Walking Together in Faith: Embracing Change and Renewal in MCEC

What a gift it is to be part of MCEC—a diverse community of 106 congregations across three provinces, united in following Jesus. Though we worship in different languages and express our faith in varied ways, we are bound together by our shared calling and commitment to one another. This is the Good News made visible. May we be an encouragement to one another and a witness to our world. 

We need and invite your voice, your wisdom, your challenge and your vision as we meet.

This year’s Annual Church Gathering is different from past years. Instead of a two-day, in-person event, we meet online for one morning. While this format has its limitations, it allows us to steward our resources wisely, especially as we prepare to host Mennonite Church Canada Gathering this July in Kitchener.  

We trust that our time together will be meaningful. We need and invite your voice, your wisdom, your challenge and your vision as we meet, even in this condensed format. And we hope you’ll join us in hosting the Mennonite Church Canada Gathering in July. 

Going back to last year’s Annual Church Gathering, you, the delegates, approved a challenging budget with a significant deficit. You also made it clear the time had come to begin taking new steps to clarify the financial needs of MCEC and begin making hard decisions to address ongoing deficits.  

We believe it responds to what we have heard.

In response, this past year Executive Council and Staff have worked to communicate more clearly with congregations and donors about the purpose and vision of MCEC as well as our financial realities. Many responded with increased generosity, especially towards the end of the fiscal year. Thank you. 

Additionally, under the leadership of Ann L. Schultz, intentional interim executive team leader, a significant reorganization of MCEC staff and ministries was carried out to refocus on core priorities and achieve financial savings. This resulted in a $300,000 annual reduction to our budget via staffing costs and other efficiencies—an important step toward long-term sustainability. 

We look forward to how God is calling us together going forward.

These and other efforts mean that this year we are bringing a very different budget for your consideration, one that still has a deficit, but that we believe responds to what we have heard. We do need your ongoing input and wisdom for our shared community of faith as we live into these new realities and continue to make significant changes to address these challenges. 

Of course, the decisions around the reorganization and staffing reductions were not just about numbers; they impacted relationships and valued staff who have faithfully served MCEC. With deep gratitude, we thank those who transitioned out of their roles this year for various reasons, including Wendy Janzen (eco-minister), Stephen Reist (regional ministry associate), Ronald Alexandre (mission associate), Charles Tabena (mission associate), Al Rempel (regional minister), Norm Dyck (mission/engagement minister) and Ann L. Schultz. We pray God’s blessing on them as they continue their journeys. 

I am consistently inspired by the many stories of hope, grace, and joy I hear throughout MCEC.

Even in the midst of all this change, we do also see new beginnings. After an extensive search, we welcomed Anthony Siegrist as our new executive minister on February 1st, 2025. We are grateful for his leadership already as we live into and adapt to our new structure. We look forward to how God is calling us together going forward, as we live into being the Church.  

As moderator, I am consistently inspired by the many stories of hope, grace, and joy I hear throughout MCEC. It is a gift of God in the ways we come together, each of us called to faithfulness in our unique situations, making up the body of Christ. 

MCEC exists because of you—your prayers, wisdom, and engagement. Thank you for your continued support and for walking this journey together. May God guide and bless us as we move forward in faith. 

In Christ, 

Ben Cassels
MCEC Moderator