Pastor Art’s parents were missionaries in China when the country went to war. They sent their two sons to boarding school. The Japanese took over the boarding school and turned it into a prisoner of war camp. Eric Liddell was also a prisoner and one of their teachers. Art’s parents came back to Canada. Two years later America marines stormed in and freed the prisoners, including Art’s brothers. Art was born in Canada.
After some time Art’s parents felt called to return to the mission field, first to Thailand and then to Indonesia. They put Art and his sister in a boarding school in Three Hills Alberta, much to their dismay.
Meanwhile Henry and Edna Thiessen were planting churches among the Dyak tribal people in Indonesia. There was a period of time when there was a vicious war between the Dyaks and the Chinese with serious slaughter, machetes, and blood. One day about 20 Chinese women, children and babies came seeking refuge at the mission station. Edna hid them in a back room at the risk of her life. If a baby cried while they had Dyak visitors the missionaries would be considered traitors and everyone would be executed. One night a big truck roared up to the house. Edna thought it was the Dyaks, on the warpath, and that they were all dead. Disbelief and then unspeakable relief flooded over her as Art Birch’s father stepped down from the driver’s seat. “I have come to take these people to the city Edna. You can rest easy.” Art’s dad was working with another mission agency that ministered to Chinese people in a big city some distance away.
About forty years later, in 2011, here in the town of Aldergrove, BC, Pastor Art became the pastor of Ross Road Community Church. Uncle Henry and Aunt Edna, sent out from this church many years ago, are still active members. Art met them for the first time, and they compared the stories about how his dad had helped Aunt Edna, many years earlier, halfway around the world.
This is the church where I grew up and where Dad and Mom are still active members. Henry Thiessen is Mom’s older brother. Their parents, my grandparents, were among the founding families of this group. For 64 years this church has been actively working to help people in Aldergrove, BC, Canada and the world. It is thriving still. What an honor to have a heritage like this.
Pastor Art Birch, Ross Road Community Church, Aldergrove, BC
Uncle Henry and Aunt Edna Thiessen
Ross Road Community Church, Good Friday Service, 2012
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.