Aug. 15, 2011 issue
Canada delegates OK biennial assemblies
By Dan Dyck Mennonite Church CanadaWATERLOO, Ont. — The Mennonite Church Canada Assembly in 2012 will mark the start of a two-year cycle of national church gatherings.
While the motion to make this change passed with a strong majority at Assembly 2011, some delegates were not enthused about meeting biennially.
However, they did understand the financial impact of annual assemblies and the related demands on staff. Diminished personal connections and fewer opportunities for churches to host an assembly were noted concerns.
Joanne Moyer noted the environmental impact of meeting annually. “It costs a lot to the environment every year, so it is also a creation care issue,” she said.
Less clear to some is the decision’s impact on youth assemblies, which already occur biennially. Delegates heard that there are no plans or resources to produce a youth assembly next year, so the next youth assembly would not occur until 2014.
Comments
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The proposal to begin the two year cycle after 2012 was in part connected to Mennonite Church USA's meeting cycle. Staff responsible to both national denominations (e.g., AMBS) need only attend one event per summer; youth and adults can participate in Mennonite Church USA assemblies in off years (e.g. 2013) as well as World Conference in 2015).
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