Oyen Ministerial continues decades of community support
The Oyen Ministerial Association has been active in Oyen since the 1980s. Its purpose is to bring together churches in Oyen for the common cause of showing the love of Jesus to our community. The Ministerial does this through works of charity and education.
This purpose has been expressed in different ways over the years.
Women’s Day of Prayer, March 16 at Oyen Lodge: From left, Father Rodell Abanto, Rev. Brad Broadhead, Rev. Catherine Holland, Rev. Johnny Rhoad. Missing from the photo is Bonnie Burke. PHOTO BY DIANA WALKER
To meet physical needs in our community, the Ministerial started the Oyen Food Bank. Roger Kett (Oyen United Church) was instrumental in spearheading this initiative. At its beginning, the Food Bank provided only emergency supplies and sent out Christmas hampers, a tradition that the now independent Oyen Food Bank continues to this day.
The Oyen Thrift Store likewise started under the auspices of the Ministerial, providing affordable clothing and other items.
The Ministerial can quickly disburse funds to individuals and families in need. Over the years, it has helped in the aftermath of fires, with broken roofs, furnaces quitting in winter, and even an automobile repair, repaid in full by a grateful driver. At one time, the Ministerial stepped in to provide needed funding to FCSS, which has since found stable funding. When transients were more common in Oyen, the Ministerial helped them on their way, and it continues to step in where people have fallen through the cracks.
The Ministerial also educates our community about biblical stories in our Western tradition. In 2008, Andrea Shields approached the Ministerial with the idea of Night in Bethlehem, which celebrated its 10th iteration last year. Participants experienced a tactile version of the story of Jesus’ birth, with live animals, shepherds, soldiers, and even a tax collector and a beggar. The money raised by these later unsavoury characters went to the Food Bank.
In community events involving civic and religious holidays, members of the Ministerial have provided prayers, Scripture readings and ecumenical services. This is especially notable on Remembrance Day and the Tree of Remembrance.
Recently, some of the churches in Oyen have gathered for ecumenical Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services. On April 4 at 11 a.m., they are hosting an ecumenical Stations of the Cross, starting at the Roman Catholic Church. Services and carolers from different churches have sung for shoppers in December. Members of the Lodge and Extended Care are provided with several services each month on location. Not long ago, on March 16, the Ministerial hosted the World Day of Prayer. Historically, the Ministerial has also held prayer services in times of drought, and Donna Neufeld recalls ecumenical renewal services in the ’80s.
Funding for the Ministerial presently comes from voluntary donations taken during services at the Lodge and from organizations such as the Acadia Valley Community Club and the Big Country Agricultural Society. Another source is interest from GICs. The Ministerial is grateful for all the organizations and individuals who have entrusted it with funds to benefit our community.
Whether or not you share the Christian beliefs and values of the Ministerial, we trust you can appreciate how people of faith have banded together to aid the needy in our community. If you find yourself in a time of need, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
On behalf of the Oyen Ministerial Association,
Pastor Brad Broadhead