Women's Missionary Soceity

Call of the Cariboo

From May 14 to 24, eight members of the WMS toured the northern interior of British Columbia, visiting much of the area served by the Cariboo Presbyterian Minisrty. Sometimes they travelled by truck and sometimes by rental car. Sometimes they were escorted and sometimes they were directed. They went from homes to community buildings and from cafes to camps to meet their guides. These women covered many miles, worshipped in many places, and experienced a part of the reality of a mission and ministry that covers alost one fifth of the province.

The first stop on the tour was the Nazko community, 100 km west of the town Quesnel, where Jon Wyminga and Shannon Bell-Wyminga work. The Nazko and Area Dakelh Outreach has grown out of the Cariboo Presbyterian Church. The Dakelh First Nation territory is in the north-eastern part of the area covered by the Cariboo ministry -an important ministry being carried out in a regino that has been hard hit by the most recent downturn in the economy. The continuing struggle of cattle ranchers to make ends meet, and the ongoing crises of addictions, poverty, and despair among many First Nations have been long standing challenges for these communities. Added to these problems, the travellers saw extensive evidence of the devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle. The destruction of the forest areas was clearly visible, and heartbreaking to see. The effects on the local economies are more difficult to behold, but equally devastating. Mission staff shared many stories of the hardships being experienced in these communities because of this infestation.

The primary focus of their work is reaching out to the Southern Carrier and other First Nations people. It seeks to be Christ-centred, Biblically-based, rooted in prayer, culturally honouring, and socially transforming. The Ministry happens through house churches with First Nations style worship, an after-school Bible Class for elementary school children, a Teen Girls' Talking Circle, pastoral visiting and community involvement. The group had the chance to experience worship with the home churches and the Bible class there. They also visited the local cemetary, and heard too many stories of tragic endings of young lives.

After four days in the Nazko area, the group moved on to McLeese Lake, whtere they were met by David and Linda Webber to share in the inspirational Tuesday evening house-church service that included about 40 participants.

The next day, the travellers continued north to Lac La Hache, where they met up with Charles MacNeil, the fourth member of the Cariboo team, at the Red Crow Cafe. They visited the former United Church building which now provides office space and a place to hold the Galilean Coffee House, a once-a-month get-together where the Gospel is shared in another different setting. The Coffee House has become a central gathering place for people to relax and enjoy fellowship. Unfortunately, the timing of the tour didn't coincide with a Coffee House event. The group was able to return for the Sunday morning worship service that Charles led at this church.

Saturday evening at Red Willow Ranch in Williams Lake gave the tour group an opportunity to hear the stories of some of the other leaders in the Cariboo Ministry. Ginny Alexander is a designated lay missionary who serves the Cariboo community in many ways. A talented musician, she often accompanies and leads the singing in worship services. She also shares in a ministry of music in the larger community, through her teaching and her work with the Cedar Crest Community Living Association in 100 Mile House. Ginny and her husband had been members of the Free Church. When those srvices were discontinued, the Alexanders found their way tot he Red Willow House Church, met leader David Webber, and eventually discerned a call to leadership within the community.

Bruce Wilcox is another lay missionary in the community. He was drawn into the House Church by the informal, interactive services. Bruce has a 'day job' at a sawmill, but his ministry is focused at a local Senior Citizens' graduated care facility. His wife volunteers at two other nursing homes. Both of them have been able to connect families of residents at these facilities to the supportive communities of the House Churches.

Elaine Adams is a retired teacher who develops and delivers the Kids' Space Program. Children aged give through 15 gather for Bible study, crafts, games, and dinner. The program also offers support to the parents of the children. The younger children meet on two Fridays per month, and children in Grade 5 and up meet once a month. There are 47 children registered in this program, and there can be 25 to 30 attending at any given session. Other volunteers, including Elaine's husband Bill, offer support in the Teens' Space program and supervise teens who are selected to help with the program for the younger children.

David Webber has been working with the Cariboo Ministry for 21 years, facilitating Christian community and reaching out in a region where there are no other churches active. "Mission is where the church is not" he says. The culture of each house church is different -they began differently and they evolved differently. What is constant is a focus on Jesus, praise, worship, scripture study, and gathering around the sacraments.

The vision for this Ministry started with David and Linda Webber. It was the 1980s, while David was in his first charge, that they began to pray and dream about taking ministry to remote communities and practising 'church' in non-traditional ways. Drawing on customs in the first century, where rural families and neighbours gathered to worship in homes, rather than in worship centres, they developed the concept of building a faith community through house churches. The Webbers felt that this vision was a call to remote rural areas to build God's community in family homes.

While ministering in their first parish, Dave and Linda waited and held right to their passion and vision, wondering and watching to see what God was going to do. The CaribooChilcoltin region was identified as a place with few churches and strong need. A proposal was written and submitted to the National Church. The response was, "It's an exciting idea, but there's no money." Undaunted, the Webbers took the proposal to the presbytery responsible for the Cariboo-Chilcoltin; the folks there recognized it is a caling of God, and approached the Synod of BC for support. The synod approved the proposal, but still, there were no funds. The Webbers did get permission to approach congregations for support. Within six months, they had collected enough money to cover the expenses of the Ministry for six months. Since then, support has grown to the extent that there is now funding for four clergy stipends, and an honorarium and travel expenses for the two lay missionaries. Currently, funding for the ministry comes approximately one-third from Canada Ministries of the PCC, one-third from congregations and other donors, and one-third through offerings and fundraising within the local Ministry.

The Cariboo is a naturally beautiful area. The Cariboo Ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Canada is an innovative and faithful witness to the power of the One who created it. Bringing faith, healing, and hope to the people of the region, the Cariboo Presbyterian Ministry is an important part of our Church's work. By providing the opportunity to meet the people who facilitate this ministry, and to experience some of the ministry first hand, the WMS has made an important contribution to this Ministry.