December 15thWoven Closes with a gift for developing Anabaptist Women Leaders in Asia.
When a long treasured tradition dies, it is important to look back to its origins. So come, share in these memories with gratitude.
The Women's Missionary Association of the General Conference Mennonite Church, which was organized in 1917, became Women in Mission in 1974. Manitoba had an active chapter, with at least one women’s group meeting and serving in each member congregation. Membership in these significant groups was maintained in the local, provincial, and at the binational/national(After 2002) level with dues, annual events and shared mission projects. Focusing on study and service, these groups were strong throughout North America as they gave significant support to the mission work of our denomination’s local, regional, and international mission projects.
These organizations have been part of a powerful movement for the equipping of women for service and leadership. As the larger church body became more inclusive and welcoming women increasingly used those gifts and offered that service in the wider church and society. This left less energy and need for the organized womens’ group movement. The needs and social habits of Mennonite Women in Mennonite Church Manitoba have changed with the times. Women still meet in more informal ways in our congregations, for sisterhood remains a powerful dynamic, but the felt need to connect regionally as women has diminished in recent years”.
In 2017, a full century after the birth of the Women’s Missionary Organization, Mennonite Women Canada celebrated its past, disbanded and dispersed its remaining funds for mission equitably among the regional women’s groups. Manitoba received $24,000.
In Manitoba, Women in Mission had closed, but a regionally representative working group was being kept alive by the passion of Elsie Wiebe (Morden).We organized a Sister Care Event in 2016, A retreat on Spiritual Practices with Laura Funk in 20 17, and a day on The Road to Resilience, With Dr. Moira Somers in 2018. We maintained an occasional newsletter, tried out a lively online book study and Facebook group, and developed a creative new name and logo, “WOVEN.” The group continued to support Anabaptist Women leaders as needs presented themselves.
In the fall of 2023 the time had come to disband the working group. The three remaining members, Kathy Giesbrecht, (MCM staff liaison), Heather Hildebrand, (Crystal City) and Elsie Rempel (Winnipeg) met to formalize this decision and to find a good new home for the remaining funds which they had received from Mennonite Women Canada to use for ministry with women.
In conversation with Jeanette Hanson of Mennonite Church Canada Witness, we agreed to support an emerging joint project with the AMBS Journey program in Philippines, Thailand and Laos. So far 8 women are studying in this program. There are plans to meet next fall with leaders from this program and other interested Asian churches to assess this program and to make plans to strengthen Anabaptist Biblical/theological study in Asia. Our fund of $19,000 will be set aside for use with women in Asia over the next 5 years, to be used as scholarships for programs of Anabaptist Biblical/theological study in Asia that are already and will be offered through this emerging partnership. Anyone wishing to top up this fund can do so with a donation to Witness with the tagline, Anabaptist Women’s Leadership Training in Asia. The funds we disperse as we formally close an organization that has empowered Mennonite women in Manitoba will now do the same for our Mennonite sisters in Asia. To God be the Glory.
Elsie Rempel, President of Woven, 2017-2023.