Canadian Mennonite
Volume 9, No. 07
April 4, 2005


WiderChurch

Mobile meat canners given reprieve

Winnipeg

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada has received confirmation from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that scheduled meat canning sessions in Ontario and Manitoba can continue until the end of this year. A letter of confirmation, signed by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Andrew Mitchell, is expected soon.

Early last month, the CFIA announced that it was enforcing an immediate ban on mobile meat canning facilities in Canada, effectively cancelling Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) canning events scheduled for Ontario and Manitoba in April and November.

Concerns expressed by MCC staff and supporters played an important role in the agency’s decision on March 15 to allow the completion of MCC’s 2005 canning schedule.

Bill Janzen, director of MCC’s Ottawa office, said the CFIA expressed regret for the abruptness with which the agency delivered the news, and “did not mean to slam it shut.”

MCC has complied with all CFIA regulations regarding mobile meat canning since it first started canning in Guelph, Ont., nine years ago. However, the discovery of a single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy—known popularly as mad cow disease—in Alberta in 2003 put CFIA under international scrutiny. The government agency is facing severe restrictions on meat products leaving this country.

The decision to ban mobile meat canners was sudden and unexpected, leaving the planners of the 2005 canning schedule in a predicament. The extension of the ban application deadline to the end of the current year creates an important window of opportunity to finish the planned schedule and to explore options with the CFIA.

According to Don Peters, executive director of MCC Canada, “This ruling does not mean there will be no further canning in Canada. We will continue to can,” he said. “However, it does mean we will be in further dialogue with the Minister of Agriculture and CFIA to discover whether there is a way to continue mobile canning or whether we will need to develop more permanent set-ups.”

Canned meat has become a symbol of MCC’s commitment to humanitarian aid around the world. MCC has sponsored meat canning events in the United States since the 1940s and, in 1997, Canada held its first MCC canning event. Each year, the mobile canner makes 37 stops across North America, where volunteers work together to produce a half-million tins of beef, pork and turkey. The meat provides much-needed protein for pregnant and nursing women, children and the elderly in countries dealing with economic uncertainty and war.

—MCC Canada release by Tara Tharayil

MC Canada works on vision, finances

Winnipeg

Formation Council members and staff met at last month’s Leadership Assembly in Winnipeg. Pictured from left to right: Dave Bergen, Sue Steiner (council chair), Elsie Rempel and Don Rempel Boschman.

Mennonite Church Canada’s Leadership Assembly held at Springfield Heights Mennonite Church, March 3-5, provided an opportunity for the General Board and boards of all three church councils to meet together for reporting and decision-making.

The General Board approved the national church’s 2005 budget, which slightly lowered spending from the previous year, prepared for the upcoming assembly in Charlotte and approved a new statement of identity and purpose to be considered by delegates at the Charlotte assembly.

A new body, tentatively called the Faith and Life Commission, was also proposed. As presented, this five-person group will help “discern direction on issues of theology, ethics, polity and practice and to facilitate, create and distribute resources for study and guidance to the church.” This idea is expected to be presented to assembly delegates for consideration this summer.

Council work was characterized by creativity and lots of hard work in the midst of ongoing budget constraints.

Formation Council, chaired by Sue Steiner, began with a meditation on the “significance of the insignificant” by Rudy Franz. Our culture celebrates big things, he said, but Jesus calls us to give what we have—like the woman with two coins—which may seem miniscule but it can make a big difference.

Issues discussed included the need to make the Lenten and Advent resources more applicable for use in large church settings and the need to produce and market top-notch resources, such as Sing the Journey hymnal supplement and the Gather Round Sunday school curriculum—with limited funding.

Elsie Rempel, Formation staff member, just returned from meetings on the Gather Round material in the U.S. “There’s lots of really good work that’s been done,” she said. “It’s a good reflection of a missional understanding of church and theology.” The curriculum includes a piece on “understanding Canadians” by Rempel.

Some discussion took place around the development of a clear educational vision for Mennonite Church Canada. A fall event is anticipated which will bring together school and area conference education representatives to explore ways to strengthen the relationship of church and school, support the leadership development role of our schools, and to encourage an enhanced level of partnership.

The Formation Council also engaged in an animated conversation with Sven Eriksson, denominational minister, touching on issues such as revising the pastor/congregational relationship packet, the importance of listening, providing support for retired pastors and identifying what kind of pastors are needed.

Chaired by Willard Metzger, Witness Council spent time prioritizing International Ministries locations and discussing a regular tri-yearly review of the Congregational Partnership Program.

Janet Plenert, International Ministries director, noted that feedback from the review indicates the constituency is “pleased that we’re visible and would like more visibility, but they also recognize that we’re at our capacity.” The key thing, said council members, is the “multiplication effect,” best accomplished through the training and nurture of local facilitators within congregations, rather just depending on staff.

Plenert noted that the most significant thing staff did last fall was to take the list of council priorities and apply them to ministries in all 39 countries, trying to find an intersection of how programs match priorities.

Kathy Fast, executive assistant and National Ministries coordinator, highlighted the importance of “being aware of the waters in which we swim” in Canada. She wondered if members know that Canada’s native population is now nearly a million, but that less than 2 percent of them attend church. She also noted that, with the high number of immigrants coming to Canada, a great opportunity exists in welcoming them into faith in Christ and MC Canada churches.

Council expressed gratitude and appreciation for work of Walter Franz, Native Ministry director, who is retiring this summer, thanking him for many years of passionate and dedicated service.

Support Services Council (SSC) spent time talking with Mennonite Foundation of Canada and Canadian Mennonite staff and board representatives about how to strengthen partnerships and previewed “Healing and Hope in a World of Witness,” a creative new fundraising initiative which “tells the story MC Canada ministry in a new way.” The package includes posters for church foyers highlighting areas of ministry, a “gift-giving catalogue” that makes ministry opportunities more accessible, and “a generosity report” that celebrates relationships with congregations, area conferences and other ministry partners.

“This is an exciting, dynamic strategy,” concluded SSC chair Louie Sawatzky. “It has tremendous potential!”

At the concluding plenary session, Esther Peters, vice-moderator, echoed the thoughts of many when she said she found the meetings “incredibly exciting. It was tremendous working together, both in plenary and in smaller groups. There was such a wonderful spirit.”

—Leona Dueck Penner with additional reporting by Timothy Dyck

Leaders consider congregational membership changes

Church moderators, executives and conference ministers from across Canada discussed membership and inter-church relationships, and shared their experiences during meetings last month at the Mennonite Church Canada Leadership Assembly here.

Membership was a major point of discussion. Current MC Canada bylaws make national church membership automatic if a church becomes a member of its area conference.

In February, MC British Columbia delegate passed a resolution asking the MCBC executive to pursue the possibility of making the temporary “Provincially Active Only” status permanent (see March 21 issue, page 21). However, the national church membership question has also arisen elsewhere.

“I don’t think this is just a B.C. issue. We are facing this in Alberta,” said Alberta moderator Marguerite Jack. “I anticipate this will happen here and there in other conferences,”

The general sentiment among the group was that the national church should find ways to make membership more flexible. There was support for making this a discussion item for delegates at this summer’s national church assembly.

“Our current model forces [churches] out before they have a chance to work it out” said Ken Bechtel, Saskatchewan Conference minister. “This is the thing that puts extra pressure on the system. I’m not sure we are handling it well. I wish we had flexibility that would take the pressure off and allow for future flexibility.”

Edgar Rempel, executive director of MC Manitoba, shared that church’s recent decision to add an affiliate church membership status as a way of broadening who can participate.

Participants identified how graduated membership would affect participation in Mennonite Church Canada ministries such as its Witness workers, pastor pension and benefits plans, Sunday school and worship resources, denominational and government relationships, and other national church programs, if it was adopted.

Issues of what the national church should be doing versus what should be areas of area church responsibility were also significant topics of conversation. A repeated point from several leaders was that different relationships need to recognize the differences between regions and churches. Smaller area churches stressed their greater need for MC Canada support in areas of Christian education and worship materials.

Each area church also shared with the others their joys and concerns from the past year and each was prayed for in turn by another area church at the end of their reports.

—Timothy Dyck


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