" Forgive and forget , " we ' re told But forgiveness is seldom that simple . A survivor of a severe fami ly tragedy plots the steps of forgiveness that lead to emotional and spiritual health. BY WILMA DERKSEN
8 Pilgrimage from the death penalty
How should a Christian feel abou t capital punishment? Here's the turnaround one Christian made when she discovered that even prison inmates are humans . BY R.J . THESMAN
11
Chain-letter religion
You'd be surprised how many Christians see their faith as a formula for riches and material comfort. Our true reward has already been delivered. BY KENNETH L. GIBBLE
DEPARTMENTS
Forum by Frony Ritter 14
• Nothing asked, a lot gained What Readers Say
15
Ph'li p Sid e by Philip Wiebe 16
• Time for spring cleaning
Edu cat i o n
.. by Kathy Heinrichs Wiest 18
• Under the hood (8): AI Dueck Inquiring Minds by Marvin Hein 20
• The "John 3 : 16" guy
• Anti-abortion strategies Musings by Jim Holm 21
• Retreat will not save us Bodylife. .
• MCC: Have money, will serve 22
• New rules will not affect China work 23
• Smuggling Bibles is not legal or necessary in China.. . 24
• Restorative justice is meeting focus 24
• Church notes 24
• Deaths 25
22
Editori al by Don Ratzlaff 28
• The mystery of 'the gospe/'
ART CREDITS: Cover and page 4, Dynamic Graphics; page 8, Religious News Service; page 18, MBBS photo by Craig Hallman; page 22, MCC photo by Emily Will
EDITOR
Don Ratzlaff
ASSISTANT
EDITOR
Deborah Penner
BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS : David Reimer, chair; Harold Franz, Jeanie Klaassen, Malinda Nikkel, Dalton Reimer
MANDATE: THE CHRISTIAN LEADER (ISSN 0009· 5149), organ of the U S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, is published monthly by the U.S Conference Board of Communications, 315 S Uncoln, Hillsboro, KS 67063. The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions, and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dia· log so that they will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition
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From the smallest infraction to the greatest offense of all-the taking of life-forgiveness is a necessary, if sometimes difficult, process.
HE YOUNG MAN WITH THE PONY-
TAIL didn't want to talk the first hour of our group support meeting. But as he listened to us tell our stories he became more and more agitated until finally his story bubbled over in short, sometimes incoherent snatches. His
had been killed. He had spent some time in a church-run detoxification center where workers had pressured him to forgive.
"I can't take this pain anymore," he kept repeating. "I want to be healed. 1 don't want to take this pain anymore. They tell me to forgive and 1 want to, but 1 don't know how."
Everyone was silent for a minute. We were an exclusive group-the membership criterion was that we had all encountered a murderer. Before thiS, anyone who had hinted at the concept of forgiveness had always been defmed as forgiving the murderer and had
immediately been shut down.
This time no one protested. In fact, after a moment, they agreed with him. They all wanted healing and they saw forgiveness as a means of becoming healed, but they didn't know how to forgive
1 had no answers. 1 had always had this image of forgiveness as a giant leap of faith into God's all powerful will in which the Almighty would take care of vengeance, and all we needed was to love.
What kind of answer was this for a group of people who didn't know God and became angry at the slightest men-
ation to forgive when they are still in fear of it happening again.
Forgiving while abuse is continuing could be perceived as another ploy to achieve stability and safety.
3. Express it. Those few choice
THE FOLLOWING illustrates the 15 elements involved in forgiveness.
It was at a banquet in the lovely ballroom of the oldest hotel in the city. Everyone was dressed in gowns and tuxes. The guests sat with their closest friends at round tables of eight
And then it happened-hot coffee landed on Mary's lap. For a moment she was stunned and didn't move. Her mind was in denial, but her body wasn't. She jumped up, instinctively holding the hot cloth away from her skin, preventing the coffee from scalding her further.
She uttered a few choice words in anger , then quickly glanced around the table to see if anyone had noticed. She was appeased a little at their comments of sympathy and futile attempts to help. Then she glanced up to see who had spilt coffee and why. There was no doubt-it was the waiter's fault
"I'm so sorry," he repeated over and over as he helped mop up the coffee . " Are you right?" She nodded numbly.
He quickly left and came back with the manager, who offered a dry-cleaning coupon and a gift certificate for four to eat anytime in the elegant dining room as compensation.
The manager stuck out his hand and apologized again. She accepted it and smiled in reconciliation.
When Mary sat down again, her friends told her that no one would notice t he stain on her dress and that she was lucky it hadn't been worse Mary realized with their help that all was not lost.
When the first course arrived, Mary felt a pang of regret and turned to her best friend. "I wish I had worn my other dress," she said. "I was going to but I changed my mind at the last minute. It wouldn't have shown as badly." Her friend reassured her that she shouldn't feel guilty; she couldn't have known what was going to happen.
Mary's husband said the gift certificate would be perfect for their daughter's birthday next month. The friends were envious and Mary realized there might even be a benefit in the spill.
The program began and Mary was soon laughing at the speaker's jokes. She put the incident into the past.
As they were leaving , a friend said the highlight of the evening was the teasing around the spilt coffee. Mary smiled too and saw another perspective of it.
A few days later when the gown came back and wasn't quite the same , Mary decided that the certificate was worth more than the dress anyway and let it go. The next day she bought a new dress that she liked better than the old one.
This story is a fantasy, of course. Things don't happen that smoothly . But it identifies the natural transitions in healing that which has been broken.-WD
words and those tears are a necessary part of healing. Every loss evokes emotion. Anger, sadness, fear, joy and despair need to be allowed to run their course.
Sometimes the best thing we can do for a friend is to be a safe target for his or her anger.
4. Validate it. We are not islands unto ourselves. We need people around us to make sure that what we are experiencing is the norm No matter how much we try to deny it, our community is extremely important to us.
We need to recheck our existence, our status, our acceptability every time something traumatic happens in our lives or anything that alters us. We need to have our stories believed.
5. Assess it. This is probably the first biggest need of members in our support group. They need information about the murder. Because the case is usually out of their control and hard to get access to, they spend most of the first year asking questions no one seems to have answers for.
We need to have information before we can assess what happened and decide how to deal with it. Without answers, a person can be forced to live in limbo, unable to make the critical decisions of what to do with the next three elements.
6. Prevent it. People in the security business have latched onto this one. They know how vulnerable a person is who has just experienced the violation of a break-in.
To feel safe is one of our primary needs. Healing can't be complete without the feeling that it won't happen again.
7. Find blame. This is the element that can cause our society the most anxiety. Placing blame means opening up the event again, examining everyone's role and performance during a crisis. Often this element seems to add pain rather than resolution.
But in any problem solving, the careful examination of a situation is abSOlutely necessary in order to learn from it. We need to examine a wrongdoing in the same way
8. Find goUt. Blaming has to
do with sorting out everyone's responsibility; guilt is examining the role we played . If we have experienced a loss, we know instinctively that we have a role in it. We usually fall short of our own expectations of how we would like to handle things. Our guilt feelings have a way of pointing out these shortcomings and we need to come to terms with our own responsibilities.
9. Fix it. Once we've had a chance to assess it, to contain it, we naturally want to restore things in the best way we can. Life forces us to deal with the practicalities of a situation.
As long as we leave the loss a gaping hole, the loss will remain ongoing. Whether it is making do or replacing, we need to plug the hole somehow.
10. Restore relationships.
ISSln'g sfeps
THE UNSOLVED
murder of our 13-year-old daughter on Nov. 30,1984, was the beginning of my journey to understand forgiveness. I have been with Family Survivors of Homicide , Manitoba , for six years, three years as president I also published a personal account of our daughter's homicide called Have You Seen Candace?
A visit from a person broken with bitterness convinced us we needed to forgive if we were to survive this tragedy It was our strong desire to find the way through that unraveled the process for us one tiny step at a time.
Since the person who abducted Candace has never been found , we never had a face to blame or anyone to answer our big questions and help us understand. We were denied the ability to assess it, find ways to prevent it, establish blame, fix it or restore re lat ionships.
But because we had a supportive family and friends, we were able to process the rest of the elements The simple passing of time and my work with others in homicide grief have helped provide new goals and a healthy perspective
The simple exercise of isolating the elements and knowing what is missing has helped me to accept the fact that I will never finish my quest for understanding. I lean heavily on God's promise that someday everything will be revealed to us
I have come to see that forgiveness is much like marriage We make the public vows to love each other and then spend the rest of our years together learning what that means. We will never finish forgiving. Each loss we experience spawns other losses that need to be forg iven.
Maki ng an overarching commitment to want to forgive is helpful when we are in the trenches of daily living -WD
Broken relationships leave us feeling both unsafe and insecure We want harmony and peace. But this can be impossible if some of the other elements aren't in place. An apology can go a long way.
11. Find meaning. This is the beginning of attempting to apply what we have experienced into the present and future If we are survivors we want to emerge from any given situation a little ahead and not behind. If nothing else, we can ftnd meaning by learning from it
It helps to know that God has promised there is something meaningful in everything we experience.
12. Place memory. Forgive and forget have been a troublesome couple. How can we forget when we know that memory itself is a precious commodity? Perhaps we can think of it another way.
An event can be so traumatic that it takes up all the "present memory" and does not allow a person to concentrate on anything else. When that happens, memory has become intrusive.
Healing is finding a means to pro-
cess the memory and find a place for it in the back of our minds. Forgiving and forgetting means we can control the memory-it doesn't control us.
13. Put it in perspective. In the ftnal analysis, life is too short to hold a grudge.
14. Let it go. At some point, we decide to let it go Forgiveness entails making a choice. Unfortunately, no matter how much we try, that which is broken remains broken. The broken place can become stronger, but the crack will always be there . There is never a perfect resolution.
That's why we finally have to decide to let it go. The problem is that too often we decide to let it go before we have exhausted all our efforts at natural resolution
No amount of decision making or willpower will keep it from coming back if we haven't satisfted ourselves on the other levels.
When aU is said and done, forgiveness is a gift that we give others and that we give ourselves. The gift doesn't originate with us-God gives the gift of
forgiveness first. We only pass it on .
15. Look forward. We can't be healed totally until we stop looking at the past and start filling our future.
We have to remind ourselves over and over again that it is not easy to forgive. It is as difficult as loving.
In her article, "My Way to God," Dee Risher says: "The forgiveness of sins is perpetual. It will take all our lives to learn this new territory. As landmarks, we have the forgiveness others have offered us and the forgiveness we have offered others. These are sacred, ancient repetitions. like others before us, they will lead us to God. They will bear us through to the new country."
Wilma Derksen is a Mennonite Brethren journalist from Wlnntpeg, Man.
tR.
'Let 'em fry!' seemed to be an appropriate response to murderers. Except for one thing: criminals are people too.
BY R.J. THESMAN
HE KANSAS MEDIA HAS
DECLARED 1994 as "The year of the death penalty." Reports from the state capital filtered to the evening news as the debate continued. Opponents and proponents lobbied while journalists typed new statistics and faxed statements to
their editors, "The House voted today " "The Senate resumed debate " As headlines proclaimed the possibility of our state taking human life, the question loomed in my conscience: What was my response to the death penalty? How should I, a Christian, approach such a volatile subject?
Through much of my spiritual jour· ney, I have hidden behind the shield of pacifism, the token of my Menno· nite Brethren heritage. During the Vietnam War, it was easy to say, "I don't fight. I don't kill. I don't get involved." But the modern conflicts of the '90s have thrust their agenda in my face, demanding answers to questions about abortion, homelessness, and the death penalty I decided I c ould no longer sit idly by and let the secular world decide societal issues.
As recently as two years ago, my response to the death penalty was,
"Let 'em fry "-an eye for an eye, a life for a life. In spite of my heritage, I believed in capital punishment. All the arguments against the death penalty merely fueled my belief that sinners pay the price, murderers die. I read statistics proving the death penalty doesn't deter crime. But my argument remained steadfast: "At least it will deter that criminal. He will never murder again."
The rising costs meant nothing to me. So what if the average capital trials cost $116,000 more than ordinary trials? So what if implementing the death penalty cost taxpayers anywhere from $90 to $118 million? Like many Americans, the figures of the federal deficit numbed me to the reality of dollars and cents. I paid my taxes, Congress spent it, end of story.
Even the argument against unfair executions couldn't change my mind . Mistakes in the legal system happened
every day If minority or disabled criminals were executed unfairly; it was the judge, the jury, and the lawyers who had to deal with a blackened conscience. Not me . I was sick of crime-disgusted with graphic photos on the nightly news, pools of blood in parking lots, and innocent children carried away in body bags. I wanted justice. God demanded accountability and so did I. Pacifism faded into revenge.
I read Charles Colson's books and supported his ministry of Prison Fellowship. I agreed with his plan of restitution for crime victims. The criminal should pay for what he has done. He needed to face his conscience and admit responsibility. But Colson advocated total restitution, not execution. I closed his book and closed my mind.
Then God gently nudged me into an area of society I had previously ignored. To help a friend, I agreed to become a pen pal with an inmate at the Hutchinson (Kan.) Correctional Facility Through the written word, I began a relationship with William. He was "in" for drug dealing and had no friends in the outside world . His mother disowned him, his wife divorced him, and his father never claimed him. Through the ministry of chaplains and Prison Fellowship, William gave his heart to Jesus Christ. He wrote flowing letters with little or
no punctuation, explaining his faith and the acceptance he found in God. He encouraged my writing, enjoyed my book, and always ended his letters with, "Thank you for being my friend."
Through William's transparent soul, I discovered the world of the prisoner. I learned about solitary confinement, loneliness, and the endurance required to live out a sentence. Last year, William's son was killed-run over by a car. I shared his grief, because I, too, lost a child. I could write, "I know how you feel. I am praying for your comfort. "
After William was released, Donovan became my pen pal. He is serving a sentence at the EI Dorado (Kan ) Correctional Facility for a sex offense. Every ounce of my feminine instinct recoils at the thought of rape, molestation, or sodomy. But I have
TheWord on capital punishment
Wlearned to forgive and to love Donovan. A dynamic Christian, he sends me Hebrew words that we both enjoy. We write about Yahshua Oesus) and Shahah Luh Shalem Jerusalem ("Pray for the peace of Jerusalem"). Donovan sends Scripture verses to encourage me, even when he's in the discouraging pit of lock-up.
Through my friendships with William and Donovan, I have learned the value of every human being, even those behind bars. I have also learned how to create a murderer:
1. Begin with an absent father.
2. Add a desperate mother.
3. Stir in several live-in boyfriends who abuse the child.
4. Add racism and a dangerous peer group.
5. Subtract the absent church.
6. Destroy self-esteem with failure after failure.
FOR
HAT BmUCAL EVIDENCE should the Christian consider when thinking about capital punishment? Mennonite Brethren have no formal position on the death penalty, but in 1987 Kindred Press published a pamphlet which explored both sides of the issue.
Making the case for capital punishment was Elmer Martens, professor of Old Testament at MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif. Writing against capital punishment was John Redekop, churchman and political scientist from Waterloo, Onto
For the full presentation of these two positions, order "On Capital Punishment" by sending $2.50 (includes postage and handling) to Kindred Press, Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063.
7. Begin with small crimes.
8. Add the injustices and delays of the legal system.
9. With each release from prison, do not provide support or training to integrate the criminal back into society.
10. Finish with hatred, prejudice, and pain.
Michael, another inmate from Hutchinson, sent a calligraphy poster that states, "The cure for crime isn't the electric chair, but the high chair."
My relationships with William and Donovan forced me to reconsider the death penalty. If my pen pals had been on death row, could I support and cheer their executions? Knowing these prisoners personally made a difference. I could never press the button to electrocute William or inject Donovan with a lethal substance. I could not murder my friends. But if
1. The Old Testament contains several explicit statements generally interpreted as supporting capital punishment for transgressions involving the rights of person (particularly the sanctity of life) and reverence to God. The most striking is Genesis 9:5-6. Others are Deuteronomy 19:11ff, Leviticus 24:21 and Numbers 35:30.
2. The biblical record cites several precedents for capital punishment: the deaths at the golden calf episode (Ex. 32:27), the action of Phineas in putting to death two consenting adulterers (Num. 25:8), and Achan at Jericho Oosh. 7:25). It also cites several precedents for waiving the death penalty when it was deserved (l Sam. 11: 12-13, 14:45; 2 Sam. 14:11).
3. To be biblical, one must take into account God's anger and justice as well as his compassion. While God expresses his wrath in
AGAINST
1. Genesis 9:5-6 is a limitation of punishment rather than an exhortation. Second, it describes expiation (salvation through the shedding of blood) rather than a legal rationale for capital punishment for all times. While the passage can be used to argue that governments somehow have a right to inflict capital punishment, it cannot be cited as proof that governments should exercise it.
2. The Mosaic law ("eye for an eye") applied only to the nation of Israel and was intended to serve only until the death of Christ. Christians take their ethical cues from God's progressive revelation as evidenced in Jesus and the New Testament.
3. The ethic Jesus taught in Sermon on
not be
Chain-letter religion
Like chain-letter scams, Christian faith has no secret formulas, no standards of right and wrong that, if carefully followed, will give us what we want.
by KENNETH L. GffiBLE
It didn't take my roommate long to ftgure out how many ftve-dollar bills that would be. Were the chain to remain unbroken, he would accumulate a total of $I ,080. I saw my duty at once. I set about to temper my friend's enthusiasm
"Use your head," I told him. "Nobody takes chain letters seriously. They all end up in the wastebasket. Besides, what's to prevent others from carrying on the chain without sending that ftve bucks?"
All very reasonable, helpful counsel, to my way of thinking. Did my roommate appreciate it? He did not.
He quickly pointed out to me that the scheme meant he would have a potential of 236 people to send him ftve dollars. IT only two of those 236 came through, he would double his money. Besides, the chain letter said that breaking the chain would result in a streak of bad luck. Best not take a chance.
WAS INTRODUCED TO CHAIN LETTERS IN college. Until then I had heard about them and had some vague notions about how they worked. Supposedly they were illegal, but I hadn't the faintest notion why. So when my college roommate received a chain letter in the mail, I was fascinated. In the letter were four names and addresses, listed top to bottom. The last name belonged to the person who had sent my roommate the letter. It instructed him to do two things: ftrst, send ftve dollars to the person whose name appeared at the top of the list; second, mail copies of the letter to six other people, placing his own name in the number four spot. In due time, at least in theory, his name would arrive at the top of the list, and the ftve-dollar bills would come rolling in.
I saw he was hopelessly hooked on his illusion, so I shrugged and gave a final word of advice: "Don't say I didn't warn you." Then I got back to the books.
By 10 o'clock that night, my roommate had circulated his six letters to guys in the dorm and had given his sales talk to everyone in Sight Now he was sitting on his bed riffling through the more than 30 dollars he had already collected.
"Come on, roomie," he said, "you can still get in on the action. Of course," he mocked, "if you had start-
If we think that being good will make us acceptable to God, will earn us what we want, we are mistaken. Most of the time we are good to get something in return: respect, social even God's approval.
ed right away, your name would now be at the top of a few lists."
I sat there muttering under my breath. I should never have underestimated the power of single-minded, passionate greed. What made the lesson particularly unforgettable was the five dollars I lost getting in on the tail end of the whole business . Yes, I fmally succumbed to the madness around midnight . By the next day it was all over. So far as I know, no one but my roommate so much as broke even.
Chain letters and the other scams that pervade our society-lotteries, sweepstakes, grand prize drawingsare all symptoms of the human longing for magical solutions . Pass on the chain letter and good fortune will result. Buy the lucky ticket and your problems will be solved
Maybe it's a carryover from childhood. "Clean up your room and you'll get a piece of candy." "Get a B+ in math and you can go on a weekend outing with your friends." Translated into religion, it comes out, "Live a good, clean life, go to church at least oc c asionally, and good things will happen to you. "
Jesus had something to say about all this . He called his followers' attention to the behavior of people who made a big show of their religion and good works. Jesus wasn't saying they should stop doing good things. His point was simply that once they had given their alms and had finished offering their public prayers, they had already gotten what they wanted: attention and admiration from their neighbors. "Truly I say to you," he said, "they have received their reward."
How do these words apply to the kind of religion you and I often practice? If we think that being good will make us acceptable to God, will earn us what we want, we are mistaken. Most of the time we are good t o get something in return: respect , social approval, even God's approval.
Jesus makes it quite clea r that doing good or being good w ill not win us God's favor. Instead, God's favor, God's grace, is already given to us, and then we may do good, we may
even be good, at least some of the time. In this sense it can be said that we are good, not for any reward to be gained, but simply because God has brought it to pass in us. We are good for no gain to be had. We are good for nothing.
Such an idea is contrary to what many people believe the Christian faith is all about. That's too bad, because what makes the gospel so exciting is the unexpectedness of grace, the surprise of joy.
We miss it time and time again. We feel guilty so often because we think we aren't good enough. We are not good enough as parents, not good enough as a spouse, not good enough as a friend.
In one sense it's true. We aren't good enough. In fact, we can never be good enough, but that doesn't seem to matter to the One who created us. The Holy One is far more interested in using whatever good we do for the blessing of God's children.
There is no magic. Chain letters are a sham. There are no secret formulas, no standards of right and wrong that, if carefully followed, will give us what we want Rain falls on the just and the unjust. Some good people get sick; some bad people live to be a hundred. There are no guaranteed rewards for goodness; goodness must be its own reward.
There is something better than guarantees. It's the grace and freedom and love of God They pervade life more than we know, more than we take time to see. In the end, they bring us, often kicking and screaming, into God's kingdom.
Oddly enough, we have trouble recognizing our salvation , even when it's staring us in the face. ef2
Kenneth L. Gibble, a frequent contributor to the Leader, is a freelance writer from Arlington, Va
In her book, When the Bough Breaks, Sylvia Ann Hewlitt says for every dollar spent in developed countries for prenatal care, three dollars are saved in the first year of the baby's life that would otherwise be spent on medical care. Likewise, I believe every minute spent attending to a child in his or her first five years may save many times the hours of frustration and disappointment later in life. Not only does it save money (in the fonn of mental health and even medical services), but it helps prevent the heartbreak of a family with a wayward member.
The body of Christ can help us weary parents be sensitive to the needs of these little ones by limiting the time commitments asked of us during this brief but important family time.
This could be the first step in our Christian education curriculumenhancing family bonding and assisting in healthy personality and spiritual development. We could explore the possibility of offering pre-parenting classes in our churches that include help in areas like balancing commitments, meeting the emotional needs of an infant, and spiritual growth as a new family.
Perhaps we could have older mothers visit young mothers to listen empathetically, offer encouragement, or give a little time to help with the babies. We could fonn Bible study/ play groups with parents of youngsters.
Thanks to the wisdom of my congregation, our family was able to build a healthy foundation for the future while accomplishing missionary work-reflecting God's love to our children. With gratefulness for the favor my congregation did for me, I am ready to take up the baton of service and make room for the next new parents to establish their family. ef2
Frony Ritter, a member of the Neighborhood Church in Visalia, Calif, is an artist and a student in the marriage and family counseling program at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno. She and her husband, Donn, have two preschool sons.
What's in a name?
I had my suspicions aroused after reading in Miscellanea (Nov. 2) about a new publication for Mennonite Brethren women called Sophia. Sophia is the name of a goddess currently being widely worshiped by many radical feminists.
The Presbyterian Layman (Vol. 27, No.1, January/February 1994) reported: "National staff and committee members from the Presbyterian Church (USA) gathered with leaders of other World Council of Churches denominations in Minneapolis Nov. 47 for a feminist convention called 'Relmaging 1993.' Declaring their allegiance to the goddess 'Sophia,' participants catapulted their rhetoric well beyond commonplace themes of women's equality. Instead, they heralded a more radical agenda: to promote a new religion with a new god" [my emphasis]. The article continued for five pages.
It alarms me to think of Mennonite Brethren women and men connected in any way to such blasphemy. I would appreciate the Leader investigating this issue.
Lori Chilstrom Portland, Ore.
Editors's note: When we contacted Sarah Klassen, editor of Sophia, she sent us a copy of an explanation she had written on an earlier occasion:
'The word 'sophia' is a feminine gender Greek noun which can be translated as 'wisdom.' It is used in the Greek translation Of the Hebrew Scriptures where the word for wisdom was 'chokmah.'
"Later, in the writings Of the Christian church, in the gospel ofJohn, for instance, the Greek masculine noun 'logos' was used instead of 'sophia. '
"In all cases, the word used in the Scriptures for 'wisdom' usually means or implies 'wisdom from God.' But 'logos' and 'sophia' are identified with Christ.
"The women who launched this publication could as well have chosen 'chokmah' or 'logos' for the title, but clearly Sophia seemed more appropriate for a publication by and for women."
Klassen also told the Leader that a longer version of this explanation, written by George Schillington, associate professor of New Testament at Concord College, Winnipeg, Man., appeared in an early issue of Sophia magazine, before she became editor.
A one-year subscription to Sophia costs $9. Payment should be sent to Sophia, P. O. Box 28062, 1453 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg, MB R2G 4E9
Pastoral praise
Thanks for the major issue on pastors and pastoral life (March). You pulled together a lot of excellent matertial by a lot of good people. I appreciate the coverage and I appreciate the layout and your work at making the Christian Leader what it is today.
Loyal Martin, pastor Koerner Heights Church of the Mennonite Brethren Newton, Kan.
Pontius' Puddle
Aquilt? Handmade chair? Strawberry pie? Relief sales feature auctions with donated items, even houses built by local volunteers. Proceeds support MCC's worldwide relief and development work.
In some 38 North American communities, from Harrisburg, Pa., to Clearbrook, B.C., volunteers put love into action by organizing relief sales.
Call MCC for information about the sale nearest you. Attend a sale. Invite a friend. Volunteer to lend a hand. Make a purchase that makes a difference.
) ---
J Mennonite Central Committee and MCC U.S
..61' . 21 South 12th Street, PO Box 500 Akron, PA 17501-0500 (717) 859 - 1151 (71 7) 859 -3889
Mennonite Central Committee Canada 134 Plaza Drive, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9 (204) 261 -6381
Aiming for a centered life
BY KATHY HEINRICHS WIEST
them in a little kiln in the garage
SemiJl(fJT Fac[{/(r
EIGHTH IN A SERIES
MOVE OVER Volkswagen van, the potter's wheel is moving in. The mechanic's garage has become the artist's studio.
Not that the 1973 VW is unloved. Since he bought it in 1976, Al Dueck has invested a great deal of tender loving care into his hobby vehicle that has also served as the family's second car. With a wrench in one hand and VW Manual for the Complete Idiot in the other, Dueck has spent hours in the garage, doing everything from changing the oil to fully rebuilding the engine.
With more than 150,000 miles on the old baby, it's time to move on, says Dueck. The "for sale" sign will go in the window any day now as Dueck prepares to say his fond farewell.
The new love that has taken its place is a creative pursuit: turning clay pots, bowls and vases on his potter's wheel, then glazing and firing
Dueck says he started working with ceramics two years ago when Dean Dalke, a friend from church, was recruiting people to help make pottery for a booth at the Mennonite Relief Sale. They had access to Fresno Pacific College's wheels and kilns for the project. "This is it," Dueck told his wife, Anne, "I'm going to do this." Before long, he was hooked.
In addition to contributing to the Mennonite Central Committee work supported by the sale (the pottery raised $300 last year), working at the wheel contributed to a spiritual and emotional awakening for Dueck. While the mechanic work represented what he calls "dirt under the fmgernails Christianity," forming the clay evoked his creative side and offered new metaphors for a relationship with God.
Much of Dueck's life has been spent in academic pursuits, including studying for his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. He taught psychology at Tabor and Fresno Pacific colleges before joining the seminary faculty.
He often researches and writes about psychological and theological questions related to the Mennonite
BID
Name: AI Dueck
Birth: Dec. 13, 1943, Vancouver, B.C.
Family: Wife, Anne, director of day care program, Older Adult Social Services (OASIS); two grown children, Cheryl (married to Peter Smith) and Kevin (married to Rhonda Lautt).
Education: B.A., psychology, University of Manitoba; B.Th., theology, MB Bible College; MA, counseling, Appalachian State University; Ph.D., psychology, Stanford University. Years on faculty: 10
Position: Associate professor of pastoral counseling/director of supervision of the marriage and family counseling program.
Present church involvement: College Community Church, Clovis; occasional preaching; psychological services for MB Missions/Services; chair, board of directors of Kings View Corporation.
Favorite or most influential book: Collected poetry of T S. Eliot. Best advice ever received: Listen to your heart.
Hobbies/interests: making pottery for MCC Sales, writing poetry, art, reading novels, hiking in the mountains, walking on the beach, journaling, travel.
Fondest wish for the MB Church: A spiritual renewal of the heart, a sensitive social conscience, an appreciation for the gifts of women, a leadership that empowers the laity.
Brethren Church. His first book, a text for therapists titled Between Jerusalem and Athens: Conversations Along the Way, will be published this year.
Although he thoroughly enjoys intellectual pursuits, he has begun to recognize the importance of nurturing a more creative, more spiritual, more emotional dimension. He says there is more to faith than the knowledge of and strict obedience to Scripture he was taught in the small Mennonite community where he was raised.
Dueck values his upbringing. He was raised by a pious and hard-working widowed mother who could barely make ends meet. His father drowned in a fishing accident when he was 2 and his brother was not yet born. "Uncles" in the North Kildonan MB Church in Winnipeg took pains to see that those rambunctious Dueck boys were kept on the straight and narrow. "I had 50 fathers," Dueck recalls.
Firmly rooted in a fundamentalist faith that promotes discipline of the mind and will, Dueck has branched out in recent years to see how God might touch his heart.
He has found delight in reading and writing poetry and in reading a new translation of the Bible. "One of t he things 1 love doing is reading Eugen e Peterson's translation [of the Bible], The Message. It's so fresh, it makes the
AL DUECK - THE
Dueck: Seeking a religion of the heart.
words leap off the page in different ways."
A faith of the heart helps to shape Dueck's approach to teaching at the seminary. "It's a fallacy to think that studying and writing papers can substitute for a relationship with God," he says.
"We need to learn to love the Lord with our minds as well-with rigor, and reading broadly-but it builds on that fundamental experience of God's presence, and the fundamental consciousness of a relationship with God."
In addition to academic rigor-"My course in professional ethics is very hard-nosed," he notes-Dueck wants to be sure students who take courses in counseling attain a spiritual depth.
"A religion of the heart involves courage and strength of character," he says. "I'm interested in developing pastoral counselors who function with the presence of God in their hearts with confidence, rather than timidity. Otherwise your clients will bowl you over."
Dueck himself has begun doing more counseling in recent years, in addition to his teaching assignment. "My counseling is always a reality check. How is God present-now, here, in this session?"
Calling it "miraculous, or just short of miraculous," he finds it satisfying to see progress in the lives of his counselees. "Healing is a gift of God," he reflects. "If I'm lucky, I can be an instrument in that healing."
A metaphor for spiritual health comes back to Dueck from his work at the potter's wheel. "There's an incredible sense when you're holding the clay down and pressing it and it wobbles at first. But eventually as it becomes centered you feel absolutely no movement under your fingers."
He compares that to a person who nurtures the inner life. People who take time for prayer and meditation find themselves "centered in relationship to God," he says. As he explores a "faith of the heart," Dueck has found for himself a centeredness that his academic pursuits alone could not provide.
Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, a free-lance writer from Kingsburg, Calif., Is a member of the Kingsburg MB Church.
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Retreat will not save us
ON MAY 18,1993, I committed myself to pray regularly about the violence in the county in which I live. I don't remember what moved me on that day to become so urgent in prayer. Perhaps it was another shopping center murder, or a drive-by shooting. Whatever, on that day the Spirit of God touched my heart: "This has got to stop. People are being killed indiscriminately, and God does not like what he sees The church must take steps to impact its community, to address the violence around us." I began to pray, "Lord, show us how we must confront the issue of violence in our country
I live in central California. The city of Fresno, our county seat, is becoming a place of incredible violence. Scarcely a week goes by without another murder or two . Crime, gang warfare, drug dealing, car theft-these are daily facts of life for people. Similar stories could be reported from all over the country.
People are demanding action to solve this problem, and politicians are talking about it. The answers are predictable: more police, more prisons, and stiffer penalties for criminals. But those answers are nothing more than bandaids. According to one statistic I saw, the United States already has more people per capita in prison than any other country in the world. Yet America has the highest rate of violent crime in the world, having risen 560 percent in the last 30 years. If more prisons and police could stop crime, we would have made a bigger dent in criminal activity by now.
A recent article by Charles Colson expressed my own thought so concisely. Colson wrote: "The rapid secularizing of America [will] lead inevitably to tyranny." There is the root cause of crime. Our nation no longer has a moral base. We are a people without absolutes, without common moral values-worst of all, a people without conscience. Children growing up in America are no longer taught a sense of right and wrong. I know the Scriptures teach that every person is born with an innate moral sense, but that sense must be trained and developed. With divorce, with both parents working, with school teachers teaching value-free education, that training is not happening . The result is that we are paying a price, and the price will only become greater.
People in America don't like to hear that a society without absolutes is a society without
moral standards, and is headed for chaos. Such sentiments are not popular But what is ahead for America is truly dreadful. If violence continues to increase, as it will, people will increasingly call for the strong arm of big government to control crime at any cost, even if the cost is the destruction of the rights and freedoms in which we Americans have always believed. People will sacrifice freedom for security if they become fearful enough. But, in the 20th century, we have seen enough already of what happens when governments value security over freedom that our hearts should be filled with terror at such a prospect
What shall Christians do? Ultimately, we must recognize that Satan is taking over our nation, one neighborhood at a time. Every time we believers move our families and our churches to a safer place, we have chosen security over freedom, and we have surrendered to Satan. The enemy is winning, and we who hold to God's truth are in steady retreat But retreat will not save us, because eventually there will be no safe place The crime that plagues our cities will eventually touch our small towns and rural areas too. We must not retreat any longer. We don't need to. We have the armor of God.
So, again, what shall we do?
First, we must pray more urgently for the power of God's Spirit to move in our nation
Second, we must stand for truth and moral values whenever and wherever they are being attacked. That means in the school system, in the public media, in entertainment and television, even in our own churches. We must be heard, not with voices of anger, but with hearts of compassion.
Third, we must reclaim our neighborhoods. Criminals and violent people are a small minority in this country, but the people who live around them live in fear and silence. Christians need to move in to those communities and raise the standard of truth, dignity, and freedom. I'm gratified to know that in places like Fresno this is happening. Christian leaders (the head of Youth for Christ, the director of World ViSion, the leader of InterVarsity) have moved into some of the most crime-infested areas to bring Christ's presence there. That is what we must do- and you and I must be willing to do it.
The task is urgent. If we do not cultivate moral values, anarchy will increase . Jesus calls us to sacrifice security for freedom. eR.
Every time we believers move our families and our churches to a safer place, we have chosen security over freedom, and we have surrendered to Satan.
THE HEADLINES leave little doubt that Mennonite church agencies are facing difficult financial times: "Contributions to MBM Lagging Behind Budget;" "General Conference Fails to Meet Budget Goals;" "Church Leaders to MWC: Our Coffers Are Empty;" "MBM/S Taps Reserve Funds."
But while the conferences and mission boards seem to struggle, Mennonite Central Committee-that well-respected inter-Mennonite organization of hope, love and caring-appears to have solid support from individuals and congregations.
"MCC has its ups and downs like other agencies," says MCC executive secretary John A. Lapp. But he admitted, 'The last three to five years MCC has enjoyed great support, for which we're very thankful."
Even a recent report by the Canadian International Development Agency noted MCC's financial strength.
"To see an organization liter-
ally awash with money by comparison to others, I say, 'My word, MCC is recession-proof!'" says CIDA evaluator Andy Hamilton.
During the past five fiscal years, MCC has received 102.2 percent of its budgeted contributions, falling short only in 1991 (99.3 percent) and 1990 (94.3 percent). During those five years, only in 1991 did total income not meet budget (93.4 percent).
Meanwhile, giving to the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches the last five years has been only 73 percent of budget. Giving to the Canadian Conference has been 85 percent. Contributions to MB Missions/Services last year lagged more than $300,000 behind expenses.
At Mennonite Board of Missions (a Mennonite Church agency) since
BY RICH PREHEIM
1988, contributions have been 5 percent short of budget. The 1990 budget was slashed by $94,000 from the year before due to a shortfall in giving The number of long-term missionaries has dropped from 91 to 74 since 1984, and 10 staff positions have had to be cut the past two years.
The General Conference Mennonite Church (GCMC) had a $467,026 deficit in 1992, although individual giving has jumped from $595,530 in 1988 to $893,066 last year, with a high of $970,756 in 1991. Congregational giving has remained constant at about $360,000 the past three years.
GC treasurer and business manager
Ted Stuckey echoes a prevailing attitude, saying "I'm not fond of this word, but we're downsiZing. "
So why is MCC enjoying relative financial strength while other agencies are finding money hard to come by?
For MCC, it is not necessarily Mennonites who are giving more. While MCC's budget has grown from $29.1 million in 1988 to $37.4 million in 1993, congregational and individual contributions have fluctuated the past five years.
But income from SELFHELP Crafts sales has jumped from $3.5 million in 1987 to $5 .3 million in 1992. Other sales from MCC stores have gone from $946,000 to $1.3 million during that time. And relief sales and Houses Against Hunger brought in $3.3 mil-
lion last year, compared to $2.3 million in 1987.
Those activities draw many nonMennonites who would not financially support denominational work such as missions.
"Relief and service have a great deal of appeal beyond Mennonites," Stuckeysays.
The conference agencies do have grassroots support, such as benefit suppers, auctions and missions festivals. But those relationships could be further developed.
"We do need to work harder and more intentionally at getting direct linkages between local congregations and mission workers," said Sheldon Burkhalter, who left Nov. 1 as MBM's development manager.
The Mennonite Brethren, however, have not changed their approach to raising money for conference work, says Lynford Becker, president of MB Foundation, the trustee organization for the U.S. Conference.
"We haven't changed fundraising strategies other than inviting people to give," he says.
to this: people are questioning whether church agencies are relevant and effective. Even among those with doubts about other agencies, MCC continues to pass the test.
Buller, a member of the Henderson MB Church, has been aff1liated with MCC almost continuously since 1968 as a service worker and board member. He is now a member of the MCC U.S. executive committee. He has also served on the former U.S. Board of Publications.
He said today's congregations and conferences, while perhaps a place to discuss the work of God's kingdom, are not very practical places to do that work.
"It is very difficult for a pastor to take on an issue with any type of con· sistency," Buller says. "Unless a congregation is very much united, you
THE APPEAL OF SERVICE: MCC Haiti agriculturalist Edwin Dening works with Dieula Colin at a nursery near Desarmes.
For Burton Buller of Henderson, Neb., the issue boils down
don't have sermons on peace, you don't have sermons on justice. "
Furthermore, he questions the effectiveness and appropriateness of traditional evangelism. "People in need need to be ministered to in a very wholistic way, " Buller says .
MCC makes the gospel more relevant for "neighbors next door or halfway around the world," he says. "That's the stuff the Great Commission is made of. "
As a result, Buller said, some Mennonites are more inclined to support MCC instead of their
12 percent of their total giving in 1992 to the General Conference and kept about 59 percent locally. In 1988 they gave 15 percent for conference work and about 46 percent locally. Estimates for the year 2000 put those figures at about 5 percent for the conference almost 70 percent kept locally.
Stuckey says congregations and regional conferences now have the knowledge and ability to do more missions and leadership activities themselves.
"There are a lot of denominational agencies.
Lapp, meanwhile, says there may be an appeal to contributing to MCC versus the perceived "hard slogging" of evangelism. "I do think there is a kind of drama to responding to Indian earthquakes, " he said.
While the denominations have become more wholistic and more culturally sensitive in their approach to missions, Burkhalter warned against changing too much
"MCC makes the gospel more relevant for "neighbors next door or halfway around the
world That's the stuff the Great Commission is made of."
things they can now do that they looked to some authority [for] in the past," he says That doesn't mean less is being done, but where it's being done and who is doing it has changed. "The mission message is being implemented more, but it's happening at the local level," Burkhalter says .
Church officials, while understandably a little envious of MCC's financial position, did -Burton Buller
"There has been pretty harsh criticism of mission," he said. "I think that has some validity in its criticism of early miSSion, but I think it's greatly exaggerated. "
Church officials deny that the work of their denominations has become less relevant. Becker cited results from a summer survey showing that 80 percent of Mennonite Brethren believe denominational growth is important or very important.
"My feeling is our people have been a very generous people," h e says.
The reason for the conference's fInancial shortfall is not lack of support, Becker said, but that the conference is trying to do too much with too little.
"I think we're going to have to prioritize," Becker says. "We're going to have to determine which programs are not meeting the needs. "
GCMC officials agree the denomin ations are still relevant but they are c h anging as more emphaSis is being put on meeting local needs.
GCMC church members gave about
not see themselves as competing with MCC for the Mennonite dollar.
"We've never sat here and said, 'How can we get more money at the expense of MCC,'" Stuckey said
Current giving patterns and their effect on church programs do not necesarily mean denominational work is unsuccessful , says Jim Harder, a business and economics professor and department head at Bet hel Co ll ege, North Newto n, Kan., who has studied Mennonite giving to ch urch agencies .
"You can have a very thriving operation wit h less money, but you have to do different things," he says.
As much as anybody, Lapp wants to see Mennonite church bodies succeed.
"MCC is as strong as Mennonite congregations are and as Mennonite church structures are," he said. "We are part of a community. "
Rich Preheim is assistant editor Of the Mennonite Weekly Review. He wrote this article for Meetinghouse, the association of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ editors.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
New rules will not affect China work
• Ministry of CEE expected to be
unimpeded
NEW REGULATIONS governing religious activities of foreigners in China and calling for all places of worship to register with the government were signed into law Jan. 31.
Many Westerners interpret t hese regulations as evidence of a new crackdown and further repression of religious freedom in China. Shortly after the regulations were issued, Henan Provincial officials briefly detained seven foreigners and several Chinese because of activities deemed illegal. It is unclear what they were doing.
Will these new regulations create problems for China Educational Exchange (CEE), the inter-Mennonite agency that facilitates exchanges between North Americans and Chinese?
The regulations restrict foreigners from carrying quantities of religious material intended for distribution into China and establishing religious organizations, but protect foreigner's rights to participate in religiOUS activities
According to the China Christian Council (CCC), China's major Protestant religiOUS body and one of CEE's advisors, the regulations are "no departure from the practices which have existed for years. "
Since its beginning in 1981, CEE teachers have participated in church life in China with no need to be clandestine or to violate Chinese law. Chinese universities that agree to receive CEE personnel, mostly English teachers, know they are Christian. CEE teachers often worship in local Christian churches where Chinese Christians inspire and guide them.
"We think people are surely reading too much into the document if they surmise it is meant to separate Chinese Christians from their sisters and brothers aboa r d, or to prevent foreign church people from being invited to preach in Chinese churches or lectu re in Ch i nese theological
schools," a CCC spokesperson said "We do not see any change in the status and work of teachers or church visitors from overseas whom we receive."
While there is hope that someday China may lift all restrictions on religion, many Asian countries limit the scope of missionary acti\ity.
Government interference in Chinese religious practices often occurs in rural areas where local officials fail to adequately understand and carry out national religious policy. While the new regulations may give some local officials added incentive to interfere in religious activities, such as house church meetings, the decrees will also give legal standing to those meeting places if they register with the government.
Chinese Christians deserve our support and prayers as they attempt to be faithful in often demanding and difficult situations.-Myrrl Byler, CEE director
MEDIATION
Restorative justice is meeting focus
• Intent is to expand VORP mediation
ministry
FRESNO PACIFIC College will host the second annual Restorative Justice Ministries Conference, May 12-13.
The event, intended to expand restorative justice ministries in central California, is sponsored by FPC's Center for Conflict Studies and Peacemaking, the Fresno Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP), Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), West Coast MCC, Mennonite Conciliation Service, the MCC Office for Criminal Justice, and Prison Fellowship Ministries.
In Fresno, 36 churches are supporting VORP. Last year 116 trained volun-
Smuggling Bibles into China is illegal and unnecessary, says ABS board member
WHILE A SERIOUS shortage of Bibles exists in China, Mennonite Brethren in North America should not support efforts to smuggle quantities of Scriptures into that country, says Loyal Funk, evangelism director for the U.S. Conference. Funk also serves on the board of directors of the American Bible Society (ABS)
"It's illegal for foreigners to smuggle quantities of Bibles into China and it simply isn ' t necessary to do so because Bibles are being freely produced within the country," says Funk.
ABS supports Amity Press in China, which is expecting to soon begin running its press at top capacity for three shifts a day rather than the present two . "When the press opened six years ago, it was producing 30,000 Bibles per month," Mike King, production manager for Amity Press , was quoted as saying in a recent issue of ABSJournal. "Now we are printing 160,000 per month . And this year, 1.5 million hymnals will also be produced."
According to the Journal, the average cost of a Bible printed in China is $2.27 Of that, $1.16 covers the cost of paper The Bibles are distributed primarily through China Christian Council distribution centers, meeting points, and house churches Retired Christian people in China often buy as many Bibles as they can carry and take them back to their villages to share.
For more than 10 years during the Cultural Revolution , not a single church in China remained open. In the past 12 years, though , churches are being reopened in China at the rate of two every three days , the Journal reports. Today there are over 8,000 church buildings used for public worship. Even then, tens of thousands of Christian groups meet in private homes
Funk says Mennonite Brethren interested in helping to provide Scriptures to China' s estimated 10 million believers should simply contribute funds to ABS, which can help provide the paper needed to keep the Amity Presses rolling.-Don Ratzlaff
teer mediators from local churches worked with 486 cases, more than 1,200 victims, offenders and family members, to invite them to consider alternatives to the court systems in addressing crime
"Crime is much more than breaking a law," says Kathy Stuck, a conference planner. "Crime is a violation of human relationships. Contemporary definitions of crime don't include this aspect, so brokenness continues for all parties involved Jesus exemplified biblical justice: constructive action should extend beyond the family, beyond the neighbor, even to the enemy."
Stuck says VORP is one biblical, constructive, cost-effective restorative justice program. Nationwide, some 100 reconciliation programs are in action, more or less following the VORPmodel.
The speakers at the conference include Dave Worth, founder of the ftrst VORP and facilitator of the ftrst VORP case back in 1976, and Howard Zehr, author of Changing Lenses (Herald Press) and intemationallecturer as director of the MCC Office of Criminal Justice.
A pre-conference training seminar will be held at the Fresno County Vorp office, May 10-12. It will focus on starting a VORP and includes an in-depth look at the mission of VORP, plus training on corporate organization, case management, volunteer management and mediator training . A $300 fee includes VORP organizing and training materials. Ron Classen, VORP director, will be the primary trainer.From a VORP release
. CHURCH NOTES
• Baptism/Membership
ENID, Olda.-The congregation baptized ' nine people Feb. 20 and welcomed them into membership. They were Jeanette Kroeker, Micci Gerbrandt, Becky Gibson, Drew Gossen, Samuel Toews, Mary Krehbiel, Stuart Keast, Ed Millemon and Matt Meier. Also received as members that day w ere Ralph Krehbiel, Pam Keast, Trace a nd Daisy Wallace, Kelley Millemon, Sheryl Meier and John and Ginger Unruh
DENVER, Colo. (Garden Park)-Ida and Orville Neufeld and Ed Holmes were received into membership by transfer recently.
BETIIANY, Okla. (Western Oaks)-Jack and Betty Dawes were welcomed into membership by transfer Feb. 27.
• Celebrations
HILLSBORO, Kan.-Ira and Hilda Hein celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house Mar. 13.
HILLSBORO, Kan. (Parkview)-The congregation dedicated its new activity center Mar. 6. The day began with a combined morning worship followed by a noon fellowship meal. An afternoon dedication service concluded with a community open house, featuring tours, videos and refreshments. The facility includes classrooms and a gym.
WEAmERFORD, Okla. (Pine Acres)Valerie Hanick of Jews for Jesus described the traditional Passover at an evening potluck meal Mar. 24.
BETIIANY, Okla. (Western Oaks)-The theme for a Valentine banquet held Feb. 19 was "Celebrating God's Gift of Relationship " A highlight was distribution of the annual "Valentino" gag awards for everyone, based on "background checks" at the beginning of the evening.
L1lTLETON, Colo. (Belleview Acres)The congregation held a ground-breakingIcommissioning service Feb 27 for the construction of a new family life center
• Fellowship
DINUBA, Calif.-A father-son/fatherdaughter pancake breakfast was served in the church social hall Mar. 19. Guest speakers included baseball coaches and players from Dinuba and Immanuel (Reedley) high schools.
• Ministry
SHAFTER, CaUf.-The congregation donated funds and baby furniture to the Mountain View Community Church of Clovis, Calif., helping to equip the nursery of tto..is emerging Mennonite Brethren congregation.
EDMOND, Okla.-Three members of the congregation serve on the board of Mennonite Central Committee Central States: Glenn Detweiler, George Miller and John Savola
BRIDGEWATER, S.D. (Salem)-Ron Seibel, pastor of the Silver Lake MB Church of Freeman, S.D ., was the guest speaker during the Sunday school hour during January and February.
• Proclamation
BAKERSFIELD, Calli (Heritage Bible)Ted Stone, pastor of Bear Valley Springs
Church, was guest speaker Feb. 20 His message was titled "The Great Omission. "
TOPEKA, Kan.-Don Ratzlaff, editor of the Christian Leader, was the guest speaker during the Mar. 20 morning service .
COLLINSVD..LE, Okla. (Westport)-Phil Steyne, director of missions, Columbia Biblical Seminary, was the guest speaker for the Missions Festival held Mar. 6.
• Teaching/Nurture
SHAFTER, Calif.-The congregation observed "Disability Sunday" Mar. 6 by listening to testimonies from church members struggling with disabilities. Listeners were challenged to consider their awareness or callousness of the special difficulties some in the church family face on a daily basis
• Workers
FRESNO, calif. (West Park Community)Pastor Ray Wiebe has announced his resignation, effective Mar. 27. He and wife, Gladys, will move to Grant's Pass, Ore., to serve as the pastoral couple of the Fruitdale Community Church.
WICHITA, Kan. (First)-Jana Hildebrandt, resigned her quarter-time position as adult ministries coordinator, effective Feb. 28. Under her leadership, the congregation reestablished a record-keeping system for adult groups, introduced elective classes, trained additional leaders and established an adult ministries team. She has been appointed administrative assistant to the senior pastor.
BRIDGEWATER, S.D. (SaJem)-The congregation has called George and Eileen Klassen as pastoral couple beginning July 18. Klassen is a graduate of the MB Biblical Seminary; previously he was farming in Canada.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (Bible Fellowship)George Robinson has resigned his position as associate pastor of counseling and discipleship. He has not announced his plans
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (Garden Valley)Pastor Steve Prieb and his wife, Ruth, were
installed as pastor couple Feb. 13. Southern District minister Roland Reimer participated in the service. A potluck dinner followed.
REEDLEY, Calli.-Ed Toews, minister of Christian education and small groups, and his wife, Bonnie, were honored with a farewell service Mar. 13 in appreciation of his 15 years of ministry to the congregation. The Toewses have accepted a call to be the pastoral couple of the Palm Glen MB Church in Phoenix, Ariz
GRANT, Neb. (New Life Fellowship)-Pastor Kit Buschman has resigned his position, effective the end of May. He has not announced his plans.
CHICAGO, m. (Lakeview)-Pastor Vince Eisaman has resigned his pOSition, effective June 30 . Direction for the future of the congregation is being evaluated.
• Youth
BETIIANY, Okla. (Western Oaks)-The junior high youth group, also known as the Praise Puppeteers, regularly present puppet shows during church worship services. The group raised funds to buy more puppets by providing child care during a recent church Valentine's banquet
CORN, Okla.-The youth group traveled to Hannibal, Mo , during spring break to work with Mennonite Disaster Service . The young people and sponsors helped with construction projects related to last summer's floods.
REEDLEY, Calli.-The church youth participated in a Mexico missions trip Mar. 25Apr. 1.
. DEATHS
ADRIAN, MARTHA LOmSE, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Hillsboro MB Church, was born Aug. 18, 1906, to Franz and Anna Pauls Adrian in Goteba, Okla., and died Mar. 3, 1994, at the age of 87. She is survived by two nieces, Alma Fry of Springdale, Ark , and Emogene Tuttle of LaVeta, Colo.; and one nephew, Harold Nickel of Hutchinson, Kan.
A word to Witness insert readers...
THE
LEADER'S move from a biweekly to monthly publishing schedule in January complicated the publishing schedule of the agencies which insert their publications into ours. As a result , the issue of Witness , the MB Missions/ Services bimonthly publication, which is inserted in this issue of the Leade r (for U.S. readers) contains a "late" Praye r Calendar for April-May Schedule adjustments have been made which should ensure a timely delivery of the June-]uly prayer requests -the editors
CLEARINGHOUSE
OPPORTUNITIES
SENIOR PASTOR: Excellent preaching and speaking skills, reaching a wide audience from young to old, is desired. Being personable, founded in the Word, good motivator and interested in small-group ministry are important attributes. Inquiries and resumes may be directed to Search Committee, Vinewood Community Church, 1900 W. Vine St. , Lodi , CA 95242.
THE WILLOW PARK CHURCH invites resumes for the full-time position of associate pastor for children's ministries. Please respond promptly to Search Committee, Willow Park Church, 439 Highway 33 West, Kelowna, BC Vl X 1Y2; or fax (604) 765-6615
MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITIEE is accepting applications for Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) assistant coordinator for programs. Qualifications include personal Chr i stian faith and disciplesh i p, active church membership and a nonviolent peacemaking commitment. Applicants must be willing to travel, have experience with MDS program, have worked with volunteers and have computer and communication skills. The position, salaried or service worker basis, is available June 1, 1994. Interested persons contact Goldie Kuhns, 21 South 12th Street, P.O. Box 500, Akron, PA 17501-0500, phone (717) 859-1151. Applications are due May 1, 1994
FOR SALE
ESTATE SALEI REDUCED PRICEI Condo for sale, 4980 E. Heaton, Unit 108, Fresno, calif. Two blocks from Fresno Pacific College and MB Biblical Seminary. Two bedrooms, two baths, large living area, attached garage, large covered patio, ins ide utility, choice location within a 34-unit complex with clubhouse facilities. $69,950. Troy or Sara Evans (209) 434-1505 or Virginia Just (209) 251-6056.
VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT (Search reopened)
Reports directly to the president of Tabor College. Provides leadership of all advancement programs and personnel of the college; plans and annually meets goals of the fund-raising programs of the college, including annual fund, capital campaigns, corporate and foundation grants, and major donors; monitors and coordinates programs for alumni, church relations, publications, information services, and Tabor Senate Gives leadership to constituency expansion planning. Bachelor's degree required; master's preferred. Should have five or more years of administrative experience. Tabor seeks persons of Christian commitment who are in accord with the mission and purpose of an evangelical Christian institution. The college continues to provide equal employment opportunity, without regard to race, color, gender, ethnic or national origin, handicap, or age in its personnel administration. Minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply. Starting date negotiable. Contact Dr. Lee Balzer, Tabor College, 400 South Jefferson, Hillsboro, KS 67063; (316) 947-2607 (fax).
A Drama of Love, written by Judith Mullet, spe cial education professor at Eastern Mennonite Colleg e (EMC) and Paula Snyder, EMC graduate, this booklet contains a basic overview of integrating persons with learning difference into the classes along with helpful strategies for all Sunday school teachers.
Available from:
Mennonite Developmental Disability Services of MCC U.S. 2160 Lincoln Highway East Lancaster, PA 17602-1150 717 - 293-7125
Mental Health & Disability Program of MCC Canada 134 Plaza Drive Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9 204-261 - 6381
Price: $1.00 U.S. , $1.20 Canadian (30 percent discount on orders of 10 or more).
BETHANY BIBLE INSTITUTE
is inviting applications to fill three full-time faculty positions
Applicants need to be committed to the ministry of the Institution, which Includes dedication to the disci piing of students. Bethany seeks individuals who have a strong commitment to Christ and to his church within an evangelical-Anabaptist understanding. The three primary areas that need filling are: athletic director, missions instructor, and interim music director. The secondary areas of youth ministry and dean of men are being sought to combine with the primary positions I and II. People having qualificatiOns, training and experience in one or more of the areas listed below, please apply
PRIMARY AREAS
1 Athletic director/coach
• relational and administrative strengths to give leadership to the athletic department
• coaching certification preferred
• ability to teach recreational leadership and physical education
• university degree with specialization in physical education preferred
D. Missions instructor (master's degree required)
• training and ability to teach in the missions area
• experience In mission work preferred
• relational, administrative strengths to give leadership to the missions department
m. Interim music director (as advertised earlier, one or two-year term)
• administrative and relational strengths to give leadership to the music department
• ability in choral directing, program planning and worship leadership
• ability in voice and classroom instruction
• master's degree preferred
SECONDARY AREAS
(a or b to combine with I or IO
a. Youth ministry instructor
• training and ability to instruct in the youth miniStry area
• experience in youth work
• vision to develop a youth ministry program at Bethany
h. Dean of men
• relational and administrative strength to give leadership within the student life department
