March 23, 2009 issue
Church closes; vision lives on
By Grant Overstake Tabor CollegePage:
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HILLSBORO, Kan. — Such was the world view of Carson Mennonite Brethren Church of Delft, Minn., that even in closing its doors it made one more mission-minded decision.
Merrill Ewert, president of Fresno (Calif.) Pacific University, speaks at the Carson Center banquet at Hillsboro (Kan.) Mennonite Brethren Church. A gift from a Minnesota church that closed enabled Tabor College to start the mission education center. — Photo by Grant Overstake/Tabor College
The small, rural congregation was known for sending far more than its share of missionaries and servant leaders into the world.
In a final selfless act, in 2006 the congregation gave a third of the proceeds from the closing of the church to Tabor College.
This led to the creation of the Carson Center for Mission, Service and Global Education. The center provides opportunities for students to participate in mission and service projects around the world.
Several past members of the Carson church, including a number of leaders from a single family, the Ewerts, visited Tabor for Carson Week March 13-18.
Merrill Ewert, president of Fresno (Calif.) Pacific University, a Tabor college graduate who grew up in the Carson church, was the keynote speaker at a fundraising banquet for the Carson Center at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church.
Merrill was joined by his brothers, Lowell Ewert, director of peace and conflict studies at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ont., and Norm Ewert, associate professor of economics at Wheaton (Ill.) College, and their sister, Elaine (Ewert) Kroeker, a driving force behind the creation of the Carson Center and a member of the Tabor board of directors.
Also in attendance were Bob Ewert of Mountain Lake, Minn., and sister Phyllis (Ewert) Stucky of Lancaster, Pa.
“Tonight we celebrate the legacy of this little church in Delft, Minnesota,” Merrill Ewert said. “We dedicate the Carson Center here at Tabor College to service in the kingdom, and we commit ourselves to support this college and the center.”
Merrill Ewert said growing up in a mission-minded church and attending a mission-minded college had a profound impact on his life. He spent seven years in Africa working in relief and community development with the Mennonite Brethren Church, Mennonite Central Committee and MAP International.
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Comments
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CHURCH OF GOSPEL WONDERS [KIVU SOCIAL PROVINCE] UVIRA ZONE IN KASENGA AVENUE KIYAYA NO. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO TELEPHONE
P.O.BOX. 15242 KIBUYE KAMPALA UGANDA
Dear Pastor of Church closes; vision lives on By Grant Overstake Tabor College
, Greetigs to you in Jesus Christ o ur Lord and savior.
I hereby humbly apply in the name of Jesus Christ to your esteemed ministry requesting that you allow our church to be joined to yours in doing the work of our Lord.
I oversee a ministry with 15 churches in Kampala and in Congo and 10 dedicated Pastors and a combined membership of 5000 belivers at the time of this writing.The numbers keep growing as our evangelistic drive thrives.We have in our midst 300 Orpharns and170 Widows school no help who our ministry and branches take care of in various ways.
We are based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which i believe is slowly but surely recovering from years of pain and sorrow and the ravages of war. God has stirred me and my fellow ministers up to help millions of our people orphans widows no help whose lives have devastated by these conflicts and to bring hope to the hopeless through the word of God and the ministry of compassion and love in Jesus Chrrist.
I would therefore appreciate you become our partners in ministry and request you to help us morally and in doing the work of the Lord better. I would even appreciate if you can spare us time in your busy schedule to plan and visit our ministry and see firsthand what the Lord is doing to and through us.
Iam grateful for this opportunity to write to you and share our vision and mission. I pray that you will be led of the Lord as you consider our application to you.
Yours in Christ's service, {Philemon 1:21) Senior Pastor ilANGI kibombo Peter ACT MINISTRIES.
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