Education Report. LCC institutions celebrate graduations and present honours

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1 In two special gatherings Friday, May 7 and Saturday May 8, Lutheran Church Canada s two seminaries sent nine pastors and seven vicars into the field to serve congregations from Vancouver Island to downtown Toronto and beyond to the U.S. Almost 250 family, friends, faculty and staff attended the Sacred Convocation of Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Edmonton, Friday evening, May 7. More than 100 viewers joined them on line. The evening event at Concordia University College s Tegler Student Centre began with a rhythmic rendition of Holy, Holy, Holy sung in Portuguese and English by members of the Concordia Community Chorus under the direction of the seminary s music director David Mitchell. Guest speaker at the convocation was Rev. Tom Kruesel, third vicepresident of Lutheran Church Canada and pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in Campbell River, B.C. Addressing the pastoral candidates, he reminded them of their role and responsibilities as those who represent God in both the congregation and the community. The seminary conferred four Master of Divinity (MDiv) degrees and announced placements for three who will continue to ordination. Four third-year students heard where they will spend the next year as vicars. Following the placements, the president of the seminary, Rev. Dr. Manfred Zeuch presented two special honours for noteworthy service and dedication. Rev. Les Stahlke, founder of Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots (LAMP), received a Doctor of Divinity honoris causa. The degree recognized Rev. Stahlke s commitment to sharing the Gospel in remote areas through both LAMP and Mission Aviation Fellowship, and his work as a leader in the relationship model of church board governance. The seminary also recognized Deacon Margaret Towriss with its 40 THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN May/June 2010 LCC institutions celebrate graduations and present honours Faith and Life award. Mrs. Towriss has served as principal at Hope Lutheran School in Port Coquitlam, B.C. and is a strong advocate of Lutheran education as she has lived out her vocation in the church and school, at home, and in the community. On Saturday afternoon, May 8, Grace Lutheran Church in St. C a t h a r i n e s, Ontario hosted the Call and Certification S e r v i c e o f C o n c o r d i a T h e o l o g i c a l S e m i n a r y. M o r e t h a n 140 attended t h e s e r v i c e, despite blustery weather, and more than 30 wa t c h e d t h e service on line. G u e s t preacher, Pastor Jim Schnarr, Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ontario encouraged the new pastors to keep focused on Jesus Christ. The pastor s son, Cameron, was a pastoral candidate and received his first placement. During the service four vicars received their year-long assignments, one in The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. Three 2010 pastoral candidates received their first calls. Two will serve in Manitoba and Alberta, while the third will stay in Ontario. The seminary honoured Rev. Robert Bruer with its Delta Chi (Servant of Christ) award recognizing his life-long work in mission outreach including starting new congregations in various towns in England, and Moncton, New Brunswick. Dr. William Mundt, who is the CLTS representative on LCC s placement board explained that four vicarage candidates could not be placed this year due to a lack of LCC Third vice-president and convocation preacher, Rev. Tom Kruesel (Bethany, Campbell River, B.C. congratulates Rev. Les Stahlke, DD. requests. He warned that next year, up to 14 vicars may be available and encouraged congregations to consider how they can help mentor these future pastors by requesting a vicar. A week later in Edmonton,on Saturday, May 15, amidst traditional pomp and ceremony, 322 students graduated and received their bachelor s and master s degrees from Concordia U n i v e r s i t y C o l l e g e o f A l b e r t a ( C U C A ). A m o n g t h e degrees granted were bachelor s d e g r e e s i n Arts, Sciences, E d u c a t i o n (After-degree), Environmental Science (Afterdegree), and Bachelor s of Management. Concordia will also confer eleven graduate degrees: the Master of Information System Security Management. Karen Hewitt, LL.B., Crown prosecutor in the Ministry of Justice Special Prosecutions branch (criminal litigation and organized crime), delivered the convocation address entitled, A Script for Success: Having Faith in What You Do. CUCA also honoured her with its Distinguished Alumni award. Professor Catherine Eddy, associate dean of academics received the Judith C. Meier Excellence in Teaching award. The next day at Bethel Lutheran Church in nearby Sherwood Park, LCC s newest deacons received their placements. Two Lutheran teachers and three directors of Parish Services learned where they will begin their service to Christ and His church. An additional DPS student was placed for a one-year internship.

2 Dan Barr (Edmonton), pastor, Immanuel, Tomahawk, Alta. Dan Barr was born the youngest of three boys on December 29, 1962, in Ogallala, Nebraska and baptized o n A p r i l 7, 1963, at First United M e t h o d i s t Church in Norfolk. In 1968 Dan s f a m i l y immigrated to Holden, Alberta and p u t d o w n stakes in Barrhead the following year. He was confirmed at Christ Lutheran, Mellowdale in 1977, graduated high school in 1980 and began attending NAIT in Dan enlisted in the US Army in March 1986, proposed to his future wife, Connie, halfway through boot camp, and they married June 29, 1986 at Faith Lutheran, Grande Prairie, her home church. He left for his duty station in Schweinfurt, Germany a few days later. They were reunited March 1987; military life in Germany was the environment where they forged the first four years of their marriage. They returned to Canada in 1990 and found employment in Grande Prairie. Connie worked in a grocery store deli for nine years and then for Alberta Registries. Dan worked in the emerging computer industry for five years and then for a local sawmill where he eventually earned his millwright ticket. They relocated to Barrhead in 2004 and became members of Christ Lutheran, Mellowdale. Dan enrolled at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in September 2005 and served his vicarage at Kitimat, B.C., The Barrs have two grown sons: James, born October 17, 1986, in Grande Prairie and baptized at Faith Lutheran January 1987; and Lynndon, born January 13, 1989 in Germany and baptized by a US 2010 pastoral candidate placements Army chaplain that same year. James married in 2007; he and his wife have a seven-month old son. Lynndon lives and works in Edmonton. Oscar Castillo, (St. Catharines) assistant pastor, Faith/Grace, London/Strathroy, Ont. Oscar Castillo was born May 1, 1963, in Chinandega, Nicaragua. He is married to Mayra Palma, a l s o f r o m Chinandega. T h ey f l e d their country due to the civil war in 1988, settling f i r s t i n Guatemala, then Florida. In February 1991 they moved to Ottawa, where they lived for 13 years. The Castillos have two children, Osmayra (age 18) and Oscar Jr. (age 15). In 2004 the family moved to St. Catharines, where Oscar began his studies at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary. Jeff Dul (Edmonton), pastor Trinity, Churchbridge, Sask Born in Prince George, B.C., on December 21, 1975, Jeff was baptized on February 1, He moved with his parents to Peace River, A l b e r t a before his first birthday a n d l i v e d there until he was 13. J e f f w a s confirmed on May 14, 1989, and moved to Sherwood Park, Alberta, the same year. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from Concordia University College of Alberta in 1996, Jeff worked for two years and then returned to school. In 2000 he received a chemical engineering technology diploma from Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. He worked for six years in the petrochemical industry before coming to Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton in fall Jeff served his vicarage at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Waterloo, Ont., Jeff and his wife, Shannon, married in Edmonton in September They have three beautiful children, all born in Edmonton: Guinevere (June 27, 2002), Nathan (May 25, 2004) and Kianna (February 29, 2008). Jeff has one younger brother, Brent. John Rapp (St. Catharines), pastor, Good Shepherd, Valleyview, Alta A two-year member of CREW Ministries the LCC Listed Service Organization w h o s e members, as he describes i t, t o u r central and w e s t e r n C a n a d a bringing the Word of God t o p e o p l e through song, skits and Scripture John Rapp grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Prior to seminary at St. Catharines, he attended Wilfrid Laurier University, where he studied voice and sang with several choirs including the Bach Elgar Choir in Hamilton. His home church is Redeemer Lutheran (Waterloo, Ontario). He spent his vicarage at Trinity Lutheran (Abbotsford, B.C.) under the supervision of Rev. David Hilderman, and also served as pastoral assistant at two Ontario churches, Emmanuel (Beamsville) and St. Matthew (Smithville). John, 33, and wife Charleen have two children: Jasmine, 3, and John Jasper, 1. THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN May/June

3 Cameron Schnarr (St. Catharines) pastor, Beautiful Savior, Winnipeg, Man. Cameron Schnarr was born and baptized in Edmonton in 1982 to Rev. Jim and Cathy Schnarr. He moved with his family i n c l u d i n g his younger s i s t e r Christa to P i c ke r i n g, Ontario and eventually to Hamilton, where his father served as pastor. Cameron attended McMaster U n i ve r s i t y f o r a n H o n o u r s B.Comm., and Mohawk College for a post-grad course in public relations, during which he trained in the Naval Reserves as a bridge watchkeeper. Entering seminary in 2006, he went on vicarage in 2008 to St. Paul s Lutheran Church in Saskatoon. He served as a field worker in Burlington, Ontario at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, and in his final year of seminary at Resurrection Lutheran Church in St. Catharines. Cameron and his wife, Andrea Schnarr, a physiotherapist, are expecting their first child in August. Ling Pui Yeong (Edmonton) pastor, Trinity, Toronto, Ont. Ling Pui Yeong was born February 15, 1982, the son of a Hong Kong p a s t o r, a n d w a s incorporated i n t o t h e f a m i l y o f God through baptism on the 28 th of the same month. H e w a s confirmed in the same church, Saviour Lutheran, on December 25, vicarage assignments In 1989 his whole family immigrated to Canada and settled in Montréal. Throughout his teenage years Ling Pui lived and studied in Hong Kong at the International Christian School. From 2003 to 2006 he moved back to Montréal for university studies, majoring in environmental biology at McGill University. Upon graduation Ling Pui immediately began studying Biblical languages in preparation for entering the seminary s MDiv program in fall In the summer of 2008, after two years of seminary studies, he hurried back to attend his own wedding in Montréal on June 22. He is married to Caryn, who has lived in Montréal for most of her life and has a well-established business as a wedding designer and decorator in that city. He began his vicarage in August 2008 in Abbotsford, B.C., under the supervision of Rev. David Hilderman. In 2009 Ling Pui successfully completed his vicarage and returned to Concordia Lutheran Seminary for his final year of study. Douglas Zahner (St. Catharines), commended to LCMS for placement Stephen Bar tlett (Edmonton) Zion/ Immanuel Rimbey/ Usona, Alta D a n i e l B o n a t o (St. Catharines) Zion, Yorkton, Sask. S t e v e H o f f m a n (Edmonton) Trinity, Winkler, Man. Domenick Letteiri (St. Catharines) Pilgrim, Kenmore, N.Y. (LCMS) Michael Montague (Edmonton) Shepherd of the Hills Mission/ Redeemer Airdrie/ Didsbury, Alta. Gregor y Palmer (St. Catharines) St. John s Vernon B.C. and Shepherd of the Valley, Salmon Arm, B.C. Timothy Schneider ( E d m o n t o n ) Bethany, Campbell River, B.C. Wei Ge (Wayne) Zhang (St. Catharines) Trinity, Richmond, B.C. Brian Lee (St. Louis) pastor, Calvary, Thunder Bay, Ont. 42 THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN May/June 2010

4 2010 diaconal candidate placements Luke Adam, teacher, Hope Lutheran School, Port Coquitlam, B.C. Born and raised in Stony Plain, Alberta, Luke Adam attended St. M a t t h e w Church and S c h o o l a s a child. He spent high school and university years on the C o n c o rd i a campus in Edmonton, at Concordia High School and Concordia University College of Alberta. During his Bachelor of Arts studies, Luke felt himself being called into a vocation in education. His goal is to provide students with an education that is rich in Christ and opportunities to learn about the world He has provided for them. He looks forward to beginning his teaching career and continuing to grow in his faith. Amanda Knodel, Good Shepherd, Regina, Sask. Amanda Knodel hails from the wonderfully sunny and windy c i t y o f Lethbridge, A l b e r t a baptized and confirmed at I m m a n u e l there, even s p e n d i n g a s u m m e r working in h e r h o m e congregation. She says she faced a bit of a Jeremiah complex when it came to considering a Director of Parish Services (DPS) ministry and argued with God, telling him I was really much too young to go into church work and I would be better suited for something else. After a four-year undergraduate degree in French and two short-term mission trips to Ukraine, God reminded me of that conversation, and she was on her way to Concordia University College of Alberta to work toward DPS certification. She finds God has blessed her in several ways as He prepared her for service in the church particularly with involvement in children s programs, both Christian and secular. This is one area in which she looks forward to serving God. Amanda is still waiting to see if God will teach me to be quiet and blend into the crowd, but if not I m praying He ll be able to use another loud and gregarious person in His big plan. Melissa McNeil, LaRonge Lutheran Fellowship, LaRonge, Sask. Melissa McNeil grew up in several small farming communities in the s o u t h e a s t part of the p r o v i n c e, b u t c a l l s We y b u r n, S a s k. h e r home town. H e r h o m e congregation is St. Peter s in Estevan. M e l i s s a always had a passion for working with people, especially those who faced barriers in their lives such as homelessness, mental illness, poverty and addiction. As a result, she spent two years studying social work at the University of Regina. However, God was leading her in a different direction. My passion to help others was still there, she says. But it was accompanied with the desire God gave me to teach and minister to His people. With the encouragement of close friends and church leaders in her congregation, she entered Concordia University College of Alberta s DPS program, graduating in 2009 and completing her internship in January Future plans include building on relationships she s made with the people of La Ronge and area, and to continue supporting and implementing Christian education opportunities for people of all ages in the community and church. It has truly been a joy, she says, seeing people grow in their faith and understanding of God s Word and promise, and how that faith has brought positive changes to their lives. I feel so honoured and blessed to serve in this way, and look forward to the years of ministry to come. Lisa Olding, teacher, Hope Lutheran School, Port Coquitlam, B.C. Born in North Vancouver, Lisa Olding moved to Port Coquitlam, B.C., as an infant and has called the Tri-Cities h o m e f o r most of her life. While she always enjoyed both singing and sports, she decided to pursue a career as a physical education teacher. After her graduation from the University of Victoria in April 2004, Lisa s home congregation, Hope Lutheran, called her to fill a teaching vacancy for the month of June. Lisa soon felt drawn to the ministry of Lutheran schools and taught Grade 5 at Hope for the next two years. In 2006 Prince of Peace Lutheran School in Calgary asked Lisa to be part of its teaching team. Trusting in God s guidance, Lisa and her husband Cameron moved to Calgary. Currently a stay-at-home mom to one-year-old Mitchell, Lisa looks forward to returning to the classroom in September Lisa also serves as the communications director for the Lutheran Teacher s Association. THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN May/June

5 Kaitlyn Roller, Trinity, Fisherville, Ont Kaitlyn Roller grew up in Surrey, B.C., and attended Walnut Grove Church in L a n g l e y. S h e c a l l s b e c o m i n g a Director o f Pa r i s h Services a l o n g a n d a m a z i n g story of God s goodness and wisdom that far surpasses my own plans or ideas. As she was growing up, her parents and youth leader had the largest impact on her life and faith. Though she had no plans of leaving home for university, God guided her to Concordia University College of Alberta. Though she had no plans for entering church work, over time and through the prayers and encouragement of many of His children, God changed my heart there as well. She has found both joys and challenges in her short time in congregational ministry thus far, and has seen God at work through my strengths as well as my weaknesses. She looks to the future with great anticipation as she realizes more and more each day that He chooses to use sinners like us to reach out to our world and share His love and message of forgiveness. Miriam Winstanley, Foothills, Calgary, Alta. Miriam Winstanley, of Langdon, Alberta (just east of Calgary), graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Social Work and worked in that field, largely with persons with disabilities and seniors, for nearly 2 0 y e a r s. Experiences in her job and church life, and the encouragement of family and fellow Christians, led her to apply to the Director of Parish Services colloquy program and begin courses offered through Concordia University College of Alberta. Her internship at Foothills Lutheran in Calgary allowed her to work in an area of particular interest encouraging and helping families discover ways to be faithteachers for their children, and supporting them in that holy task. It is a privilege to serve my Lord and His Church! she says. She is wife to Bruce, and mother of three young adults: Kyle, Sarah and Evan. Check the pews! See someone whom you believe God may be calling to serve Him as a church worker? Let your pastor know! Director of Parish Services intern Krysta Davis, Bethel, Sherwood Park, Alta. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. A message from James 1:12 D. A. KURT INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. and Financial Services 604 Belmont Ave. W., Kitchener, ON N2M 1N5 Tel: Fax: don@kurt-ins.com Toll Free: Thank Great the is Lord the glory and Sing of the His Lord! Praise 44 THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN May/June 2010