Manitoba to decide on Concord

WINNIPEG, MAN.

The Committee of Reference and Counsel of the Manitoba MB Conference has announced that there will be a special convention of the Manitoba Conference Oct. 25 at Elmwood MB Church in Winnipeg to deal with questions related to Concord College.

A letter sent out by the CRC to Mennonite Brethren churches in Manitoba explains that the Conference has two options: abandon post-secondary education altogether or take ownership of Concord College and make it the best school possible. CRC is recommending the second option. Accordingly, it has scheduled the Oct. 25 convention to deal with three questions:

1. Ownership of Concord College.

2. Approval of the School of Discipleship program, scheduled to begin at Concord in September, 1988.

3. Questions concerning Concord College's proposed university federation with Canadian Mennonite Bible College and Menno Simons College (including program, governance, property, liability, finances, etc.).

The special Manitoba Conference convention will be held in conjunction with the regular Concord College convention, and delegates from Manitoba will be delegates at both the Concord convention and the Manitoba convention.

In order to prepare for the special convention, the Manitoba Conference has scehduled three afternoon information sessions:

* for leaders of large churches (over 200 members) Sept. 21 in North Kildonan MB Church, Winnipeg.

* for leaders of medium-sized churches (100-200 members) Sept. 28 in Carman (Man.) Gospel Light Church.

* for leaders of small churches (less than 100 members) Oct. 5 in Jubilee Mennonite Church, Winnipeg.

Concord College was phased out as a school of the Canadian MB Conference after 1991, and responsibility for the school was transferred to Mennonite Brethren in the Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario MB Conferences. In the past year, both Concord College and the Canadian MB Conference have asked the four provincial conferences to take formal ownership of Concord. At its provincial convention earlier this year, Saskatchewan decided to withdraw from supporting Concord altogether. At their conventions, Ontario and Alberta declined to take ownership while expressing the desire to remain "supporting" conferences of Concord. The Manitoba Conference was to deal with the question at a special convention held last March 15, but the vote on Conocrd ownership was postponed after a CRC recommendation to merge Concord and Winkler Bible Institute failed to achieve the required two-thirds approval. Winkler Bible Institute subsequently closed.

JC

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