{"id":6349,"date":"2013-06-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-06-21T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/assembly-planning-and-growth-challenges-engage-mwc-executive-committee\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T12:38:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T12:38:15","slug":"assembly-planning-growth-challenges-engage-executive-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/assembly-planning-growth-challenges-engage-executive-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"Assembly planning and growth challenges engage MWC Executive Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Akron, Pennsylvania, USA \u2013 They toured the site of the next global assembly and imagined the global faith family worshipping and relating in that space. They explored ways to increase funding of Mennonite World Conference as a growing global movement. These were several of the tasks that engaged members of the MWC Executive Committee during meetings held here 23-28 May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next Assembly \u2013 the 16th \u2013 will be at Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, 21-26 July 2015. Organizers say they are expecting around 6,000 participants and the site itself could handle up to 11,000. They said they will get a better idea of numbers once registration begins in August 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWalking With God\u201d was the assembly theme agreed on after several rounds of intense discussion. A smaller task group had proposed \u201cWalking in the Light of God.\u201d Some liked the Biblical language, drawn from Isaiah. Others saw \u201clight of God\u201d as \u201cinsider\u201d language and wanted a theme that would communicate to people both inside and outside of the church. Also in the discussion was a formulation emphasizing unity and diversity: \u201cMany Members, One Body\u201d or \u201cMany Clans, One Tribe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Executive Committee also appointed the members of the Program Oversight Committee for the 2015 Assembly (see related story)<\/a> and heard plans for the Global Youth Summit \u2013 for youth age 18 and over \u2013 which will be held 17-19 July 2015 at Messiah College near Harrisburg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth in networking capacity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One indication of MWC\u2019s growth is the involvement, since 2010, of commission representatives in the Executive Committee meetings. In addition, this year candidates for some continental representative staff positions came to the meetings. These organizational structures have been put in place to help MWC be more than a global assembly every six years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leaders of the four MWC commissions \u2013 Deacons, Faith and Life, Mission and Peace \u2013 talked about how to accompany member churches in difficult times and how to help the global MWC community strengthen its Anabaptist identity. They made plans to add new resources to the Global Shelf of Anabaptist Literature. And they talked about ways to relate with existing service and mission networks and a growing number of other networks \u2013 for example, education, health \u2013 that would like to connect in some way with MWC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The secretary for each commission has a part time salary \u2013 for less than one day per week. The other work is done by volunteers. The commissions have met in person only once since they were established in 2009. All commissions are hoping to meet in person at least one more time before the 2015 assembly, but funds are limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continental caucuses are making plans to select part time staff so that they can set aside time to connect with churches in their respective continental regions. At this point, there is a half time staff position, held by Lynn Roth of Harrisonburg, Virginia, to relate with North American MWC members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also present at the Akron meetings were candidates for a part time \u2013 one day per week \u2013 regional representative position for Europe, and also for Asia and the Pacific. Given the geographic spread of Asia and the Pacific, the plan calls for a part time position in each of three regions in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u00e9sar Garc\u00eda, general secretary, said he hopes that the continental representative positions for both Europe and Asia and the Pacific can be in place by the end of 2013 \u2013 if funds can be found. He would like to see similar positions in Africa in 2014 and Latin America in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One lunch a year<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn excellent car, but little fuel.\u201d This is how treasurer Ernst Bergen described the situation currently facing MWC. He spoke highly of the qualified people on staff, on commissions and on the Young Anabaptists Committee. \u201cBut all these groups cannot work as they would like to, because they lack money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MWC has prepared an \u201copportunities budget\u201d to identify the costs of increasing its networking capacity through initiatives such as regional staff appointments and increased commission activity. Until additional money is raised, however, MWC is committed to a balanced budget and the \u201copportunity\u201d plans will not be implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to the financial challenge, the Executive Committee took an initial step in reviewing the current per member Fair Share formula which is designed to cover the unrestricted or operating budget and the Travel Fund \u2013 a total of around $985,000 per year. According to reports, however, only about 25% of this amount comes in, since not every member conference pays the requested amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other revenue for the unrestricted budget comes from individual, business and congregational donations. In addition, MWC needs to raise money for a number of restricted funds such as the Assembly Fund, Global Church Sharing Fund and Global Youth Summit Fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one is so poor they can\u2019t give the equivalent of one lunch per year,\u201d noted C\u00e9sar Garc\u00eda. If that were to happen, he added, the budget goal could be achieved. The idea was picked up by a number of others, who added the suggestion that congregations be invited to plan communal meals and to ask persons to contribute the equivalent cost of a lunch, however that is calculated in each country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staff were asked to do further work on how the \u201clunch per year\u201d idea might be implemented. They were also asked to continue imagining ways in which the Fair Share formula could be made more effective. Any change to the funding formula would not come into effect until 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among other actions, the Executive Committee<\/strong>…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n