Pastoral Highlights - Meet the Pastors of MCBC

Here we feature our hard working and wonderful Pastors from various MCBC Churches and related ministries. Check back weekly for updates!

 

June 25th
MCBC Pastoral Highlight

Dan Forest ~ United Mennonite Church, Black Creek

5 Fun Facts about Dan:

  1. I have ministered in 7 different denominations: Pentecostal, Full Gospel, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Mennonite Brethren, Alliance, and now Mennonite.
  2. One of the best Christmas gifts I ever got was a 650pc puzzle from my wife, Amy, that was all one shade of grey.
  3. I have acquired a trove of useless talents: I can juggle, solve a Rubik’s cube in under a min, recite all the US State Capitals, make music by clapping cupped hands at my mouth, perform magic tricks, and the list goes on…
  4. I pastored at a church in New Zealand for two years and we had an amazing experience there.
  5. I don’t know how to burp. It happens to me randomly once or twice each year, and it’s something I always celebrate!


Things are going really well at our church in Black Creek. It’s been a perfect fit for my interests and gifts and weird sense of humour. We’ve found a good balance with Evie in preschool, Lucy finishing grade 3, and Amy working part-time as an activities coordinator at a local Retirement Community.

This past year, with help from Revitalization funds, we’ve been able to hire a part time Youth Ministry Worker to start up a youth bible study and weekly drop-in, which has been going great! We are still looking for someone to oversee our Children’s Ministry, however, as our long-time Children’s Worker retired last June. I’ve been filling in as much I can, but we really need someone able to devote more time and passion to our kids, so please be in prayer for that!

It’s been wonderful accepting new members into our congregation, and we have a baptism coming up soon. I love our welcoming and quirky community, come visit us if you’re ever on Vancouver Island!

- Dan

June 18th
MCBC Pastoral Highlight

Alyssa Hordyk ~ Living Hope Christian Fellowship

 
 
 
Fun Facts about Alyssa:
 
1) Living Hope has been my home church since birth. I’ve grown up at Living Hope, where I was baptized at the age of 13. Now, I have the joy of serving and bringing the next generation closer to God through my role here as Children's & Youth Ministries Coordinator. 
2) I am a Professional Flautist. I got my Music Degree from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, won multiple awards from the Richmond Music Festival, Chilliwack Lions Club Music and Dance Festival, and the Kiwanis Music Festival. Now I currently play with the Fraser Valley Symphony in Abbotsford BC. 
3) I have my own music studio! Flutter Flute Studio is where I teach all levels of Flute, beginner Piano & Voice lessons both In Person and Online with students of all ages. It’s one of my greatest joys to watch my students grow in confidence and creativity through their musical journeys.
4) I have been leading/directing/overseeing Living Hope’s Vacation Bible School for 10 years! I have a heart for organizing, directing, planning & decorating our VBS Camps. They bring such life in the Summer and God truly impacts everyone involved. 
5) I'm a huge Starbucks fan. Like… unashamedly. I’m on a first name basis at my local store. Starbucks is basically my second office (and my love language). Likely you will see me with a Venti Brown Sugar Oat Shaken Espresso, Light Ice, in my hand. 
 

🌿 Ministry Update from Alyssa Hordyk

There has been a lot happening lately at Living Hope, and the hustle and bustle truly never seems to slow down.

On June 8th, we be said farewell to our beloved Pastor Frank Berto as he steps into retirement. This has been a bittersweet and emotional transition for our church family, and we are still very much in the midst of it. Please be in prayer for God’s guidance as we seek His direction for Living Hope in the coming summer and year ahead.

On a joyful note, both Children’s Ministry and Youth are thriving and full of energy! We just returned from an incredible Family Camp at Camp Squeah, where we had the joy of witnessing one of our Youth Leaders get baptized in the Emory River. After hiking down to The Pride, those from our congregation who were able to join gathered for this powerful and memorable moment.

It was a weekend filled with worship, laughter, and deep spiritual growth. We had 25 youth attend this year, and it was such a blessing to see them encounter God and grow in faith together.

We are also excited to share that VBS planning is underway! Each summer, we open our doors to 50–60 kids from our church and the surrounding community. This year, our theme is “Mystery Island”—a journey where kids will explore the questions: Who is God? and How can I approach Him or accept Him into my life? What does that look like? We can’t wait to welcome families back for a summer filled with joy, discovery, and fellowship.

Please continue to pray for our congregation as we walk through this season of transition. And especially pray for our Children and Youth—they are the rising generation, already beginning to step into leadership and take on responsibility within our church family. We are so encouraged by the ways they are growing in their understanding of God and their role in His Church.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Blessings,
Alyssa Hordyk
Children’s & Youth Ministries Coordinator
Living Hope Christian Fellowship

June 4th
MCBC Church Highlight

Richmond Peace Chinese Mennonite Church

What's going on at Richmond Peace Chinese Mennonite Church:

As some of you may know from past sharings from our church, we have been without a Lead Pastor since October 2023. While it has been difficult on so many levels, we have also experienced our Lord’s blessings in abundance during these trying times. God has blessed our congregation with numerous wonderfully gifted guest speakers for our Sunday Service which has brought us great reminders of our Lord’s faithfulness and encouragement.

In 2024, in addition to the regular activities such as Sunday worships, Sunday Schools for the different age groups, fellowships for the different age groups and Awana, we also held workshops on church transformation, techniques on how to evangelize, and for our music ministry. Another highlight of the year was our “fellowship breakfast battle” held across two Sundays in August, where fellowship for our core age groups are responsible for preparing breakfast for all, each on a Sunday, as a fun face-off challenge. We saw great participation both mornings and welcomed a number of newcomers to join our worship afterwards.

For 2025, our main focus is on walking a loving spiritual journey as a church body through spiritual revival to strengthen our bond as a family in Christ. All our activities are planned around this main theme, including the return of Gym Days starting in June (on a trial basis) and a worship/barbeque in August.

Thank you, MCBC and fellow churches, for your continued support! Please continue to remember our search for a Lead Pastor and a Youth Ministry Coordinator/Pastor in your prayers.

-RPCMC

May 28th
MCBC Pastoral Highlight ~ Lisa Heinrichs ~ Spiritual Health Practitioner

Lisa Heinrichs ~ Spiritual Health Practitioner

5 Facts about me (by the numbers):

  • 2: The age I began wearing glasses
  • 4: How many children my husband and I have (aged 9, 13, 15, and 17)
  • 6: The number of long-term care sites and emergency departments I cover as a Spiritual Health Practitioner with Fraser Health
  • 8: The years it took me to complete my Master of Divinity at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
  • 10: The number of chickens we have roaming our yard in Hope

 

I have now been working for Fraser Health as a Spiritual Health Practitioner for over a year. I work at four long-term care sites in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Hope, as well as supporting the emergency departments at Chilliwack General Hospital and Fraser Canyon Hospital. It is a challenging and rewarding job as I walk alongside people in some of their most difficult moments. At times, I feel spread thin, working at so many sites, but I also enjoy the variety and feel most grounded when I am sitting one on one with patients and hearing their stories. I am so grateful for the two church communities that encourage me in my faith and in my work: my home congregation of Langley Mennonite Fellowship, and Grace Baptist Church in Hope. Our faith teaches us that Jesus is present when we care for the vulnerable in our society (Matt. 25:40). This is one of the core beliefs that guides me in my work, and I seek to meet people wherever they are at to offer emotional or spiritual support. It gives me great joy to come to this work after eight years of study at AMBS, as 2025 marks my final year of studies. Please join me in praying for our healthcare staff who provide such wonderful compassionate care to patients and residents at their facilities.  

May 14th
MCBC Pastoral Highlight

Rachel Navarro ~ Emmanuel Mennonite Church

 
 
5 Fun Facts about Rachel:
 
1. My high school didn’t teach sewing, so I’m learning to sew my own clothes as an adult! So far I’ve made a tank top, skirt, collared shirt, a pair of shorts, and a pair of pants.
2. I grew up in a multi-cultural family. My mom is Canadian born to Irish & English immigrants, and my dad came to Canada from the Philippines as a young adult.
3. I hate corn (unless it’s popped!).
4. I love musicals! My first experience seeing one live was when my parents took our family to see Les Miserables at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre when I was 10.
5. I attended 7 different post-secondary institutions before finally finishing my bachelor’s degree in 2020.

What’s happening at EMC?
 
Since I began my role at EMC, there have been many highs and lows. Lately it feels like we’ve reached a much-needed season of stability after surviving a lot of crises! With the breathing room we’ve gotten from having a full staff team and great lay leadership, we’ve been diving into questions about our identity as a church and where we feel God is leading us. It’s daunting but exciting! 
Through the shaky seasons and the stable ones, I try to hold on to who I have always felt God calling me to be—someone who creates safe spaces where people (especially young people) can find belonging and explore who God made them to be. Youth group has always been my favourite vehicle for that, but recently I’ve seen it happening in our children’s program and our new young adults group. I’m here for all of it! There’s so much joy in seeing someone new not just being welcomed at the door but finding where they fit at Emmanuel. I hope and pray that we keep getting better at shepherding people through that process of discovery!

Grace & Peace,
Rachel Navarro
Family Pastor
Emmanuel Mennonite Church

May 7th
MCBC Pastoral Highlight

Graham McCarthy ~ Peace Church on 52nd


What’s been happening at Peace Church on 52nd?  

Peace church on 52nd has a strong community presence - between community meals, food hub, presence at local events, support of AA groups, recovery houses, and ESL teaching, we have a strong presence. Every spring and Summer, we have a community garden that beautifies our neighbourhood, and provides food for the community.  this last week we got together to get it started, and people really utilize our garden and picnic tables as a space of peace and rest.

Oftentimes, someone will knock on the door of the church and say "Someone told me that this is the place I can go to for help." and it is such a gift to have such a reputation.  We have been slowly growing, especially seeing more children attend with us.  This church hasn't had a children's program for quite some time, and we'd appreciate prayer for discernment and solutions to this gift! 

 

5 Fun Facts about Graham:

  1. Graham can make perfect eggs every time
  2. He performs Improv Comedy in Vancouver
  3. Recently, Graham has been creating a series of videos called "Vancouver's Forgotten Monuments"that have been quite well received online! 
  4. Graham first felt a call to ministry when he was 10 years old and performing for his church as a ventriloquist for children's time
  5. He worked on the Downtown Eastside for seven years before coming into church ministry
    Bonus Fun Fact: Graham recently got engaged to MCBC's Ministry Support Administrator, Katrina Froese! 

Follow what's going on at PC52 here: Facebook,  Instagram

 

April 30th
MCBC Pastoral Highlight

Ian Funk ~ Langley Mennonite Fellowship

 

 

 

 

 

What’s been happening at Langley Mennonite Fellowship?  I’d say that we are trudging along, putting in our best effort to be faithful and thoughtful followers of Jesus, sometimes struggling, sometimes stumbling, sometimes invigorated, sometimes creative, sometimes.... We started out our year in worship and discussion, exploring what Anabaptism means to us, 500 years into the Anabaptist story, learning from our past, aspiring to be open and welcoming, and visioning where our story will go. Out of our discussion, we came up with some aspirational statements which we would love to share with our MCBC family. If you walk through the LMF doors, I pray that you feel warmed and welcome, comforted by the beautiful quilts which currently surround our sanctuary.

5 Fun Facts about me.

  1. I’m still looking for my 2nd good sermon.

  2. I love singing in a local gospel choir (lots of clapping and dancing)

  3. I share my young daughter’s enthusiasm for the musical, Wicked.

  4. My son and I have been longsuffering Raptors fans

  5. 25 years on the operatic stage (where I met my wife, Tammy), I never played an onstage role as pastor or priest.

On a separate but related note...

To further share stuff about LMF, I have attached our summary statements from our Anabaptism at 500 discussion. I think that this set of proclamations is where we are in terms of our hopes for the church. This came out of an extended yet incomplete discussion. If it is an opportunity for conversation with the broader family of Christ at MCBC, we would welcome that.
 
 

- Ian Funk 

April 2nd
MCBC Pastoral Highlight ~ Ed Willms ~ Emmanuel Church


MCBC Pastoral Highlight ~ Ed Willms ~ Emmanuel Church.

Karin (my wife) and I have been welcomed with open arms into Emmanuel church. Although we only knew a few people prior to saying 'yes' to this call, we have discovered an amazing group of individuals who are seeking after Jesus.

There have been numerous highlights in our first five months. Starting just before Christmas gave us a chance to visit most of the small groups and thereby enjoy their great hospitality. It was a wonderful way to connect with this community.

As we launched into the new year we focused on the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism and have been blessed with insightful lectures by Gareth Brandt. On January 21st, we had many guests join us desiring to know more about this significant birthdate.

Following that, we began a series entitled "The Making of a Movement", an exploration of the book of Acts. Over the course of 2025 we hope to explore and reflect on the many stories contained in this book. 

On March 16th we hosted the African Children's Choir and were blessed with their passion and joy. March 29th, our leadership teams met together for a half day retreat to rethink our church vision and to plan some strategic steps forward.

At the same time, while all of these engaging activities have been transpiring, we have had 5 funerals. Mostly they were long standing members of our church, but in one case it was a young mom. Life is filled with both joy and sorrow. So we are grateful for each day and this opportunity to journey with this great group of people.

As we move towards summer we look forward to getting to know the MC world a bit more through the lense of Gathering 2025 in Kitchener. Buen Camino (wishing you all a good journey).

Five Fun Facts about Ed:
 
- I'm a very big Blue Jays Fan. Would love to see them go far this year.
- Karin and I walked the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage in France & Spain (750kms) in July 2019
- We have two amazing grandsons - Eli & Toby - who are 6 & 8 and love sports
- A year ago I acquired my class 3 license and drove truck for 9 months with Valley Carriers 
- I've just completed a feature wall in my basement with an inset for an electric fireplace and a TV
 
- Ed Willms ~ Emmanuel Church
 

March 19th
MCBC Pastoral Highlight ~ Martin So


MCBC Pastoral Highlight ~ Martin So

Updates from Chinatown Peace Church Chinese Congregation

Five New members transferred to our church in the last year. Four are quite active and the fifth is a senior. Her daughter, who lives in Abbotsford, drives into Vancouver every Sunday to drive her mom to church, and the daughter is quite active too.

Fun facts about Pastor Martin So

Pastor Martin speaks Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese and English, and was baptized in the Chinese Church in 1977 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and that is where he met his wife, Katherine.

Katherine and Pastor Martin live in Surrey but their church is located in Chinatown.

Hobbies: Swimming and reading history/biographies of people serving God.

- Martin So

 

March 5th
Frank Berto - MCBC Pastoral Highlight


Frank Berto ~ Living Hope Christian Fellowship ~ MCBC Pastoral Highlight

Living Hope continues to try and reach our community with the Good News of Jesus. Some of the ways we are working:

· Spring Day Camp for the neighborhood

· Alpha Course ongoing

· Distributing the Gospel of John (Punjabi Translation)

· Prepping for our Week-long Vacation Bible School in the summer

Like most churches in the Lower Mainland we are challenged by the cost of living and the housing realities young families confront, that force many of them to move either up the valley or to other provinces.

We remain convinced that God has called Living Hope to minister to this community at this time – but it is easy to get distracted by circumstances and news.

As I was worrying about this recently, God spoke to me through his words to a ‘timid and inadequate’ Moses as he was called to lead his people to freedom. Moses was telling God how he was not up to the task and this is how the conversation went:

So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you.” Genesis 3:10-12 NIV

I take great comfort in that truth – ‘God is with me’ in all He has called me (and us) to do in building His Kingdom.

Living Hope has also begun a Senior Pastor Search as I will be retiring at the end of May... what’s next I am not sure – I am in ‘discernment’ mode.

For all of us who have served Jesus for a long time, I don’t believe we ever ‘retire’ from serving in his kingdom. God has graciously called and gifted me as a pastor and afforded me the opportunity of years of formal ministry education and experience.

I am sure there are others in a similar situation. As we age our energy levels diminish, but our experience and wisdom and knowledge of Him grows deeper. And the church of Jesus Christ needs the wisdom and service of Seniors – so – no retiring only a different form of service for all us old folks! J Retirement is not play-time, but new service time.

4 Fun Facts about Frank Berto

1. Retiring date - May 31-2025

2. Favourite quote Retirement is not play-time, but new service time.

3. For fun - play guitar & garden

4. True fact - I came to faith on my first day working on Whistler Mtn, Jan 1982

In all these changes, I take great comfort in that truth – “God is with me” (Gen. 3:10-12) in all He has called me (and us) to do in building His Kingdom. 

- Frank Berto ~ Living Hope Christian Fellowship

April 23rd
MCBC Pastoral Highlight ~ Grant Miller ~ Cedar Valley Church

 
 
Over the past few years Cedar Valley Church has been reimagining what it means to be a church with a long legacy in a rapidly growing and shifting community. Our city (Mission) is booming with new developments and young families moving into a *slightly* more affordable place to live. That is bringing in new cultures, new life, new needs, and new ways of living day to day life. What all this has really motivated in our church is a desire to become closely connected and involved in the life and movement of the city and especially local neighborhoods around us. This also meant flexing the ways we gather and worship and especially how we express our faith compared to what may have been a comfortable legacy model from over 80 years of legacy.
 
Here's my two favourite ways we've been working on this:
 
  1. FUN (it's not an acronym, it's just literally... fun!) We took a note from our kids and youth programs and began integrating 'fun' as a primary value in all of our ministries and services. How can we bring in elements and activities that make us laugh, that bridge generational gaps and help us be ok with a little 'silliness' together and laugh at ourselves. Here's a good example in my next point:
  2. '5th Sundays'. For a few years now, we have committed to making Sundays that land on a '5th Sunday' in a month a unique and practical worship service. We still meet at 10am Sunday morning, but then after a devotional and some instruction, we dive into a completely different practice. We've cleaned up trash in our local parks and schools, we've packed relief kits for MCC, we've had picnics that involve using our food as art! As well as prayer walks, charcuterie communion, kids camp take-overs, and still more room for creative and fun ideas. These services get us outside of our comfort zones and physical walls, and they remind us that 'church' is so much more than songs and sermons. 
Practicing this flexibility keeps us motivated to constantly brainstorm and pivot when new opportunities arise to carry out the mission (in Mission!)

So, here's a few 'fun' facts about the person responsible for making a whole church reenact scenes from the Bible using mashed potatoes and chips:
 
  • Previous to working as a pastor I was a Whitewater Raft guide and Safety Kayaker
  • I have broken light fixtures in 5 different churches throughout the years (oops)
  • I play the banjo
  • My wife and I grew up less than 10 minutes from each other but we never crossed paths until our 20s
  • I can eat 1lb of Reese Peanut Butter chocolates

- Grant Miller 

April 16th
MCBC Pastoral Highlight ~ Jack Meers ~ Eden Mennonite Church 

 
 
December 2024 marked my fifth year of ministry at Eden Church! How the time goes by. Our congregation is nearing the 1-year mark without a Senior Pastor. While this time hasn't been without it's challenges, I feel grateful for how been able to grow, step into new areas and try new things - all good stuff for a pastor!
 
It's been amazing to see people in our church community step up in so many ways. We've been blessed to have a wide variety of people in our congregation, folks from MCBC, CBC, MCC and others share with us on Sunday mornings.
 
My scope of responsibility has widened over time, but youth and children's work continues to have my heart. We have a really dynamic youth group of around 25-30 students that show up on Tuesday nights. Once a month we run a Kids Night, with a smaller group, but still consistent and great to hang out with. I love seeing the relationships develop between students and with our leaders, as we learn about what it means to be an apprentice of Jesus in our everyday.  We also had 3 new members join in March and our most recent baptisms were last June, and we had 1 youth and 1 young adult.

5 fun Facts about Jack:
 
1. I have a weird skill of reciting many different song lyrics and movie quotes.
2. I go to the sauna at the local rec center about once a week. It's a great place to get to know people and hear about what's going on.
3. My wife (Lyric) and I love to explore restaurants and try different foods.
4. I grew my first beard in 2013 - it was a patchy chinstrap, but hey, it was there!
5. I feel most deeply connected to God when I'm outdoors. Surrounded by His creation, I sense His presence most profoundly.
 
- Jack Meers ~ Eden Mennonite Church 

April 9th
MCBC Pastoral Highlight ~ Jorge Luis Hoajaca


My name is Jorge Luis Hoajaca. I have been the leading pastor of First United Spanish Mennonite Church in Vancouver since July 1st, 1996. The Lord God called me and my family to minister and serve the church here in Vancouver.  One interesting fact is that all this years we have served refugees,  refugee claimants, government sponsored new immigrants and people seeking protection. Our congregation has seen some growth in the last couple of years.

There are some new believers asking for baptism. Also, a new young couple from Mennonite Church in Ecuador joining and serving with us.

Five fun facts about me:
 
1. I once had a natural Afro (no perm needed)
2. I enjoy crabbing (as long as crabs 🦀 don't catch my fingers)
3. I enjoy classic rock from the 70's and 80's (even if some people tell me that is worldly, not to say evil)
4. I enjoy crashing drums set cymbals to people who fell sleep while I preach (I do it on a weekly basis)
5. I am retiring at the end of September from FUSMC (just to keep preaching in the same place)
 
- Jorge Luis Hoajaca