Deborah Froese

“We don’t all see things through the same lenses. We don’t all agree on every little or big thing, but we are loved by you, and we love.” That prayerful acknowledgement of diversity and unity as God’s community by Vernelle Enns Penner opened Mennonite Church Canada’s Special Assembly 2017 on the evening of Oct. 13 at the Radisson Hotel in Winnipeg.

“What are the dreams that have been placed in us? What has God whispered in our ears? How has God invaded our thoughts?” asked Willard Metzger, Mennonite Canada’s executive minister (formerly executive director). Thus began his final address on Oct. 15 to those who gathered for Special Assembly 2017. Those questions arose from the assembly’s theme text, II Corinthians 3:1-6, that were pondered throughout worship sessions on the two previous days.

For Mennonite Church Canada Witness workers and national office staff, preparations for restructuring have created challenges over the past few years. Reality hit home as beloved colleagues and friends were released from their jobs and others left voluntarily for new employment, leaving those who remained with a sense of loss and additional responsibilities. We’ve lived with and juggled the uncertainty of impending change for a long time: What does it mean for the church and for those we serve?