About ONMB – ONMB

Our Ontario MB Story

WHY WE EXIST?

ONMB exists to glorify God by multiplying disciples of Jesus Christ
through our member churches by Facilitating Collaboration,
Providing Accountability and Encouraging Blessing.

WHAT THIS MEAN?

As unique and diverse churches we believe that sacrificial, collaboration brings delight to God our Father. Modelled beautifully for us by the early church, this is a vision we passionately desire to live out. In a world that pushes us towards isolation, silos, insecurity and suspicion, we choose to have each other’s backs and to stand in solidarity.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

2 Cor. 9:12

In the pursuit of our mission to make disciples of Jesus we wish to be communities that are open, transparent and vulnerable. As colleagues and leaders, we will risk ‘going there’ with each other to prevent drift, wandering, or mirroring of our culture. In love, we desire to call each other to remain focused on the heart of the Gospel.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16

We believe that everyone wins when one wins. Like Barnabas (son of encouragement) we chose to give of our time, resources and ongoing forgiveness so that we might authentically bless each other. Our hope is to be the fulfillment of Jesus’s prayer that the church be united.

My prayer is … that all of them may be one … so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have love me.

John 17:20-23

ONMB Family Covenant

Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith

ONMB Shared Initiatives

CORE VALUES

SINGLENESS OF PURPOSE

We believe our only true purpose and highest calling is to bring glory to the Triune God. We love Him wholeheartedly, worship Him sincerely and seek passionately to join with Him in the work He has begun in our churches, neighbourhoods and world. As His church, we are a community waiting on and following the Living God. We will be prayerfully dependent and act accordingly, in alignment with His Word and our Confession of Faith. We will not be satisfied with short term happiness, but will seek the greater joy that comes from sacrificing comfort for compassion, greed for generosity and selfishness for kindness, knowing that it is better to give than to receive. Therefore, we will be passionate and zealous about seeking the more abundant life in Christ. John 15:1-17; Luke 18:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

INCARNATIONAL LIVING

As a called-out people empowered by God, we are committed to being missionaries within our culture, to fleshing out Jesus by embracing our neighbourhoods and entering into authentic, redemptive relationship with those who need Him. We are committed to serving out of love, mercy and justice. We are committed to a courageous faith that eagerly seeks the Kingdom of God, that willingly ventures beyond known comfort zones, that blazes His Life-Light without fear. Matthew 16:24; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 2:9; Matthew 6:33; John 1:1-5

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

We value all people as image-bearers of God, and therefore seek to share the hope of Christ with everyone we serve regardless of economic, social or ethnic considerations. We are committed to nurturing and strengthening Godly individuals and families. We will embody the grace and forgiveness of Jesus by going into the world rather than waiting for the world to come to the church. Upholding biblical justice, we will minister to the poor and oppressed as to Jesus. We have a deep passion to see all people come into right relationship with Jesus, and will allocate proportionate energy and resources to reaching and discipling them to maturity as His fully devoted followers. Isaiah 58; Matthew 25:31-45; Galatians 6:2; John 19:21; Micah 6:8

CULTURAL REDEMPTION

We believe the Church has been called by God to be agents of change in the world. We are therefore committed to raising up local churches and leaders who are cultural architects, where the church reforges culture. Towards this end, we will be real with each other and God; we will embrace a creative tension in the spirit of unity; we will cultivate servants of God rather than serve consumers; we will be the church in the marketplace: we will partner with God as He redeems culture and transforms our communities for His glory. Isaiah 61:4; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

STRATEGIC COOPERATION

We believe that the Mennonite Brethren denomination is but one expression of the larger Church, and that partnerships are central to fully living out our calling and to maximising the Church’s missional effectiveness. We are committed to encouraging and empowering believers and churches to work cooperatively with other Christians, churches and agencies to fulfill God’s calling in their communities and throughout the world. We are also committed to partnering, for the sake of the mission, with businesses, other social agencies and government where such partnerships will not compromise our beliefs, mission, values or purpose. 1 Corinthians 12:12-26

ONMB HISTORY

[icon_timeline timeline_style=”jstime” timeline_line_color=”#ffffff” time_sep_color=”#ffffff” time_sep_bg_color=”#0f8aca” tl_animation=”tl-animation-shadow”][icon_timeline_item time_title=”1924 – Mennonites Arrive”]Mennonites arrived in southern Ontario from Russia beginning in 1924.[/icon_timeline_item][icon_timeline_feat time_title=”1932 – ONMB Formed”]The Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches was founded in 1932 in New Hamburg. With congregations in Hespeler, Kitchener, Vineland, and Leamington.[/icon_timeline_feat][icon_timeline_item time_title=”1933 – Port Rowan church is Founded”][/icon_timeline_item][icon_timeline_item time_title=”1937 – Virgil church is Founded”][/icon_timeline_item][icon_timeline_item time_title=”1943 – St. Catharines church is Founded”][/icon_timeline_item][icon_timeline_feat time_title=”1944 – High School is Founded”]The high school was named Eden Christian College after the Bible school programme was moved to Kitchener. The course offerings and facilities expanded over the years. For a number of years both the 4-year and 5-year streams were offered. In some subject areas a student could complete their grade 13 requirements. The core emphasis of Christian values in a Mennonite context were maintained.[/icon_timeline_feat][icon_timeline_feat time_title=”1960 – Senior Citizen Care Launched”]Senior citizen housing and institutional care was a programme of the conference begun in the 1960s. The site was next to one of the congregations in St. Catharines. It started as a small facility and expanded to offer beds for a spectrum of needs. Plans also called for additional facilities in Virgil and Kitchener. Tabor Manor is now a well established institution in Ontario governed by the conference.[/icon_timeline_feat][icon_timeline_feat time_title=”1980 – Summer Camp is Founded”]Camping is a major effort which began with children at the high school and Bible school in Niagara-on-the-Lake. From there it expanded to various rented facilities when all the children could no longer be accommodated in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Finally a new camp property was purchased in 1980 which has been developed for camping and other conference retreat needs. Thus Camp Crossroads was founded.[/icon_timeline_feat][icon_timeline_feat time_title=”2012 – New Executive Director”]The Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Ed Willms as executive director, beginning Sept. 1, working from the Niagara Region. This is the first executive director under the conference’s new structure. In compliance with new provincial bylaws, the candidate was selected by a subcommittee, and discerned by the Ontario board. Consultation with Canadian conference executive director Willy Reimer was also part of the process.[/icon_timeline_feat][/icon_timeline]