When they got the call to go to the remote Cariboo-Chilcotin region of British Columbia, they hesitated. Rev. Shannon Bell-Wyminga and her husband Rev. Jon Wyminga had always thought they were destined for ministry in the inner city. Instead, they got dense bush, deep snow and long drives between house churches.
But once they began working with the Cariboo House Church Mission, it didn't take long to get attached. And after moving there in 1994, they felt the call growing stronger to focus their work on native people.
“Our hearts were pulled to that community,” said Bell-Wyminga. “We went and we fell in love. We got to know the people and they captured our hearts.”
The ministry was begun by Rev. David and Linda Webber in 1989, based out of Lac La Hache, B.C. It was to be the only Presbyterian presence within its bounds, which covers 87,000 square kilometres. Soon a vacation Bible school began on a reserve, and later a house church was planted. When Bell-Wyminga arrived, she started a crafts and prayer program with the women on the reserve, and once she got to know the moms, she was hooked.
The desire to be part of the community led the husband-and-wife team to move within a stone's throw of the Nazko First Nations Reserve, where their ministry is focused on the Southern Carrier people.
“This is a ministry of presence, of being the incarnation of Christ among the people here. Everybody knows each other. This place has become our home and these people have become our family.”
A new vision statement for the next five years is the first time the mission has recognized a specific native focus. Rev. Charles McNeil, who joined the team in 2003, concentrates on more traditional community ministry in Lac La Hache, and the Webbers maintain their commitment to building house churches in remote areas.
“The reason for house churches is that we're in areas where there aren't enough people to warrant a building,” said Bell-Wyminga. “We gather regardless of background or faith. We create a worshipping body within the community, and then build the community around that. It's very intimate.”
At a typical house church, the congregation usually sits in a circle, uses a unique, personalized song book, and follows a more experiential format than typical Presbyterian worship. The feeling is laid back and participatory, and questions are encouraged.
“It's constantly changing,” said Bell-Wyminga, “because as new people come in, they add their own flavour.”
