A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

marks the beginning of a new pattern in conference organization — it marks the emergence of the concept of "area conferences." In 1953 the Canadian M.B. Conference had voted that certain activities be made "area" conference responsibilities, and designated the following: higher education, church schools (including Sunday schools), youth work, and home missions. Anticipating that the General Conference delegation of 1954 might accept the "area" proposition, the Committee on Constitution prepared "Draft No. 2." It eliminated the above four from General Conference jurisdiction, made them area conference responsibilities, and merely provided for "consultative committees" for these activities. This "Draft No. 2" was adopted by the 1954 conference as a provisional basis for its work in the ensuing interim." 3. General Conference Expansion The period between 1924 and 1954 is significant for its expanding organizational borders and its widening missionary horizons and activities. Expansion in Organization Two district conferences were admitted into the General Conference during this period. The Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, which had been organized in 1932 (as described in chapter eleven) was accepted as a district conference by the General Conference in 1939. It will be recalled that the Ontario Conference differed in its church policy from the General Conference in admitting non-immersed believers and practicing open communion.'" 1 H. H. Janzen, the chairman of the Ontario Conference from 1932 to 1945 and a well-known preacher ORGANIZATION FOR UNITED ACTION 211 and Bible expositor in the larger Mennonite Brethren constituency, led the brethren of that province in seeking closer fellowship and affiliation with the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren. The first attempt at affiliation, made in 1936, resulted in the provision of a working fellowship with rather severe limitations. In 1939 the General Conference, upon the recommendation of its Committee of Reference and Counsel, admitted the Ontario Conference with the following stipulations: The General Conference . . . extends full fellowship to the churches of the Ontario Conference that are of the same faith with the General Conference, that arc willing to abide by our resolutions and to share in all undertakings. This covers the members of the churches who are baptized by immersion upon the confession of faith, provided that they submit to all provisions and obligations of our constitution. It will then be registered and officially recognized as the Ontario Conference. This agreement to be in force when the Ontario Conference has accepted the conditions and has published the decision in the Zionsbote. The Ontario Conference accepted these conditions and became a district conference of the General Conference. The conditions of conference affiliation also implied that non-immersed ministers and deacons were not member