Saskatchewan adopts vision-setting funding formula

Delegates to the 2005 convention of Saskatchewan MB churches, meeting at Bethany College in Hepburn Mar. 11–12, accepted a funding formula for their conference ministries that addressed budget fluctuations experienced in the past and also set vision for the future.

At last year’s convention, recalled moderator Rod Dick, delegates challenged conference leadership “to be frugal.” But then, he said, “along came another church planting opportunity”: the launch of Faith River, a second church birthed by West Portal MB Church in Saskatoon.

The plan that emerged – during a year Dick called “probably the most exciting” he’s had as moderator – would accommodate both the new venture and the call for budget stability. It was tested at a forum of pastors and moderators in November, and with their encouragement, brought to the convention. Although there may be some changes in the details, delegates passed it in principle, with enthusiasm.

The plan sees current reserves of some $156,000 placed into four key funds – an emergency reserve fund, a student bursary fund, a leadership development support fund, and a church planting support fund. Each of these funds has its own formula for annual replenishment (through the conference budget or other means) and ongoing use, and a particular life expectancy built into it. Underlying it is a philosophy of partnership between the conference and the local church.

“Take home the message of partnership,” Dick urged the 123 delegates who attended this year’s convention.

Spiritual emphasis

Randy Friesen

Indeed, “partnership with purpose” was the theme of the convention and ran through the business sessions, agency reports, and spiritual emphasis. Although conventions the past few years had featured state-of-the-province stories, conference minister Ralph Gliege said it seemed the time to have more of a spiritual challenge. Randy Friesen, director of Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, had been invited to “speak from the depth of his heart.”

On Friday evening, Friesen spoke about the various biblical “gates,” including the gate of salvation, the gates of hell, and the gates of God’s glory. He wove in stories of mission, and then invited his listeners to consider what doors God is opening to them, symbolized by walking through a door at the front of the chapel.

In his message the next morning, Friesen used the story of learning to scuba dive as a metaphor for going deeper with God. “A lot of people spend a lot of time on the shore of the presence and glory of the Lord,” he said. When we get into the water of God’s glory, he continued, “the weight of God pushes us down.”

Boards and business

The major item of business was the funding formula. The church planting support fund got the largest amount of the reserves ($80,000) as its seed money, with $15,000 going into it annually from the conference budget. The second largest fund supports leadership development. The Ministry Leadership Development Team (MLDT), formed in 2002, proposed a strategy for this work. “It’s fine to make leaders,” said team chair Dwayne Barkman, “but the goal of it is to multiply the church.”

The strategy includes four components: information (about provincial and national leadership development programs), training (especially for internship programs in churches), financial assistance through student bursaries and internship grants, and tracking and placement. The MLDT also presented drafts for its student internships grants and a revised bursary program.

Steve White of the Board of Faith and Life (BFL) reported on two requests for ordination last year. The Board accepted Brian Wiens’s ordination through the Alliance Church of Canada and approved Keith Pankratz of the Pleasant Hill Mennonite Church in Saskatoon, which currently has no denominational affiliation, for ordination. Pankratz wished to lodge his ordination with the Mennonite Brethren; he gave his testimony to the delegation.

The Saskatchewan BFL hosted a study conference, in conjunction with the Canadian MB Conference, on women in ministry leadership. The Board reported to the Canadian BFL that there was diversity within the board and conference on the issue “but that the majority would believe that we should stand firm in regards to our current position.”

“We also stated,” the report continued, “that we were unifed in believing that whatever decision was made it would not soon affect Saskatchewan.” In the discussion period that followed, Randy Klassen said that these statements “might lead to misunderstanding if we don’t think about them.” In reference to the last one, he said, “Every decision we make affects Saskatchewan.”

The Board of Church Extension’s report included updates on

• the church plant in Moose Jaw, led by Joe Almeida, which now has a constitution and is “officially a church”;
• seven applications approved in 2004 on the Reach Your World funds, a program for outreach events, including testimonies from Dave Grimes of Carrot River on healing services they conducted and Wayne King of Blaine Lake on events combining The Passion movie and pizza;
• Faith River, led by Andrew Fehr, which is now holding regular meetings in West Portal and continues to search for a suitable meeting place.

The Board of Church Extension is working on a proposal to implement the Key Cities Initiative of the Canadian Conference “Saskatchewan style,” and in conjunction with Manitoba. Earlier in the day, moderator Dick had extended an apology to the Canadian Conference for misunderstandings that may have arisen in the past over church planting in Saskatchewan. Ewald Unruh of Evangelism now responded to those remarks, with acceptance and speaking of a desire to work together. “We fall on our faces before God when times are tough,” he said.

The Board of Management reported that the year had ended with a small “surprise” surplus. A proposed budget of some $170,000, which represents a lowered but “not inflated” levy of $55 per member, was accepted.

(l–r) Rod and Holly Dick, Ralph Gliege

From K to Z

Conference minister Ralph Gliege covered points A through J in last year’s report, and continued this year with K to Z. He began with “V” for volunteers, calling Rod and Holly Dick forward to receive tokens of appreciation for Rod Dick’s 15 continuous years of service to the conference. “The moderator has become my friend,” he said. Delegates were given pieces of a puzzle with a picture of Rod on it to re-assemble over lunch, so Rod and Holly Dick’s children would have their father “back together” with them. Ron Dyck is the new moderator.

Other highlights of Gliege’s report were the introduction of new pastoral staff, and the Saskatchewan tradition of noting and celebrating five-year markers for pastors. All new pastoral staff this year, with the exception of Dan and Kathy Stobbe of Meadow Lake, he noted, were internal church shifts, from positions of lay or intern leadership. Gliege commended this trend.

A difficult transition was the closing of the Warman MB Church, which held its last service December 19.

Other partnerships

Throughout the convention, delegates had opportunities to hear of other ministry partnerships their conference supports. Over breakfast, they heard from some of their “own” MBMSI missionaries: Gerald and Shirley Falk, home from Peru to take up ministry with IVCF at the University of Saskatchewan; Richard and Hazel Funk, returning in fall to Austria; and Trever and Joan Godard, going to Guadalajara, Mexico with an intercultural team for church planting. At lunch, they heard reports from Saskatchewan’s two camps: West Bank and Redberry.

They also heard from David Wiebe of the Canadian MB Conference, representatives of Mennonite Central Committee, and Doug Berg from the MB Seminary in the ACTS consortium at Trinity Western.

In his report on Bethany College, Rick Schellenberg drew attention to the significant growth in the gap between what students can earn in a summer and what it costs to go to Bible school. The potential indebtedness of students is of concern for students and the school, he said.

Bethany choir

Delegates enjoyed the ministry of Bethany College, through their hospitality and through music by a choir Friday evening. Between songs, one student shared a testimony of crisis in her home life because of illness and how the song they’d just sung, “the storm is passing over,” didn’t always seem real. Her faith beamed on her face, however, as she joined in the choir’s next selection, “You [God] are good all the time.”

At the end of the convention, a freewill offering was taken, which raised some $2300 to meet the needs of this student’s family.

—Dora Dueck