The boards of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. and MCC Canada held their annual joint meeting March 16-17, in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Part of the agenda was to review the human resources (HR) framework, one of eight frameworks authorized and approved by the two boards to govern their shared work of relief, development and peace in the name of Christ.

The frameworks are reviewed regularly on a four-year cycle, and this meeting was the culmination of a two-year process around the HR framework, which included input from MCC staff and Anabaptist church leaders in Canada and the U.S. The boards of all provincial and regional MCC offices also processed the framework.

At the close of the day, the boards approved an updated framework to be implemented in coming months, as well as a code of conduct outlining the faith, personal and professional conduct expectations of personnel and board members.

Along with the faith qualifications and professional standards, MCC personnel and board members are expected to respect and abide by an understanding of sexual intimacy as only within marriage between one man and one woman, among other aspects of personal conduct.

The framework includes a clause whereby exceptions may be made. The process to apply exceptions is not fully determined, but exceptions must be approved by the two national executive directors, who are responsible to their respective boards. Exceptions will not be granted to leadership personnel, workers with significant interaction with MCC’s constituency and service workers in international assignments.

As is true within the Anabaptist denominations that own and support MCC, this MCC discussion has been long and challenging, and it will continue. Board chairs Peggy Snyder (MCC Canada) and Ann Graber Hershberger (MCC U.S.) expressed confidence that this framework allows MCC to recognize the various contextual differences in Canada and the U.S. and to continue to focus on its ministry.

MCC U.S. sponsoring denominations:
-Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches
-Brethren in Christ Church
-Conservative Mennonite Conference
-Fellowship of Evangelical Churches
-Mennonite Church USA
-U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

MCC Canada sponsoring denominations:
-Mennonite Church Canada
-Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
-Evangelical Mennonite Conference
-Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference
-Be in Christ Church of Canada
-Christian Mennonite Conference