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The US Conference boards met together March 14 in Phoenix, Ariz. The good news reported there was that Mission USA, the US board responsible for evangelism, is moving aggressively ahead with new church planting efforts. The bad news was that revenue to support these projects is not keeping up with the vision.
The US boards met in Phoenix in part to help Mission USA launch one of its new church plants. Copper Hills Community Church, led by Brad Klassen, began formal Sunday services March 15. On Saturday afternoon, board members helped distribute invitation packets to homes in the target area. About 251 people, including many Mennonite Brethren well-wishers, attended the service.
Chuck Buller, Mission USA chair, reported that the board had formally approved two additional church planting projects: one in Draper, Utah, with Paul and Jini Robie as the church planting couple; the other in La Mirada, Calif., using the cell-church model, with Durwin and Beverly Keck as the lead couple. Mission USA is also involved in the new Rolling Hills Church in Papillion, Neb.
Few could deny the progress Mission USA had made, but the question remained: Can the funds be raised to pay for it? Ken Neufeld, chair of the Board of Trustees, projected that the current fiscal year, which ends May 31, could end with a deficit of $82,000 or more. Included in that is a projected shortfall of $15,000-$20,000 for the guaranteed subsidy for MB Biblical Seminary. A debt of $20,000 remains on the books from 1996-97.
One bit of positive news was that giving to the US Conference is 4% higher than a year ago. Still, church contributions are projected to be $268,000 for
1997-98, considerably less than the goal of $350,030.
In the end, the majority of board members approved a 1998-99 preliminary budget of $660,910--an increase of 12% over the current budget--with the understanding that individual board members will each raise a portion of the $302,410 not accounted for by projected income. (To get Mission USA off the ground, the US Conference had authorized it to borrow money, but Mission USA board members decided instead that they would raise all additional funds needed--a strategy that was generally successful. However, in 1998-99 Mission USA's budget will be mainstreamed into the general US Conference budget, so members of the other boards will also need to share in the challenge of raising funds.)
US Conference moderator Dennis Fast said it was too soon to retreat from the ambitious national church planting and renewal effort initiated three years ago. "I continue to envision a US Conference in which the ministries we believe God has called us to carry out are funded. . . . I believe there are more resources available than what we are seeing today." He challenged board members to make sure their home congregations are financially supporting conference ministries. Fast and administrative secretary Lynford Becker will personally contact congregations currently not giving to the conference, as well as those congregations who are giving but "who can do better". Some conference staff will also be asked to consider doing specialized fundraising.
A final decision on the budget will be made at the US Conference's biannual convention July 17-20 in La Mirada, Calif. The site was chosen to introduce delegates to urban ministry and to the growing number of Korean churches in the Conference.
Prior to the joint boards meeting, all four national boards had met separately for a day and a half. The Board of Church Ministries is now responsible for overseeing the work of Integrated Ministries (cross-cultural congregations). It plans to create a commission to do the actual work, composed of the director of Integrated Ministries Loyal Funk, one representative from BCM, one from MBMS International and three from the cross-cultural groups. BCM has also decided to provide a $24,000 grant to the North Carolina District MB Conference so it can employ a full-time pastoral worker. This would be that Conference's first full-time worker; pastors of the six black congregations in North Carolina have been bivocational. The intent of the move is to encourage growth in the district.
Meanwhile, the Board of Communications announced it will be looking for a new editor of The Christian Leader (see sidebar). JC, from reports in The Christian Leader
Noelle Dickinson, chair of the US MB Conference Board of Communications stated, "After 20 years on staff, 13 as editor, Don has proven his deep commitment to the Mennonite Brethren Church. He has prompted discussion on the issues facing our churches today with journalistic excellence, integrity and a commitment to anabaptist theology."
Ratzlaff joined the Leader staff in 1978. In addition to his role with the Leader, Ratzlaff worked briefly as the first book editor for Kindred Press, then the publishing arm of the US Conference, and as literature coordinator for the General (North American) MB Conference Board of Christian Literature, a forerunner of the current Board of Resource Ministries.
Ratzlaff succeeded Wally Kroeker as editor of The Christian Leader in 1985 and was the Leader's only staff member until 1988. Under Ratzlaff's leadership, the magazine has gone through several changes. Due to budget restraints, the annual publishing schedule of the magazine was changed from 22 issues averaging 24 pages to 12 issues averaging 36 pages. That change, plus technological advancements, resulted in significant savings, which were diverted to other US Conference ministries. The Leader has won numerous awards from the Evangelical Press Association during Ratzlaff's tenure, including best denominational publication in 1990. from a report in The Christian Leader
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