BEYOND OUR HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS

1. BEYOND OUR HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS Roberson M. Mbayamvula MCEC, Regional Ministry Associate, and Pastor at Hagerman M.C. Markham, ON.

2. The Purpose Reflect on how to re-imagine church partnership and create a safe, healthy, and multi-functional worship space. Three ethnically diverse congregations in one church building which seek to be ‘a church in Markham that looks like Markham’ bringing light, blessing, and healing to the community. .

3. Greetings I am originally from the global south DR Congo/Africa, Mennonite Brethren church, Kinshasa. Mennonite Pastor since 1988. 19 years as Pastor, Regional Minister in charge of evangelism, church’s planting and mission in DR Congo.

4. Early family’s life and ministry My dad was one of the pioneers who started the Mennonite Brethren church in Kinshasa, the Capital City of the DR Congo. 1970-1980, the worship space was in our backyard constructed from gallon drums that were cut and flattened.

5. Caris and I are children of pastors, and God has blessed us with 3 children, Joel, Divine and Merveille. In 2018 we returned to Congo and visited local churches and heard many horrible stories from men and women, pastors and students about the uncertainty of doing ministry, “doing church” in a context of war and poverty.

6. Signs of hopes We also witnessed signs of hopes in Africa. Gentle amusement and laughter as people made jokes about the church leadership and politics. I was shocked: How can this people smiles and dance during worship services amid such incredible suffering and poverty?

7. A brief history outline 1930s Hagerman Mennonite Church was started by Floyd Schmucker & William Wright, at Hagerman’s Corners in Markham. 1945 Basement of the now A-frame (Chinese sanctuary) was built.

8. 1956 The A-frame, washrooms and kitchen were built. 1964 The parking lot was purchased. 1987 The auditorium renovated and became the Worship area for Hagerman and was dedicated on April 17, 1988.

9. 1993 Markham Chinese Mennonite Church partnered with Hagerman. Now, a third partner, Markham Christian Worship Center, a Tamil congregation, also shares the building.

10. Seeking help The reality is that, without a partnership model it would not be possible for any of the groups to afford the costs of property in the City of Markham in Ontario. With a budget of $1.4 million, the three congregations approached MCEC for help in order to meet our growing ministry needs.

11. Grand opening The official grand opening was held on October 14, 2018 after four years of planning and eight months of construction (See the video).

12. What has changed ? • Welcoming entrance opens onto a large multi-purpose room with a café, • new washrooms, • four rooms for meetings and SS. • Two sanctuaries have been renovated, • the whole facility, on one level. • The project represents the power of working together as partners.

13. Vision statement Hagerman has adopted the following vision statement that helps us keep our focus in all we do: As followers of Jesus we encourage others to receive God’s transforming love and become God’s servants in the world.

14. A challenging process Dealing with two different levels of government. By the time the project was approved, building costs had shot up. Bible, ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Haggai 2:8-9.

15. Finances We asked for help, and we got it, beyond our hopes and expectations: • MCEC contribution • Six-figure donations and bequest. • HMC contribution • MCMC contribution • Tamil congregation commitment. The church has almost no debt from the project.

16. Covenant Agreement The intention is that all activities at the site must support the mission and purposes of at least one of the three congregations, broader church organizations (e.g. MCEC and MCC) or compatible charitable causes. Oversight of these shared understandings and relates decisions as required, is to be done by the Facility Operations Committee (FOC) with two representatives from each congregation.

17. Shared Use of the Facility MCMC and HMC will have use of the facilities on Sunday mornings and early afternoons; MCWC will have use of the facilities on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday evenings. Other programming are scheduled as needed in cooperation with the partners. A church calendar is maintained by Hagerman’s pastor to avoid ‘double booking.’

18. The facility is not available for private parties or business purposes. Social events are only appropriate if sponsored by one of the congregations with an open invitation to members (e.g. 50th Wedding anniversary etc.) Use of alcohol, tobacco or cannabis is not allowed on church property. Alterations to the building, fixtures, décor, Storage understandings etc. will be discussed by the FC before implementation.

19. Each group entrust keys to two or three responsible persons and train them to properly open and close the facilities (i.e. turn handicapped access on/off, turn off lights, check that stove is turned off etc.) The Facility Committee will set a date for and coordinate an annual workday on a Saturday in the spring for volunteers from the three partner congregations.

20. Shared Operational Costs We share the ongoing operational costs of the property such as utilities, cleaning, maintenance, grass cutting, snow removal and fire safety equipment inspections. Costs are normally divided three ways (unless otherwise agreed upon.) HMC supervises the contract services and administer the payments.

21. Insurance HMC keeps the property insurance and costs are shared. All three congregations maintain their own general liability insurance, including coverage for misconduct by paid staff or church leaders (not a shared cost.)

22. Resolution of Conflicts If conflicts arise that are unresolved, a meeting will be called with the chairs of the leadership group in each congregation to address the issues. If they remain unresolved, an outside mediator from the broader church will be brought in to help.

23. Lessons Igniting the imagination of the church: Bible, …transformation by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2) and actions. • Being intentional to be church on earth that looks like heaven. • Church’s diversity is our strength. • Although each group has its own identity, we look forward to exploring ways that we can do ministry together in the future.

24. Looking forward As we look to the future, we anticipate even more creative ways that our three congregations can do ministry together. We believe we can find the way to do that. Trusting that we are not alone in this journey.

25. How we see ourselves? We are part of the 107 congregations, and one of 12, 441 members that forms MCEC, and we are also one part of a global Anabaptist-Mennonite family.

26. BEYOND OUR HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS “Let us bring light, blessing, and healing to our community” [Pope Francis]. VIDEO Thank You