On January 1, 1998, a new working arrangement began between The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada (C&MA) and The Christian and Missionary Alliance in the United States (C&MA-US). This chapter attempts to explain why this happened, how it came about, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of this new, cooperative working arrangement.
Our Heritage and Context for Change
Canadian Alliance missionaries were administered by the Division of Overseas Ministries (DOM) of the C&MA-US from 1905-1997. This ministry was initially based in New York but now has headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Prior to 1905, local sending C&MA churches in Canada managed their missionaries’ support, care, and administration. While on a visit to Canada in 1905, our founder, Dr. A.B. Simpson, decided that the administration of Canadian Alliance missionaries would be more efficient if cared for by the C&MA offices in New York. The C&MA churches in Canada agreed with this arrangement.
From the earliest years of the C&MA, all Alliance churches in North America operated as one entity divided into geographical districts. Canada was originally considered one district. As Canadian law governing charities changed, it became expedient for the C&MA churches in Canada to form a national umbrella organization. This was accomplished in 1980. When the Canadian churches (by now administered in three districts) formed an autonomous Canadian charitable organization, it chose to leave the administration of its missions’ arm with the C&MA-US where structures were already in place.
This arrangement required that a representative from the C&MA be a member of the Committee on Administration of the Division of Overseas Ministries in the USA. Arnold Cook, first vice president of personnel and missions (VP, P&M) for the newly chartered denomination in Canada, sat as a member of that committee for the duration of his tenure. These meetings were held every three or four weeks.
I assumed this responsibility when I was appointed as VP, P&M in 1992. The structure seemed both efficient and effective at that time. The missions department at the national headquarters in Canada was a small team of five persons. The C&MA not only covered the costs of living expenses of all its missionaries, but it also paid a share of the administrative costs of DOM proportionate to the number of Canadian missionaries. The C&MA in Canada paid for these services in monthly installments out of the Global Advance Fund.
Surprise!
In January 1997, I was on a three-week overseas visit to our personnel in Europe and the Middle East. As I was sifting through emails during a layover in Madrid, I noticed that Ken Paton, vice president of general services, had sent me a copy of his letter to the president of the C&MA-US announcing that the Alliance in Canada was giving the required one-year notice that it would no longer send its missionary personnel and finances to be administered by the C&MA-US beginning January 1, 1998.
The letter reported the decision made in the January 1997 meeting of the President’s Cabinet, a meeting I had missed due to the overseas travel. A lot of questions whirled in my mind. Where do we go from here? What changes will be required? Even more fundamental was the question, what gave rise to such a major change in the operation of our missions program?
Back at the office, I asked Arnold Cook what the President’s Cabinet had in mind. He assured me that I could figure it out in the remaining eleven months although I had no idea what this “preferred future” would look like.
a) Missiological considerations
When Dr. Cook asked me to assume the role of VP, P&M, it was clear that the engagement of unreached people groups (UPGs) would become the priority of the C&MA in Canada. My overseas experience of planting churches among Muslims where no church previously existed and my involvement as a field researcher for the “AD2000 and Beyond” Unreached Peoples index formed the kind of background that commended me to the position.
It was Dr. Cook’s clear expectation that not only would newly-appointed missionaries be assigned to unreached peoples and regions, but existing missionaries would also be redeployed to unreached people groups and regions.
When asked what his recollection was of the discussion in that fateful PC meeting in January 1997, Dr. Cook’s comment was, “I knew it had to happen sooner or later. I just didn’t know when.” His forward-thinking, missiological mindset saw the day when the C&MA in Canada would function autonomously to fulfill its priorities in global ministry and freely address the monumental spiritual needs in the Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist regions of the world.
The C&MA-US was interested in UPGs and truly sympathetic to our commitment. They also possessed a strong desire to nurture the emerging C&MA National Churches overseas toward maturity and partnership in the task of the Great Commission.
Global Ministries is Born
Within eleven months, a new kind of partnership with the C&MA-US was crafted and an autonomous Canadian Alliance mission administration was designed. There were a few challenges along the path, but when January 1, 1998 arrived, the C&MA in Canada was ready to manage its global ministry affairs in accordance with its own defined priorities and within the constraints of Canadian charity laws.
a) Our name and identity
The first move made by the C&MA in Canada was to begin using the term “Global Ministries” to distinguish itself from the C&MA-US’s “International Ministries.” A second decision was made to form a team to give oversight to Canadian mission initiatives. It was called the Global Ministries Leadership Team (GMLT).
Four regions were defined with couples assigned as leaders since they would be serving more female than male workers. The leaders were given the title “regional developers.” Their function was to develop the personnel and strategy in their region rather than to direct.
Harold and Becky Priebe agreed to lead the Caribbean Sun region, where Venezuela and Mexico became Canadian-led fields. Gerald and Dorothy Hogenbirk led the Silk Road region. Ron and Myra Brown developed the
Desert Sand region, where missionaries were redeployed to the northern regions of that continent. Brem and Donna Frentz accepted the offer to lead the Asian Spice region.
Regional developers were expected to remain in their territories as their primary responsibility was to the Canadian Alliance personnel. They were encouraged to continue to engage in mission work as a leader among the other leaders on their regional team. The structure proved to be simple, cost-effective, and adequate for our needs.
Growing from Infancy
a) Financial
Instead of paying the American regional developers to travel from their American offices to visit our personnel, travel costs for our regional developers were lower because they lived closer to the people they served. When the dust settled after this rearrangement, it was estimated that a net saving of $300,000 in administrative costs was realized.
As the demand for financial accountability grew, the C&MA in Canada assigned regional- and team-specific accounting systems and fulfilled the requirements of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The accounting done in the region was sent to the National Ministry Centre and saved for the eventuality of a CRA audit. This new arrangement went beyond the minimal requirements of the CRA to function responsibly as a Canadian charity with a large international budget.
b) Missiological
The C&MA in Canada quickly discovered that autonomy allowed it to respond quickly and strategically to opportunities in which the C&MA-US could not participate. Two examples will illustrate this advantage.
In the mid-1990s, an American senator, influenced by Hollywood’s “Free Tibet” rally, visited Lhasa and delivered a scathing rebuke to China for its oppression of the Tibetan people. Immediately after his speech, all Americans living in Tibet lost their visas. It came to our attention that Canadians and Europeans were still welcome.
By 1986, the CIA’s operatives had conclusively determined that Muammar Gaddafi was a primary player in the training of terrorists and in acts of terrorism, among other activities such as the West Berlin Discotheque bombing. Gaddafi’s motive was to expel all American citizens from Libya, including the entire staff at the Tripoli American School. He renamed it the “International School of the Martyrs” and began hiring teachers from other countries. Canadians were more than welcome. I received an urgent plea from a mission leader in Winnipeg asking us to send teachers to the school. Three courageous souls responded to this call.
Autonomy allowed us to act quickly and unilaterally to mission opportunities in least-reached contexts.
c) Administrative
Member care should also be mentioned at this point. Soon after the C&MA in Canada assumed full responsibility for the care of its people and control of its finances, the decision was made to appoint Judith Milne to the position of director of Member Care2 for the Canadian Alliance missionary staff. Several strategic developments ensued in this area.
When Dr. Cook asked me to serve in the role of VP, P&M in July 1992, one of the questions I asked him was, “Would you agree that there may be wisdom in using a small percentage of the Global Advance Fund mission budget to design and implement new and better ways of doing missions?” His immediate answer was in the affirmative. With greater autonomy, we began down this path.
The first Canadian initiative was to form and assign a team to an unreached Muslim people group in Indonesia at a time when most North American C&MA resources were dedicated to National Church development. We admitted we didn’t have much experience in Muslim ministries and needed outside coaching. We invited an experienced missionary from another agency to mentor the team leader.
After autonomy, we set aside a few days each year to bring together select stakeholders in a “think-tank” setting. The following goals were accomplished:
- The challenge of designing programs of theological education that are both practical and affordable was the topic of the first “think-tank” and resulted in the Szepalma Declaration on Theological Education.
- How international churches (ICs) might assist in ministries to UPGs. Today, the Missional International Church Network (MICN) continues to inspire a wide cross-section of international churches to engage in mission.
- Church planting among Muslim people groups.
Conclusion
In the subsequent chapters, you will see many scenarios where Canadian Alliance autonomy became a distinct advantage in the implementation of its vision as well as the care and administration of its people. It also provided a pathway for other member churches in the Alliance World Fellowship to partner in mission without surrendering their autonomy.
Wallace (Wally) Albrecht and his wife, Beverly, felt privileged to serve three Alliance churches in Western Canada over a 17-year period prior to responding to God’s call to the Muslim world. They served for two terms in Indonesia followed by a decade as vice president of Global Ministries. Their closing decade of active ministry involved ethnographic research and mission among the Sasak of Indonesia. Wally holds a Ph.D. in Missiology from Bethany International University, Singapore. He currently serves in a lay capacity at Ajax Alliance Church, in Ontario.