Mission:

The mission of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches is to glorify God, to nurture and equip its members to live the Christian life and to mobilize them for ministry.

Core values:

Searching the Scriptures. To be a part of a biblical movement means to be known as people of the Word who accept the Bible as inspired and authoritative in all matters of faith and life. All members of the church are encouraged to study the Scriptures under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Encountering Jesus as Lord. To be a believers' church means we believe that personal salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and by personal confession of faith. It also means we teach and practise believers' baptism. Furthermore, we commit ourselves to discipline, nurture, train and equip believers for ministry at the local church and various conference levels.

Reconciling people. We affirm Christ's way of peace and reconciliation because we believe that God in Christ reconciles people to Himself and to one another. We call all church members to be peacemakers and agents of reconciliation in all relationships.

Valuing covenant community. We stress the importance of belonging to a local church in which every member is accountable to the body and involved in ministry. Similarly, the church is accountable and responsible for each member in providing opportunities for nurture and service. Covenant community also expresses itself in the relationships between local churches and the denomination.

Extending the Kingdom. A missionary church is committed to evangelism in local and global settings. This includes an understanding that the gospel is both word and deed, expressed through proclamation and compassionate ministries to extend God's Kingdom in Canada and around the world.

Serve 2000, our convention theme, provides the focus for sharing highlights of our ministry during the past biennium. God has called all of us into ministry and encouraged us to "serve one another in love" (Romans 5:13, Isaiah 49:3).

The statement of Mission and Core Values for the Canadian Mennonite Brethren Conference was formulated at the leadership retreat of the Executive Board and executive staff, August 22-24, 1995 in Saskatoon. With Ed Boschman serving as resource person, we engaged in worship, personal sharing, meditation and vision building. We affirmed the beginnings we had taken in these matters at an earlier retreat in Mission, B.C. and examined our understanding and commitment to God's work among us. The Mission and Core Values provide direction to planning and evaluation of our ministry programs.

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

Abram G. Konrad, Moderator

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