Thanks to you

Thanks to you, this magazine has entered its 25th year of publishing under the name Canadian Mennonite. We picked up the mantle in September 1997 from The Mennonite Reporter, a bi-weekly newspaper for the 26 years before that.

Former staff turned the newspaper into a magazine, and the leaders at what was then the Conference of Mennonites in Canada gave it important financial stability through an Every Home Plan (EHP). Under the EHP, church members were encouraged to read the magazine. Subscription fees would be paid collectively through the church. The EHP alone did not cover expenses, so the magazine was to sell personal subscriptions and advertising, and to carry out a twice-yearly fundraising campaign.

Through the years, you have generously contributed to the magazine, and 2021 was no exception. In our last editorial, Virginia Hostetler thanked correspondents, columnists and other writers who help fill CM’s pages with meaningful content. She also thanked readers for sharing story ideas and opinions. These help CM to be a venue in which many voices are heard, and a wide range of topics discussed.

You also support this magazine financially. We gratefully report that CM received $150,000 in donations from readers like you in 2021. Your gifts, combined with revenue from the EHP, other subscriptions, advertising and the Canada Periodical Fund, are vital. With your support, we keep people informed, connected and engaged in conversations about faith. The magazine reaches almost 10,000 households bi-weekly. Plus, articles go out to the wider world through the website. Last year, approximately 200,000 people read CM articles online.

We also thank the twelve people who serve on the board of directors for Canadian Mennonite Publishing Service (CMPS). These volunteers come from across Canada and provide CM with deeply valuable insight in at least three ways. Coming from a range of backgrounds, they bring to board conversations their workplace knowledge and life experience. Coming from different congregations, they speak to issues out of their understanding of the local church and community. As well, they provide twelve local points of contact for readers who give counsel or ask questions about this magazine’s mission. Board members bring your feedback to discuss at meetings.

Nine directors are appointed by Mennonite Church Canada and its regional church bodies. Three members are elected at the CMPS annual meeting. The page “About Us” on our website lists their names. I name them here and give thanks for their service:

• Mennonite Church Canada: Henry Krause (British Columbia), Annika Krause (Quebec), Rod Wiens (Saskatchewan), Aaron Penner (Manitoba)
• Mennonite Church British Columbia: Eun Young Kwon
• Mennonite Church Alberta: Arthur Koop
• Mennonite Church Saskatchewan: Larry Epp
• Mennonite Church Manitoba: Ken Reddig
• Mennonite Church Eastern Canada: Karen Heese
• Elected by CMPS: Carl DeGurse (Manitoba), Lois Epp (Alberta), Kathryn Lymburner (Ontario).

To learn more about CMPS ownership and governance, please visit www.canadianmennonite.org. Go to the menu item “More” and click on “About us.”

Ideally, the board is a microcosm of the diversity within Mennonite Church Canada itself, because the magazine aims to reach all kinds of people across the church. If you would like to recommend someone for the board of directors, contact the nominations committee of your regional church. Or send a suggestion to publisher@canadianmennonite.org and I will pass it on.

We thank MC Canada and the regional churches for continuing to partner with CMPS in this publishing ministry—both financially through the EHP and by supporting the practice of editorial freedom. Few faith-based journals can say the same. CM is accountable to the church through the board.

This funding and accountability model has been in place for 25 years. Canadian Mennonite was born from an ambitious vision from the get-go and has stood up well over time. Its success relies on the continued support of readers like you. That is to say: this magazine exists and flourishes—thanks to you.

Print and digital issues will continue

In 2022, Canadian Mennonite will again publish 22 regular issues plus four digital-only ones. As a subscriber, you can have a print issue mailed and a digital copy emailed to you. To add digital delivery to your subscription, email Graham Aberdein at office@canadianmennonite.org.

Read more editorials:
Telling your stories
Digital connections
December patchwork 
The feast of grace
A new call for MC Canada