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Lethbridge, Alta.
Mennonite Church Canada holds inaugural meeting


The inaugural assembly of Mennonite Church Canada was held July 19-23 in Lethbridge, Alta., with a total of 651 adult registrants from 142 congregations.

Under the theme “Come wind of change”, Lethbridge 2000 was tagged as an “in-between” meeting because of a two-year timetable set in July 1999 that would transform the former Conference of Mennonites in Canada into Mennonite Church Canada. Next year’s assembly in Abbotsford, B.C., will consider specific recommendations on new structures for handling finances and for programs such as mission, higher education and publishing.

Ron Sawatsky, who has served as moderator of Conference of Mennonites in Canada for four years, was nominated for another two-year term in order to help provide continuity in the transformation process.

Canadian Mennonite

Delegates approved a resolution that increased Mennonite Church Canada funding for Canadian Mennonite – the Conference’s periodical – from about a third to a half of the conference-funded portion. Canadian Mennonite raises about 30 per cent of its revenue from advertising and 10 per cent from fundraising. A funding formula, in effect since 1997, called for about one-third of the remaining 60 per cent of revenue to come from the Canada-wide Conference, with two-thirds divided proportionately among five area conferences. The new “50-50” funding formula, that will come into effect in 2001 with partial phase-in in 2000, will have half of the Conference funding for an every-household circulation plan coming from Mennonite Church Canada and the other half from area conferences.

Broadening representation

In a meeting prior to the assembly, the General Board appointed three new members at large in an attempt to broaden its base of representation: Kathleen Rempel Boschman, a pastor at Douglas Mennonite Church in Winnipeg; Van Hoa Chau, pastor of Winnipeg Vietnamese Mennonite Church; and Henry Krause, pastor at Langley (B.C.) Mennonite Fellowship. Krause will also serve on the Board’s Executive Committee.

Finances

Financial reports showed that general revenues of $1.64 million were 4.5 per cent above budget, even though donations through congregations continued to decline. The increase came from donations by individuals and corporations. Delegates approved the 2001 budget that anticipates $1.61 million in revenue from congregations, individuals, corporations and bequests.

Resolutions

In other business, delegates approved a number of resolutions:

That the Conference support the Mennonite Church in Colombia in its concern about massive US support for the Colombian military by asking the Canadian government: to review its own foreign policies and Canadian investments in Colombia; to see how these may contribute to social unrest and injustice; and to protest foreign governments’ military aid to Colombia; That the Conference call upon the Canadian government “to stop all sales of arms, munitions and implements of war to foreign countries, whether ‘allies’, members of NATO or others”; That the Conference pray for the Alberta churches as they search for a basis of unity amidst differences in how to respond to the issue of homosexuality in their churches; That the Program Committee consider giving food and agricultural issues major prominence at the 2002 assembly of Mennonite Church Canada; and That the Program Committee provide more time for “guided discussions and question-and-answer dialogue” on the program transformation process at the 2001 assembly.

Vision

At Lethbridge, the focus of the assembly was largely vision. Robert Suderman, a member of the Canadian Program Transformation Team, said he envisions an era of interdependence among churches in Canada and around the world. He referred to the image of a quaking aspen tree which nourishes a great number of seemingly free-standing trees with one root system.

Offerings were taken for famine relief in Ethiopia and for the Mennonite World Conference’s Global Sharing Fund. On Thursday evening, participants celebrated mission programs in Vietnam, Germany, Colombia and Montreal.

On Saturday afternoon, Gilberto Flores, a Guatemalan working in Hispanic ministries at the General Conference offices in Newton, Kan., commented on how North American Mennonites often give the impression they can survive without Mennonites in other parts of the world. “Don’t view us as missionary trophies,” he said. Instead, he invited Canadians to “accompany” the church in the “south” – a church with vision and energy for mission in its own context.

Missions in transformation

The Ministries Commission presented a vision for the transformation of MC Canada mission structures and invited response. Jack Suderman, executive secretary of the Ministries Commission, noted that the changing dynamics of global and local missions, along with the integration of North American Mennonite church structures, necessitate a rethinking of its mission. He introduced the concept of the “missional church”, saying that “the purpose of a congregation is to be and do the will of God . . . In other words, the congregation is the centre for mission in the world.”

Most of the discussion at workshops and plenary debate focused on the various levels of partnership involved in the transformation of structures: partnering with national churches, with other mission agencies, with US structures, with area conferences and with individual churches.

The vision and structures are to be ready for MC Canada delegate approval next summer.

BMC keeps low profile

At the request of the General Board of MC Canada, Brethren/Mennonite Council for Lesbian and Gay Concerns (BMC) agreed to keep a low profile at Lethbridge 2000.

BMC agreed not to speak in delegate discussions at this assembly. In return, the General Board agreed not to allow comments on the assembly floor that would discriminate against homosexuals.

Canadian Mennonite Bible College

The Canadian Mennonite Bible College report focused on two issues: ownership of land and facilities of Canadian Mennonite University and a new fundraising campaign. CMU is a partnership of CMBC, Concord College and Menno Simons College.

CMU’s integrated capital campaign (approved at last year’s assembly) has been increased by $5 million to $30 million. This includes the annual operating costs of $1 million for the next five years. The capital campaign, called “Coming together: Shaping a dream”, is slated to begin at a kick-off weekend Sept. 22-24.

Concern was expressed that the two denominations owning CMU would share expenses. It was noted that CMBC is owned by a national conference (MC Canada) and Concord College by a provincial one (Manitoba MB Conference).

A resolution that the provincial Mennonite Brethren conferences place CMU on their annual budgets, so to raise funds comparable to the annual $600,000 provided by MC Canada, was deemed inappropriate and withdrawn.

Faith family day

Friday afternoon was faith family day when families toured and relaxed before the final laps of the assembly. Five buses took delegates and guests to points of interest, including native, agricultural and archaeological sites. The tours concluded with supper at a Mennonite church or a Hutterite colony.

 – Canadian Mennonite

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Last modified October 20, 2000.

© 2000 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
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