Magnus presented with Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Medal

It’s a good thing Paul Magnus opened his mail.

Briercrest’s president emeritus recently received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Medal representing his service to the Saskatoon-Humboldt constituency. When he received the congratulatory letter from MP Brad Trost, Magnus thought by the looks of the envelope that it was just a fundraising letter.

“The letter actually came to my office mailbox,” Magnus exclaimed. “It looked like a fundraiser, so I put it on my desk and left it there for probably a few days. Finally I decided I should open it and I found that letter. It was a complete surprise.”

The award surprised Magnus for two reasons.

“I don’t usually hang out in the political world much,” he explained. “That’s not where I put my time. Secondly, it’s really not in my home territory. This is Saskatoon-Humboldt – so I was very surprised. It is not usual for the recipients to be selected from outside the context where they reside but they claimed it was fitting for me since I am in many settings.”

Briercrest president Dwayne Uglem applauded the selection of Magnus for the award.

“The list of communities where he has offered service fitting of such acknowledgement is really quite remarkable,” he said. “To be sure, it includes Caronport, Saskatoon, Luseland, Regina, Burlington, Toronto and Edmonton, but really it is beyond number when you think of his legacy of generosity to Canadians, the work of our Lord, and His people.”

The medal, which was created this year to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years of service, is presented to select Canadians for contributions to their country. Magnus was chosen to receive the award for his mentoring and coaching of leaders and businesses.

The award was presented to Magnus and 12 other recipients by Vaughn Solomon Schofield, the lieutenant-governor of Saskatchewan and Brad Trost the member of Parliament for Saskatoon-Humboldt.

Magnus recited the statement that was read before he received his medal.

“This award is to acknowledge your intentional mentoring and coaching of both young and experienced leaders and new and developing organizations in the business, not-for-profit and church contexts in Saskatoon, through Saskatchewan and Canada.”

“They said – and it’s true – I’ve worked in all three environments: in the business world, in the not-for-profit world and in the church world,” Magnus said. “At the moment, about 80% of what I do is in the bigger churches across Canada. The churches are the ones pressing the hardest and the most right now which says the church is in need of coaching help. So, that’s where we’re investing.”

Magnus hopes that receiving an award like this shows that he’s managing what God has given him.

“Fairly early on in my leadership journey it became crystal clear to me that God owns my life,” he explained. “I’m expected to steward it. When I receive an award like this I kind of think, ‘Well, hopefully it gives some pleasure and glory to God because I’m stewarding my life for Him.’ So He owns it and this is really an award for Him.”