June 13, 2012 – The Board of Directors of Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Canada, together with the Board of Governors of Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) have appointed Andrew Dyck, Ph.D (cand.) as assistant professor of ministry studies at Canadian Mennonite University. This new position is jointly funded by MBBS Canada and the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba. Dyck will teach or give leadership in the area of spiritual formation, worship, preaching, ministry supervision, evangelism, leadership development, and pastoral care and counselling. In addition, he will serve as a resource person for the Manitoba Mennonite Brethren Conference.
“Andrew is ideally suited for this position,” says MBBS Canada President Dr. Bruce Guenther. “He brings a deep understanding of Mennonite Brethren evangelical-Anabaptist identity, a proven track record of effective servant leadership, and a passionate commitment to helping leaders become caring and faithful witnesses and disciples of Jesus Christ. I am confident that his appointment will expand the capacity of MBBS Canada to train men and women for the mission of reaching Canada with the good news of Jesus Christ.”
“I am thrilled at the appointment of Andrew Dyck into this ministry position,” says CMU President Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt, “both because of what it represents in cooperation between MBBS Canada and CMU, as well as because of the contribution Andrew will make to our community. His years of experience in pastoral ministry, combined with his studies in Christian spirituality, will very much benefit our students, and through them, the larger church.”
Dyck brings a wide breadth of church leadership experience that has most recently included a senior co-pastoral position at Highland Community Church in Abbotsford, BC and a senior pastoral position at King Road Mennonite Brethren Church also located in Abbotsford. Dyck has held a variety of denominational leadership positions, most recently as a member of the Pastoral Ministries Committee of the BC Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, and as executive secretary of the MB Historical Commission.
His extensive ministry exposure provides him with a deep well of experience to relate to and guide the ministry students that attend CMU’s Graduate School of Theology and Ministry.
Dyck’s educational background includes training as a physiotherapist (University of Manitoba), three years of study at Mennonite Brethren Bible College (Winnipeg), as well as a Master of Arts in Church Leadership from Eastern Mennonite Seminary. He is currently completing a Ph.D at International Baptist Theological Seminary, Prague (University of Wales) on the spirituality of Mennonite Brethren in Canada. Publications and public presentations, both scholarly and popular, underscore Dyck’s academic skills and the valuable contribution he will make to CMU, MBBS Canada, and the training of leaders for the Mennonite Brethren constituency and beyond.
Dyck is described by former colleagues, leaders, and friends as a man of integrity and impeccable Christian character, and someone who is deeply committed to the Church. His life demonstrates a deep love for God and an uncompromising commitment to the Lordship of Christ in his life. He is married to Martha (who now teaches Kindergarten-Grade 1); they have three adult children.
“I thank God for this opportunity to serve alongside others in training pastors and leaders for the Mennonite Brethren and other denominations. As seminary graduates follow Jesus Christ, it is my desire that they be known as people of depth: people who love deeply and demonstrate godly character, who lead wisely and live winsomely, who know God’s Word thoroughly, and who draw from the reservoir of the Spirit’s living water.”
“The joint MBBS & Manitoba Conference of MB Churches appointment of Andrew Dyck in practical theology is a significant step in building a stronger pastoral training center on the CMU campus in Winnipeg,” says Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Executive Director Willy Reimer. “Andrew’s appointment will provide greater support for the development of pastoral leaders as well as resourcing Manitoba pastors and churches for the mission of reaching Canadians with the good news of Jesus Christ.”
MBBS Canada is the seminary of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. It is a member of the Associated Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS) at Trinity Western University (Langley, BC), which offers eight degree programs accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. The seminary is involved in two graduate degree programs at Canadian Mennonite University (Winnipeg, MB) through an affiliation agreement.
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU offers undergraduate degrees in arts and sciences, business, humanities, music, and social sciences, as well as two graduate degree programs. CMU has over 1,700 students, including Menno Simons College and Outtatown students, and is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).
MBBS contact:
Dr. Bruce Guenther, President, MB Biblical Seminary Canada
bruce.guenther@twu.ca
CMU contact:
Nadine Kampen, CMU Communications & Marketing Director
nkampen@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2