Executive board works on goals, national–provincial relations

Meeting in Canmore, Alta., June 24–26, the Executive Board of the Canadian MB Conference affirmed its six strategic priorities and described more closely the goals associated with each priority. It also took steps to work more effectively with the provincial conferences.

Priorities and goals

The six priorities, as determined by the Board in an earlier meeting, are: upholding biblical and ethical integrity (under the direction of the Board of Faith and Life and our Confession of Faith), equipping churches, developing leaders, reaching out, fostering community, and mobilizing financial resources.

The Board discussed overarching goals for these services. In “reaching out,” for example, the goal is to cultivate a multiplication mindset in churches and to move church planting efforts to church-based rather than denomination-based initiatives. The goal of “fostering community” is to focus communication efforts and events toward mission, leadership, confession and ethnic inclusion. Under “developing leaders,” an integrated strategy involving churches, agencies and schools that furthers the goal of raising up workers for church and mission is envisioned.

The strategic goals will be more fully articulated by executive director David Wiebe in a future news release to the periodicals. Wiebe will also be working together with Conference staff to implement the strategic goals in ongoing programs or new initiatives.

National–provincial relations

One day prior to the board meetings, leaders of the national and provincial conferences (executive staff and committee, and provincial conference ministers, moderators and administrators) met to begin dialogue on ways to improve national–provincial relations. The meeting resulted in clarification of working relationships and ministry responsibilities, and good will for future collaboration.

Those responsible for finances at the two conference levels also met prior to the Executive Board meetings to discuss the way churches fund the conferences and how funding formulas might be revamped to be fair and equitable for all churches. The Canadian Conference Treasurer will work with provincial administrators on a proposal to change the calculation of funds both nationally and provincially, keeping in mind the financial burdens many churches face.

The Executive Board heard reports from both these meetings. It spent time reviewing the financial structure of the Canadian Conference, and engaged in extensive discussion of national–provincial relations. The Board appointed a task force to continue the dialogue and work at some of the relationship details. It also filled positions on the Personnel Compensation Committee and filled two vacancies on the Audit Committee.

Hans Boge, representing the Board of Faith and Life (BFL), reported on the resolution regarding Women in Ministry Leadership. The Executive Board received this report and the timeline for the submission of the resolution to the churches. As BFL representative on the Executive Board, Boge is also responsible to assess the Board’s activities; he reported at the end that the meetings had been characterized by positive interactions and “a Christian way.”

The Executive Board will meet again in October, in Winnipeg.

—from reports