Erhard Schneider
In the late 1970s, Pastor Erhard Schneider provided pastoral leadership in both Pitt Meadows and Vancouver. He played a key role in stabilizing and supporting the young Maple Ridge congregation.
A Pastor Bridging Maple Ridge and Vancouver
Pastor Erhard W. Schneider played a key role in the later formative years of both St. Mark’s Vancouver and its daughter congregation in Pitt Meadows (later Maple Ridge). After Pastor Gnauck’s retirement, Schneider together with Pastor Daniel Neumann alternated preaching duties in Pitt Meadows while also supporting the main congregation in Vancouver.
Serving in Vancouver from 1975 to 1982, his ministry was marked by strong commitment and energy. He strengthened congregational structures, oversaw the building of the new parsonage (1975–1976), and invested deeply in pastoral care. Youth ministry, confirmation camps, and the introduction of regular English services in 1975 were among the hallmarks of his time.
At his suggestion in 1981, contact was established with Pastor Johannes Rattel, who later became the first full-time pastor in Pitt Meadows. Schneider thus served as an important transitional figure, contributing not only spiritually but also organizationally to the consolidation of both congregations.
His fundamentalist view on some theological issues was not appreciated by everyone within the parish and triggered some serious debates and even fighting among the members of St. Mark’s.
In 1982, Pastor Schneider accepted a call to mission work in Indonesia. Despite some controversies, he is remembered as a pastor who, with humor, energy, and spiritual depth, helped shape a crucial transitional period in the life of St. Mark’s.