On April 22, 2026, Mennonite Church Canada announced a shared employment arrangement with the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. Beginning July 1, 2026, Jonathan Neufeld will continue as MC Canada's Indigenous Relations Coordinator while also taking on the role of Associate Director with the Coalition.
Neufeld has been active with the Coalition for over a decade. His work centres on mobilizing Christians to support Indigenous-led efforts to dismantle legal and ecclesiastical systems rooted in the Doctrine of Discovery — a 15th-century doctrine used to justify the colonization of non-European peoples.
Church leaders describe the arrangement as creating « an opportunity for Jonathan to be fully employed within a focused area of ministry that offers meaningful synergy for both organizations ». The partnership is also expected to strengthen collaboration between both organizations' regional Indigenous relations working groups across Canada and the United States.
« As people committed to Jesus' call to reconciliation, we believe there is hope, strength, and courage to be found in linking arms with others in this work. »
Learn more about MC Canada's Indigenous relations work at mennonitechurch.ca/indigenous.