New at the Canadian MB Conference

Homework for the board

When the Canadian conference executive board met last October, moderator Jascha Boge gave members a homework assignment for their next meeting. He challenged them to come prepared to respond to the question: “What do we need to do to re-ignite excitement and passion within the MB church?”

Considerable time was then given in the board’s Jan. 19–20 meeting, held in Abbotsford, B.C., for homework responses. The recurring theme of the answers, says board secretary Marilyn Hiebert, was that when we are missional – getting involved both locally and globally in responding to needs – we get passionate about Jesus and that passion is passed on.

Certifiably ready to coach

The Canadian conference recently certified 11 conference leaders and pastors as coach–trainers through the ministry of CoachNet. The participants attended two training sessions, and then experienced both coaching and being coached over a period of nine months. Executive director David Wiebe reported to executive board members in January that these coaches are now positioned to multiply three-fold by coaching other pastors.

Aileen Friesen of the Centre for MB Studies sorts thousands of letters from Russia

Thousands of letters

A remarkable collection of letters (roughly 6 to 7,000 of them) is being sorted and analyzed by Aileen Friesen, a graduate student who works part-time at the Centre for MB Studies, Winnipeg. The letters were written to Viktor Hamm, Russian radio speaker for MB Communications, during the 1980s and 1990s as the Soviet Union was collapsing. Most originate from Ukraine and the central and eastern regions but there are letters from all parts of the former USSR. People wrote to request literature and to share their spiritual journeys. The collection documents the growth of the evangelical movement, Friesen says; the memories they contain “present a rare glimpse into the lives of ordinary people during a period of extraordinary change.”

Designed for pastors, new or old

The Board of Faith and Life and MB Biblical Seminary will present a Pastors’ Credentialing and Orientation (formerly known as New Pastors’ Orientation) May 13–16 at Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg. This “exciting new equipping event” is specially designed for pastors new to the Canadian MB Conference or as a refresher for those who have served for many years.

Presenters will include Bruce Guenther (ACTS, Langley, B.C.) on the Anabaptist/MB story, Tim Geddert (MBBS, Fresno, Cal.) on the church and God’s mission, and Mark Baker (MBBS, Fresno) on discipleship and ethics.

Registration before March 31 is $300 and includes airport shuttle, meals, and course materials. See the event page for more information and to register.

Across the provinces

Canadian conference executive director David Wiebe, together with staff directors Cam Rowland, Ewald Unruh, and John Wiebe, travelled across the provinces last fall, meeting with each provincial conference’s moderator and executive team. The goal was to build structure (in order to avoid duplication of ministries), share identity, and focus on what God wants Canadian Mennonite Brethren to be. A summit of leaders at both conference levels is planned, to articulate a national–provincial collaborate agreement.

–from reports