Pastor Tim Challen has left Virden where he made his home for four years while caring for the Virden Baptist Church congregation and helping out with other facets of the Virden community. But he’s still in Manitoba. Faith Community Baptist Church in Souris now has a new pastor. Challen accepted the call to Souris in early May.
It was a financial decision that forced the move.
Adam Pringle, an elder and chair of the Baptist Church leadership team explains that Challen had been hired as part-time. “We had initially anticipated two years that we could afford to pay Tim a salary with a .8-time role but we were pleased that our finances allowed for four years.”
Challen, a Master of Divinity graduate was a B.C. native. Virden was his first pastoral ministry. He settled into church ministry early in 2019. He reflects on the memorable times with Virden Baptist Church.
“First, there was the Bible Study Seminar we did in Nov 2019, where we brought in Dr. Joshua Coutts from Providence Theological Seminary.”
Along with his congregation, a few outside guests also attended.
Challen said, "I found that to be particularly rewarding, as the full-day format allowed much deeper examination of the Bible than can normally be achieved in a 25-minute sermon.”
A column he wrote for the newspaper in August 2019 reveals Challen’s interest in studying the Bible. He writes, “For sure, it takes effort to read a passage from the Bible and contemplate what it says, how it relates to the rest of the Bible, how it would have been seen in its original historical and social context, and what it means for us today. But this contemplation leads to a deeper understanding of God’s character and of His purposes in the world.”
Pastoring through Covid was new to everyone and Challen termed it the “odd experience of the first lockdown, starting in March 2020." The church’s leadership said Pastor Challen served up weekly sermons online and provided weekly devotional material for the church. "I don’t think that I or anyone in my congregation was actually afraid of catching Covid at that point; the vibe was more about how we could encourage each other as we endured the social dislocation of the lockdown. Looking back now, I would have certainly done some things differently, but overall I think I managed the situation well.”
Challen also highlights relationships that were built.
“I really enjoyed getting to engage with my fellow pastors. I found a lot of value in the meetings of the Virden & District Ministerial Association, and in meetings with other pastors from my denomination, the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada. The CBWC pastors in the Westman Cluster meet once a month, and we share stories and discuss how we can learn and grow as spiritual leaders. These opportunities to meet with other pastors [were] particularly valuable for me as a single man, since I don’t have a spouse to encourage me and keep me on the right track. Those social connections with people who understand what my life and career are focused on can make up for some of that.”
Challen will be missed within the community. Pringle said that he volunteered with the Virden Ministerial, Youth for Christ, Goulter School, Westman Emergency Group, Turtle Mountain Bible Camp and the Virden Music and Arts Festival.
He wrote thought-provoking columns for this newspaper as well, some with military parallels. His interest in Canada’s military began as a youth in B.C. where he was part of the Air Cadets
For Remembrance Day services, Challen worked alongside Rev. Matt Koovisk, Rector for St. Mary’s Anglican Church and Padre for Virden military veterans.
At first, Challen was part of the Canadian military’s Supplementary Reserve until he met all the requirements to be employed as a Chaplain. “I was ordained in June (2022), which was the last requirement I needed to fulfill before I could apply to serve as a Padre. Now I’m finally endorsed as a Padre.” The process took over seven months.
“While I was on the Supplementary Reserve, I couldn’t wear a uniform or participate in any military training. It took longer than I’d thought it would for it to be approved, but now I’m finally transferring back to the Primary Reserve, and have been issued a uniform again.”
Pringle says, “Having Tim for this time was a blessing… we were also glad to play a role in helping him to develop and move on to the next steps in his ministry.”
What now lies ahead for the Virden Baptists? Pringle explains, “Our plan as Virden Baptist Church for the foreseeable future is to continue services with lay leadership. We also anticipate welcoming guest speakers. Our group is relatively small but we feel like we are a part of a larger church family in the Virden area.”
Pringle expresses optimism. He says, “The recent Good Friday service held at Virden Baptist Church, the men’s breakfasts that have been hosted by the Alliance Church, and the multi-denominational initiative to show ‘The Chosen’ series at the movie theatre are examples of the cooperation and fellowship we continue to enjoy with fellow believers in Christ in the community.”
Pringle says the fellowship within the community of faith “gives me hope that no matter what our particular group faces in the future, we can trust God with the journey.”
