Partnerships: Questions that need answers
In my travels around the conference through the years, I have been part of many conversations that coalesce around certain themes. One question in particular is why we administers our own missions program, when we can and do partner with more than 20 other mission agencies.
Picture from Nancy Friesen in Bolivia
Every few years the EMC Board of Missions (BOM) takes time to discuss this exact question, evaluating our programs, doing stakeholder analyses, and seeking the Lord’s direction on why we continue to administer, strategize, and supervise our church planting efforts in Bolivia, Mexico, Paraguay and Spain. And to this point, we believe that God is calling the EMC, in obedience to the Great Commission, to do what we are uniquely gifted to do.
So let me give you an example: In January of this year, Anthony Reimer, BOM chair, Ruth Konrad, EMC outreach assistant, and I went to Columbus, Ohio, to attend the CIM Meetings (Council of International Anabaptist Missions), an association the EMC has been a member of for several decades.
Our theme this year was collaboration. With the help of a facilitator, we spent several days seeking to understand how we can better work together around the world. As each organization shared about their strengths and areas of need, we were surprised to discover that our ministry to Low-German speaking Mennonites is somewhat unique. Other agency representatives asked us many questions about this work, our strategy, and how people responded to our message. What a gift and responsibility God has given us.
We were also thrilled to hear that several of the agencies wanted to work with us in our newest field in Spain, particularly drawn to our vision of reaching migrants from north Africa, as well as setting up a training centre to equip a future generation of workers. We were affirmed that while two of these agencies were already working in that region, our vision struck a chord with them. And so, conversations about how we could work together have begun, and we look forward to how God is going to use this collaborative effort to expand his kingdom!
But the BOM analysis also reminds us that we can’t do everything, and that is why we need to partner with others. Which brings me to another theme: how does EMC determine which associate agencies to partner with?
The primary goal of our EMC administrative missions program is to “live as Jesus followers within local communities and invite friends into a life-changing relationship with Jesus and his people” (our new mission statement). To do this we need to partner with others who have expertise in areas we don’t, such as aviation, medical care, education, translation, inner-city ministry, and many other things that are crucial to obeying the Great Commission. We connect with other agencies whose statements of faith, vision, and goals are in line with ours. And in almost every case within the 20-plus agencies, each one has a unique approach to fulfilling the Great Commission.
May the Lord guide us as we collaborate with others who have the same goals, but each bring different tools to get the job done.
