"What does the Lord require of you?" was repeated over and over during the 87th Manitoba MB Conference convention. As delegates met in the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium in Brandon February 23-24, the theme from Micah 6:8 was heard in the moderator's message, in the greetings from fraternal delegates and in the reports of the agencies. Hosting churches were Richmond Park (in Brandon), Lakeview (in Killarney), Boissevain and Justice.
As at other Manitoba conventions, a number of churches were creatively profiled using: slide presentations (Grace Church of Cranberry Portage; Justice; Fort Garry of Winnipeg), radio/magazine interviews (Manitou; Justice); a golf game by the pastors of Richmond Park, Brandon, during which they discussed the various ministries of the church, and a "pastoral letter" from the Fort Garry MB Church, which ended with a piano-accompanied dramatic reading of selections from Matthew 25.
Church growth
Two churches were accepted into the Manitoba MB Conference. Flin Flon MB Church has been active since 1984, when Dale and Marge Warkentin moved there to plant a church. However, it had never been received officially into the Conference. This was rectified this year. Although Flin Flon has a transient population because of its mining industry, the church has a solid reputation. One lady who recently joined indicated she wanted the name to remain "Mennonite Brethren" because that name had a no-nonsense, good reputation across the country.
New Hope Community Church, Winnipeg, was also received into the Conference. It is an outgrowth of the former Winnipeg Central MB Church. Meetings are being held in East St. Paul, a suburb north-east of Winnipeg with only two small churches for a population of 6000. Victor and Linda Neufeld pastor the group.
Recognition of service
Winnipeg Central MB Church was recognized for its rich history of ministry. It closed its doors this past fall after some 30 years of worship in the core area of Winnipeg. When it first began meeting at its location, many of the members lived in that area. Now they have moved to the outskirts of the city. After much deliberation and prayer, the membership decided to close the church. Many joined Elmwood MB Church, while others organized to become the New Hope Community Church.
The Board of Directors recognized the nine-year service of Cornie Riediger as administrator of the Manitoba MB Conference. Riediger has now retired, and George Martens has assumed the position. Although 1995 was considered a housekeeping year by the Board of Directors, several significant changes were instituted. The provincial office no longer is a conduit for funds being sent from the congregations to the Canadian MB Conference. Also, a conference liability insurance program has been instituted; this will cover volunteers in the churches, as well as officers and directors of programs and professionals working for the agencies.
David Dyck, director of programs for MB Missions/Services, was a fraternal delegate to the convention. He recognized the more than 30 years of ministry by Fred Epp, who, until recently was the director of finance.
John A. Janzen, chair of Missions and Church Extension, later also recognized the ministry of Neil Block, director of MCE, who is returning to pastoral ministry this summer.
Reports from agencies
The report by Herb Suderman, chair of Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute board, elicited some discussion from the floor regarding funding. Since 44% of the funding for the high school comes from the government, and only 3.8% comes from the Conference, will this become a problem in the future given the cutback trend of governments recently? Suderman indicated that integrity was not in question. The school is being run in accordance with government guidelines. But he also invited continued commitment of support from the Conference, perhaps with more financial involvement so that the school will remain a Conference school. Rural churches are questioning their responsibility to the school, since it seems to be only a Winnipeg institution. Of the 551 students enrolled this year, only one is from an MB church outside Winnipeg, and two are from MB churches outside the province.
The report by John A. Janzen, chair of the Board of Missions and Church Extension, was upbeat and encouraging. He reported about modern miracles, changed lives and changed relationships in the churches in the north.
Of special note was Cornie Plett's report on the church in Snow Lake. He was told when he began working in the church that "what is needed is not a fire and brimstone evangelist, but a priest, someone who would walk among the people". This Plett has sought to do. Because the mining industry sustains the community, and mining was at a low point last year, Plett went to Snow Lake for an initial six-month period. This was to be followed by an evaluation of the feasibility of maintaining a church in the community. In the meantime, two mines have been opened and the mood in the community is again upbeat. Cornie's wife Bernie prayed that among the miners moving to the community there would be a number of Christians. This prayer was answered in that twice as many people are attending the church now as two years ago, and the church has been able to go off Conference subsidy.
Mennonite Brethren Communications probably had the most thorough scrutiny of any agency. 1995 was the second consecutive year that it ended its fiscal year in the red, with a deficit of $82,000. Although the past year was one of fiscal restraint, income still did not cover expenses. Chair Leroy Unrau said, "There has been a gap in the recent past between vision and income", and more cost-cutting measures have been instituted.
However, concern was also raised that churches and individuals are no longer as interested in supporting ministries that do not serve them personally. Board member Fred Wiens criticized this trend, saying, "The Conference has shifted focus to being self-serving rather than ministry oriented".
Ted Goossen, director of Simonhouse Bible Camp, Cranberry Portage, wondered whether the perception is that MB Communications is being supported by the whole Canadian MB Conference, and therefore was not as dependent on Manitoba as it used to be.
Introduced as part of the MB Communications report were Jacob Funk, producer of the German programs, and the Gospel Light Singers, a male sextet who have just produced a new CD/cassette Rock of Ages. Also introduced was Ernesto Pinto, producer of the Spanish program Encuentro, which is being aired on stations in Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Honduras, Chile, Nicaragua, Peru and the US.
The convention approved a Board of Directors recommendation to forgive MBC's 1995 debt, and to waive the interest repayment of MBC's 1994 deficit. However, as a result of this, there will be a review of all MBC operations culminating in the submission to the Conference of a "strategic plan" consistent with MBC's mandate, experience and resources.
Two years ago, Winkler Bible Institute was challenged to meet certain benchmarks in order to maintain viability as an educational institution. President Paul Kroeker was excited about the fact that these benchmarks have been met, and indicated that WBI was also on track for the coming year. In order to widen its support and its student bases, WBI presented a recommendation that it be permitted to bring in two board members from outside the Mennonite Brethren constituency. A challenging testimony was given by student Charles Schroeder from Elm Creek. Even though he has had a liver transplant and currently suffers from cancer, he exhibited a strong faith based on three Old Testament heroes: Job (the Lord gives), Habbakuk (yet I will exult in the Lord), and Daniel (even if God not does not save me, I will not worship other gods).
The Board of Directors proposed a budget of $995,600 for the coming year, 1.4% higher than the 1994 budget. With a projected revenue of $1,003,600, this would allow for a revenue of $8000 over the proposed expenditure.
Disagreement
An issue that could have become divisive was forestalled by parliamentary procedure. Will Feldbusch, pastor of Brooklands Community Church, Winnipeg, moved that the provincial conference state its opposition to the dance that was held at Banff '95 because it was not brought to the churches beforehand, and that an apology from the Canadian MB Conference Christian Education Ministries Board be requested. A member of the Manitoba Church Ministries Board who was at Banff admitted that although it was not an appropriately planned event, the event itself was not sinful. Al Doerksen said that to vote for the motion might alienate the youth, and therefore moved to refer the issue to the Manitoba MB Conference Committee of Reference and Counsel. The chair then ruled that a motion to refer was not debatable (although this was later recognized as incorrect) and called for a vote to refer the issue, which passed handily.
New guard
Elections to office became an interesting exercise. Of the 41 positions that were filled at this convention, only five went to women. Youthful delegates and young nominees to boards other than for the Board of Church Ministries were in the minority. A number of the positions were difficult, if not impossible to fill. Elected to the executive were John Unger, moderator; John B. Epp, assistant moderator; Ernie Dyck, secretary, and G. Roger Friesen, treasurer. In his concluding prayer, Wally Kroeker, pastor at Boissevain, recognized that God has given gifts to the church--wrapped up in people.
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