The 99th annual Conference of the Conservative Mennonite Conference (CMC) drew almost 1,000 members for activities from Thursday, July 23, to Sunday, July 26. Phil Schrock, one of the local organizers for the event at the Iowa Mennonite School, said the conferences are a time for Mennonites to come together for fellowship, as well as attend various workshops.
The theme of the conference was "The Providence of God."
Those in attendance represented 11,500 members form 114 congregations in 24 states. CMC is a Christian fellowship of evangelical Anabaptist churches in North America.
Family oriented, members plan their vacations around attendance at this event. It is held in late July or early August and rotates among nine hosting church communities. Kalona is the most western site for the conferences and the last time it was held here was in 2001.
Annual conference sessions began with a Taste of Missions on Thursday evening. On Friday morning and afternoon children, youth, women and men met separately with programs geared toward specific needs. Workshops included such titles as "The Challenge of Change," "Hurried Sickness" and "Poetic Reflections by Four Women of the Word."
Friday evening the entire conference met for a program on Christian education. Saturday's sessions included an adult choir, speakers, and workshops. The conference concluded on Sunday with a missions program in the morning.