FRESNO, California, USA -- The Mennonite World Conference's International Planning Commission (IPC), gathered for its first meeting in Fresno April 1-3. Vested with the responsibility of helping MWC to outline its shape and future, the seven persons appointed to IPC and two staff persons used this get-acquainted meeting primarily to harness their task.

First, they agreed, MWC's member churches will be presented with the vision of MWC's "moving from being a conference to being a communion." Member churches will then be invited to respond to that vision with "Yes, but ..." or "In addition...."

The IPC quickly recognized that in many parts of the global church, neither Mennonite World Conference, nor the scope of its worldwide membership, are known or understood. MWC's search for direction from its members will likely require that it develop a fuller articulation of what it means to be a global communion, along with the benefits and responsibilities of belonging to such a body. Only then will member churches be prepared to express their view of how MWC can support such a reality.

The IPC hopes to have its work done by the time of the next global assembly -- Africa 2003 -- scheduled for Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in August 2003. Meanwhile, they must find culturally appropriate -- and effective -- means to begin gathering the wisdom of the church.

The seven members of the International Planning Commission are: Herman Bontrager (consultant), Ovidio Flores (Latin America/Caribbean), Bedru Hussein (MWC Vice-President, Africa), Mesach Krisetya (MWC President, Asia), Toss Mukwa (consultant), Katrina Poetker (North America), and Antje de Vries-Van Dijk (Europe). The two MWC staff persons relating to IPC are Larry Miller (MWC Executive Secretary) and Ray Brubacher (MWC Director of Special Projects).

The IPC's next meeting will be held in autumn 2002 after exchange with MWC member churches worldwide.

-- Phyllis Pellman Good, MWC Assistant Editor of Courier