General Board hears from new councils

November 22, 2001

Winnipeg, Man.—The General Board of Mennonite Church Canada continued the enormous task of implementing the new Canadian structure at its meetings here November 15- 17.

How to determine the budget, what to name the new mission program, relationship to the colleges, and lack of office space were just a few of the issues on the agenda. Sitting around the table were representatives of the three councils-Support Services, Christian Formation and Christian Witness-as well as area conference moderators ("area conference" will continue to be used for now despite the name change to "church").

The General Board "leads Mennonite Church Canada in developing its identity and vision," says the statement of purpose approved at the meeting. The board coordinates the work of the councils, engages in strategic planning, and fosters "partnerships with and between its area conferences."

The board decided to publish a Canadian directory of churches, a practice that was discontinued in 1998 in favour of the binational Mennonite Directory. The database will be shared with Mennonite Church USA. Members also agreed that MC Canada takes ownership of Mennonite Church and General Conference statements until they are revised or replaced.

A recommendation to allot one percent of the MC Canada budget to Mennonite World Conference (MWC) evoked a lively debate. This would mean about $50,000, according to the current budget.

How much do other countries, especially the United States, give? asked board members. While there was affirmation of the principle, some were concerned that Canada not be perceived as "the main player" in MWC. The board will seek more information before deciding on the issue.

MC Canada will seek representation on the Mennonite Central Committee (binational) board, parallel to MC USA. Currently, the Canadian church is represented only through MCC Canada.

The board spent considerable time on a budgeting process and the role of the Finance Committee, now under the Support Services Council, headed by executive secretary Pam Peters-Pries. Also generating interest was the proposal to build a "significant" fund for special projects into the annual budget. Members cautioned that this is not a "contingency" fund but a "discretionary" one that allows for specific projects each year.

The Christian Formation Council, directed by Justina Heese, raised questions about youth assemblies (how often? what format?). These continue to be explored as the council seeks to fill positions in youth and young adult ministries. Staff for peace and justice and Christian education are also being sought.

The large Christian Witness Council, which has virtually all its staff in place, reported great interest in its half-time position in Multi-cultural Ministry. Eleven excellent applicants applied and only one of them was of "Anglo" background, reported Jack Suderman, executive secretary of the council.

The council is currently seeking a name for its international program. In testing the words "witness" and "mission" with partners around the world, five language groups prefer "mission," while North Americans tend to shy away from that word. The council also presented documents outlining partnerships with MC USA and churches abroad.

The shift in funding from binational to national mission programs is raising some concern. Willard Metzger, who recently visited churches in Canada on behalf of the Commission on Overseas Mission, reported that some do not understand that overseas mission contributions now flow through MC Canada. Mennonite Church Eastern Canada has a funding formula in place for its churches, but in the rest of the country each congregation decides its giving.

The board spent time getting updated on the restructuring plans for Mennonite Publishing House, a binational entity which is in serious financial difficulty.

Alberta pastors came to share news of their congregations during a lunch at Foothills Mennonite Church, the site of the meetings. News from area conferences was part of the General Board sessions. Especially informative at this meeting was learning how various conferences are handling differences within their groups.

-Margaret Loewen Reimer, for Canadian Mennonite