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Conference moderator John H. Unger presented the convention theme, "Resonating with the Heart of God" from Isaiah 43, in two short messages. The first focussed on the first part of the chapter, emphasizing that Christians are created/formed, redeemed and called by name (that is, called children of God). Unger offered comforting words: "We are forgiven, loved and accepted. God's pleasure is upon us."
The second message was based on Isaiah 43:16-21. Unger noted that, like the Israelites in verses 16-17, God has blessed Mennonite Brethren. He then turned to verses 18-19: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing." Unger said, "Sometimes things have gone so well for so long that we don't want to move on. . . . But it is now time to forget what God did in the past and look ahead to the future." He noted that the future may seem inhospitable, unsafe and unknown (as the wilderness seemed to the Israelites who left Egypt), but that God has promised to provide for His people as they follow Him into the future.
On Saturday morning, Missions and Church Extension Director Cliff Janzen picked up the same theme in a morning devotional. He noted that when Christians have a mountaintop experience, they tend to want to set up camp and stay there. However, "Resonating with the heart of God means there are new mountains to climb and we should engage the future aggressively."
The "new thing" theme was evident in many aspects of the business sessions, although it was not always clear that the delegation was ready to leave the good things of the past.
As part of that planning process, MCE completed a review of its chaplaincy work at Headingley Correctional Institute (Walter Wiens is paid by the Conference to be a chaplain at that institution) and recommended to the convention that this program be closed down. Wiens would cease work in March but be paid until the end of August. MCE argued that lay ministry through agencies such as Open Circle (started by MCC Manitoba) and Community Ministry with Ex-Offenders was more effective. It also argued that change is needed because it is spending 40% of its budget on chaplaincy, counselling and camping programs, leaving only 3% for church planting.
The recommendation was met by a flurry of opposition. Of 14 people who spoke (5 of them from Wiens's home church, Westwood), none supported the recommendation. They argued, often passionately, that in light of the recent riot at Headingley, now was not the time to abandon the work; that both chaplaincy and lay prison ministry are needed; that the poor and needy should not be abandoned; that lay ministry works in federal prisons but takes too long to get organized in a provincial institution like Headingley where sentences are less than two years and sometimes only a few weeks; and that MCE had no plans in place to encourage lay prison ministry.
The recommendation was soundly defeated in a secret ballot, 249-71.
However, this year, secular school teachers received no increase, the Conference would have liked to give no increase due to financial pressures, but it felt forced to give a 2.2% increase, which was the increase in the CPI. The Personnel Committee, therefore, brought a recommendation that the policy be changed so that in the in-between years the Conference could decide on increases without reference to the CPI.
However, a couple of speakers objected that the recommendation was unfair to employees, that employees had been promised an objective standard for their wages, that the current policy allows Boards to ask the Personnel Committee to not give an increase in any given year if there are budget problems, and that the policy should not be changed after trying it for only one year. On a motion from Harry Olfert of McIvor Ave. MB Church, the recommendation was tabled for at least a year.
(MBCI actually accumulated a surplus of $120,000, which it is putting into a reserve account as it seeks to build an endowment fund. MBCI receives block funding of $100,000 a year, but its deficits and surpluses are not included in the Conference totals.)
Of considerable concern to the Board of Directors is that, while actual membership in the Conference rose from 5635 to 5687 over the last two years, contributing members dropped from 5206 to 5151. This means that the Conference received only 91% of the expected norm.
For 1997, the Conference will hold its norm at $181 per member. The convention approved a 1997 budget of $955,000down from the $1,016,595 actual in 1996, mainly because anticipated transfers to the capital reserve account have been dropped from $100,000 to $45,000.
Similarly, a plan to hire a conference minister was put on hold, pending the outcome of the review. In the interim, a recommendation was approved to appoint four volunteer conference ministers (incurring expenses of $5000) who would oversee churches in the south and west of the province and south and north Winnipeg. (Churches in northern Manitoba are overseen by Missions and Church Extension.)
Last year's convention approved a subsidy to the St. Vital congregation ($20,000, dwindling to zero over five years). However, the church did not hire a pastor until January, 1997, and the subsidy was not needed. A new recommendation was passed at this convention to begin the subsidy January 1, 1997.
In honour of MBC's 50th anniversary, Elfrieda Balzer and J.M. Schmidt told inspiring stories of the early years of the mission. Current German producer Jacob Funk and Spanish producer Ernesto Pinto told equally inspiring stories of current MBC programs.
Nevertheless, after elections, there still appeared to be 7 vacant board positions, including 2 on the Board of Church Ministries.
The first recommendation was to establish a single, multi-track, faith formation school. This would be accomplished by merging Winkler Bible Institute and Concord College into a new school, tentatively named "Concord College and School of Discipleship", on the Concord campus. WBI students would be given a $1200 bursary to help them attend either the new school or Bethany Bible Institute in Saskatchewan (the $1200 representing the approximate additional cost involved in going to Bethany).
Moderator John H. Unger presented an updated six-page version of this proposal to delegates at the convention, and invited questions of clarification.
Vic Schmidt of Westwood Community Church asked why there was no detailed financial information on the proposed school. Unger replied that the school would require only about the same amount of subsidy that Concord ($100,000) and WBI ($190,000) now receive from the Conference. WBI had given full financial information as usual in its report to the convention. However, the Concord written report consisted only of information on the proposed university federation, and its oral report consisted of inspiring testimonies from two students.
Board of Directors chair Helmut Peters asked who would ultimately control the new school's budget, including who would be responsible for deficits. In a lengthy exchange, Concord Board chair Al Doerksen did not give a clear answer but suggested that responsibility would be shared by the Manitoba Conference, that the Board of Directors would be "involved" in the Concord budget and that the Manitoba Conference would at least control how its $300,000 subsidy would be spent.
In case the proposal is not accepted, CRC had asked Winkler to present a financial "Plan B" for the the next year. The school circulated an 8-page document which would see Winkler affirmed as the Conference's faith formation school, requiring $340,000 from the Conference in 1997 ($75,000 to cover the accumulated deficit from 1996, $75,000 to cover the deficit in spring, 1997, plus the $190,000 grant the Conference has already budgetted--staff would be cut in the fall so that there would be no further deficits if enrollment were to stabilize at the current 40 students). In an emotional statement, President Paul Kroeker promised full submission to the Conference's decision; pleaded that WBI supporters give constructive criticism but not use praise for WBI as an opportunity to criticize Concord; urged that the Conference make a very clear decision and commitment; and stated that "any program must be fully accountable to the church".
Further information meetings were scheduled for March 5 in Winkler and March 12 in Winnipeg. Perhaps the most hopeful proposal from CRC was that the Conference devote itself to prayer, fasting, confession and repentance over the two weeks between the two conventions.
Conference leaders had asked the Conference to spend two weeks in prayer and fasting, and now they came hoping, in moderator John Unger's words, that God would "come down (and) act on behalf of those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 64:1-4).
The day began with an hour and a half of repentance, confession, forgiveness and prayer. Person after person got up to confess unforgiving or critical attitudes and to pledge submission to God's will. There were calls for unity, but also assurances that this did not mean that there could not be honest discussion or disagreement with the Committee of Reference and Counsel's recommendation. The CRC also expressed submission to whatever God would lead the convention to decide.
The repentance and renewal seemed genuine, and in the long run that may have more long-term benefit for the Manitoba Conference than any decision that was or was not made.
1. There would be a new school, tentatively called "Concord College and School of Discipleship" (CCSD), with a restructured board, administration and faculty.
2. CCSD would focus on discipleship training, with certificate tracks (the School of Discipleship) like Winkler Bible Institute and degree tracks like Concord College.
3. WBI and Concord would be merged to create CCSD by Sept. 1, 1997.
4. A new Board would be elected at this convention, including members from the existing boards of the two schools.
5. CCSD's program would provide "resources for the church".
6. The new Board would design a program and budget for presentation to the 1998 Manitoba Conference convention.
7. All faculty and staff would have to agree to the MB Confession of Faith.
8. CCSD would operate from the Concord campus at first but might move later.
9. Discussion of Concord College's participation in the inter-Mennonite university federation would continue.
Budget. Delegates first asked for a budget for the proposed new school. None was available except some rough figures put together by Winkler Bible Institute. Delegates were promised some figures would be made available after lunch.
Federation. Delegates next questioned the provision that CCSD would join the Mennonite university federation as long as the CRC and the Manitoba Conference Board of Directors approved the final proposal for the federation; delegates argued that the Conference as a whole should have an opportunity to vote on the federation. Art DeFehr, the Concord Board member who is leading negotiations with the Manitoba government, said the federation proposal would be finalized shortly and that the Conference would have to make a decision by July 3 when the Conference of Mennonites in Canada vote on Canadian Mennonite Bible College's participation in the federation; this is necessary so the Manitoba government can pass legislation in fall, 1997 giving the university a charter. A motion was made from the floor to amend the proposal to require approval of the proposed federation at a special convention called by early July. The amendment was passed overwhelmingly.
Concord assets and liabilities. Next, delegates asked for information on Concord College's assets and liabilities. They were informed that Concord College had an accumulated operational deficit of $275,000 (at the end of the 1995-96 year) and that the current year's budget is on target except for the donation line, which is running $40,000-$50,000 behind last year as a result of uncertainty over the school's future.
The Manitoba Conference Board of Directors reported that they had agreed to accept ownership of the Concord buildings, currently owned by the Canadian Conference, provided the assets were given without conditions other than repayment of Concord's operational debt. (The Canadian Conference currently places limitations on the disposal of the assets for five years after they are handed over.)
Accountability. The first question after lunch was whether CCSD would be accountable to the Conference as Winkler Bible Institute is. Walter Thiessen, Board of Directors chair, responded that the Board of Directors would oversee budgets and the convention approve all budgets.
Assistant moderator John B. Epp pointed out that point 4 of the proposal said "CCSD will be accountable to the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba" "and CCSD will seek Conference approval at the Manitoba convention on all issues that involve substantial changes in program or direction".
Hans Boge of North Kildonan MB Church moved that the last point be changed to "CCSD will require Conference approval at a Manitoba convention". A recorded vote was taken, but there was uncertainty about the count in a close vote, and eventually the amendment was approved by a ballot vote. The closeness of the vote may be misleading since some delegates suggested that the amendment was unnecessary because "require" was implied by the original wording.
School of Discipleship. Next Dan Block of Concord received a clarification that the "School of Discipleship" could be delayed a year if CCSD was not ready to add it in fall, 1997.
Concord enrollment. Kevin Peters of Elm Creek MB Church then asked for Concord's current enrollment. The answer was 62 full-time students (those taking at least three courses) plus about another 320 part-timers for a full-time equivalent of 163.
CCSD budget. Peters followed with a question on the cost of CCSD to the Conference after the university federation is established. The answer was that no additional funding would be required, not even for capital expenses (these would be paid for out of efficiency savings on the operational budgets of the schools).
About this time, the Board of Directors presented a budget for CCSD based on the 1996-97 Concord College budget. That budget calls for spending of $1,657,000, with a projected surplus of $16,000. Adding the School of Discipleship component (which would mean spending an additional $300,000 on program and administration) would result in spending of $2,017,000 and an increased projected surplus of $52,000.
WBI closing costs. In response to another question, the Board of Directors revealed that it expected it would cost up to $300,000 to close WBI in 1997 ($150,000 in accumulated deficit and $150,000 for severance packages, building maintenance, bursaries to WBI students to attend other colleges, etc.).
Discipleship in the city. Then the discussion moved to more philosophical questions. Several asked if it is possible to do discipleship training in the city. The answer was that it is difficult, possible and necessarysince the world is moving to the city, the church needs to learn how to make disciples there.
Confession of Faith. Further clarification was asked re point 7 that all faculty and staff of CCSD be required to agree to the MB Confession of Faith. It was revealed that this is now required of all full-time faculty at both WBI and Concord but not of part-time faculty. It was agreed by all parties that all faculty in CCSD, including part-timers, be required to sign the Confession.
CCSD Board. Some voices from the floor urged that, in the interests of starting something new, the new board have no representatives or fewer representatives from the boards of the current schools (the CRC proposal called for four from each school plus three members at large). Other voices urged the merits of continuity for board members and even for the Concord name.
Faculty. Roland Marsch of Portage Ave. MB Church asked the faculty of both current schools to comment on the CCSD proposal.
WBI president Paul Kroeker, in a long emotional statement, said that WBI faculty have always believed in a school dedicated to discipleship training; that whether that school be in Winkler or Winnipeg was less important than that the Conference establish a clear direction and commit to it; and that there were advantages and disadvantages to merging the two schools.
George Shillington, a Concord professor, responded to ongoing criticism of Concord and to a statement by Salem MB Church pastor Arno Fast that any school must be firmly committed to scriptural inerrancy and the gospel. Shillington said that he wholeheartedly affirmed the inspiration of Scripture and that Concord's commitment to disciplemaking could be evidenced by specific disciples Concord had produced who are now pastors, etc.
Kelvin Dyck, an instructor at WBI, called for the Conference to reaffirm its support for WBI, since what the Conference needs is what WBI is doing.
Finally, moderator John Unger called delegates to vote by ballot on the CCSD proposal, and announced that the CRC had decided a two-thirds majority was required for such an important motion to pass.
CRC then moved that a vote on whether to accept ownership of Concord College be deferred until next year. This passed easily.
CRC then moved that Winkler Bible Institute be closed at the end of the current school year. This was in keeping with a 1994 resolution that WBI meet certain enrollment and financial benchmarks for three years or face closure. It was also reported that the Board of Directors had examined WBI's Plan B and had concluded that it failed to adequately solve WBI's financial problems.
Delegates, however, were not ready to act quickly. Some suggested that maybe those who had voted no on the CRC recommendation might want to reconsider their votes and a new vote should be taken. Others suggested that the wishes of the 63% majority should not be frustrated by a minority. However, other delegates and the CRC responded that the Conference would have to live with the decisions it had made.
A number of WBI supporters then urged that the school be allowed to stay open to see if it could find some other solution because once it is closed, it will be impossible to reopen it.
Various sets of figures were then presented. The Board of Directors presented a chart showing that WBI's accumulated deficit would be $148,484 by the end of 1997, even assuming WBI could keep enrollment up to the current 40 students.
Conference Treasurer Roger Friesen showed a chart indicating that WBI had had deficits all but two years since 1989.
Harry Olfert gave figures that it currently costs $12,126 to educate a WBI student, slightly higher than the $11,313 it costs to educate a Concord student.
Another list of WBI enrollment figures purported to show that enrollment dropped every time the Conference reviewed WBI's future and that WBI's real problem was lack of wholehearted support from the Conference--if you keep pulling a tree up by the roots to see how it is doing, it dies.
Some argued that the CRC proposal on merger would have meant accepting a bigger debt than WBI's, and an attempt to amend the recommendation to give WBI one more year was ruled out of order. Some voices suggested it was poor stewardship to duplicate at WBI a program that was offered at Bethany Bible Institute and in Concord College's proposed discipleship track.
The result was what one delegate called "the worst possible scenario"--the Conference had rejected the CCSD proposal, but it had also failed to affirm WBI.
Board of Directors chair Walter Thiessen then moved that the Conference send an extra norm invoice of $30 per member to every church. ($30 times the 5000 members would cover WBI's accmulated deficit.)
Several delegates urged that this seemed unnecessarily punitive and divisive since other agency deficits were not treated this way. Instead, they urged that churches and individuals be encouraged to give extra money voluntarily. Some delegates indicated that they would give some extra themselves.
Thiessen responded that churches were paying less and less of the regular norms and asked where the extra money would come from. Treasurer Roger Friesen pasionately argued that such deficits would soon exhaust the Conference's $500,000 reserves and then cut into other ministries: "If we keep this up, we're going to be broke!"
However, in a close, recorded hand vote, the recommendation was defeated.
Another CRC recommendation that WBI present a revised budget to the Board of Directors as soon as possible, passed readily.
A recommendation from the floor that WBI work at running a joint school with other Mennonite groups in southern Manitoba was ruled more than the exhausted delegation could handle and was withdrawn. (A meeting which had been scheduled to be over by 4:00 p.m. was already approaching 6:00 p.m.)
On the other hand, there was a real sense in which the humility and renewal expressed at the beginning of the day had continued until the end of the day. There had been a full discussion of difficult issues, the debate had remained gracious, the delegates had asked questions that illuminated all aspects of the proposal, and all sides had submitted to the will of the Conference delegates. Assistant moderator John Epp affirmed that "the Lord has been with us". He concluded with Romans 15:5: "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus." He assured delegates that if they endured in following Christ, God would eventually lead the Conference to agreement on the schools question, in addition to the spiritual unity which is already present.
JC
Yes: 170
No: 99
Motion fails to receive 67% required.
Yes: 146
No: 90
Motion fails to receive 67% required.
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