1. “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!”
- Deut.4:6

2. Budget FYE 2009 Partner Programs & Related Organizations
My name is Randy Wiebe and I will be reporting to you on the following two sections of the budget: 1) Partner Programs and 2) Related Organizations. The difference between these two categories is minor yet important.
Partner Programs are projects in partnership with an individual, corporation or congregation administered by MC Canada through either the Witness or Formation Council.
Related organizations are partnerships in which an individual, corporation or congregation is a partner; however, the project is administered by another organization. In both of these areas MC Canada has to pay special attention to meeting CRA’s requirements of maintaining direction and control of the funds that we receipt. A lengthy process of analysing and approving each individual project is required, along with the signing of contracts, partnership and/or agency agreements. A simple project can become fairly complex in a short time.
“Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!”

3. “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!”
Net Expenses Comparison – Partner Programs
FYE Jan-09
Gross Budget
Miscellaneous New Initiatives
50,000
Christian Peacemaker Teams
200,000
Company of 1000
North American Vietnamese Mennonite Fellowship
35,000
Philippine Partnership
65,000
Mennonite Voluntary Service Adventures
3,000
Kherson Partnership
8,400
Learning Tours
Canadian Women in Mission
30,000
Der Bote
24,150
MHC Archives
75,949
MHC Gallery
Legesse Partnership (Ethiopia)
33,500
Total Partner Programs Expenses
689,999
The budget for Partner Programs is presented to you. I will briefly walk us through each of these.
Miscellaneous New Initiatives: I guess I shouldn’t start with this one, but the order is as it appears in the statements. This is a catch all for each project that was too small or short term to create a separate line in our chart of accounts. This category includes a variety of small, one time projects including Witness Interns and Special Assignments.
Christian Peacemaker Teams CPT: You are probably all well aware of the violence reduction work that CPT does in countries like Canada, US (Aboriginal justice), Colombia, Iraq, Palestine and the Africa Great Lakes region.
The company of 1000 provides financial support to pastors in training. By offering forgivable loans this program helps nurture growing Leadership gifts toward maturity.
North American Vietnamese Mennonite Fellowship (NAVMF) is a partnership created for two purposes; to fellowship with Mennonite brothers and sisters in North America and to plant churches in Vietnam. In ten years, with only nine member congregations, the North American Vietnamese Mennonite Fellowship (NAVMF) has helped to plant over 200 churches in Vietnam and make inroads in Cambodia.
Philippine Partnership is an exciting ministry in the Philippines trying to foster peace in the southern region called Mindanao. Dan and Joji Pantoja have been there for almost two years now, fostering dialogue between the military and rebels. They have come up with an interesting idea by having a representative of both parties live in a “peace house”. This allows for direct communication and has averted many misunderstandings. Partners are Peace Mennonite Church and Waves Community
Mennonite Voluntary Service Adventures: This is a program of congregations with Voluntary Service Units as part of their outreach.
Kherson is another project in support of the church in Kherson, Ukraine.
Learning Tours: How many of you have already been on a MC Canada learning tour?? If you haven’t I bet you don’t know what you are missing. Learning tours are created to allow you, the Church in Canada to see, hear and feel first hand what church is like in Botswana, China, Colombia, Cuba, South Africa and places not yet visited.
Canadian Women in Mission: The CWM is a project that many of you know much better than I do. Some how, nobody invites me to these things. But they are a group of energetic and innovative women from across Canada doing ministry and supporting the church where there is need.
Der Bote: I am sure; many of you have heard a fair bit about Der Bote. This is the German language paper that has been produced and distributed for 84 years. However, due to the decreasing German readership, the paper ceased publication in March Many people continue to have strong ties to Der Bote because of the important it has played in their lives for many years.
Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives: If you have ever wanted to know anything Mennonite, present or past, if it has been done, said, or written, you can probably find it at the MHC Archives.
Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery: Yes, Mennonites and the Church, we love art too. There have been many wonderful displays in the Gallery bridging faith, culture and art, and we can anticipate many more.
Legesse Partnership: This is another exciting project in support of Meserete Kritos College in Ethiopia. The Legesse family is teaching at the college in Ethiopia.
“Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!”

4. “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!”
Net Expenses Comparison – Related Organization
FYE Jan-08
Gross Budget
Mennonite Mission Network
55,000
Mennonite Church USA
50,000
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
85,000
Mennonite Publishing Network
25,000
Meserete Kristos College
100,000
Eastern Mennonite Missions
5,000
Mennonite World Conference
Total Related Organization Expenses
390,000
Continuing with the final piece of the presentation, we will now turn to
Related Organizations:
Mennonite Mission Network: MC Canada has a variety of projects that are carried out together with MMN. Besides the money that you see on this line, Witness receives and makes grants to MMN.
Mennonite Church USA: Our sister Church down south is another partner of the global church. Often there are initiatives in support of the other church.
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS): MC Canada is able to provide support to AMBS which serves the church as a learning community with an Anabaptist vision.
Mennonite Publishing Network (MPN): As the publishing ministry of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada, Mennonite Publishing Network provides materials that equip the church to experience and share the gospel from an Anabaptist perspective.
Meserete Kristos College: While the College began as a small Bible Institute, it is growing into a baccalaureate degree level College. It envisions becoming a full “Christian University” offering a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs designed to meet the training needs of the growing Christian communities in the Ethiopian cultural, socio-economic and spiritual context.
Eastern Mennonite Missions: Eastern Mennonite Missions is an Anabaptist mission agency with which MC Canada partners with.
Mennonite World Conference: MWC exists to (1) be a global community of faith in the Anabaptist-tradition, (2) facilitate community between Anabaptist-related churches worldwide, and (3) relate to other Christian world communions and organizations. MC Canada has also opened the door to increase support for MWC.
“Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!”

5. “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!”
Thank you.
This takes care of my presentation and the budget as presented to you in the report book.
Thank you.
“Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!”

6. “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!”
- Deut.4:6