Jesus is "Roi des nations"

QUEBEC MB CONFERENCE CONVENTION

The Quebec MB Conference celebrated the acceptance of its first non-francophone congregation Sept. 14-15, giving substance to the theme of its 1996 convention: "Jesus, King of the Nations".

The convention business session on Saturday drew 35 delegates and began with breakfast in the host St-Eustache church. Host pastor Jean-Victor Brosseau recalled a famous photo of a young John Kennedy Jr. playing under his president father's desk; he said that, as children of God, Christians have the privilege of working in the presence of their Father, who rules the nations.

Moderator Andre Bourque led the convention in joyously accepting the new Khmer (Cambodian) Church of St-Laurent as the ninth member of the Quebec Conference. He added that the Conference had awaited this new birth just as Abraham had eagerly awaited the birth of his promised son.

The Conference also said prayers of dedication for Jean-Victor Brossseau, who moves from the pastorate to become the Mennonite Central Committee representative in Quebec.

Projet Jeunesse. Bourque reported on the Youth Project, which was begun in 1994 as a joint effort of the Quebec and Canadian MB Conferences. Sylvain Nantel was hired to lead a joint youth ministry for all of the Quebec MB churches, which are too small to hire their own youth pastors. In late 1995, it became obvious that the Quebec Conference could not afford to maintain its share of the costs, and Nantel was reduced to part-time. Nantel resigned as of August, 1996 in order to seek a full-time youth ministry position.

Accordingly, the Quebec Conference leadership called a meeting of church representatives in August to restructure the program for 1996-97. It was agreed to continue summer and winter youth camps, the Equipped to Serve ministry team (which is composed of youth), evangelism efforts and the training of volunteer youth leaders. The programs will be operated by a committee and will have an overall budget of $4560.

Institut biblique Laval. President Jean Theoret reported on the Laval Bible Institute, which offers four programs:

  • A one-year program is accredited as one-quarter of a Bachelor's degree at the Universite de Montreal.
  • A Micro-Program offers non-credit seminars in churches as needed.
  • The Centre for the Research and Development of Faith Education, formed in 1994 under the direction of instructor Marthe Wall, develops French-language curriculum for Sunday school and vacation Bible school; the first four sets of 13-15 lessons are now in use throughout Quebec, as well as in Africa and France.
  • IBL is also a partner in an international urban ministry training program.

    IBL receives over half of its operating cost as a direct grant from the Canadian MB Conference. The school must also raise funds, and it was noted that of the $53,000 raised in 1995-96, only $4000 came from within Quebec.

    Convention delegates responded to the IBL report with an outpouring of praise and gratitude for the school and appeals for the Quebec churches and members to give the school more support.

    Evangelism. After lunch, the convention heard testimonies from the churches which are smaller and farther from the centre of MB strength in Montreal:

  • Diane Poirier of the New-Richmond congregation at the east end of the province, thanked the Conference for providing advice and also thanked pastors of other congregations for sending videotaped sermons. She expressed the hope that the Conference could provide visiting speakers on a regular basis.
  • Alain Blackburn reported that the Charlesbourg congregation (near Quebec City) was being led by the church elders, with Denis Tremblay preaching three Sundays a month. (Founding pastor David Franco resigned this year after 14 years of service.)
  • No representatives from St-Donat were present, but a report praised the faithful service of a number of women who have taught Sunday school in that congregation for several years without a break.

    Prayers were offered for these smaller congregations.

    The Quebec Conference runs Good News dinners twice a year as inter-church outreach events. Excitement was expressed about a new multifaceted evangelism thrust centred in the MB congregation in St-Jerome Oct. 15-Nov. 10.

    Finances. Reports were also given by Le Lien (a monthly periodical funded by the Canadian MB Conference Board of Communications) and Camp Peniel. The Camp, which had been mothballed for several years, is now operating on a limited basis and is being renovated by volunteers at "work camps". Notable among the renovaters were a group of youth from Le Roc (The Rock) drop-in centre, who were given the opportunity to escape inner-city Montreal for a week and gain dignity from work.

    The Conference finished 1995-96 with revenues of $69,721 (including grants of $23,000 from the Canadian Conference) and expenses of $72,530. The deficit of $2809 (primarily the fault of a $7000 deficit from Projet Jeunesse) reduces the Conference's accumulated operating deficit to a meagre $48. Management chair Charles Gagnon urged churches to increase their giving to the Canadian Conference as well as the Quebec Conference.

    The Quebec Conference does not elect committees but individuals who serve on the equivalent Canadian Conference boards and who gather ad hoc committees for specific projects in Quebec as needed. Andre Bourque was elected moderator for the fifth straight year because the Conference was unable to find a replacement. (The St-Jerome church, which he pastors, had requested that he be relieved of the extra responsibility.) Others affirmed were Robert Dagenais (asistant moderator), Charles Gagnon (Management), Marthe Wall (Christian Education), Claude Queval (Spiritual and Social Concerns), Jean Theoret (Communications), Raymond Plante (treasurer) and Marjorie Bergen (auditor). The secretary and Evangelism positions have not yet been filled.

    Celebration. The Sunday morning rally is a highlight of the year for the Quebec churches, attracting over 500 people. (A children's program ministered to 140 children.) A history of the new Khmer congregation was given, and more prayers were said for this group. The offering, designated for Projet Jeunesse, was $1800, short of the goal of $3500.

    Philippe Bonicel, pastor of the Ste-Rose congregation, spoke on the convention theme. Noting that Jesus is King by right of birth and by right of conquest, he asked, "Is Jesus King of your life?" He added that Jesus is King of the nations only as He is King of individuals, and that Christians are called to participate in the divine plan of redeeming the nations through love.

    The morning closed with the singing of "I exalt you, Lord, among the nations". Lunch was served by the St-Eustache congregation, followed by a time of fellowship and games.

    Annie Brosseau, translated and adapted from the French by Jim Coggins

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