The Board of Communications. The Board of Communications was created in the summer of 1994; previously, the Conference periodicals were under the Board of Faith and Life, and the Centre for MB Studies was under the Board of Higher Education. The new Board has worked diligently at defining and carrying out its mandate and at determining how to apply that mandate to our four periodicals and the Centre for MB Studies. We are exploring new ways to communicate and ways in which we might work with the Manitoba MB Conference agency, MB Communications. The Board is very pleased with the professionalism and high standards our staff constantly set for themselves and their products, whether in periodicals or in the preservation and promotion of our history.
New editorial staff at the MB Herald. Ron Geddert resigned as editor, effective December, 1994. In February, 1995, Jim Coggins was promoted from associate editor to editor, and Susan Brandt was promoted from editorial assistant to managing editor. Two months later, Kevin Heinrichs was hired as editorial assistant. (These changes impacted the other periodicals as well. Ron Geddert also served as executive editor, with responsibility for overseeing all four periodicals. Currently, there is no executive editor, and the editors of the four periodicals report directly to the Board.)
The internet. In the fall of 1995, the Canadian MB Conference set up home pages on the internet for all departments. In February, 1996, the MB Herald went on-line: You can now read the Herald on the internet on the day it is published. The Centre for MB Studies is also on the internet and e-mail, making information in the archives more accessible to congregations across Canada.
New initiatives in heritage preservation. The Centre for MB Studies in Winnipeg is one of three North American centres approved in the 1970s and given the mandate to collect, preserve and promote Mennonite Brethren heritage resources. In cooperation with the Historical Commission of the General MB Conference, the Centre has helped sponsor workshops on heritage preservation at various provincial conference conventions. Abe Dueck has also visited many congregations in Alberta and Ontario to help them in record keeping and to encourage them to preserve important records. Other congregations will be visited in the next several years.
Changes anticipated in the future
Development of the Chinese Herald. It is anticipated that the Chinese Herald will expand to six or more issues per year and become a more regular magazine. This will probably require the hiring of a new part-time editor, since Keynes Kan already has a more than full-time job as senior pastor of Port Moody Pacific Grace Chinese MB Church.
An audio Herald? The MB Herald staff are investigating putting the Herald on audio tape. This would serve seniors with decreasing eyesight, but also others such as commuters who like to listen to tapes on their way to work. A difficulty is the cost of producing and mailing the audio tapes. A possible solution would be to ask local church libraries to buy copies, which would then be available for use by the members of their congregations.
Repositioning of the Mennonitische Rundschau? With Board approval, editor Lorina Marsch has undertaken a multi-year study to investigate the feasibility of repositioning the Rundschau as a magazine for German "Aussiedler" churches, especially for those with an historic Mennonite Brethren connection. If ownership were to be passed to a kindred group in Germany, our Canadian Conference involvement would be phased out, but there would be a secure future for this 119-year-old paper, the oldest Mennonite periodical in the world.
Ongoing challenges
New technologies. The Board of Communications continues to wrestle with what use the Mennonite Brethren Church should make of new technologies such as the internet. What combination of media use is most efficient, most useful and wisest?
MB Communications. How should the Canadian Conference Board of Communications relate to this Manitoba Conference agency? We have begun to explore ways in which we may be able to cooperate on certain projects. How far should such cooperation go?
Archival needs assessment. The Centre for MB Studies has done a thorough needs assessment to ascertain requirements for the next several decades. More space will soon be needed to house the records of the Canadian Conference and related bodies and congregations. The present location in the basement of Concord College is less than ideal. The use of the archives by various people has increased substantially over the years, but access is complicated and difficult, especially for seniors. With the possible move of Concord College to a new site in 1999, the Centre will need to determine whether to move with the College or to occupy vacated space in the present location. The Historical Committee (which is appointed by the Board of Communications to oversee the work of the Centre) has indicated a preference to remain closely connected with an academic institution.
Using the past to build a better future. How can the next generation of the Mennonite Brethren Church build on the best of our heritage while adapting to the changes in our society and our churches? How can people of various ethnic, racial and social backgrounds enrich and enlarge the story for future generations? How can the present generation develop a sense of identity and continuity with faithful Christians of the past? These are the challenges facing those who work with our heritage resources.
Other languages. We currently publish periodicals in four languages. Are there other language groups that should also be served with a periodical? What criteria should the Board use to decide what periodicals are needed by the Conference and the level of financial support that each should have?
Controlling costs. The staff and Board try to be good stewards of the money given to them by the churches. Despite significant increases in the circulation of the Herald in recent years, we have managed to hold increases in our spending at or below the inflation rate. However, certain major costs are beyond our control. For instance, in the past year, the price of paper has increased by 60%. As well, we wonder about the long-term security of the federal government's subsidy to second-class mailing rates. (Like other Canadian periodicals, the Herald and Rundschau receive a subsidized rate from the post office; it costs about 8 cents to mail a copy of the magazines.)
Encounter. These twice-a-year evangelistic issues of the MB Herald have received much praise for their quality and appropriateness for a non-Christian audience. Our question is: If Encounter is so good, why aren't churches and individuals using it more? We keep the price low (50 cents a copy), and sell between 2000 and 6000 extra copies each time, but much more use could be made of Encounter. Why don't local churches budget more money for evangelism? Why don't more churches blanket their neighbourhoods or band together with other churches to blanket their communities with Encounter? Why don't more individual members give away the copies they receive free of charge or buy extra copies for friends, neighbours and clients? (Churches could buy bulk copies and sell them to their members for this purpose.) Why don't more MB businesses place appropriate advertising in Encounter to help keep the cost down or buy extra copies to place in their waiting rooms?
Recommendations
1. That the Conference purchase the Mennonite Brethren Herald subscriptions for its members in 1996-98.
2. That the Conference purchase the Mennonitische Rundschau subscriptions for its members in 1996-98.
Return to the M.B. Herald Vol. 35, No. 10
Home Page