WHEN WE BEGAN EXPLORING WHAT U.S. MENNONITE Brethren churches are doing to transfonn their communities, we found more stories than we have pages available. In this month's feature section we've highlighted six that we hope will inspire and challenge.
Here's a sampling of some of the efforts we didn't have space to cover. Keep an eye on future issues, where we hope to highlight some. And if your church is doing something unique or especially effective to reach your particular community, we want to hear about it. E-mail us at christianleader®usmb org.
• In connection with an emphasis on missional living. The Bridge Bible Church, Bakersfield, Calif., has given each of their small groups a portion of money along with a challenge to use those funds to reach into their community
• A job assistance program at Garden Park Church, Denver, Colo., helps those who come to a food and clothing bank, housed in the church 's activity center, to move toward self-sufficiency. "More importantly, the spiritual needs of these pe0ple have been cared for with kindness, compassion and dignity," says one member.
• At Enid (Okla.) MB Church , special events are held every year to encourage members to bring friends and neighbors. This year's event, a Wild Game Supper for men, featured a meal of wild game, door prizes, hunting stories and a guest speaker. Of about 100 men in attendance, half were from the community
• Sanger (Calif.) Community Church is the center for weekly food distribution, called Sanger Community Christian Outreach, for those in need in the community. In just two months last spring. the food pantry served 2,123 people.
• This spring. Good News Fellowship, Femdale, Wash., collected kitchen items such as potato peelers, saucepans and can openers, and made "kitchen kits" as a tangible way to love women in the community who found themselves in need of basic supplies.
• Trailhead Church, a MUSA church plant in Centennial, Colo., decided to forego Sunday morning worship this summer in favor of activities that would serve and connect with their active, ourdoors-oriented community. The congregation met for worship every other Sunday evening instead.
• Teens in the Huron, SD, community come to the Souled Out Center, a ministry of Bethesda MB Church, for fun and spiritual challenge suited to their needs. Recently, the SOC began a mentoring program , with adults from the congregation paired with teens from the SOC.
• In Lenoir, NC, Bushtown MB Church has developed programs for both teens and children that provide spiritual teaching and a place to connect for both church young people and those from the community.-Myra Holmes
> aUOTABLE
"Many laypeople see ministers' roles as the complaint department for disgruntled club members who want to be catered to Church members who want to live missionallives don't want to be captured by the same concerns of club members that tie up their staff ministers."-Reggie McNeal in his book The Present Future.
> UP & COMING
• Sept. 28-29 - North Carolina District Convention, Lenoir, NC
• Oct. 11-13 - Culture, Gospel and Church Study Conference, Abbotsford , BC
• Nov. 2-3-Pacific District Conference Convention, Shafter, Calif.
Connie Faber
EDITOR
Myra Holme s ASSISTANT
EDITOR
Elaine Ewert GRAPHIC DESIGNER
MANDATE The Ch ris tia n Lea der IISS N 0009 - 51491 is publi s hed monthly by th e U S Co nfe r e n ce of Mennoni t e Brethren Churche s The Christian Leader se eks to inform Mennonit e Brethren m embers and chu rc hes of th e eve nt s, activit ie s. deci si on s and i ss ues of the ir denom in ation , and to instruct, in spire and init iat e di al og ue so mem bers w ill aspi re to be fa i thfu l di sciple s of Chri st as und er stood in th e evang eli caVAnabap t ist th eolog ical t ra dit ion
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> CONFERENCE CALL
Tending the supplies
Is supporting other ministries less glamorous?
Ihave a confession to make. Now don't get all concerned. It isn't a big deal, really In fact, maybe I shouldn't even mention it but I will. I need to clear the ai r.
Sometimes I get jealous. I try not to be, but I really am the jealous type . I get jealous ... of other Mennonite Brethren mi nistries . After all, why shouldn't I be? They are the ones that get to be in the front lines of ministry. They get to report about lives saved, baptisms held, students educ2ted, churches planted, leaders trained, elderly cared for, youth mobilized, marri ages restored, strongholds captured
growth of MB Stewardship Ministries of the General Conference (i ncluding both U.S. and Canada), which handed off the stewardship baton in this country to the U.S. Conference of MB Churches . They, in tum, funded and incorporated the stewardship ministry we have today, MB Foundation.
Since then, MB Foundation has grown from assets of $18.4 million to $73.1 million. We provide services to people and agencies of the Mennonite Brethren family including investment certificates, church/ministry loans, pastoral loans, a full range of planned giving services, endowment fund management and stewand evil destroyed . Meanwhile , back at the MB Foundation, much of what we do lacks the same luster, polish or shine. We manage funds, facilitate gifts and make
I take (onlidcncc anu knowin g that as \\ c \\ oycr the fund going into battle '1"",i"t in huilding to accommod<ltc minbtry ...
loans to churches. Ho-h um. It isn't that I don't love what we do I do! I really do! But, it doesn't seem to have the same pizzazz. Sometimes it doesn 't seem to accomplish as much as the rest of our Mennonite Brethren ministries.
Lately however, I have been drawn to an obscure passage in 1 Samuel 30:24 "The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike ."
Could this nugget of truth hold the key to resolving my jealousy? After David led 400 men against the evil forces of the Amalekites, he returned to the 200 who had stayed behind with the supplies and declared, "all will share alike ." In fact, David felt so strongly about it that he made this a statute and ordinance "from that day to this (v 25)." I like that. Those who gather and protect the supplies share in the victory of those who go to battle
This passage reinforces what I've actually known all along, that the giver and the frontline worker, those who go and those who send, M B Foundation and Mennonite Brethren ministries, are equal partners in God's work. As the apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 3:7, 9, "Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. For we are God's fellow workers "
So I take great confidence and satisfaction, knowing that as we watch over the supplies, fund others go ing into battle and assist in building facilities to accommodate ministry, we share with you in the victory over the evil forces that come agai nst us.
Now th at we've establish ed that we are in ministry together, we'd like you to know that the M B Fo undation Board of Directo rs has init iated a strategic planning process MB Foundation fo rm ally bega n in 1991 as an out-
ardship education services. We have over 1,000 customers that have direct investment, loan or gift plan arrangements with us.
In 2006, we received charitable contributions of over $3.8 million ($357,120 in 1991). These are "supplies" given to us by generous folks who want to support those on the front lines with future distributions. Talk about a supply distribution system that supports the front lines of MB ministries! In 2006 we had the privilege of distributing over $3.7 million to 165 different frontline ministries, as directed by the donors ($264,397 in 1991)
Indeed , this stewardship ministryofthe U.S. Conference has grown into a fairly significant partner in ministry with our Mennonite Brethren family. So it is only right and appropriate that we rethink our purpose, objectives and strategy to ensure that we are sril1 doing the right things as your fellow workers in this conference of churches and that we involve you in this process.
We have intentionally sought out the perspective of our donors, investors, borrowers, denominational leaders and partner ministries as we want to produce a strategic plan which will best position us to support the Mennonite Brethren and the ministries they love We want to do the best job possible as we gather and protect the supplies, supporting others who go to battle.
Please join us by praying for our strategic planning process and for your stewardship ministry, MB Foundation May the next IS years yield the same increase or greater, as together we serve God, who makes things grow.
Jon C. Wiebe is president and chief executive officer of MB Foundat ion, headquartered in Hillsboro, Kan ., and with an office in Fresno , Calif.
> COMMON MUS N G S
The same blackened pot
Reflections on being part of the global church
While in conversation with a friend, I leamed that her project to build a home in a suburb of our town of Gaborone, Botswana, had suddenly come to an awkward halt. The half-finished building, which had lain quiet for some weeks, had been occupied by a raft of strangers who had taken shelter there when no one was watching.
Well-to-do neighbors had seen the improvised life of the squatters : night-time candles, bundles of firewood , the smoke of cooking fires and the motley coming and going. They had called the owner to say they felt profoundly uneasy, and could she look into things .
With her heart in her throat she went to the site and
homes as a matter of survival and been cast adrift in the neighboring countries by the millions
Here in Botswana, it is estimated by some that nearly one in five persons (currently in this country) is in flight from what has befallen them at home in Zimbabwe This once proud, educated and productive society has been drubbed to its skinned, wobbly knees as the effects of HIY, drought, corruption, inflation and political folly have left the people utterly prostrate.
Little wonder that a ragged band should have found its way through the back country fences and crept under the eaves of an unfinished house seeking some shelter from life's blast. As we spoke with them at the police station, we assured them that we would not press charges against them Who could bear to see them taken to prison, or even worse, returned to
The hlackened cookin g pOh. the pla -, tic jug"i. the jmyed h3gS .. . were gathered on the unfin b hed entryw3Y of the belongin gs that we \vOldd cart Jway to .1 dumpster without a mom en t \; thought their shattered country? We only asked that they return the house to its owner
These people are Shona refugees from the eastem side of Zimbabwe-6oo kilometers or more away. They, and many more like them, would have taken buses or trucks to the border areas, crossing by foot her worst fears were confinned: as many as 20 strangers were camping on her property She fled out of fear for her own safety, not knowing what desperate-and brazenpeople might do. It was this conundrum that she recounted as we sat together.
What was she to do now? I suggested that together we initiate contact and seek some understanding with them But we arrived the next day to find that the local police had already taken a vanload of the squatters to the precinct. I began to wonder if any of them might be Anabaptist sisters and brothers.
My mind replayed glimpses of their heroic effons in hospitality at the Mennonite World Conference '03 assembly in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, midst threadbare circumstances-the army of women who labored to cook and serve the multitude, the array of blackened cooking pots ranged over the wood fires and the humble nameless who washed and cleaned and swept with such zeal and dignity
We arrived at the police station to find our squatters - men and women, even mothers with small infants on their backs. Some were in handcuffs, and all had the resigned, humiliated look of the wretched of the eatth. They were Zimbabweans Border-jumpers, as they are called here The children of Robett Mugabe. A tiny eddy of a much larger tide of les miserables who have fled their
Essays published as part of Common Musings are submitted by Mennonite Brethren or inter- Mennonite agencies.
and then trekking to the Botswana highways where they might catch a passing vehicle into towns. Others might come by train from Bulawayo, passing through border posts where a gratuity would see them through formalities . I'm not sure how many enter each day, but it must certainly be in the hundreds. The pressure of these growing numbers of arrivals has elicited an uncharacteristic resentment from Botswana society that had always been known as a congenial haven for outsiders
We returned with our new acquaintances to the construction site. They began, with astonishing efficiency, to gather their belongings. They have done this many times . But the stoty of their troubles is far from over. The blackened cooking pots, the plastic jugs, the frayed bags in which they have folded their blankets and clothes were gathered on the unfinished entryway of the house, belongings that we would cart away to a dumpster without a moment's thought. Someone will come with a battered pickup to collect them and their things - to go in search of some other unguarded comer where they will huddle together for a few days, where by the evening fires they will laugh the quiet laugh of those whose heans are breaking, the dispossessed of the world.
Even now, the great and powerful of these countries and of the world gather at seaside villas, where, turned out in their finery, they laud each other while surrounded by bodyguards If only they could sit by those evening fires in the quiet and bitter comers of our countries to hear the truth - the gritty, pitiful truth .
In this part of the world that truth reads this way - at evening, we all eat from the same bla ckened pot.
Jonathan Larson is a pastor and writer from Gaborone, Botswana Mennonite World Conference distributed this essay
MBBS offers .... Degree from a Distance"
Seminary program targets Midwestern U.S. pastors
This month MB Biblical Seminary is launching "Degree from a Distance." a Master of Arts program for students in the Midwestern United States. based out of the Fresno campus.
'This degree is a response to requests from Midwestern pastors who have indicated interest in seminary. but are in work or family situations that make it difficult to move to Fresno for two or three years." says academic dean Lynn Jost. 'The main goal ofthe seminary has always been to train pastors and leaders for the Mennonite Brethren churches in North America Over the last year we have been working hard to develop a program that would meet the need of our Midwest churches in doing just that; the result is Degree from a Distance."
Degree from a Distance is designed for students to earn a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry over the course of four
years. The degree includes a combination of courses to be taken each year including one -week module courses in the Midwest. Internetbased courses. and one - and two-week module courses on the Fresno campus. This degree allows students to remain based in the Midwest and to continue in their current ministry assignments. The plan also allows students to experience the community of the Fresno campus and demands minimal time away from home.
The first course in the Degree from a Distance program. a one-unit Internet-based follow-up to the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. will be offered in mid-August.
All Midwestern pastors will receive a packet of information on Degree from a Distance by the end of the summer. Questions on the program or referrals of potential students can be directed to Andy Johnson. director of recruitment. at ajohnson@mbseminary.edu or Steve Prieb. advancement officer for the Midwest. at sprieb@mbseminary.edu. -MBBS
New name, clearer purpose for leOMB
ICOMB is now offi ci ally the "International Community of Mennonite Brethren ." At its annual meeting June 1720 - this year located in Kinshasa Democrati c Republic of Congo - 13 delegates from around the world adopted a new identifier.
The "c" has stood for "Committee" since 1988 when MBMS International created ICOMB as a global fellowship. IC OMB members wanted to reflect the growing fellowship and ability to express that globally through specific events and programs At the same time they wished to keep the "ICOMB" acronym that is understood and even used as its own word in every conference and every language.
"Commun ity'·- which translates into some other languages quite well - fits biblically and culturally as well . Victor Wall. executive secretary. quotes an African proverb : "One finger cannot wash your face ." He says the new name "expresses who we are growing in our effort to exist and work together."
In other action ICOMB heard from the findings team regarding the recent global higher education consultation The group discussed the common felt need for schools and the church to work closely together to accomplish God's mission . (See news story. page 19.) ICOMB was updated on
several projects : a commentary on the I C OMB Confession of Faith to be released in early 2008 and plans for celebrating the 150th anniversary of the MB movement in 2010 . MBMS International general director Randy Friesen told of an emerging group of about 30 000 members in Southeast Asia. founded by an MB pastor from the U S Conference Friesen will suggest to them that ICOMB serve as a possible umbrella organization.
Emesto Wiens will continue his term as chair. Damien Pelende.leader of the Congo MB con fe rence. was elected vice chair. David Wiebe leader of the Canadian MB conference. was re -elected secretary - ICOMB
German MBs host Pentecost conference
About 650 Mennonite Brethren from Germany and Austria, including 110 children and more than 200 young people, met in Dresden, Germany, for the 33rd MB Pentecost Conference May 25-28. The conference, which has taken place every three years since I960, was the first hosted by Dresden Mennonite Church. More than 30 different churches were represented, as well as guests from Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Canada, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay. Numerous day-guests attended as well
The conference offered morning and evening worship services and youth and children had programs. Music, theater, dance and mime, workshops, seminars and group discussions centered on the theme, "He renews us: Giving God a chance."
Bernhard Ott, director of the Bienenberg Theological Seminary in Switzerland, spoke on the renewing power of God, giving examples and illustrations of what Christianity put into practice could
look like . Selma and Lorenz Warkentin, Canadians with German roots who planted the Dresden Mennonite Church in I993 , spoke about the begi nning of their work in the Saxon capital. I n the early '90S, pastors of the evangelic al alliance speci fica ll y asked that a chu rch be planted there . Now the Dresden church , pa sto red by Alexan der Neufeld, has 70 members and abo ut 140 regular attendees, mostly young vis itors
The youth program took the stage each evening. On Sunday night, youth spoke to partygoers about their spiritual lives and gave out roses to passersby in the city saying "We would like to pass on the love of God to you." Others prayed for the city of Dresden, the Christians there and the persecuted fo ll owers of Jesus in othe r countries
Afternoon leisure activities included soccer and volleyball matches, hiking tri ps to "Saxony's Switzerland," and guided tours to the historical center of D resden . the 800year-old capital of Saxony. - MWC
New missionaries mobilized
MBMS International has announced the assignments of several new workers in Brazil, Ukraine and Asia
Tim and Denice Kuhns have been accepted as MBMSI missionaries to Brazil and began serving last month. Tim served for seven years as the headmaster of Oklahoma Bible Academy in Enid and 10 years as the superintendent of Com (Okla ) Bible Academy Denice is a teacher, most recently teaching kindergarten. They will be using their gifts of administration and teaching at Pan American Christian Academy in Sao Paulo.
John and Evelyn Wiens , new mis sionaries to the Ukraine, have served in church and un iversity ministry for 39 years . They have experience in street, prison , I2 -step
recovery and prayer counselin g ministries. 'We are passionate about moving to Ukraine to bring the hope and healing of Jes us Christ to people suffering from decades of alcoholism, 70 years of political oppression and centuries of occultism, they say. "We know of no greater way to invest the next ro years of our lives before retirement. "
Jim and Francine, with sons Clay and Ty, recently began serving in a restricted access area in Asia, and so their full names are not being published. They are cu rrently learning the language through study, building relationships and teaching English . ' We are serving on a team in the heart of Asia and believing God for kingdom expansion through church planting among an extremely resistant people group," th ey say.-MBMSI
NEW MANAGER FOR KINDRED
Mario Buscio was recently named manager of Kindred Product i ons , the publishing and resource arm of the U.S. and Canadian Mennonite Brethren confe r ences. Buscio has worked in both the business and ministry sectors , most recently as co - pastor of Egl i se Com munautaire de la Riv i ere Rouge, Winnipeg, Man. Bus ci o st udied at Institut Bib li que Laval (now Ecole de Theo l ogie Evangelique de Mo nt r ea l); MB Bible College (now Canadian Mennonite Un ivers ity ), Winn ipeg; and MB Bi blical Seminary, Fresno, Calif. -CMBC
eMU INVITES PAPERS
Canadian Mennonite Universi ty , Winnipeg , Man., will ho st the next Believers Church Co nference June 11-14, 2008. Th e theme of the conference is, "Congregationalism, Deno minat i onalism and the Body of Christ. " Organizers are accepting proposals for papers that fall with i n the broad scope of the confe r ence theme from a variety of disciplines within theological studies, the social sci ences and the humanities. Proposals should be about 200 words in length and should be sent to conference coordinator Helmut Harder at hharderlikmu.ca Deadline f or submission is Sept. 1, 2007 . For more i nformation, visit www.cmu.ca/church - community/02 BelieversChurchConf htm l. -CMU
t is.
'>'\ t said that the
· .. ,,: ' church in North .Arne'rica is from amnesia. TIlai we've forgotten that the church's mission is to join God ' in his .'
efforts to save including :tHe . in which we live and worship. Is this true of u.s. ..* churches? Is our cCmission memoryS ' intact? We didn't do ".
«.. formal research to answer .these questions, but for the past
.t the Leader staff has kept our eyes and ears open as we talked to peo .., , , p.le and read church bulletins and newsletters. The anecdotal evi, dence we have suggests that a growing number it congregations are becoming missional communities of w ' > ' faith. This issue highlights six Qf !hese congregations. , t We anticipate that these examples and the opening .. article by Ray Bystrom will nudge those of us .-q whose memories need prodding andl1 '"
'Y.t-.
- encourage those of us already involved in . our churches and 't , nities. - Connie Faber - '"
A son writes to his father about the missional church
Dear Dad,
It was good to get your recent letter. I always thank God for you and I'm happy to know that you continue to enjoy good health-at the young age of 891
You wrote that your pastor is using a new term in the pulpit: missional. You implied that his usage is different from what you have heard in the past. I can appreciate your confusion-the word is not even in Webster'S Dictionary.
It's ambiguous too, carrying a lot of positive and negative baggage from the good and bad ways people have spoken about missions and missionaries.
I confess that your pastor and I are probably reading the same books and attending the same conferences-and that we are also reading the same Bible. The Gospel and Our Culture Network, a coalition of North Americans committed to the church (www.gocn.org), began using the term in the early '90S and the book The Missional Church, published in 1998 by Eerdmans, popularized it.
Enough about the recent background of this term. You ask, "What is a 'missional' church?" Let me take a poke at your question, but let's agree in advance to continue the conversation. One letter cannot unpack the richness of the expression "missional church."
As you know, mission is all about God and God's great heart for the world. Mission refers to the sending of Jesus by the Father and the sending of the Holy Spirit by the Father and the Son (John 17:18; 20:21) . Prior to the modern era, the word mission was always used by Christians to refer to God's mission in the world. And you know the biblical story all too well. You taught it to me as a child.
Initially God's missionary character was evident in creation as he formed the world and invited human beings, his crowning creation, to become his partners in caring and developing planet earth. After the fall, God expressed his missionary character by sending Jesus Christ into the world to restore to right relationship all that had been lost in the fall.
Ultimately God's missionary nature will be evidenced in the work of consummation when he acts in history to bring all creation to completion. "Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20). So remember that when your pastor uses the word "missional" it refers, first and foremost, to God's heanbeat for the world.
Now here's the exciting part. God invites the church, his people, to join him in his caring, sustaining and redeeming activity in the world. We are called and sent to dance to the rhythm of God's heartbeat for the world. Amazing isn't it? Our great God needs a people who live out the implications of the good news in their individual and corporate lives.
If those outside the Christian faith are to experience God's love for them and the entire cosmos, God seems to believe they primarily encounter his love through the church, God's missionary community. We are shaped and formed by the good news and called to demonstrate to others what the good news looks like. We are the lens through which and by which they can see, taste and hear the good news. Clearly, the church plays an important role in God's mission to the worldl We are God's partners.
But it's not an easy assignment. God is asking us to be as rigorous about our missionary life here in North America as we have been about missionary work done elsewhere. As God's pe0ple we live in a sort of tension between the gospel on one side, and our culture on the other We are called to be faithful to the gospel but in a fully contextual way. This means we may be unfaithful to the gospel message at times, and we may be uncontextual at other times. These are the two dangers we need to avoid as God's people.
Let me say this again in a different way. As God's people we are shaped by the gospel message, but we are also shaped by our culture. We are always in the place of being converted by the gospel message. We are always in need of more changing and transforming. God is never finished with us.
Like any other church in the world that finds itself gripped by the gospel message of God's love for the world, we find our culture affirmed at some points (e.g., whenever it cares for the poor and needy) and critiqued at other points (e.g., whenever it succumbs to materialism, greed and violence.) The result is that we are constantly being re-patterned in our life together as God's people.
The hard part about being a missional church is that we must always be clarifying our identity as the people of God. We must seek to understand the shape we have inherited from our cultural context and then hear the gospel's call to be transformed for the sake of God's mission in the world. This is not a singular event. We continue to be con -
the mission field is under my roof, over my fence, in my workplace, to my city and among the nations.
I apologize for rambling on and on like this. But I confess: I've made a shift in my thinking about the church since I left home as a young man. For me mission is not just a program or projects some people in the church do from time to time. Like organizing a short-term mission trip, forming a mission commirtee and passing a mission budget.
The church is missionary by nature. We are a sent people not just a sending people. I no longer worship a God who is simply a personal Savior. I worship a cosmic Savior. For me salvation is no longer just about my soul, my personal identity, my maturity or me (You know, the "I will bless you" part of God's words to Abraham.) Rather, salvation is all about joining God in his love for the world; it's all about others.
When ever a congregation choo ses to Live in contrast to society at so me critical point, it bears witness to th e good news of God 's love for th e worl d.
f-
verted in our thinking and living in the style of Romans 12.
Like a lot of evangelical Anabaptists, I've come to believe that God's people are called to be different, to live as a contrast society. A lot of people think the church in North America looks suspiciously like the dominant culture rather than an alternative to it. I suspect they are right.
But I want to be part of a church that is more than a place where certain things happen and more than a vendor of religious goods and services. We are called to conform to Christ rather than the surrounding culture. For some congregations it may mean intentionally rejecting materialism by being with the poor or rejecting the domination of the profit motive by giving generously or rejecting individualism by being committed to one another.
These are just examples. My point is that whenever a congregation chooses to live in contrast to society at some critical point, it bears witness to the good news of God's love for the world
This business of being a missional church is not easy. But I believe it's biblical, and it has its advantages. It eliminates the need for distinctions like "social action" and "evangelism" by integrating these two noble tasks into the fabric of God's mission through the church. A newborn Christian joins God's community, which loves others by seeking their good in the style of Jeremiah 29.
It eliminates old distinctions like "ministry" (what we do inside the church) and "mission" (what we do outside the church) because everything we do is for the sake of the world We deepen our common understanding of the biblical story not just for our own sake but so that we are better equipped to love God and neighbor in the style of Luke 10
It eliminates old distinctions like "missionary" and "mission field" for every Christian is a missionary (sent by God) and every place is a mission field (the focus of God's love) as Paul states in Romans 12. Today
The church exists for the world in imitation of God's own love for the world. (You know, the "I will make you a blessing to others" part of God's words to Abraham in Genesis 15 and 17.) The bottom line is that the term missional is now used to signal these differences.
Dad, thanks for listening to me. I hope my comments help you sort things out a bit. Let me know what you think, OK? I'd love to hear from you on this subject
Much love and respect, Raymond (robelb@aol.com)
PS: By the way, my seminary community here at MB Biblical Seminary has recently adopted the missional church paradigm as its theological core value statement: 'We give witness to a biblical theology that is both Anabaptist and evangelical, teaching that the church is called by Jesus Christ to represent God's reign (read "mission") in the world by the power of the Holy Spirit as its community (being), servant (doing), and messenger (telling)."
Ray Bystrom, professor of pastoral ministries at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif, has taught on the missional church for a decade. Bystrom retired this May after serving MBBS for 16 years as both faculty member and director of theological field education. He is the author of three books and numerous articles. This article was also published in a recent issue of the North Fresno MB Church newsletter that focused on the congregation sefforts to become missional
Packed wi th love
Backpacks open neighborhood doors
NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH, VISALIA, CALIF., is a growing congregation, with attendance building over the past six years to about 1,200 on a Sunday morning "It's been really exciting, but it's easy to become a typical white, middle-class church that just does a lot of things for ourselves," says church member Doug Bartsch.
Two years ago when the people of Neighborhood Church decided to take their ministry a step further they didn't have far to look. An ad hoc committee led by Galen Wiest, who was serving in the newly created position as pastor of community and global outreach, began researching the needs of the surrounding population and looking for an avenue of outreach
'We decided to connect with a school because, when you think about impacting a community, one thing that you can count on is that everyone sends their kids to school," says Bartsch, also the area administrator for kindergarten through sixth grade schools in Visalia.
Out of the 23 elementary schools that Bartsch oversees, the committee specifically selected Houston Elementary School because of its socioeconomic needs and proximity to the church's campus in northern Visalia. Like several churches were already doing with other schools in the area , Neighborhood decided to "adopt" Houston for the 2006-07 year and to plan several projects to partner with the school in helping the academically struggling student body.
The first step was to meet with Houston principal Linda Barwick and to assess the needs of the students . Barwick, Wiest and the committee decided to start with a simple and concrete project: 350 backpacks loaded with school supplies for fourth, fifth and sixth graders, many of whom come from families who could not afford a backpack.
'We just asked the church to donate money for this special project, and several thousand dollars came in within a week," Bartsch continues. "People just opened their hearts and wallets immediately, and we had some local businesses either give us a discount or donate school supplies."
One team loaded supplies in the backpacks, and another team delivered them to the school the next day. 'The kids were thrilled to receive those things," Bartsch says
That was the beginning. Other activities launched that fall were a school carnival staffed in part by Neighborhood folk, and monthly breakfasts for students and parents as part of the school's character building program
The church's high school students became involved in the partnership this spring and summer. The week following the national Mennonite Brethren youth convention in Anaheim, Calif., was spring break, so the teens held a vacation Bible school at the end of the week for the school children. The youth also hosted a weeklong soccer camp this summer.
The people of Neighborhood Church saw firsthand how grateful Houston is for their efforts when school staff brought 60 students to sing in a June Sunday service . 'Those children, to be at our church that morning, had to be transported by their parents," says Bartsch. "So we had the families and parents of all those kids there at our church that morning. It was very exciting and moving."
Bartsch looks forward to building relationships with these families as the partnership continues in a similar fashion this coming school year. 'There's still a great distance between the non-English speaking families and our church folks, as you can imagine," he says. "It's certainly not negative, but it takes a long time to build trust with people, and we understand that.
"We're thinking about a 10, 15, 20 year commitment," he says "We 're not looking to do a short-term project, pat ourselves on the back and then walk away. We're in for the long hau!." -
Laura Campbell
Note: FoUowing Galen Wiests resignation this spring to serve as the MBMS International West Coast regional mobilizer, Scott Bosler was hired to serve as pastor of community and global outreach.
Children from Houston Elementary School received backpacks filled with school supplies courtesy of Neighborhood Church.
Helpwanted
Offering immigrants practical, emotional support
IMAGINE ARRIVING IN THE UNITED STATES AS AN immigrant. You have no place to live, no job to support yourself or your children. How will you get a job if you don't know the language? And how will you find housing if you have no job to pay for rent? You have more questions than answers.
Some days the tears will not stop.
So you seek out others from home who might understand. If you are an immigrant from Ethiopia or neighboring Eritrea living in Denver, Colo., whether Christian or not, that search might lead you to Ethiopian Evangelical Church, a Mennonite Brethren congregation in east Denver.
Since the vast majority of the members of EEC are immigrants from Ethiopia and Eritrea, they are in a unique position to understand and reach out. Pastor Endashaw Kelkele, who came from Ethiopia in 1989, says, «I know what it feels like to be really lonely in this big city."
Kelkele and others at EEC know from experience that the biggest need for new immigrants is help with the practical and emotional implications of resettlement. 'They come all the way from Ethiopia and Africa, and their felt need is first and foremost not the preaching and teaching. So we wanted to reach out to people where they are," Kelkele says
Through a program called Faith Works Employment and Training Program, EEC offers resettlement support, connecting immigrants to English-language training, employment, housing and emotional support. The two-year-old program is staffed by Tia Shafo, a church community worker through Mennonite Central Committee, the peace, service and relief agency of North American Anabaptist churches. Shafo's
term of service will end in October 2007; she is applying for grant money to keep the program funded afrer that.
When an immigrant comes to Shafo for help, she listens She does not treat them like a client, she says, but like family. 'They are welcomed," she says.
Once she has assessed their needs, she connects them with existing services to meet those needs. If they are not here legally, she first refers them to legal services that can walk them through that process. If they need housing, Shafo works with Denver Rescue Mission for temporary housing. If they need to learn English, Shafo connects them with a free ESL program at the local community college. If they need transportation to appointments, interviews or court dates, volunteers help.
For crucial employment needs, Faith Works helps make connections with job training-such as a free training program for certified nurse's aides-and potential employers-such as a chain of convenience stores that regularly hires cashiers.
Shafo sees lives changed for the better through Faith Works. She contrasts the sadness and darkness that she often sees as new immigrants come in with the smiles she sees as Faith Works offers help and hope.
"Faith Works opens up their eyes and their hearts to a better future," she says. "It is transforming. "
Equally important, Faith Works offers emotional support ' Associate pastor Ermias "Jeremiah" Tesfamichael says, 'We don't just fill out the forms and accomplish the task. It's a longtime relationship."
Through a mentoring program, Shafo and the pastors meet with new immigrants, listen to their concerns and "just walk them through the whole process," Shafo says. It might mean teaching them how to budget or helping get their children enrolled in the local school.
'1\nd of course there is prayer," Shafo says.
Meeting these basic social needs goes hand in hand with meeting spiritual needs. Tesfamichael says . Faith Works helps earn trust and build relationships; "then to sit down and talk about spiritual needs, it comes naturally," he says. "Once I have their ears, God will take hold of their hearts."
The ministry has its challenges. With some 20,000 Ethiopian/Eritrean immigrants in Denver, the need is never-ending and sometimes overwhelming.
But the potential to transform lives is also huge. Already, Faith Works is something of a household name in the Ethiopian/Eritrean community. "I think we have a real opportunity ahead of us. No question," says Kelkele. For that reason, he asks the larger MB family to support EEC and Faith Works with prayer as they work to transform their community. - Myra Holmes
The efforts of Ethiopian Evangelical Church and Tia Shafo to assist immigrants has been supported by Mennonite Central Committee.
NOW serving
No such thing as a free lunch?
WHEN A CHURCH JUST HAPPENS TO BE LOCATED across the street from the local high school, ministry to students seems like an opportunity too good to pass up. That's the case at Garden Valley Church, Garden City, Kan., where the close proximity of the school presents the church with what member Kathy Isaac calls, "a mission field that's right here at our doorstep."
Over the years, Garden Valley has developed a way to regularly make contact with students : feed them . Once a week during the school year at the 40-minute lunchtime, students find their way across the street to the church for "Lunch on Us" -a free home-cooked meal and a brief devotional.
And while students might come for the food, youth pastor Steve Ensz and other volunteers hope to whet their spiritual appetites. 'The purpose is to give them some food, give them some encouragement, some spiritual food, and send them on their way," Ensz says.
It all started quite innocently some 15 years ago when Ensz began inviting a small group of guys from the youth group over to his home for lunch. Over time. that evolved into a weekly lunch that outgrew the parsonage dining room and moved into the church's fellowship hall. In the last few years, word has spread until it's not uncommon to have 90 hungry students show up.
"Maybe they smell the food," quips Ensz. He estimates that only 15 percent of the student diners come from Garden Valley; the rest are from other churches or have no church background.
Crowded conditions in the church's old fellowship hall, meant to comfortably host about 70, didn't seem to deter; students shared chairs or sat on the floor. This spring Garden Valley completed a new Family Life Center, which will provide ample space for future lunches
As the lunch grew and more kids came, more hands were needed to make it possible and the Garden Valley congregation has generously met that challenge Devoted volunteers prepare the food, set up chairs and
selVe the meal each week. Others plan, organize, shop and pre -cook during the week. Some donate food. Others donate funds to keep it free.
The menu varies from week to week-from casseroles to sloppy joes, enchiladas to sub sandwiches-and often includes homemade breads or desserts. ''You name it, we've probably selVed it," Ensz says.
Not only do the students receive a good meal when they come to Lunch on Us, they also receive food for the soul in the form of a short devotional intended to introduce students to spiritual truths. This past school year, the devotional focused on 'Wisdom to Live By" and tackled a biblical proverb each week
The hope is that theyll leave hungry for more. "Some of these kids don't darken the church doors except for this and we just want to be pointing them to God," Ensz says. "It's not getting any easier for these kids. Hopefully they can latch onto some truths, and maybe itll come to fruition later on in life. We don't look for immediate results."
Volunteers who give their time and energy to Lunch on Us say it's well worth the effort for the chance to connect with students and let them know they're loved. "Kids come out when there's food," says volunteer John Ail.
"It seems to me like it is an easy way to get kids to come in the door, and it's an easy opportunity to make contact with kids and let them know that we care about them."
Ensz says Lunch on Us is a good fit for Garden Valley because, 'We have good cooks, we have generous hearts and we are close to the high school."
'We need to take advantage of the opportunity that God has given us," he says. - Myra Holmes
Once a week volunteers feed as many as 90 students who walk across the street from the ir high school to have "Lunch on Us" at Garden Valley Church.
Low-cost groceries link church, community
DINUBA (CALIF.) MB CHURCH, A WELL-ES TABLISHED, predominately Anglo Mennonite Brethren congregation of several hundred, is located in a predominately Spanish-speaking community in the poorest county in California. Some in the community have preconceived ideas abo ut "the rich white church."
DMBC hopes to change that reputation, building bridges into their community and sharing the love of Christ in a tangible way. As they look for ways to make a difference in their community, the congregation is also being transformed, discovering a renewed enthusiasm for outreach. '
One bridge comes in the form of food As a new host distribution site for Golden Share Foods, an established food distribution program, DMBC offers monthly distribution of quality food for discount prices .
Food, says Jason Nichols, pastor of community outreach, is a very real need in this community, where many families must choose between electricity and groceries at the end of the month. It's not the only need, but "this is an area we can do something about," Nichols says.
Through Golden Share, the church offers fresh food-never seconds or leftovers-for about half the normal price. The discount boxes are available to all, regardless of income level or need. "It allows families to stand on their own two feet with dignity and purchase good quality food ," Nichols says.
Here's how the monthly food distribution works : The chu rch spreads the word through local schools, senior centers and community organizations, then takes prepaid orders in the church office for boxes of food. Six kinds of boxes offer a variety of meats, vegetables or specialties such as steaks or seafood . Bilingual church member Nora Reimche translates for Spanish speakers .
Golden Share takes care of filling the orders and delivering the boxes to DMBC's program coordinator, David Unruh On distribution day, volunteers at the church greet those whove ordered boxes, match receipts with the boxes and carry boxes to cars. A receiving area with coffee and donuts en courages vis iting . Any
, unclaimed boxes are prayerfully given away by a couple who knows firsthand what it feels like to need an extra boost
DMBC tested the program in February and March, offering food boxes to the congregation only, before opening it to community members in April. Since then, the number of orders has fluctuated between 82 and 127 boxes. Roughly a third of the boxes are purchased by church members, sometimes on behalf of others.
Just getting to this point has been a journey. DMBC tried a different food distribution program, Angel Food, last year with excellent response from both church and community members. Pastor Jim Aiken reponed at the time that the effort was part of a larger enthusiasm among church members to reach into their community, which also included hiring a new staff member-Nichols-to help with outreach. When Angel Food pulled out of the area, DMBC persisted and Nichols discovered Golden Share via the Internet.
For a congregation eager to build bridges into their community, Golden Share gives church members a chance to make a difference . "I got tired of talking; I wanted to do something." says program coordinator David Unruh , who finds "great satisfaction" in his volunteer involvement in Golden Share. "Ive found something that can show people God's love."
And Unruh is apparently not the only one. Distribution day requires about half a dozen volunteers at this point, but Unruh says he has 60 to 80 names on the volunteer list, some so eager to help they refuse to wait their tum "People want to get involved," Unruh says. "I see this as one way of gerting people involved and excited about doing God's work, not just talking about it."
Nichols hopes that the bridge between church and community will be well-traveled as church and community members rub shoulders. "I would like to see the church become more invested in the community." Golden Share, he says, is a first step in the right direction -Myra Holmes.
SHARE (Self-Help and Resource Exchange) has distribution centers across the nation For more information about Golden Share visit www.goldensharefoods com.
GoLden Share Foods distribution at Dinuba MB Church.
on the ritz
Transforming a church coat room into a one-stop prom shop
EVERY SPRING ACROSS THE country, high school girls begin preparing for prom or a spring formal. They search for shoes, accessories, flowers, hair styles and, of course, the perfect dress.
While the evening can be full of glitz and glamour, music and dancing, prom can be expensive. That is why Lauren Banik of Lincoln Hills Bible Church in Sioux Falls, SO, began Operation Prom Dress.
'When she first came, she was tough and wasn't smiling." says Banik 'i\fter the dress fit, she left with a little bit of a smile on her face."
Banik continues to stay connected with Lutheran Social Services and is keeping in touch with several of the girls she helped get ready for prom. She recently visited one of the Lutheran Social Service sites for a barbeque and is hoping to continue making regular visits.
"The girls are very protected," says Banik. "It is great to be trusted enough to be a part of the girls' lives."
Not w anting the girl to miss her spring formal, Banik made it her personal mission to find a r ed dress . She went to an area dress store but was turned down for a donation. She then went to the high school to pick up some additional donated dresses . Amongst th e pile of donations w as a red dress
Banik was inspired to begin Operation Prom Dress by a story on the CBS Morning Show featuring an organization in Texas that helped underprivileged girls cut prom costs by giving away donated dresses.
"I felt a tug on my heart from God to get the word out," says Banik.
Although only in its first year, Operation Prom Dress aided 10 girls this past April with finding dresses or fixing their hair and makeup. Banik along with approximately 20 volunteers transformed the Lincoln Hills coat room into a dress shop filled with 85 donated dresses, including some new dresses donated by local bridal shops because they were discontinued styles.
While Operation Prom Dress was advertised in local arenas, including area high schools, the majority of girls came from Lutheran Social Services, says Banik. "It (Lutheran Social Services) is a last effort before the girls are sent to a juvenile detention center," says Banik. "It was exciring to hang out with the girls and reach out to them."
Calling it her "God story," Banik shares that two girls came from Lutheran Social Services wanting to find dresses for their spring formal. While one girl found a dress, the other went away without finding her perfect match-a red dress.
Not wanting the girl to miss her spring formal, Banik made it her personal mission to find a red dress. She went to an area dress store but was turned down for a donation. She then went to the high school to pick up some additional don ated dresses. Amongst the pile of donations was a red dress, and it was a perfect fit for the girl from Lutheran Social Services.
Additionally, two other visitors to Operation Prom Dress now attend Lincoln Hills for worship services.
"I think it's (Operation Prom Dress) shown me my passion is for these girls," says Banik. "Most of them I can relate to and what they're going through. I wantto reach outto them and hopefully get them to come to Christ." -Malinda Just. Banik plans to continue Operation Prom Dress and is already accepting donations for the 2008 prom season. To make a donation, please contact Lauren Banik at laurenbanik@msn.com
Many of the girls who took advantage of Operation Prom Dress came through Lutheran Social Services, which is careful to protect the identify of their clients. "I wish we could have taken pictures of their faces because they looked so beautiful," says coordinator Lauren Banik.
Touchdown!
NCDC churches tackle community issues
RECENTLY THE YOlITH IN OUR CHURCH CHALLENGED THE adults to a game of football. I pictured two small teams and a quick game with a couple of spectators. What staned as a little game after church quickly grew into a major spectacle. The game was talked about fervently weeks in advance The youth recruited a coach and had over a dozen plays memorized. The adults staned «talking ttash" early and assured the youth that wisdom wins over speed and agility every time
When game day finally arrived we had full teams, and the attendance at the game was the same as our church attendance that morning. People invited their neighbors and lawn chairs stretched across the length of the field ..The youth on a valiant attempt and would have won if it had not been for the fierce compenttveness of the men who sacrificed life and limb to take the win. I for one have never been as sore in my life and could barely get out of bed the next morning.
As the crowd gathered to bless the food, I shared with the group how this gathering was just as much church as the gathering in the sanctuary earlier that morning. Church is not the building, but it is wherever the congregation gathers.
When Jesus was here in person he taught his followers by living life with them in the community. He ate, traveled and hung out with his church. He did teaching in the temple but most of it was done on the side of the road, in the market and in homes.
If Jesus had chosen to come to eanh in our era and in our countty I'm sure he would be out on the field throwing the pigskin around with his team of disciples, taking opponunities to teach the spectators from some kind of football analogy. I wonder: Would Jesus be the quanerback or the wide receiver?
In our Nonh Carolina district we realize that being out in the community is irnponant. We can't expect to transform the community solely from within four walls of the church building. Two initiatives that we have undenaken are provmg particularly effective at transforming our city and county
Kids
Concerned Citizens Coalition. This year Pastor Terry Hunt joined with a local Baptist pastor to bring attention to two struggling neighborhoods in Lenoir. What staned as a desire to help these local areas has grown into the Concerned Citizens Coalition of Caldwell County.
TIle coalition instantly drew interest from all levels of the community. The newly formed coalition now has 10 subcommittees that have identified four major needs in the county: high unemployment, rising teen pregnancy rates, growing gang involvement and a ttoubling lack of family self-sufficiency.
The coalition, which is co-chaired by the two African American pastors, includes the police chief, county and city commissioners, school trustees and many other community advocates.
The monthly meetings are well attended and well organized, and we have transitioned from problem identification to preventative and educational activities across the county. As the head of the youth subcommittee I find the government, education and law enforcement particularly interested in hearing the coalition's opinions on these issues. This coalition has been a real grassroots approach to transforming the community.
North Carolina Youth. One great strategy of our district churches has been to combine their resources and with additional help from Mission USA to hire a full-time youth director. I am the grateful recipient of this strategy. This vision allows us to have a thriving youth program
Consequently we have youth from almost every African American church in Lenoir attending our youth group activities. We have truly filled a gap in the community. Youth attending the larger churches have always had plenty of opponunities to do exciting things. Now finally the youth from these smaller churches have the opponunities to go on mission trips to Mexico, attend youth conferences in California (our district doubled our attendance at the 2007 national youth conference in Anaheim) and have regular and consistent youth programs.
Working to transform the community is a high calling for us as churches but the payoff is wonh it. Besides, who can complain when you can have church on the football field?Chris Eidse
Chris Eidse is the North Carolina District Conference youth director and the assistant pastor at Bushtawn MB Church in Lenoir.
and adults have a pre-game prayer before a recent football game that was taken very seriously by everyone involved.
MB educators gather for historic consultation
leOMS sponsors global consultation to address ··felt needs"
T he world has gotten smaller," said Ernst Jamen, professor of the Mennonite Brethren school Faculdade Fidelis in Curitiba, Brazil. ''I'm very glad I came."
Mennonite Brethren institutions of higher education around the globe are significantly closer because of an historic gathering oftheir leaders held June 4-9 in Fresno, Calif.
The first-ever consultation, entitled "Shaping Mennonite Higher Education for the 21st Century," brought together representatives from some 23 schools in Mennonite Brethren conferences worldwide (except Angola where visa problems prevented attendance), as well as several schools connected though not directly affiliated with the denomination.
These educational institutions ranged from the old, such as Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., founded in 1908, and MB Centenary Bible College in Shamshabad, India,
founded in 1920, to the very young, such as Faculdade Biblica Paulistana in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Some are liberal arts universities; some focus on teaching trades or training pastors. They vary widely in size, national context and economic circumstances.
In spite of differences, however, a strong sense of connectedness emerged, which delighted-and even surprised-many participants. 'Tve seen a level of humility and belonging I had somehow not expected," said Johann Matthies, who represented both Lithuania Christian College and St. Petersburg Christian University "It makes me hopeful - that we can grow and support one another."
Carefully planned
International Community of Mennonite Brethren sponsored the consultation MB Biblical Seminary and Fresno Pacific University, together with a Fresno group called the Council of Senior Professionals, hosted it on their adjoining campuses .
School leaders Hartwig Eitzen of Paraguay and Bekele Bedada Tultu of Ethiopia were among the participants at the June ICOMB consultation in Fresno, Calif.
The event was intended to respond to "felt needs" in the Mennonite Brethren global community, planners said; needs such as questions of identity many Mennonite Brethren schools are facing, as well as the changing face of global education.
Activities each day included worship, plenary sessions on foundational issues related to Christian higher education, discussion groups in various configurations and workshops related to practical concerns such as finances and curriculum Additional networking happened over meals and breaks for drinks and fresh California fruit.
In the opening address, ICOMB executive secretary Victor Wall issued a seven-point call to Mennonite Brethren academic leadership to:
• center education in kingdom politics (allegiance to God's reign );
• engage in mission-motivated and mission-motivating education as a consequence of being centered in God's kingdom;
• build up leaders in Jesus' terms rather than that of contemporary leadership gurus;
• seek, learn and teach truthful knowledge embodied in life;
• become faithful stewards of our resources ("making space for knowledge" in relating to each other and the world);
• practice international solidarity (putting the global church high on our agenda);
• become high-tech Anabaptists (not fearing but using the tools God has provided for our generation)
Setting the stage
The plenary topics began broadly, with worldview. Eloise Hiebert Meneses, professor of anthropology at Eastern University, St. Davids, Pa., drew on the work of philosopher Michael Polanyi and missiologist Lesslie Newbigin, to consider how "we know what we know."
Believing is at its foundation, she said; knowing necessitates choice between competing visions of reality. The ultimate commitment of a Christian is to "Jesus as Lord, as master and authority over one's own understanding of the truth," she stated. From that stance then, Christians witness and, in a variety of disciplines, engage with "penultimate truths."
In the second plenary session, J.P. Asheervadam, currently researching for his doctorate in church history and a professor at MB Centenary Bible College, India, traced a specifically Anabaptist view of education.
Anabaptism, he said, is both a spiritual and social movement. He drew parallels between Anabaptism's rise within the peasant classes of 16th-century Europe and how the missionary movement's emphasis on education empowered India's Dalits, a term for communities marginalized and dehumanized by the caste system. Outlining II core beliefs of Anabaptism, he called for Mennonite Brethren schools to embrace this identity, to offer it to the wider kingdom of God.
School and church
A third paper, by Alfred Neufeld, dean of the Faculties of Theology and of Education and Social Work at the Evangelical University of Paraguay, considered higher education's role for church.
Christian higher education that is shaped by the church, towards ministry and service, requires "something like a theology of denominationalism and also a theology of conference loyalty," he said. Furthermore, we cannot evade the "ambitious and urgent task" of doing "responsible theological work," especially the work of contextualized or '1ittle theologies" for specific situations, for example when culture changes due to migration or technological innovation
'When it comes to the relationship of the church and school in times of crisis, church leadership must prevail," said Alfred Neufeld of Paraguay. This comment provoked considerable discussion at the ICOMB consultation and revealed the very real rub between church and school.
The real challenge for future Christian higher education, Neufeld concluded, "will be the ability to have faith in the church."
Neufeld said, "If the church is the body of Christ, then all we do in the name of Jesus, we do in the name of the church "
Ideally, the relationship of church and school should be one of interdependence. "But," Neufeld said, "in times of crisis, church leadership must prevail."
This statement was probably the consultation's most provocative, at least in terms of the conversations it unleashed. Discussion revealed that the rub between church and school is often very real. What if church or conference leaders have little understanding for higher education? How can the school's submission and prophetic voice be held in tension?
Suggestions for ways through possible impasse were also shared : don't make the local too determinate for one's idea of church but think of it on a national or global level; give more loyalty to the church, feel a part of it; theologize together to find coherence; seek to serve.
Looking outward
In the final paper. Merrill Ewert. president of Fresno Pacific University. drew
attention outward. to how Christian higher education can be shaped toward service in the community and world . He called schools high in reflection "cloister," those high in action "activist."
Ewert called for engagement that is high in both reflection and action Scholarship of engagement. he said, quoting Ernest Boyer. means "connecting the rich resources of the university to the most pressing social, civic,
An "incarnational theology of retirement looks like Dalton Reimer and Elmer Martens," said Victor Wall, executive secretary of ICOMB. The retired professors Martens III of MB Biblical Seminary and Reimer (r) of Fresno Pacific University played key roles in organizing the global consultation on higher education held June 4-9 in Fresno, Calif.
Expounding Jesus Christ
Four educators preach on principles of higher education
Every day of the Mennonite Brethren consultation on higher education began with worship and inspiration . Takashi Manabe. principal of Evangelical Biblical Seminary. Japan . sh ared his conversion story and conviction that all our teaching must "expound Jesus Christ." Other speakers were Jim Holm from the U S , P Menno Joel of India and Nzuzi Mukawa of DR Congo
As a very lonely student. Takashi Manabe spotted an invitation to a campus Bible study and felt a sttong impulse to go. There. for the first time. he heard the gospel of Jesus Christ explained and "something happened the light shone into my heart."
Now principal of Japan's Evangelical Biblical Seminary Manabe is passionate that Mennonite Brethren schools train their students to expound Jesus Christ "from every book of the Bible."
Speaking in the opening worship session of the global MB consultation on higher education in Fresno. Calif.• June 4 -9. Manabe urged, '1et's never leave the core."
On the second morning, Jim Holm, president of North America's MB Biblical Seminary, summed up the mandate of
Christian education in the concluding phrase of the Great Commission: "teaching them to obey everything I [Jesus] have commanded you ."
This involves a deep and delighted love for God in Jesus those habits t?at '"Tag.,k a..llos-hi Manabe naturally lead to dlSobedlence and replaCing them with habits that naturally lead to obedience, said Holmes
P. Menno Joel church leader and professor of pastoral theology in India spoke of service He recalled -"still with emotion 30 years later" - a missionary teacher who cleaned up a classroom after dogs made a mess inside Such action on the part of a leader was astonishing in his culture. he said. and presented a powerful example of what Jesus also modeled when he washed his disciples ' feet .
In the final worship session, Nzuzi Makawa. academic dean of DR Congo's University School of Missiology preached on Proverbs 1:1-7. ':After being here five days," he said "I want us to come back to this simple and profound moral : The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge "- DD
and ethical problems " Ewert gave examples of how this plays out at FPU, as it attempts to see the world through the lens of faith and to assist locally with various programs such as helping children learn to read or victim-offender restoration.
Steps forward
If the Fresno consultation demonstrated the continuing maturation of ICOMB as the body that connects the global Mennonite Brethren family, it also revealed some gaps. The ttansition from relationship as North American mission agency (MBMS International) with mission "fields" to relationship as a body of equal conferences is still iti process, especially when it comes to the financial struggles of mission-established institutions in some Majority World conferences.
. An "economic missiologist" is needed "to help us deal with the disparities," said Dalton Reimer, professor emeritus of FPU and a consultation organizer.
Reimer was encouraged, he continued, by MBMSI spokesperson Ray Harms-Wiehe's acknowledgement that the agency's response to the ,matter of school support has been "ambivalent" and further, by Harms-Wiehe's call for all parties to "sit down together" to find solutions.
This was just one of the steps into the future envisioned .at the consultation's close. Being together had been wonderful, but participants clearly wanted follow-up.
"I enjoyed what took place so much," said Nzuzi Mukawa, academic dean of University School of Missiology, Kinshasa, DR Congo. "I wonder when we're going to have the next one!"
H ighly-ranked priorities included: meeting again perhaps in 2010 or every 5 years, faculty exchanges, scholarships for students from developing countries, globalizing FPU's Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies, and sharing-"from everywhere to everywhere"-of books and other written materials, fund-raising ideas and online library access.
Consultation findings were to he presented to a meeting of ICOMB leaders in Kinshasa later in June. But, Merrill Ewert reminded, relationship building could he done in small steps and doesn't need "official sanction."
The event concluded with a celebratory supper, gifr presentations to schools of 24 books from the Believers Church Commentary and the Luminaire series and communion. -Dora Dueck. Dueck, outgoing associate editor of the Canadian Conference's MB Herald, covered the consultation for the Christian Leader and Herald Plenary papers will be published in an upcoming issue of Direction, a journal published by the North American Mennonite Brethren institutions of higher education; the worship and plenary sessions can also be viewed at www.fresno.edulicomb.
Roundtable discussions at the global consultation on higher education helped develop the connectedness that Cesar Garcia of Colombia spoke of when he said, "We'll be a mature church when we're interdependent."
CDC July convention celebrates freed ,om
Family-friendly convention in the Black Hills "the best ever"
The z007 annual gathering of the Central District Conference. held in Rapid City SD. July 5-8. felt more like a family reunion or family camp than a convention-which is exactly what organizers hoped.
Business was de-emphasized. while fellowship was encouraged. Unlike traditional fall CDC conventions. the z007 "convention retreat" was held following the July 4 holiday to encourage family involvement. While conventions have traditionally been held at a church. the z007 gathering was set in South Dakota's Black Hills at Cedar Canyon Wesleyan Camp. Business was condensed into two morning sessions. and afternoons were left open for family time.
Dick Nickel. who wore dual hats as both chair of the district and pastor of the host church. Bible Fellowship Church in Rapid City. says the new format was motivated largely by a "drastic" decline in attendance at annual conventions. The hope was that the new format would draw new faces. especially among the younger generations.
The Z007 gathering met and exceeded those hopes. according to Nickel. Informal comments indicate that many new faces and age groups were indeed represented. Attendance topped 216. a number unheard-of in recent memory. By way of comparison. the 2006 convention had fewer than 80 attendees. District minister Roger Engbrecht goes so far as to call the z007 gathering "the best conference we've ever had."
Appropriately for Independence Day weekend. the theme was "Celebrate Your Freedom." based on Galatians 5:1. with a particular emphasis on the way freedom in Christ affects relationships.
The conference opened with the first of seven MBMS International Celebration Missions Nights in the United States. One highlight of the evening was the commissioning of Sandy Fender from Bible Fellowship Church as a missionary to North Thailand. Craig Jost. MBMSI's Midwest regional mobilizer. commended the CDC for responding to the challenge of missions by sending their "best and brightest" into the mission field. Last year. the district commissioned Jim and Marilou Nightingale to Brazil.
Enthusiasm for mission took a local tum Saturday evening with the annual home missions banquet and presentation by the district's Church Planting and Renewal Committee. Committee chair David Prince opened the program with a brief update on a new district-subsidized worship pastor at Lincoln Hills Bible Church in Sioux Falls. SD. and on district funding that will be made available to pastors of the district's five ethnic churches for further training and education.
Conferees then celebrated dramatic growth at Shadow Lake Community Church. Papillon. Neb., planted by the CDC in 1998 and now going off district subsidy. The congregation numbers well over 600 in three services and recently purchased land on which to build for future growth.
Rod Anderson reported on Christ Community Church in Sioux Falls, SD, the newest church plant in the CDC. Anderson painted a numerical picture of the church plant's attendance and giving, then told stories of lives that have been transformed through Christ. Christ
Community is a joint venture of the CDC and Mission USA, the church planting and renewal arm of the U.S. Conference.
Don Morris, representing MUSA, talked about the importance of church planting and reported on church planting and renewal projects throughol,lt the U.S. "We will not survive if we don't plant new churches." Morris said.
Friday evening's standing room only entertainment featured Christian comedian Kenn Kington" who not only brought side-splitting laughter but also challenged conferees to "expect nothing" and "appreciate everything" in their personal relationships.
General sessions were designed for spiritual growth and encouragement. Randy Friesen. general director of MBMS International, was the keynote speaker. On Friday morning. he told those in attendance that Jesus holds the key to true freedom and examined three obstacles to that freedom.
Saturday morning. he focused on inv,esting in "what will remain" -faith. hope and love. And during a Sunday morning worship service that included many guests. he talked about how spiritual freedom can renew passion to serve . Friesen illustrated his points with memorable and dramatic stories from around the world.
Worship was led by two teams: Iglesia Agua Viva of Omaha. Neb .• the district's only Spanish-language congregation. and i268. from Tabor College. Hillsboro. Kan . The iz68 team played an integral part in logistics as well as worship. generously sharing their sound equipment throughout
Randy Friesen challenged conferees to live out their freedom in Christ.
the conference. Agua Viva sang alternately in English and Spanish and displayed lyrics in both languages so that conferees could sing in either. Judging by informal comments, conferees appreciated Agua Viva's ethnic presence. Engbrecht says, "Their radiance and joy in the Lord just shone forth."
True to the "convention retreat" format, the two business sessions were condensed and to the point Delegates received reports from the district minister, Trustee Committee and treasurer, Youth Committee and Board of Faith and Life. Representatives from the u.S. Conference, MB Biblical Seminary, Tabor College, Christian Leader, MB Foundation and Kindred Productions also gave reports . Delegates approved the slate of nominees for open board positions, but deferred final budget approval to district leadership.
Organizers made an attempt to wel- c:: come all ages with appropriate activities. Nursery care was available for the youngest ....J family members . Elementary-age children had their own sessions, featuring a westemthemed '1\valanche Ranch" vacation Bible school curriculum coordinated by Bible Fellowship members June Wiebe and June Janzen. Junior and senior-high students participated in general sessions but had their own fun, relationship-building activities during business sessions, organized by Kyle Goings, Bible Fellowship's youth pastor
Goings says that including the children and youth was important for the future of the district. 'We really thought about the future of this conference as well as the whole Central District," he says, "because if you don't get the children and youth, they won't feel that it's important when they become parents."
Afternoons were dedicated to free time. The Black Hills setting provided opportunities to enjoy tourist attractions such as Mount Rushmore, or outdoor activities such as hiking or biking. Activities at the camp included a zip line, mud volleyball, archery and a water slide. Goings says that organizers hoped that having a variety of activities available would encourage conferees, even those who live locally, to "be here the whole time and enjoy every aspect, every minute of the conference."
Fellowship was encouraged in small ways as well, with breaks during sessions, refreshments and board games after evening sessions and even a campfire, complete with s'mores and singing led by iz68.
For CDC regulars, the family-friendly, fellowship-rich format might have been a flashback to ZOO3, when delegates met in Omaha, Neb., for "MBzo03: Vacation with a Purpose " That gathering featured similar condensed business sessions, ample free time and activities for all ages.
Nickel says that while the ZOO3 format was successful, it was not at that time considered as a permanent change. Now, he says, the time has come to consider a new format. 'We're at the point of saying this isn't just a one-time experience, but do we need to progress along this line and make a major switch?" District leadership will evaluate the Z007 gathering and make decisions about the zoo8 gathering in the next few months.
Following the district convention-retreat, pastors and spouses were invited to stay for a pastors' retreat July 8-9. Richard Wells, pastor of Canyon Lake Baptist Church in Rapid City, was the guest speaker on the topic, "Don't Lose Heart." -by Myra Holmes
View photos from the CDC convention online at www.usmb.org They are posted with the August issue of the Christian Leader.
Above: District leaders led in a prayer for members of Iglesia Agua YlVa. The worship team from the Omaha, Neb., Spanish-language congregation led in worship for part of the conference. Left: The zip Une across a canyon was one of several popular free time activities.
Shootings bring understanding
New relationships, appreciation of Amish forgiveness result of tragedy
If anything positive has come from the Oct. 2. 2006. shootings at an Amish schoolhouse near Georgetown. Pa.. it has been greater public understanding of Amish forgiveness and a closer relationship between the Amish and local police officials.
This was the consensus at a June 8 session of "The Amish in America: New Identities and Diversities." a conference sponsored by the Young Center for
local authorities took on the unusual role of caretaker to the Amish. shielding them from the media as much as possible and preserving the privacy of the five funerals.
The Amish. overwhelmed by the magnitude of the tragedy and the public response. appeared to embrace this kind of assistance. said Laufer. Laufer said this was achieved in part by an unprecedented openness by police about the case. with several
[] ( ) n e of the mo s t profound e xperiences of 111\ ' ]ife has b ee n t o walk with the Amish in their valley of ...
Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College
'We have built some long-term relationships with the Amish community." said Pennsylvania State Police Capt. Jack Laufer. commander of the Lancaster state police barracks.
Laufer recounted for an audience of about 300 people, including many Amish and Old Order Mennonites. how Charles Carl Roberts IV; a local milk truck driver, gained access to the West Nickel Mines Amish School in Bart Township. bound 10 female students and opened fire on them. Five died on the scene or shortly afterward, four have partially recovered and another remains at home in "a semi-comatose state "
Laufer said when 10 Pennsylvania state troopers arrived on the scene that morning, they attempted to negotiate with Roberts and then stormed the barricaded building with shields and batons when he threatened the girls. narrowly missing a blast from Robert's shotgun .
"Unfortunately. before our troopers could gain entrance to the schoolhouse he was able to shoot the 10 girls" and commit suicide. Laufer said. Those troopers "faced quite a horrific scene" in the school. Laufer said. "They performed admirably," and all have returned to full-time duty after receiving help to process the tragedy
In the hours and days after the shootings, Laufer-who arrived on the scene as state troopers and paramedics were trying to save the lives ofthe wounded children - said
news conferences issuing detailed information about the shootings.
'We did this in the hopes that we would be able to satiate the voracious appetite of the news media and protect the families' privacy." Laufer said. "We think we were relatively successful."
The Pennsylvania State Police has prepared a four-hour presentation about the shoorings and how police handled them. said Laufer. This presentation. including a video showing scenes from peaceful Amish countryside intercut with footage of horsedrawn funeral processions. has been shown to law enforcement agencies around the country. with occasional input from some of the 10 state troopers who were first on the scene and attempted to rescue the girls.
Also at the conference. insurance executive Herman Bontrager, who grew up in an Amish home. described the work of the Nickel Mines Accountability Committee.
Inspired by the ttagedy of the young deaths and by the public forgiveness the Amish expressed to Roberts and his family, the committee has accrued more than $4 million in donations from around the world to help the survivors of the shoorings with future medical care and other needs. Funds, at the direction of Amish bishops. also have assisted Roberts' widow, Marie, and their young children.
"One of the most profound experiences of my life has been to walk with the Amish in their valley of death" after the shootings, said Bontrager. president of Goodville Mutual Casualty Co. '1\11 of which I would give back if those girls could be brought back to life."
Since shortly after the shoorings, Bonttager has served as a spokesman for the local Amish community and as the public face of the accountability committee. which has both Amish and non-Amish members. Bonttager said the committee. which meets every few weeks at the Bart Township fire department, still has much work to be done. with medical bills accumulating for the surviving girls' care. But he said the committee does not intend to be a permanent organization and that any leftover funds will be given to help suffering children.Robert Rhodes for Meetinghouse
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Still singing strong
West Coast men's chorus celebrates 30th season
In 1977, three men-Eldon Franz, Dietrich Friesen and Leon Thiessensat in a Fresno, Calif., coffee shop exploring Franz's dream of forming amen's chorus. That coffee shop, on the comer of First and Shields, is no longer there, but the West Coast Mennonite Men's Chorus is still going strong, completing its 30th concert season this spring.
The purpose of the West Coast Mennonite Men's Chorus has not wavered over the decades, says Thiessen, currently chair of the WCMMC board of directors. The chorus seeks to glorify God, promote men's singing and raise money for overseas world relief All told, the chorus has raised more than $360,000 for Mennonite Central Coml1)irtee's global development work in education, health, agriculture, peace and justice issues, disaster relief and job creation
Men's chorus singing was one of Franz's passions, says Thiessen, and Franz, now deceased, was determined to start a chorus on the West Coast patterned after the Soo-voice Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus. According to MCC, the Kansas and West Coast groups are the only men's choruses formed to benefit the agency.
Franz recruited Thiessen and Friesen for specific reasons. Thiessen, who was then a senior at MB Biblical Seminary, had
served on the board of directors for the Kansas chorus and has been a faithful WCMMC board member. Friesen was on the music faculty of Fresno Pacific University and became the chorus' first director. Four conductors followed Friesen. Current conductor Bob Plett has led the group for nine years
That first season the chorus drew 475 members, filled Fresno's Saroyan Theater for two back-to-back concerts and raised $10,000 for MCC. Franz's dream had become a reality.
The process of annually forming the chorus, selecting music and planning the concerts continues to follow the pattern set in 1977 and is carried out by a 14-member board. Contact men for local Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren congregations are recruited, music is selected and the appropriate permissions secured. A minimal registtation fee buys each parricipant a bound copy of the music, rehearsal and concert CDs and a ticket to the February kick-off dinner. Area rehearsals-five in 2007-are established and regional conductors are ttained so that men can attend initial rehearsals in their own geographic areas.
Following only eight rehearsals, the chorus gives three concerts in late March and early April. Concerts are ttaditionally given in Bakersfield and Fresno, where it is held in
conjunction with the West Coast Mennonite Relief Sale. A third concert is given elsewhere in California; the third site this year was British Columbia, where the chorus gave two concerts in Vancouver and Abbotsford.
The concerts continue to emphasize worship and each year include a new selection of anthems and hymns, often arranged in a contemporary style and featuring a variety of instrumental accompaniment. Five years ago a Boy's Choir was added and has drawn up to 15 singers
Each concert includes an offering for MCC and a representative of the agency is typically present to tell of the agency's work. So that 100 percent of the offering can benefit MCC, individual and corporate sponsors cover the cost of the concerts. Profits from the concert recording are also used to cover expenses, with the excess going to MCC .
Asked what concerts stand out in his mind over the years, Thiessen mentions two recent experiences. A group of 40 male parolees attended a 2004 concert in Reedley The exuberant and expressive way in which these men joined in singing a familiar praise song is something Thiessen still remembers. This year's concert at which the 2,ooo-member audience joined the chorus in singing The Lord's Prayer is another memorable occasion.-Connie Faber
CBA students honored at capital
The Oklahoma House of Representatives officially commended Com Bible Academy on the school's I05th anniversary for its contributions to the state and declared May 9 "Com Bible Academy Day at the Capitol." Students, faculty, administrators and alumni attended a special ceremony in the House of Representatives Gallery during which a written commendation by Governor Brad Henry, Senator Tom Ivester and Representative Ryan McMullen was received.
The academy's recognition is rooted in the state's current centennial celebration. When McMullen learned that the school was celebrating its I05th year, he felt it would be appropriate for the state to recognize the school as part of the Oklahoma centennial celebration. Charles Regier, CBA's director of development, spent time with McMullen prior to the celebration sharing historical and current information with the lawmaker in preparation for the May ceremony.
Two busloads of CBA students spent the morning May 9 volunteering at the Oklahoma City Food Bank. That afternoon Superintendent Clare Goering, Principal Mark Thiessen and several teachers joined the students at the state capitol. The CBA delegation had a question and answer time with McMullen before the ceremony. During the ceremony the legislators recognized the CBA delegation and Regier was given the rare opportunity to address the state House
Russian and German immigrants to the Oklahoma Territory established CBA in 1902. Today CBA is a private junior and senior high school with 83 students enrolled this past year. It is currently working on an aggressive building program that involves consttuction of an auditoriumlcafeteria and a gymnasium. - from eBA reports
Cor n Bible Academy students pose on the State house steps May 9 after being recognized by the Oklahoma House of Representatives
LAMB Conference minister dies
Tagle served Texas MB churches for 50 years
Alfredo Tagle, Jr , may have been sitting in the very last pew at the back of the church but that didn't stop God from reaching the heart of the 27-year-old ex-Navy man who knew little about the Lord. Tagle, who went on to pastor Mennonite Brethren congregations in South Texas from 1956 until 2006, died June 12 at the age of 82.
Tagle's journey to faith and service involved a near-fatal car accident and Tagle's introduction to Mennonite Brethren missionary Alvin Neufeld and Neufeld's use of the latest technology of the times-loud speakers. When Tagle spoke of this time in his life, he described himself as a "youth who felt that life had no direction." Walking the streets of Edinburg. Texas, he felt a void in his soul and remembered asking himself:
Is this what life is? I was born. I grew up I work. I suffer, then I die Is this what life is?
Several months later Tagle's sisters attended evangelistic Easter services organized by
Neufeld and invited their brother to come along. Tagle may have been doing what he could to avoid God by sitting at the back of
the church, but his Heavenly Father reached Tagle's heart that night via the words of two songs : the English-language Christmas song. "Room for Thee" and the Spanish -Ianguage song, " Hay una Senda Que El Mundo No Conoce."
Following his conversion, Tagle began studying at Rio Grande Bible Institute in Edinburg, a challenge for someone who traveled the five-mile journey to school by foot, had little money, no familiarity with the Bible and a seventh grade education. Tagle graduated in 1959, having pursued his studies while also helping to support his two sisters and seven brothers . While at the institute, Tagle met, courted and married his wife Ofelia, who was also a student.
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Tagle worked as a ttuck driver and migrant worker. Like many people in the community, he spent summers following the vegetable harvest, working the fields of Minnesota by day, ministering to migrant camps by night
Then one day Alvin Neufeld told Tagle about a pastoral vacancy in one of the Mennonite Brethren churches. Tagle jumped at the opportunity, even though the financial sacrifice was enormous. "I didn't live," he told a Leader reporter in 1982, "I just existed." As a bi-vocational pastor, Tagle supplemented his small church salary by working as a cabinettnaker.
Tagle served five congregations in the Latin America MB District Conference: La Joya MB Church, La Grulla MB Church, Garciasville MB Church, Los Ebanos MB Church and Mission MB Church. He was among the leaders who helped shepherd the LAMB Conference through its days of dependence on the Southern District Conference, the district that planted Spanish -speaking churches in South Texas as a home mission project, to independence. He served on the U.S. Conference Board of Church Ministries Tagle retired in 2006, afrer 50 years of pastoral ministry.
In 1982, one of Tagle's colleagues said of his ministry, "Brother Tagle always wants to do what's best for his people. He's not concerned about doing what he wants to do, but what his people want him to do." Tagle's love of the church was evident in the later years of his life, when in spite of physical illness he continued to preach.
Tagle was born Sept. 12, 1925, and died June 12, 2007. He is survived by his wife; two sons , Benjamin and wife Maria, and Moises and wife Elizabeth; two daughters, Elizabeth, and Ruth and husband Eloy Mendiola; five brothers, Roberto, Jesus , Francisco, Heron and Daniel; two sisters, Marina Camacho and Amada Sanch ez, and 12 grandchildren .- Connie Faber
Alfredo Tagle, J r , pictured in 1982.
>ON THE Journey
by Rose Buschman
Ruth's mission field
Remembering a modern day hero of the faith
Iwas changing channels on our TV one ahernoon planning to get to a program I sometimes watch at that time of day Quite unexpectedly a church scene appeared on the screen showing a large congregation singing Great Is Thy Faithfulness. I stopped to listen and see what this was all about. As the camera panned across the front of the sanctuary I soon saw a flower-bedecked coffin. Was this a funeral?
When the song finished and the speeches began I realized it was a broadcast of the funeral of Ruth Bell Graham, wife of Billy Graham, who died June 14. As I con-
Little Piney Cove, the log house where the family lived for many years and where she died . Among other things, this home had five wood burning fireplaces and a sign above the kitchen sink that read, "Divine ministry rendered here." She was a writer and wrote more than a dozen books, some prose, some poetry
Ruth's parents were Presbyterian missionaries, so she grew up in the Presbyterian church. In Montreat the only church was Presbyterian, so she and the children attended there . Billy came from a Southern Baptist background. He and others tried to persuade Ruth to become a Baptist. Some church leaders even put pressure on Billy because he had a "disobedient wife, " but Ruth refused to tinued to listen it became apparent that this was not a sad, tearyeyed occasion but a celebration of her life.
Somc church leadcrs cvcn put on Billy bccaus c hc had a " disobcdicnt wifc." hut Ruth to challUc .
Her older sister, Rosa, gave an extended version of what it was like growing up with Ruth and made sure there was lots of laughter. Their parents, L. Nelson and Virginia Bell, were Presbyterian medical missionaries to China, so Rosa said that she and Ruth were "made in China." Furthermore, as children, the two of them would fight but "only when mom and dad were at the clinic." She described some of their experiences growing up in China and attending high school in what is now North Viemam. Both sisters returned to the U S. to attend Wheaton College.
Ruth had decided that she would not marry so that she could better follow in her father's missionary footsteps. However, that changed when she met another student by the name of Bill Graham . Rosa described some of the many conversations the two sisters had and how Ruth finally changed her mind Ruth and Bill were married Aug. 13,1943·
Ruth soon became the stay-at-home mom while Bill went on his evangelistic preaching crusades. For all practical purposes, she was a single mom much of the time due to her husband's frequent absences. She lived in Montreat, NC, and was close to her parents aher they returned from the mission field. They provided a lot of moral and physical support, helping her with the five Graham children: Virginia (Gigi), Anne, Ruth (Bunny), Franklin and Nelson Edman (Ned) . Ruth was a creative person. She designed and supervised the building of
change. She believed she belonged to Jesus and that was the important issue In her book, It's My Tum, she writes, "Our differences in background have proved to be an asset in the ministry which God has given Bill, rather than a detriment."
One of her books, Prodigals and Those Who Love Them, reflects a difficult period in her life. Her son, Franklin, made sure she earned every gray hair she ever had. When describing some difficulties in her mother's life, one of her daughters said, "Mom had Franklin." At her funeral, Franklin described one incident when he refused to get up in the morning and had locked the bedroom door so his mom couldn't get into his room Ruth was not to be denied. She climbed out another second story window, crawled along the roof until she got to his open window and then threw a cup of cold water on his face .
Ruth, in writing about Franklin, says that he now "has his own three sons'as good as they can be, and as bad as they can get away with: just like he was. He deserves each one. And may they give him as much fun (and frustration) as he gave me - and as much joy when they are grown."
Ruth's mission field was her own family. All five Graham children are now in some form of ministry. She was a vital part of her husband's ministry in giving input on many decisions. She also created a safe haven which Billy could come home to aher an exhausting crusade somewhere in the world. In 1996, Billy and Ruth were jointly awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in a special ceremony in the U. S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D .C.
I think of Ruth Bell Graham as a modem day hero of the faith Her intimate walk with the Lord kept her going through th e good and tough times in her life. One of the speakers at her funeral said he was sure that she was met at the pearly gates with. 'W ell done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25 :21)
> INQUIRING MiNDS
Only one way?
I s there a "right" way to baptize someone?
AQby Marvzn Hein
What is your idea about fonns of baptism other than immersion? (California)
The question above emerged in a discussion about a group of Mennonites a district conference officer had en:ount;red recently. In California there are three churches With a no -
Other Mennonite groups for hundreds of years have baptized by sprinkling or pouring and justify this mode as the picture of the Holy Spirit coming into the life of the believer at conversion . We can hardly complain about that form if it is used to symbolize the new birth
I once was called to the bedside of a terminally ill patient. He had never confessed Christ as Savior but now was deeply convicted of his sin and wanted to trust the Savior. It was my pleasure to lead this man to Christ. But then this dying man wanted to be baptized. The invasive brand" Mennonite designation that are interested in
obtaining home insurance with Mennonite Aid. They '
are extremely conservative - not allowing radios. TVs only form the act ot and dancing and attendance at events.
amusement parks or theaters . While they want Insurance
for their homes. they do not insure their church buildings since God is their insurer for those.
How do they baptize? By immersion and only of adult believers. The discussion in this small group then turned to the matter of baptism in its different forms. That's when I was asked what I thought of sprinkling. pouring and other forms of baptism. I take stand with the officktl Confession of Faith of the Mennomte Brethren Church that states:
'We practice water baptism by immersion administered by the local church. Local congregations may receive into membership those who have been baptized by another mode on their confession of faith. Persons who claim baptism as infants and wish to become members of a Mennonite Brethren Church are to receive baptism on their confession offaith."
Our position on this form of baptism is based largely on Romans 6:4: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that. just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father. we too may live a new life." Baptism by immersion would seem to be the only form that the act of baptism as pictured in this passage Having said that. the very fact that after I960 we have accepted members baptized as believers with a different form of baptism indicates that we do not believe immersion is the only legitimate form of baptism
Have a question about a Bible passage doctrine, conference policy or other spiritual issue? Send your question to "Inquiring Minds," Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno. CA 93710 or e-maIl Marvin at marvinhein @sbcglobal.net
brain tumor slowly taking his life did not allow any mobility. How would I baptize him? I consulted with my church council and was given permission to use any mode possible.
But when I talked with the patient, he requested immersion. That created a problem , How would we a 2oo-pound man who had no strength to control his body? I had an idea. The hospital had a large bathtub with a hydraulic lift seat. Perhaps we could get him into the tub and immerse him in that fashion.
After several deacons and I had heard his testimony. we moved him into the tub's chair. It became increasingly clear. however. that we would never be able to "dunk" this almost lifeless body under water and then "resurrect" him. I made a quick decision: I put my arm in the water and with one swoop allowed the water to run over his head. Not many days later he died.
Do I have any notion that his baptism was not effective? Not at all. Do I think for a moment that when he met the Savior the absence of immersion baptism caused any hesitation to his acceptance into glory? Certainly not. I'm persuaded that churches have the right to establish their own practices with regard to baptism - sprinkling. pouring. immersion. backwards. forwards. one time or three. I'm equally persuaded that the form will not be very vital when the person meets the Savior
The mode of baptism is probably not a burning issue among us. I am concerned that some pastors and churches wish to accept infant-baptized persons. This. I believe. betrays our basic Anabaptist heritage ,
BAPTISM/MEMBERSHIP
Ulysses, Kan.-Jennifer Talbert and Myranda Mason were baptized and rece ived as members July 8 Brian Mason, Susan Mason and Eli zabeth Ande rso n were received as members
Littleton, Colo. (Belleviewl-L isa Car l son, Mark Landes and Tim and Cora Matteson we re bapt ized and rece ived as members July 8 Dee Dee Landes, Jason and Robin Stocking and Kev in and Audrey Koehn were received as members
Bakersfield, Calif. (Heritagel-Jansen and Brandon Schmidt, Jaycie Knox, Abby Bezdek. Harrison Cummings and Courtney Whitfie ld were baptized in June Greg and Lisa Schmidt were received as members.
Fresno, Calif. (North Fresnol-Alison Chandle r and Lynn Rayburn were baptized June 24 and Stan Schrock was received as a member Leo and Minnie Franz, Richard and Bev Kopper, Michelle Mar, Keith and Peggy Ratzlaff, Larry and Paula Warkent in, Andrea Childers, Sara Friesen, Jarrett Kelly and Melody Whiteaker were received as members June 3.
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-Devin Brown and Corina Smith were baptized the weekend of June 1617. Annette Bazzell, James Blackman and Scott and Katy Fults were received as members the weekend of June 9- 1O.
Olathe, Kan.(Community Biblel-Kodi Bauer, Daniel and Olenna Barnes, Waldo Siebert and Keith and Sheri Worrel were received as members June 10.
Bakersfield, Calif. (Rosedale Biblel-Danae Berhow, Josh Feil, Mikayla Feil and Amanda Cebe ll were baptized June 10
Gettysburg, SD (Grace Biblel-Mallea Be rglund, Brianna Berglund, Serena Berglund, Clarissa Berglund, Chris Lentz, Vicki Lentz, Jessica Lentz, Brooke Kirby, Justine Langer and Curt Hamburger were baptized or became members April 8
Salem, Ore. (Kingwood Biblel-Mel and Martha Loewen and Anna Yoder were recently received as members.
CELEBRATIONS
Fresno, Calif. (Butlerl-This church is celebrating its 50th anniversary th is year All present and forme r members and attendees are invited to a Nov. 11 celebration service and luncheon.
FELLOWSHIP
Kingsburg, Calif.-A family river float was planned for July 28 Families participated in seve ral "Family Fun Nights " on Wednesdays this summer, in cl uding water games, Bingo game, a movie and swimming
Reedley, Calif.-Men attended a major league baseball game Ju ly 21. Women attended a card crafting night June 29
Harvey, ND-A July 15 chicken soup supper and ch icken foot dominoes tournament were used to teac h the difference between "beautiful feet" and "chicken feet."
Hillsboro, Kan - The ch urch held a hog roast July 15 to thank emergency-response workers who helped on the day the chu rch's building burned down.
Gettysburg, SD (Grace Biblel - Families enjoyed an all-church campout June 22-24
Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowshipl-Women hiked and ate l unc h together June 23
Sioux Falls, SD (Lincoln Hillsl-Members were invited to use the church 's new fire pit on Friday evenings th is spring to roast hot dogs, make s'mores and get to know each other.
Dinuba, Calif.-Junior and senior high students hosted a Father's Day breakfast June 17.
MINISTRY
Papillon, Neb. (Shadow Lakel-Members participated in an "urban plunge" experience in Li ncoln, Neb., July 27 - 29. They visited the jail, fed the homeless, handed out clothing and attended a church reaching drug dealers. Capitola, Calif. (Shorelifel-Members handed out water bottles at a local race July 22 To accommodate the Sunday morning event, a barbecue and worship were held Saturday evening, July 21.
Huron, SD (Bethesdal-A team of seven traveled to Romania for a short-term mission trip July 5- 17. Church members used Romanian coins as prayer rem inders. One member offered airplane r ides to those who financially supported the team.
Fresno, Calif. (The Grovel-The church hosted two neighborhood block parties July 4
Minot, ND (Bible Fellowshipl- Tabor College's worship ministry team, i268, was the special guest for a July 1 outreach event at a local park The congregation advertised the event throughout town , held worship in the park and enjoyed lunch afterward.
Salem, Ore. (Kingwood Biblel- The church commiss ioned Elise Anderson for her July trip to Zambia to work with AIDS orphans
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-Fifty -f ive people are serving in var ious short-term mission ass ignments this summer,
Denver, Colo (Garden Parkl - For the second year, the church cooperated with seve ral othe r sma ll churches in the area to prov ide vacatio n Bible schoo l for about 60 children June 10- 14
Fresno, Calif. (Butlerl - The churc h' s preschoo l , Sma ll World Preschool, has received a grant fo r a fami ly literacy program.
Edmond, Okla. (Providencel - A sma ll group fro m the church has been vis iting the local resc ue miss ion every Saturday afternoon
PROCLAMATION
Enid, Okla.-June 24 was a mission emphasis Su nday, with an even ing banquet, med ia presentations from missionaries and commissioning service for Tim and Denice Kuhns and Andrea Mendel, all being sent to Brazil. The church also commissioned short-term missionaries to East Africa and India in June
Harvey, ND-Pastor Dave Pri nce participated in a pulpit exchange June 10. Danelle Olson, from Community Baptist Chu rc h in Anamoose, ND, was the guest speaker
Fresno, Calif. (North Fresnol - Two internat ional MB leaders were guests June 10: Takashi Manabe from Japan and Johann Matthies from Germany
Hillsboro, Kan.-Roger London, pastor of a church in Wich ita, Kan. , presented a tra ining sess ion on hospitality June 3.
TEACHING/NURTURE
Ferndale, Wash. (Good Newsl - Parents were invited to join their elementary school aged chi ldren for an intergenerational study of heroes of the faith, including Gladys Alywood, Eric Liddell, Nate Saint and George Miller
Kingsburg, Calif. (Iglesia Agua Vival-As a result of special men-only meetings in June and July men agreed to pray for one another and encou r age each other to reach out in their spheres of influence
Shafter, Calif. - Women and girls age 14 and older were invited to a personal safety awareness seminar June 20.
WORKERS
Garden City, Kan (Garden VaUeyl-Marion Heisey has been appointed as interim pastor. Outgoing pastoral couple Tim and Charlene Davis are planning to attend Eastern Mennonite University, Harrison, Va Bakersfield, Calif. (Heritagel - Laurel Delamater is serving as a summer intern.
Tulsa, Okla. (The Heartl-Pastor Mike Miller was on sabbatical through July. Dusty and Katie Fraser were the interim pastoral couple
Madera, Calif (Madera Ave l - Tim Bergda hl is serving as inte rim lead pastor He was ord ain ed in a service at Kin gsb urg ICal if 1MB Church Jun e 10.
Fresno, Calif. (Bethanyl - Yo ut h pasto r Forrest Jenan has res igned and accepted a pos iti on as high sch oo l
and college pastor at Neighbo r hood Community Church in Visalia, Calif
Manhattan, Kan. (Manhattan Mennonite) - Miriam Regier is serving as a summer intern.
Fairview, Okla. - Brad Penner has been appoin ted as interim pastor Pau l Bartel is serving as interim youth pastor.
Wichita, Kan. (Firstl-Ben Marq uez is director of youth as of Aug 1 Erin Th iesse n and Matt Ehresman are serving as summer youth in terns.
Salem, Ore. (Kingwood Biblel - Gordon Bergman has r esigned as pastor, effect ive Ju ne 30 Bergman, who se rved for 13 1/2 years, has not announced his futu r e plans. The church held a farewell meal for the Bergman family after the June 24 service.
Eugene, Ore, (North Park Community) - Mike Spinelli was installed as pastor June 24 The church held a reception to honor him and the outgoing interim pastor, Lonny Burke
Bakersfield, Calif. (The Bridge)-Ben Robie and Bobby Wahl are serving as summer youth interns.
Hays, Kan,(North Oakl- Tiffany Lawrence is serving as a summer youth intern
Topeka, Kan. (Cornerstone Community) - Joe Faul is serving as a summer youth intern.
Denver, Colo. (Garden Park)-Corina Neufeld is serving as a summer intern, working specifically with ne ighborhood children
YOUTH
Wichita, Kan. (First) - Every week in July, fourth through sixth graders studied stewardship and then participated in a serv ice project.
Bakersfield, Calif. (Heritage)-Various day camps for children were offered throughout the summer, including a music camp, art camp and soccer clinic.
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-High school youth ran a fireworks booth prior to July 4 as a fund raiser.
Students and pare nts earned credit toward youth activities and camps by working in the boot h, handing out flyers, dressing up as Uncle Sam or hold ing up signs.
Shafter, Calif. - A reu nion for previous members of the youth group [1998-presentl was held June 24 Kingsburg, Calif.-The church s Christian educat ion board presented Bib les to children graduating from the church's preschoo l, Happy Days Preschool.
DEATHS
BANNER, JOHN, Lenoir, NC, of Bushtown MB Church, Leno ir, was born May 12,1945, in Ca ldwell County, NC, to Jerry and Ula Hatton Banner and died May 20 , 2007, at the age of 62 He married Diana Corpening, who survives He is also survived by one son, John and wife Cathy of Greensboro, NC; one daughter, Stephanie of Lenoir; mother-in-law, Helen C. Isbell, and two grandchildren
BORN, FLOYD, Newton, Kan , former MBMS Interna tional missionary to Brazil, was born Nov. 24, 1933 to Jake and Tabea Born near Lustre, Mont, and died May 12, 2007. In 1954, he married Bertha, who survives. He is also survived by four sons, Daniel and wife Mary of Chicago, Michael and wife Jo Ellen of South Bend, Ind., Bradley and wife Diane of Newton, and Will iam and wife Shawna of Goshen , Ind ; one brother, William of Bakersfield, Calif.; one sister, Norma Goentzel of Denver, and 10 grandchildren. EPP, SELMA, Abbotsford , BC, of Bakerview MB Church, Abbotsford , died May 16, 2007, at the age of 89. She married Henry H. Epp, who survives She is also survived by four ch ildren, Sharon and husband Trevor Hood, Pat and husba nd Arden Adrian, Murray and wife Jane, and Doug and wife Sandy; two brothers, Jake Harder and Henry Harder ; one sister, Agnes Klassen, 10 grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren
GOERTZEN, LYDIA H., Fresno, Calif., a charter member of Bethany MB Church, Fresno, was born Nov 3, 1913, to Claus J. and Tina Korne l son Huebert in
Mennonite Brethren Church seeks Lead Pastor
A congregation of 400+ is seeking applications from qualified candidates who have a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. The lead pastor will bring spiritual vision and direction for the church's mission and programs, have positive relational skills and a strong preaching/teaching ministry. The lead pastor is one who desires to help develop and partner with other members of the pastoral staff and church leadership team A seminary degree is preferred The church is located in a progressive college town. Please send resume to Pastoral Search Committee, Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church , 300 Prairie Pointe, Hillsboro, KS 67063 or email inquiriesto:hmbcsearch@yahoo.com
Grafton, Neb. , and died Ap ril 16, 2007, at the age of 93. On Dec 14, 1932, she married John H Goertzen, who predeceased her. She is survived by one son, Dewayne and wife Ellen of Fresno; one daughter, Sharon and husband Lee Nord of Bakersfield; one sister, Neva Hanke, nine grandchi ldren, 10 greatgrandch ildren and one great -great-grandch ild.
MACKEY, WILLIAM, Leno ir, NC, a member of Bushtown MB Church, Lenoir, was born Feb. 1, 1927, in Ca ldwell County to Doug las and Janie Dixon Ma ckey and died April 16, 2007, at the age of 80 He is survived by his former wife, Juanita of Banner El k, NC; two daughters, Pau la and husband Isaac Teague , and Lora Skattebo, all of Boone, NC, four grandch ildren and one great -grandson RATZLAFF, EDWIN uED," Hessto n, Kan , of Hesston MB Church, was born May 23, 1928, to Ben H. and Anna Penner Ratzlaff at Mountain Lake, Minn., and died Feb 23, 2007, at the age of 78. On July 21,1959, he married Esther Classen, who survives He is also survived by fo ur daughters, Wi l da and husband Robert Wagner of Li ncol n, Neb., Cheryl and husband Kerry Goertzen of Inman, Kan., Twila and husband Gary Loewen of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Verda and husband John Salberg of Overland Park, Kan ; two brothers, Milton of St. James, Minn , and Eldean of Mountain Lake; one sister, Irene Becker of Freeman, SD, and six grandchi ldren
Cle a r in 9 H0 USE
Paul and Politics
2008 Janzen Lectureship & Symposium celebrating the work of John E Toews
March 28-29, 2008
Fresno Pacific University and MB Biblical Seminary campuses, Fresno, Calif.
The Janzen lectureship in Biblical Studies was created in 2003 to promote careful scholarship in biblical interpretation , as well as the witness of the Christian church As the 2008 Janzen lecturer, John E Toews, PhD, will present on his most recent scholarship on Paul and pOlitics These presentations [Thursday evening and Friday morning 1will be followed by a symposium Friday afternoon and evening celebrating Toews ' 40 -year contribution to the Mennonite Church, Mennonite higher education and scholarship Papers may critically engage Toews' scholarship [issues , themes, approaches, etc.l or may reflect on his contribution to the church or to higher education as teache r or administrato r. Send proposals of no more than 200 words and a one -page CV with full contact information and institutional affiliation to Dr. Laura Schmidt Roberts , lrobertslafresno.edu by Sept. 15, 2007. The day fo llowing the symposium, Ma rc h 30, is open for excursions to Yosemite, San Francisco or the Central Coas t. [2/61
Wiebe
Faith to the people
Bipartisan agenda seems to be wishful thinking
Something that bothers me about modem politics is the major parties' inflexibility on certain ideologies that are outdated or debatable Amid alarming news about environmental deterioration and climate change, for example, Republicans still seem stuck in old-world thinking that natural resources exist solely to be exploited for wealth and comfort. So hey, don't worry, the world will be fine! This runs counter to scientific evidence and popular opinion calling for sustainable management and increased protection for the environment Republicans who support such things, however, are inclined to get the "nutty tree hugger" label.
to try and use some common sense and discernment in the political process, rather than just repeating the authorized party mantra.
All of this interests me not only because of my difficulties in straddling the chasm between the parties, but also due to parallels I see in issues of faith. For those of us who consider following Jesus to be first a spiritual endeavor, it can be easy to forget how politically controversial he was in his time. Jesus often challenged the inflexible religious and political ideologies of the day.
As for Democrats, it's a big no-no to even question the morality of abortion. There are Democrats out there who are against it, but saying so only opens them to sneers and jeers and orders to keep quiet. Interestingly, the party seemed more open to antiabortion views in the past, with . For those of u,; \\'ho consider following jesus to he a endeavor. it can he to forget how
Democratic stalwarts Jesse Jackson and even Bill Clinton at one time expressing moral reservations about the practice. When it comes to diverging with the party line now, of course, you would never hear a peep out of them.
I could go on in this vein, but you get the picture. There are times when we hear talk from the parties about listening to the will of the people , coming together with a bipartisan agenda and so on. When it comes down to it, though, it seems like Democrats and Republicans always end up marching in opposite directions and locking themselves in their own ivory towers.
For someone like me who feels a responsibility to vote with conscience, the situation presents a dilemma. I am registered with a certain party, but don't like half of what it stands for If I switched parties it would still be half and half, so where would it get me? Being a moderate, or centrist, or whatever you want to call someone who patches together ideological pieces from both parties, isn't an easy thing these days.
Just ask Lou Dobbs, the CNN commentator. Late last year he simultaneously got in trouble with the right and the left first for criticizing the war in Iraq, then for supporting efforts to se cure our borders and stop illegal immigration One of the nasty things they called Dobbs was a "populist." To which he replied, "Thank you very much." Dobbs wrote that of course he was a populist, which simply meant he supported "the rights and power of the people ." I would add that it's not a bad thing
contro\'ersi3i he in his time .
The problem was that many of the rules and traditions were geared toward supporting the prevailing institutions rather than helping lost souls find their way in life. Jesus came to return faith to the people. He cared about their needs and concerns and aspirations. That's why it bugged him when leaders seemed concerned about the procedures of religion more than love for God and others.
This helps explain why the traditional church has come to such a crossroads in our country. A phrase often repeated right now is that people in our culture like Jesus, but they don't like the church. Part of this is because people today don't like commitment in general, so the idea of joining a church wouldn't appeal to them in any case.
But part of it is our fault. We've taken certain preferences about how a church should look, sound and feel and how church people should behave and hardened them into articles of faith. But they're not articles of faith, and treating them as such has turned people off They like Jesus, who is about love and relationships but not about the church that still puts too much stock in procedures and appearances.
Today's most successful churches have found ways to present the faith in fresh and relevant ways, while shedding some of Christianity's outdated ideologies and expectations. In other words, they're doing what Jesus did when he walked among us And if it doesn't seem obvious that the chu rch's purpose is to embody the presence and ministry of Je sus, then I don't know what to tell you.
How global looks
Refl ections on the ICOMB consultation on higher education
Ihad my own reasons for wanting to be at the global consultation on higher education organized by International Community of Mennonite Brethren and held iq Fresno at the beginning of June.
My professional duty for the Christian Leader and MB Herald was to pay attention and then to repon as best I could what had taken place. My personal hope, however, was that "global "- at least in reference to the Mennonite Brethren churchwould take on some substan ce.
The word global is ubiquitous nowadays. It sounds big and imponant. For many of us, I suspect, it's also big and vague . We don't really know what it means . Or maybe we grasp global well enough but hear in it a summons we're not sure how to follow Philip Jenkins and others have persuasively documented the changing face of Christendom The next wave of the church belongs to the majority world, declares Jenkins, "as the center of gravity of the Christian world moves ever southward "
Anicles by Dalton Reimer, Mark Baker and Martin Hanwig Eitzen in the February 2007 Christian Leader describe these shifrs within the Mennonite Brethren
tors telling the stories expressed no doubts about the significance of their enterprise. At MB Christian Junior College in Mahabubnagar, India, for example, children of poor families get "new hope" by learning a trade, and also become "pillars" of the church. In another example, the budding Angola Menno Simons Anabaptist Protestant University aims to promote no less than the transformation of Angola itself!
Exchange. When panicipants worked together to identify the mutual suppons they most wish to pursue, faculty exchanges headed the list, with scholarships for students from developing countries second. A cluster of pro-
If wc in I\orth America takc this wc may have to invest more in fu1tillin g the se wi s hes and le;s. in promoting mi s sion for ine xperi e nccd youth .
context: completed indigenization of "mission" churches, our largest national churches in India and Congo and a maturing structure in the International Community of Mennonite Brethren that allows national conferences to relate as equals and friends
If things have changed, then are we adjusting? Finding new habits for old? How, I wondered, is global looking for us?
As some 60 participants from five continents gathered to explore Mennonite education for the 21st century. this is what I noticed:
Listening. I was struck, as were others, by the openness and eagerness for connection that characterized the consultation. Reviewing photos of the proceedings, I see it confirmed: everywhere the physical posture, the leaning toward, the concentration that bespeaks engagement and respect. Achievements were shared, but also problems - with mission . church relations, money. Many schools, it seems, struggle with the bottom line. but some straits are dire. Will we listen hard enough to this, in order to find solutions?
Hospitality We met on the ground, not in cyberspace, so most of us were guests. and others - the MB people and two schools of Fresno - were hosts. It was noted that MB Biblical Seminary has been a "motherhouse" for global Mennonite Brethren. Many participants also had previous connections to Fresno Pacific University These schools didn't claim ''home'' for themselves, however, or tum the event into some kind of homecoming. Rather, it seemed to me, they and the planners alike opened a new (if still rudimentary) ''home room" containing all our schools worldwide. a space to receive and nourish each other. This was globaUy tuned - and biblical- hospitality.
The power of education. It's easy in Nonh America. to take education for granted to forget how powerful how missiona\, it is As we heard stories of the schools (and ea ch had the oppotrunity to tell theirs ) the lives of young people hungry to learn and then contribute came into vi ew Professors and administra -
fessional resource exchanges and funher consultations also ranked high Ranking rather low were student visits and exchanges. These ratings could appear elitist, but they reflect these leaders'
understanding of how the training component of the global MB community is best served now. If we in Nonh America take this seriously, we may have to invest more in fulfilling these wishes and less, perhaps, in promoting shonterm mission exposure for inexperienced youth Identity. Many schools represented at the consultation also associate ecumenically with various other groups . But the word Anabaptist was heard often and sometimes was even used interchangeably with Mennonite Brethren Panicipants seemed committed to their shared historical and theological connections and to denominational partnership through ICOMB . This identity ought to be strengthened rather than diminished, they said, so our distinctives, especially in peacemaking and conflict studies, can better be offered to the wider Christian world.
During five days in Fresno this June, this is how I experienced the Mennonite Brethren "global. " It had substance, and it looked good.
Dora Dueck is a writer and editor living in Winnipeg. Man.. where she attends Jubilee Mennonite Church Dueck retired in June from her work as associate editor of the MB Herald. the Canadian Conference Englishlanguage publication.
MISSION USA
We welcome and appreciate your generous support of Mission USA. Please send your donation to:
Mission USA U.S. Conference PO Box 220 Hillsboro, KS 67063 Note "Mission USA" on the memo line
To see more come to know HIM!
A cause in C
There's a new wave of excitement among our churches in the North Carolina District
A new facility called The Hope Center is in the first stages of construction in Lenoir, NC. This facility will be shared by all of the churches in the district for conventions, youth activi- . ties, meetings, gatherings, . weddings, conferences and .Preparations begin at the site of the new Hope Center in much more.IIThis multipurpose facility will be a great tance in allowing for ministry and growth in this l'Dftiini says Terry Hunt, NC district minister and pastor of ISUSIIltCil1 MB Church.
Bushtown MB will use the building for Sunday I'ftn and Wednesday evening services and will rename church The Life Center. The current Bushtown church DUn. ing is not far from the new location.
Pastors from the district meet often to discuss how to together to spread the good news in this area of Carolina. As they dream about ways to serve people, have big ideas that they believe are directed by God.
This is a joint project of the North Carolina district es and Mission USA. Mission USA is providing ft'IInJl:III: financial assistance for the next couple of years to ft...,... support as the project and anticipated growth get
Whether or not you live in the NCOC, please help ,;n this project by giving to Mission USA.
