June 16th

Companions Across the Border

In April 2025, Michael Pahl, Executive Minister of Mennonite Church Manitoba (MCM) (photo left), contacted Doug Luginbill, Conference Minister for Central District Conference (CDC) (photo below), about an idea to develop relationships across our national borders. Doug quickly embraced the idea and Companion Congregations were created. So far, two congregations each from CDC and MCM have started getting to know one another, sharing information about each other, having online meetings between leaders, and planning for future connections and collaborations.

Michael and Doug met via video conference on March 26 to get to know each other’s regional church/area conference better. Here are some impressions from that conversation.

Mennonite Church Manitoba is made up of 40 congregations, just over a third in Winnipeg and the rest scattered around the province. Most have their roots in Russian Mennonite migrations from the 1870s to the 1940s, though these congregations are becoming more diverse and other congregations have joined in recent years, adding to the diversity. Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg is an important institution of higher learning for MCM and beyond. Camps with Meaning (Camp Assiniboia and Camp Koinonia) are deeply valued for their faith formation, engagement with God’s creation, and relationship building. Michael is grateful for pastors and congregations that are connected by a common vision and strive towards unity, collegiality, and faithfulness to Anabaptist values and mission.

Central District Conference includes nearly 50 full and provisional member congregations in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Maine, North Carolina, and Virginia. The conference was formed in 1957 with the merger of two previous conferences, Middle District and Central Conference. These two conferences were drawn together by their common support of Bluffton College (now Bluffton University), Camp Friedenswald, and overseas mission work. Doug is grateful for a community of congregations characterized by hospitality, generosity, collaboration, and a strong commitment to higher education. Knowing Christ’s love…Answering God’s call, summarizes their mission.

Fun fact: both Camps with Meaning and Camp Friedenswald recently celebrated their 75th anniversaries, having both begun in 1949!

We would love to see other congregations participate in this cross-border Companion Congregations program. To find out more, contact your regional church/area conference office. As relationships between our governments have deteriorated, we hope that relationships between our congregations can grow stronger. God’s kingdom knows no earthly boundaries!

This joint article is appearing in both the MCM Monthly and CDC Connector newsletters this May. If your congregation is interested in joining the Companion Congregations program, contact Michael at mpahl@mennochurch.mb.ca. If you’d like to give financially to support this and other congregational ministries programs, see www.mennochurch.mb.ca/giving.