Executive board grapples with vision to 2010

Crafting a clear vision of what Mennonite Brethren want to accomplish in Canada during the next five years was a major component of Executive Board meetings held in Winnipeg, Oct. 21–22. This vision will guide staff as they work in the six strategic areas of conference ministry affirmed by the board in June. (See moderator’s statement and release.)

Executive director David Wiebe presented ideas he and staff had developed and tested earlier this fall with provincial leaders in B.C. and Alberta. The board did not finalize a statement, but drew word pictures of a vision whose core is the nurturing of faithfulness and reproductive character in MB churches and individuals.

The Board supports this vision in principle and instructed that the conference staff hone the statement and prepare supporting documents. Further, they are to continue to test it with the provincial conferences to determine if it is truly national in scope. It is hoped that national and provincial leaders will then present the accepted vision to congregational leaders after Gathering 2006. Once consensus is reached, questions of what resources are required and the best way to provide them (whether nationally, provincially or other) can be worked at in more detail.

Executive Board: (back, l–r) Nancy Boese, Roger Thiessen, Ron Dyck, Paul Francis, Hans Boge, Jack Falk; (middle) Mark Jantzen, Paul Loewen, Marilyn Hiebert, Ike Bergen, Don Petker, Jean-Raymond Théorét, Len Penner, Herb Suderman, Ken Peters; (front) Willy Reimer, Kristen Corrigan, Vic Thiessen, David Wiebe.

Budget

The board accepted the report of the newly established audit committee, which reviewed the financial report for the 2004–5 fiscal year. Conference operations concluded the year in the black. The board further accepted a budget for this fiscal year, now developed according to the six strategic services that will govern conference work. The budget incorporated the Conference Ministry Support Fund (church contributions) targets of $1.7 million along with income from sales, grants and donations, for a total of close to $3 million.

Board of Faith and Life

Ken Peters, Board of Faith and Life (BFL) representative on the board, reported on the kinds of responses BFL is receiving to its proposed recommendation on women in ministry leadership. These will be considered at BFL meetings in January. While the BFL has been concentrating on the theological aspects of the recommendation, the executive board concluded it needs to address practical implications of either outcome, such as obtaining advice on the possible legal implications of the current and proposed policies.

Annual meeting

As a charitable organization, the Canadian Conference is required to have an annual general meeting. Gathering, however, is held biannually (with the next to be held July 6–8, 2006 at the University of Calgary). Several options to meet the requirement were discussed. The board charged Wiebe with developing a proposed solution to the requirement for the board’s next meeting, and to ensure that the document is posted on the website as a draft for comment and input from the constituency.

Collaboration

Moderator Willy Reimer reported on a second provincial/national collaboration summit, held one day prior to the meetings of the Executive Board. This meeting continued dialogue begun in June, and identified significant questions for both levels of conference work. These questions concerned conference support (should it be collected provincially with a portion forwarded to the Canadian conference?), providing financial and benefits services, providing pastoral and congregational support (to what extent do provinces cover this now and should there be additional national support?). Should the current practice of maintaining and developing confessional integrity through the national body, with monitoring through provincial conferences, be maintained or modified? Can we function so churches perceive national and provincial bodies as a single entity?

Speaking after the board meetings, David Wiebe said the goal is to be much clearer about where responsibilities within the national/ provincial collaboration lie. He reported further that the atmosphere and tone of the meetings had been “very strong.” He invited continuing prayers for himself as executive director and for the board. The next meetings are scheduled for Jan. 27–28, 2006, in Abbotsford.

—Dora Dueck