By Jon Zirkle
Mennonite Men has a long history of carrying out its mission and ministry in Canada and the US, as well as having board members and leadership from both countries. Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) is also a binational organization and has Canadian faculty and staff members as well as those based in the United States. One such Canadian staff member at AMBS is Yoel Masyawong who serves as Development Associate for Canada. Yoel also is a pastor in Ontario, the Regional Minister for Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC), a husband, and a father.
I have had the pleasure to meet with Yoel recently to get to know him as a fellow brother in Christ and learn about his ministry as well as his life in Canada. In talking with him I learned that he and diverse group of other Canadian pastors recently embarked on a five-day wilderness canoe trip together. I wanted to learn more.
What Yoel shared was profound. A number of the men present on the trip were from urban settings, some of them leaders of immigrant congregations. I asked Yoel what felt special about this experience.
“The special thing about having men from diverse cultural backgrounds together was that we shared life in a very simple and meaningful way as men. There was a kind of common, unspoken men’s culture that connected us, something that could not be defined by our job titles, economic backgrounds, or different life experiences. We had one another’s backs, helped one another, and listened to one another. If someone could not paddle, someone else would paddle for him. If someone could not portage, another person would step in and help. One person could look for firewood while another started the fire. We learned to depend on each other.
In hearing Yoel bear witness to this story, I sensed the living Christ and asked Yoel where he sensed Christ showing up in the experience:
“One of the ways I believe Christ showed up was in the way we cared for one another. The most important thing I learned from the wilderness experience is that Christian community is not about everyone being the same. It is about learning how to live together as one body of Christ while bringing our own stories, cultures, and gifts. It was not only about conversations about faith, but also about the relationships we built with one another through sharing life together.”
I hope this trip inspires others in the US and throughout Canada to break bread and explore God’s creation together, including in groups that are comprised of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, men from rural and urban settings, and men of different ages. Click here If you would like to read the piece Yoel wrote for Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. You can also read more about Yoel on the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary website and learn about the intercultural worship gathering and potluck he is promoting and helping lead October 2026 in Kitchner, Ontario.
Please reach out if your men’s group, congregation, conference, or friend circle wants support or ideas from Mennonite Men regarding experiences that join men together. In the mean time, you are in our prayers and please pray for Yoel in his work and ministry as a follower of Jesus for God’s shalom.