Foundation Documents
This page contains links to important historical/foundational documents of Mennonite Church Canada. A notation in the General Board meeting minutes of 2001-4 (November 15-17, 2001) states: “CONSENSUS 3 – General Board affirms that Mennonite Church Canada is a successor “owner” of Mennonite Church and General Conference Mennonite Church statements until they are revised or replaced.” Mennonite Church USA has taken a similar action.
These links are helpful for research, verification, and affirmation of key church decisions of the past.
- 1997 And No One Shall Make Them Afraid
- 1995 Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective
- 1995 Vision: Healing and Hope
- 1995 Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love
- 1993 Peace in Our Time
- 1993 A Resolution Against Male Violence Against Women
- 1993 A Call for a Peacemaking Task Force
- 1992 A Resolution on Health Care
- 1991 On Observing 1992
- 1989 Resolution on the 500th Anniversary of Columbus
- 1989 Stewardship of the Earth: Resolution on Environment and Faith Issues
- 1989 Resolution on Military Tax Withholding, 1989
- 1989 Recommendation on Exploring MC/GC Integration
- 1989 A Church of Many Peoples Confronts Racism
- 1987 Resolution on South Africa
- 1987 A Call to Affirmation, Confession and Covenant Regarding Human Sexulity
- 1987 Growing in Stewardship and Witness in a Militaristic World
- 1986 Resolution on Human Sexuality
- 1986 Many Peoples Becoming God's People
- 1985 Ten-Year Goals
- 1983 Student Aid Fund for Nonregistrants
- 1983 Resolution on Central America
- 1983 Statement on Inter-Mennonite Cooperation in North America
- 1983 Mennonite Tricentennial Resolution
- 1982 Vision for Witness
- 1980 Guidelines on Abortion
- 1980 Legal and Legislative Exemptions from War Tax Withholding
- 1979 Militarism and Conscription Statement
- 1979 Resolution on Urban Concerns
- 1975 Abortion
- 1963 Mennonite Confession of Faith (MC)
- 1961 Resolution on Dedication for Our Times (MC)
- 1959 On Inspiration of the Bible (MC)
- 1959 Resolution on Surplus Food and the International Refugee Year (MC)
- 1957 The Theology of Christian Experience (MC)
- 1953 A Christian Declaration on Peace, War, and Military Service (GCMC)
- 1937 A Statement on Peace, War, and Military Service (MC)
- 1921 Garden City Confession (MC)
- 1632 Dordrecht Confession (Dutch Mennonite)
- 1527 Schleitheim Brotherly Union (Anabaptist)
Special thanks to John E. Sharp, Director, Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee for assembling these documents.
The statements before 1997 have been scanned from the Proceedings or Minutes of the Delegate/General Assemblies where delegates of the respective denominations approved them. Other souces are noted. Our thanks to the following Goshen College students, who assisted in the scanning and formatting of documents: --Tim Nafziger, Aaron Lehman, Abby Trollinger, Katie Yoder, Emily Hershberger, and Theresa Wallman.. Also, thanks to Dennis Stoesz, Goshen archivist, who cheerfully retrieves relevant documents upon demand!
More foundation documents are available from the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO). They maintain a searchable database which includes many more historic documents.