Mutual Aid Board (General Conference Mennonite Church)
The General Conference Mennonite Church created the Mutual Aid Board at its 1945 general sessions for the immediate purpose of aiding the rehabilitation of young men who had served as conscientious objectors during World War II, since these young men had served without pay and without the discharge bonuses that were given to the men in the military service. The function of the board was to assemble funds on a gift or a loan basis from individuals or conference organizations. These were to be loaned to General Conference Mennonite young men at a low rate of interest. The purpose for which loans were made varied, but among the most common were assistance to young couples in setting up housekeeping, buying livestock and equipment to start farming or to establish a business, completing a college or university education, and purchasing or remodeling modest homes. In 1950 the General Conference reorganized and created the Board of Christian Service which absorbed the Board of Mutual Aid and thereafter made it the committee on Mutual Aid. Thus after 1950 the Board of Mutual Aid no longer officially existed but its work was expanded. In 1957 it was incorporated. Its services were no longer confined to young men in the service of their country, but provided assistance to all members in need of vocational and economic help to the extent that means were available and deemed necessary by the Mutual Aid Committee.
| Author(s) | J. Winfield Fretz |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1957 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Fretz, J. Winfield. "Mutual Aid Board (General Conference Mennonite Church)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mutual_Aid_Board_(General_Conference_Mennonite_Church)&oldid=76049.
APA style
Fretz, J. Winfield. (1957). Mutual Aid Board (General Conference Mennonite Church). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mutual_Aid_Board_(General_Conference_Mennonite_Church)&oldid=76049.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 801. All rights reserved.
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