May 13th, 2022Mennonite Church Canada donates $50,000 to MWC Assembly Fund
Asks member congregations to match amount to help MWC meet Assembly expenses
Mennonite Church Canada is donating $50,000 to help Mennonite World Conference meet its expenses for MWC Assembly in Indonesia this summer, and is calling on its member congregations to help match the donation.
“In keeping with Assembly 2022’s theme of ‘following Jesus together across barriers,’ our donation is a way to support our brothers and sisters in faith around the globe,” says Calvin Quan, moderator of MC Canada.
Indonesia 2022 will be held at Sangkakala Seminary in Kopeng from July 5-10. Due remaining COVID-19 measures, MWC is limiting on-site attendance to 1,250 people, compared to the more than 8,000 participants who gathered in Pennsylvania for Assembly 2015. Thousands are expected to attend Assembly 2022 online.
Due to the limited number guests, the income generated by on-site registration is much lower than in the past, while costs for running online and in-person Assembly remain the same. As a result, MWC issued a request to its member denominations for contributions to help MWC meet its event expenses.
“We have raised over $300,000 in contributions to support the Assembly, but we still need to raise about $500,000 to pay for all of the anticipated expenses,” wrote J. Ron Byler, MWC Chief Development Officer in the March request.
Mennonite Church Canada’s Joint Council approved a $50,000 donation to MWC for Assembly expenses at its meetings on April 9 and 10, 2022. With the donation comes a call to its member congregations to match the same amount in donations to MWC's Assembly Fund.
Under MWC’s Fair Share model, Assembly participants from lower-income countries pay lower registration costs. MC Canada’s donation will help MWC continue to provide these subsidies.
To donate to MWC Assembly Fund, visit Donate Now | Mennonite World Conference (mwc-cmm.org).
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Katie Doke Sawatzky