Our quest

In 2001, a group of voyageurs left Winnipeg in a York boat. Their “Quest for the Bay” was a re-enactment of how fur traders centuries ago brought their wares to Hudson Bay to be shipped to Europe. Their goal was clear: take their nine-person boat and a tonne of gear through lakes, whitewater, bugs and portages a thousand kilometres north – and share a cash reward and television coverage.

I’ve been thinking about our quest as a Mennonite Brethren movement. Where are we headed? And what will it take to get us there? As I’ve reflected on the responses to the strategic survey we recently conducted, these questions have become more prominent in my mind.

What we do together must reflect our reason for existence: to be a movement that makes a difference for God’s Kingdom.

“Many churches act like the overall culture of which they are a part,” says George Bullard, consultant to many denominations. “To truly reach unchurched people, showing the distinctiveness of the church from the culture is necessary. This is what early Christianity could do. In a post-church society, this again may be a strength of the Christian church.”

A pastor recently said, “We’ve been asking the question, would our community miss us if we were suddenly gone?”

It will take healthy pastors to make a difference: pastors who know their gifts and are comfortable with how God has equipped them, yet still striving to be more suited for ministry, growing and becoming better leaders, but not paranoid or burning out. That’s a lifetime of learning!

It takes Christian character, developing in the heart of each member. The Description of a Growing Disciple outlines the agenda for each Christian from an Anabaptist perspective. We want to develop radical followers of Christ, and then see God use people individually and collectively to reshape our character as a movement.

It will take healthy churches. A critical factor for church health is loving, missional community. Given the lack of community in our world, author Marva Dawn says, it is, in fact, a miracle to have a true community of faith. It is a clear witness to a world starved for love. This kind of health takes time, hope and patience, and mutual submission!

It will take a culture of leadership development. Some of our churches are developing bench strength: volunteers equipped to develop others in their area of responsibility. This results in churches ready to multiply through all kinds of reaching out activity – from a position of character-based discipleship and competency.

As a conference, we’re looking for churches increasingly able to respond to the needs of the world, holistically growing in ways that prepare for multiplication. I’m working with our staff to find new and better ways of delivering help and motivation in each of the areas named above.

Where will all this lead? I don’t have a number in terms of churches we hope to plant. Instead I do say with Jesus: look around you and see the people, lost without a shepherd. Do you know their specific needs? Do you have a plan to meet them as a loving, missional community of faith and hope?

Our quest as a movement is to be faithful as individuals, pastors and churches to be the people God has called us to be and to reach out to our world – concretely – to make a difference. Our quest as conference leaders is to serve our churches to that end.

Out Front is a column written by leaders in our Conference. David Wiebe is executive director of the Canadian MB Conference.