MissionFest Toronto smaller,
ETOBICOKE, ON—Although it was a scaled back version compared to similar conferences in recent years, MissionFest Toronto (MFT) attracted a good-size crowd and raised some much-needed capital to help reduce its debt.
Held in a smaller venue away from the downtown Toronto core, organizers say the conference took place at all was a "miracle of God." MFT executive director Jude Hodgson estimates 10,000 people walked through the doors of Queensway Cathedral April 8-9 to worship, hear speakers, attend seminars and participate in events tailored for youth, women and children.
"Coordinating something like this sometimes feels like you're herding cats," jokes Hodgson.
Hodgson says the 10th annual conference was in a cycle of "rolling debt [which] just kept growing," accumulating up to $94,000 when she took over the MFT reins last July. Together with office and event manager Carrol Cornish, she set about to defeat the debt.
Hodgson says there were initial doubts that the conference would be able to cover their costs, but a crucial, two-stage offering during the final evening plenary raised much of the needed capital. When the initial offering on that night raised just $5,000, keynote speaker Lorne Cunningham called for "a spirit of generosity" and a second offering was collected. The amount jumped significantly the second time, to $37,000 in cash and pledges.
"God willing, we will meet our goal of $300,000 by June 30 and increase our church partnerships and see the entire debt totally paid," says Hodgson.
This year 105 Canadian Christian charitable organizations paid from $400 to $1,300 for the privilege of exhibiting at the event. Cornish says the number was lower than in previous years due to space restrictions. "But we've got 60 on a waiting list," she adds, and many have already committed to being involved next year.
Worth the price
The Bible League director of development, Norm Cheng, says exhibiting was worth the price of participation because they "got to meet new people and make new contacts and spread the word" about the Bible League's work of placing Scriptures around the world.
Cheng says the conference also provides opportunities to make alliances and acquire new donors, and that within the first few hours of the event approximately 50 people dropped off their contact information at the Bible League booth. One of these was a missionary from the Dominican Republic looking for a source for Spanish language Bibles and Cheng says they plan to work with the missionary in future.
Only four hours into the event, Pioneer Clubs Canada field ministry representative Dianne Bielby commented to ChristianWeek that MFT had "already been worthwhile."
"We're here for the exposure. We're trying to provide information for churches who might be thinking about running a children's ministry program and help them do outreach. We love coming."
Signing up one church for their club program would recoup the cost of renting the booth space, says Bielby, "and traditionally, we normally get about 10 really good leads [from MFT]."
"There's a bajillion conferences out there," Hodgson adds. "We don't need another conference. But this is so unique—because of how it unites people and gets them refocused on what God has commanded us to do. And that's the same with all the Missionfests across the country."
Next year, MissionFest Toronto will be held at the Toronto Congress Centre March 23-25, and will include space for more than 250 exhibitors.
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