In the kitchen of the historic Heintzman House in Toronto, a group of women garbed in pioneer clothing were hard at work on final meal preparations for over 80 people. Guests entered through the beautiful front doors and found their seats at elegantly decorated tables. What was the occasion? A fundraiser dinner for Village Missions organized by the Toronto Central Christian Women’s Club, supporting rural church ministry in Canada.
A Faithful Partner in Supporting Rural Church Ministry in Canada
Toronto Central Christian Women’s Club (CWC) was formed in 1966 and has been a ministry partner of Village Missions ever since. That represents many women who gave generously, prayed faithfully, and spent countless hours organizing fundraisers for Village Missions. We can’t tell you about all these women, but we can introduce you to one of the club’s founding members: Ethel Wright.
Ethel is an energetic woman, a talented musician, a generous hostess, and a dynamic leader. She is committed to Jesus Christ and to her local church. She’s also passionate about missions and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ wherever she sees an open door (or knocking until the door opens!).
Ethel joined and led short-term mission teams from her church to an impressive number of countries including the Philippines, Colombia, Taiwan, and Cuba. Even at the age of 97, she led a team to Antigua for ministry to children! But Ethel didn’t overlook the need in her own country. She worked tirelessly supporting rural church ministry in Canada through Village Missions.
A Driving Force in Support of Village Missions
Barbara Mendes, co-chair of the Toronto CWC, said that Ethel was the driving force in their support of Village Missions.
Ethel always spoke about VM at Christian Women’s Club luncheons. “People in these remote areas need a pastor and a place to gather to hear God’s Word,” she often said.
Every month, she phoned a VM couple, interviewed them, and shared their stories and prayer requests with the CWC women. She created prayer favors with the missionary couple’s names on them.
She often invited Village Missionaries to come to CWC events as well.
District Representatives Bill and Lorna Powell[1] first met Ethel at a VM fundraiser dinner in Toronto in 1998. Their admiration for her grew as they worked closely with her over the following years. They assisted her by arranging for Village Missionaries to attend the CWC fundraisers.
Lorna said, “Ethel is dedicated to the Village Missionaries and to making sure people meet them and hear their stories. She’s also dedicated to winning the lost.”
At Ethel’s invitation, Lorna was the featured speaker at many CWC luncheons in Toronto and other cities. She shared her story of freedom from the past – including childhood abuse – and hope for the future. Ethel wanted many women to hear about the freedom Lorna experienced through Jesus Christ.
[1] Bill and Lorna Powell, now retired, were District Representatives from 1997-2015.
Memorable Fundraisers
In addition to the regular CWC luncheons, Ethel organized many elaborate fundraisers for VM. The first one was a “Strawberry Festival” in her large backyard.
Barbara attended with some personal guests. “When we arrived, we saw a sea of beauty. Ethel had clearly spent hours on it. She set up tables and decorated them for an elegant tea that included strawberries, cakes, sandwiches, cookies, and chocolates.” A representative from Village Missions spoke, and Ethel encouraged all the guests to donate to this important ministry.
In the following years, she came up with many memorable event themes, such as Pioneer Days and a Victorian High Tea.
Long-time CWC member Dianne Stouffer described Ethel as a woman of initiative, creativity, and determination. Dianne said, “She’s a steamroller, and she won’t accept ‘no’ for an answer.” She gave the women on the Toronto CWC committee all kinds of tasks for the cause of Village Missions, from transporting a car full of hot roast chickens to negotiating with caterers and dressing in themed costumes. Ethel worked as hard as any of them. She located venues, bought supplies at wholesale stores, and found musicians.
In 2025, Ethel helped organize another fundraiser dinner even though she was recovering from a stroke. VM District Representatives Wayne and Joy Deneault attended with a missionary couple from their district. Wayne said, “Ethel is tenacious! She and her team of CWC women worked so hard on these events.”
For several years, Ethel also helped the VM board with their annual fundraisers in Toronto. She invited her friends as well as many contacts through several Christian Women’s Clubs in the area.
A Voice for Village Missions
At a CWC Fall Fair, people milled around the room, chatting and perusing tables of gift baskets, donated books, and other items. Ethel moved among them, persuading as many as possible to buy raffle tickets. The prize? A doll, stuffed animal, piece of décor, or clothing accessory she had selected from her own large collection. All raffle proceeds would go to Village Missions.
“Ethel would look for any way to raise money for Village Missions!” Barbara said.
But she did far more than that. She was a voice for Village Missions. She raised awareness of the need for missionary pastors, supporting rural church ministry in Canada and the communities they serve. She emphasized the value of what Village Missions does. And she rallied prayer warriors for Village Missionaries and the churches they serve.
Would you like to be a voice for Village Missions of Canada? You could do something as simple as giving a friend a copy of Country Matters magazine or sharing this article with a friend. If you'd like to be involved in a bigger way, contact us to chat about what a gathering of friends or a fundraising event could look like.
