Janessa Giesbrecht is a youth pastor at Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church in Winnipeg and shares about the role of women in the church and why it's important.

International Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. One of those achievements has been seeing women taking leadership roles within the church. Janessa Giesbrecht is one of those leaders, the youth and young adults pastor at Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church (FGMB).

"I've been fortunate to have at least one woman pastor the entire time I've been [at FGMB] over the last 17 years," Giesbrecht said. "That has been a huge gift to me to be able to see a reference point for who I could one day grow up into."

Giesbrecht is passionate about equality, which she says is especially important to talk about while leading the future of the Church (or the present, as she would argue). 

"I think it's important to have both men and women involved in the church because we are all created in the image of God," she continues. "We all contribute our unique self." While that can be connected to our gender, she believes it's more connected to our spiritual gifts.

The problem, she said, is that we could lose out on important gifts and roles if we limit what you can do just to your gender. It's a stereotype she has already broken. It's also a stereotype she continues to speak against with her youth.

"When we limit one part of the body from participating, we lose a significant amount," Giesbrecht said as we finished the interview. "I think God has a vision for his church and it's one that allows us the freedom to live as the people he has made us to be at our core."