EXECUTIVE

Board Members

Responsibilities

Staff

Reuben Pauls, executive minister
Madelaine Friesen, clerical

Executive Staff

We thank God for those who serve us in Conference ministries. In particular we are grateful for:

  • John and Katie Epp. John served as conference minister/executive secretary on an interim basis for the first year of the biennium. Out of deep love for God and His church and a wealth of ministry experience, John challenged us to greater faithfulness in our calling; his commitment to prayer and God's Word strengthened the bonds of love among us. We commend John and Katie Epp to your prayers for God's empowerment for many more years of ministry.
  • Reuben and Martha Pauls. We thank those of you who joined us in prayer for a new executive minister. We rejoice in God's faithfulness in leading Reuben and Martha Pauls to accept our call. They began their ministry with our Conference in August, 1995, following a fruitful pastorate at Valleyview Bible Church in Kamloops, B.C. At the August meeting of the Council of Boards in Saskatoon, we commissioned Reuben, committing him and Martha to God's grace, the Holy Spirit's guidance and the love of Jesus as they serve God's people. Please pray for Reuben and Martha and all of our staff that they may serve with joy and thanksgiving.

    Mission and Core Values

    We invite your commitment to the Mission and Core Values as a guide for the work we do together as Canadian Mennonite Brethren churches.

    Resource commitments

    In 1994, a Seminary Funding Task Force was appointed by the Executive of the General MB Conference to review the subsidy agreements for Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary. In January, 1995, the Canadian MB Conference Council of Boards approved the following recommendations of the Task Force:
    • 1. That we affirm continued support of the Canadian and United States Conferences for a unified seminary.
    • 2. That the total guaranteed subsidy provided by the national conferences be increased to $635,000 for fiscal year 1995-96 and be fixed at that amount for subsequent years.
    • 3. That we continue to work toward a 60/40 ratio between Canadian and US subsidy support.
    • 4. That an exchange rate of a minimum of $0.82 be accepted for Canadian funds and be phased in over a three-year period beginning in fiscal year 1996-97.
    • 5. That, beginning in fiscal year 1996-97, the Canadian Conference fund a half-time seminary position, similar to the position already established in the US, to promote seminary commitment and to raise funds for the seminary in Canada.
    • 6. This agreement shall be subject to review called by the General MB Conference Executive or upon notification of either partner of this agreement in or after the fiscal year 2000-2001.

    Liaison ministries

    • Concord College. Roland Marsch served as our representative on the Concord College board. We have reviewed the policies regarding the transfer of assets to Concord College adopted at our 1992 convention in Quebec: On June 1, 1997 the fixed assets will be sold to the Concord College Conference for the sum of $1.00 subject to the agreement that the sale or disposal of assets of land and buildings prior to June 1, 2000 must be approved by the Canadian MB Conference; in the event that Concord College should cease to exist prior to June 1, 2002, the assets would revert back to the Canadian Conference. In keeping with the 1992 resolution, Concord College currently has a $400,000 line of credit for operational purposes with the Canadian MB Conference. The Executive Board has undertaken an independent audit of Concord, to be completed during 1996.
    • Institut biblique Laval. Abe Konrad served as our liaison with IBL, relating with the Quebec Association of MB Churches primarily through moderator Andr<142> Bourque. We have been encouraged by the renewed commitment of our sister churches in Quebec to accept greater responsibility for their ministries. IBL will receive an operational grant annually from our Conference, but it will continue to rely heavily upon direct gifts from our churches. Let us be faithful to our commitments in prayer and also in financial support.
    • Interdenominational fellowship. On many occasions, all of us enjoy fellowship with followers of Jesus in other denominations. These meetings strengthen the bonds of love among God's people and encourage us to greater faithfulness in pursuing our mission.
    • The Canadian MB Conference executive officers meet annually in January with leaders of the Chortitzer Mennonite Conference, Evangelical Mennonite Conference and Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference. We anticipate some joint ministerial activities in the future.
    • On a somewhat more formal basis, we also meet (in conjunction with the Mennonite Central Committee Canada annual meeting) as members of the Canadian Council of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Moderators. This meeting provides an opportunity to dialogue with MCC Canada staff and board members about their major issues as well as some of our own ministry concerns.
    • In July 1-7, 1996 our moderator will represent the Canadian MB Conference for the first time at the meeting of the International Council of Mennonite Brethren in Bogota, Colombia. In conjunction with that meeting, he will also represent the Canadian Conference at the 50th anniversary of the Colombian Conference in Cali. These international events contribute to our identity as a world fellowship of churches and strengthen our commitment to global mission.
    • Finally, we cherish our membership in the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, which brings together 28 denominations and many churches to wrestle with some of the national issues of our day.

    Constitutional revision

    During the past biennium, we reviewed our constitution in light of the decisions to restructure our boards in 1994. In this process, some additional changes were made to update the constitution to reflect current practices. Some of the changes were editorial in nature, while others were more substantive. The proposed amendments were mailed to the churches on March 11, 1996 (and are reprinted in this convention issue of the Herald) and will be acted upon at this convention.

    Personal comment

    At the end of my term as moderator, I wish to acknowledge God's faithfulness to me and the prayers and support of many people. In particular, I publicly express my deepest gratitude to Lydia and our family for their constant support and to my partners Roland and Elizabeth for sharing this ministry with me. All of the Conference staff and members of our boards have helped me to understand my role and to experience God's grace in my service among you. I have a deep love for the Mennonite Brethren, and I pray that your love may abound more and more until the day of Christ Jesus, who calls us into service. Let us pursue our ministries not to be served, but as an offering of our lives to serve our God and all humanity.

    Abram G. Konrad

    Recommendations

    1. That the Mission and Core Values be affirmed.
    2. That the revisions to the constitution be approved.

    New churches to be accepted into the Canadian MB Conference at the 1996 convention:

    • Gateway Community Church, Lower Sackville, N.S.
    • Cornerstone Community Church (Mennonite Brethren), Virgil, Ont.
    • Flin Flon MB Church, Flin Flon, Man.
    • Jubilee Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, Man.
    • New Hope Community Church, Winnipeg, Man.
    • Mountainview Grace Church, Calgary, Alta.
    • Sunwest Christian Fellowship, Calgary, Alta.
    • Fleetwood Community Church, Surrey, B.C.
    • Garden Valley Community Church, Kelowna, B.C.
    • Murrayville Community Church, Langley, B.C.
    • Vernon Community Church, Vernon, B.C.
    • West Vancouver Bible Church, West Vancouver, B.C.
    • Iglesia Hispana Bakerview, MB, Abbotsford, B.C.

    Executive Minister's Report

    What's new

  • Executive minister. Personally, everything is new--Winnipeg, being executive minister, serving a Canada-wide constituency.
  • Statistics. Responsibility for gathering the statistical data from the churches has been added to the executive minister's office.
  • SERVE 2000. This new strategy views our Canadian MB Conference as a conference of churches, not of agencies.

    Appreciation

  • To John Epp, for his sensitive coaching in my transition to the new work.
  • To the office staff in Winnipeg for their assistance in helping me feel at home in a different work environment.
  • To the Council of Boards and Executive Board for their affirmation and support in calling me to this ministry.

    Personal vision

    There is incredible strength in the diversity we have across Canada. As a Conference, we are able to reach people from all walks of life, from seven or eight language groups and from across a wide economic spectrum. Worship styles differ greatly from congregation to congregation. What unites us, hopefully, is a common vision to see people come to experience Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Methods may differ, but the mission is the same. Rather than fragment over styles and methods, we want to cheer each other's successes. Where others have greater freedom than we do, we want to bless, not be suspicious or attribute ulterior motives. Where there is quantitative growth, we want to encourage greater effectiveness. Where there is renewal, we want to encourage continuing revival. We want to become a conference of churches in which we grant permission to each other to be bold in our attempts to reach a desperate and hurting world, while holding onto the centrality of the inspired Word of God. We want to be a reconciling people and yet remain biblical in all relationships. We want to be a conference of churches in which serving God where we are is the goal of all members.

    Areas of responsibility

  • Denominational representation. It is a privilege to represent our conference in settings such as the Canadian Council of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Moderators, Mennonite Central Committee and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. We are seen as bringing a significant voice to these meetings.

  • Working with provincial conference ministers. This ties in closely with my Board of Faith and Life responsibilities, but it needs to be seen as part of our overall vision, as our Canadian office cooperates with provincial leadership in many areas.

  • Staff coordination. The cooperation which needs to exist between ministry departments in our Winnipeg office is another of the executive minister's responsibilities. The working relationships within our Conference agencies, together with MB Missions/Services and Kindred Productions, are pleasant and productive. We are fortunate to have a committed staff.

  • Constituency contact. Ewald Unruh, David Wiebe and I have the most visible contact with our churches. We are grateful for the invitations to be part of the ministries of local churches and of provincial conferences. We constantly work on our calendars to make sure that we provide adequate coverage to all of our provinces. (Invitations from churches make it easier for us to ensure that no one feels overlooked.)

    Relationship to the Board of Faith and Life.

    The role of the executive minister is now defined as being 100% responsible to the Executive Board. However, 40% of my time is given to the Board of Faith and Life.

    Conclusion

    Your continuing prayers for us in this ministry are greatly appreciated. My personal belief is that God desires each of our churches and provincial conferences to continue effective ministry. A healthy church will be a place where new life is evident. A healthy church will focus on reaching the unchurched, and will show the maturity needed to avoid internal battles over non-essentials. May our service together be pleasing to Him who is Lord of the church--Jesus Christ.

    Reuben Pauls

    Return to the M.B. Herald Vol. 35, No. 10 Home Page