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"We came in here wondering if anyone wanted us, like an orphan child," mused Concord College president Harry Olfert. By the end of the day, the orphan had definitely and finally found a home.
The day was Saturday, October 25, the day of a joint Concord College annual meeting and Manitoba MB Conference special convention. The two meetings overlapped and alternately held the floor, not that it made a huge difference, as there seemed to be less than a dozen delegates from outside Manitoba. There was, however, a satellite site; delegates from northern Manitoba gathered in Thompson, listened to the convention by phone line and faxed in their comments and votes.
Ever since the Canadian MB Conference gave up ownership of the former Mennonite Brethren Bible College in 1991, questions have been asked about ownership. The school, renamed Concord College, was to be responsible to a constituency drawn from four provincial MB conferences, but the conferences themselves had never formally accepted ownership. In the last year, both the Canadian Conference and Concord asked the provincial conferences to clarify their status. The Saskatchewan Conference decided last spring to withdraw from Concord sponsorship. Alberta and Ontario declined to take ownership, but asked to remain "sponsoring conferences". The Manitoba Conference, at a special convention last spring considered merging Concord and Winkler Bible Institute and then taking ownership. However, when the merger proposal failed to receive the required two-thirds support, the Conference postponed a decision on Concord ownership. WBI later closed.
These developments set the stage for the Oct. 25 meetings, held at Elmwood MB Church in Winnipeg.
Manitoba Conference moderator John Unger introduced the day, noting that Canadian Conference executive minister Reuben Pauls and he had concluded that there was a "new wind" blowing at Concord.
The new wind was demonstrated through an hour-long Concord "worship time" that included the following:
Harry Olfert, choking with emotion, listed those feeling pain:
The worship team then led in a song of mourning and comfort for those feeling pain.
After a coffee break, most of the rest of the morning was given over to hearing the various proposals to be voted on.
Moderator John Unger outlined five recommendations to the Manitoba Conference from the Manitoba Conference Committee of Reference and Counsel: that the Manitoba Conference take ownership of Concord; that Concord become part of a university federation with Canadian Mennonite Bible College and Menno Simons College; that Concord be authorized to sign a Memorandum of Agreement for the university federation; that an initial down payment of $35,000 be approved so that the federation can purchase of the former School for the Deaf site across the road from CMBC; and that a new board be elected.
Harry Olfert outlined a Concord College proposal to the Concord convention: that Concord start a School of Discipleship. The one-year program would have three parts: Bible study and development of Christian disciplines at a remote location in North America (possibly Camrose, Alta.); international ministry; debriefing at Concord to integrate the students back into the churches.
Concord Board member Art DeFehr outlined the federation proposal. He noted that the university federation would probably get enough Manitoba government funding to require no increase in the $1.7 million the individual colleges now receive from the Mennonite and MB conferences and from fundraising. The Manitoba Conference currently gives Concord $100,000 a year, and Concord raises about $500,000 more. Walter Thiessen of the Manitoba Conference Board of Directors read a prepared statement saying that the proposed federation budget was "reasonable and feasible" and proposing that Manitoba MB Conference funding be set at $100,000 for Concord and $150,000 for the School of Discipleship. (The $150,000 is approximately the $190,000 the Manitoba Conference formerly gave to Winkler Bible Institute.)
In a brief discussion period preceding lunch, Dave Balzer of North Kildonan MB Church defined the key issue at stake. He noted that he had been on staff at Concord and on the pastoral staff at North Kildonan, a church that has not generally supported Concord, and felt the pain on both sides. Then, noting that Concord in the past has sometimes not deserved the trust of the Conference, he said, "The bottom line today is trust.<|>.<|>.<|>.<|>Can I believe that the worship time this morning really represents the College and is not just a political ploy?"
After lunch, Concord presented its 1996-97 financial statement to the Concord convention. Concord finished the year (which runs June to May) with a deficit of $33,097, as a result of revenues of $1,688,552 and expenses of $1,721,649. This brings the College's accumulated operating deficit to $299,280, although it also has a long-term debt to the Rosenort Credit Union of $102,583.
John Unger then proposed voting on the ownership question so that the Manitoba Conference convention rather than the Concord convention would vote on starting the School of Discipleship. A motion was made from the floor to keep the original agenda, and the proposed change was soundly defeated in a hand vote. The School of Discipleship was then addressed by the Concord convention, even though it was admitted that the School of Discipleship could not operate unless the Manitoba Conference agreed to take ownership of Concord and provide the $150,000 annual grant to the School of Discipleship.
The discussion was dominated by two comments. One delegate asked if the School of Discipleship would study the Bible spiritually through prayer and fasting or through the academic, historical-critical method used by Concord. (This was later responded to by Concord professor Gordon Matties, who insisted that the spiritual reading of the Bible takes precedence over the academic method even in current Concord courses and that he was willing to be accountable to the Conference.) Paul Wartman, chair of a task force charged with defining a vision for the Manitoba Conference, argued that the Conference should first establish its vision before committing the Conference to an additional $150,000 in spending.
In the end, the Concord convention approved the new program overwhelmingly in a hand vote.
It was clear that the central vote was the question of ownership. Nevertheless, the pivotal vote may have come on a procedural question just before. In the spring, the Manitoba Conference leadership had asked for a two-thirds majority on the questions of whether to merge Concord and Winkler Bible Institute and then of whether to close WBI. Both had failed, although receiving a majority of votes (63% and 62%). Now the Committee of Reference and Counsel was proposing that to avoid the paralysis encountered in the spring, the current motions require only a majority.
The delegates in Thompson, however, faxed in a motion that the ownership question require a two-thirds majority. A secret ballot was requested from the floor. After a short debate, the motion was defeated 147-83, with just less than 64% voting against the motion. After that vote, there was little doubt about the final outcome.
Manitoba Conference treasurer Roger Friesen began the discussion by stating that the Concord debt situation was much worse than it appeared. Besides the laready reported debt, Friesen cited a financial statement (unavailable to delegates) saying that the College had accumulated an additional 1997-98 operating deficit of $38,000 by the end of September. Friesen noted that the College had already received its September tuition and its annual government grant ($111,282 this year) and that, judging by other years, the College could have a current operating deficit of $200,000 by January. He also noted that the College could incur a similar deficit in 1998-99 before the federation would begin in 1999-2000. Those deficits would more than eliminate the current Conference reserves of about $200,000.
Concord Board chair Al Doerksen disputed Friesen's figures, saying that they were "not even close"; he admitted that the College was "financially challenged", but expressed the hope that the Manitoba government might provide some interim funding in 1998-99.
Helmut Peters of McIvor Ave. MB Church noted that the Manitoba Conference would also get the former MBBC land and buildings worth "several million dollars" and moved an amendment that the recommendation be to take ownership of Concord "and the related Canadian Conference assets". It was noted that the transfer of assets is subject to ratification by the Canadian MB Conference convention next summer. The amendment passed easily in a voice vote.
The debate continued for some time, with some affirming the Concord vision of training young people to live Christianly in the world and others voicing reservations about whether Concord could deliver what was needed.
Perhaps the debate was summed up by Hans Boge Sr. of the North Kildonan church. He stated that he had talked to another Concord student just that week who no longer believed in Jesus after studying at Concord and that Concord had "failed far too often in its pastoral responsibility". However, he noted Concord's new willingness to be accountable and said, "I am willing to trust."
The announcement that the recommendation to take ownership of Concord had passed 170-46 (78.8%) was greeted with applause. It seemed a genuine, but not necessarily unconditional, commitment to the school.
With this motion passed, the Concord College convention ceased to have authority, and all further decisions were made by the Manitoba Conference convention. The tension seemed to drain away after the positive vote, and the other recommendations passed easily, though not without discussion.
At this point, moderator John Unger passed the chair of the meeting to assistant moderator John Epp for a time. Unger was given sustained applause for his role in bringing resolution to the difficult Concord issue while maintaining Conference unity.
There were some reservations about committing Concord to join CMBC and Menno Simons College in the university federation. Some questioned the assumption of enrollment rising to 600-900 students (Concord's projections have been wrong before), and noted that if it did not, the site next to CMBC would not need to be purchased.
However, federation was approved in principle in a ballot vote of 167-33 (85.5%).
Two another recommendations passed, apparently unanimously, in hand votes. The first authorized Concord to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the provincial government and the other two colleges creating the Mennonite university federation. The second authorized the spending of up to $35,000 as an initial down payment for the School for the Deaf site. This amount is one-third of an initial down payment (presumably the other two schools also pay one-third each). The full down payment may rise to $350,000, and the total cost of the site, which the federation will buy from the Manitoba government, could be $3.5 million. However, grants may be available from the government to help purchase and renovate the site, as the buildings have been designated heritage buildings. It was not stated whether the $35,000 will come out of the Manitoba Conference budget or the Concord budget.
The convention also approved a new board structure for Concord, with eight members elected by the Manitoba Conference; one member from the Manitoba Conference Committee of Reference and Counsel; one member from the Manitoba Conference Board of Directors; two members elected by each of the other two supporting provincial conferences (Alberta and Ontario); one alumni representative; and two members appointed by the Concord board (they need not be MBs but must sign the MB Confesssion of Faith and support Concord's vision and purposes).
CRC's 12 nominations for the 8 Manitoba elected positions on the Board included five current Concord board members, and the rest were almost all older people with years of trusted conference experience. (see sidebar)
The new Concord College Board
3-year term:
Lorna Boge (North Kildonan, on previous Concord Board)
Art DeFehr (River East, on previous Concord Board)
John Janzen (Winkler)
2-year term:
Al Doerksen (Fort Garry, on previous Concord Board)
Walter Dyck (Niverville, on previous Concord Board)
Sieg Wall (Jubilee)
1-year term:
John Bock (Weestwood)
Helmut Peters (McIvor)
Alumni representative:
Roger Thiessen
Alberta representatives:
Ron Neufeldt
......
Ontario representatives:
Roger Epp
Ray Smith
Appointed members: Further appointments to be made.......
The final item of business was to approve Concord's 1997-98 budget (which began June 1, 1997). The budget calls for a balanced budget of $1,754,167. The budget requires Concord to raise $550,000 in general fundraising (up from $491,031 in 1996-97) plus $50,000 in designated giving (for bursaries and scholarships, up from $23,000).
The budget also assumes that the Manitoba Conference will give its usual $100,000 to Concord in 1997 and again in 1998. As well, Manitoba would give $75,000 for the School of Discipleship in 1998; this is half of the annual cost of the School of Discipleship, but the School of Discipleship will only start in fall, 1998. (The Conference budget operates on the calendar year, while the Concord budget runs June-May.)
Roy Enns from Winkler moved an amendment that the Conference pay the full $150,000 for the School of Discipleship in 1998, but this amendment was defeated, and the budget passed. JC
On the evening of October 25, supporters of Concord College gathered for a banquet. The low-key affair featured good food and an address by Johannes Reimer. Reimer is the founder of Logos, a ministry to the former Soviet Union; a partner with Concord board member Art DeFehr in the founding of Lithuania Christian College; and now a missions instructor at the University of South Africa.
Reimer's address was a defence of the kind of Christian university education that Concord aims to offer. He made three main points: 1. All academic disciplines are becoming more holistic, as they seek to add a spiritual component. However, people are not looking to Christianity because they want practical spirituality and instead the church has been offering theoretical theology. 2. Churches are failing because they become private clubs and divide into denominational factions rather than becoming radical communities that live out the gospel. 3. Christian education fails when it retreats to a "holy hill" and does not train people to interact with the global village and impact it for Christ. Christians need to be spiritually transformed and practically live out a Christian worldview in their professions.
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