Thiessen, William E. (1918-2015)
William E. Thiessen: pastor, missionary, radio preacher; born 23 July 1918 in Greenfarm, Saskatchewan, Canada to Johann Thiessen (16 November 1869, Nikolaithal, Borozenko, South Russia – 6 December 1958, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada) and Margaretha (Enns) Dyck Thiessen (27 July 1878, Georgsthal, Fuerstenland, South Russia – 19 October 1918, Greenfarm, Saskatchewan). William was the only child born to Johann and Margaretha (his father had six adult children from his first marriage and his mother had eight adult children from her first marriage). William was baptized in the Greenfarm Mennonite Brethren Church on 28 July 1935. He married Tiena "Kay" Penner (16 April 1919, Tiege, Zagradovka, South Russia – 26 June 2006, Abbotsford, British Columbia) on 19 October 1940 in Blumenhof, Saskatchewan. William and Tiena had four children: Marilyn, Robert, Herbert and Richard. William died 7 February 2015 in Abbotsford, British Columbia, where he was buried.
William attended Herbert Bible School (1937-1939) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (1945-1947 and 1964). In 1970, while employed as the administrator at the Herbert Nursing Home, he earned a Diploma in Hospital Administration from the University of Saskatchewan. Thiessen was ordained in the Broadway Mennonite Brethren Church in Chilliwack, British Columbia, on 26 April 1959.
William Thiessen was a lifelong servant of the church. For some years, he was a member of the Mennonite Brethren Board of Missions and Services (BOMAS). While serving in the British Columbia Mennonite Brethren Conference leadership, he was one of the founding members of Columbia Bible Camp (now Stillwood Camp and Conference Centre). William pastored several churches, including the Mennonite Brethren churches in Lethbridge (Lakeview) and Linden, Alberta.
From 1949 to 1959, William Thiessen served as the radio speaker for the Gospel Hour, broadcast over station CHWK in Chilliwack, British Columbia. These broadcasts had a wide listening audience, including rebroadcasts in Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska.
William Thiessen was imbued with a missionary zeal. In 1973, the Thiessens accepted a missionary assignment with BOMAS, becoming church planters among Old Colony Mennonites in Nuevo Ideal, Mexico, where they served until 1983, William’s retirement year. After retirement he aligned with Church Partnership Evangelism, based in Boise, Idaho, and Calgary, Alberta. This took him on assignment to Ukraine, Paraguay, India, Philippines, and Fiji.
Bibliography
Thiessen, Herb and Nancy. Interviewed by David Giesbrecht, 10 February 2022.
| Author(s) | David Giesbrecht |
|---|---|
| Date Published | November 2022 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Giesbrecht, David. "Thiessen, William E. (1918-2015)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2022. Web. 25 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Thiessen,_William_E._(1918-2015)&oldid=174323.
APA style
Giesbrecht, David. (November 2022). Thiessen, William E. (1918-2015). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Thiessen,_William_E._(1918-2015)&oldid=174323.
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