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Akron, Pa.
MCC executive meets to determine future direction


Mennonite Central Committee’s executive committee met Dec. 10-11 to help determine agency direction for the new millennium. The meeting’s main purpose was to recommend actions to be taken by the full MCC board at its annual meeting in February. The executive committee is a 13-member working group appointed by the MCC board, a body of 36.

1999 a record-breaking year

The executive committee learned that MCC shipped material resources valued at $10 million in 1999 compared with $4.7 million in 1998. MCC shipped 55,000 refugee kits to the Yugoslav region, surpassing the previous record of 52,000 Hurricane Mitch relief buckets for Central America.

MCC also shipped large amounts of food overseas in 1999. This, however, may change in 2000. Elaine Peters of the food, disaster and material resource department noted that flooding, high priced inputs and low government subsidies are creating a farming crisis in Western Canada.

“Fifty per cent of Western Canada’s farmers say if the situation doesn’t improve, they will leave farming within two years,” she reported. Canadian farmers have been generous donors to MCC’s account at Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which has enabled MCC to make large food shipments.

Caring for MCC workers

According to a one-and-a-half-year case study that involved 1,400 MCC workers, 23.6 per cent of MCC’s international country representatives and US program coordinators reported high levels of stress. Evelyn and Karl Bartsch, mental health care professionals and former MCC workers, led the study.

“Country representatives are the focal point for requests and complaints, yet their roles are not clearly defined,” Karl said. Expectations regarding administrative and pastoral functions are often unclear to country representatives and to volunteers they supervise.

Overall, the study revealed that the vast majority of MCC workers feel well cared for and that they view stress as “part of the nature of the work”. However, only 21 per cent of respondents indicated that their home churches were helpful and supportive. Karl called the level of church support for MCC workers “incredibly low”.

“It’s not so surprising considering many MCC workers come from colleges or other places that have taken them away from their local churches,” commented Donella Clemens, an MCC executive board member.

Another member, Vidya Narimalla, observed the importance of volunteers getting involved in churches where they serve and “becoming part of the community”.

The study recommends that MCC provide more training for country representatives and program coordinators; that MCC encourage each prospective worker to designate a small support group from their home church or community; that a resource person be made available to MCC leaders; and that all MCC workers be debriefed when they complete their assignments. MCC’s human resources department will work to implement the recommendations.

MCC international programs in the future

“Capacity-building” was a key concept as international program staff told of plans for 2000. Edgar Metzler, MCC’s international program director, defined the term by asking, “How can we work in such a way to help local people to develop the capacity to walk alone? Our purpose is not to make a bigger and better MCC, but to help local organizations build up their capacity [to respond to needs].”

Hansulrich Gerber, MCC’s Europe program director, pointed to the example of MCC’s relationship with Bread of Life in Serbia, a social service agency of the Belgrade evangelical churches that MCC has supplied with material resources and volunteers. “In this way, a whole network of churches has been strengthened,” noted Gerber.

Several committee members noted that MCC’s emphasis on capacity-building makes it increasingly important to set criteria on how MCC selects partners since they are instrumental in carrying out MCC’s work.

Two major changes in program are planned for 2000.

The Africa department plans a major revisioning process. “We’re not talking about improving what already exists but rather calling into question some of the core values that have guided Africa programs,” said Terry Sawatsky, MCC’s Africa co-director. The Africa department has set aside three per cent of its budget to fund a participatory process in 2000 that will identify problem areas and recommend solutions.

The Global Family Program, a child sponsorship program of MCC, is expected to double in size over the next five years, from having a current 2,200 sponsors to 5,000. Kate Myers is the director of this program.

The executive committee decided to recommend that the full board approve these plans and the budget.  – Pearl Sensenig, MCC Communications

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Last modified January 11, 2000.

© 2000 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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