A Brief History of the Formation of ICOMB

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF ICOMB

In 1988 MBMS International (the North American MB Missions Agency) sponsored the first-ever Mennonite Brethren Global Consultation on mission in Curitiba, Brazil. Some 400 delegates from more than a dozen MB conferences were present; and although not part of the official agenda, conference leaders (led by General Conference Moderator, Herb Brandt) discussed the possibility of forming a worldwide MB fellowship. This discussion recognized the need for direct conference-to-conference dialogue, rather than utilizing MBMSI as the only vehicle for such contacts. It was agreed that global MB conference leaders would meet again in connection with the Mennonite World Conference Assembly to be held in Winnipeg in 1990.

Under the auspices of the Executive of the MB General Conference, that meeting took place in Winnipeg just prior to the MWC gathering, and was attended by some 50 church conference leaders, pastors, and MBMSI administrators. Out of that meeting emerged the broad consensus to create the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren, in order to facilitate ongoing dialogue between the various conferences then in existence. In order to limit another level of bureaucracy and costs of future meetings, initial representation was to be from each continent with the General Conference Moderator serving as chairman. Also the vision for such a global MB fellowship was to forge a cohesive identity – in part through regional consultations scheduled at three or four-year intervals hosted by invitations of specific conferences.

In 1990 Edmund Janzen (USA) was chosen as the Moderator of the General Conference (and therefore as chairman of ICOMB.) Together with Harold Ens, General Director of MBMSI, planning for the first meeting was begun, as well as the writing of the first draft of the bylaws and stated purposes of ICOMB. (These can be found elsewhere on this website.) Since this fledgling entity had no staff (or budget,) Harold Ens and MBMSI Staff were crucial in assisting the development (funding) and planning procedures of ICOMB.

The first regional consultation (for Latin America) took place in Paraguay in July of 1992 at the invitation of Juan Veron, one of the representative members of ICOMB.
Briefly noted here, subsequent events included:

• The ratification of by-laws in 1993 in Winnipeg

• Representation changed to each participating MB conference rather than on a continental basis. To date, there are 18 national MB conferences.

• The establishing of a global MB relief fund to assist member conferences in emergencies or crises (floods, earthquakes, etc.)

• Several major global consultations sponsored by ICOMB and facilitated by MBMSI: in Buhler Kansas in July of 1999, and more recently a consultation on (Higher) Christian education in Fresno, CA in July of 2008. Both featured significant addresses and papers from international MB leaders.

• The creation of an ICOMB video, “Our Global Family” in 1999

• A new funding formula for member conferences intended to make ICOMB self-sustaining, based on a specific, limited percentage of each conference budget

• The writing and completion of the Global MB Confession of Faith – begun in 2001, and completed by a task force led by Dr. Lynn Jost, and approved in 2004

• The appointment of Victor Wall, Asuncion, Paraguay, as the half-time Executive Secretary of ICOMB in ??

• The change in name from International Committee of Mennonite Brethren to International Community of Mennonite Brethren, designed to accent the “fellowship and family” aspect of ICOMB

• Dalton Reimer is appointed as ICOMB Education Facilitator in 2007