August 1999

The world •

IS a ~~,

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INSIDE: The International MB Church II Keeping the faith PAGE 4 II Struggling with suffering PAGE 8 II Dissolving the North American conference PAGE 16 . II Revising confession of faith II Meeting with 16 national MB conferences PAGE 26

INSIDE AUGUST

FIRST WORDS

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1999

... from the editor

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HE WORLD IS AT OUR FINGERTIPS. As Mennonite Brethren, we are an international church. There are 17 national Mennonite Brethren conferences around the world-and the U.S. is only the fourth largest, with almost 21,000 members. The Congo has 84,000 members, India has 72,000, with Canada now at 32,000.

So what do we do now?

The International Committee of Mennonite Brethren held a consultation July 11-14 to examine that very question. How do we approach the 21st Century as a renewed and united church?

Miguel Forero of Bogota, Colombia, says we must work to keep a pure and unblemished faith. The chaos that abounds around us threatens our churches. As Christians, we need to examine our lives and our churches to see that we are running a good race.

Roberson Mbayamvula was born, grew up and lives in the Congo, a country torn by war. Suffering is part of the Christian life, but Mbayamvula challenges Mennonite Brethren to not only seek out the sources of and solutions to suffering, but to put them into action.

Over the next three years, North American Mennonite Brethren will be looking for new ways to run ministries formerly run by the General Conference. Delegates from Canada and the U.S. at the 62nd General Conference convention on July 8-10 decided to disband the North American conference and hand the ministries over to the national conferences.

In BodyLife, we carry extensive coverage of these international events. We encourage you to read through the articles and familiarize yourself with the ministries and challenges faced by the Mennonite Brethren family-your family.

I'd like to extend a special thank you to our MB publishing family for providing coverage of these events: Jim Coggins and Susan Brandt of the MB Herald and Laurie Oswald of Mennonite Weekly Review. A very special thank you to Connie Faber-without you, this issue would never have made it to press.

God bless. -CA

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COMING • SEPTEMBER 24-25 - North Carolina Conference convention hosted by Laytown MB Church, Lenoir, NC. • OCTOBER 28-31 - Joint Southern and Central District Conference convention hosted by Tabor College.

• NOVEMBER 5-6 - Pacific District Conference convention hosted by Heritage Bible Church, Bakersfield, Calif.

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CHRISTIAN

LEADER

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INSIDE AUGUST

1999

VOLUME 62, NUMBER 8

FEATURES - The Global Church 4 Keeping the faith in a world in chaos In this world-and even our churches-chaos abounds. Are we keeping the faith? BY MIGUEL FORERO

EDITOR Carmen Andres

8 Renewing ourselves through suffering By embracing our suffering and the suffering of others, we have a chance to renew the church. BY REV. ROBERSON MBAYAMVULA

DEPARTMENTS Ph'lip Side

by Philip Wiebe 12 II Something to aim for Inquiring Minds

by Marvin Hein 13 II Christians in sports and modern day idols On the Journey

by Rose Buschman 14 II It's back to school time BodyLife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 16 Special Report: General Conference II Delegates gather at last "official" convention 16 II Stepping into the unknown 17 II Revised confession embraced by delegates 20 II Living story continues 22 II Hear my teaching, 0 my people 23 II Need for pastors being addressed 24 II Status quo budget 25 II Publishing essential to our ministries 25 SpedalReport/COAnB II World comes to Buhler for historic gathering 26 II Latin America conferences kick off consultation 27 II India and Japan share testimonies, music and vision 28 II ICOMB '99 first of its kind 29 II Africa delivers "moving" evening 30 II Europe night closes event with "hope" 32 II How do we renew? 33 II Speaking in different tongues 34

Editorial II "International impressions 36

Printing by Valley Offset Printing, Valley Center, Kansas.

36

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Connie Faber

BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, chair; Peggy Goertzen, Phil Neufeld, Dalton Reimer, Herb Schroeder.

The Christian Leader (ISSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 315 S. Lincoln, 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 dialog so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition. However, the views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the Board of Communications or the Mennonite Brethren Church.

The editors invite free-lance article submissions, essays to Forum and letters to the editor. Forum is open to members or attendees of Mennonite Brethren churches. The essays can address any issue of relevance and interest to the faith and life of the Mennonite Brethren Church and should be no longer than 800 words and include the home church and occupation of the writer. A SASE must accompany articles and forum essays.

The Christian Leader is a member of the Evangelical Press Association and Meetinghouse, an association of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ editors.

WESTERN OFFICE: Carmen Andres, Editor 7531 Delta Wind Dr. Sacramento, California 95831 Phone: (916) 424-5710 E-mail: chleader@jps.net MIDWEST OFFICE: Connie Faber, Assistant Editor Box V, 315 S. Lincoln Hillsboro, Kansas 67063 Phone: (316) 947-5543 Fax: (316) 947-3266 E-mail: chleader@southwind.net Subscription rates are $16 for one year, $30 for two years, and $42 for three years ($20, $38 and $54 in Canada); $1.50 per copy. All subscription requests and address changes should be sent to the Circulation Secretary at the Midwest Office. All advertising inquiries should be made to the Western Office.

Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to the Christian Leader, Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, Kansas.

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ARE WE PASSING ON A FAITH THAT IS PURE AND WITHOUT BLEMISH?

KEEPING THE FAITH IN A WORLD OF Early last month, Mennonite Brethren from 16 of the 17 national conferences around the world gathered in Kansas to explore ways to renew the world-wide Mennonite Brethren Church for the 21st Century. The theme of the consultation was "Signs of Hope in a World of Chaos."

The experience was both exhilarating and thought-provoking. Over and over, voices in different languages proclaimed a commitment to Jesus Christ and his church. They spoke with clarity, vision and passion.

In this issue of the Christian Leader. we carry the sermons of two of tile participantsMiguel Forero (of Columbia) and Roberson Mbayamvula (of the Congo).

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here is a weflo¥KnOWD illustration of a Jrog that was placed in a container of cold water being neated ever so slowly until boiling. The .frog clied without noticing. If the frog had been p:laced in water that bad been previously heated,. experts tell us that the frog would have jumped out of tne water immediatelyand' saved his life.

It seems many Christian churches are living in a similar situation. The church is slowly negotiating its princ:iples, allowing the voice of justice to be silenced and conforming more and more to the postmodern style of the New Age. Given the statistics of local and worldwide tIlis.. sionary movements, which have often been exaggerated and overly optimistic, a few questions always come to my mind. If it is true that we ace winning so many people for Christ everyday, wby is it that we do not see the effect of the church on our society today in a more significant way? What kind of Christians are we giving bitth to; 3na what kind of light are we giving as Christians? Does the Gospel that we preach really produce confrontation or is it an accommodation to only resolve conflicts of individuals? If the churches are really growing, why is there more and more chaos and hopelessness in our world?

IS THE CHURCH IN CHAOS? Is it possible that the message to the church of Laodicea (Rev. 3: 14-22) is describing in a truly vivid and realistic way the situation of our Church today?

It is not in vain that the Lord Jesus Christ speaks in a way that may seem hard and even rude to us, in order to make a call to a church that, claiming to be his, has placed its confidence and power in riches and has rejected the life of faith. He speaks to a selfsufficient church that in reality is wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. A church that-for its spiritual blindness and its desire to be compliant, evading criticism and fearful of persecution-has lost its capacity to discern between the Truth and lying. It is a church that is in need of reformation.

Our normal reaction to messages like this is to look around us and try to identify this class of churches, and it is not difficult to identify some of them.

However, dare we think that this apocalyptic message CHRISTIAN

LEADER

could be applied to our congregations, the churches of the Mennonite Brethren? Not a chance! It is much easier to see the straw in someone else's eye!

In certain ways, some of our churches are also beginning to experience chaos or are already chaotic. A church is close to chaos when it is indifferent to the needs of its members or to those who live around them. A church is heading toward chaos when there are internal power struggles. A church is on the border of chaos when its members attend church regularly and comfortably to see what program the church leadership has prepared for them without taking any active part in the development of the church's ministries. A church is also in chaos when it has been economically dependent on outside sources for many years without learning to look for resources from Christ, the Head, who has promised to sustain and care for his body. Christ is replaced by a mission agency. The church is in crisis when there is no missionary movement in the church that gives its members meaning and direction for their Christian life. A church in chaos is one which conforms to the world and adopts the ways of the world in order to attract people, instead of the true teaching of the Living Word.

So it is that the theme that unites us today could well be "signs of hope for a church and a world in chaos." Now, if we take a look at the history of the world, it is a history of chaos that should not be strange to us. Chaos entered the world with the fall of man and ever since then it has continued to express itself in different ways throughout the history of man. Of course, I will not take time to review this history that is well known by all and of which we are today writing one chapter by how we live out Christianity. It is sufficient to say that the hope for the world is in the hands of the church of Christ.

Moreover, if the church comes close to chaos or falls or stays in chaos, what hope will there be?

I do not want to exaggerate by saying that the church is in a total state of chaos. I only want to call attention to the fact that we cannot permit ourselves the luxury of allowing our churches to be penetrated by the principles of the world, adapting ourselves to live together with "a little bit of chaos," as if chaos is acceptable if it is "minor."

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HOPE FOR A CHURCH IN CHAOS What was the hope that brought new strength in the middle of chaos that dominated 2000 years ago?

Is that hope different from that of the heroes of Hebrews II? What did Menno Simons and his followers find out that challenged the status quo and made them ready to pay the high cost of persecution and death or exile? What other hope could we have than that which motivated the brothers and sisters from the south of Russia to renew their vision in the middle of a church that was decadent and mediocre?

The history of the church is a history of renewal.

Each generation that saw the need for renewal did so convinced that the church had lost its way as the full expression of the body of Christ. In other words, the church was in chaos. In spite of maintaining a certain religiosity, she would relinquish her character as the carrier of the word of God. But every time that renewal came to be significant, complete and with lasting results, it was based totally on the rediscovery of the eternal truths-which in spite of being old were found to be new and revolutionary for that moment of history. Old wine is better!

It is not in vain that the book of Hebrews (4:12) says, "The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Jesus Christ, known as the Word of God, is still current. It continues to be powerful. It continues to be revealing. It continues to touch the most profound part of our person. It continues to be effective in clarifying our motives and actions. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God does not change. Wherever one finds himself, it doesn't matter the time or where it happens-there is the ever present and all-powerful God to bring that person to the knowledge of the Truth.

Yes, what brought renewal was a return to the immutable Truth of God. Those who saw the church and the world of their era immersed in chaos, similar to that which we see today, had the same hope that can be ours today. We can have confidence that this hope to which they so valiantly clung and in which they found their answer is the same hope to which we should return, because God does not change.

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Forero,

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YEAR 2000-WITHOUT WHS? There is a sensation floating around regarding the year 2000 that makes us believe that everything is going to be different.

It is something like the launching of a new product with new characteristics: "Here comes the year 2000! Wait for it-it's a year without WHS (war, hunger and sickness)! A new ingredient that will make this year different! You will never live in another year like this one! Don't miss it!"

In the depths of our existence there is a hope that things will change magically. ~ow we wish that what the promoters of the New Age say would be true: the universe will enter into a new part of infinite space, where the influence of good forces will put an end to evil, and then we will be able to live in peace, happy and content, with all our needs satisfied.

How marvelous it would be if in Colombia, my country of birth, war would end, and there would be education, health and food for all.

How fantastic it would be if on Jan. 1, 2000, all the Africans would begin to live as one family, loving one another. Wouldn't it be wonderful if India and Pakistan would end their border disputes and march together towards a common future? What if there would be no more people displaced by war, or deaths caused by hunger, if all struggles for power in the world and in the church would end? Yes. All this would be marvelous.

But actually the year 2000 does come with WHSwars, hunger, and sickness, and all that these produce.

The year 2000 will come and the responsibility of Christ's church will be the same. The hope for the world submerged in chaos is that the church gets out of its big-sized, medium-sized or small-sized chaos. Every day I am more convinced than before

MB HERALD

We cannot permit ourselves the luxury of allowing our churches to be penetrated by the principles of the world, adapting ourselves to live together with "a little bit of chaos," as if chaos is acceptable if it is "minor."

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When the church leaves that f1ne and almost imperceptible line of truth, it becomes immersed in its own struggles and interests and ceases to become a carrier of the hope that the world so desperately needs.

that when the church leaves that fine and almost imperceptible line of truth, it becomes immersed in its own struggles and interests and ceases to become a carrier of the hope that the world so desperately needs. This happened in a church that a Chilean friend of mine was pastoring in Montreal. He started to help recent immigrants resolve their problems with their documents, and little by little, the worship services were replaced by orientation meetings for the immigrants. With time, my friend closed the church and became an immigration counselor. He charged so much that he became rich, but even his marriage ended in ruin.

RUNNING THE RACE I cannot end this keynote address without inviting you to meditate on the words of the apostle Paul in his last letter, written just before he went into the presence of our Lord. Each time I read and think about this passage, my heart swells with zeal, with passion, with a strength that makes me pay attention to the way that I serve my Lord: "For I am already poured out like a drink offer-

ing, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

What power in those words! To each one of us is given a job to do in the battle, a place in the race, and a responsibility to guard our faith. I am sure that there can be no other greater satisfaction than to come to the end of our pilgrimage in this world of chaos without letting ourselves become absorbed by it. Then we will be able to affirm these three things with Paul: • I have foug~t the good fight. This battle was not only against Satan, the world and his own fallen nature. It was also against the church in chaos in that time of chaos: false brothers and sisters, twisted doctrines, "new" revelations, capricious leaders, unjust criticisms, traitors, loneliness, entrapments, etc. "Whoever wants to live in holiness will suffer persecution" were the words ofJesus.

H'I JuI",,,,, I was passing til:. baton when I asked bimt. come, said Miguel (:18ft) of bi. all" J'uan Forero ~right} tf

move to Canada beca,use we knew our , chUdren would be able to use several" l:ang:uag:es there, and we wanted 'to hel:p prQ:p:are th:enl in the best wa~ to S$,rve the Lora in any part of tIle world,~1f

Juan iYUguQ:IForero se:id he wants to prepa~re(10 be a rnisslonary to Bhutan,

a ;country nort'hes:st at lnQla~ -hy

LaurieOswatd~ l'\II,eJl:Monite Weekly

Review CHRISTIAN

LEADER

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My brother and sister, are you fighting the good fight? Are there conflicts and difficulties:in the exercise of your leadership? Do you have seripus problems adjusting to the norms of the Truth? Be encouraged, you aren't the first one to have ",oblems. The church is not yet perfect, it is compose.d of human beings with weaknesses. But it is OUf responsibility to fight the good fight-to be an example, a model for the next generations. No eattle is fun or easy. They all have costs in life, intitl),e, in resources and in honor. We do not fight to show that we are "spiritual Rambos." We fight because "Your fire consumes me" and "woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel." We fight because we have hope and that hope is for a world in chaos. .• I have f1nished the race. I always ask myself, "If God would call me in this instant, could I say the same?" I would like to! And if He calls you, could you say with Paul: "I have finished the race"?

How big I see those words! Each one of us has a time to do what God gives to us to do. "There is a time for everything." All of us have been created the same with respect to time. My minutes, my hours and days last the same as yours. Nevertheless, each one uses his time differently. We pray with Moses: "Teach us to number our days, so that our hearts acquire wisdom" (Psalm 90: 12).

The purpose of our service cannot be only to finish the race. We must also finish according to the rules so that we will not get disqualified. Our lives need to transmit hope-the hope that the people lack because they do not have Christ. This is what calls us to run with style! With grace! In this way others will be enticed to enter the race.

I remember one Christian who kept insisting that his neighbor go to church with him. His neighbor, very exasperated one day, said: "I don't want to go to your church because there is no difference between your life and mine." How sad! Chaotic Christians who generate and live in chaos and have no hope cannot communicate hope to others.

• I have kept the faith. Faith began its journey to the ends of the earth when the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost. It's true that in that moment there was no clear body and no well-defined doctrine, yet those who were present had to return to their homes talking about the impact they received when they visited Jerusalem. It had to be a very simple message, but it was not any less powerful.

If we don't want to go so far into the past, we can tell how Menno Simons found this kind of faith and became a carrier of it. And once rediscovered, h~ transmitted that faith to others with simple words, and from there this faith had such an impact that it continued on until the Mennonite Brethren were

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founded. They in turn dus.ted it offanti took care of it until it has come to us toaay.

Now it is our turn. What are we doitlg? In these days, you and I are the carriers of thi& lattin-the same faith that once was given to the $.ja'ts. liow are we taking care of this faith given to lJS? Do we value it? I believe firmly that when the apostle Paul speaks of guarding his faith, not only does he speak about that which he obeyed, but also that whick he look care not to contaminate in order to teach otheltS that pure and crystalline doctrine.

Thus we have two aspects to keeping the faitb..~ Oae has to do with obeying the faith, and the other hJlS to do with maintaining the faith pure aad wirth.. out blemish. It is this second aspect that seems to passti;s by without our noticing.

AN UNBLlrMISHED FAITH Those WDO have always been in a family do not know what it mea"s not to have one-and in the same way, those who ha¥e always had good doctrine, do not know what it is tilt¢J}:()t to have it.

I am referring to how valuable the Anal),Aptist doctrine is for me and for my brothers and sisters who come from a religious background but not a Christian one. We have found the Truth. We have found a hope that we can live for, and we want to maintain it pure and spotless.

Meanwhile, other brothers and sisters who grew up in Christian cultures and with Christian backgrounds do not value or appreciate that which has come to them-sometimes at a cost of shed blood.

It is too bad that there are brothers and sisters who are ashamed to be Mennonites and Anabaptists and who would like to shed themselves of all vestiges of this identity. I have been a witness to some of our churches who open their doors to all kinds of wrong doctrines in search of results that fill their buildings. This should not be. We are the carriers of a faith that has no price. We should not look for results at a cost of the faith that we have been given.

I exhort all the leaders present to consider in all its dimensions the words on which I have based this meditation. If our churches are to be the carriers of the hope which our world in chaos needs at the door of the 21st century, we have to return to our roots. We have to fight the good fight. We have to run the race, and we have to guard the faith we have received so that we can give it to the next generations without blemish and without contamination.•

We are the carriers of a faith that has no price. We should not look for results at a cost of the faith that we have been given.

Miguel Forero lives in Bogota, Colombia. He is the program director for Latin America for MBMS International, the global mission agency ofNorth American MB churches.

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Suffering is not only the case for Africans.

It can happen here.

But are we ready?

RENEWING OURSELVES THROUGH

Rev.

This article is a written transcript of Roberson Mbayamvula's sermon, which was given in French. The skill of the translator, Larry Miller, Mennonite World Conference executive secretary, captured the power and passion of the speaker. The editor presents this sermon almost entirely as it was translated, with little editing. Due to recording difficulties, a small portion of this transcript is also based on Mbayamvula's written notes.

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Roberson

Mbayamvula,

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e think the time has come for the renewal of the people. We think that through all the things we are experiencing in our country, the Lord is in the process of renewing our lives. The church is facing the challenge of confronting the reality of suffering.

People don't like suffering, and they don't like to accept suffering. How can you bring together suffering and the Christian life? We see Job suffering. In the New Testament, we see Jesus himself, who cries to the Father, "Father, if it's possible, please take this cup away."

Spirit of freedom and love My beloved in the Lord, we must try to understand, to find a theological basis of our search for renewal through suffering and our participation with others who are suffering. We must make more specific the mission of the Mennonite Brethren churches in this world on the eve of the third millennium.

What is the response of the Mennonite Brethren churches to this world that is in chaos? There are so many signs of suffering. You see people suffering in Africa, Latin America-everywhere in the world, we are suffering.

Who can cry, "Spirit of liberty, liberate us!

Emmanuel." Do we experience God in our midst even in suffering?

We have reason to hope in 1 Peter 4:12-19. The author is speaking to us of a period of suffering, and the suffering will become even more intense. The apostle Peter is insisting on the need for mental preparation. He says, don't find it strange that you are suffering. He is speaking here to Christians who have suffered under Nero. He's speaking to the Diasporathe dispersed churches. Christians have left. But everyone, wherever they are, must speak ofJesus.

The Bible says we must speak on every occasion, whether it is a good occasion or an unfavorable one.

CHRISTIAN

LEADER

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Causes of hope My beloved in the Lord, to suffer for Christ must be a source of joy because through suffering, Christians identify with Christ even more. There are good reasons for suffering: • I Peter 1:6 says that when we suffer with Christ, we have joy with him. That might seem crazy.

Take, for example, the situation of the American people with a flourishing economic situation. How can we in that situation speak of suffering? I say to myself, if things change and tomorrow the Christians had to face other realities in this country, are you ready to know a time of suffering?

Suffering is not only the case for Africans. It can even happen here. You are not special.

I've seen war. I was born, grew up and studied in the Congo. Now I am working as a chaplain in a university in Kinshasa. There is war all around us. We saw students and civilians with no weapons, but they were able to master and control those who came with weapons. I saw that with my own eyes. That is why I believe the Bible when it says a thousand can fall to the right and others on the left, but the just will persevere. We believe in the presence of God. • Another good reason for suffering is that suffering leads us into communion with Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3: 10 tells us that-"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

• Suffering also leads us to a situation of being glorified with Jesus Christ. In Romans 8: 17 we find this truth. There are several reasons which help us understand that we too can suffer. In the 1 Peter passage, the Bible says that sufferings, the difficulties, the persecutions will begin in the household of God. Amen! If it's beginning with us, what is going to happen to those who refuse to believe?

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Suffering in the household of God The things which we are suffering today because ofJesus Christ are a privilege, not punishment. I am not saying that we can be saved because we suffer or that works can bring you salvation. But I want you to understand that if believers must be judged on earth, the suffering is going to begin in the household of God. Christians are not exempt from suffering.

In fact, a Christian can suffer-that's the pedagogy of God. Jesus Christ suffered. He accompanied the sisters of Lazarus. When they told him that if he had been there then their brother would not have died, Jesus cried. Jesus also suffered hunger, and the Bible says he didn't have any place to put his head.

In Africa today, everywhere there is war, but we want you to understand that Jesus Christ can overcome war.

There are different sources of our suffering. I know of no country in Africa that is without suffering, and there are many causes for that. On the individual level, people are suffering because of the egotistical interests of other people. The church is suffering economically. We could make a very long list, but you know why people are suffering today in Africa.

What we must do is look for solutions. We have to identify the causes of suffering. We must do this as individuals but also as a community. To help us do this, I can suggest three truths: • Every group, every people has the potential for developing. Whatever your circumstances are-if you are impoverished, if you can't read-you are capable of something. And I want to reassure you that God considers you as having potential. The Lord can count on you.

• This potential for developing lies in your knowledge, your experience, your capabilities, and in human resources. I believe that already, in this place, the Lord is capable of raising up men and women who will be able to discover the causes and

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sources of their problems. When they understand that, we can transform that into action for our own renewal.

It is a continuous process, and we need to think together about this. That is one of the reasons we thank the organizers of this conference.

• This potential to help ourselves and others can be put into action for our renewal by thinking together dynamically so that we can resolve our specific problems peacefully. Therefore, we need both social mobilization and the participation of everyone. This participation should encompass everything-mental, physical, moral and spiritual-as we seek to resolve our problems.

We must be renewed in God. Elmer Martens, one of our early speakers, asked, how does God come to

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In Mrica today, everywhere there is war, but we want you to understand that Jesus Christ can overcome war.

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Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painfu:1 tria:1 you are suffering, asthou9n so:rnethi:ng strang:@ were happening to you.

But rej=oice that y:ou particip:atei:n the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overj:oyed when ·his glory is revealed. I:f you are insultea because of the na:fne of Christl you are blessed, for the Spirit 01 glory and 0f God rests O:A you. I:f you suffer, it sho'U:ld not be as a TnurcJe:rer or thi:et or any ol:her kind of criminal., or even asa meddler. However, if you suffer as a Chri:stian, do not be ashan1:ed, but praise (i:od that you bear that na:me. For it is time for j:udgment to be:gi:n with th:e fSrtlil:y of G:od; and if it beg:ins with us, what wlU the outcom:e be for those who do not

oo:ey the gospel of God? Ana, "If it is hard for the rig:hteous t:o

be saved, wh:at v\"i:J:1 become of the ungodly and the sinner?' So tt'=len those who stAffer according to God's wiU should commit themselves to their fa:ith:lful Cre:a;tor and continue to do good. " 1

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The Lord has given us a vision, but it is one also for the family, church, country, whole continent, indeed the whole world.

The Lord wants us to have a global vision.

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you. Are you ready to meet God? We have to be ready to accept God's changing of us.

Finding the solutions The major problem for our countries is, after identifying the source of suffering, finding a way to the answers of the problems. In order to take our own situation into our hands, I'd like to end by proposing three stages of the will of God: • If we want to be renewed by the Lord, we must follow his direction. We must be in his vision.

Philippians says that all of us should have the same vision, ".and if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you" (Phil. 3:15). At the eve of the third millennium, through suffering, we must walk together in the same direction. We must enable dialogue and communication between the leaders and different levels of society.

As Mennonite Christians, we are not afraid. The Lord has given us a vision, but it is one also for the family, church, country, whole continent, indeed the whole world. The Lord wants us to have a global vision.

• We must help our communities better organize themselves and their resources to meet our social and

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political problems. We must organize. We must help each other, and take responsibility for our situation.

• If we want to overcome all suffering, it has something to do with the structures we have in place. We must support the capabilities of our members with dynamic structures--not heavier structures which do not move the church forward.

Conclusion Let's preach the good news. Jesus Christ won't return until we reach those who haven't heard, those who have eyes but don't see, who listen but don't understand. The Lord needs us. He needs you.

We must be renewed through suffering. It is a reality. We must reflect deeply about suffering in all forms and then include that vision in the true mission of the church. This must be our way of living.

This must be part of our understanding of being renewed through suffering. We hope for peace, and we believe in the Lord. •

Roberson Mbayamvula is a pastor ofan MB church in Kinshasa, Congo, and a chaplain at the Protestant University ofCongo.

A Challenging Trip

.· .

R

obefSon Mbayamvula andNdunda

Gilbe:rt of the Congo traveled for sIx days through Tour cQu,,1:rhas io FescH Kansas-aog' missed onl:y the first (j,ay of tt:le consu:ltation.

On the a:Tte:rnoon of Ju::ly 12, the two men wcdked j:nto .:uhler IVJ::B Church w:ith

wide smU:es i:nd strong. Sp:jirit.S, d:e$:p:j1:t. tired bodi:es~ J'We ha:ct to fightou[ wa:y, but I be,l:ieved the lor-a wou:ld ta:k:e us here, Mbayarnvula $:ah:t The men have learned to persevere under pressure. They nad leTt a ctvi:1 war II

i::A their homeland, whe:re reb:els 01;CU:P:Y

half of the country. Because of the po:Ut.. ical and so,cial instabillty, the Congolese

Mdunda Gilbert,. Rebenon Mba,amvula and Nazi Makawa relax between sessions at ICOM:B.

government wouldn't grant them visas 'to the United Stcl'tes" So they flew and

he sa::i:d. Pro:m Cs:meroo:A.r they flew to B·enlnj:,tf\e Ivor~Coast and SeAlal before Ea:tchi:nl a fJi:g:f:lt to JOl;ltl F~ K:ennedy Ai1r...

aro\l@ in:to Carneroo'n t:o buy ,trEdr vis,a:s.

I'Because of the letter writt:@:n by MB:J¥lS In:t:ernat:iona:l dl:rectly tQ the U.$,. e,rnbassy at YGUlode 'Carneraonls ['8:l3ital', it was easy f0f us to g:et our vrsas tn:e:re, Ml:):ay<u,"vu'a saJd. But the journey was Just beg::i'nnl:ng., II

1'.·THE

CHRISTIAN

port in New York..

II:We got tp JPK about 8 p"m,. Sunda:y

[Ju:jly 111ama ,"-lad tltl sllreep OR be:n£hes a~:f fl:lg:At.," Mba:y:8,mvula sa:i~" On. JtJ:lo/ 12, t:hey I:ef.t ,iPK for St. lo'tJ:is d~nd :1f:"en fl:ew to, Wiehlta, Ka:h.

LBADER

M=bja~larAvula i:s a pastor of an rvl:B church in Kinshasa and a chapla:in at 't:t\e Protestant Unlversiity 01 Cong:Q.. G:i!tbert i:s also a pas't:ot of a loc,a~ ,M;e chtJrch, 8:nd a cha:p:l,sln for the- Genera:1 Conierence of M8 ChUfch:es in his country!> --LB:urie

Qsw8:1rJ; M:en:non:ite Weekly Revlew

BOTH NEED AN ESTATE PLAN. I

t may be a simple will, a living trust, perhaps a creditshelter trust. ..but some kind of plan is needed. A will or trust allows you to accomplish many good things:

• Name a 'personal representative or trustee to manage the distribution of your estate.

Would you like to know more? r-----------------CLwANDMAa-----------------, _ Please send me the leaflet, "Your Legacy...

Planning for a Better Tomorrow." _

Please send me the leaflet, "Understanding Living Trusts."

_

Please send me information on making a planned gift to a ministry or charitable cause I value.

• Make a charitable gift to support the ministries you value.

_

I/We have already included a Mennonite Brethren ministry in our estate plan in the following way:

No document in human affairs is more important than your estate plan, whether a will or a living trust. Such an instrument speaks with authority as to how your family should be cared for and how your assets should be distributed. It is the final and finest expression of your real character, love for family, and love for God.

_

Please contact me by phone. The best time to reach me is: _

• Name a guardian for the care of minor children or a family member with a special need.

• Possibly reduce or eliminate estate taxes.

Name:

_

Address:

_

City:

State: __ Zip:

Telephone:

_

_

Send to: Mennonite Brethren Foundation 315 S. Lincoln, Box V Hillsboro, KS 67063

·MENNONITE • BRETHREN • FOUNDATION· ~ Encouraging & assisting Christians in faithful stewardship

L

1-800-551-1547 • mbfound@southwind.net

_

PH'LIP SIDE BY

PHILIP

WIEBE

Something to aim for Putting my heart into something doesn't always mean feeling good about it.

Often it means doing something despite my feelings.

I

n her book Dakota, Kathleen Norris writes

vant" or "It is a blessing to be with you," I would undoubtedly squint in dismonks and the strong tradition of hospitalibelief and reply, "Are you ty in Christian monasticism. One story Norris for real?"

I don't mean we should shares concerns Saint Benedict's teaching to all start going around saying "receive all guests as Christ." An older monk things like, "It is an honor reportedly told a younger one, "I have finally to live on the same planet as Some might question you." learned to accept people as they are. Whatever our sincerity. That's probathey are in the world, a prostitute, a prime minisbly the reason society has ter, it is all the same to me. But sometimes I see a gotten away from some of the more "stylized" expresstranger coming up the road and I say, "Oh, Jesus sions of courtesy. Relative to Christ, is it you again?" other nations and generations, our own modern culture has The quip is meant to illustrate the difficulties inherent in true hospitality. become wary of form and ritual; of saying and doing things just because Like the foot-washing opportunity that's the way it's said and done.

Jesus' disciples struggled with, sometimes serving others is tough. As such, In many ways this is good. Jesus spoke frequently about the dangers of I was especially intrigued by another passage in Norris' essay. She quotes a saying things without meaning them.

In reality it works the other way recent visitor to the ancient desert around, Jesus said: "Out of the overmonasteries of Egypt, who found the flow of the heart the mouth speaks" hospitality there somewhat antiquated yet strangely refreshing: "Ask for (Matt. 12:34). The good person speaks something, and the monk will bring from the good stored up within.

But Jesus also said, "Whoever wants his right hand to his breast and say, 'I to become great among you must be am your servant.' Thank him for your servant" (Matt. 20:26). The desert showing you around and he will say, monks obviously understand this. I'm 'It is a blessing to be with you.' Tell impressed with their particular way of them you are a professor and you will relating to guests. Reading the visitor's hear, 'Professors are angels who account, I realized how often I fail to announce the Good News. '" exhibit such a spirit of courtesy and Norris notes, "If monks are crazy to grace, even (or perhaps especially) live the way they do, maybe the world with my own wife and children. In needs more such craziness." response to the passage, I wrote in my She may be right. The hospitable journal: "Some may pass off politeness monks represent a stark contrast to the cynical, thoughtless dynamic that and courtesy as archaic, empty, unnecdominates so many of today's relationessary gestures, but I think these monks' actions get at a deeper spirituships. If common courtesy hasn't disappeared completely, it certainly al purpose. Courteous speech seems to be heading that way. If anyshouldn't be a facade to cover up our one ever said to me "I am your sertrue feelings, but an aspiration to pracabout her association with High Plains

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tice the respect and value we are called to give others in Christ."

A few months ago while reflecting on one ofJesus' run-ins with the religious leaders of his day, I had an interesting thought. After they had tested Jesus with another one of their trick questions, Jesus essentially told the crowd that they should do what the leaders said, but not what they did.

They had the right words and ideas, but the wrong hearts.

The thought that struck me was, I wondered ifJesus' challenge to our generation would be somewhat the opposite. Many today are long on heart, but short on duty. Jesus often told the leaders they needed to validate their laws and traditions with heart and feeling; maybe Jesus would tell us we need to verify our heart and feeling with obedience.

God once spoke to me about this.

I've never claimed to hear God's voice audibly, but this situation may have come the closest. I'd been going through a time of "dryness" in my spirituallife and service. My heart just didn't seem to be in it. Or so I thought. Then one morning during my prayer time, a couple of questions nudged into my consciousness.

First, was I still seeking the Lord through the Word and prayer? The answer was yes-I was doing it right then. Second, was I still fulfilling my service and ministry responsibilities?

Of course-my feelings (or lack of) didn't change the commitments I'd made. At that point God seemed clearly to say, "Then how is your heart not in it?"

I remembered then that putting my heart into something didn't always mean feeling good about it. Often it meant doing something despite my feelings. That's the positive side of duty, like the monks' discipline of hospitality. The discipline gives the feelings something to aim for.

INQUIRING MINDS BY

Q

We are a culture enamored by sports. Yet so many pro athletes prove to be morally inadequate or even corrupt. Should we as biblical Christians support professional sports?

(Oklahoma) As a sports enthusiast-now primarily as a spectator but earlier as a participant-I have asked ques.tions similar to this one often.

I still enjoy watching basketball, football and golf on lV. These activities are my primary fare on the television, though I probably don't spend two hours a week watching anything on lV. While I confess I am attracted by professional sports, conflicts do arise in my mind when I observe the lifestyles of many in the sports business. I follow a university football team and a basketball team whose members far too often reveal anything but the kind of character I would like to see. There are exceptions, of course, and having had a daughter as a student in this university, we have even had some of the foremost players in our home and they have been gentlemen (and sometimes scholars).

I have been so aware of the unsavory aspects of collegiate and professional athletics that I sometimes wish I had kept a record of all the news reports of athletes charged with crimes such as robbery, substance abuse, drunkenness, etc. The list would be almost unending.

Just this morning I read of another such charge against a well-known athlete.

Should I boycott professional sports?

Do I become an accomplice when I watch the competition which sometimes becomes rather violent? Do I encourage what I see as gross greed when I support athletes who make far more millions than it seems to me any human being's skills are worth? There is not a simple answer. Should I withhold my support of Tampa Bay quarterback Trent Dilfer, who is an avowed evangelical Christian? Should I forfeit my pleasure in watching a football team where

A

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H EI N

former lineman Reggie Smith speaks clearly and loudly about his faith in Christ and boldly speaks against alternative lifestyles? Should I no longer watch baseball games when a Cal Ripkin, Jr., along with many others, regularly honors God through words and actions? Am I compromising my convictions when race driver Jeff Gordon repeatedly gives God credit for his success on the track?

Or when Payne Stewart, on national television, attributes his golfing prowess to the God who made him?

Perhaps the answer is not boycotting professional sports, but encouraging those athletes who are positive role models. We might well learn spiritual lessons from some of those most lucratively rewarded for their athletic skills.

The inimitable basketball star, Michael Jordan, as a rookie, saw the drug and alcohol abuse of teammates and chose to avoid those temptations. When he married, he chose to be a faithful husband and father. Jordan has maintained a healthy work ethic. He insists there are no shortcuts in life. He was known as a great practice player. He played as hard in practice as in a game. He once said that he never found comfort in the spotlight and never stopped trying to get better. That almost sounds biblical!

I suppose I won't write off professional sports entirely because of the lifestyles of so many athletes. I'll rather major on the positives and hope and pray that faithful believing athletes will influence their peers.

efforts can become our Baal. When we no longer believe that God is our ultimate caretaker and that we can arrange for our security through our own efforts, we have stooped to worshipping a modern Ashtoreth.

It seems to me that the church today is in danger of falling to such gods. Our current theologies and modes of worship tend to present us with a nonjudgmental God. The deity is too often seen as one who is loving and gracious and merciful (and he is all of those), and whose supernatural power is available for our own pleasure.

We may well fall prey to the pagan notion that we get what we pay for.

Instead of bringing our blood and incense to the altar, like the followers of Baal, we figure that God is a kindly old man who makes few demands. We can easily become people who see God only for wish-granting purposes and fail to understand that God has requirements for followership. God is far more than some impersonal vending machine who gives rewards without much discretion.

That's the way Israel saw their God--a provider of anything their hearts desired. We may not be so far from following the Baals and Ashtoreths.

Q

Our Sunday school lessons recently have come from the Old Testament. We hear much about idolatry. What are the modern equivalents to the Baals and Ashtoreths of Judah? (California)

A

Anything that takes the place of God is an idol. The easy answer to the question is that our affluence and dependence on our own

Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue?

E-mail Marvin at mhein1 @fresno.edu or send your question to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E. Butler, Fresno, CA 93727.

AUGUST

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ON THE JOURNEY BY

ROSE

BUSCHMAN

It's back to school time It will take a lot ofprayerfor me to be the kind ofteacher I want to be.

T

he students in my afternoon class were

and his sister to court in hopes that the judge would busy at work completing their assignimpose a more lenient senments. I was trying to finish up some tence on him. I never did find out why his father was going record keeping chores when I looked up and saw to jail, but Joey didn't want to a strange man standing in the classroom door--his go to court and watch the hair a mess, clothes wrinkled, and an angry look proceedings, so he "ditched" my class and hid. Joey never on his face. I must admit I was frightened. Was this saw his father that afternoon an intruder? Were my students and I in danger? but had a phone call from jail Immediately I walked over to him. later that evening.

I asked Joey how his "Is Joey here?" he demanded. "I need mother was taking all of this. to talk to him."

"She doesn't know what's going on," "No," I replied. "Normally he is he told me. Out poured another sad always here but today I haven't seen story. His mother had been badly him. He didn't come to class at all." injured in a car accident several years The man's alcohol and garlic breath ago that left her brain damaged. She made my stomach queasy. was now living in a group home where With a raised voice he again she was learning to take care of herself demanded, "Is Joey here? I want to talk again. The family did not expect her to to Joey." recover enough to come back home.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm his father and I've got to talk to him." I was finally able to convince him that Joey was not in the room, that I Maria and I got to talking one day had not seen him that day, and that I just before the bell rang to end the didn't know where he was. Angry, the class period. She asked me not to pick father turned around and stomped on McDonald's so much in class. (When down the hall. I worried about Joey all students ask me why they have to learn evening. What would his alcoholic algebra my stock answer is: "Well, you father do to him when he found him, don't need it to flip hamburgers at since he was not in school that afterMcDonald's, but if you want to do anynoon? Frequently, throughout the thing more than that . . . .") I told evening I said a prayer for Joey and his Maria I would start referring to Burger dad and I must admit that I didn't sleep King instead, but I wondered why it much that night. bothered her. As it turned out she and The next day when Joey came to her mother both worked at a local class I carefully eyed him, looking for McDonald's restaurant and with their bruises or other signs of violence. I saw minimum wage earnings the two of none. Later during the class time I told them were supporting their family of Joey what had happened the afternoon four. Maria was working long hours in before and asked him how he was. With addition to her time in school just to a very sad look on his face he told me pay the rent while her mother bought the following story. His dad had come food, clothes, medicines and paid for looking for him so he could take him the utilities. Until that day, I didn't

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know the heavy responsibilities she had to deal with.

••• Or what about James? He came to class regularly, sat down quietly and did his work. He seldom talked to another student--just minded his own business.

Then during the last class before spring break this all changed. He waited until the other students had left and then came up to my desk. Obviously he wanted to talk to me.

"I'm going with my church on a mission trip over spring break," he blurted, his face red from the effort.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Mexico." He continued to tell me what they were planning to do. I was so glad that he felt comfortable enough to share this with me. I promised to pray for him on his trip. When he returned, I heard all about what they had done, and how they got lost somewhere in California on their return trip home.

••• School is starting again in a few weeks. As I prepare for a new year I can't help but wonder: What kind of students will I get? Will I be able to handle the challenge? Will I be there for them when they need someone to talk to? Teaching, whether in public, private or parochial schools, requires much patience and dedication to meet the daily challenges it poses. It will take a lot of prayer for me to be the kind of teacher I want to be so that I can be there for my students in a special way when they need me.

Do you know a teacher? Please pray for him or her on a regular basis. "The prayer of a righteous man [or woman] is powerful and effective" Games 5: 16).

Spreading the Good News in the Northwest "There are good and Godly signs oflife at various places throughout our nation... The partnerships which we are enjoying with District and local churches are a great privilege. It is satisfying to develop effective ministry teams to support church planters in various places." - Ed Boschman

elly and Lorelei Cochrane moved to Bellingham, Wash. to begin a new church plant . effective July 1, 1999. Together with their three children, Courtney, Kyla, and Karis, they have found a house to rent on the edge of their target community, the Barclay neighborhood near Lake Whatcom.

The Cochranes plan to begin home fellowship groups immediately and start public services in the spring. They will target families with young children and present the good news about Jesus in a way that is geared to the typical unchurched Bellingham resident.

The new church plant is a project of the Pacific District and Mission USA. David Thiessen, a member of the PD Home Missions Board, chairs the task force for the new work. Community Bible Fellowship, pastored by Steve Schroeder, will be the most actively involved local MB church. A number of individuals from the church have already indicated a willingness to be a part of the new church.

Kelly and Lorelei Cochrane graduated from MBBS with an MA this past spring.

Before coming to seminary they spent a number of years in active lay ministry in Cariboo Bethel MB Church in Williams Lake, British Columbia.

Kelly established and operated an insurance business in that community.

K

• Mission USA is working to help establish new churches across the U.S. New churches in our nation will help win others into a personal and meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Do you know someone God may be calling to intern in an existing church, with the goal of becoming a church planting pastor?

• Would your church be willing to partner with us in the birth of a new church family?

• Be a partner in spreading Christ's love throughout our nation. Start by sharing the Good News with your neighbor!

For more information, contact: Ed Boschman, Mission USA Executive Director 20165 N. 67th Ave., Ste. 120, Glendale, AZ 85308 Phone (623) 825-7112 or Fax (623) 825-7135 E-mail: ebmusa@phnx.uswest.net

MISSION USA BOARD: Ed Boschman, Phoenix, Al., Chuck Buller, Visalia, CA. Karin Enns, Dinuba, CA Phil Glanzer, New Hope, MN Joe Johns, Weatherford, OK

lorena Jost, Aurora, NE Brad Klassen, Glendale, Al Nancy laverty, Jones, OK Stephen Reimer, Shafter, CA Randy Steinert, Bakersfield, CA

Tim Sullivan, Hillsboro, KS Gary Wall, lodi, CA Ex Officio Members:

Henry Dick, Fresno, CA.

Clinton Grenz, Bismark, N.D. Bruce Porter, Fresno, CA Roland Reimer, Wichita, KS. Clint Seibel, Hillsboro, KS Jim Westgate, Fresno, CA

SPECIAL REpORT: GENERAL CONFERENCE MENNONITE

BRETHREN

NEWS

Delegates and guests of the 62nd General Conference Convention gather outside First MB Church in Wichita, Kan. Churches represented included 52 from Canada and 51 from the U.S., for a total of 103, one third of the total number of MB churches in North America. There were 134 delegates from Canada and 191 from the U.S. Guests from Canada, the U.S. and other other countries numbered 132, for a total attendance of 463.

Full-color copies of this picture are available from the MB Herald for $5. Contact the Winnipeg office at (204) 669-6515 or email mbherald@mbconf.ca.

Delegates gather at last "official" convention • Business, worship, laughter and tears dominated the final convention of the 99-year-old conference of North American Mennonite Brethren churches

T

hree hundred and thirty-one delegates from 103 Mennonite Brethren churches across North America came to Wichita, Kan., July 8-10 for the 62nd-and apparently the lastPerfumed rocks were handed out to delegates on Thursday evening in preparation for General Conference moderator Ed Boschman's message, "The Fragrance of a Rock." Based on Matthew 16:13-19, Boschman described the fragrances that the church should have.

• Fragrance of a DeclarationJesus is the Christ.

• Fragrance of a CornerstoneChrist is the cornerstone and the church needs to be both a safe '. . en and a mission outpost to the fragrance of a "solid ·e-Christians have the f hell will not stop the , and this promise is -Peter, and all eys to God's Kingdom. cause of the keys of grace e church offers. However, in loose, Christians need to ips with people outside the . -Susan Brandt

convention of the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The conference of North American MB churches was founded on November 20, 1900, just a few miles away in Buhler, Kan. Convention business was dominated by two major recommendations-the presentation of a new Confession of Faith by the Board of Faith and Life and a proposal by the Executive Council to abolish the General Conference and transfer its ministries to the Canadian and u.s. Conferences.

It was the latter recommendation that brought a bitter-sweet fragrance to the conference. For some, the vote to end the General Conference left a deep sense of loss. For many, however, it brought an opportunity for the national conferences to strengthen and run the ministries more effectively.

Through it all, delegates listened and worked together. The delegates also acted graciously. They were, for the most part, the church professionals who have predominated at recent conventions.

They worked hard and debated passionately right to the end of the last after-

noon. They expressed appreciation and thanks often, including giving the Board of Faith and Life a spontaneous standing ovation.

The convention also heard generally interesting, upbeat, well-presented and encouraging reports by the other General Conference boards and agencies-MB Biblical Seminary, MBMS International, Board of Resource Ministries/Kindred Productions and the Historical Commission.

The convention was well led. The Conference leaders, most notably the two boards with heavy agenda items, established a clear direction, but were gracious to listen and make adjustments.

Humor, often self-directed, was used by leaders and delegates to lighten difficult moments; at other points, leaders and delegates were moved to tears.

The evening sessions were devoted to worship and attracted a few more attenders from the Wichita area. Although it included both hymns and choruses, the music was almost always upbeat and worshipful-led by Cathy Beachy and a worship team from Wichita First MB Church and Copper Hills Community Church in

Reports on the 1999 General Conference of MB Churches convention were a cooperative project by Carmen Andres and Connie Faber of the Christian Leader and Jim Coggins and Susan Brandt of the Mennonite Brethren Herald.

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Phoenix, Ariz. There were good sermons by conference moderator Ed Boschman and guest speaker Brian Stiller.

The tone for the convention was set by the first event-a "prayer concert" Thursday afternoon, similar to the one held two years ago at Waterloo 97. This well-organized session of worship, singing and prayer, led by Steve Klassen of British Columbia, was appreciated by many delegates. Prayer was a feature of other sessions as well, with opening and closing prayers offered in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Japanese and Low German.

In the background at the evening sessions was a hint of the future-the hum of translation for the benefit of international guests who had come early for the meeting of the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren which was to follow in Buhler, Kan. On the final evening, the Lord's Supper was served under the leadership of assistant moderator Herb Kopp; in a short homily, Kopp summarized biblical history, pointing out humanity's repeated failures and God's restoring grace.

The closing worship session also incorporated readings from Confessing Together, the liturgical version of the new Confession of Faith.

The convention was well hosted by First MB Church, Wichita. The flow of the convention was virtually flawless, and the meals were creative and enjoyable, efficiently served with smiles.

"I give thanks to the Lord of the church. His fragrance has been here," concluded moderator Ed Boschman.

Indeed, the consensus seemed to be that it had been a good convention. And, even though it seemed to be the General Conference's last convention, there was a strong push for bi-national cooperation and one more celebration of the conference. -Jim Coggins with Carmen Andres

"I spell success by integrity.

My life is fitted in with Christ being the definition, Christ being the means and Christ being the goal. " -Brian Stiller, president of Tyndale College and Seminary, addressed the delegation Friday and Saturday evenings.

WICHITA '99 •

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Stepping into the unknown • With a 76 percent vote to dissolve the General Conference, ministries and the national conferences head into new territory

T

he first item of business of this General Conference convention was to make it the last General Conference convention-the Executive Council recommended that "The General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches be dissolved."

That this was the most complex and controversial item of business quickly became obvious. The recommendation published in May in the Christian Leader and MB Herald was accompanied by two other recommendations and six explanatory notes. When delegates arrived at the convention, they received in their packets a revised set of recommendations and also a "re-revised" set of recommendations. Before debate started on Friday morning, delegates were handed a "re-re-revised" set of recommendations.

The three recommendations were now five recommendations. The first one

remained key-that "the General Conference Executive Committee, together with the General Conference Board of Trustees, negotiate with the United States and Canadian Conferences to accomplish the transfer of all General Conference ministries and binational projects to the two national conferences on or before May 31,2002."

The intent of the recommendation remained the same, but it had been discovered that certain properties held in the name of the General Conference, some of them in other countries, could not be transferred, meaning that a "shell" called the General Conference might have to be retained.

Discussion Discussion of the recommendation began with Elmer Martens presenting four arguments against the recommendation on behalf of North Fresno (Calif.)

A total of 21 people were elected or re-elected to serve on General Conference boards in a single vote of affirmation. All board members (even those whose terms should expire in 2001) will continue to serve until their ministries are transferred to the national conferences.

Above, executive committee members and spouses are given a prayer of blessing. (Kneeling) Marvin Hein (executive secretary), Doris Kopp, Herb Kopp (moderator), Annette Vix, Lyndon Vix (assistant moderator). (Standing) Ed Boschman (outgoing moderator), Valerie Remple (outgoing secretary), Shirley Bergen and Ike Bergan (Canadian conference chair).

AUGUST

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MB Church: mission should determine structure; the 1990 mission statement of the General Conference is being ignored; the new structure would damage "theological cohesiveness" and "accountability"; and this "divorce" would set a poor example for MBs in the rest of the world.

Mary Anne Isaak presented an even more detailed critique and counter-proposal on behalf of College Community Church in Clovis, Calif. That critique repeated some the arguments of the North Fresno presentation. It argued for continuing the General Conference in order to maintain: unity in faith issues; an emphasis on community rather than individualism or nationalism; the model of cooperation between national conferences in different regions of the world; integrated theological training; and the successful ministries of the General Conference. The presentation argued that the General Conference should be renewed rather than dissolved. It envisioned a General Conference accountable to a smaller delegate body of 100 people; the hiring of a full-time executive director; and a celebration convention to be held every four years.

Other delegates raised additional concerns. Commonly mentioned was that there was no guarantee the national conferences would agree to accept and maintain the General Conference ministries. Moderator Ed Boschman agreed that this was an area where the delegates would have to just trust the good intentions of the national conferences. He also noted that there is no guarantee all the ministries would continue if the General Conference structure remained.

There was also concern that the proposal did not advance "globalization" of the Mennonite Brethren church or the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren (a committee with representatives from the 17 world conferences), and that

During the discussion regarding the executive committee's recommendation to dissolve the General Conference, John Unger (right), parliamentarian, clarified a point of order before Mary Anne Isaak (left) spoke on behalf of College Community Church (Clovis, Calif.). Isaak read a statement examining the inadequacies of the proposal and called for a renewal instead of the dissolution of the conference. She included a suggestion for an alternative proposal.

accountability to the congregations should not be lost.

Then other voices defended the recommendation. They argued that the structures needed to be simplified and that the change would move the ministries closer to the congregations since attendance, particularly among younger leaders, is higher at national conventions.

When the discussion ended, it was unclear whether the recommendation would receive the two-thirds vote necessary to pass. Since no one could predict how the two national conferences would agree to reshape the structures and ministries, the issue for many seemed to be whether they would make a leap into the unknown, trusting conference leaders to remain committed to the viability and continuation of the ministries.

Seminary options Other General Conference boards were allowed to address the restructuring issue before the vote took place on Saturday.

MB Biblical Seminary was the only board to do this at length. MBBS had established a task force to study the issue and

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LEADER

reported to convention delegates that it could see advantages and disadvantages to the proposal. On the positive side, reporting to national conferences could give MBBS greater visibility and ownership. The restructuring would also eliminate one level of conference and one convention.

On the negative side, the proposed restructuring would not solve the key problem of the need to call out more pastors; the proposal offered no clear plan for the future; the proposal could lead to theological divergence between the two national conferences; it would be more difficult for an institution like MBBS to serve two masters (the national conferences) than one; and the restructuring would not make fundraising easier or save money.

The vote The convention returned to the issue Saturday morning just before coffee break. At this time, the Executive Council presented a further revision of the key recommendation: that "the General Conference divest itself of the ministries it currently holds subject to the acceptance of a transfer plan by the Canadian and U.S. Conferences, and that the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees be authorized to negotiate with the min-

SPECIAL REpORT: GENERAL CONFERENCE

istries and Conferences using the following schedule as a guideline: • 1999-MBMS International • 2000-Board of Faith and Life • 2001-Board of Resource Ministries • 2002-MB Biblical Seminary."

This revision did not change the intent of the recommendation, but only added the assurance that delegates would have an opportunity to vote on the new structures at the national conventions before they would be implemented.

Further discussion followed. Some concerns were expressed about how well ministries would function with two bosses. What would happen if on some future recommendation one national conference convention voted one way and the other national conference convention voted the other way?

Herb Kopp, assistant moderator and moderator elect, assured delegates that the Executive Committee was committed to the integrity, continuance and viability of the General Conference ministries.

Recognizing the momentous, historical significance of the occasion, Kopp asked delegates to pray around the tables and then led the delegation in a group prayer before the vote was taken.

In a ballot vote, 76 percent of delegates approved the recommendation. It was far from unanimous, but seemed to be a workable margin. While quite a few delegates deeply mourned the decision, all worked peacefully with each other.

Clarifying the details There remained the business of dealing with a number of recommendations necessary to implement decision to accept the executive committee's resolution.

Half-time executive secretary Marvin Hein was reappointed to an open-ended term with decreasing hours to help administer the changeover.

The Board of Trustees received approval for a recommendation to renew a revised version of the charter of the General MB Conference. The conference had been chartered November 20, 1900 (as the "American Mennonite Brethren Mission Agency") with a 99-year lifespan.

The recommendation revised the charter to have the Conference continue "perpetually." This was necessary to keep the conference functioning past November 20, 1999 until the ministries can be transferred to the national conferences; in fact, the conference may continue as a "shell corporation" beyond then in order

to protect property held in the name of the General Conference.

The convention then dealt with the other four recommendations presented by the Executive Council on Friday morning.

First, the Board of Trustees was given authority to act in place of a convention to formally dissolve the General Conference or take any other action necessary once all the ministries have been transferred to the national conferences. Second, the Board of Trustees was given authority to transfer General Conference assets to the national conferences. Third, the constitutionally required 2001 General Conference convention was cancelled. The conference leaders would still have the right to call a "special" General Conference convention if necessary. And fourth, the terms of General Conference board members were extended until the ministries they are

responsible for are transferred to the national conferences. Otherwise some terms would expire in 2001.

During discussion of restructuring at the convention, delegates had strongly affirmed the value of the binational fellowship at General Conference conventions. At this point, Herb Neufeld of British Columbia proposed that the national executive committees be "strongly encouraged" to plan periodic joint conventions for fellowship, celebration, Bible study and possibly even the handling of binational business. The Executive Council readily endorsed this recommendation, meaning that this may not have been the last General Conference convention after all.

All five recommendations passed without apparent opposition. -Jim Coggins

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AUGUST

1-800-665-7026 meda@meda.org www.meda.org 199 9

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SPECIAL REpORT: GENERAL CONFERENCE

As the delegates went through the confession of faith articles to be approved, Lynn Jost, Board of Faith and Life chair, invited them to read each article aloud together, engaging the audience in "doing theology together."

WICHITA '99 •

BOARD OF FAITH AND LIFE

Revised confession embraced by delegates • BFL brings revised confession and recommendations supporting women

in ministry and requiring courses for pastors

I

n the shadow of a larger debate on the fate of the General Conference, the Board of Faith and Life earned a show of support for their recommendations to the delegates-including overwhelming endorsement for a fully revised confession of faith.

Confession of faith For the first time, delegates had a hands-on chance to go through 13 of the 18 revised articles of the Mennonite Brethren confession of faith. The articles presented at the convention reflected the hard work and leadership of a board committed to writing a confession reflecting biblical language and truth-and that did not go unnoticed by delegates.

"Today I am filled with joy over what we have experienced and what this

20 • THE

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group has done," said Dennis Fast, pastor of Reedley (Calif.) MB Church, from the floor. The audience responded with an enthusiastic standing ovation.

BFL began the revision process-a cycle of constant revision, distribution, feedback and more revision-in 1990 and ended up with 18 articles. By 1997, they had presented and gained approval for five of the articles. Over the last two years, drafts of the remaining 13 articles were sent to churches, leadership, and international conferences as well as tested among 100 conference leaders at the Calgary (Alta.) '98 Consultation.

As the board led the delegates through the confession, the atmosphere was almost worshipful. Each article was read aloud so as to "engage" the delegates, said Lynn lost, chair of BFL. As a LEA D E R

steady stream of comments continued from the floor throughout Friday and Saturday sessions, delegates worked as a community. Discussion was characterized by humility and respect, and delegates frequently addressed each other as "brother" and "sister."

Most comments reflected a concern for clarification of particular words or phrases rather than content or meaning.

Particular debate focused on language used in Articles 1 (God) and 17 (Christianity and Other Faiths).

A majority of the comments on Article 1 centered around the use of metaphors-"God comforts like a mother, trains and disciplines like a caring father, and persists in covenant love like a faithful husband"-which some felt promoted stereotypes of family roles.

Board member Randy Klassen acknowledged that issues of gender and how we talk about God is a complicated issue, but reiterated that the language chosen was biblical and "reflects most clearly the scriptural passages" listed as references.

A considerable amount of dialogue about Article 17 centered on a phrase acknowledging that "elements of truth can be found in other religions." Some delegates felt the statement might be misunderstood to mean that these "truths" could lead to salvation. In response, the board reminded delegates to take the statement in the context of the article, which states that ''Jesus is the only means of reconciling humanity with God," that Christ is "the only way of salvation for all peoples," and that "Scripture warns against false teachings." The board also referenced Paul's same acknowledgement regarding truth in Acts 17.

Issues raised in the discussion of the other articles included changing title words, using a more clarifying word or phrase, and adding biblical references.

When it came time to vote on the changes proposed from the floor, delegates acknowledged the board's hard work and well thought-out process. The board brought 19 proposed changes to the delegates, almost all of which were minor changes to words or phrases-the word "can" was changed to "may" in the phrase regarding truths in other religions in Article 17, for example. The board supported most of the changes.

However, when they stated that they did not agree with five of the proposed changes-including changing the

SPECIAL REpORT: GENERAL CONFERENCE

metaphors In Article I-the delegate response was overwhelmingly in favor of the board in each case.

BFL brought an additional change to raise a footnote to the text of an article, which was approved by the delegates.

Approval for the confession passed with an overwhelming show of hands.

Delegate response to the entire process seemed to be summed up by a comment made by Ed Boschman, General Conference moderator, early in the discussion on Friday. At one point, he looked at the audience with a wide grin and said, "Every now and again, don't you just want to go, 'Amen! This is what we believe!'"

The revised confession is available on the Web at www.mbconf.ca.

Women in ministry BFL also brought a recommendation to "clarify" the position of the General Conference regarding women in leadership, encouraging women to "minister in the church in every function other than the lead pastorate" and "exercise leadership on Conference boards, in pastoral staff positions and in our congregations, institutions, and agencies."

The struggle to define the role of women in leadership positions in the church has been a long one, with strong feelings all around. In 1981, delegates passed a resolution affirming women in ministry and encouraging churches to "draw upon" women for leadership roles in the local church and conference ministries but clarified that "we do not believe the Mennonite Brethren Church should ordain women to pastoral leadership." In 1984, the Board of Reference and Council urged churches to give "[more] encouragement and more open doors for service" to women. The 1987 convention passed a resolution which supported the 1981 resolution and encouraged churches "to free and affirm women for ministries in the church" in a broad range of areas.

In 1993, BFL proposed a resolution "to allow for diversity of conviction and practice in appointment of women to pastoral leadership," but the delegates did not accept the resolution.

Though the board members stated in their May report that they would "prefer to resolve the issues of biblical interpretation and church polity regarding women in pastoral leadership," they decided it would be more helpful to clarify their position instead.

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"The intent of this motion is singular," said John Warkentin, vice-chair of BFL, at the convention. "This is not a new recommendation in terms of substance. All that is in it has been passed at previous conventions. We hope it is new in spirit."

The debate concerning the recommendation was considerably more strained and emotional, with comments against the recommendation ranging from it being too conservative to too liberal. While the feelings ran high, however, delegates remained respectful and open to each other's comments. A ballot vote was requested, and the recommendation passed.

Orientation of new pastors In answer to the concern that a growing number of pastors have not developed conference ties through their education, training or church history, BFL introduced a short recommendation to require full-time pastors to complete courses in MB history, theology and polity.

While the delegates embraced "the spirit" of the recommendation, several pointed out that the implementation section needed more clarification and planning. In addition, others suggested that study-

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ing at MB institutions might exempt pastors from the course requirement.

BFL accepted the criticism, and offered a slightly altered one-sentence recommendation for vote without the implementation points-essentially, that MB credentialing bodies require all full-time pastoral staff members who have not studied at an MB institution to complete approved course work in the three areas within two years of their appointment. Enforcement of the recommendation would be "the duty of the licensing agent," said Jost. A significant majority approved the recommendation, and the session concluded with a round of applause.

-Carmen Andres

1ftis boo.let contains litp'Jlical re;u;llJl'jJs (lased Olt • •1:" MennoiWite Br.th,.. Co1dessioa of Faith cleslgn'ecl f. worship serviatSJt. . BO.d af Failh ancl Lif, is also pu.... togetftet a ·commenull and ;pastors BanjJhOQ1t :Dr lI"'r• .,lanatioJl and .'anti.tiG••' the ('oDJ-sia

A

G

1 S T

1999.

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SPECIAL REpORT: GENERAL CONFERENCE

MBMSI is continuing a living story. Several missionaries completing their terms of service were honored. Elizabeth Tieszen (center) received a standing ovation for her 41 years of service in Colombia.

In turn, she prayed for new missionaries being sent out by MBMSI.

WICHITA '99 •

Jose Julio Mendoza Inman (left) and Trueman Zarco (left) hold the flags for Peru and Panama during a display of flags representing the countries of Mennonite Brethren involvement. There are MB churches in 22 countries-17 of those countries now have national MB conferences.

MBMS INTERNATIONAL

Living story continued • Global mission agency honors retiring missionaries, sends out new ones, and discusses the challenges they face to make it all work

M

BMS International's presentation began at the beginningcreation.

The creation of MBMSI, that is. Starting with its creation as Chapter One, MBMSI began a "Living Story." It moved quickly to Chapter Six, with the first Mennonite Brethren missionaries going to India in 1899. Now, at the centenary, there are churches in 22 countries. Flags from the various nations popped up throughout the audience when the countries were named. The "Unfinished Chapter" challenged the church to reach that half of the world's population that has not yet heard the gospel.

Challenges The challenge facing missions today is to share the gospel with all people groups. MBMSI is concentrating its newer efforts primarily in major urban centers such as Berlin, Lima, Peru and Mexico City. In Mexico, MBMSI is part of an inter-Mennonite church planting effort; the La Paz church there already has 60 adults and 40 children attending.

22 • THE

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Another challenge is integrating young adults into the program. To that end, TEAM 2000 is being formed composed of people under 30. The members of this team have diverse skills, are seminary-trained and have made a 10-year commitment to this effort. Many of them are Youth Mission International alumni.

This team wants to be sent to an unreached people group; a likely target is a group in Thailand. To send out this team of seven people will cost approximately $150,000 U.S. per year, above the MBMSI budget.

Staff and Programs Tim Bergdahl was introduced as the new program director for MBMSI. Bergdahl worked with the Baluch people in southern Pakistan for a number of years while a student at Karachi University under the auspices of MBMSI. He will be taking the place of retiring Dave Dyck.

Randy Friesen, director of Youth Mission International, described the various YMI programs available to young people during his presentation. SOAR has five LEA D E R

regional programs for youth, ACTION has one-month terms, and QUEST and TREK are longer term mission experiences. These programs encourage young people to get serious about their commitment to Jesus.

Ron Penner has been appointed personnel services director after having served in church planting in Spain and in Tijuana, Mexico. He indicated that mission is changing and that missionaries are now being sent by receiving countries to other countries as well.

Dale Warkentin, church relations director, introduced Russell Schmidt (Wichita, Kan.), Harold Siebert (Win-

Don Klassen creatively illustrated that support-in this case, wheels for Elmo (of Sesame Street fame) and his cart-from several sources is needed to make the work of MBMSI go forward.

nipeg, Man.) and Don Klaassen (Abbotsford, B.C.), who, together with Warkentin (Fresno, Calif.), form the "mission mobilizer team," which will connect MBMSI more closely with the churches.

Lori Toews Friesen was introduced as the new director of finance and support services.

Budget Friesen indicated that there are two components to the financial support of MBMSI-the Core budget (which includes administration, initiatives of the Board and staff and all preplanned items) and the Core Plus budget (which includes projects initiated by the constituency and immediate needs such as buildings and disaster relief). Funding for Core Plus projects usually comes from individuals and corporations rather than from churches. Funding for Core projects from the churches has declined over the past decade and forced cutbacks and cancellation of some programming, while contributions to Core Plus are growing. Monies for both parts of the budget are distributed only as they are received; however, a three-to-six month contingency reserve is now in place.

MBMSI goals for the next biennium will be achieved only as there is a renewed vision for mission and closer relationships with churches are forged.

The report ended with a challenge to the delegation to do their part in continuing to tell the living story. -Susan Brandt

WICHITA '99 •

HISTORICAL COMMISSION

.

Hear my teaching, a my people • History invaluable and indispensible, board reports Abraham Friesen, chair of the Historical Commission, gave a brief overview of the Mennonite Brethren Church, from the martyrdoms of the early Anabaptists to the founding of the Mennonite Brethren Church in 1860. This goodly heritage, he said, brings with it responsibilities, including the responsibilities to publish histories and to archive 'hi:s pamphlet historical materials. prepared by the Historical Paul Toews, executive secretary of the Commission contains a short commission and archivist of the Center for list of books,. vi:deos and Intef:net resources about the Mennonite Brethren Studies in Fresno, Calif., stated larg:er Mennonite and the that in the past 30 years, 20 major historical works more specific Mennonite have been published by the commission. Archival Brethren world and i·s materials have been recovered from houses, attics and intended to assist garages and from other countries. Many historical congregations in records, including congregational records, have been build:ing a cOllgr,gational microfilmed, and there are now 2000 linear feet of libra:r,..

Mennonite Brethren archival materials in the various archival centers.

John Redekop and Abraham Friesen, in an entertaining and thought-provoking dialogue, gave four reasons why it is important for the conference to maintain the archives even when the conference structure will be changed: • There is evidence of God working in the denomination.

• History can be a great teacher-it shows the good and bad of the past and the lessons to be learned.

• A great disservice is done to the ancestors of the conference if what they have achieved and suffered is ignored.

• The church today is shaped by the forces of the past. -Susan Brandt

\

YM'·I m:erg::es with M::BMSI

O ". "

ne recomrnendation was presented by MBMS1: That the

conTen;~nce affirm the convergence of MOMS Interna-

tiona! and Youth Mission International programs under the M:BMfS Interna11iona::1 Board, effective no later than September 1, 199:9.

YM:J IS a short term mission pro=grarn Tor youth ~ When the prog:ranl be:gan in 1988, it was a project of the Canadian MB ConTerence Board of Evangelisrn and a ·dom:esmic program.

Over the next (i:ecaoe, Mission USA and MBMSl a:ts:o be:ca:me sponsors, and the program developed into an inter.. nationa:l one. in order to increase rnission interest in the con.. stituency and provide greater efficiency inadministration Y:MI W1U merge with MSMSI. YMf wHI operate asa Core Plus budget itern untU May 31, 20():(), after which the administrative expenses will be incorporated into the re:guJar Core budget of I\lU~MS International, while the YM:I programs, <S:OAR, ACTIO:N, QUeST, TR:EK) will continue to operate as separate bua:get items under l:he Core Plus -fund.

The recommendation was passed.--5usan Brandt l

Harold Ens, MBM51nternationai general director/" and Randy Friesen,.

Youth Miss:ion Inte~rnatio:nal director" (both center, between microphones.) receive a prarer of bless:ing as YMI merges with MBMII..

AUGUST

199 9

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SPECIAL REpORT: GENERAL CONFERENCE

WICHITA '99

~

MB BIBLICAL SEMINARY

Need for pastors being addressed • MBBS reports it has set in motion plans to expand presence in Canada and call out and train leaders

T

he Board of Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary grappled with two major issues during the past biennium, according to chair Ron Toews.

The first concerned establishing a seminary presence in more than just the Fresno, Calif. location. The seminary has become a partner in the Associated Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS) consortium in Langley, B.C. The consortium consists of five denominations working together to provide training for their students within their own theological context.

This is looked upon as a win-win situation in that it is cost effective for the school as well as for students who no longer will need to move to Fresno to complete their training. Projections are for three full-time faculty plus local adjunct professors.

Plans to have a second center in Winnipeg, Mant., are in the negotiation stage.

Pierre Gilbert, newly appointed faculty member at Concord College in Winnipeg, will also be offering seminary courses in Manitoba and exploring potential models for MBBS's partnership in the emerging Mennonite College Federation.

The second issue was discovering how the seminary would look if responsibility for it was passed to the national conferences and how it could best continue to fulfill its mandate of providing theological training for the Conference.

To respond to this, a task force was established by the board. The task force

By establishing more locations in Canada, the seminary hopes more pastors will be trained for churches in North America.

24 • THE

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Henry Schmidt addresses the delegates during the convention.

reiterated that the task of the seminary is to call out and train leaders and to help maintain the theological identity of the Conference. The strengths of the seminary include its faculty, its financial base and its strong leadership. The main challenge is that not enough MB pastors are being trained for the churches of the conference. It is hoped that the ACTS partnership will help correct this problem.

Alumni vision Five alumni, one from each of the five decades of the seminary's existence, were asked what they appreciated about their training and what their hopes were for the future of the seminary.

Elmer Martens quoted first president B.]. Braun: "I am not dogmatic about issues like the virgin birth and atonement through the cross; I am bulldogmatic!" Former missionary Ernie Friesen appreciated being able to test mission principles with former president J .B. Toews. Herb Kopp was glad to have invested his life in more than having "sold brown sugar water for a living."

Lorraine Dick indicated she missed the reading she had been compelled to do.

Gerald Hildebrand opined that a residential education was a positive in that it pulled people out of the familiar, thrust them into new waters and taught them to think evaluatively.

Faculty vision Jim Holm, dean of students and director of constituency relations, said that the seminary is developing a plan for churches to use to discern potential leaders who should be sent to the seminary for ministry training. Potential leadLEA D E R

ers are those who have a vision for the future; a commitment to Jesus Christ and the church; passion; compassion; and competence.

Delores Friesen, associate professor of pastoral counselling, indicated that counselling graduates need the Bible training they receive in seminary, as well as counselling training, in order to counsel effectively both in the church and outside the church.

Valerie Rempel, assistant professor of history and theology, expressed her enjoyment in helping students become pastors by teaching history so they can stand back and get the bigger picture.

New program, faculty Academic dean James Pankratz introduced a new church planting residency program in partnership with MBMS International and the national boards of evangelism.

President Henry Schmidt announced that, in addition to the already announced appointment of Mark Baker of Ashland, Ore. to teach in theology, mission and ethics, Nzash Lumeya of Kinshasa, Congo would be coming to the seminary a year from now to be associate professor of missions. Rebekah Basinger, a financial consultant, has been contracted to help with donor development, and is working with the donor development team of Henry Schmidt, Ed Nachtigall, Fred Wiens and Herb Neufeld.

Affirmation was given by delegates for the direction MBBS is taking in joining ACTS and the leadership training that is happening. -Susan Brandt

WICHITA '99 •

BOARD OF RESOURCE MINISTRIES

Publishing essential to our ministries • Ultimately, materials and resources help us share what we believe with others

w; Jim Enns, chair of Trustees, reports.

WICHITA '99 •

TRUSTEES

Status quo budget • GC ends year with a surplus

T

he Board of Trustees was able to tell the delegation that in the past biennium income to the conference equalled expenses. For the first time in a long while, there was no shortfall.

Although the Conference began the biennium with a deficit of $49,483, it ended the period with a surplus of $10,100. Grants from Mennonite Brethren Foundation of the U.S. Conference and Stewardship Ministries of the Canadian Conference were used to eliminate the previous deficit.

Jon Wiebe, president of MB Foundation, described himself as "the banker for the conference." AlfHuebert, director of Canadian Conference Stewardship Ministries, said that the resources God has given are the raw materials which become building stones in conference ministries; the responsibility of Stewardship Ministries is to help put these resources to work in the Kingdom of God. The budget for the coming biennium is a status quo budget, giving the boards $437,330, MBMSI $11,083,000, and MB Biblical Seminary $4,038,925 for a total budget of $15,559,255. It raised little discussion and passed easily.-Susan Brandt

have to know who we are, where we are going, what we believe and why we believe it-and ultimately, we have to share our beliefs with others," said Michael Dick, executive director of Board of Resource Ministries. "And we need the resources to do that."

Providing those resources is what BRM is all about, according to Dick.

During the board's presentation, board members highlighted the materials and resources available through Kindred Productions, the publishing house of the MB churches in Canada and the U.S. • Resourcing MBs. Using a video to highlight four product lines, the board illustrated the value of producing materials created and written by and for Mennonite Brethren. The materials reflect the Mennonite Brethren confession of faith and distinctives and challenge users to a life of discipleship. "We produce resources to preserve our vision and insure that it continues," Dick said.

The four product lines are inspirational (creative and reflective writing), Bible study and curriculum (focusing on MB core values and encouraging a faith pilgrimage), church resources (such as songbooks and contemporary worship songs), and

historical (stories of church leaders and individuals who faithfully served God).

• Low German Bible. Marilyn Hudson, manager of Kindred Productions, reported that Kindred is working with others to translate the Bible into Low German, the single language of over 80,000 people in Brazil, Paraguay and Mexico. BRM expects to have the text done in the next two years.

• Word Wise. The board introduced a new adult Bible study curriculum which covers all genres of Scripture (history, law, prophets, gospels, etc.) in five years. The material is published quarterly in 11-13 week studies, can be used in small group or Sunday school settings, and is available with a leaders' guide.

As with most of BRM's Bible study and curriculum material, Word Wise emphasizes the centrality ofJesus and his teaching. Each year, Word Wise covers the gospel and an MB core value.

"We want to get people in the Word and integrate Scripture with their contemporary situation," said Dave Wiebe, a member of BRM and executive director of Canada's Board of Christian Education Ministries. "We also want them engaged in dialogue with each other." -Carmen Andres

The theme for the 62nd General Conference convention was "A Distinct Presence: the Aroma of Christ."

The logo was designed by the Board of Resource Ministries.

The aroma swirls turn both up and downrunning up to represent the uplifting of God's truth and down to acknowledge that the aroma is not always appreciated by the world.

MENNONITE WEEKL Y REVIEW

AUGUST

1

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25

SPECIAL REpORT: ICOMB

Delegates and guests pose for a photo on the gymnasium floor of Buhler MB church in Buhler, ·Kan. The group included delegates from 16 of the 17 MB national conferences world wide-and this is the first time many leaders have had to meet each other. This kind of annual international fellowship is unique in Anabaptist circles. MBs are the largest Anabaptist denomination world-wide.

World comes to Buhler for historic gathering • Delegates from 16 Mennonite Brethren conferences around the world discuss issues facing the local and global church, including leadership, communication, education, and ministries

I

t could have been a typical gathering-173 family members from far and wide eating together, telling stories, sharing concerns, singing, praying and conducting family business.

Now the group was gathered for their closing supper and as the last-minute meal preparation took place, people were talking, laughing, gesturing and hugging one another. Their fellowship was so enjoyable that when the table was ready, it took some time for the group to come to attention.

But this wasn't a reunion of blood relatives-this was a spiritual family gathering. The meal wasn't an elaborate dinner provided by waiters-it was the Lord's Supper served by moderators of MB conferences from around the globe.

The seven-year-old International Committee of Mennonite Brethren sponsored its first global consultation July 11-

14, in Buhler, Kan. After four days of being together, it was apparent that the hope of consultation organizers had been realized-members of the international MB family had taken a giant step forward together in the process of becoming equal partners.

"These are our sons and daughters, our offspring of previous mission vision," said Edmund Janzen, ICOMB vice-chair and a member of the consultation planning committee. "But they're all

Rolando and Laura Mireles participate in a discussion session following a morning sermon. Rolando is the son of Rolando Mireles, vice-chair of the u.s. Conference, and Laura's father is Miguel Forero, MBMSI Latin America program director. There was a significant presence of young leaders at ICOMB.

Reports on the ICOMS '99 were a cooperative project by Carmen Andres and Connie Faber of the Christian Leader and Jim Coggins of the Mennonite Brethren Herald, with assistance from Laurie Oswald, Mennonite Weekly Review.

26 • THE

C H R 1ST I A N

now at various levels of maturation and want in at the table ....They want to take ownership as Anabaptists in their own right."

Formal and informal signs of a new level of world-wide cooperation were evident at Buhler.

• For the first time, the ICOMB executive committee does not include two North Americans nor is English the common language spoken by all those on the executive. The moderators elected Maxi-

LEA D E R

SPECIAL REpORT: ICOMB

da Gilbert of the Congo conference traveled for six days through four African countries and spent a night on airport benches in New York City to attend the consultation. "We knew that we are family which is scattered all over the world," said Roberson in an interview with Kansas' Hutchinson News. "For such a meeting, we were very motivated to come since we are at the dawn of the year 2000. That is the reason why we fought very hard to get here."

• "Cheese," said more than 150 people in unison as they posed for yet one more group picture. They laughed as another of the group left to go to the gymnasium mezzanine to take a photo-

mo Abadie of Paraguay as vice-chairman, Ike Bergen of Canada as treasurer and reelected Harry Janzen of Brazil as secretary. Takashi Manabe ofJapan will continue to serve as moderator. Given that eight of the 17 national conferences are in Latin America, the new executive committee more accurately represents the global MB family than did previous groups.

• This past year, all but one conference contributed the suggested percent, age of their national budget to ICOMB, reported treasurer Reuben Pauls of Canada. Pauls and Edmund Janzen agree that this kind of financial participation indicates a global ownership of ICOMB. • Mbayamvula Roberson and Ndum-

ICOMB '99 •

graph with his own camera.

• For Asia Night, Hannah Joseph of India helped dress her Buhler host Rene Neufeld in one of her saris. Obdulio Bitancort of Uruguay willingly shared his hot, fragrant, morning cup of mate with anyone who asked. In the course of their conversation Monday morning, David Reimer, chair of the U.s. Conference, and Alfredo Beltran, chair of the Colombia conference, learned that both were married to women named Sandra, had sons named David and Daniel and shot baskets left-handed.

When asked at the close of the consultation what he enjoyed most, Beltran spoke of "the love received from people

LATIN AMERICA NIGHT

Lati n America conferen:ce:s ki·ck off consultat'io::n • Conferences in Latin America include: Colombia, Brazil, Mexico}'Urugu8Yt Paraguay (Span/ahj, Paraguay (German») Peru,. Panama, and two churches in VenezueJii

.A'.,

s the. vario.·.. :us.. representati"•.:esdescr)bed the ",ork. of their congreg:ations and conferences during .

'Sunday-'s Latin Arn:erica N:lght, it was appa:rent that M:ennonit:e Brethren leaders i:n Latin America are young alth:ough not inexperienced and that national conferences are comm:ttted to evangelism and discipleship.

J'The church ~in Colombia} is g:row+ng, said AITrecl:o le:liran. IJThe missionaries have left the country and the church is in the hands of the national I:eaders~ We beUeve this is a good time to grow in spite of the economics and violence.

Christians have a very good response to these problems."

Enrique Rodriquez of Mexi<:o said, IJWe have e::ight ,aJ:rnost' churches and lots of faith in the -Lord. We are making plans ... with our 'few resources 'to bring to fruition the plans the Lord has tiven us to multiply the churches. t1 The Conference of Christian Peace Churches of Mexico is the most recently organized national MB conTerence to join .W.·':

iJ

fCOMB.

The messa:g:e was given tly Miguel Forero of Cot:ombia.

Wi'1ih psssion and conviction, Fore:ro c8,:lled for renews,J among Mennonite Brethren whot regardless of their country ·of origin" Uve in a world of chaos. ""If it is true that we are winning so many people 'tor Christ every day, why donJt we see the influence of Christians

on the culture?H a:sked Forero.

He answered his -First question with a se<:ond~ ,J Is it possib:le that tt'lerness:age to the churen of laodicea is descriDi"g in a truly vhri:o and reaUstlc way the situation of ou:r church today?" said Forero before bringing the m:essa:ge even clo:ser 'to horne. "Dare we think that this apocalyptic

Members of the Pa,raguav conferences si:ng together.

message cotl:ld be applied to our congreg:ations, the churches of tl'le Mennonit:e Brethren1" After reviewing ways in which churches experience cha:os and noting that many re,newal movements beg:sn when thee church had become chaotlc, Forero argued returnint to Jesus

Christ, the· immutable Truth of God, is the way to re:newa:l.

"Wha:t other hope (aula we have than that which motivated the brothers and sisters f.rom the south of Russia to renew their vision in the middle- of a church that was decadent and mediocre," sa:id Forero.

Saying that many people believe the year 2:()()() wiU orint about a mira:cu:tous end to wars, hunger and si:ckness.. Forero said the res:p:onsibUity of Christts church re:rnains the sa:rne.

1I1f our (MB) churches are to be the carriers of t:h:ehope which our world in chaos neeas at the door of the 21st century, we have to return to our roots; we have to fig::nt the good fi~:ht; we have to run the race; we have to guard the 'faith we nave received so that we can ghre it to the next generations without blemish and without contam:inat:ion~" (Re:ad Forero'5 TU=lf sermon on page 4.)

Latin Arnerica night moderated by, Harry Janzen of Bra:zU

als.o featured music f:rom the Paraguay deleg:ation. Nationa:,1 conTerence representatives participatin:, in the even:i:ng we,re Trom Paraguay (Spanish and German conferences)} U::ruguay, Panama, Peru and Brazil. -Connie Fa,ber AUGUST

1999

27

SPECIAL REpORT: ICOMB

leOMB '99 •

ASIA NIGHT

India and Japan share testimonies, music an"d visi:on • Asian conferences include India (the largest M8 con:ference) and Japan, with churches in Thailand and La:os and a conference of 1()() confregations in Indonesia which relates to IVISs, out is not officially MS.

T

akashi Mana:be of Japan hosted Asia Night, ana greetings were brou9ht by Japanese assistant

growing Khmu churches there.

moderator Shinichi Ig:usa and Ind:ian Conference moderator P.8" ArnoJd.

It

A Japanese choir s8:n., intersp:ersed

with testlm:onies by three people at various stage:s of I'i:f:e. Midori Takadat: a young womao told of growing up in a Christian family, bei:n·g oaptized at 14 wavering in her waJk and be:ing brought back through the help of Christian friends. She now enjoys teaching a young Sunday school cla:s~s.

Junichi Fujino., a rniddle...s:ged pastor" tohi of attending Bible studies with MB m:i:ssionaries in order to prepare 'to go to the u.s. as a Shinto missio:Flary but discovering that the Goa of the B:ibJe i:s the one true God. Michiko Hamana, an older woman, aescribed being attracted to a Christian meeting in 1951 by music and being loved into the Kingdom by MB rniss:ionaries.

Phone Keo KeovUay told of return.. ing to la-os and Thailand as an M:BMS International missionary to assist the J

1

we didn't know before."

"This week Buhler, Kansas has become the nearest place to heaven," said Manabe in his welcome. "Not physically, of course, but spiritually because we are having a sweet, sweet fellowship with]esus Christ our Lord and are being spiritually united with redeemed people of various cultures and tongues."

"Signs of hope" evident The theme of the consultation was "Signs of hope in a world of chaos" and speakers highlighted renewal through prayer, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, suffering, witness and anticipation for Christ's return. The consultation included evening sessions open to the public and daytime sessions for registered participants of prayer and worship, a morning message and afternoon workshops.

28 • THE

C H R 1ST I A N

The Indian deJegation also sang, in Telegu and H:ind:i.

The evening message, 11The Hoty Spirit 8:nd Renewal; was by I.P~ Asheer~ vadaR1, alecture:r at MS Centenary Bible Co:Jl:eg:e in Shamshabad, India..

Demonstrath-=lg that "the church without the Holy Spirit is dead, "he gave the ·exQ:mple of the church before Penta.. cost, which naeJ knowledge about the Holy Spirit but had not yet experienced His power. He then surveyed church history, not:ing that t:he church revive:s when it experienced aga:in the power of the Holy Spirit-in Anabaptism, Pietism and ttle founding of the M:ennoni'te Brethren Church in 1860. liThe Mennonite Brethren Church, he noted diG not separate from the Mennonites in Russia for any do:ctrina:1 issues or any power struggle but fo:r rflore spiritual experience. --Jim Cog'g:ins II

J

it

1I

I.P" Asheervada:m (top) del:ivers the sermon after the Japanese delegates and guests 'middle) and the Indian de:legation (bottom> sang and shared testimonies.

Evening services, which typically attracted former missionaries and other area Mennonite Brethren, each focused on the ministries of Mennonite Brethren on one of four continents: Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Special music was often accompanied by a guitar and included a small ensemble from both India and Paraguay, aJapanese choir and a German folk soloist. The congregation sang enthusiastically in Kituba following the lead of Congo delegate Nzuzi Mukawa.

Many of the testimonies emphasized the importance of the missionary work of the denomination. Some spoke of the impact of missionaries. "In these days I have seen that I am a work of your labor," said Monika Wimmer of Austria, who became a Christian eight years ago thanks to MB missionaries.

LEA D E R

Other speakers told of national conference church planting and outreach efforts. The Japan Conference, for example, includes seven evangelistic and two branch congregations and is committed to sending missionaries to other Asian countries. After describing the struggles experi- ' enced by his small congregation, Jyunichi Fujino said, "I ask those of you who sent missionaries to us to now pray for us."

Anabaptist vision shared While the celebration of evangelism past and present was evident-the stronger call each evening was for personal and corporate renewal based on a commitment to the Anabaptist vision.

"It really didn't matter from where they came," said Edmund Janzen, "they (the speakers) shone through as Anabaptist in their speaking."

In the opening address Sunday evening, Miguel Forero of Colombia said, "Those who have always been in a family do not know what it means not to have one. In the same way, those who have always had good doctrine do not know what it is like not to have it.

"I am referring to how valuable the Anabaptist doctrine is for me and for my brothers and sisters who come from a religious background but not a Christian one. We have found a hope that we can live for and we want to maintain it pure and spotless... .It is too bad that there are

brothers and sisters who are ashamed to be Mennonite and Anabaptists and who would like to shed themselves of all vestiges of this identity."

Speaking on the subject of the Holy Spirit, I.P. Asheervadam of India said, "Facts (of our history) show us very clearly that the emergence of the Mennonite Brethren church was for spiritual values. Its emphasis was spiritual life rather than any other matters. Today we need to evaluate ... our churches and conferences from the perspective of our tradition. If we are lacking the spiritual

charisma for which the church originated, we need to rediscover that spirituality submitting to the guidance of the Holy Spirit."

These powerful sermons given by men chosen for their standing within their national conferences and their preaching skills point to a shift within the denomination.

"Frankly, the vision and passion are coming from Latin America, Africa and Asia," said Edmund Janzen in an interview with a Central Kansas newspaper reporter. "We're discovering that those

ICOMB '99 the f'irst of its kin:d • Ann:ual-int@rnation:a:/ feJ:towship is unique in AnabBp:tist circles

T

he_,:~;e~~_.~t~n_~,.~o_m.mft~ of Mennonrte Bretllren a unique IS

feJlowsn:ip wi:thin the larger Anaba:ptist community, says M:ennonite World Conference executive se:cretary larry MUlerI invited to attend the lC01\11:8 G:lobs:1 Consutta1::ion as a workshop lead:er and Olle of the French translators.

Other Ana:ba:p1::ist g:rOlJf)s, such as the Brethren i:n Christ, meet 'together internationally during MWC assemblies but these are often j:nforrnal gather.ings. Wor'ldwiae -feUowships Illte 1:(01\48 can "build up the whole Anaba:ptist church which is a good thing Tor everyone, says Miller.

Wh:ile Mennonite Brethren are not the larg:est Mennonite group in North America, wit:h a tota:1 of 239,284 marn.. bers and 20,5:68 frate:rnaUy related mern:bers, it is the la:rgest Anabaptist denomination worldwide.

U

tCOM::B brings conf:erences face to face For Edmund Janzen; for'mer tCOMB vice-chair, the 1999 annuallCO:Mi8 busi:ness rneeting was especially s:ignif-i-

cant.

It'For the T:irst time; 16 of the 11 nations:1 leaders were able to rneet

@;ach other and dis:logue, ff said Janzen irnrnediately after the annua:1 business meeting hetli July 14.

Thro:ughout the ramher informal meeting chaired by Takash:i Manabe of Japan., a sense of camaraaerie was evident.

JJ.You would rind it amazing and a

de:titht i:f you were to be present <at a

typica:1 ICO:MB annual meeting.,) said Janzen. I1We hug and gre:et ea:ch other. There is an esprit de corps that transcends langua:g:e and cultural ba:rfiers."

"Th::is i:s 'the I:a:rgest tCOM:8 meeting so far," said Manabe following the role ca:U. A'I re:aUy praise the Lord for that. I ho:pe the lord will give us unity , of spirit. ;t The conference moderators did work hard at making their aecisions with a sense of unity. The business ses.. sion included the election of new officers, a variety of ~ina:ncjat aec:isions and a. aiscussion of future projects. .' In the past, aU executive cornmit.. tee members had been able to work in English. Continuing that tradition would eliminate a sign:ificant nurnber of those present. That Maximo Abadie from ParaguaYl who speaks only Spanish, was selected as vice-chair was a signi:ficant move, said MBMS Internation:sI general director Harold Ens.

• The i:mportance of workIng with astable currency prompted th,e group to decide to if anSTer aU its funds to 'the United States.

• ICO:MB members spent consider.. able time discussing their desire to develop a global M:ennonite Brethren

confession of faith.

UTo have a confession of f.aith that unites us all-to go back to our own

Anabaptist roots-I th::ink this is very

fundalTlentat said AITred:o Beltran of Colombia. To begin the process, existII

At the cl:osing assembly Wednesday evening, ICO:M8 members laid their hands on executive committee members while Edmund Janlen said a pra,er of blessing.

Pictured center are Ike Bergen (treasurer), Maximo Abadie (vic.e·(hai:r)~ '.kashi Manabe (chair), and Ha,ry Ja:nzen, secreta:ryll

ing confessions will be translated into the work:ing languages of tCOM::B

rne:mbers·.

The commitment 10 contInuing this globa:1 fellowship was evident i:n the financial report. leOMS 'treasurer A:euben Pauls of Canada reported that this past year aU but one of the nation-al conf:e:n:tnces had made their a:nnual contribution.

Ma:na:oe emphasized the im:por... taA:(e of each conference continuing its financi:al support. JI"lt is important that w:e share e:qually. That would give you security that you are standing with equaUty at this table, J, he said.

I:CO'l'vlB held its first annual fne:et:ing in 1992. At that tirne leOMB was com..

prlsed of one continental representative each from North America, ATrica" Asia and Europe and two Trom Latin America:. In 1997 the comfl'littee restructured itseJf to include a re:pre'" sentative 'from each of the national conferences. -Connie Paber

AUGUST

1999

SPECIAL REpORT: ICOMB

Dick and Steve Klassen also acquainted participants with one another. Each morning Dick and Klassen led the group in first praying personally through 1 Peter 1:3-9. Then small groups of people from a variety of countries and languages prayed for the needs of the world-wide MB family and the outreach ministries of the church.

The opportunity to aid one another prompted participants to contribute almost $4,000 towards ICOMB projects.

Three separate offerings collected funds for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the ICOMB general budget, and the ICOMB relief fund which has been used in the past to aid victims of flooding in Peru and an earthquake in Japan.

Consultation planning committee members Janzen and Reuben Pauls of Canada were pleased with the degree to

people are deeply, deeply committed to the cause of Christ and the church. That doesn't mean we aren't, but they are particularly energized, almost effervescent in their expression of faith."

Global fellowship The global Mennonite Brethren family was introduced to consultation participants during the opening service via the new ICOMB video, "Our Global Household."

In addition to the evening testimonies and music, participants got a taste of the various national conferences thanks to displays with food samples; maps; pictures; audio, video and written materials; artifacts such as dolls, colorful frogs, woven baskets and paper-folded animals-and even a Web site.

Prayer times led by Canadians Lorraine

ICOMB '99 •

o

which participation in the global consultation extended beyond the international committee members.

"We saw not just conference leaders but educators, youth leaders and women 'buy into ICOMB'," said Pauls.

Each national conference was asked to send a theologian, educator, youth worker and women's ministry representative to the consultation. ICOMB funds covered the travel and on-site expenses of two delegates per national conference.

Only five of the 16 conferences represented had complete delegations. A total of 45 official delegates were present. Registered guests came primarily from Canada and the United States but included a Japanese contingent numbering 35.

Two workshop tracks

AFRICA NIGHT

Africa deUvers moving eveningfor body and heart ll

ll

• Air/can conferences include the Congo and Angola.

efforts in spite of

the hardship created by the war.

Coogo MBs are

oming from a ·1:aOoO torn by war, the Cong:olese seemed to do the ·.mpo§ibte on Afrka brate God while e~mbracing the sufferi~ng of his children.

Though the evening was to celebrate African M:Bs, the spirit of fa:mUy p:revailed. Nuzi Mukaws, the eveningJs host in1lroduced a ColorT1:bian presentation by AJ'ffredo Beltran; cha::ir of 'the con Terence. Beltran reported. on the variotJ's mlni:stries of his con~e:fenc.et i~ncludlng youth rnissions earthqua:ke relief., educationa:1 institutions and church planting. Colornbia also sent a m::jssionary fa:rni::ly to Peru and is fi~na:liz­ iAg plans for a church pla:nt 8:fflong

C

Ni~.

t

t

tions, Muka:wa had the audience clap.. ping their hands and swinging their

spre;ading the g'ospel and witnessing

arms above their heads, singing hymns and Af:rican songs in Kituba. During an offedng ta:ken Tor 'the Congo conference, people moved up and down the aisles, waving their Rands and smi:Ung as they dropped at least three different kinds of currency iRtobaskets.

The m:o:od sobered sOn1:ewhat as Pastor Ndurnda worked through his report from the Congo conference. Ndurnda reported that God is blessing their

the pygmies in8anda:ndu to peop:le in B:razzavHle and iukavu. But tlfe is nard.

1

Colombian fs:miUes in Mia:rni, Fla. After Beltran's presentation, the farn:Uy spirit continued. Mukawa intro-

duced Tour North Arnerican speak:ers,

who re:la1:ed their experience:s in Africa as rnisSionaries.

Interspersed between the presents·..

Nazi M:ukawa 'right)· leads the delegates and guests fleft) in swinging and waving their arms while singing an Africa:. song in Iituba..

30 •

THE

C H R 1ST I A N

LEA D E R

the conversion of many peo:ple, i:rom "Many people have I:ost their j:obs.

Many who are worki:ng are not being paid," Ndurnda sa:id" '''M~anycan not

support the work: of 'the chun:h. During this time of war~ we o:re he:ari'Og that

we are to be self-supportiog 5:0 we are l

asking you to assist us i:nprayer 'to assist us in the church that we would be a~0le to do the work of 'the Lord. '1

SPECIAL REpORT: ICOMB

Palm Village were organized to allow these representatives to discuss issues relevant to their ministries. During workshops, participants often sat together by language preference with one person serving as the translator. In spite of language barriers, many of these groups began exploring new avenues of cooperation.

"I was immensely pleased that these were participatory forums," said]anzen.

"I appreciated the depth in thinking that , ran along the topics."

Because of the limited number of participants, the Buhler consultation offered a more intimate opportunity for cross-cultural fellowship than is possible, for example, at large Mennonite World Conference gatherings. "Monday at lunch I just saw blossoming this global interaction," said Harold Ens, general director of the global mission agency of

North American MB churches, MBMS International. "There were people talking to each other all over."

As could be expected, language was an important obstacle to overcome.

There were five "working" languages at each session: English, German, Spanish, French and]apanese. During morning and evening sessions, although the host spoke in English, the keynote speaker often did not. In most situations, the translators sat in booths located at the side of the sanctuary and used a sophisticated translation relay system which allowed words to be translated simultaneously through portable earphone units worn by all participants. (See article on page 34.)

Copies of the message were made available in English after each session.

Translators were given the transcripts

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Patio Homes Assisted Living Health Care Ndunda Gllbe,t (Ieft~ reported.1hat, in the midst of war and poverty, Congolese MeanQnite Brethre:n are witnessing and ministeri:ng to Africans. Roberson Mbayamvu:la (rightJ· deliv.. er,ed a sermen chal:len'ging the cburch to look for wa:ys to aUeviate s:uff.e:ring.

Pclstor Mbayarnvuts chair of the J

(oA90 confetence t delivered the

evenJng fA'ess,age, Renewal Through 11

9\4ffering.

II

Suffering is a part of life in iJeneral and i:Rt9gra:1 to the Chnstian UTe, Mb,qya:mvu:la began~ .It is a priviha:,e, not a pun'isnrYlent, and no one is e"errlpt dyOU: are not speci:sl, he told N:ot't:h Anledcans In the audience. Iii II

have seen w:ar~

If

What is to be the recSponse of the chufeh to the suffering of others? Look Tor saluti0ns and causes of suffering, M:ba~ylu11vuJa s'aId. A/We must do that as

inctividus:ls but also as a comrnunity.f' l

Further, if we want to be renewed

throtJ:gh suffering., we must incorporate the suffering of others 'throug:hout the w'orld into our globat vi:s:ioR for the church, he emphasized. IIWe must pray

to God so 'tnat he g:ives you a vis:j'on for the world, a p:ersonal. vision but also Tor familYi church, country and the conti.. nent~ The Lord wants us to have a glob-

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Mbaya:rnvulaacknowle:d:ged that a chief difficulty is putting the solutions we find irlto practi:ce. He sug:gested that, as Christians, we are catJee to work toward opening dialogue between different levels througnout society, and we must develop structures to encourage our rnernl&ers to a·llevia:$e suffering. He caUed 'for Mennonite Brethren to reflect deeply on suffering in aU its forms and include that j:n th:e vision of the church's mission. itThis

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SPECIAL REpORT: ICOMB

prior to the sessions which allowed them an opportunity to prepare ahead of time.

Hospitality in abundance Providing a smooth translation system was only one of the many ways the Buhler MB congregation graciously served their guests. Host committee cochairs Betty Ensz and Ann Regier helped tackle logistics through e-mails and faxes including receiving and sending 900 email messages alone in the six weeks just prior to the consultation.

"How do I say thanks to the Buhler ICOMB '99 •

MB Church?" asked Manabe. "It is beyond my description. They have given their labor of love to us and the Lord."

Members of the congregation housed their ICOMB guests as many as eight nights. For many hosts and guests this meant developing their own unique communication system as they were often without a common language. Many ICOMB participants also attended the General Conference convention in Wichita, Kan., just prior to the ICOMB gathering so the transportation committee provided a shuttle service between Buhler and Wichita.

It was only appropriate that the firstever ICOMB global event be hosted by the Buhler MB congregation. Almost a century ago, at an 1899 conference hosted by the Buhler congregation, North American MB churches incorporated as the American Mennonite Brethren Mission Union and established their first outreach in India. The Mission Union later became The General Conference of MB Churches which, in action taken just prior to the Global Consultation, will be dissolved over the next three years (see article on page 17). -Connie Faber

EUROPE NIGHT

the most irnportant part Q:f this con#er.. ence. G:od has hope Tor J).e:ople and so

Europe night closes event with "hope" • European conferences in(lude Austria, Bavaria, and oerrnan¥, with affiliated churches in Portugal" Spain and the former Soviet Union

.A. '. .

tria.n.s. 9..•. re:e.t en.:e..:. another. by saying U gruess Gatt, a Cierrn:an

.:lJ.::: .., ••..'

it

hrase translated "praise God~f(

Unif=ortunate:ly, few Austri:ans truly mean

what they say, sa:id Horst KeTer~ host for

Wednesday's Europe Night~ But testiflloni:es "from various EUfOpean national conferences made it clear that M:ennonite Brethren in this region have much for whJch to praJse God-both personally a:nd corporately.

"For ]0 years t tried to cI:eanse myself by myself, n said Katharina Neufeld of G~errna:ny. lilt was somewhat uncon... scious but I tried to get into heaven by myself. Four years ago I understood with my heart that only Jes:u$ ~an do this. When that peace ana joy en!tered my liTe I we:s on cloud nine. If Because N:eufeld wants 10 s:tl8:re this truth with other Christians, she works with b:o)!s 8:ge nln:e to 12 in her congre.. gation of 230 'that has a tiotal of 7() children in ttl:;s age group.

1i:M:y prayer and purpos:e is that tt1ese kids wiU not only be:lieve in Jesus but become dlsciples of the Lord a:nd workers in t'h:e church. Our church A:eeds me'n of fa:ith, l' fl:Who of you have experienced sins that are so burdened that it gets hold of your neck?/I asked IVlon::ika Wimmer of Austria. UThat's how I 'felt eight

yeats ag:o.

It was the witness of -MS missionaries that prompted Wi rnrner to give h:er

UTe to Christ one day in her kitcheA. "The Lord has not chang:ed my s.ituation. He has changed me.

Keynote s:peaker Alexander Neufeld of Gernlany also spoke of the hope found in Christ. lITo become a Christian is to attain hope, I' sald Neufeld.. TtThis hope renews our disci:pleship and gives us a ho:pe for our future. l' Hope in Christ also bri:ngs responsibUity. i'Thls ho:pe drives us to wi:tness of Jesus Christ, said N:euteld. IIl\1ot one of us I:ooks i:nto the eyes of. another person who is not a candidate t'o become a chiil:d of God. This (truth) is it

IT

can we."

N:euTeldfs messaie was peppered w:ith stories illustratirlg his various

po:ints. The story of a paper mecrae ham displayed in 8· store window illustrated that nope in God is worth dying TOt. N:euiield closed with a story of two children who usually looked forwarci to their mothert.s return-urrtU the day they disobeyed her. "'We a:re to not only k.now about the appearance of Jesus but to love the appearance of the lord, said Neuf.eld. IIThat is the chaUenge.

Europe Night included reports by Artur Baerg of the southern Bavarian ¥t

U

conference and Andrej Re:mpel, a repre.. sentative of the U Auss:iedler"or Russi'an imlTligrant Anabaptist congtegat:i:ons. A time of praise and worship leci by Markus Deutscl1 of Bavaria reinforced the evening's theme. -Connie Faber

If

32 • THE

C H R 1ST I A N

Alexander Neufeld said. "Not one of us looks into the eyes of another person who is not a candidate 'to become a child of God " God has hope for people 8n:d so can we.. " Ii <i

LEA D E R

..

leOMB '99 •

MORNING SPEAKERS

Victor Wall (German Paraguay), Elmer Martens (U.S.) and Ezequiel Villar (Spanish Paraguay) gave powerful messages on renewal of the church

How do we renew?

• Three keynote speakers explore how to find renewal

E

ach morning, speakers addressed the delegates and guests, tackling the question of how we can renew the global Mennonite Brethren church.

Prayer renews "History is silent about any great revivals that do not begin with prayer," said Victor Wall, as he began his sermon, "Renewal through Prayer," on Monday morning. Wall is the moderator of the German Paraguay conference.

Repentance, a change in lifestyle, the impact of that lifestyle on society, and a new evangelistic zeal are integral to renewals. In order for renewal to take place, "we need to pray biblically," said Wall. Biblical prayer is comprehensive and complete, more than simply venting our hearts to God. Wall called MBs to take their lead from Scripture, using the Psalms and the Lord's Prayer as exampies. Prayer relates us to God and others, transforms us, and reveals the purposes of God. Wall pointed out that Mennonite Brethren today can learn much from their Anabaptist and Mennonite Brethren forbears. They were a "people of the way," who believed and followed the way of the Scripture. They also lived a communal spirituality. "Renewal outside of, above or alongside the church will not have the continuity which it could have," Wall cautioned. Wall also noted that the early forebears were a peacemaking community. He lamented that MBs today are not as faithful to this biblical principle, "for we know that a relationship with Jesus and a relationship with our brother have a lot to do with one another." Wall also noted that early Anabaptists and MBs were mission-

ary oriented, giving their lives for the Gospel.

"Dear brothers and sisters," Wall concluded, "let's pray for renewal, that we will be able to be a movement like we have seen in the early church, in our early fathers.... a community authentic, spiritual and ready to confront this world."-CA

The Bible and renewal On Tuesday morning, long-time MB Biblical Seminary professor Elmer Martens addressed the topic "The Bible and Renewal."

Looking at Habakkuk 3, Martens defined renewal as either a restoration of something that is broken or a revitalization of something that is not broken but is in need of new energy. Renewal comes out of prayer, and prayer is prompted by the contrast between what God has done in the past and the cutrent sorry state of affairs. Renewal nappens when God suddenly comes in holiness, glory, brightness and power', and changes everything.

Martens then made five applications from this understanding of renewal: • Habakkuk's vision stands in judgement over our domesticated God. God is powerful and wrathful, but we often treat him as if he were a caged lion.

• Habakkuk's vision stands in judgement on our pragmatic approach to spiritual renewal. Human beings cannot program acts of God, and, in fact, our attempts to force ren~ewal sometimes get in the way of God's acting.

• Habakkuk's vision clarifies that renewal is a partnership with God. We do not act and then ask God's blessing.

Rather, God acts and then invites us to join in his work.

• Habakkuk's vision points to a God of surprises. God often brings renewal using new methods we had not expected.

• Habakkuk's vision holds hope for genuine renewal. Martens ended his message not just with an assertion that renewal was possible but with a ringing call for Mennonite Brethren to seek it.-Je

Proclaim the gospel "It would be incomplete at this conference to talk about revival and renewal without talking about the proclamation of the Gospel," said Ezequiel Villar of Paraguay Wednesday morning.

"Our first responsibility is to be crucified with Christ. God does not require our service. He requires our heart."

Villar said a Christian's second call is to be a witness. "There is no biblical support for the belief that evangelism is a special ministry to be engaged in by a special kind of person at a given special time and in a special manner," he said.

"The church ofJesus Christ needs to rediscover that the biblical mandate to preach the message of the Gospel ... is something that you do regularly, naturally, day after day as normal evidence of a church that is revived and authentic."

Saying that spiritual revival is related to the act of confessing Christ publicly) Villar called his listeners to share their faith. "I believe there is a reason to doubt the genuiness of an identification with. Christ if a person has never shared his faith with others," said Villar.

Villar said that while the methods, strategies and otber aspects ofevangelism may vary according to the audience, "the content of our preacning must be the preaching of Christ-of Christ who died and rose again.

Villar called the churCh to have discipleship as an intentional task and to recognize the ministry of tne Holy Spirit in the task of proclamat.ion.

Villar, who is a 1999 graduate of MB Biblical Seminar in Fresno, Calif., spoke of an important shift within Ilis own ministry as an evangelist.

"While I was doing my ministry and being perfecte:cl as an evangelist, the perfecting of the church was being neglected. For tHe remainder of my life and leadership I want to dedicate myself to equipping tne saints for the work of the ministry. I believe tne worst deception of the Devil is to make the leader believe that he/she must do all the work instead of involving the whole church." -CF H

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SPECIAL REpORT: leOMB

leOMB 199 •

SPOTLIGHT ON TRANSLATION

Speaking in different tongues • Arranging for five languages to be spoken simultaneously is more difficult than you think

S

ince most Mennonite Brethren attending the ICOMB Global Consultation could speak only one language, communicating with another delegate meant finding a third party to act as a translator or resorting to lots of gestures and smiles. While that worked okay for meals and breaks, something more was required for the seven general sessions.

Several options had been used in other settings but each had a downside.

Finding a system that would provide radio transmitted, simultaneous translation was the solution suggested

by Mike Yutzy, consultation sound and technology technician and youth pastor of the host congregation, Buhler MB Church.

Given that 50 languages are spoken

by MBs around the world, translating the consultation proceedings into only five languages-Spanish, English, Japanese, German and French-may have at first-glance appeared to be a simple assignment. But as Yutzy began researching translation systems, he realized just how complicated the process would be.

Translating from English into the other languages was the easy part. But what would the German and Spanish translators do when the speaker spoke Japanese?

"That's what convinced us we needed to get some equipment," said Yutzy. "It's fairly complex."

Yutzy located only two companies in the United States that rent out translation equipment. Of the two, only Showworks of Atlanta, Ga., was willing to adapt their equipment to accommodate five languages. Given Yutzy's previous experience as an audio technician, Showworks was also willing to allow Yutzy to serve as the on-site technician, which cut the projected cost by almost 75 percent. Yutzy was assisted

by Mark Schroeder.

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Translators sat in booths to one side of the sanctuary. Becky Faber (left) and Nick Rempel (right) listened to speakers and translators through overthe-ear headphones.

Participants wore an over-the-ear headphone and carried a six-channel receiver which they could tune to the language of their choice. These little devices-worth about $60 apieceallowed participants to hear what was said in the sanctuary from about any location in the building. That people always heard the same language on the same channel was an important feature most people took for granted, said Yutzy.

The three-sided translation booth positioned to the side of the sanctuary was constructed by Alvin Schroeder of Buhler and featured plexiglass windows and five compartments with a built-in desk for the translator. Remarkably, the booth was made entirely of damaged and cast-off materials. "The booth didn't cost us a penny," said Buhler senior pastor Brent Warkentin with a laugh.

Each compartment was outfitted with a small control box that allowed the translator to make use of a translation relay system. For example, when the speaker was using Japanese, the Japanese translator could switch his listeners to the stage feed. But when the speaker was using Spanish, the Japanese translator used the relay system to hear the Spanish to English translation over his headset and then translate from LEA D E R

English into Japanese over his microphone.

"It was sometimes very stressful for the translators," said Yutzy of the dozen translators. "The speakers kept going at full speed and the translators didn't always have time to think about how to translate what was said."

While simulanteous translation was a challenge for the translators, it did allow the participants to "hear in real time-more or less," said Yutzy.

Was the translation service worth the $3,600 equipment rental fee?

"The cost was worth it just for the ICOMB business session alone," said Harold Ens, MBMS International general director, after the Wednesday afternoon meeting. "We had a better translation system that made it possible to actually talk to each other."

Given the response of the participants, the answer is also a resounding yes, says Yutzy. "Mike and our wives handed out the equipment and they repeatedly heard things like 'You allow me to hear' and 'This conference would be nothing without you. '" -Connie Faber

Clearinghouse Have a position to fill? Looking for a new employment or ministry opportunity? Have a gathering or celebration to promote? Reach u.s.

Mennonite Brethren through a Clearinghouse classified ad. The charge is 40 cents per word, with a $15 minimum. Withhold payment until an invoice is received. MB institutions advertising vacancies or position announcements may be eligible for a no-cost ad. Contact the editor for more information. ence education courses in masters degree and EMPLOYMENT-CHURCH in graduate level Teacher Education program; advising masters projects/theses. Required Office Secretary qualifications include experience teaching in Due to the special coverage of the The Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church is K-12 setting; strong content in Iife and/or ICOMB and General Conference looking to fill the -position of office secretary. earth sciences at least at the masters degree conventions, Church News & Notes This full-time position is now available. If you level; Christian commitment and lifestyle in will not appear this month. It will are interested in applying, please contact the agreement with university's doctrinal posireturn next month. church office at (661) 746-4969 or write to PO tions. For more information: Howard Loewen, Box 1538, Shafter, CA 93263.

Provost, Fresno Pacific University, 1717 S. Chestnut, Fresno, CA 93702.

Young Adult's Pastor Education program; advising masters proMathematics Neighborhood Church in Visalia, Calif. is seekjects/theses. Required qualifications include Fresno Pacific University's Graduate School ing a full-time pastor for young adult minexperience teaching in k-12 setting; strong istries (ages 25-39). In addition to overseeing seeks a full-time faculty member to serve in content in mathematics at least at the masters the Mathematics Education program. Responthe spiritual development of this age group, degree level; Christian commitment and sibilities include providing leadership to the this person should possess leadership skills lifestyle in agreement with university's doctrithat help facilitate the Seeker component of graduate mathematics education program; na I positions. For more information contact our church mission statement, as well as teaching mathematics education courses in Howard Loewen, Provost, Fresno Pacific Uniadministrative abilities in personnel managemasters degree and graduate level Teacher versity, 1717 S. Chestnut, Fresno, CA 93702.• ment. Neighborhood is a growing church of about 750 people, with a new multi-purpose facility in the heart of Central California (approximately 45 minutes south of Fresno).

J Please send resumes to: Young Adult Search, Neighborhood Church, 5505 W. Riggin Ave., Garden Valley Church Visalia, CA 93291; or call the Sr. Pastor, Chuck invites you to participate with us at our Buller, at 559-732-9107 or e-mail cbuller@valleyweb.net. Check out our church Web site at 40th anniversary celebration http://www.neighborhood-church.com. Job September 4-5, 1999 description available upon request

celebrating Gods Faitlifulness Together

Garden City, Kansas

Youth Minister Buhler (Kan.) Mennonite Brethren Church is accepting applications for the full time position of youth minister. We are a progressive and growing church of 350 with an established youth program. Our family life center that will complement the youth program is near completion. The successful applicant will continue the program to encourage the spiritual growth and Christian fellowship of youth and young adults of our congregation and community. Send resume to Buhler Mennonite Brethren Church, Youth Minister Search Committee, P.O. Box 126, Buhler, KS 67522.

Youth Ministry Bethany Church in Fresno, Calif. is currently seeking ministry minded people who would work an average of 12 hrs./week with our Jr. High or College/Career Ministry for the 19992000 academic year minimum. A nice stipend is available. To ensure consideration, please contact Tim Franz, Youth pastor, Bethany Church for an 9pplication or information.

1961 N. Maple Ave., Fresno, CA 93720; e-mail at timfranz@fresno.edu; call (559) 434-2500.•

EMPLOYMENT-EDUCATION Science Fresno Pacific University's Graduate School seeks a full-time faculty member to serve in the Science Education program. Responsibilities include providing leadership to the graduate science education program; teaching sci-

For more information or RSVP, contact: 1701 N. 3rd, Garden City, KS 67846; email: gardenvalleychurch@juno.com

HILLSBORO MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH IS SEARCHING FOR A

SENIOR PASTOR with leadership, teaching and preaching gifts for a nurturing congregation having: • average weekly attendance of more than 500 • multiple pastoral staff • a desire for transforming worship, local outreach & worldwide ministry • opportunities with Tabor College If prompted, send your resume to: Pastoral Search Committee Daryle Baltzer, chm.

104 S. Washington Hillsboro, KS 67063

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EDITORIAL

International impressions....

F

or a week this summer, Kansas gave quite the "international" impression. First, North American delegates met in Wichita to decide the fate of the General Conference, which provided a structure for Canadians and Americans to run ministries together in missions, publishing, faith and life, and education. Down the highway and a day later, MBs from 16 of the 17 national conferences around the world-speaking at least five different languages-gathered to discuss ministries, leadership and challenges facing us as a global church.

Our coverage of these events is fairly extensive, but I have some remaining impressions of my own to share.

• Threat of individualism. "Working together" was a popular phrase at both events. As I reflected on those two words and what they meant, I wondered about churches in North America.

I hope I am wrong, but the emphasis on individualism in our society seems to have infiltrated our churches. I see individual churches increasingly concerned with tending their own backyards and less concerned with the fields left empty or withering.

It would be overwhelming for my church in Sacramento, Calif., to think about spreading the Word in Phoenix -much less Pakistan or the Congo-in addition to our own community. And what can one church do to help hundreds of thousands of war refugees or sweep mud and water from flooded homes and churches in Central and South America?

But that is what this thing we call "conference" is all about. When we band together with other churches to form the U.S., Canadian or General conferences, my church in Sacramento helps plant churches in American cities and spread the Gospel in other countries--be it through a Mission USA church planter in Phoenix, MBMS International missionaries in the Middle East or our MB brothers and sisters in the Congo.

Yes, it is imperative that we tend the fields around ussome would say that it has been a long time coming-but in doing so, we can not leave other fields to wither. The beauty of it is that we don't need to do it alone, as individual churches.

We can do more together than we can separately.

Over the next three years, the U.S. and Canadian conferences will be deciding how much they will work together to manage the former General Conference ministries.

We must be carefu1. Taking away the structure of the Gener-

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al Conference may give us the freedom to construct new and even better ways to manage these ministries, but we must be wary of individualism's influence. These ministries help us tend empty and withering fields, and we need to take responsibility for them. By God's grace, we can do that together.

• We are brothers and sisters. The ICOMB convention left an indelible impression on me.

In one instant, the Congolese struggle to make peace between the Congo government and rebels jUluped off of the front page of the newspaper and stood in front of me as a man who lives with that war every day.

Roberson Mbayamvula is just like you and me. Sure, he speaks a different language and lives in a different culture half a world away, but he has a family and a church. He struggles and celebrates. He strives to follow Jesus and serve the church-just like you and me.

More often than not, we dismiss the events happening in other parts of the world as too far away, brushing them off with an apathetic "what does that have to do with me" or an overwhelmed feeling that "I can't do anything about it."

Our family-the one we form as brothers and sisters in Christ-lives in all parts of the world. What happens in the Congo affects me because I am part of God's family. The Spirit that lives in me lives in them.

When we accept the fact that we-as individuals and a local church-are part of a larger church, the problems facing our brothers and sisters are not so overwhelming because we can work together to solve them.

Recognizing that we are part of a larger church also means our own problems are not so overwhelming. We have the help of a larger family. The U.S. and Canadian conferences' membership combined (53,000) is much smaller than membership in the Congo (84,000) and India (72,000). Our brothers and sisters have much to give-just read the two sermons at the beginning of this issue, and you'll see what I mean.

• Final impressions. Thinking back on both conventions, one thing stood out. It gives me the assurance that we can work together as a larger church for God's glory, that we can work united with our brothers and sisters in Canada, the Congo and the rest of the world. I saw great love for Christ and his Church-indeed, in many, I saw Christ himself. And "if God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) -CA