Emmanuel is led by an elected Church Council. The Church Council is responsible for hiring staff — including the pastor and office administrator; maintaining the church building and property; planning regular and special worship, events and activities, and educational opportunities; and reaching out to the neighbourhoods in fellowship and ministry.

Our council members are in general a pretty approachable lot. Here’s a quick introduction to some of them. They can generally be found at Sunday worship, and will be delighted to meet you and answer your questions.

Paul Keen – Chair

Omar Said – Vice Chair

 

Omar started on Church Council as Director of Education, overseeing the development of our innovative Montessori “Sunday Stories” curriculum. His two sons Alex and Nicholas were among the first children to enjoy the Story Room. He then stepped up as Vice Chair, and is letting his name stand for Council Chair when Bob steps down.

Betty Pollock – Treasurer

Betty has been walking with Christ all of her life: growing up on the farm in a Christian family, and being baptized at age 8 when her family moved to a community with a church close enough for them to attend. She’s been at Emmanuel since she started dating her husband Mark, whose family has been part of Emmanuel since the very beginning. Besides Treasurer, Betty has been a Sunday-school teacher, Council Secretary, office administrator, and director of Education. She is presently one of our Storytellers, and guides our three-to-ten-year-olds in the Story Room where they interact directly with the stories of Scripture.

Outside of church, Betty’s life is full: she and Mark are still farming, she has fifteen grandchildren, and she works with West Jet as a customer service agent.

Rob Wilkinson – Secretary

Robert Madsen – Director of Worship

Pamela Mclean – Director of Fellowship

Shelley Bacheldor – Director of Education

Cheryl-Ann Holtz – Director of Faith and Witness

Beth McDougall – Director of Youth

John King – Director of Social Ministry

Christina Arriagada-Said – Office Administrator

Bob Schimpf – Past Chair

Bob is one of those guys who is just a little larger than life. From rattling around the world in the merchant marine to dying his hair in black and white stripes on a dare from one of our youth to celebrate thier sky-dive together, nothing he has done or does comes as a surprise to us any more. He’s been sitting in the Chair since 2016 — that’s the maximum six years allowed to a chair, plus a couple years of hiatus while the world dealt with a pandemic. He’ll step down at the February 2024 AGM, and then we’ll all just have to watch to see what crazy thing he takes on next!

 

 

The church council acts according to our bylaws as established under Alberta’s Religious Societies’ Land Act. Council acts on behalf of all church members.