STEINBACH, Man.—Delegates gathered on June 11, 2022, both in the Steinbach Bible College chapel and online, in EMC’s first hybrid Conference Council meeting.

Moderator Abe Bergen opened by reminding delegates of EMC’s core values. Dylan Barkman led in prayer, followed by a time of worship through song led by Mo Friesen.

General Board

Kevin Wiebe and Jesse Penner are the hosts of a new podcast, *The Armchair Anabaptist* (logo below), set to launch January 2023. (Rebecca Roman)

Abe Bergen provided an update on the search for a new executive director. The search committee is processing candidates, with formal interviews to begin shortly. As the search goes on, prayers are appreciated for the process.

Tim Dyck, Executive Director, said many EMC churches have already responded to the appeal to assist in settling Christian Afghan refugees in Canada. The GB has “put forward a project to raise $50,000 [in] seed money” to churches that “may have trouble raising all of the funds necessary.”

After 62 years of faithful witness in the Creighton, Sask., community, Northern Fellowship Chapel is formally closing. Delegates approved the motion to affirm the closing of NFC as an EMC church. Conference Pastor Layton Friesen prayed “on behalf of our brothers and sisters in the Creighton and Flin Flon area,” expressing thanks to God for the decades of NFC’s ministry.

(Design by Jesse Penner)

Board of Trustees

Andrew Kampen gave an overview of the 2021 audited financial statements. After deficits in previous years, EMC reserves have been replenished over the last two years. The BOT has now established a policy to guide the amount to be retained as operating reserve (two months of expenses).

Irma McKenzie reported for the Sustainable Funding Strategy Committee. “Acknowledging that the foundation of our work to support sustainable fundraising is ultimately the work of God in and through us,” she said. “He provides all of our needs before we ask, and we are completely dependent on him.” Giving patterns show that giving from EMC churches is in gradual decline. The SFSC’s final report, which highlights other potential revenue sources and ways to improve communication, was adopted by delegates.

Board of Church Ministries

Kimberly Muehling reported the BCM “has been busy as usual.” The BCM is excited about EMC hiring a Director Next Generation and will support this in any way they can.

Travis Plett reported for the National Youth Committee (one of the BCM’s subcommittees). Rather than holding one national event, Abundant Springs in 2022 was planned with three regional events in Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba. The NYC is planning for Abundant Springs in 2023 to be “as usual.”

David Kruse comments from the floor in appreciation of the training program in Spain for those seeking to reach out to Muslim people. (Rebecca Roman)

Changes are coming for EMC’s theological journal Theodidaktos. Darryl Klassen, who served as editor since the journal’s inception, has stepped down. Jesse Penner is joining Kevin Wiebe (co-editor since 2016, now senior editor) to produce one print issue per year and a podcast, The Armchair Anabaptist. Penner and Wiebe introduced the podcast, which will launch in January 2023. The first season’s theme will be peace, which “felt like the perfect starting point for us,” said Penner.

Board of Missions

Phil Hamm introduced Antonio Pitta who, with his wife Esther, will soon travel to serve in Spain. People from Morocco, Algeria and Libya are immigrating to Europe. “These people face hardships” and “are usually looked down upon by the local population and they need the love of Christ,” said Pitta. Delegates approved the motion to accept Spain as an EMC administered field.

Blanca Infantes reported on the field in Guadalajara, Mexico. With Dallas and Tara Wiebe returning to settle in Canada, the Infantes family are the only EMC-administered missionaries left in the GDL field. “There is lots of opportunity to serve,” Infantes said. “If you or someone in your church would like to go there, you are welcome.”

Election results

Moderator
Abe Bergen

Board of Church Ministries
Diana Peters

Board of Leadership and Outreach
Chris Hughes
Jennifer Isaac

Board of Missions
Art Koop
Joanne Martens

Board of Trustees
Abe Loewen

Nominating Committee
Peter Doerksen
Walden Plett

Canadian Church Planting Task Force

Bow Island EMC (in Alberta) held a chartering service May 29, 2022, then a baptism service June 5, reported Director of Canadian Church Planting Gerald Reimer. “In the span of two weeks, they went from zero members to 25 members in their church,” he said.

Recruitment of personnel is “a key component of church planting,” said Reimer. “A non-negotiable aspect of recruitment is the work of the Holy Spirit in calling and equipping.”

Bill Janzen, church planting pastor of The Forge in St. Thomas, Ont., and Scott Dick, church planter in Ste. Agathe, Man., shared their stories of the Holy Spirit’s call to church planting.

Board of Leadership and Outreach

Andy Woodworth said it’s the role of the BLO to “check the fence line…to deal with issues of doctrine and theology [and determine] our parameters” and then “encourage those within that to enjoy that space that we have.”

On June 10 the Ministerial discussed a new ministerial misconduct policy. It will be presented to Conference Council at the November 2022 meeting.

Blanca Infantes reminds delegates “there is lots of opportunity to serve” in Guadalajara. (Rebecca Roman)

The BLO is also working to define who makes up the Ministerial, and how voting happens at the Ministerial level. Introducing the proposal, Abe Bergen noted that, at a Ministerial vote last summer “Ernie Koop who’s been a professor at SBC, long-time missionary, pastor at EFC, was not qualified to vote…. Something is not right,” he said, “we have not kept up our structures.”

“We’re not coming with a finished product, we’re coming with a starting point,” added Woodworth. The BLO has proposed two options. One option is to give each credentialed minister one vote, another option is to give each church one vote.

Discussion followed. Some comments from the floor:

Option B seems like a tidy way of skirting around the difficulty of having women in pastoral roles. In our church’s case, if we were discussing a theological matter, we would have the most engagement from women in our church.
Option B would help us feel like we need to bring something from our church and be faithful to that. Option A would allow a change of decision after discussion, and to make a decision for the sake of the EMC community as a whole.
Some new pastors may not have a vote. Using Option A but giving every church in the conference at least one vote ensures there aren’t congregations that are left out.
It needs to be recognized that, with Option A, some churches won’t get a voice because they are led by females, who can’t be credentialed.
Option B gives a much stronger voice to the rural churches and the smaller churches of our conference.
There might be a hybrid option, such as every 300 members you get a vote. Bigger churches do get a bigger say, but it’s not overwhelming.
A concern with Option B is that older retired ministers won’t get a vote. When they have a lifetime of wisdom and experience to offer, their vote should count.

Conference Pastor Layton Friesen closed the time of discussion saying, “We wanted to put these two options out there to generate discussion, and that’s clearly what’s happened.”

Council approves Spain as mission field, discusses make-up of EMC Ministerial