On behalf of Mennonite Church Canada, Executive Minister Doug Klassen extended a warm welcome to the MC USA Delegate Assembly gathered in Greensboro, North Carolina, July 11, 2025.
Doug Klassen (Photo by Cami Dager.)
Grace and peace to you in Jesus Christ.
I am very thankful to your Executive Board for the invitation to join you these days at your Convention. Mennonite Church Canada held its nationwide Gathering last week in Kitchener, Ontario. We were thankful to have your moderator, Jon Carlson, bring greetings on your behalf.
The connection between Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada goes back over 150 – maybe even closer to 200 years, if we count early iterations. Our relationship has withstood all kinds of economic and political changes, even two world wars.
It is no secret that global political structures that have been stable for some time are shifting once again. While these changes happen, there are some things that do not change.
- God’s vary nature as revealed in Jesus Christ does not change.
- God’s desire and plan for the restoration of all creation does not change.
- God’s call to us to be a people of God, following Jesus in this world does not change.
In his book on Christian Citizenship*, Professor Gordon Zerbe says that the Apostle Paul refers to people of God as citizens of earth and heaven. This citizenship is core to our identity and belonging as a framework for how we understand ourselves, and it involves a loyalty and an allegiance lived out in community – citizen body.
This citizen body that we belong to exists in a different realm than the one featured on our 24-hour news channels. As a citizen body, we have:
- A Constitution – we call it the Gospel.
- Citizenship Ceremony – we call it baptism.
- We prepare for the citizenship ceremony not through a study of English language or civics, rather we call it the catechism
- We have a state/regime/sovereignty where we locate ourselves, but it’s not geographical. We call it the kingdom of God. It is from there that our deliverer will come and bring with him this kingdom in its fullness.
- Governance structure – a Christocracy – Colossians 3:15 – where the peace of Christ rules our hearts.
- Domestic policy – “Do unto others…” mutuality – we take care of each other and everyone.
- Foreign policy – Vision: Healing and Hope Statement – God’s healing and hope flows through us to the world
- Immigration policy – Matthew 25 “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me” – all who inquire are welcome.
- Public Ceremony – liturgy – where worship is at its core. Every week, we sing together, we pray, we remind ourselves of all of these things. In Greek, worship is best translated as our “pledge of allegiance”
And we are blessed because our portion of this citizen body crosses and transcends the Canada/U.S. border, regardless of tariffs or hostilities.
So together, we can unite around a shared ownership of AMBS, MennoMedia, hymnals, Anabaptist Community Bible, Shine Curriculum, our Confession of Faith and just last evening, Michael Danner and I were talking about plans for the Binational Conference Ministers gathering.
So yes, while there are deeply troubling things happening in the realm of global politics, we are so thankful that we celebrate our common citizenship in the community of Christ…with you. God bless you.
*Gordon Zerbe’s book is entitled Citizenship: Paul on Peace and Politics. Additionally, the above list was adapted from a sermon on Christian Citizenship he delivered on November 3, 2024, at Bethel Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, MB. Canada.