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Alberta MB Conference Convention
Alberta MBs called to keep fires burning


With the backdrop of dry southern Alberta, known for its irrigation pipes, wind-swept sugar beet fields and resilient farmers, delegates to the Alberta MB Conference convention gathered at Coaldale MB Church March 24-26. Coaldale, the first MB church in Alberta, was established in 1926 by immigrants from Russia.

Under the theme “Stoking the fire”, convention 2000 was more about keeping the fires of Mission Calgary alive than about anything else.

Randy Klassen, associate pastor at Coaldale MB Church, led delegates in singing hymns and choruses, including the theme song ”Light a Fire”.

Conference moderator Harry Heidebrecht moved the proceedings gingerly along, careful to keep to parliamentary procedures while holding to time constraints. Lorne Willms, the lead pastor of the host church, was more upbeat, juggling his responsibilities as assistant moderator and host pastor well. Throughout the convention, he handed out prizes to delegates for a variety of planted devices: marked pages in handbooks, autographed reports, etc. Delegates seemed delighted to win the prizes provided by Camp Evergreen and Bethany Bible Institute.

Changes

In order to operate more efficiently, the Conference has restructured some key areas of responsibility, creating two new bodies:

The Executive Board will consist of the executive members (the moderator, assistant moderator, secretary and treasurer) and the chairs of the four commissions (Church Extension, Faith and Life, Camping Ministries and Christian Education) plus the chair of a newly formed Administration Committee. This proposal is expected to facilitate better communication between the executive and the commissions. The Administrative Committee will oversee the finances of the Conference. It will have four members, including the representative to the Board of Management of the Canadian MB Conference. This new committee frees the Executive Board to focus on vision, Conference leadership and constituency relations. The Administrative Committee could also assist the treasurers of churches when needed.

With the creation of these two new bodies, the Conference leadership recommended that the meeting of the governing bodies be rescheduled: the Executive Board would meet regularly for vision setting and planning; the Council of Church Leaders, consisting of pastors and moderators of the churches as well as the executive and commission members, would meet in the fall for an equipping session; and the Coordinating Council, consisting of the executive and all members of each commission, would meet in January to plan for the convention.

The next recommendation had to do with a liability insurance policy for all of the churches in the Conference. Currently, only a few churches have liability insurance, and the executive felt that it would be best if all the churches and Camp Evergreen would have a comprehensive insurance plan. To make it work, however, all churches would have to adopt the plan. This would not be a Conference expense, but would be carried by the individual churches and the camp. A question was raised about what to do if a church decides not to go along with the plan. Heidebrecht suggested that delegates vote on the recommendation in principle and then the executive would have to approach each church individually with the plan.

Another recommendation was to hire an outside auditor for the Conference books, Mission Calgary and Camp Evergreen. Currently, the books are reviewed internally, but are not audited by an outside party. Camp Evergreen would pay 75% of the cost, and the Conference would pay 25%.

Delegates passed all recommendations with little discussion.

Budget

Delegates learned that the Conference had a deficit of $9,776 in 1999. This was due to less monies coming in and an increase in expenditures. Instead of proposing a deficit budget for next year, the executive recommended that the Conference norm be increased from $84 to $89 per member. The bulk of the money goes to guaranteed grants to the Conference’s biggest projects: Camp Evergreen and Mission Calgary. Conference treasurer Vanessa Penner explained that these are fixed expenditures and there is not much slack in the budget. Willms noted that the churches have to keep their end of the bargain with the Canadian Conference in regards to Mission Calgary. A question was raised about the formula the Conference uses to determine the norm. Penner explained that the formula is determined by multiplying 0.8 by the number of members. That number is then divided into $192,650, the amount needed for the budget. Thus: $192,650 is divided by 2172 (2715 members X 0.80) to equal $89. This number is conservative, she said. It was noted that the increase in the norm would be a tough sell in a province that is suffering through a farm crisis.

A motion was made to include the deficit in the budget, reduce the amount of guaranteed grants for Mission Calgary and Camp Evergreen and add a provisional grant to make up the difference. It was noted that Camp Evergreen had consented to reduce its $60,000 grant to $50,000 and have a provisional grant of $10,000. However, the grant of $60,000 to Mission Calgary couldn’t be reduced. Two years ago, delegates agreed to fund Mission Calgary with increasing grants each year. The motion was ruled out of order because the agreement with the Canadian Conference for Mission Calgary is historic and cannot be altered.

Willy Reimer, SunWest

Willy Reimer, a member of the Mission Calgary task force, remarked that maintaining Mission Calgary was not so much a financial issue as it was a spiritual one. He reminded delegates that there would be further implications if the Conference doesn’t follow through with its grant to Mission Calgary.

Heidebrecht clarified that the Conference had to use some of its surplus in order to deal with the reduction in monies coming in and that a line of credit may have to be used in the coming year. He said he wished the Conference had an Administrative Committee already in place to handle these kinds of issues because they were not his area of expertise.

The budget passed, although not unanimously.

Jack To

Mission Calgary

Mountainview Grace Church, a Cantonese-speaking congregation in Calgary, is five years old. Pastor Jack To reported that the church no longer is subsidized by the Church Extension Commission and is in the process of purchasing a movie theatre and office space for Sunday school classrooms. To is also mentoring Joseph Liou with a Mandarin-speaking church plant. Liou said his ministry targets people from mainland China who have been indoctrinated with communism. Immigrants from China are mostly professional people who can’t find employment in their careers because the Canadian government doesn’t recognize their credentials. These people end up taking labour-intensive jobs and tend to devalue themselves. Most Chinese immigrants settle in booming centres such as Calgary. The challenge is to get the people to talk openly about their experiences, which they see as very personal. Chinese, especially those from Taiwan, keep largely to themselves.

Curt Snell, The River

Curt Snell is lead pastor of The River, an MB church plant in southeast Calgary. He said the church is launching life groups (small groups) and developing leaders for the congregation. The church meets in individuals’ homes, and is in need of a public facility. There are many youth in the community that the church could be impacting, but isn’t. The church is using the Alpha course to introduce people to the basic tenets of Christianity. The church targets people who are individualistic and feel that they don’t need what a community, such as a church, offers. Pornography, Native spiritualism and competitiveness are problems in the community.

Phil Wideman, church planter/pastor of Ridgeview Community Fellowship, thanked delegates for having the courage to believe in the vision of church planting. He said God is doing unbelievable things: People are coming to know Christ. Attendance has grown, and has been as high as 115 people. Marriages have been healed. The divorce rate in Calgary is 60-65%, and some people in the church have been married three times. It takes hundreds of hours to walk through the baggage some of these people have, he said. Elroy and Lynn Senneker are part of the leadership team, coordinating small groups. Andrea Wiens and Leah Jespeesen are helping with college and career, and a youth ministry has been started. The church’s need is for a bigger facility with space for the children. The danger, he admits, is to take over from what God is doing.

Camp Evergreen

The camp had 727 children during the summer of 1999. Of those, 28% were from Calgary, 23% were from Edmonton, 14% were from Sundre/Didsbury/Olds/Carstairs, 4% were from Linden/Acme/Three Hills, 3% were from Lethbridge/Coaldale, 2% were from Red Deer, and 26% were from other areas.

Camp director Paul Isaac reported that Hope Mission, an inner-city ministry in Edmonton, brought 94 youth. Most of these had never heard about Jesus. He admitted there were intense moments, especially when the youth descended from the bus with cigarettes and lighters. When the camp speaker described God as a loving father, one person piped up: “If God loves me, why did my father rape me?“ During the week, 49 youth committed themselves to Christ.

Guest group usage is on the rise. An individual from Edmonton wanted to book the camp for a child care conference. He booked the camp after he learned that it was operated by Mennonites. He said that the agency that had once helped him was Mennonite Central Committee. He was excited about the camp’s mission statement.

Isaac summed up his report, “If you need energy, come and listen to the kids and teens share their lives during the closing ceremonies.” One youth, who has been a regular camper for the past eight years, told the other kids: “If you don’t accept Jesus, then you’re stupid.”

Christian education

Delegates learned that the Christian Education Commission has been struggling for the past year. Finding individuals to serve on the Commission has been difficult, and then its chair resigned. Heidebrecht reported that the Commission will be undergoing an evaluation over the coming year and that the issue will be dealt with at next year’s convention. Three members on the Commission remain.

Elections

Harry Heidebrect was re-elected moderator, and Lorne Willms was re-elected assistant moderator. Irvin Warkentin replaces Jenny Benke as secretary. Vanessa Penner agreed to continue serving as treasurer for one more year, on the condition that the executive work in earnest in the next year to find a replacement. The newly formed Administrative Committee had no nominees; therefore, the executive will appoint members to this Committee in the coming year.

Sermon

Harry Heidebrecht gave the opening sermon Friday evening based on Isaiah 6. Using the title “Coals from the fire”, he said that sometimes the fires in our churches burn low, and that they need to be stoked to bring renewal. Anxiety, financial crises and pastoral vacancies are things that consume our energies. Churches need passion. They need to work together in order to bring renewal. Our task, like Isaiah’s, is to lead in renewal. We must be willing to go where the fires burn low in order to stoke the fires and add new coal when necessary. Other times fresh air is needed. Isaiah had to deal with his own sins before he could lead Israel back to God. He had a transforming vision of the Sovereign God. Isaiah met God in His temple, and felt unworthy, but the seraph touched his lips with coals from the altar of God, and he was cleansed. In order for us to lead people to God, we have to first experience God’s presence. We must be forgiven people. Mission Calgary cannot be sustained without renewal. Renewal brings about an uncontrollable, renewed passion. Isaiah was a prophet of hope. He saw the root of Jesse; it was only a stump, but out of that stump came Jesus. Who will go? Who will lead in the renewal of our churches, our world?

Aaron Stout, Vauxhall

Testimonies

The momentum from the sermon continued with testimonies from Aaron Stout, associate pastor at Vauxhall MB Church; Rudy Heidebrecht, interim pastor of Westview Community Church in Grassy Lake; Curt Snell and Brian Wiebe, pastors of The River; and Mary Hildebrandt from Coaldale MB Church. On Saturday morning, Kevin Thomas, from Ridgeview Community Church, shared how God led him to the church because of his interest in music; he is now part of the worship team at the church.

Stout and Rudy Heidebrecht have been meeting together regularly for the last few years since Heidebrecht served as interim pastor at Vauxhall. They both have benefited.

Snell and Wiebe talked about how God is faithful. Snell shared about the risk he and his family took when they accepted the call to come to Calgary. People there are consumed with making a better life for themselves. Most don’t have the patience to deal with traditional things like religion. He was drawn to a new area with 5,500 homes and not one life-giving church. He discovered opportunities and was confident that God would raise up a work in the community. Through prayer, including a prayer walk through some neighbourhoods, people are showing interest in the church.

Hildebrandt talked about her experience at a ladies’ retreat at Camp Evergreen. God called her to be less selfish. As she submitted herself to God, her selfishness was replaced with joy.

Sermon II

Featured speaker for the weekend was Ron Bonar, superintendent for Growth Ministries of the Free Methodist Church of Canada. A product of the Salvation Army, Bonar grew up in Lethbridge and now lives in Mission, B.C. His first message Saturday morning dealt with the theme “A wind blowing”, based on Acts 2. He said this chapter is controversial. Many people have missed its point. Someone pointed out to him that “The Holy Spirit is not a power to be used by you, but a Person who uses you.” The point of Acts 2 is what do you do with Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit who introduces people to the Saviour. All we do, Bonar said, is only window dressing.

At age 21, Bonar had a spiritual renewal and wanted to do more with evangelism. He investigated the churches of Robert Schuller, Rick Warren and John Maxwell. He became convinced that church planting was the best vehicle for winning the lost for Christ. Living in Langley, B.C. at the time, he raised support, found a facility and invited people to church. When only a few people showed up, he felt he was in trouble, so he prayed. While praying, he heard a noise and investigated. People were lined up down the street waiting to get in. He encouraged convention delegates to use the abilities that the Holy Spirit has given them. He said not using that power was like a body builder, when asked why he had developed all those muscles, couldn’t give a reason. His body was all show and had no real purpose. “We are commissioned to build and use our muscles to reach the lost.”

Drama on what it takes to plant a church; Saturday banquet

Banquet

A highlight of the convention was the banquet Saturday night, which included a delicious Saskatoon berry pie for dessert. Worship was led by Darlene Klassen.

Darlene Klassen

Delegates sang a number of songs and witnessed a short drama written by Murray Schmidt, pastor of Crestwood MB Church in Medicine Hat. He and a team performed the drama, about what is required to plant a church, dealing with everything from undergirding the ministry with prayer and financial support to finding the right person for the task. Delegates then watched a video about Mission Calgary.

Bonar spoke on Acts 11:19-26, where the early believers were scattered to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. Some of them went beyond the accepted boundaries by reaching out to the Gentiles. Concerned, the believers in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to help strengthen the group of believers at Antioch. Similarly, Mennonites left Russia and settled in Coaldale. It pained them to leave, but, as a result, an MB church was founded in Coaldale. The church at Antioch was strategic. It was the third largest city in the world. In the same way, Coaldale was a central location from which believers could scatter. Antioch had a lot in common with our postmodern society today: spiritualistic; looking for significance; wanting to see Christ alive in someone; and wanting to be real. Bonar told the story of Tony Campolo throwing a birthday party for a prostitute in a doughnut shop at 2 a.m. When the manager asked why he would do such a thing for her, Campolo answered because he belonged to a church that would. The manager refused to believe that a church would do that. “Church planting is messy and deals with messes. Sometimes you discover how messed up you are,” Bonar said. His home church in Mission hears testimonies from outcasts like prostitutes. He encouraged the delegates to preach the good news. The Greek word for gospel means “to gossip”. “I can’t think of a better way of describing evangelism than to gossip. Gossip the gospel instead of preaching the gospel means we have to put the message into the vernacular of our culture. I pray that we would gossip the gospel.”

The banquet ended with a communion service led by Lorne Willms.

 – PW

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Last modified August 29, 2000.

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