Willard Metzger, executive director of Mennonite Church Canada (MC Canada) was recently elected as vice president of the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC). He has represented the MC Canada on the CCC governing board since 2010. Metzger is one of three newly elected CCC VPs, including representatives from the Roman Catholic and Presbyterian denominations. The general secretary of CCC, Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton, says that, as a relatively new member of the CCC and one with a peace church tradition, MC Canada brings the Christian tradition of peace to all aspects of CCC’s work, including a strong witness to social justice including the care of the vulnerable. “Willard’s tremendous wisdom and depth of experience are very important to the reality of ecumenism in Canada,” Hamilton writes in an email exchange. She points to his experience with youth engagement, which includes a propensity for social media; his initiatives on poverty and climate justice; and his passion for indigenous realities, including the recent Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report. CCC represents more than 85 percent of Christians in Canada through 25 denominations. Metzger is the first Mennonite to serve in this role since CCC was founded in 1944. He was elected to this new role in May 2015 and will serve for a three-year term. –MC Canada (Winnipeg, Man.)
