MCC Ottawa Office Marks its 25th Anniversary

Mennonite Central Committee
Saturday, 14 October 2000

WINNIPEG, Man. -- Few Mennonites would question MCC's presence in Ottawa's corridors of power these days but that certainly wasn't the case 25 years ago when the office first opened after several years of impassioned debate.

"It was a bit of a hard sell to the (Mennonite) conferences," recalls Abe Wiebe an early MCC Canada board member, representing the Sommerfelder conference. There were concerns that Mennonites shouldn't be involved in that level of political advocacy. And what about the people staffing the office? Would they end up adopting a particular political party's point of view, or would they really be able to speak for all groups of Mennonites on particular issues? Would it be divisive?

There was also a suspicion that the need for an Ottawa office was driven by MCC Canada staff and did not really reflect the wishes of the larger Mennonite constituency, says Siegfried Bartel of BC who was also a board member at the time. Bartel was one of those who had serious misgivings about MCC having an office in Ottawa.

MCC Canada marked the 25th anniversary of the Ottawa office September 29-30 with dialogue and discussion sessions and a celebration dinner in Winnipeg. MCC staff involved in advocacy work met with Ottawa office staff to discuss a range of issues as did representatives from various Mennonite conferences.

During discussions with conference leaders--from Old Colony, Sommerfelder, EMC, EMMC, MB and Mennonite Church Canada groups-- it quickly became clear that the fears and concerns about MCC's work in Ottawa have all but vanished. It also became clear that the person most responsible for winning over the critics is the person who has directed the office nearly all these years--Bill Janzen.

"The churches have gained confidence in what you did," Wiebe told Janzen at the meeting with conference leaders. "I would personally like to thank you. You have represented us well." Other leaders expressed similar sentiments.

About 140 people attended a special celebration dinner, including people like Bartel who witnessed the birth of the Ottawa program. Also in attendance were some of the staff who have served in the Ottawa office over the years including Freda Enns, Joanne Epp and Monica Scheifele. MCC Canada executive directors J.M. Klassen and Dan Zehr, who helped nurture the early Ottawa program, attended as well.

"What made it (the program) acceptable over the years in large measure, was the person who occupied the position," said J.M. Klassen. MCC searched long and hard for the right person to fill the position initially and finally settled on Janzen. "We didn't know Bill Janzen that well and we didn't know how well he would be able to do what he was expected to do," admitted Klassen.

Janzen received the accolades with humility and grace. "When you receive a compliment you should accept it graciously but not take it seriously," he said. "In this case that is not difficult since the words have only a remote connection to reality." He thanked people for their generous and long-standing support.

To his MCC colleagues he said: "I will need your help and encouragement next week as much as I needed it last week. Let's just forget this evening happened."

Federal politician Bill Blaikie (NDP--Winnipeg-Transcona) was the keynote speaker for the evening. A United Church minister, Blaikie spoke of the importance of churches speaking out on political and economic issues. "We (as Christians) need to make choices. The Bible calls us to do that," he said.

Blaikie was critical of people's, and government's infatuation with global trade and financial markets. In the end, life is about how you treat each other and how you help the poor, he said. "God will not ask Did you please the moneylenders, or, Did you balance your budgets."

"The '90s (financial) market has been elevated to the level of the false god. It is an open and shut case of idolatry. The marketplace is our golden calf."

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