Release Date: November 19th, 2025Quiet Nudges to Audible Call, Thomas Reimer's Path to Ministry
Being called by God for me was a mix of little nudges and then big, wide openings,” says Thomas Reimer, pastor at Rockway Mennonite Church.
Thomas, who grew-up at Rockway, began to participate in worship services as a youth by preparing and sharing prayers. “I’ve always enjoyed participating in worship. I like the creativity and thought involved,” he says. People in the congregation took notice and encouraged him.
Later, Thomas pursued studies in philosophy. “Throughout my studies I was thinking a lot about religious language—wondering what it really means to say, ‘I believe this’ or ‘I believe that.’ Doctrinal statements about divinity felt complicated, especially since I didn’t feel I had a direct experience of what they pointed to.”
"For the first time, I realized not only could I do this work, but I found it fulfilling. Even though I still wrestled with doctrine and belief, I found that serving others and creating worship together felt right.”
Graduate studies took him to Toronto for a PhD, which he eventually paused when he and his wife moved to Winnipeg for her medical residency. “My PhD was floundering, so I paused it and stayed home with our kids,” he recalls. “I’d been in school my whole life. I needed to do something different.” Thomas then worked as a carpenter for five years.
When his family returned to Ontario, he reengaged with church. Someone invited him to join the worship committee, and a year later, when the chair stepped down, he accepted that role. He laughs, “I was naive enough not to know what it would involve, so I just said, ‘Okay, I’ll try it.’”
Then the pandemic arrived. “It was a very intense time—we were basically reinventing worship. For the first time, I realized not only could I do this work, but I found it fulfilling. Even though I still wrestled with doctrine and belief, I found that serving others and creating worship together felt right.”
Thomas returned to school to pursue a new PhD in theology at the Toronto School of Theology. “While studying philosophy, I had encountered a 9th century Irish philosopher named Eriugena and in my new PhD I became focused on his writings and the mystical tradition of which he was a part,” Thomas explains. Immersing himself in this tradition changed something. “Suddenly, the language of theology touched something deeper in me. My faith became alive in a new way.”
“My call wasn’t just an inner feeling—it was something confirmed through the voices of my community”
Through his work on the worship committee, Thomas’ church work began to transform. As he led prayers, preached and collaborated on services, he discovered how rewarding it was to serve. Around this time, Rockway’s long-term pastor announced that he would finish his ministry in two years. Thomas began working closely with him and others to imagine the congregation’s future.
Even before that announcement, people had occasionally asked Thomas, “Have you ever thought about ministry?” Initially, he brushed it off, focused on his academic path. But as the pastor’s departure approached, the questions grew more frequent. “I began to sense that this was different—this was not just my own idea but something rising out of conversations with people I trusted and cared about,” he says.
Eventually, Thomas put his name forward for the interim pastor role. “My call wasn’t just an inner feeling—it was something confirmed through the voices of my community,” he explains. “When those conversations, personal giftings and life circumstances come together, it really feels like an audible call— undeniably audible.”
Now serving as pastor at Rockway, Thomas continues to nurture the community who shaped him. “I’m quite certain this path wouldn’t have happened without Rockway Mennonite Church. Being formed here planted seeds within me, and kept them growing,” he says. “People noticed things early in my life—like a prayer I led—and connected that with a possible path to ministry. It’s my hope that people keep seeing and speaking those possibilities into each other’s lives.”