Heidebrecht, Werner “Vern” Abram (1941-2018)
Werner "Vern" Abram Heidebrecht: pastor, counsellor, and speaker; born 24 February 1941 in Tofield, Alberta, Canada to David D. Heidebrecht (23 Dec 1910, Donskoye, Neu Samara, Russia – 4 May 1976, Abbotsford, British Columbia) and Katharina (Martens) Heidebrecht (14 May 1914, Orekhov, South Russia – 14 Oct 2005, Abbotsford, British Columbia), the second of five children. On 7 September 1962, Vern married Caroline "Carol" Ewert, daughter of Peter F. Ewert (1900–1988) and Anganetha J. (Klassen) Ewert (1904–1994). They had four children: Murray, Robert, David, and Karla. After a 16-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, Vern died on 18 November 2018 at Valhaven Care Home, where he had spent the last four years of his life.
Vern moved to Abbotsford, BC, with his parents in the late 1940s. After graduating from Mennonite Educational Institute, Vern felt the call to Christian ministry and studied at Mennonite Brethren Bible College in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He and Carol began their pastoral ministry at Sawyer Mennonite Brethren Church in the rural community of Sawyer, North Dakota. Here he earned a second BA, in US history. After five years, they moved to Fresno, California, where Vern earned a master's degree from Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary while serving as an associate pastor at Butler Avenue Mennonite Brethren Church. He then served as pastor of Lincoln Glen Mennonite Brethren Church in San Jose, California. There, he oversaw significant church growth and the building of a new church building. He did this while also earning his doctorate from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in San Francisco. He then moved to pastor Neighborhood Church in Visalia, California.
In 1988, Vern returned to British Columbia to pastor Northview Community Church, a church plant in Abbotsford, British Columbia, which under his leadership grew to become the largest evangelical church in Canada, from around 400 to almost 2,000 members, with four services offered. In 2000, the church employed 12 pastors and 35 full-time staff. Over the years, Vern developed his oratory skills, becoming an adept and engaging public speaker. At one point, Vern was preaching up to five sermons a week in addition to weddings, teaching seminars, and leadership conferences.
Vern also maintained an international speaking ministry and was involved with many organizations, including the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. He was offered leadership positions in several denominational and para-church agencies over the years, but never accepted any of them because he saw his gifting primarily as a pastor.
Throughout his pastoral ministry, Vern recognized that pastoral ministry extended beyond the pulpit on Sunday mornings. For Vern, that included assisting farmers at harvest time or substitute teaching in a local high school in North Dakota. In Visalia he served as chaplain to the police department, earning him a police badge.
After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Vern became an advocate for Parkinson's research and support organizations. He continued to serve as Senior Pastor at Northview but resigned from that position in 2003, when he felt that he could no longer keep up with the demands of the job. He then served as Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Prayer and retired around 2012.
During the years when he was coping with his disease, Vern authored three books: Journaling is for Real People; Hearing God’s Voice; and his memoirs, The Best is Yet to Be.
One of the greatest joys of his life was his children and grandchildren.
Vern was an accessible pastor who loved telling his "restaurant stories," places where he met people and naturally shared his faith with them. Certainly, one of Vern’s lasting legacies will be the way in which he dealt with life. He loved teaching the Word, encouraging people, and praying for them. Vern’s encouragement left an indelible mark on the lives of countless individuals.
Bibliography
Coggins, Jim. "Church leader Heidebrecht sums up his ministry." Digital BC Christian News (September 2007).
Heidebrecht, Vern. The Best Is Yet To Be: The Memoirs of Vern Heidebrecht. Abbotsford, BC: Mill Lake Books, 2012.
Interview. Abbotsford News (2005).
Obituary. Abbotsford News (18 November 2018).
| Author(s) | David F Loewen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Loewen, David F. "Heidebrecht, Werner “Vern” Abram (1941-2018)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2021. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Heidebrecht,_Werner_%E2%80%9CVern%E2%80%9D_Abram_(1941-2018)&oldid=172134.
APA style
Loewen, David F. (January 2021). Heidebrecht, Werner “Vern” Abram (1941-2018). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Heidebrecht,_Werner_%E2%80%9CVern%E2%80%9D_Abram_(1941-2018)&oldid=172134.
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