January 5thMCEC Appoints Wendy Janzen as MCEC Eco-Minister
Providing a Faith Response to Issues of Climate Change and Environmental Impact
“I long for us to reawaken our call to faith that invites us into a relationship with God and with creation,” says Wendy Janzen. “Our faith speaks into how we live and how we relate to the world.”
MCEC is pleased to announce the appointment of Wendy Janzen as MCEC’s Eco-Minister, a new quarter-time position. She will be working closely with both the leadership and the mission portfolios within MCEC. “As a church we are aware now more than ever of the necessity for a faith response to issues of climate change and environmental impact,” says Norm Dyck, Mission Minister. This vision, emerging from years of increasing conversation, seeks to empower congregations in their worship and witness with their communities engaging in the important work of caring for God’s creation.
"My prayer is that we can work collectively to expand our understanding and experience of God in a way that transforms how we live and how we view the world.” - Wendy Janzen
An ordained minister, Wendy leads Burning Bush Forest Church, an expression of church within MCEC of a worshiping group of individuals who have found themselves longing for connection with God in the natural world. “I have been working as a pastor at Burning Bush Forest Church for the past five years,” she says. “During that time I have experienced an up-swell of interest and curiosity across MCEC about what it means to connect what we're doing as a Church, with the whole question of how we relate to our environment in this huge looming environmental crisis.”
“Wendy is a leading voice in the Wild Church movement and has already been a resource to many pastors and congregations across denominations seeking to respond locally to climate change and environmental sustainability,” says Marilyn Rudy-Froese, Church Leadership Minister.
“We can become overwhelmed by the global environmental crisis,” Wendy continues, “but if every congregation was aware of one particular place in their local environment where they could be involved, what an impact that could make! My prayer is that we can work collectively to expand our understanding and experience of God in a way that transforms how we live and how we view the world.”
Wendy began her ministry with MCEC on January 1, 2022 and is available to preach or consult with congregations about engaging in restorative relationships with God’s creation in their local watershed. Wendy lives with her family, Chip, Kai and Levi in Kitchener, ON and worships with Burning Bush Forest Church. You can reach her at wjanzen@mcec.ca.