Quebec Association and Canadian MB Conference executives meet

Ste-Rose, QC, Ste-Therese, QC

This past March three executives of the Canadian MB Conference met in Ste-Rose with representatives of the Quebec association of MB Churches. This meeting, with Conference Minister Reuben Pauls, Director of Christian Education ministries David Wiebe and Director of Evangelism Ewald Unruh was deemed a great success. A second meeting was called for October 31 to continue the discussions. The purpose of these meetings was to encourage mutual understanding, to discuss the relationship between the two conferences, and to explore ways in which the Canadian MB Conference can be of assistance to the Quebec churches.

During the two sessions, representatives from Quebec painted a portrait of Quebec society. In March, Glenn Smith from Christian Direction, a Christian research agency in Quebec, presented a sociological study of the different regions of the province, while Jean-Raymond Théorêt, president of Institut Biblique Laval and the moderator of the Quebec Association gave an analysis of the present state of the Association. These presentations were followed by discussions on past, present and future relationships between the Canadian Conference and the Quebec Association. During the October meeting, Quebec representatives gave an overview of the state of their churches, as well as of the ministries of the Association. Eric Wingender, professor and registrar at IBL gave an analysis of a number of québécois realities that he considered as serious handicaps to the growth of the Qeubec Church. He mentioned, among other things, the urgent need for the Mennonite Brethren Church in Quebec to more fully understand its own context.

Abe Dueck, director of the Centre for MB Studies, encouraged the Quebec churches to pay special attention to the collection and conservation of all documents that contain information related to the churches and to the institutions. Everything from church bulletins to copies of the minutes are useful when we seek to remember. AForget and remember are two very important words what reflect who we are,@ he remarked. It is evident that Quebec must seriously address this question. At the present time only three of the Quebec MB Churches and IBL have deposited documents in the Winnipeg archives. The General Council will deal with this issue as soon as possible.

A third meeting has been called for April, 1998, to continue the discussions.

Annie Brosseau, Le Lien

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