MCC U.S. board reaches season of change

Mennonite Central Committee
Saturday, 19 February 2000

GRANTHAM, Pa. -- The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. board, meeting here February 4 and 5, reviewed the organization's priorities and successes after the first year of regionalization.

Janet Weber, assistant director of MCC U.S. Community Ministries program, opened the meeting with reflections based on verses from Ecclesiastes: "There is a time for everything and a season for everything under heaven."

During her remarks, which set the tone for the meeting, she explained that there is "a time to embrace and a time to refrain....A time to tear and time to sew."

"It is time to tear away from being a centralized office and fully embrace the new regionalization,""she said. "It is also time to embrace the change that is taking place with MCC U.S. and within Community Ministries, to literally give responsibility (for MCC U.S. service programs) to the regions."

"Change is inevitable," Weber added. "MCC U.S. needs to change in response to a changing world, while at the same time preserving core values and purpose."

MCC U.S. began decentralizing in 1999, giving its four regional offices responsibility for local service workers and programs in Appalachia, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pine Ridge, S.D., south Florida and Washington D.C. Peace and Justice staff will also be added to the regional offices, while a core of national staff remains based in Akron.

"We're excited and anxious about this transition," Barb Buxman, MCC West Coast co-director, reported at the meeting. "Our purpose is to provide staff to support local church groups and identify with and be accountable to our local constituents. MCC U.S. wants and needs to be closer to churches."

The board and staff discussed trends that will affect MCC U.S. work in coming years. "It's time to move on from talking about structure to a discussion of our priorities: where we are as MCC U.S. and where we are going," said Harriet Sider-Bicksler, MCC U.S. board chair. The dialogue resulted in a renewed commitment to issues of power such as anti-racism and anti-sexism, as well as to conciliation and peace issues; relationship building; and the prophetic role MCC U.S. can demonstrate in its work.

The MCC U.S. board met with the Brethren in Christ board who were also holding their annual meeting in Grantham that weekend. The two boards outlined their vision for service and ministry over the next few years, discussing how to combine evangelism, service and justice advocacy.

As Jeannie Romero Talbert, director of MCC U.S. Community Ministries, noted, "The constituency is very broad, including the full breadth of opinion and theology. As we cultivate relationships with churches concerned with the state of the soul are we ready for a dialogue on how evangelism fits into service? Accountability will be one of the challenges of the future for MCC U.S."

In other board news, the board approved a $5,000 request from Hispanic church leaders to meet to discuss promoting Anabaptist education in Hispanic Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in North America and Puerto Rico.

The Confraternidad de Iglesias Anabautista Hispana de Norte America y Puerto Rico (Fellowship of Hispanic Anabaptist Churches of North America and Puerto Rico), established in 1996 by various Hispanic churches to promote Anabaptist education, disbanded after one year because of lack of funding. Church leaders hope to revive and expand the work of the fellowship.

For more information, or to contact Mennonite Central Committee, see their website at: www.mcc.org