March 6th, 2025
Representative, Delegate, or Participant?

By Gathering 2025 release

Purpose of this document: To clarify the selection criteria and role of the Congregation Representatives, Regional Delegates, and Participants for Mennonite Church Canada’s Gathering 2025 in Kitchener, ON.

CONGREGATION REPRESENTATIVE

1.  RATIONALE

  • This function will be proposed in the Bylaw Changes in Gathering 2025 and is consistent with the philosophical construct of MC Canada where the individual congregations are the primary locus of the church’s ministry in the world.

  • It enables congregations to speak into the discernment process for determining the focus of the ministry of the nationwide church within the context of Mennonite Church Canada’s Vision Statement and Identity and Purpose Statement.

2.  SELECTION

Each congregation may appoint up to 3 Congregation Representatives and is encouraged to send a pastor/leader, a person who understands congregational and regional dynamics and a person under 35 years of age. Congregations are responsible for paying the attendance costs of their representatives.

3.  ROLE

Congregation Representatives have a significant role in discerning priorities and shaping long-term goals.

A.  PREPARE

  • Register, read the information on the website, read the report book and information sent via email in the weeks ahead.
  • Engage your congregation, making observations and recording ideas/questions related to the Nationwide Priorities.

B.  REMEMBER

  • Pray for the Gathering and the work of our nationwide community of faith.
  • Your role is to represent your congregation.
  • When sitting at the discernment table, it is important for a Congregation Representative to identify when they are speaking from a personal point of view.

C.  PARTICIPATE

  • Attend Gathering 2025 and participate in a generative capacity.
  • Together with Regional Delegates and other participants, listen to the ministry reports and join discussion tables to discern where God is calling MC Canada to focus the ministry of the nationwide church.
  • The Gathering discernment at each table will be documented, submitted for collating into a triennium report that provides guidance to the Joint Council for decision-making.
  • It is anticipated that Congregation Representatives will be present at the MC Canada Virtual 2-hour AGMs to ensure accountability.

D.  REPORT

  • Following the Gathering, share the experience and main highlights with the Summaries, both written and video, will be made available to assist you.


REGIONAL DELEGATE

1.  SELECTION

For Gathering 2025, Regional Delegates are appointed by the Regional Church as outlined in 8.2 of the current Mennonite Church Canada Bylaws:

8.1 Each Regional Church can have the following delegates attend a Delegate Gathering on its behalf:

a. six (6) members of the board of directors of each Regional Church;
b. five (5) delegates, as appointed by each Regional Church; and
c. additional Regional Church delegates appointed by each Regional Church based on one (1) delegate per one thousand (1000) Congregation Members, rounded upward to the next one thousand. For example, if a Regional Church has 2100 Congregation Members, it can appoint three (3) additional delegates. If a Congregation does not maintain a formal membership list of its Congregation Members, then the number of regular attendees can be used in place of the number of Congregation Members. The congregation can define who is a “regular” attendee. (i.e. MCEC has 12,950 members so this is 13 additional delegates = TOTAL MCEC Regional delegates: 24 delegates)

8.2 Delegates must be Congregation Members. There are no other restrictions on who may be a delegate.

Important notes for Regional Delegate Selection:

  • Sending Regional Delegates is a Regional Church budget If regional costs for Gathering 2025 need to be reduced, no less than 50% (plus 1 delegate) can be sent to ensure a quorum is met. (Using the MCEC example above, 13 delegates could be sent instead of 24).
  • It is important for appointments to consider congregations that may not have the resources to send Delegates, representation from diaspora congregations, demographic diversity, and particular knowledge-keepers.
  • In our current governance structure, motions/resolutions come to the Gathering floor via the Joint Regional Delegates are encouraged to offer recommendations on any item in the agenda.
  • MC Canada Regional Delegate representation and role changes will be presented as a Bylaw change to Regional Churches 2 months before the delegate sessions and voted on by Regional Delegates at Gathering 2025. Please take note of those.

2.  ROLE

A. PREPARE

  • Register, read the information on the website, read the report book and information sent via email in the weeks ahead.
  • Discuss questions with other delegates from your region.

B. REMEMBER

  • Delegates think about what is in the best interest of MC Canada – who we are together as 5 regions in the context of the global church. Whatever is in the best interests of the regions together will be in the best interests of MC Canada.
  • When sitting at the discernment table, it is important for a Regional Delegate to identify when they are speaking from a congregational or a personal point of view.
  • Pray for the Gathering and the work of our nationwide community of faith.

C. PARTICIPATE

  • Listen to Ministry reporting and consider the table questions for discernment times.
  • Together with Congregation Representatives, engage in discernment sessions related to collective ministry as a nationwide church to provide guidance to Joint Council for decision-making.
  • Fiduciary responsibilities include receiving and voting on:
    • Minutes of Delegate Gathering 2022
    • Minutes of MC Canada AGM 2024
    • Approve and ratify Joint Council Actions between August 2022 – June 2025
    • Adoption of Financial Statements FYE 2025
    • Approval of FYE 2026 Budget
    • Approval of Financial Auditor for FYE 2026
    • Approval of Bylaw Changes
    • Approval of Nomination Slate

 


GATHERING PARTICIPANT (those who are neither a Regional Delegate nor a Congregation Representative)

Thank you for your curiosity and care for the nationwide community of Mennonite Church Canada and your decision to attend Gathering 2025!

1.  REMEMBER:

  • Everyone who attends the Gathering is valued – whether you are part of a specific church community or not.
  • Pray for the Gathering and the work of the nationwide community of faith.

2.  PREPARE:

  • Register, read the information on the website, read the report book and information sent via email in the weeks ahead.
  • Engage in conversation with your congregational representatives or with those who attend a congregation or work for the church.

3.  ROLE:

  • You are welcome to join and participate in the discussions around the discernment tables. Although you can speak about your congregational experience and have your thoughts recorded, you will not be identified as a Congregation Representative.


Reviewed and approved by Mennonite Church Canada Joint Council Executive, March 5, 2025