The human drama of MCC Ontario

The Transforming Power of a Century Lucille Marr. Pandora Press, 2003.

Mennonite Central Committee Ontario (MCCO) board members became aware of a “fading institutional memory” as they faced the future. They asked themselves, “What is the history of our board?” and agreed to find someone to research and write a historical account of MCCO. The result is Lucille Marr’s captivating 300-page book, The Transforming Power of a Century.

Far from producing a dry account of facts, Marr has emphasised the human drama involved in the evolution of MCCO. Additional material from personal interviews (given in sidebars) and photographs enhance a work that is both dynamic and enlightening. Reading the book with growing interest, I wished this information had been available to me when I served on the MCCO board a decade ago. Hopefully this book will become required reading for all board members.

Marr’s emphasis, as the title indicates, is on transformation. She stresses three areas in particular in which change took place over the years: leadership, the struggle to become a national agency, and the involvement of women.

The MCC office in Ontario was affiliated with the Akron, Pa. office until 1965, when it became MCC Canada, with its head office in Winnipeg. This did not happen without a struggle, as MCCO was not in favour of this move and “had no intention of lining up.” In fact, MCCO went ahead and built their own office on 50 Kent St., where it still stands today.

In the end, the MCCO director at the time, Harvey Taves, graciously conceded to accept MCC Canada and its new location. As a result, Ontario delegates supported Taves’s decision almost unanimously.

Officially, the leaders were usually men, but it becomes quite obvious that without women (the wives of designated leaders, but also many dedicated and gifted single women) MCCO could not have survived. Marr does an excellent job of telling these women’s stories and highlighting how their involvement was often the backbone of the organization. She points out that MCCO has strengthened its commitment to gender equity by engaging Arli Klassen as its first female executive director (in 1999).

Both my husband and I, as well as our families, were grateful recipients of MCC’s relief program. It is a privilege to review this account of an organization serving “in the name of Christ” throughout the world.

Elfrieda Neufeld Schroeder is a writer, ESL tutor and lecturer of German, and attends Kitchener (Ont.) MB Church.