Mennonite exhibit witnesses 'across the street'

Listowel, Ont.

Ech year the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo brings thousands of visitors to its host community in rural Ontario. Fred Lichti, pastor of Listowel Mennonite Church, wondered how his church could witness to the many people coming to town for the 2005 Plowing Match. Together with representatives from other Mennonite churches of the Woolwich-Grey cluster, Lichti organized a "Mennonite" display for the five-day fair held in late September.

The Mennonite exhibit was part of a huge tent city where the 100,000 visitors browsed and shopped. A steady stream of people dropped in and chatted with the volunteers. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario had a demonstration rower water pump as part of its display. Ten Thousand Villages had a large assortment of fair trade coffee, tea and cocoa, while Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) had its new early-response trailer and a display board. Mennonite Church Canada Witness was also present.

In order to provide some visual interest, the local churches of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada provided quilt tops and comforters, demonstrating the art of quilting and how knotted comforters are made. Because so much of the exhibit focused on service, Lichti and his committee wanted to include some verbal witness. Every day, for about 10 minutes each hour, local Mennonite singing groups brought songs of faith to the volunteers and visitors.

Among the visitors to the display were all sorts of Mennonites. Although some came to visit people they knew, others were able to learn more about MDS, MCC and Ten Thousand Villages. Some came to rest their weary bodies on the chairs scattered around the tent. For those who were specifically looking for the Mennonite exhibit at the plowing match, the universal complaint was that it was too hard to find in "that maze of tents!"

-Barb Draper