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CONVENTION 2000
Taking care of business


The appointment of three new staff and a decision to “love Toronto” highlighted the business of the convention. The routine work of the boards was presented clearly and succinctly in flash point demonstrations on the video screens, and delegates gave feedback during two board workshop slots Friday afternoon. Saturday was then devoted to processing business, with Boards reporting mainly on new projects and recommendations.

Executive Director

The first item of business was a recommendation from the Executive Board to appoint David Wiebe as executive director for the Conference. This position replaces the former conference minister, then executive minister position (formerly held by Reuben Pauls) and is the lead staff position for the Canadian Conference. Under a revised job description, the executive director will lead in developing new vision, programs and structures; promote the Conference in the constituency; be team leader of the Canadian Conference staff; help plan events such as conventions and new pastor orientation sessions; and represent the Conference in inter-Mennonite and inter-evangelical organizations. While he will work with provincial conference ministers in pastoral placement, he will not be directly involved in pastoral placements, pastoral care and local church disputes. This work is now largely being done by provincial conference ministers. For this reason, the executive director will be solely responsible to the Executive Board (the chief board of the Conference); the former executive minister was jointly responsible to the Executive Board and to the Board of Faith and Life.

Wiebe left the room so that delegates could discuss his candidacy, but there was little discussion and the recommendation was approved easily with a show of hands and considerable enthusiasm.

Canadian Conference Executive Board members commission new executive director David Wiebe with prayer.

On Friday afternoon, Wiebe gave a “state of the Conference” address. He first outlined the

Dave Wiebe

challenges: The Conference is currently in the gap between old patterns and new patterns; at such a time, we don’t need public religion but a deeply personal faith; as a denomination, we need to overcome the restrictions of structure and act more like a renewal movement than an institution; perhaps as an aid to this, the Conference should do a self-analysis using the same Natural Church Development process it is recommending to local churches. Wiebe also outlined five directions for the future:

Leadership development (a think tank on this issue is being planned for March 2001) Church health (challenging all Canadian MB congregations to go through the Natural Church Development refocusing program) Restructuring the Conference (without becoming focused on structure) Reaching out (making the Key Cities Initiative a driving force of the denomination and identifying the weak areas that might be holding us back) Developing a global vision (asking how our denomination can further God’s kingdom and holding each other accountable for our redemptive potential).

He concluded: “Renewing a denomination takes more time than you hoped, costs more than you planned and creates a bigger mess than you ever thought possible. Please be patient. God isn’t finished with us yet.”

Divestiture

At last year’s General (North American) MB Conference, the decision was made to close down the General Conference and transfer the ministries to the Canadian and US Conferences. At this convention, detailed proposals for the transfer of two ministries (Board of Faith and Life and MBMS International) were presented.

STATISTICS: The Conference continues to grow Abe Dueck of the Centre for MB Studies reported Friday morning that Canadian Conference membership had increased by a net of 522 members (1.6%) to 33,214. The growth came via baptism (1061), transfer from other MB churches (412), testimony from other denominations (762), reinstatement (63) and charter membership in new churches (126). However these gains were offset by losses via transfer to other MB churches (329); transfer to new church plants (36), transfer to other denominations (319), disciplinary release (24), release (673), death (216) and dissolution or departure of a congregation (91). Membership grew in Ontario (3.98%), B.C. (2.65%), Manitoba (2.32%), Saskatchewan (.55%). However, it shrank in the Maritimes (1.03%), Quebec (2.44%), and Alberta (8.01%). The Conference added a net of eight congregations in 1998 and five congregations in 1999 for a total of 213 (not counting emerging churches and church plants which have not yet chartered). Average attendance at Sunday evening services declined from 5266 to 4831, but Sunday morning attendance rose 23% from 33,861 to 41,798. All statistics are as of Dec. 31, 1999. A video at the convention showed slides of the new churches accepted at provincial conferences in the past biennium: Nova Scotia The Agora Ontario St. Ann’s Community Church Manitoba La Salle Community Fellowship Alberta Ethiopian Evangelical Church British Columbia Abbotsford Arabic Church Aennofield Community Church Forest Grove Church Maranatha Indonesian Church North Shore Bethel MB Church North Shore Pacific Grace MB Church Northside Community Church River of Life Church Surrey Hispanic Church Vancouver Persian Christian Fellowship Vancouver Russian Church

The responsibilities of the General Conference Board of Faith and Life will be taken over by the Canadian Conference Board of Faith and Life and by a newly created US Conference Board of Faith and Life. MBMS International will remain a separate entity, responsible to the Canadian, the US (and maybe eventually other national) MB Conferences. Both recommendations passed readily despite some concern from the floor that the MBMSI proposal does not tie MBMS International closely enough to the Canadian Conference.

Another recommendation proposed extending the current agreement by which MB Biblical Seminary is funded by the Canadian and US Conferences. That agreement is renewed every few years and is scheduled to run out May 31, 2001; the proposal extends the agreement until May 31, 2002; it is expected that by that time responsibility for MBBS will have been transferred to the two national conferences and an agreement for a new supporting formula will have been worked out. Discussion of the recommendation from the floor consisted mostly of expressions of support for the Seminary and concern that funding not be cut off after 2002. The recommendation passed easily.

Another recommendation was approved, that the Canadian and US Conference conventions be held simultaneously in British Columbia in 2002, with the national bodies meeting separately during the day for business sessions and together for evening celebrations. At these conventions, the remaining ministries of the General Conference would be transferred to the national conferences. The proposed dates are July 25-27, 2002.

Dual memberships

Current Canadian Conference policy says that “we do not encourage churches to belong to any other denomination”. In pre-convention reports, the Executive Board had proposed strengthening this to say “that Mennonite Brethren congregations not be allowed to also be members of any other denomination”. (Currently, there is only one such congregation, in Manitoba, which would be allowed to maintain its current dual status; another such congregation, South Calgary Inter-Mennonite Church, was expelled by the Alberta MB Conference last year over the issue of homosexuality.) In workshop discussions at this convention, two concerns were expressed: that the provincial conferences (which have responsibility for accepting and releasing congregations) had not been adequately consulted, and that the former policy was better. Therefore, Canadian Conference moderator Ike Bergen announced to the full convention that the Executive Board was withdrawing the recommendation until it could consult more with the provincial conferences, but that the Executive Board was “still committed to addressing this issue with more specificity”. Comments from the floor both commended the withdrawal of the recommendation and urged acceptance of the recommendation.

Concerns

Two delegates raised items of spiritual significance during discussion of the Executive Board report. Roger G. Thiessen of Orillia, Ont. suggested that the lack of young people training for pastoral ministry indicates unhealth and conflict in our churches and that structural problems keep the Conference from intervening to restore churches to health. He also suggested that material submitted to the MB Herald indicates there is a critical and negative attitude in the Conference, possibly linked to an ethnic Mennonite background, and that there should be a time of prayer and fasting for repentance at the next Canadian Conference convention.

John Unger of Winnipeg noted that while the Conference is becoming increasingly ethnically diverse, this is not reflected in attendance at Canadian Conference conventions. He suggested that funding be given to allow representatives of new church plants to attend conventions.

Exhortations

Board chair David Ewert presented four “exhortations” (wise advice from the Conference’s spiritual leaders) on four current issues: “The ministry of the divorced and remarried”; “The ministry of non-immersed pastors”; “Baptisms at camps and retreats”; and “What does it mean to be both Anabaptist and evangelical?” (See box below article.)

Harry Heidebrecht, moderator of the Alberta MB Conference came to the podium to thank the Canadian Conference for its support and prayers in the painful process of expelling South Calgary Inter-Mennonite Church over its position on homosexuality. Heidebrecht noted that all conversations with the South Calgary church were carried on with dignity and respect(to the credit of the Conference and church (allowing friendships to be maintained.

The Board also made several announcements:

The new MB Confession of Faith has now been translated into French. The Chinese churches are requesting that the Confession, as well as the long Commentary and Pastoral Application, be translated into Chinese. Responsibility for the annual orientation sessions for new pastors has been transferred from the General (North American) to the Canadian and US Conferences. However, the US Conference has requested that the two national conferences do the orientation sessions together in 2001; that event will likely take place in British Columbia. Rudy Bartel announced that sometime in 2001 BFL will be offer a seniors’ conference, focused on ministry to and by seniors, tenatatively called “The future is now”, and possibly presented in three locations across the country.

In floor discussion, two delegates disagreed with BFL’s exhortation that pastors baptized as believers but not by immersion be encouraged to be rebaptized by immersion. One young delegate asked BFL to sponsor more Bible study conferences. In its report, BFL had highlighted the need for more young delegates at conventions and more young Board members.

Later in the convention, John Redekop of Abbotsford expressed regret that the Canadian Conference convention no longer passes formal statements regarding current issues to be sent to advise governments.

Love Toronto

The key proposal from the Board of Evangelism was that Toronto be designated as the next “key city” in which to plant churches. The proposal was not so much debated as celebrated.

The Key Cities Initiative was approved in principle at the previous Canadian MB Conference convention in 1998. KCI is a program in which the Canadian Conference Board of Evangelism and a provincial board of church extension partner to plant churches in a specific city over a five-year period. The Canadian Board of Evangelism provides $200,000 in funding over each of the first two years.

Also in 1998, Calgary was chosen as the first key city, with a plan (called Mission Calgary) to plant 10 churches in that city in five years. After two years, three churches have already started (Ethiopian Evangelical Church, Ridgeview Community Fellowship and The River), and others are in the planning stage.

The proposal for Toronto (called “Love Toronto”) calls for five churches to be planted in five years. Toronto is the fifth largest city in North America, with 4.6 million people, and the most ethnically diverse city in the world, receiving 70,000 new immigrants every year.

Alberta MB Conference moderator Harry Heidebrecht and Calgary church planting task force chair Willy Reimer thanked the Canadian Conference for its assistance in launching Mission Calgary. They then gave the Canadian Conference Board of Evangelism $5000 in seed money to launch “Love Toronto”.

Jim Evans, pastor of Meadows Community Church, one of three MB churches already in the Toronto area, issued a “Macedonian call” to “come over and help us” (Acts 16:9). He described the ethnic diversity of his congregation and some of the people who had come to Christ through the church’s ministry.

Ontario MB Conference assistant moderator Vic Ratzlaff then issued the formal invitation for the Canadian Conference to partner with the Ontario Conference in the venture, while recognizing how great the challenge will be.

The proposal generated little discussion but considerable enthusiasm. One delegate enthused, “This is long overdue. Praise the Lord. Let’s go for it.”

Assistant moderator Ralph Gliege asked delegates to approve the recommendation by standing, and then led in a prayer for Love Toronto.

The only other recommendation from the Board of Evangelism, that Bruce Elwood be affirmed as associate director of evangelism, was approved in another standing vote. Level 1 Conference executive staff (the heads of departments) are officially appointed by Conference convention. Level 2 and 3 executive staff are appointed by a Board and “affirmed” by convention. Elwood (a Level 2 staff member) has been serving in his position since September 1999.

Communicating good news

Board of Communications chair Doug Heidebrecht offered praise to God that both the Mennonite Brethren Herald and the German-language Mennonitische Rundschau had received Funded Postal Rate status from the Canadian government. This means that both periodicals will continue to receive the same subsidized postal rates that other Canadian magazines receive.

Heidebrecht made three “invitations” to delegates:

to make more use of Encounter, the twice-a-year evangelistic issues of the MB Herald, whose bulk cost to churches has dropped to 20 cents a copy. to make use of the Canadian Conference Web sites, which are expanding rapidly. to visit and make use of the Centre for MB Studies (the Canadian Conference archives), which are moving to expanded and more accessible quarters next to the Canadian Conference offices in Winnipeg.

Heidebrecht also announced four new “initiatives”:

The Board wants to provide a comprehensive index to the back issues of the MB Herald, probably by putting the back issues on the Herald Web site, where they can be searched electronically. The Board is investigating the possibility of creating an online youth “magazine” (readable only via the Internet). In conjunction with the Board of Faith and Life, the Board of Communications is seeking a volunteer “Web pastor” or “Web pastors” to respond via e-mail to those asking questions or seeking spiritual counsel through the Conference Web pages. The Board has established a task force to help develop a comprehensive communications strategy for the Canadian Conference.

The Board received ready approval for three recommendations. The first two were that the Conference buy subscriptions for its members to the MB Herald and Mennonitische Rundschau (recommendations required to retain Funded Postal Rate status for the magazines). The third was that the Conference “affirm” the appointment of Joseph Kwan as quarter-time editor of the Chinese Herald (a Level 3 position). Kwan was not present at the convention.

Everything new

During its report, the Board of Christian Education Ministries presented a candidate to replace David Wiebe as director of Christian Education Ministries (a Level 1 position): Sharon Johnson. Johnson has a master’s degree in Christian education and was currently serving as vice-chair of the Board. She will work out of an office in Kitchener, Ont., where her husband Mark is senior pastor of Glencairn MB Church. Johnson left the room so her candidacy could be discussed, but there was little discussion, and the appointment was made by a hand vote. The appointment is precedent-setting in two ways. Johnson is the first woman appointed to a Level 1 executive position in the Canadian Conference, and the first Level 1 employee to be stationed outside of the Canadian Conference office in Winnipeg. Correction: In fact, Wilmer Kornelson, while serving as executive secretary of Christian Education for the Canadian MB Conference from 1967 to 1974, was stationed in Clearbrook (now Abbotsford), B.C. This was the equivalent of a Level 1 executive staff position, even though the current salary grid with three levels of executive staff was not put into place until 1985. Ed.

The Board of Christian Education Ministries prays for incoming director Sharon and Mark Johnson.

Outgoing Christian Education Ministries director David Wiebe received a standing ovation when the Board praised him for his humour, creativity and passion for Christian education, and presented him with a sculpture.

The Board also received approval for a recommendation to create a new Level 2 staff position – a half-time youth ministry director. (With creation of the position approved in principle, the Board can now seek a candidate to fill the position.) A suggestion from the floor that this be made a full-time position received applause, but assistant moderator cautioned that such a change would mean delegates were committing themselves to increasing their giving to the Conference.

“Lenny the Lunchbox” appeared at a “mil-lenny-yum lunch” on Friday to promote the Board of Christian Education Ministries’ new Life Steps Family Plan. The Life Steps Plan was developed several years ago to guide local church Christian education programs in thoroughly discipling children. The new Family Plan version is a companion piece intended to help parents disciple their children. It can be used as curriculum in adult Sunday school or in small groups.

Lenny the Lunchbox promotes the Board of Christian Education Ministries’ new Life Steps Family Plan.

The triennial youth convention will be moved from Banff, Alta. to Calgary when it is next held, Jan. 3-6, 2002, in order to accommodate increased attendance. Called “NYC 02”, it will focus on “peer evangelism” (participants will be urged to bring their unsaved friends).

The bottom line

In the 1998-2000 biennium, the Conference spent $3,661,862 on its programs (including General Conference programs). Donations from the churches were about $290,000 below budget, but the Conference ended the biennium with a tiny deficit of only $7693, due to underspending by the Boards and a grant of $59,500 from Stewardship Ministries.

The proposed budget for the next two years (2000-2002) showed an increase of 6% from the previous biennium’s budget (and 12% from the previous biennium’s actual spending) to $4,114,502. There were also some changes that reflect shifting Conference priorities:

Board of Evangelism funding would increase by 32% to $646,734. Board of Christian Education Ministries funding would increase 23% to $291,175 (largely due to the addition of the youth ministry director). Executive Board funding would increase 40% to $349,702, but this is largely because the Conference executive director (David Wiebe) will be paid entirely by the Executive Board while the previous executive minister was paid partly by the Executive Board and partly by the Board of Faith and Life. The Board of Faith and Life’s budget would drop 76% to $19,125. The Board of Communications budget remains the largest, but would increase only 8% to $1,264,021. Here, priorities are also shifting to reflect new needs. The Chinese Herald budget is increasing 382% to $48,186, and the budget for the Conference Web pages is increasing 50% to $29,000. Funding for the Centre for MB Studies will increase 12% to $244,496, largely due to the move to a larger location. Board of Management funding would drop 6% to $372,355. Funding for the General (North American) MB Conference, which is in the process of dismantling, would drop 6% to $1,171,390. Most of this goes to MB Biblical Seminary. The “norm” which churches are asked to pay to the Conference would remain at $92 per member.

For once, the proposed budget provoked considerable discussion.

Roger Thiessen of Christian Fellowship Chapel near Orillia, Ont. noted that it was difficult to vote for a levy he knew his church couldn’t afford, and suggested that the “levy” of $92 per member was not the best system since wealth can vary greatly from church to church.

Wayne Harms of West Portal Church in Saskatoon said that since denominations are declining, Conference budgets should not be increasing, putting more pressure on local church finances.

John Redekop of Bakerview MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. said that the “levy” is really a “norm”, a suggested level of giving and that while some churches pay less than $92 a member, other churches should be giving more than the norm. He also expressed concern that revenue from the churches is actually declining and that 61 churches contributed nothing at all to the Canadian Conference.

Darlaine Jantzen of Saanich (B.C.) Community Church suggested that if the older generation tend to give to institutions, baby boomers tend to give to people and Gen X people tend to give to causes, perhaps the Conference should reconsider its funding strategy.

The budget and the norm passed by a large margin, but not unanimously.

Stewardship

The Board of Management also operates a division called Stewardship Ministries, which currently manages about $45 million:

About $4.9 million of this total are endowment funds (money given to the Conference with the understanding that only the interest earned on it can be used for Conference expenses). About $22.1 million are deposit funds (money deposited with the Conference in the same way that money is deposited in a savings account in a bank). About $15.9 million are Registered Retirement Savings Plan funds deposited by individuals. About $1 million are annuities (money given to the Conference, which then pays to the giver a fixed amount of money every year for life).

The Conference acts like a bank, paying interest on the deposits and in turn lending the money out at interest. About $26 million are currently loaned to churches, pastors and Conference employees for mortgages. The rest is invested.

Stewardship Ministries makes a profit on its operations, which is enough to cover the administration and also to fund various stewardship ministries. These include offering stewardship training in churches and providing a free will service to attenders of MB churches.

Stewardship Ministries has had three staff members. Alf Huebert is the director and representative for Manitoba and east. Ross Hardy is representative for Saskatchewan, Alberta and northern British Columbia.

At this convention, the Board of Management received approval for two recommendations concerning Stewardship personnel:

Al Thiessen was “affirmed” as the stewardship representative for southern B.C. He is a Level 3 employee and has been serving in this position since last September. The Board received permission to add a half-time stewardship representative for Ontario.

Elections

The elections were conducted using a single ballot, and, except for the Board of MBMS International, consisted of affirmations, with at most one candidate per position.

Jascha Boge of Manitoba was elected moderator, replacing Ike Bergen, whose terms had expired. Ralph Gliege of Saskatchewan returns as assistant moderator, and Gerry Janzen of British Columbia returns as secretary.

Don Petker of Manitoba was re-elected to the Board of Communications.

Thom Braun of Ontario was re-elected to the Board of Evangelism.

Al Enns of British Columbia was elected and Henry Dyck of Ontario re-elected to the Board of Management.

Karen Heidebrecht Thiessen and John Vooys, both of British Columbia, were elected to the Board of Faith and Life. One vacancy, due to the resignation of John Neufeld of British Columbia, remains unfilled.

A vacancy remains on the Board of Christian Education Ministries because Sharon Johnson withdrew her nomination as a result of being hired as executive director for Christian Education Ministries.

The vacancies will be filled later by appointment of the Executive Board.

Because responsibility for MBMS International has now been transferred from the General Conference to the Canadian and US Conferences, elections for MBMSI board members took place at the Canadian Conference convention for the first time. Merv Boschman of British Columbia and Loretta Snider of Ontario were re-elected to four-year terms, David Dyck of Alberta was re-elected to a two-year term, and Jean-Marc Miller of Quebec was elected to a two-year term. 

 – JC

Board of faith and life exhortations: The ministry of the divorced and remarried The current policy of our Conference is that if the divorce and the remarriage occurred prior to conversion, it should not prevent such persons from being called by the church to minister as God has enabled them. If, however, a believer divorces his wife and remarries, he is not eligible for ordination to the pastoral ministry. The BFL is currently weighing the question as to whether there might be exceptions, when forgiveness and healing have taken place and the congregation requests the ministry of such persons. What kind of ministries divorced and remarried church members, in good standing, can render to the church other than pastoral leadership, is left up to the local congregation. The ministry of non-immersed pastors Pastors who come from a non-Mennonite Brethren background but who have been baptized upon the confession of their faith may serve as pastors in our Conference. Those who have been baptized as believers by a mode other than immersion and are called to serve as pastors in Mennonite Brethren churches are encouraged to be immersed (but it should not be required). The Mennonite Brethren churches, of course, practise only one form of baptism, and that is immersion. Baptisms at camps and retreats The BFL is recommending to the Canadian Conference that baptisms should not be performed at camps and retreats. According to the New Testament, believers are baptized into the body of Christ as this is found in a local congregation. Baptisms at camps and retreats tend to drive a wedge between baptism and membership in a local Christian community. Also, they often rob parents of the precious opportunity to witness the baptism of their sons and daughters. It is, of course, perfectly acceptable for congregations to perform baptisms at camps and retreats. What does it mean to be both Anabaptist and evangelical? Mennonite Brethren had their beginning in a renewal that started as a result of Pietistic, mission-focused, evangelical influences within Mennonite circles in Russia. Both Anabaptism and evangelicalism have had strong roles in shaping who we are. Together they provide a rich mine to nurture our life and witness in Christ. Pietism gave us a conviction about an encounter with Christ, of the vital reality of life in Him, of the concern to share that life with others, of an openness to people who belonged to spiritual traditions beyond the Anabaptist. It motivated us to overcome the barriers that can keep us from winning others to Christ. Anabaptism, on the other hand, gave us a sense of what it means to be a faithful, covenanted community; it taught us that accepting Christ as Saviour and Lord means having His life lived out in ours from day to day; it means seeing the kingdom of God as the rule of God in our lives in the midst of a world which often sets itself over against God. Early Anabaptists were the great evangelists of their day. They could both engage their world and turn away from its deceptions. In our terms they could both love the sinner and set boundaries (and hate the sin). They shared deeply in one another’s lives. They loved one another. They immersed themselves in the Scriptures. These were the things that made them so attractive. We have the opportunity to do the same. We want to resolve to be both Anabaptist and evangelical in the best sense of those terms.

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Last modified December 4, 2000.

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