Providence is saying goodbye to three of their faithful board members this fall. Lorn Bergstresser from Morris, MB has served on the Board for 24 years; Harold Barg from Lorette, MB has served for 10 years; and Janine Parkinson, also from Morris, MB, has served for four years.
“The influence of these three members over the last number of years has been crucial to the success of Providence. We thank them for their sacrificial service to our student-centred and Christ-centred mission on behalf of the church and the world. We pray God’s richest blessing on them and are happy that they will stay connected in various ways with Providence,” remarked President David Johnson.
The Providence Board of Governors is responsible for the school’s stewardship, purpose, viability, vitality and integrity. The members of the Board are committed to advancing Providence’s mission and vision. Members serve four-year terms, and Providence has recently welcomed three new board members and alumni – Mark Kelm, Sheldon Loeppky and James Zelinski.
Mark Kelm from Winnipeg, MB attends Grant Memorial Baptist Church and serves on their elders’ board. He works as the Senior Chaplain at Union Gospel Mission (UGM). He leads the chaplaincy department in providing spiritual care to the poor and homeless in downtown Winnipeg, as well as oversees the UGM’s men’s addiction recovery program. He is married to Youngran Lee and they have two daughters – Hannah, 10 years old, and Sarah who is seven.
Sheldon Loeppky from Langley, BC attends Fraser Point Church and works as the Director of Operations at Elim Village / Elim Housing Society, a Christian retirement community in Surrey and Garrison Crossing. He is married to Monica and they have two boys. Their names are Evan, who’s 12 years old, and Bennett, 10. Sheldon and his wife enjoy serving in their local church and the Langley community. They’re involved in their boys’ school and coaching/managing their baseball teams.
James Zelinski from Pitt Meadows, BC attends Maple Ridge Baptist Church and works as the Chief Administrative Officer of Pitt Meadows Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Ltd. He also served in the Navy for six years, in ministry as a pastor for 10 years and in the business world for 15 years. He and his wife Diane have been happily married for 28 years. James has a black belt in Shotokan Karate and has competed in triathlons.
