Fonds ORG - Manitoba Mennonite & Brethren Marriage Encounter Inc. fonds

Manitoba Mennonite & Brethren Marriage Encounter Inc. was a non-profit organization based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, that was incorporated on November 27, 2003, and became a registered Canadian charity on January 5, 2004. It was part of an international, inter-faith movement known as Worldwide Marriage Encounter that originated in the Catholic Church in the 1950s and has since been adopted by many other denominations.
Manitoba Mennonite & Brethren Marriage Encounter Inc. held weekend retreats for married couples for the purpose of growth, healing and renewal of marriage relationships. The purpose of the retreats was for a husband and wife to develop a better knowledge, understanding and acceptance of each other through the use of a communication technique taught during the retreat. At the retreats, leadership couples (one pastor couple and at least one lay couple) would share their personal experiences to inspire each participant couple to examine: themselves as individuals, their marriage relationship, their relationship with God, and how they relate to the world around them. Each participant couple would then discuss the presented topic in the privacy of their hotel room. It was not a marriage clinic or counselling session. There were no group discussions, and couples were not required to disclose any aspect of their marriage to others. After the retreats, voluntary follow up sessions were held to create informal support groups.
Manitoba Mennonite & Brethren Marriage Encounter Inc. had no employees. It was run on a volunteer basis by its board members. Board members were Kenneth and Susanne McGill; Peter and Rose Dick; Henry R. and Martha Fast; Frank Siemens; James and Kim Zacharias; Glen and Cherie Fehrmoore; J. Delano and Kim C. Phillips; Gary and Judy Harding; Reinhard and Christine Penner; and Thomas and Judy Asker.
Due to declining retreat attendance, Manitoba Mennonite & Brethren Marriage Encounter Inc. ceased operations in 2014.