Conference Council: Delegates focus discussion on ‘Four White Pills’ for ministry

2024 budget increase of seven percent approved —
Conference Council delegates gathered on November 25, 2023, in a hybrid meeting. While 22 participated on Zoom from various locations across Canada, 92 met in person at Blumenort Community Church (BCC) in Blumenort, Man.

Barry Plett, BCC’s associate pastor of camp and community, opened the meeting by urging delegates to be alert and ready, busy doing the Master’s work, as we await the Lord’s return.

Andy Woodworth, EM Conference Pastor at Conference Council.

Executive Director Emery Plett announced that Gerald Reimer, previously serving EMC as director of church planting in Canada, will transition into a new role as director of global outreach. In order to determine how church planting initiatives will move forward, the General Board (GB) will participate in a six-month strategic planning process with the Canadian Church Planting Task Force (CCPTF) and the Board of Leadership and Outreach (BLO). The GB will also conduct reviews of both EMC gatherings and external connections (outside organizations EMC is affiliated with).

Introducing the topic of discussion to happen later in the day, Conference Pastor Andy Woodworth said the church in Canada needs to be “aware of the challenges that we’re up against.” Citing the Cardus study, The Shifting Landscape of Faith in Canada, 19 percent of Canadians describe themselves as non-religious. Of that 19 percent, 46 percent are between the ages of 18 and 40. The largest growing group is spiritually uncertain, or agnostic, about faith (47 percent).

The four white pills—“nuggets of possibility” in what seems to be a negative situation—are kids' ministry, men’s ministry, biblical integrity, and genuine experiences.

Steinbach Bible College (SBC) president Dave Reimer said that SBC “has a reputation for sending students back to the church to serve there.” Of the youth leaders who attended a recent youth workers conference in Winnipeg, one-third are SBC alumni. While “it’s great,” Reimer said, that 24 percent of the current 109 students are international or Indigenous students, “that’s a higher number than EMC students.” Reimer urged churches to identify potential leaders and “encourage them with prayer and finances to go to college and train.”

Board of Trustees vice-chair Andrew Kampen introduced the 2024 proposed budget. While the 2023 budget was not increased from 2022, this year the requested increase is seven percent, for a total over just over $1.9M. However, of the seven percent increase, just over 2.5 percent of the increase will be requested as donations; the remainder is expected to come from interest income and bequest fund transfers. Delegates approved the proposed budget.

Board chair Cameron McKenzie introduced the BLO’s report describing how, at a recent board meeting, members “looked at each other and said, ‘Why have we been forgetting the “O” on the end of BLO (the Board of Leadership and Outreach)?’” Through the subcommittee of the Canadian Church Planting Task Force, the BLO is to be involved in outreach. Within the BLO, McKenzie said, there was excitement in the room to think of bringing the gospel in new, innovative ways.

Following lunch, delegates participated in a discussion answering questions about the four white pills in relation to their churches. Questions for each “pill” were: What is your church doing that is working? What is your greatest need? What can the conference do to help? (See discussion summary.)

Presentation and prayer for the Azimi family, new EMC missionaries.

On behalf of the Board of Missions, Anthony Reimer led in prayer for Reza and Bahar Azimi, EMC’s newest missionaries. While based in Manitoba, their ministry is primarily online to Afghans around the world.

Reporting also were EMC associate missionaries Sandra and Israel Chavez Plett who, with their son Sebastian, serve in Guadalajara with Multiply. Their ministry there is both in training Latin American young people as missionaries and with church planting. However, “their greatest ministry focus” is their son Sebastian, whom they adopted a year and a half ago. “Pray with us, pray for us,” they asked.

Travis Sass, CCPTF chair, said the task force is looking for two more members. He shared his testimony of God’s call, first to ministry in South America, then to the Spanish church community in Brandon, Man.

From the Board of Church Ministries (BCM), chair Sarah Barkman reported that one of board’s objectives for 2024 is exploring “possibilities for supporting kids ministry in churches.” She asked delegates to “connect your kids ministry people with the conference so we can … continue to network together.”

Barkman shared the recent BCM decision to end support to Inter-Mennonite Chaplaincy Association, which funds a chaplain on the campus of University of Manitoba. It is a localized ministry that serves few EMC students, she said. Support will be discontinued at the end of the current school year. Barkman encouraged local churches to support their students.

The Armchair Anabaptist podcast co-hosts Jesse Penner and Andrew Dyck announced the launch of the podcast’s second season which will take place in January 2024. Penner thanked Kevin Wiebe, previous co-host, and introduced new co-host Andrew Dyck. Dyck said, “We’ve already had a lot of interviews with some amazing people and I’m excited to share … our new topic of community.”

With thanks “to all of you that made this part of your day …. all of you that presented,” EMC Moderator Abe Bergen then closed the meeting in prayer.