Speaking Out column

The Executive Board of Mennonite Church USA met in San Antonio Feb. 8-9 and passed a resolution calling for a unified churchwide communication and identity system, a simple and coherent funding system and one board of directors for the denomination that would replace the individual boards for each agency. Those agencies are Mennonite Mission Network, Mennonite Education Agency, Mennonite Publishing Network and Mennonite Mutual Aid. The proposal also would eliminate the board of The Mennonite.

There are several goals in this proposal that I support. I affirm the desire to improve the ability of churchwide ministries to function effectively, to relate to each other and to support area conferences and congregations as they seek to join God’s work in the world. I also affirm the need to support area conferences and congregations as they seek to join God’s work in the world.

However, the proposal left me with a number of questions:

• What are the implications for our ability as a church to do mission?

• Can one board be sufficiently knowledgeable about publishing, mission, health/stewardship and education?

• What other denominations have tried this organizational model and what were the results?

• What is it about the current structure and the relationships among church agencies that we need to improve?

• What are the details of the proposal?

• How many people in the church are calling for these changes?

Have I had an opportunity to ask these questions? Yes. I was at the meeting when the restructuring plan was announced. More recently, I participated with the other Mission Network board members in preparing 20 questions for the leaders of the Executive Board and Executive staff, and in listening to their responses. Were all the questions answered to my satisfaction? No. I was hoping for more details, but we’ll stay in dialogue.

What do I as a “person-in-the-pew” need to know about our church’s structure? Not much, really. I am more interested in the vision that motivates our agencies and the results they produce. For example, Mennonite Mission Network “exists to lead, mobilize and equip the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world.” We envision every congregation and all parts of the church being fully engaged in mission—across the street, all through the marketplaces and around the world.

Last year Mission Network helped connect 189 North American workers with partner agencies and congregations in 40 countries around the world and helped place 2,976 people in short-term programs both in the United States and other countries.

I also need to know that my checks in support of mission work are used for missions. That’s why we have a Mission Network board—to provide overall vision and require accountability for how funds are spent.

I affirm the Executive Board’s desire to improve the interaction among its agencies. There has been much collaboration among the agencies in the past six years, and even more is possible and desired. The board of Mennonite Mission Network supports changes that make Mission Network a more faithful, efficient and effective servant of Mennonite Church USA. If there are duplications and inefficiencies among the agencies, our board welcomes the opportunity to be part of a process that examines how we can all better serve congregations and conferences in our role as the denominational mission agency.

That process will take time and collaboration. Let’s have a conversation in which those who love this church and care about its future discern together the changes that would serve to strengthen our capacity to be a people of healing and hope in the world. I believe that brothers and sisters in Christ can best give and receive counsel if all stakeholders are represented at the table when restructuring decisions are considered.

Bill Hochstetler chairs the Mennonite Mission Network board of directors.