Meet Our Team
Pauline Martin
Office Administrator
Pauline Martin has been Office Administrator at SJMC since January 2019. She grew up in this congregation and is enjoying serving the congregation in this way.
Pauline is married to Calvin and they have been attending SJMC together since 1983 and raised their now 3 adult children, Devin, Alisha and Cory in this congregation. They are also thrilled to have 7 grandchildren.
Pauline enjoys camping, hiking, back country road trips, cooking and reading.
Mark Diller Harder
Pastor
Mark began his ministry here at SJMC in August of 2005 and is excited about the vision and ministry of SJMC. Mark brings gifts in preaching, worship planning, pastoral care, community building and administration. Previous to SJMC, Mark served as a pastor at First Mennonite (Kitchener) and as Student and Young Adult Minister for Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC).
Other ministry experience includes music and pastoral ministry at Stirling Ave. Mennonite Church (Kitchener), the Men’s Hostel at House of Friendship (Kitchener)and Voluntary Service at Welcome Inn (Hamilton). Mark completed studies at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, University of Waterloo, and Canadian Mennonite Bible College.
Mark is married to Rachel and they have three young adult children, Micah (and Molly), Lorena (and Hannah) and Nathan. Their family has always enjoyed camping, hiking, canoeing, music and visiting their respective families. Mark sings in Menno Singers and enjoys choral music, hymnology, and piano as well as hockey, baseball, curling, cross country skiing and other sports.
“St Jacobs is a vibrant congregation with a diversity of ages, gifts and experiences, all united by Christ in worship, community, mission and discipleship.”
Janet Bauman
Pastor
Janet joined the pastoral team at SJMC in April 2021, half-time. She grew up in this congregation, and values the many ways she was nurtured and encouraged to develop and share her gifts over the years. She enjoys accompanying people on their journeys of faith, and also offers spiritual direction part-time.
Previously she had a twenty-five year career as a teacher, most of that time at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener, Ont. She studied at Canadian Mennonite Bible College, Conrad Grebel University College and the University of Waterloo.
Janet is married to Trevor and they have two young adult children, Lucas and Leah. Janet enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, and cross-country skiing.
Don Penner
Pastor
Don joined the pastoral team this past September serving halftime on an interim basis. He has 36 years of pastoral experience, having served four congregations: Niagara United Mennonite, Hawkesville Mennonite, Wanner Mennonite, and Shantz Mennonite. His gifts in ministry were first identified and nurtured in the context of working at Silver Lake Mennonite Camp back in his early twenties. Schooling also played a big part too in further developing skills, as well as a passion for scripture. Don is a graduate of Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart Indiana.
In terms of family, Don is married to Kristen (Reusser) who teaches private piano and flute lessons. Together they enjoyed raising three daughters who are now married and parenting their own children. When it comes to life outside church responsibilities, much of their time is spent with the grandchildren, family dog, and going for long walks together.
Don says: “We experience St. Jacobs Mennonite Church to be a body that reflects kindness in all its relationships. There is a deep capacity here to trust God’s faithfulness, and to be open to the new things God is doing!”