Hard work on issues, and a spirit of community

Governance mattered at Gathering 2004, the biennial meeting of Canadian Mennonite Brethren held July 7 to 10 in Toronto.

A proposal to restructure how the denomination is run, based on a relationship model elaborated in Les Stahlke’s Governance Matters, generated the keenest response of any recommendation at the convention. The proposed structure, described as “a major shift,” would see a single executive board at the helm of the Conference to provide strategic direction, rather than multiple boards, with management responsibilities entrusted to an executive director and staff.

Praying for new and continuing staff, (l–r) Lloyd Reimer, Herb Suderman, Cal Bergen, Cam Rowland, John Wiebe, Laura Kalmar, Ike Bergen, Randy Friesen, Dennis Fast

Armed with questions, concerns or affirmation, large numbers of delegates attended breakout sessions on the proposal. They lined up at the microphones in the final plenary session to speak to it, particularly to a motion introduced from the floor that would delay the decision on governance by referring it back to churches.

Debate was intense and lengthy, and remarkably respectful. It addressed issues around the recommendation such as the constitution, trust, leadership, generational differences and communication.

In the end, delegates chose to proceed rather than wait. They defeated the motion to refer, and passed with a strong majority the subsequent vote on the governance recommendation.

A group from New Life Christian Church, Toronto, leads in worship

Energy and community

If governance was Gathering 2004’s major issue, two words – community and energy – could describe its overall spirit.

Hosted by the Ontario provincial conference, the 87th convention of Canadian MBs was held in Toronto in order to highlight “Love Toronto.” (This is the church planting endeavour of the Ontario and Canadian Conferences, under the Key Cities Initiative.) It was also held, for the first time, in a hotel.

Delegates reacted positively to this innovation. Eating, sleeping and meeting in one location – the DoubleTree International Plaza Hotel – made it possible for people to interact frequently. Because of more opportunities to visit, perhaps, scheduled sessions were well attended; as one seasoned conference goer put it, “there was less conference in the foyer” during the meetings.

A sense of energy infused both the worship and business sessions. The pace was brisk, enhanced by high tech overlaying of sound and visuals and two large screens affording a bigger-than-life view of whoever was speaking. Many boards used video clips to report.

A busload of Leaders-in-Training from Camp Crossroads, the camp of the Ontario MB Conference, came to the DoubleTree International Plaza Hotel on July 6 to help prepare for Gathering 2004. They put together the delegate packs and also joined staff and board members in a concert of prayer for the Gathering 2004 event. Photo: Jo Schimpky

At the beginning

Some 200 delegates elected to come to the convention early, for a day of learning and spiritual refreshment called “recharge.” Topics ranged from church conflict to homosexuality to leadership. Spiritual direction and a prayer chapel, which remained open throughout the convention, offered a place to meet God individually.

The opening celebration of the convention, featuring Brian Doerksen and his band and speaker Randy Friesen, director-elect of MBMS International, set a tone of invitation and commitment to Jesus, the One who calls those who are weary, hungry or thirsty. New songs by Brian Doerksen such as “You Shine” and “Today” as well as his now classic “Come, now is the time to worship” were repeated in worship sessions led by Gareth Goossen throughout the convention. The refrains of the worship music seemed to grow into convention themes, alongside the official theme of “Refresh, Renew, Reach Out.”

State of the denomination address

Executive director David Wiebe presented his report to the convention around the question, “What do we care deeply and passionately about as a Conference?” The mission statement (“healthy growing churches reaching their worlds”) and four key result areas of the Conference (healthy churches, leadership development, reaching out, conference services in financial matters) answer that question, he said.

To give those foci context, however, Wiebe urged his listeners back to the Bible verse they probably learned first: John 3:16. “Everything we do,” he said, “must stem from a divinely articulated love for our world.” We can love planting churches, or healthy churches, or money, he said, more than we love God’s world.

Wiebe called on his listeners, and the 36,000 members of Mennonite Brethren churches, to reach out in friendship to those around them. He painted a powerful picture of what he saw for the future: people going deeper in discipleship, people praying for at least one friend who doesn’t know Christ, a climate of love and support for leaders, a new emerging generation of leaders including women, and numerical growth. It was a picture of people “caring deeply and passionately about the world God loves.”

For his part, Wiebe committed himself to more work on the two-way street between churches and Conference. “Communication is key,” he said. He intends to reshape his travel schedule to visit with pastors and church boards. “We want to position our Conference ministries more in a dialogical relationship with church leaders,” he said.

Looking abroad, looking back

Most of moderator Jascha Boge’s report to the convention took the form of slides and stories. He and his wife Hildi participated in the Mennonite World Conference in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe last summer and also visited Mennonite Brethren churches in Congo and Angola. These visits had clearly touched them deeply. They concluded their slide presentation by speaking of their dream to build church-to-church relationships with Congo. “These are our brothers and sisters, the direct fruit of our missions work,” they said. “They have a richness of spirit, great worship, good Bible teaching. They are looking for relationship.”

The Historical Commission (sponsored by the Canadian and U.S. MBs) is planning a project linked very directly to the stories the Boges had shared. Commission director Abe Dueck said plans are underway for a global history project, as requested by the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB). Dueck also reported on the recent 200th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Molochna colony in Ukraine.

How the work was done

The morning sessions of Gathering 2004 were devoted to hearing Board reports. Delegates, indeed all MB members, had already received these reports through the MB Herald. Rather than repeating this material verbatim, the Boards and their ministries presented their recommendations and highlights of the past two years in various and creative ways. There was some limited time for discussion but breakouts on the recommendations allowed for more interaction with boards. Saturday morning was then devoted to further plenary discussion and voting on the 19 recommendations.

The governance proposal passed by a ballot vote. The remaining recommendations – which included several general recommendations (such as Conference purchase of the Conference publications, and the financial statements), five staff appointments, four recommendations from the Board of Faith and Life, the naming of Vancouver as Key City #4, two recommendations about the vision and funding approach of MBMSI, and the budgets for the next two years – passed nearly unanimously with a show of hands.

The nominating committee had prepared lists of candidates for either a single executive board or the boards as they existed until now. Because of the proposal on governance, nominations, generally given delegates early in a convention, were only distributed Saturday morning after the proposal on governance passed.

The new executive board list could now be affirmed. Since the Board of Faith and Life would remain in either scenario, that election only involved two vacancies. From a slate of four, Sherry Heidebrecht and John Vooys were chosen.

Setting sail

Moored between pots of bulrushes on the stage was a boat with a sail that carried the Gathering 2004 logo and theme, taken from Jesus’ encouragement in Luke 5 to “go out where the water is deeper.”

Moored between pots of bulrushes on the stage was a boat with a sail that carried the Gathering 2004 logo and theme, taken from Jesus’ encouragement in Luke 5 to “go out where the water is deeper.” This lakeside scene seemed almost lost at times between the screens, musical instruments and necessary gadgetry of a high tech convention, but when the boat was gone Saturday morning (because it was a rental) its absence was conspicuous. In its place, however, a cross shone on the back curtain.

Many delegates had also “put to sea” before the proceedings were quite over. Those who stayed enjoyed a moving conclusion to the week’s business and celebration. Incoming moderator Willy Reimer gave a message on our identity, based on Paul’s words, “the God whose I am and whom I serve,” in Acts 27:23. Identity, Reimer said, is determined by ownership, it gives you authority, and it gives you boldness. After this challenge, communion was celebrated.

It was a wonderful end to a convention that some ranked among the best they had ever attended. Delegates had demonstrated that they are not unwilling to work at their conventions, for they engaged strongly in the governance proposal as well as other matters of theology, vision and funding.

They also experienced the warm pleasure of a four-day family reunion in the house of the DoubleTree Hotel. They were inspired by opportunities to learn, worship and reach out. Many left energized with renewed commitment to Christ and to the mission given their denomination. They also left with the invitation from Mark Jantzen, moderator of the Alberta MB Conference, to meet again in 2006, in Alberta.

—dd