About Us
Pastor's Welcome
Altona Mennonite Church is very pleased to welcome Erika Enns Rodine as our full-time pastor as of February 2023. Erika grew up in Altona, Manitoba and returned to the community in 2014 with her family (husband, Josh, and 2 daughters, Freya & Sigga). Prior to AMC, Erika worked as an Associate Minister at First Mennonite Church in Winnipeg for 12 years and was ordained there in 2021.
Erika continues to be active in the local community, including supporting the work of Special Olympics (as a volunteer coach) and Pembina Valley Pride, and is presently a board member of the Altona & Area Family Resource Center and the Neubergthal Heritage Foundation. Erika is also a regular Camp Pastor at Camps with Meaning.
Erika enjoys reading, singing, gardening, cooking soup, baking buns, and watching most sports. She is slowly picking away at a Master's Degree in Theology at CMU, which she finds at least as enjoyable as it is stressful!
History of AMC
Altona Mennonite Church was organized in 1962. It is one of three churches in Altona affiliated with Mennonite Church Manitoba. Altona is a town of 4500 located in southern Manitoba. The town was initially settled predominantly by Mennonites but has recently seen a significant influx of newcomers from countries like Syria, the Philippines, and the Ukraine. The Church was organized to meet the needs of newcomers in the community by holding worship services in the English language. There were 22 charter members. The present membership is 120.
The church is a member of Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church Manitoba. It also supports local and national organizations like Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Collegiate Institute, and the Station.
Past pastors have been: Dr. Frank H. Epp, Rev. Henry V. Friesen, Paul Dyck, Dr. Laurence Klippenstein, Rev. Edward Cornelson, David Regehr, Ray and Marilyn Hamm, Gordon Driedger, and Dan Kehler.
The present pastor is Erika Enns-Rodine.
Statement Regarding Frank Epp
On May 27th, 2021, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) and Mennonite Central Committee Canada (MCC) announced a finding of sexual misconduct against Frank H. Epp (1929-1986) following an investigation by the two organizations.
Epp was the founding Minister at Altona Mennonite Church in 1962 and served in that capacity until 1965. He was an ordained minister who pastored a number of Mennonite congregations, and served in many leadership positions within the Mennonite community in Canada.
This news is very distressing to our congregation, and for the wider Mennonite world. Our hearts go out to the survivor and to the survivor’s family, who have borne the weight of this harm for decades. We commend MCEC and MCC for their commitment to investigate complaints of sexual misconduct. It is our hope that bringing this to light will provide a measure of justice and peace to everyone involved.
We also acknowledge how wrenching this finding will be for the Epp family, and we extend concern and care to them on behalf of the congregation.
Since this misconduct occurred outside of Epp’s time at Altona Mennonite Church, AMC was not a party to the investigation. Although the misconduct did not happen in the context of Epp’s service here, we are concerned about this serious finding against our former Pastor and Founding Leader.
In their respective statements, MCEC and MCC invite anyone with further information to come forward, and each have provided confidential pathways for disclosure.
As participants in Mennonite Church Manitoba we are part of a community of Churches who are committed to being congregations that are free from all forms of sexual harassment, misconduct or violence and ensuring they are safe for everyone.
Unfortunately, the church is not immune, abuse does occur, and the effects can be devastating. When sexual misconduct occurs we take this very seriously. Victims deserve to be heard because the harm must be acknowledged, and if ongoing, stopped. If you have experienced sexual misconduct, we hope to be a community that helps you move beyond the pain to a place of restoration and healing.
On behalf of Altona Mennonite Church,
Rev. Dan Kehler
Moderator Loren Braul
Erika continues to be active in the local community, including supporting the work of Special Olympics (as a volunteer coach) and Pembina Valley Pride, and is presently a board member of the Altona & Area Family Resource Center and the Neubergthal Heritage Foundation. Erika is also a regular Camp Pastor at Camps with Meaning.
Erika enjoys reading, singing, gardening, cooking soup, baking buns, and watching most sports. She is slowly picking away at a Master's Degree in Theology at CMU, which she finds at least as enjoyable as it is stressful!
History of AMC
Altona Mennonite Church was organized in 1962. It is one of three churches in Altona affiliated with Mennonite Church Manitoba. Altona is a town of 4500 located in southern Manitoba. The town was initially settled predominantly by Mennonites but has recently seen a significant influx of newcomers from countries like Syria, the Philippines, and the Ukraine. The Church was organized to meet the needs of newcomers in the community by holding worship services in the English language. There were 22 charter members. The present membership is 120.
The church is a member of Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church Manitoba. It also supports local and national organizations like Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Collegiate Institute, and the Station.
Past pastors have been: Dr. Frank H. Epp, Rev. Henry V. Friesen, Paul Dyck, Dr. Laurence Klippenstein, Rev. Edward Cornelson, David Regehr, Ray and Marilyn Hamm, Gordon Driedger, and Dan Kehler.
The present pastor is Erika Enns-Rodine.
Statement Regarding Frank Epp
On May 27th, 2021, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) and Mennonite Central Committee Canada (MCC) announced a finding of sexual misconduct against Frank H. Epp (1929-1986) following an investigation by the two organizations.
Epp was the founding Minister at Altona Mennonite Church in 1962 and served in that capacity until 1965. He was an ordained minister who pastored a number of Mennonite congregations, and served in many leadership positions within the Mennonite community in Canada.
This news is very distressing to our congregation, and for the wider Mennonite world. Our hearts go out to the survivor and to the survivor’s family, who have borne the weight of this harm for decades. We commend MCEC and MCC for their commitment to investigate complaints of sexual misconduct. It is our hope that bringing this to light will provide a measure of justice and peace to everyone involved.
We also acknowledge how wrenching this finding will be for the Epp family, and we extend concern and care to them on behalf of the congregation.
Since this misconduct occurred outside of Epp’s time at Altona Mennonite Church, AMC was not a party to the investigation. Although the misconduct did not happen in the context of Epp’s service here, we are concerned about this serious finding against our former Pastor and Founding Leader.
In their respective statements, MCEC and MCC invite anyone with further information to come forward, and each have provided confidential pathways for disclosure.
As participants in Mennonite Church Manitoba we are part of a community of Churches who are committed to being congregations that are free from all forms of sexual harassment, misconduct or violence and ensuring they are safe for everyone.
Unfortunately, the church is not immune, abuse does occur, and the effects can be devastating. When sexual misconduct occurs we take this very seriously. Victims deserve to be heard because the harm must be acknowledged, and if ongoing, stopped. If you have experienced sexual misconduct, we hope to be a community that helps you move beyond the pain to a place of restoration and healing.
On behalf of Altona Mennonite Church,
Rev. Dan Kehler
Moderator Loren Braul