, their ordinariness, or past baggage, they were all improbable choices, and yet they were called by God.
I have spent most of my career as a pastor in Ontario and Manitoba. This is a surprising calling for someone who grew up with parents that lived MDS’ mantra of “being the hands and feet of Jesus.” Their deep faith was less spoken than lived out daily. By witnessing their many acts of hospitality and service to those in need, I learned my faith.
It was their lessons in faith that made me feel at home serving at a food bank while I was pastoring. Later, while working for a food distribution organization that supported food banks and soup kitchens across Manitoba, it was my faith that guided me. It’s what inspired me on my two MDS trips, helping with flood cleanup in Manitoba and rebuilding homes in Maryland after a hurricane.
Attending MDS Canada’s Annual Consultation in November and MDS US’s Annual Celebration in February, I felt at home. I thought to myself, “these are my people.” We have a common desire to share the love of Jesus in practical ways with those in need, from a posture of humility; not for our glory but for God’s.
I’m so excited about this opportunity to work alongside dedicated volunteers, passionate staff, generous donors, and the broader Anabaptist community that MDS brings together. I look forward to serving you in this role so that we can share God’s love as the sheep of Jesus who seek to serve God by serving “the least of these” (Matthew 25:45).
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