Wife: Carolyn Dyck (nee Moody)
Children: Melissa Harder (Don), Melody Peters (Ray) and Marianne Scruggs (Mark)
Step-daughters: Jessica and Mikaela Cheng
Grandchildren: Joel and Joshua Harder, Mark and Kyla Peters, and Tobias Scruggs
Sisters: Marina Lepp (Henry), Alma Zieger (Lee), and Grace MacDougall (Doug)
Predeceased: son Michael Dyck, sisters: Anita Agnew, Reta Hviid-Nielsen, parents: Isaac and Annie Dyck
Born September 30, 1946 - Ernie was the fifth of six children, squeezed between Marina, Anita, Rita, Alma, Ernie then Grace. As the only son, he was cute and mischievous and forever exploring things, wanting to understand his world and how it worked. Ernie was a farm boy, living in a tiny farmhouse without electricity, working long hard hours with his cherished father on the farm, learning how to improvise and how to use every resource possible to be innovative.
At the age of 10 Ernie gave his heart to the Lord but it wasn't until going to Briarcrest Bible Institute in 1968 that he had a forever dramatic change of heart where he committed to 'go anywhere and do anything for the Lord'.
Academics didn't come easily for Ernie, but playing jokes and building comradary certainly did. But his evangelistic heart was the core of Ernie and while at Briarcrest, Ernie and a teammate planted a church in the town of Lanigan, which is still thriving to this day.
That was when Ernie released his dream of being a farmer like his father, and instead went from Briarcrest Bible Institute to Trinity College in the USA, completing his Masters of Divinity at the Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina in 1972.
So began a life of ministry and utter commitment to evangelize, and to mentor, and to disciple people in their walk with the Lord. Ernie was lifestyle evangelism, not preaching but choosing to show God's love in practical, energetic, selfless and generous ways.
His first pastorate was Hillsdale Baptist Church in Regina for 8 years while simultaneously running his own painting and decorating business of 15 men using it as a tool to witness to his painters. He was then Pastor of Outreach and Evangelism at Calvary Church in Toronto for 10 years, and finally Associate Pastor at Crossroads Community Church in Calgary for 5 years.
Ernie may have left the pastorate after 23 years but his passion for people never stopped. He went on to be a consultant to AGC churches, then Canadian Director of World Team Missions, and rounding out his passion for helping people as an Accredited Mortgage Professional with Dominion Lending Centres.
One of Ernie's greatest skills was working with his hands and figuring how to fix things even if he didn't know how. He built his first home from scratch in Regina, and he did a major renovation of another in Toronto. Every home he owned he finished the basement, built decking, renovated the kitchen, or painted rooms. And as if his own home wasn't enough, Ernie regularly helped neighbours, and friends, and his daughters to paint and renovate their homes.
But there was a passion inside Ernie that surfaced again and again. That was his heart for missions. While in Bible College Ernie joined a mission team for the summer of 1968 in Trinidad. His crowning accomplishment was during a door-to-door campaign that he lead the Minister of External Affairs to Christ.
Later in 1975 Ernie joined Elmer Burnett for 3 weeks of evangelistic crusades in India where he shared the joy of preaching to those who walked miles to hear the 4 North American preachers. Thousands would come to hear them speak, and for the first time ever, Ernie was used by the Lord to physically heal some who came, and many committed their lives to Jesus.
Then in the summer 2003 Ernie and Joan went to Zambia with the organizaton MATE where he dedicated his mornings to teaching and equipping young itinerant pastors to go out into their world. Ernie loved building into the lives of others and making a difference. He loved to take his vibrant, practical faith and live it out with submission and joy.
Ernie's last mission experience was the summer of 2007 where he and new his wife Carolyn and his step-daughters were able to share building a medical clinic and second floor to a school in the Dominican Republic. Together as a family they had the joy of making a difference in the world.
Ernie was not just an equipper and an entrepreneur, but first and foremost he was a dad. Perhaps his family suffered from his devotion of caring for others, but his heart was always committed to loving his children. Melissa, Melody and Marianne - playing games, celebrating holidays, and providing incredible adventures to share together ... all because of Ernie's unquenchable zest for life.
And then there were his sons-in-law whom Ernie loved as his own. Don Harder, Ray Peters and Mark Scruggs all made Ernie proud with their commitment to the Lord and to striving to be the best they could be for their families.
But Ernie's special joy was his grandchildren. Joel & Josh Harder, Mark and little Kyla Peters, and Tobias Scruggs all had their own special way of unleashing the forever youthful spirit of Ernie. Being silly, reading stories, hugging, wrestling - Ernie had seemingly inexhaustible energy to play with his cherished grandchildren. For Ernie it was all about giving them experiences, building into their lives, teaching them new things, and embracing every opportunity to show them how much he loved them.
Then in 2006 and perhaps in a moment of insanity, Ernie blended his family with two more teenagers - Jessica and Mikaela Cheng, when he married Carolyn. And they too got to know and love the multifaceted Ernie. Whether mini-vacations, or road trips to New York, or just celebrating every milestone achievement - Ernie loved them, and wanted to impact their lives too.
So what are your memories of Ernie? A man who was always there to help. A man who inspired and encouraged. A man who taught by his life example. Perhaps it's the sports fanatic, or the muscle-car lover. We were all affected by his face wrinkling laugh, and felt his love when his arms wrapped around us in a hug.
Ernie was a man of courage who never let his circumstances pull him down. He was a man who knew the unshakable love of his Heavenly Father, and drank in that love on a daily basis. Ernie Donald Dyck was an incredible man, and we will all love him until the end of time.
