Mennonite Church Canada Witness
International Ministry Opportunity

Mennonite Church Canada Priorities

To engage the world with the reconciling gospel of Jesus Christ, with God’s help we will:

• Form a people of God;
• Become a global church;
• Grow leaders for the church.

Mennonite Church Canada Witness Mandate

• To lead, mobilize and resource the church to participate in holistic witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in a broken world.

Assignment objective

To strengthen and resource the mission of the church in the United Kingdom by sharing new and old insights from the Anabaptist tradition and fostering mutually encouraging relationships among congregations.

Assignment description

The Anabaptist Network comprises people from all over Britain and from a wide range of church backgrounds. It has made visible the growing interest in Anabaptism and its implications for discipleship, mission and church life in contemporary culture. The Anabaptist Network has been a rallying point and an opportunity for dialogue, serving existing churches from various traditions, while at the same time offering resources to or sponsoring new churches.

At the start of 2004 a number of church leaders expressed interest in ‘affiliating’ to the Anabaptist Network or in some way building or strengthening links. In September 2009, representatives of several churches met together to talk about ways of relating together. Out of this and further conversations is emerging an “Anabaptist Network of Communities” (ANC), linking together congregations and other communities that want to learn from one another and from the Anabaptist tradition.

The Anabaptist Network has identified the following responsibilities and activities for the assignment. Depending on the experience and vocation of the assigned worker(s), one set of activities will be identified as the primary task, and one or more of the other activities might become a subsidiary task. This assignment is a pioneering role. While a pastoral role is needed, it also includes a ground-breaking role to expand the ANC in new directions. Primary spheres of relationship and activity include the existing ANC congregations, emerging churches and church networks, and churches comprised of cultural groups new to the UK who have affinities with or are exploring the Anabaptist tradition.

• Visit communities that have joined the Anabaptist Network of Communities (ANC), assess their engagement with the Anabaptist tradition and encourage further and deeper engagement.
• Make contact with emerging churches and churches new to the UK, attending church events in order to build relationships and facilitate engagement with the Anabaptist tradition.
• Interact with the emerging church conversation through blogging, tweeting and forums on websites.
• Assess the level of awareness of and interest in the Anabaptist tradition already present in emerging churches, emerging church networks and churches new to the UK.
• Develop and disseminate resources that will assist ANC communities and interested churches to engage with the Anabaptist tradition.
• Encourage ANC communities and interested churches to connect with each other and explore ways of learning together and mutually enriching each other.
• Follow up enquiries from other communities interested in the ANC, search out and identify other communities that might be interested in joining the ANC.
• Help facilitate events for ANC communities and interested churches.
• Help forge links between these ANC churches and groups that are part of the Anabaptist Network of Organizations (ANO).
• Ensure that the activities and relationships of the Resource Worker(s) do not make these links dependent on their continued presence.
• Identify and facilitate short term learning, service and/or ministry opportunities among the ANC by members of Mennonite Church Canada.

Qualifications: Necessary skills, experience and education

• Commitment to following Jesus Christ
• Passion for the church and its mission in an ecumenical context
• Solid understanding of what Anabaptist understandings have to offer the church
• Ability to relate well across generations, especially with younger people
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Willingness to travel
• Flexibility and openness to a wide range of persons, churches and life experiences
• Creativity in thinking about new ways to develop ministry and commitment to ongoing learning.
• Pastoral or church planting experience
• Willingness to live simply, and to share and receive hospitality

Desirable Qualifications include:

• Teaching ability
• Graduate level theological training in an Anabaptist perspective
• Urban ministry experience
• Cross-cultural/multi-cultural experience, including ability to speak other languages

Lifestyle Expectations

All Mennonite Church Canada Witness Workers are expected to:

• Be members of Mennonite Church Canada or another Anabaptist church
• Uphold the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective in word and action.
• Live according to the Lifestyle Expectations as outlined in the Mennonite Church Canada International Ministries Policy Manual (Accountability, Spiritual Disciplines, Living in Community, Relating to Church and Culture, Personal Witness, Openness to Admonition and Reconciliation, Commitment to Assignment, Care for health and wellness).

Financial Arrangements

Financial support is commensurate with experience and education. Comprehensive benefits are provided.

Location factors

• The UK is a culturally rich and diverse nation that maintains strong global economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence.
• It is the third most populous country in the European Union and one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
• Ethnic diversity varies across the UK, with some centres like London having over 30% of the population being non-white.
• Active church participation is in significant decline. While the 2001 census identified 71% of the population as Christian, a further survey indicated that only 1 in 10 Britons attended church weekly.
• Workers will be encouraged to become part of one of a growing number of churches that are part of the ANC (anabaptistnetwork.com/node/568).
• The country enjoys good health care, public education and public transportation systems.

Contact

For more information: Gordon Janzen, Email:
For application details: Kirsten Schroeder, Email:
or call them at (204) 888-6781, toll-free in Canada at 1-866-888-6785 - Gordon ext: #164; Kirsten ext: #110