THE BRETHREN
Evangelist A PROVERBS 31 WOMAN GOSSIP, GOSSIP
What James has to say
MINISTERING AMONG REVOLUTIONS AND MATÉ A Chat with The Aspinalls
CONFERENCE 2018
Preview General Conference
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Above: Grace Tolentino, affectionately known as “Grandma Grace”, greets friends and family after church at Carson Oaks Community Church (Stockton, CA).
CO N N ECT
The Brethren Church, Inc. 524 College Avenue Ashland OH 44805 @TheBrethrenChurch @brethrenchurch @brethrenchurch and @iglesiadehermanos
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On the cover: Grandma Grace poses in her backyard. Read more on page 10. Volume 140
No. 01
March 2018
CO N T E N TS
A ROUN D T H E DENO M IN AT ION
F E ATU R E S
03
10
LET TER FROM THE EDITOR
A PROVERBS 31 WOMAN Paul Stanley
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NATIONAL NEWS
21
GLOBAL PARTNERS
12
MINISTERING AMONG REVOLUTIONS AND MATÉ Jennifer Ditlevson Haglund
17
GOSSIP Sadie Zegarac
IN THE KNOW
I N CO N C LUS I O N
07
22
CONFER E N CE PREVIEW
MOMENTS Milestones of The Brethren
08
GENERAL CO NFER ENCE SCHEDULE
24
END NOTES Steven Cole
T H E BRETHREN EVA NG EL IST | 01
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A RO U ND T HE D E NO M I NAT I O N
LE T TE R FROM THE EDITO R Patrick Sprague
O
n my desk right now, I have a report from Barna Group, covering some of the daunting statistics around how American Christians view truth and authority. It reports that only 36% of Americans now believe that “churches have my best interest at heart.” Further, the report notes that an ever-increasing amount of people are turning inward, to themselves, for the source of truth. When asked to respond to the statement, “Whatever is right for your life or works best for you is the only truth you can know,” a staggering 57% of Americans agreed with that statement. And lest we begin to make excuses that Americans are less faithful as a reason for the skewed result, 41% of Christians responded in agreement. We’re losing sight of the common good, and a centralized source for where morality comes from. 44% of Americans now believe that truth is only relative to the circumstances, versus 35% who say that truth is the truth, regardless of the circumstances. It’s no wonder we find ourselves at odds on social media, at the coffee shop, and in our churches. We no longer believe that truth comes from one source. Instead, we think that opinions are the best source of truth.
It’s not uncommon to hear around our denomination that Brethren “believe in the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.” While we’ve talked about how that statement isn’t really a clear picture of Brethren theology and thought (see Jason Barnhart’s Whiteboard Wednesday video online), for the statement to be true, it means that we must take Scripture, particularly the Gospels, at their full instruction. We cannot ignore the parts that go against our American sensibilities. Nuanced truth does not exist. Nuanced explanation of truth, sure. But the truth is the truth. The Church’s authority will return when we are consistent in the application of our beliefs, when we live up to the ideals we ascribe, and when we keep our word. People matter, and we should live like it. The answer to a nation that believes the Church doesn’t have people’s interests at heart is to become a church that once again shows the love of Jesus on an individual level, to every person. We don’t have to agree on all things, friends, but we are commanded to love one another.
Friends, we’re all complicit. When we don’t stand for truth because it conflicts with other comforts of our lives (politics, patriotism, friendships and more), we lose our witness.
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NATIONAL NEWS WELCO M E T H E ST RANG E R When Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents held the largest raid in the US in over a decade at a local meatpacking plant in Canton, OH, the members of Radial Church (Canton, OH) stood with their members and neighbors to help put the pieces back together. Radial Church pastor Dustin White was interviewed by local NBC affiliate WKYC out of Cleveland, as well as the Associated Press: “From what I saw and heard they say their loved ones haven’t come home,” White said a day after the raid. “In many ways, the dust hasn’t settled.” White spent the night checking in on community members, many he says are from the Guatemalan community. “For me, I’m compelled by it, as a follower of Jesus, that we are called to welcome the stranger. We are called to disadvantage ourselves for the benefit of the vulnerable,” White told reporters. The full story, including video clips from news coverage, as well as the Brethren Position on Social Issues (which includes our position on immigration) is available at brethrenchurch.org/immigration.
O UT RE ACH IN S OUT H B E N D, I N Some incredible things are going on in South Bend, Indiana, through a missional group that formed at First Brethren Church of South Bend. Local congregant Jennifer Kary shares with us some of what the group has been up to: “We accepted the challenge to start a group that would meet during our 2nd hour (i.e., Sunday School) to do missional activities. At that time, we had recently completed a vision session where we came up with the idea of weekly going out into our community to serve and share the love of Jesus with others. Two years ago, we joined with our junior and senior high school Sunday School class, and they now are part of the missional group. We intend to “be the church.” We want to serve outside the walls of the church building on WANT TO SEE MORE? A VIDEO OF THE GROUP IN ACTION IS AVAILABLE FOR a consistent basis. We try to focus VIEWING AT BRETHRENCHURCH.ORG/ on three areas – our community, our SOUTH-BEND church family and partnering with existing organizations.” Volume 140 No. 01 March 2018
A RO U ND T HE D E NO M I NAT I O N
BAPT IS M S IN IND I A N A Six believers were baptized in the waters of Waubee Lake in rural Van Buren Township, Indiana on Sunday, June 3. Pastor Lee Compson (Milford Brethren Church – Milford, IN) led the service. Please celebrate with us this outward symbol of life change and faith!
S OUTH E AST D IST R I CT CO N F E R E N C E The Southeast District of The Brethren Church gathered Saturday, April 14, 2018 for their District Conference. Hosted at Oak Hill First Brethren (West Virginia), the conference boasted a wonderful time of worship, fellowship and business. Sharing the keynote message, Rickey Bolden (Washington D.C.) challenged the conference to keep their eyes on Jesus, and on what Jesus has His eyes on. Business was led by moderator Jason Crouch, and included the election of officers to transition the district into a region by 2020. A lunch was served by the Oak Hill WMS.
From left to right: Rickey Bolden preaches to the conference. Installation of new off icers. conference delegates chat during a break.
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July 16 – 19, 2018 Ashland University Ashland, Ohio
A RO U ND T HE D E NO M I NAT I O N
GENERAL CONFERENCE 2018 AWAKEN As General Conference is right around the corner, many in the denomination are eagerly awaiting this annual gathering of leaders and members. This year’s General Conference will once again be held in Ashland, Ohio, on the campus of Ashland University. (Though we do hope you’re already making plans to join us in Asheville, NC in 2019!) It promises to be a time of refreshment and renewal, but we also hope it will be a time of challenge. It’s no mystery that our denomination is in a season of adjustment. Our prayer is that God will awaken our spirits, lifting our eyes to see that which He sees. In the next few pages, you’ll find the schedule for General Conference. If you’re joining with us in Ashland, we hope that it will provide you a preview of the week. If you are not joining us in person, we hope that you’ll join us in prayer. Pray for each moment during the week. Take time to prayerfully lift up each activity on the schedule, praying that the Holy Spirit may move across our body of leaders in a fresh way. At a recent Brethren Heritage Lecture, Executive Director Steven Cole shared with those in attendance that “Brethren best understand who we are and what we believe when we’re together. By our very nature, our communal gathering is what defines our beliefs, and we only know where we stand when we stand in each other’s presence.” This is the power of our annual gatherings and the importance of them! We look forward to seeing each other again and taking stock of where we stand, affirming what we believe, and gathering to encourage one another in the work of the Gospel.
General Conference 2018 Speakers (from left to right): Dale Stoffer, Sara Moore, Ron Waters, Jason Barnhart, and Reggie Harvey
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2018 JULY 16
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CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
12:00 PM
NABCE GATHERING WMS GATHERING
12:00 PM
OPENING SESSION
7:00 PM
MORNING WORKSHOP
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BUSINESS SESSION 1
9:00 AM
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
11:00 AM
AFTERNOON SESSION
1:30 PM
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
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EVENING SESSION
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MORNING WORKSHOP
8:00 AM
BUSINESS SESSION 2
9:00 AM
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
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AFTERNOON SESSION
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BREAKOUT SESSIONS
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EVENING SESSION
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A RO U ND T HE D E NO M I NAT I O N
2018 JULY 16
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LATE NIGHT ACTIVITY
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MORNING SESSION
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EXPERIENTIAL B
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EVENING SESSION
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EXPERIENTIAL B
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EVENING SESSION
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GRAC E TOLENTI N O : A PROVERBS 31 WOM A N
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A PROVER BS 31 WOMA N Paul Stanley
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hat does one do to honor someone who has selflessly spent years of her life serving the Lord, who has all the comforts of life, and who, at 93 years of age, is in the season of life where material gifts have little use? What could I possibly give to someone like this to show how much I love and appreciate her? In asking myself this, I decided to testify to the entire Brethren Church about the life of one of our dear saints at Carson Oaks that many of you may know; Grace Tolentino.
home for the week. I have seen this repeated in the several years that I have gone to the Philippines with Grandma Grace, and every year the love of Christ was poured out on these kids who came to her home.
I first met Lola Grace (Lola means “Grandma” in Tagalog) when I started pastoring Carson Oaks in 2003. She immediately took my family and me in as her own and made us feel like a true part of her own family. One of the first things she wanted me to do was to go to the Philippines with her so we could work together in the ministry that she supported in her hometown of Pasig, Metro Manila. For years she would go back and hold what we would call a VBS for a week at her home, and she wanted me to go and see this ministry and to be a part of it. I was not sure what to expect, but when the first night came for us to begin, I was overwhelmed at the almost 80 children who showed up at her home to come and be loved on and to be taught the word of God. One by one they each lined up and greeted Lola Grace like royalty! She would take the time to welcome and love every one, making sure they were all fed both physically and spiritually. This went on every night for a week. Her house was full from one corner to the other with children ranging from 3 to 16, all making their way there in ridiculously overcrowded jeepneys, just to come to her Volume 140
I have also had the blessing of going with Lola Grace to where these children lived in some of the darkest recesses of inner-city Manila. In fact, we were warned not to go there because of the dangers of being robbed or worse. But she was not afraid. This is a woman who as a young girl knew the horrors of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during WWII, and was tough enough to survive. Upon arrival, she led us through a maze of the dark, back alleys of Manila to where more than 90 children were waiting on us to bring the word of God. While part of our team witnessed to the children, Grace and I were busy ministering to the adults of the area in crowded, one room homes with people sleeping in the rafters and sitting on the dirt floor. At that moment, there was no sense of fear, of being robbed or attacked; we just were there with the sole purpose of sharing Christ with these dear people who were so close to Lola Grace’s heart. Not only did Lola Grace impact the Pasig area, but she was also involved in helping the church in Bocaue, Bulacan outside of the city. This is where I first met Pastor Gary Castro and the team at JOFF. She had helped this ministry for many years as well and was the connection that brought them to the attention of Carson Oaks and into the Brethren Church, and moreover, to help get Pastor Gary to ATS. Today they are thriving and active and are busy planting more
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fellowships in the Metro Manila area, and the ministry that Grace had been involved with for so long is still actively reaching people in the Philippines with the gospel of Jesus Christ!
the medical field. Regardless of where I may meet someone in the healthcare industry, her name and reputation are well-known. I even mentioned her name once to a nurse in Sacramento, and he knew her!
Grace has been an important part of COCC since the 60’s and has raised her family here. She has been a grandmother to countless children at Carson Oaks, many who are adults now and still call her Grandma Grace. Her service and dedication to the Lord’s work are seen in her daughter and son-inlaw, Audie and Pat Urbano, who have served as deacons and continue to be involved in leadership. Her granddaughter Alysha currently serves as our Worship Leader. Grandma Grace is one of those saints who has loyally served in this church through the good times and in the harder times, never giving up and confident about the vision that God has for us here in Stockton.
Grace has impacted and touched so many lives here and in the Philippines that they cannot be counted. She is humble and gentle in spirit, and surely lives up to her name. In meeting her, one would never have guessed that she served as the personal nurse to the wife of the President of the Philippines at one time! Truly, from the halls of the home of the President of the Philippines to the dirt floor homes of “the least of these,” Grace Tolentino is a true Proverbs 31 woman of God, and I could never express adequately how much I love her and appreciate her, and trust me, I am not the only one!
It seems that everywhere I go in Stockton, I can find people who know Lola Grace! She worked as a nurse for years here in Stockton and was an important part of the Fil-Maps group, made up of Filipino Medical Professionals who would raise money for scholarships for young people entering into
I am truly blessed to know this woman in my life and to have my son Caleb, know her as his Grandmother. Grace is truly a blessing in my life, to my family, and to the church full of people who love her, and who will always know her as our Lola Grace!
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MINISTERING AMIDST REVOLUTIO NS AND MATÉ Jennifer Ditlevson Haglund
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arilyn and Ray Aspinall live on a quiet street in a downstairs apartment of a well-kept old home, not two miles from the J.M. Smucker Company in Orrville, Ohio. They were high school sweethearts who met in the country, but their marriage of 65 years has taken them far from rural Ohio. When the couple talks about their past, they slip in and out of rioplatense Spanish, spoken in Argentina and Uruguay — where much of their hearts remain. By the time they were married, Marilyn and Ray knew they would dedicate their lives to ministry, but they had no idea that they would spend 30 years in Rosario, Argentina, serving at Soldini Iglesia de los Hermanos [Soldini Church of the Brethren]. In his final years studying at Ashland Theological Seminary in the mid-1960s, Ray had planned to get some field experience preaching before earning a doctorate and returning to an academic setting to teach theology. During his senior year, members of the missions board asked him if he had ever considered teaching outside the United States. He hadn’t and had already committed to working as a senior pastor at the Lanark Church of the Brethren in northwestern Illinois. The Mission Board and the Holy Spirit had other plans. “In the two years we were at Lanark, I think every missionary that ever came home on furlough visited our church,” he said, joking that it was a ploy to keep the idea of overseas missions fresh. “They stayed in our home, too,” Marilyn said. After “putting out the fleece” several times, Ray said, the couple decided their course of ministry was just clear enough that they could uproot themselves and their three children. The youngest was six months old when they traded their peaceful midwestern town of 1500 for one almost 800 times as large in a country torn by violent civil unrest. When discussing their history, the Aspinalls’
words are warm. Their community considered them fellow Argentines before they returned to the United States, and it’s hard to differentiate their biological relatives from extended or adopted family built over years when they tell stories. “Marilyn and I, we wanted to blend as much as possible with the Argentinians,” Ray said. To prepare, they spent a year studying the Spanish language, literature, and Latin American culture in Costa Rica, where Marilyn edited the student newspaper and Ray delivered the graduation speech as the valedictorian of their class. When they arrived in Argentina, they landed in the middle of the Argentine Revolution. Arturo Umberto Illia had been ousted by a coup d’etat and replaced by Juan Carlos Onganía, military dictator ruling Argentina from 1966-1970. The revolution lasted seven years, and they had three years before the next, known as The Dirty War. “I was a little shocked with all the revolutions,” Marilyn said, almost calmly enough that one might think the terrors of revolution were no more ghastly than bad manners at té de la tarde. She wasn’t dismissing them, however. Tanks rolling down the street and bombs blowing open the shutters became part of their daily lives. “You went into it quietly,” she said. Marilyn cited the latter period as the “really hard one” when the government was “extremely oppressive.” “You had to live with your documents in your hands,” she said. The Aspinall children were in high school at the time, and the family knew people belonging to the Montoneros, a leftist urban guerilla group. Some didn’t live to see the revolution end. During that time, the Aspinalls saved money in a safe for an escape to Uruguay if necessary. They remember standing in line to purchase limited quantities of meat and toilet paper until after the Falklands Conflict in 1982.
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Marilyn attributed some of the ease in transition for their family to their upbringing. Having grown up on a farm between Smithville and Sterling, Ohio, Marilyn wasn’t fazed by outdoor plumbing, working alongside chickens, or cleaning up the dirt floors after meals when they were out in the countryside. Although they were outsiders, Ray said they went to Argentina expecting things to be different but not necessarily worse in any way. There was no spirit of American exceptionalism driving their outreach. Their mission was to spread the Gospel that transcends borders and time and finds its way into distinct cultures without having to disrupt the uniqueness of a people.
Living so long in Latin America influenced the Aspinalls’ mannerisms more than they anticipated, too. In short, they lost their home country’s concept of personal space. Ray wouldn’t have known it until one Sunday, he found that he’d slowly backed a congregant against a wall because he’d kept trying to close the distance between them as the person inched away. Laughing, Marilyn admitted she faced the same issue when she discovered she’d become a “hugger” and a “kisser” while abroad. Preaching in the United States, back in Ohio, has provided opportunities for challenge and reflection. In October, Ray will have been preaching in the Brethren denomination for 64 years. He felt “the call” his sophomore year in high school but wasn’t convinced until college. Inspiration came from his father, who had wanted to be a preacher during the Depression when finances kept him from finishing college and pursuing that path. A preacher in Wooster also influenced him as well.
The only thing the Aspinalls said they weren’t prepared for was how to get through the midlife crisis. In Argentina at the time, according to Ray, discussing mental health was even more taboo than it was in the United States. Because no one was there to counsel them through it, Ray and Marilyn picked up another skill at a short, intensive internship with a Christian organization and practiced on each other to work through it. “The thing that affected me as a mom,” Marilyn said, “was that one by one, all the children came back to the United States. Then came the grandchildren. There were a couple of funerals of close family I couldn’t return to attend, which is what made me realize where I was — really far away.”
Ray describes himself as a “somewhat liturgical preacher.” “It keeps me from riding my hobby horse,” he said.
“But there was never a time that we thought we’d made a mistake,” Ray said. The ministry in Soldini matured, with several of the senior leadership positions filled by those the Aspinalls had ministered to as youth. Because Ray wanted to return to the United States still young enough to pastor a church full-time, he decided to transition back to domestic ministry at 60. When the Aspinalls returned to the United States in 1993, they didn’t find the country as they’d left it in the mid-1960s. Instead of The Beach Boys, Flower Power, and Gilligan’s Island, there was Nirvana, raves, and Family Matters. They’d been back stateside on furlough and for furthering education Volume 140
periodically; however, they didn’t realize how much “home” had transformed into something nearly as foreign as Argentina had been when they arrived.
From an early age, he was fascinated by ritualism and jokes that he might have become a Catholic priest if his family would have approved. Participating in threefold holy communion in the Brethren Church intrigued him, because he’d never experienced it with such contemplation. Ray wouldn’t put down another denomination, but he grew up attending the Church of Christ in which he partook in communion every Sunday and found it to be rote. “I remember one day I was sitting at the back of the church. I looked around, and the women were preparing the cups. It was Howdy Doody grape juice. That kind of didn’t fall on me very well,” Ray said.
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The Brethren communion service emphasizing each process: the foottwashing, the love feast, and then the bread and the cup, allowed more time to develop meaning for Ray. As he learned more about the Anabaptist–Pietist mix of beliefs in Brethrenism later on, he grew to appreciate the denomination even more. The Brethren Church has been a dear part of Ray’s life. However, he shared that he’s been disappointed with how some of the distinctive attributes of the denomination have become more theoretical and less practiced. “The official Brethren theology, teaching, and position is really great,” Ray said. “The problem is we have very few churches who hold to those positions and promote them. It’s one thing to make a definition — but I don’t see that carried out in my local church.”
“I just cannot see how people can be so prejudiced about immigrants,” Marilyn said. After years serving in ministry, Ray and Marilyn agree that the Church — the capital “C” Church — in the United States needs to focus on compassion. “People want friendships — social contacts that are meaningful. We need to find the ways to make those connections with people and be the bridge to people for the church,” Ray said. It sounds so simple, and maybe simplistic, too; however, Ray doesn’t need to return to South America for outreach when he has neighbors he has yet to meet. “The personal contact is something the church needs to do,” he said. “Even in a small community like Orrville, we live in isolation too much.”
Ray wouldn’t name specific examples of trouble spots, but he and Marilyn stated concern about the U.S. church’s allegiance to political parties and nationalism. For Marilyn, the overwhelming indifference and even negativity surrounding immigrants and foreigners voiced by Christians in her home country grieves her. T H E B RETHREN EVANGELIST | 17
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GOSSIP GOSSIP GOSSIP GOSSIP GOSSIP GOSSIP GOSSIP by Sadie Zegarac
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was sitting at lunch with someone this week, and I had mentioned that I was busy that morning writing a sermon. They asked me what it was about, which for my perfectionistic tendencies didn’t really excite me because none of my thoughts were fully formed quite yet. I told him I was in James 4 on gossip. The immediate response after that small amount of information was, “Uuuughhhhhh.”What was that response for? “That’s just so convicting.” I said one word – gossip – and conviction happened immediately. It’s not really a secret that gossip exists. It’s not something we try to brush to the side like some of the other topics in this series. It isn’t taboo or surprising. It’s in this series not because we need to realize that it’s happening, but because we all do it. Every single one of us participates in this. I won’t be too shocked if you have the same reaction as my friend at lunch. James 4:1-12 says, “Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from the cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, ‘God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us’? But he gives us all the more grace; therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and
mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?” In chapter 1:18, the writer tells us that God, “In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” We have been created by the word of truth. In Christ, we are creatures of truth. Maybe that wasn’t true of us before the transformative work of Jesus, but that is our reality as we carry the name of Christ – Truth. Not only have we been created in truth and for truth, but we were also created to become first fruits. We’re supposed to be an example of what the Kingdom looks like. We’re supposed to be showing people what it looks like to be little Christs. “God yearns jealously for the spirit that He has made to dwell in us.” What spirit? The spirit of truth. We were birthed into truth through Christ. He has given us a spirit of truth that he yearns for us to exercise. Beginning in chapter 1 and coming all the way into chapter 4 we are told what not to be. Don’t be like the doubters or the double-minded who are like the sea tossed in the wind. Don’t be like the rich who will disappear like a flower in the field scorched by the sun. Don’t be like those who are tempted and enticed and give into their own desires, giving birth to sin. Don’t be like those who merely hear and do not do the word of God. They look at themselves and forget who they are in an instant. Don’t be like those who act with favoritism toward others. Don’t be like those who have faith but are not moved into good works because of such faith. The demons even know God and shudder. Don’t be like those who have bitter envy and selfish ambition, who are boastful
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them down, to speak ill of them, to disdain someone, or to run somebody down verbally.
and false to the truth. After reading all these don’ts, what are we actually supposed to do? That answer comes from our previous discussion. Only one “do” is needed in order to wipe out all the don’ts.
This is what is at the heart of this passage. Not just gossip (speaking behind someone’s back) but katalaleo. The writer of James is writing to a group of people who are letting their anger get in the way of the community ultimately participating in God’s coming triumph over hardship and suffering. Their passions are questioning the ultimate need for the community to depend on God. The wise community is to humble itself before God who alone can sustain.
Do act in accordance to the spirit of truth that has been made in you through Christ. I somewhat frequently travel to South Africa. I’ve led a few mission trips there, and the people there have become some of my most wonderful friends. When someone in the Zulu community does or says something that isn’t honoring to God, the rest of the people just refer to it as that person “not being themselves.” My anger and sharp tongue aren’t qualities of someone clothed in Christ. So, I wasn’t being myself. They take seriously the transformation that happens when we die to self and instead live in Christ. That is a game changer perspective shift. Just one chapter before, chapter 3, the tongue is compared to bits that go into a horse’s mouth and the rudder on a boat. Bits on horses are put into their mouth and used to guide the horse where to go. Rudders on boats are there for the purpose of steering the whole ship. So it is with the tongue as well. We are steering our lives with what comes out of our mouth. It is not exhaust that spews when we open our lips. It is our very breath that will steer our conversations, days, and lives either into the presence of quarreling and destruction or straight into the Kingdom of God. We can’t do both. We cannot honor, worship, and praise God in one moment and spew hate in the next. We cannot spew gossip and negativity from our mouths in the name of venting. Verse 11: “Do not speak evil against one another.” Some translations will say slander, but I think evil is more relatable. This word in Greek is actually katalaleo and is defined as much more than speaking poorly behind someone’s back, which is gossip. Katalaleo means to speak against someone, to talk Volume 140
It’s when I am least secure in my identity in Christ that I begin to attack those made in His image as well. What comes out of our mouth steers our life. God’s will in our lives is for us to be transformed into the spirit of truth that He Himself gave us through Christ. For us to act or speak in any way other than the way of Christ is to dethrone God and make ourselves supreme. Verse 4 tells us that friendship with the world is enmity with God and whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. The world loves to polarize speech, speak evil against one another for selfish gain, and establish their own kingdoms from the ground up. I don’t need to remind you that hateful speech is currently at the bedrock of American politics. In the upside-down world of the Kingdom of God, unity in community is at the forefront. We were created for each other. We are on the same team. The enemy loves to create small little divisions. Any kind of argument on any matter of small importance suffices to accomplish the Devil’s agenda of alienating human beings from one another and breeding enmity. This, my friends, is not the Kingdom. We’ve got to start seeing the Christ in each other. If what comes out of our mouths truly is steering our lives, then let’s let Christ steer our lives. You are dead to your old self and alive in Christ. Let’s all start acting like it.
No. 01
March 2018
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AROUND THE GLOBE UPDATE S ON OU R G LO B A L PA RT N E R S The Brethren Church in Rajahmundry India hosted a packed Vacation Bible School (VBS) at the end of April. Students in attendance centered around the theme “Amazing Grace.” Activities included young women choreographing dances to illustrate stories from the bible, and younger kids enacting favorite stories such as Paul and Silas in prison. The students wrestled with the jailor’s question, “What shall I do in order to be saved?”All in all, turnout was fantastic, and more and more students encountered the Gospel.
The church also recently wrapped up 40 Days of Devotions. Each morning, the church would gather at sunrise for worship and devotional time. As you can see from the included pictures, turnout was strong, and Christ continues to build His church in India. The church completed the 40 days with a moving Palm Sunday service that included the baptism of six new believers. Please continue to be in prayer for all of our Global Partners around the world!
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MOMENTS T RAN S IT IONS IN T H E B R E T H R E N C H U R CH Beacon of Hope Community Church in Louisville, OH officially entered into a congregational partnership with Radial Church in Canton that will see both congregations come under the leadership of a shared pastoral team of Dustin White, Gino Haynes, and Ronald W. Waters. While both congregations will maintain their individuality and unique ministry contexts, their shared heart for mission, growing relationships, and proximity make it possible for them to share the gifts and capacity of their diverse pastoral team. Congratulations on your new adventure together! On June 24, 2018, 5Stones Community Church in Ashland, OH installed Bill Ludwig as their next lead pastor. Bill concluded his time as Intentional Transition Pastor at North Georgetown First Brethren, and officially begin his new role with 5Stones in May. Also, many thanks to John Swope for serving as their Intentional Interim Pastor. 5Stones congregants gather around new pastor, Bill Ludwig
Vinco Brethren (Johnstown, PA) has called Zac Yonko to be their new lead pastor. Dustin White was ordained at Radial Church (Canton, OH) on July 15, 2018. Cory & Lydia Smith (Senior pastor, Goshen First, Goshen, IN) welcomed their second child on June 25. Annabelle Fe Smith joined her older brother, Deacon, as their parent’s pride and joy. A celebration of the life of Janet L. Klingensmith Rinehart was held at Ashland University on June 22. Jan passed away at Wasen Rehabilitation Center at Brethren Care Village on June 14, 2018, eight weeks after being diagnosed with stage three brain cancer. Her husband, Don, preceded her in death. The Rineharts were a beloved family both in the Brethren Church, where Don served as an elder, and at Ashland University, where they both gave deeply to students and faculty alike.
The Smith Family with baby Annabelle Fe
Submit your Brethren Moments to communications@ brethrenchurch.org
Todd Crowder smiles after a church picnic. Who doesn’t?
Volume 140
No. 01
March 2018
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WOMEN MEANT TO SERV NAT I O N A L WM S National WMS will again be the opening session for women at General Conference. What an encouraging way to start our week! We get to celebrate what God is doing in our local groups, hear the reports of your generous giving, get updates on our Global Partners, find out about our project at the Transformed Life Center in Dayton, Ohio and gather our money for them, and much more!
Monday, July 16 from 2:00 to 4:45 in the Worship Center of Park Street Brethren Church. Registration will begin at 1:00 in the foyer. You may park across the street and enter through either door off of Park Street (ramp entrance or main entrance). Tuesday, July 17 from 3:30 to 4:45 will be our last meeting to hear more stories, finish our necessary business, have our Memorial Service and continue to encourage each other. This will also be in the Worship Center at PSBC (close to the banquet too). Following this meeting will be the “Thanksgiving in July� banquet in the Park Street Brethren gym from 5:00 to 6:30. Enjoy a great turkey and trimmings buffet meal plus hear more news about our mission projects. This banquet is for all Conference attendees (not just women)! You must buy your tickets on line at brethrenchurch.org
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END NOTES FR OM EXECUT IVE D I R ECTO R ST EVE N CO L E
A
fter hearing about the changes our denomination is implementing, a leading church consultant told one national staff member that they believe we are writing the last few pages in this volume of The Brethren Church story. Notice they didn’t say the last chapter. We genuinely are writing the last of our story from the prior 130 years. This last bit is setting us up for the new volume in our story as Brethren. The future of our story requires us to consider new behaviors around all of our systems, leaders, and organizational relationships. We are at the end of a life cycle in The Brethren Church. Culture is shifting faster than we can keep up. The Church no longer holds the place of influence it once did. As a body of believers, we must continue to ask hard questions about every aspect of our organization. No element of us should go without
Volume 140
scrutiny. We have already taken the significant step of reorganizing our middle structure. I am happy to report that we have successfully started three regions at the time of writing this report. But we can’t stop there! The national team will continue to evaluate the importance of our existence. We already know that we must shift our behaviors toward serving our regional and local leaders. Regional teams are just now realizing that there is a lot of work to do in their regions. Many churches remain disconnected from their region and each other, and there are plenty of our congregations that lean heavily on the congregational side of our “limited congregational” style of government. There are days it feels like we have become the libertarian wing of the Alexander Mack movement!
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March 2018
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But here is where it gets fun for me! I believe we stand on the precipice of this new volume in our story as Brethren. I know this because of all the change-pieces swirling around us. We have the opportunity to reimagine and reinvigorate our relationships with our schools. We are planting churches, but not in the cornfields or wheat fields we used in our past. We know that urban and suburban churches will have to be the new norm. We have already begun the retooling of our national staff to help support all the changes that are developing. These are just few off what can be seen swirling overhead.
Watching the change-pieces swirling overhead makes it hard to know what the future holds, but I hope you can agree that we will continue to strive toward the Gospel-mission God has given us until we have no race left to run. Between now and that time, we will continue to deepen our commitment to serving our churches and regions toward the fulfillment of our shared vision and mission. We are already dreaming about how we can write this new volume of our story and cast a new vision for our preferred future. We ask that you imagine with us fresh ways The Brethren are engaging their communities for the sake of the Gospel. Ultimately, we know that change and innovation will continue to be a part of our journey together. I ask you to pray, not only for our national, regional, and local leaders but also pray about how you can best be involved in our shared story. All are needed. Pray that God will send workers for his harvest and that we are counted among those workers.
Steven Cole is the Executive Director of The Brethren Church. He lives in Ashland, Ohio with his wife Beth, and their two children, Maggie and Patrick.
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The Brethren Evangelist (SSN 0747-4288) is published quarterly by The Brethren Church, Inc., 524 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805-3792 telephone: 419-289-1708; communications@brethrenchurch.org Authors’ views are not necessarily those of The Brethren Church. Subscription rates: Sent free to Brethren Church members; $15.00 per year to others. Member, Evangelical Press Association. Postage: Paid at Ashland, Ohio or additonal mailing office at Mansfield, Ohio. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Brethren Church, 524 College Ave. Ashland, OH 44805-3792.
The Brethren Church 524 College Avenue Ashland OH 44805-3792
Vol.140, No. 1. Please let us know when you are moving. This will save us much-needed funds for ministry.
Cut out, and mail to the 524 College Ave., Ashland OH 44805 The 2018 Conference Offering will be collected to create a more sustainable Brethren ministry in Coria, Spain. Our goal is to provide $15,000 to support the church plant in Coria, led by David and Cecelia Molina. The $15,000 will be distributed to the church plant over the next five years, along with already existing support from the denomination and Brethren congregations. Your offering will provide enough margin for the ministry to move into an entirely self-sustaining model by the end of the five years. Providing our ministry in Spain the time and funding to become entirely self reliant, you’ll help ensure Brethren ministry for years to come in Coria, and beyond. FIRST NAME:
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