For The Record

Submit birth, marriage and obituary records online.

Personal Ads

Meet new friends today!

Advertising

Put your message in front of 19,000 readers.

PDF documents on this site require the free Adobe Reader:

Get Adobe Reader

2009-10-20 issue:

Dorothy Nickel Friesen, WDC conference minister, resigns

by Western District Conference

Print Article

The executive board of Western District Conference has accepted the resignation of its conference minister, Dorothy Nickel Friesen.

Friesen, who joined the conference in 2002, will retire from full-time ministry no later than July 31, 2010, immediately following the next WDC annual meetings in Waxahachie, Texas.

"With Dorothy's incredible gifts of visioning and administration, Western District Conference has expanded its ministry to meet changing and challenging times," said Brenda Glanzer Lilliston, WDC moderator.

"During her tenure, Dorothy led a visioning and strategic planning process that led to a new mission statement, priorities and structure," said Lilliston. "She helped shape a new identity for WDC within a new denomination and led the conference in Vision 2012, a prayer and funding initiative that has raised more than 1 million dollars in extra donations for Camp Mennoscah, the conference resource library and congregational and ministerial leadership."

Upon announcing her intention to retire, Friesen said she was entering a new phase of her life.

"I call it Phase 3,” she said. "Phase 1 was 'preparation'--education, growing up, maturing. Phase 2 was 'vocation'--following God's call in my personal life with marriage, children and professional teaching and pastoring. Phase 3 is 'reflection."

"I have been humbled and challenged by the call to serve as conference minister of WDC. It has been a wonderful match of my skills and the conference's expectations. I am not seeking another full-time position. I am listening and waiting for the concreteness of  'things to do.'"                                                         

Some of the challenges Friesen said she faced as WDC conference minister were "the realities of leading an organization that is over 110 years old; the economic trends in our country and in WDC; the competing loyalties for church members' time, talent and treasure; the lack of spiritual vitality; and the complexities of holding together when we are steeped in individualism."

"Dorothy has shared her many gifts freely with Mennonite Church USA, and the church has been impacted and enriched by her leadership," said Lilliston. "Her passion for the church is contagious. As Dorothy continues to follow God’s leading, we wish her every blessing."

The WDC Executive Board is establishing a search process to fill Friesen's position and hopes to announce search committee members by Nov. 1.