THE CHRISTIAN'S ministry of reconciliation begins by establishing peace with God through Christ. But then it extends in ripples from that central relationship outward to the home, then to the workplace, the community, the nation
and finally to international politics.
MIt's appropriate, then, that the first Mennonite Brethren "Peace Sunday" focus , ;, ' , on the home. It's a poor witness to speak. publicly against war but then to wage mouth-to-mouth combat at home with our spouse and children. Unconditionallove begins around the dinner table.
To augment your Peace Sunday celebrations, we offer several articles that focus on peacemaking within the family.
• Suzanne Hale outlines a strategy for finding healthy resolution to those scraps between your children.
• Jeffrey Anschutz follows that with some thoughts about the importance of teaching our children to accept differences among people.
• J. Lome Peachey lists 20 ideas for instilling peace values in our children.
• Finally, Katie Funk Wiebe offers a powerful story about peacemaking that can inspire us and our families to wage love as Jesus did.
As Katie suggests later in her guest editorial, what better time could there be for Mennonite Brethren to reclaim their theology of love and reconciliation? Christ has given us a ministry that is desperately needed in our world. Let's get on with it.-DR
COMING
• JANUARY 13-16-New pastor's orientation, Fresno, Calif. Sponsored by the General Conference.
• FEBRUARY 24-26-U.S Conference joint board meetings, Wichita, Kan.
• MARCH 5-Rural churches seminar, Memory Lane Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan. Speaker: Henry Schmidt.
• APRIL 7-9-Consultation '94: "Ordaining, using and misusing authority in the church," Denver, Colo. Sponsored by the General Conference Board of Faith and Life
• JULY 23-26-Biennial convention of the U.S. Conference· of Mennonite Brethren Churches, Colorado Springs, Colo.
QUOTABLE
• "Leaders conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations, carry them above the confliCts that tear society apart and unite them in the pursuit of objectives worthy of their life's best efforts. » JOHN GARDNER
FEATURES - Theme: Peacemaking in the home
4 Kid wars: Se ttling disputes between children
By implementing med iat ion techn iques , parents can move from being mere peacekeepers to being peacemakers. BY SUZANNE J. HALE
7 No labels, please
By learning to value the intrinsic worth of each God -created person, children develop the building blocks of Christlike relationships . BY JEFFREY
M . ANSCHUTZ
9 20 ways to tea ch pea ce in th e hom e
Wonder ing how to develop peace values in a world of Rambo movies and Mortal Kombat video games? Here are a few ideas to get you started. BY J.
LORNE PEACHEY
12 A pig for a pig
What would you do if a spiteful neighbor destroyed your property? In this true story, a Christian father decides to "kill" the neighbor - with love. BY KATIE FUNK WIEBE
DEPARTMENTS
Forum
• I fasted from Rush Limbaugh
What Rea ders Say
by Brad Kunkel 14
15
Ph'lip Side by Philip Wiebe 17
• He lp for a dazed dad
Education
by Kathy Heinrichs Wiest 18
• Under the hood (5): Elmer Martens
Inquiring M inds ...... . ......... by Marvin Hein 20
• The role of women internationally
• Pastoral candidating Mu sings by Jim Holm 21
• Launching a new era?
Bodylife. ;
• BFL consultation on authority and ordination
22
Miscellanea 26 Guest editorial by Katie Funk Wiebe 28
• A time for peace
ART CREDITS: Cover and pages 5, 7, 9 and 10 by Skjold Photography; page 13, Dynamic Graphics.
VOlUME 57, NUMBER 1
EDITOR
Don Ratzlaff ASSISTANT EDITOR
Deborah Penner
BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS ; David Reimer, chair; Harold Franz, Jeanie Klaassen, Malinda Nikkel, Dalton Reimer
MANDATE: THE CHRISTIAN LEADER (ISSN 0009 , 5149), organ of the U S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, is published monthly by the U.S Conference Board of Communications, 315 S. Lincoln, Hillsboro, KS 67063. The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions, and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dialog so that they will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical!Anabaptist theological tradition.
EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions of our writers and advertisers are their own and do not nec' essarily represent the position of The Christian Leader, the Board of Communications or the Mennonite Brethren Church. The editors invite free-lance article submissions, but ask that each submission be accompanied with a SASE. The editors reserve the right to edit, condense or refuse all copy submitted for publication; anonymous contributions will not be published
READER PARTICIPATION: The editors encourage readers to interact with our articles through letters to the editor and essays to Forum, our op-ed column. Letters for What Readers Say must include the author's name and address Forum is open to members or attenders of Mennonite Brethren churches. Essays to Forum can address any issue of relevance and interest to the faith and life of the Mennonite Brethren Church. The essay should be no longer than 800 words and should include the home church, occupation and a clear photo of the writer.
CO M MUNICATION: All correspondence should be addressed to The Christian Leader, Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Phone: (316) 947-5543 Fax : (316) 9473266
ADVERTISING: Clearinghouse ads should be submitted in writing. Cost: $ 25 per word. Send no advance payments For display·ad rates, contact the editor.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Rates: $16 for one year, $30 for two years, and $42 for three years ($20, $38 and $54 in Canada); $1.50 per copy.
ADDRESS CHANGES: Send both old and new address to Circulation Secretary, Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Allow up to six weeks for transition.
MEMBERSHIP: The Christian Leader is a member of the Evangelical Press Association and Meetinghouse, an association of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ editors
PRINTING : The Christian Leader is printed on recycled paper by Multi Business Press, Hillsboro, Kansas.
POSTMASTER: Send Form 3579 to The Christian Leader, Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063 Second-class postage paid at Hillsboro, Kansas
At the point where we believe that another person's attitude or action prevents us from getting what we want, or injures us, or interferes with us in some way, conflict is born.
the scene. He'd had differences with Mike before, and he didn't think he could change Mike's mind.
For Bobby, the issue was respect. Mike did not respect Bobby's wishes when he continued to "coach" after Bobby asked him not to. Then his mother failed to respect him. She did not ask for his side of the story, she told him to change his feelings (anger made a lot of sense to him), and she told him to be grateful for Mike's help (when that was the opposite of what he wanted). Her involvement fol· lowed a familiar pattern. The effect of her actions is evident in Bobby's statement , "You never listen to me! You always take his side!"
• For the mother, the issue was fighting children. It was a problem she felt she had to solve. She was accustomed to depending on Mike in situations involving the younger children, and she trusted his information and his interpretation. Seeing the situation as a problem of ingratitude, she made a judgment ("You should be grateful, not angry."). Chances are that she would have been more sympathetic to Bobby, and she would have seen the situation differently if she had asked Bobby for his view of the incident. Her approach was to listen to one child, make a decision, and then go "fix" the other child.
• Mike was just doing his thing In
this family, Mike was the oldest of four children and often tended the younger ones. At age 11, he had become a dependable oldest child who enjoyed instructing others and telling them what to do. While that helped his parents to some degree, his relationships with his siblings were uneven. For the most part they did not appreciate this older and wiser brother giving them help they did not ask for. In this situation, Mike was saying to Bobby either "I'm not hearing you," or "I hear you, but I'm going against your wishes and doing what 1 want to do anyway."
In the mother'S method of handling this conflict, Bobby is overlooked. His interests are not considered; they are hardly known. His feelings are criticized, rather than recognized for the appropriate emotions they are. He is frustrated because he hasn ' t been heard or affirmed. Another problem with this method is that Mike does not see the effect his behavior has had on Bobby and loses an opportunity to account for his actions. More importantly, the relationships are weakened through this incident, not restored or strengthened.
Conflict is inevitable
As a parent, 1 wanted peace to characterize our Christian household. In some way, I looked at the level of conflict in the family as a barometer; it was a way to measure how well (or how poorly) we were doing as a family. At the least, I wanted the family to function as a mutually supportive unit; at the most , I wanted us all to love each other. I took a stand against conflict and made it known frequently. And 1 kept wondering, "When does this get better? When they grow up and find they have to learn to deal with people?"
What I know now is that conflict exists-and will continue to existbecause it arises naturally out of the miraculous creation of each person as a unique individual. Each of us is our own person, with our own experiences, reactions, expectations, per-
ceptions, values and preferences. It follows, then, that individual differences will exist and produce, well, differences. At the point where we believe that another person's attitude or action prevents us from getting what we want, or injures us, or interferes with us in some way, conflict is born.
In recent years, an approach to handling conflict among children has emerged with very positive results for children in both family and school settings. Basically a form of mediation, this method encourages children to take responsibility for themselves to understand fairrtess and justice and to value and enjoy their relationships. It is a process which affmns both the individual and the family by seeing the conflict as a problem to be solved (not viewing the children as the problem), by recognizing that the needs of the children are mutually and equally important (not to be met at someone's expense), and by inviting the children to contribute to solving their own problems.
With a parent to manage it, a family may initiate this process at any time a child begins to verbally express himself or herself sufficiently, frequently by age 4 or 5. The parents' role is to explain the procedure to the children, and then to keep the process intact and move it along, by asking questions and making suggestions. As much as possible, the parent should keep participation to a minimum. The children should come to feel that this is their process, and that the outcome depends on them.
These are the procedures:
DTheparent asks each child individually to meet with the other(s) to settle the problem. The children are given the alternatives of either settling the dispute themselves or letting the parent settle the dispute.
Ii1 If they agree to the process, a a jOint meeting of all the disputants is set up. The parent should choose a good time to talk in a quiet
place that will be comfortable and undisturbed for as long as the discussion takes.
If they do not agree, the parent decides the outcome of the conflict, including what restitution or discipline is appropriate.
n In the joint meeting, each I!!U child is given an uninterrupted time to tell his or her experience. Certain ground rules apply No interrupting, blaming or name-calling. The child not speaking must listen and, even if not in agreement, must show that he or she is listening. One way to indicate that is for the parent to ask the listener to describe what the speaker has said in his or her own words.
Injustices (intended or not) iii are recognized. The children are encouraged to see injustices, and very often they do and apologize spontaneously. But it is the parent's responsibility to see that injustices are recognized and reconciled appropriately, with apology or restitution.
r.:I The children talk about how lUI they might avoid this problem in the future, and agree on what they will do if a similar situation arises.
rill The children formalize the W agreement, writing it down and Signing it, with the parent aSSisting as appropriate for the child's age. At this point in the process, the children often celebrate in some way, exhibiting relief, gratification, and even pride in their achievement. Older children may shake hands on it. Whatever the outcome, the child's response should be voluntary and spontaneous. The parent may compliment the children on a job well done, but he or she should be careful not to order or insist on a particular response or celebration
CJ If there are ongoing problems a and the conflict does not "stay" settled, the parent calls for
a follow-up meeting, and the new problems are discussed using this same process.
This process works well because:
• the children in the conflict are talking directly to each other for the purpose of resolving the dispute. Direct conversation is much more effective than throwing a rock, banging on the wall or complaining to someone else.
• it provides for information to be given by all the children involved in the problem.
• it allows all of the issues and feelings to be expressed and dealt with.
• the answer is arrived at jointly and creatively by the children and so the settlement is more satisfying and more likely to be followed.
Basically, it works well because the children are owning the dispute and they are owning the outcome.
Internal and external peace
One mother I talked with recently about conflict management admitted she saw herself as a peacekeeper, not a peacemaker. She regretted that her focus had been on managing behavior-hers and others-so that all appeared to be at peace. She realized she would often sacrifice her own needs and interests, and that in various ways she would encourage her children to do so in order to appear to keep the peace.
In peacemaking, our purpose is to achieve an internal and external peace. We do that by hearing the needs of each person in the conflict, by making restitution for injustices, by cooperatively finding a solutionand thereby restoring and strengthening relationships. ef2
Before moving to Wenatchee, Wash., 10 years ago, Suzanne Hale was a member of the North Fresno MB Church, Fresno, Calif. She is a communication and mediatum consultant.
Of course, there is a difference between being tolerant of people and being tolerant of behaviors. Many people display behaviors with which I don't agree, and I speak out against behaviors which conflict with my values. But if I am to follow the lead of Christ, I must find caring ways to validate their self-worth while helping them to change those behaviors. Although I am entitled to my beliefs and feel strongly about them, I
TEACHING TOLERANCE
try to avoid labeling people or putting them into categories if they disagree with me. By using labels, we generate fear and anger toward people we don't even know. All of us carry within us the seeds of hatred, seeds which are waiting to grow in the fertile soil of intolerance, nourished by ignorance and fear
Acceptance is difficult to find these days. As Christians, we must unconditionally accept others, even with their
HOW SHOULD WE PARENTS work at encouraging Christlike tolerance in our children?
Here are some of the key principles we seek to teach and model in our home :
1 Don't label others. Labeling is convenient , but it's also unfair. Once we attach a label to a person or a group of people, we are able to make judgments about them without getting to know them. Like our unbelieving counterparts, we Christians throw around a lot of labels. Most of my work as a counselor involves getting people to focus on behaviors instead of labels. My sons need to know others as they truly are, not through the blinders of a label.
2. All people have value. A person doesn't have greater value because he or she agrees with your biases nor less value because he or she disagrees. People have value because they exist. Money, pOSition and power don't increase a person's value in the eyes of God. Behaviors, bad as they may be, do not diminish their value either.
3. Don't throw stones. We don't have to look or listen long to find many hurtful things said about others. Gossip, rumors and outright lies are common, even among Christians. People usually excuse this behavior because they feel they are "right" or that they are better than others. If we do this around our children, we pass the same fear, bias and anger to them.
4. Unconditional acceptance. Loving others is difficult. Especially if they don't agree with us or see the world as we think they should. Only through unconditional acceptance can we help others find peace in their lives. We must learn to relate to others as they are and support their efforts to make their lives better.
S. Approve of yourself. A key to approving others is to first approve ourselves. I find it most difficult when my children repeat one of my mistakes. Often the things we find most troubling in others are those things with which we struggle. We first must come to terms with our own failures and understand God's readiness to forgive them. If we don't, we will have great difficulty tolerating failure in others and forgiving them. -JMA
faults and failings . Tolerance is no more than granting to others the respect we feel we deserve. As Christians, forgiveness and mercy are our trademarks.
To teach my sons to tolerate and accept people, I'm obligated to set the example of unconditional acceptance of others in my own life. Again, that doesn't mean I must approve of others' behaviors. But Scripture directs me to love my enemies as well as those who don't behave or believe as I feel they should.
Approval is that nod of the head for which we all strive-and the "carrot on the stick" we sometimes hold out for others when they don't exhibit the beliefs or behaviors we think they should. We often approve or disapprove of selective behaviors and measure people's worth accordingly. Do they live in the "right" home, drive the "right" car or wear the "right" clothing? Did they vote the "right" way or have the "right" friends? Without intending to, we send the message to our children that it is more important what others think of us than what we believe about ourselves.
As I reflect on the life lessons I want my sons to learn from me, faith in Christ is the most important. While I know their faith will not be exactly like mine, I do my best to give them the tools they need to walk with the Lord. I want them to learn kindness, concern and caring for others. I want them to respect others' feelings and beliefs and have a genuine desire to make the world a better place. I want them to stand up for what they believe, but to be open-minded enough to really listen to and accept others.
--
62
Jeffrey Anschutz is a treatment coordinator and counselor for a hOSPital chemical dependency program He attends the Buhler (Kan.) MB Church.
20 WAYS TO TEACH
IN THE HOME
By]. Lome Peachey
F, AS MOST EDUCAtors agree, the home is the most important place where peace values are taught, how does the home go about doing this? Where do I, a parent, go for help when I see my son solving a problem by what looks to me like violent methods?
My survey of the literature of the historic peace churches unearthed a surprising number of practical suggestions on teaching peace and nonviolence to children.
1. Cultivate a good homelife. Stephanie Judson, writing in A Manual on Nonviolence and Children, believes there are five elements that must be cultivated in a home where children willieam to be peacemakers:
(a) affirmation of each other;
(b) sharing of feelings, information, and experience in order to learn to understand others;
(c) a supportive community that allows people to work together on problems;
(d) practical experience on different ways to solve problems;
(e) a sense of enjoying life together. A home where these are experienced develops in children a sense of well-being and wholeness, one that contradicts the feelings of helplessness and powerlessness that pervade the modern world.
2. Join a parent support group. If JANUARY 1994· 9
(Por most children, it's got to be difficult to interpret why Mom and Dad react so emotionally to a local shooting but sit and watch the same thing on TV with no show of emotion."
parents would provide the proper kind of environment for their children, they should have resources available to help them as parents work through problems and deal with frustrations. A support group of other parents can be one of the best such resources.
"This support approach creates an atmosphere which nurtures an individual's ability to work creatively on problems," writes Judson. "Being appreciated and affirmed, whether at home, in a meeting, or in a classroom, encourages people to discuss problems openly; it also provides an empowering sense that the problems can be solved without permanent physical or emotional damage to anybody involved in the conflict. When parents have an opportunity to draw on this nonviolent atmosphere themselves, they are far more likely to create and model it for their children."
3. Provide a good example. Adults need to be the kind of persons they want their children to become Unless parents believe an ideal is important enough to incorporate it into their own lives, it is doubtful whether they can teach it to their children
How parents handle conflict in the home, how they react to it in the community, and how they relate to a violent world have tremendous teaching influence on their children.
4. Help children experience forgiveness. To become peacemakers, children need to experience forgiveness from their parents when they make
mistakes. They must also be helped to forgive others who wrong them It is only as they learn to exercise and accept forgiveness that children can acquire the knowledge they need to become reconcilers in the conflict situations they meet later in life.
5. Don't buy war toys. "Although war games may be normal for growing youngsters and should not be forcibly prohibited, they should be discouraged through the encouraging of more constructive games and activities which are more creative and exciting, " writes Edith Graber.
Leland Miles adds: "Toy soldiers, whether marching or fighting, do the same thing for a child that beer does for the American Legionnaire-they cast a romantic glow over the thud of lead in flesh, and make war a harmless little game of epaulets, salutes, goldstriped trousers, and pleasant jeep rides."
Other writers mention the danger of war toys establishing behavior patterns and values children will follow as adults, and of making violence more acceptable as a pattern of life.
6. Avoid entertainment glorifying violence. Whether it be movies, television, or video games, the Christ-following family will shun entertainment based on violence or that accepts violent solutions as a way of life. "For most children, it's got to be difficult to interpret why Mom and Dad react so emotionally to a local shooting but sit and watch the same thing on 1V with no show of emotion," says one writer
7. CUrb backyard fighting. A way to teach peacemaking values to children is to work with them on handling the conflicts that erupt during their play. One mother offered this solution for the bullying that occurred in her neighborhood: she outlawed fighting in her backyard and made it a rule that whoever tried to start a fight had to leave. She hoped that gradually the children would realize that differences can be settled in ways other than physical violence . Other parents may not want to adopt such a legalistic approach. But they must at least be interested in helping their children solve conflicts in nonviolent ways. A "hands off" or "boys will be boys" approach also teaches children something about handling conflict.
S. Deemphasize possessions. Much conflict in the world is about who owns what. Toning down the need for possessions will take away much of this source of conflict. Eberhard Arnold, of the Society of Brothers, suggests that children without an attachment to possessions will have less to want to defend and fight for To parents he says, "[Children] should see that we are completely detached from the things people usually own and that all rights of disposal mean nothing to us ." With such an example children will be less inclined to stick up for their own "property rights," Arnold believes.
9. Tone down violence expectancy. Predictions of doom can be self-fulfill-
ing. So can expectations about violence. One writer believes wars may occur more readily when people expect them to happen. Parents help their children to be peacemakers by not teaching them that violence is inevitable in the future.
10. Talk about violence and peace. Parents should talk about peace and what it means, violence and what it does, and what is happening both in the worlds of their children and on the international scene that involves conflict. Not only does this defuse the subject for children, but it also gives them a perspective on what attitudes to take toward these situations.
11. Stress cooperative play. "In our Western world, we have overstressed competitive activities vocationally and in many other ways," says a Church of the Brethren leader "Our competitive sports probably do not make for peace-mindedness-there is too much feeling about winning over some other person or group. Cooperative players in an orchestra make better music than competitive players." A spirit of cooperation is less likely to lead to conflict than one of competition.
12. Tell stories. For children to become peacemakers, they need to have a sense of belonging to a history of peacemakers. Parents can give them this sense by telling them stories, both from the Bible and from their heritage.
Hearing stories about peace heroes can help them see that peacemaking often takes even more moral courage than waging war. These stories can also help them realize that peace can be just as much a cause for which to live-and die-as is war.
13. Cultivate imagination. Children have a wealth of imagination that needs to be directed. That imagination can help them identify with other people and what life must be like for them. Other persons are hard to classify as "enemies" when one is able to
put oneself into their shoes.
Imagination should also be encouraged for solving conflict situations. Children should be taught to handle conflict in their lives through attempting various solutions. One writer even suggests setting up a court in the backyard when solutions can't be reached in other ways.
14. Encourage autonomy. Children need to be encouraged to be persons of their own. The willingness of parents to stand back and let their children experiment on their own and think for themselves appears to be equally important with warmth in the development of creative peacemakers. This autonomy gives a child not only a sense of competency but also one of social responsibility.
15. Emphasize what it is that creates violence. Not only must children be taught not to use violence as a solution for their problems, they must also be helped to see that sometimes they can create violence in others while they apparently remain nonviolent.
If conflict is not handled creatively, it can develop into violence in others. Children are adept at this: they will not fight themselves but they will provoke a playmate to fighting so that he or she gets punished.
"To be prepared to be peaceful citizens of the world of the twentieth century, American children are going to have to be taught to recognize when they are provoking another person or nation to violence," writes Barbara Stanford "They will have to learn to take responsibility not only for fighting first or shooting the first missile, but also for creating the conflict which led to violence, or refusing to deal with the conflict before it became so desperate that it led to violence."
16. Have an abundance of peace materials in the home. Peace-oriented art, photos and literature say something to a child when readily available in a home. When a child wants some-
thing to do or something to read, one of the options should be a source that deals with peace.
17. Cultivate friendships with other peacemakers. Parents need to seek out other families who believe in Christian reconciliation as a way of life and cultivate friendships with them. As children learn to know and become friends with the children of other peacemakers, these primary relationships help them to develop their own peacemaking behavior.
18. Provide cross-cultural experiences. An appreciation for the way of peace comes as children are acquainted with people from other cultures. Parents can invite visitors from other backgrounds into their homes to interact with the family. As children learn to know people with various customs, violence becomes less an alternative for settling problems with people who are different.
19. Support projects that express concern. Families committed to peace should make it a point to work with Mennonite Central Committee or other organizations in special projects to help others. In this way children also become aware of others and have a sense of relating to them.
20. Send peace cards and letters. Peacemaking parents should write their concerns to their legislators, both locally and nationally. At the same time that it reminds politicians of nonviolence as an option, children also see their parents acting on a belief that means a great deal to them, one of the most effective ways that peace education takes place. ,f2
J. Lome Peachey is a Mennonite Church journalist. His article is adapted with permission from How to Teach Peace to Children, available from Herald Press, Scottdale, Pa., (l-800-7594447)/or$1 .95.
1994.
1 or a 1
A peacemaking story for families
There's a better way to "kiU" a spiteful neighbor. With love.
By Katie Funk Wiebe
HE SAID THE STORY WAS TRUE, AND I believed her. It had happened in northern Saskatchewan in the difficult thirties, she said. Too simplistic? You be the judge. This is my elderly Sunday school teacher's tale about a young boy growing up with a father who believed in peace.
• • • •
" J'll kill that man " nearly fell off the high seat of the Bennett wagon where I was perched holding the horses' reins. What had Dad said?
"I need land, Heinrichs need it awful bad, or else I'll have to go as a farmhand again. I'll handle that man."
I tried to see Dad's face but he was turned from me, and I couldn't tell whether he was joking or not. My dad kill someone? Something was wrong. A ball of lead formed in my throat and settled heavily in my stomach. I wished we were home.
The afternoon had been discouraging. Only last week the notice had come in the mail that the farm we were sharecropping had been sold over our heads. We would have to move off. But where to? There wasn't another farm available for miles. All afternoon I had listened to Dad talking land to everyone he met. I had watched the worry lines growing deeper on his face as one man after another shook their heads . Tiredness crept into his voice and walk as we turned toward the wagon to go home.
Old Mr. Heinrichs met us there. He pushed his limp felt hat back on his head to scratch his thinning hair in response to Dad's oft-repeated question.
"Can't say that I know of anythiog ...well, now come to think of it, the farm across from Jud Brewster will likely be empty this spring. The renters on it now are leaving-no one stays on that farm long-it's rundown and next to impossible to live with Jud Brewster across the road. He drives everyone off."
"He wouldn't drive me off," Dad replied quietly. His voice sounded just a bit cheerier.
"You don't know him ... an angel couldn't live next to him, he's that mean."
Dad mumbled something and I caught only the last phrase, "...1'11 kill that man ."
My brother Jimmie rushed to meet me one day that next week with the exciting words, "We're moving, we're moving'" And the next week we moved . Darkness had settled heavily over the unfamiliar surroundings of the
new farmyard when the last coop of chickens was brought over. As we emptied them into the henhouse a few birds escaped the hatch and fluttered noisily to the low branches of the nearby poplars.
The folks were tired. Uncle Henry, who was helping us, had already gone home. My bones ached and Jimmie was already stretched out on the mattress Mom had placed on the kitchen floor. I dropped heavily beside him and was drifting off when I dimly heard Dad and Mom praying together by the kitchen table for Jud Brewster. You don't pray for men you intend to kill. I must have misunderstood Dad the other day.
It seemed as if I had been sleeping only minutes when a heavy-handed knock shattered the stillness. But morning light was seeping through the cracked green window shades. Dad jumped into his pants and was at the door before I could throw off my covers.
In the doorway stood our new neighbor-a big man in an ugly mood. Lying on my mattress looking up at him, I could think of only one thiogthe picture of the giant Goliath in our Bible storybook, as he scowled at young David. David had been sure of winning. I felt as helpless as a baby chick.
"Those chickens of yours in the trees next to the road have been bothering me all morning," he snarled. "You better make sure they don't bother me again, or I'll make sure they don't." He tapped the barrel of his rifle ominously. I shivered.
With those words he stalked off, giving Dad no opportunity to apologize or explain. "Up, all of you, and get those chickens into the henhouse before you go to school-now out, all of you," he shouted.
For a long time we heard nothing more from our neighbor. We began to think the ugly rumors were only telephone gossip. Even timid Mrs. Brewster seemed almost pleased when Mom brought her a jar of new raspberry jelly she had made and invited her over for afternoon tea.
She never came, for the next day trouble descended on us like Niagara Falls. Our cows got into Brewster's oats . Dad saw them almost right away and rushed Mom and us boys over to drive them out, but Mr. Brewster was there before us. He swore and raved at us, waving his old pitchfork wildly. Dad shooed us boys away but even from behind the poplar clump we could hear him calling Dad down. We edged around the bushes, and when I saw Dad paying old Jud some money, one bill after another, I knew I would be walking to school again this fall. My new bicycle was walking off in his dirty pocket. I hated Jud Brewster.
I1TS
OF
LITTLE THINGS
AFTER that brought Jud rewster storming to our place, carrying his gun-like our dog chasing his chickens, or us boys pulling down his haystack, when we wouldn't even go near his place.
One warm afternoon Dad was in the barn sharpening his ax at the emery wheel and we boys were fooling around behind the bam. Suddenly I heard Jud bark out, "Janzen, your pigs have been in my garden. I've wamedyou "
Jimmie and I crept around the bam to hear better.
"You've made too many promises, Janzen," he roared, "and now I've brought you your pigs back-they'll never get into my garden again."
Dad followed him out of the bam
and turned to the wagon a short distance away. It was loaded with our complete herd of young pigs-all dead, shot by his rifle. The silence became heavy. Time stopped. Blood plopped silently into the soft dust of the driveway through the cracks of the wagon. A bird chirping in the treetop sounded like a voice from another world.
The ax Dad had been grinding slipped from his hands to the ground, and time moved ahead again . Dad's face glistened with perspiration as he said quietly, "Come on, boys, let's get rid of the pigs." He never spoke to our neighbor.
A few weeks later, just before chore time, little Jimmie rushed in, shrieking, "Daddy, go get a gun quick. Jud Brewster's pigs are in our garden."
"We can get a gun from Thompsons," I piped up, tearing to the door. The taste of revenge was already sweet in my mouth.
"Hold on, boys, we won't need a gun." Dad put a restraining hand on my shoulder. "You harness the wagon and we'll return those pigs before we do chores."
It took a lot of chasing and hard work before that miserable herd of pigs climbed up the ramp. It would have been easier to load them dead, but Dad explained this was the Bible way. With Dad guiding the reins of the horses, we marched down the
road to our neighbor's house. Dad and we boys stepped up to the back door while Heinz drove around to the pigpen.
"Good evening, Mr. Brewster, your pigs were in my garden. I've brought them back."
Brewster staggered back, his face white with fear, his hands clawing the air aimlessly. "My pigs," he croaked, "my pigs in your garden?" He reeled against the door frame for support.
"Yes, we've brought them back. Where shall we put them?"
Brewster didn't tum to look. His face became more ashen. His body sagged against the door. "Just dump them over behind the bam."
"But then they'll just get out again."
"You mean you didn't kill them?" He clutched Dad's hands like a dying man.
That ended the excitement for us. Dad and Mr. Brewster talked for such a long time that we had to go home and do chores alone. When Dad finally came home, he brought half of Brewster's pigs with him. Didn't even have to unload them The next Sunday the Brewsters came to church and stayed for dinner. He wasn't such a bad guy after all when he got changed a bit inside.
It wasn't until next spring when I was pumping up the tire of my new bicycle that I remembered to ask Dad about what he had said to Mr. Heinrichs about killing his neighbor.
"Not with a gun, son. I planned to do it another way-by heaping coals of fire on his head. But it took a long time to get those coals hot enough That old neighbor is as dead as a door nail-just like I said he'd be." 62
Katte Funk Wiebe, a well-known author and speaker, is a member Of the First MB Church, Wichita, Kan. The Leaderfirst published this story in 1986.
I fasted from Rush Limbaugh
IMADE TIlE hard choice the other day. I stopped listening to Rush Limbaugh. At least, for a while. Now, I know what some of you other ditto heads are saying. But hear me out.
Before I proceed, though, I should explain. For those uninformed in the nomenclature of this particular airborne phenomenon, a "dittohead" is simply a religious-excuse me, a devout-er, a regular listener or viewer of Rush Limbaugh's radio and television programs who agrees with him to the extent of awarding "dittos" to his commentary.
As I was saying, I fear that some of you dittoheads may think I'm straying from the conservative fold. Fret not, fellow fearers of big government and socialism in all its insidious forms You will have to journey far to find someone more cynical about the ability of centralized government to solve anything. Or to find a more fervent believer in Adam Smith's invisible hand and the ability of free markets to maximize the wealth of all, from apple sellers to junk-bond kings.
So what's the problem? The story goes like this: I was at the pizza parlor with my fellow ministers for the Lord, enjoying the aftermath of ministry to some young jailbirds who needed to hear the gospel (we obliged). At one point, the conversation turned to politics, as conversations often do these days. Having discovered Mr. limbaugh a few months earlier, I had dutifully cultivated my attitude toward anything that could be labeled "liberal." Or anyone, for that matter.
Guess what? Sitting with me at that very table were brothers and sisters in Christ espousing political posi-
Forum is a column of opinion and comment on contemporary issues facing the Mennonite Brethren Church. Manuscripts expressing an opinion for Forum should aim for a length of 800 words. Authors must sign articles, identify their church membership and vocation, and include a clear photo of themselves
BY BRAD KUNKEL
C7 can't help but fantasize about a church full of believers as sincere and committed to the gospel as dittoheads are to conservatism."
tions belonging, shall we say, to the left of center. And I found myself getting that close (picture here Maxwell Smart, from the old "Get Smart" television series, with thumb and foreftnger pressed together) to actually getting into an argument with a fellow believer over politics.
That's when I stopped. Talking, that is . And later, when I took time to analyze that encounter, my devotion to Rush Limbaugh was also put on hold.
WHY DID I FEEL so in conflict . with one of my own fellow ministers over something as temporal and idiotic (my usual description) as polttics, for heaven's sake?
I concluded that listening to Rush put me in a combative frame of mind regarding anything having to do with the "L" word. And I realized that the body of Christ was bound to include people from across the political spectrum. I simply couldn't take the chance of allowing that kind of combative inclination to jeopardize any of those external relationships so critical to the functioning of the body of Christ.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not judging any other dittohead or even the occasional listener or viewer. But alas, I am weak. And my passions run deeply about some things. In this case, my passion for the church and those in it runs deeper than my enjoyment of Rush's witty conservative commentary.
It's just that the tenor of his show comes off in such stark "us vs. them" terms. And the shades are strictly black and white. (And guess who is wearing white.) Limbaugh can make
you so mad with his zany but pointed criticism of the "other side."
One more thing. Why is it, by the way, that when I refer to Rush, I keep wanting to capitalize the "h" when I write the pronoun "he"?
And is it just me, or does anyone else notice the movement among dittoheads to "convert" friends and neighbors? I kid you not. Callers use those very words to describe their efforts to proselytize their new-found faith-er, excuse me, belief-oops, I mean, political understanding.
Have you heard callers describe the day, sometimes the very moment, they "discovered" Rush Limbaugh? And even the person who introduced him to them?
It's positively spooky how it parallels a conversion to Jesus Christ. I can't help but fantasize about a church full of believers as sincere and committed to the gospel as dittoheads are to conservatism.
But the point for me remains the same. A political philosophy was threatening to put my relationship with Jesus Christ and fellow believers, in some circumstances, into a subordinate position. My personal solution was to fast from the program for a time to refocus on the center of my life, Jesus Christ.
If any of this rings true for you too, you might consider doing the same. tf2
A contractor and builder by trade, Brad Kunkel Is a member of the lincoln Glen Church of San Jose, Calif. He wiU accept any "dittohead" coffee mugs and other merchandise sent to his home at 1258 Curtiss Ave., San Jose, CA 95125. He will also accept correspondence.
of Scripture (" what first-century instruction means on the doorstep of the 21st-century,") and states that his view of understanding the Bible requires placing culture in the foreground ("Scripture is time and culture related").
At this point, I raise some difficult questions. They are frank, but given the character of what I've been reading recently in the Christian Leader, I believe they must be dealt with.
(1) Does the theology presented in the Leader represent the denomination? If not, why is it being allowed to take such a position? If so, why are we tolerating theological error as if it should take that position?
(2) Is higher critical perspective the standard approach presented at the colleges and the seminary?
(3) Do we need to do some theological housecleaning?
with the Mennonite Brethren in Canada with tent revival crusades, and in the U.S. churches as well. Through these contacts I developed an appreci-
wholesale noncompliance with New Testament commands, stipulations and requirements for God's people. Yes, I identify with believers who ation for the Mennonite Brethren and their spiritual qualities.
The history of your origins, your commitments and your growth are interesting. My appreciation is so great, that on one occasion, I told the late H.S. Bender, that if the Mennonite Church (with which I am affiliated) ever lost its way, I would identify
Most regretfully, your editorial fails to distinguish between specific instruction for the Christian church and those items which
with the Mennonite the church was
Brethren. He agreed.
practice the holy kiss and the washing of the saints' feet, a group which subscribes to the thesis that all the gifts of women may be used in the church, short of ordination to pastoral responsibility as instructed by the epistles of Paul.
Most regretfully, your editorial fails to distinguish between specific instruction for the Christian church and those items which the church was not commanded to do, such as
But the Mennonite Brethren, like most other denominations, appears to be on the move in its not commanded to do ... the community of goods as described in Acts 4: 32-35. I read of no command in If these questions cannot be dealt with, then my concerns will rise to God and my fears for the future of the Mennonite Brethren will be raised to a higher level.
Collin Brendemuehl Edmond, Okla.
ENCOURAGING DISOBEDIENCE?
It has been my privilege across the years to enjoy an intimate relationship
readiness to make adaptations at the expense of obedience to the Scriptures.
As a subscriber, I appreciate the quality of your publication's material, with one exception-the editorial "Welcome to literal church" (Dec. 14). If I do not sound too judgmental or censorious, I would say that it seems to give sweeping approval to
the New Testament that all believers practice the community of goods. But I do read a number of commands which you clearly dispose of by identifying them with local and temporary provisions as referred to above.
It seems that in our attempt to distinguish between that which was temporary and cultural and that which is permanent and binding, we need to distinguish between the historical part and the teaching part of the New Testament. The Gospels and the book of Acts give us a historical account without any indication that the church of all time is to comply with the things that transpired in the apostolic period. Admittedly, there is instruction in the historical part, but do we not have in the epistles of the New Testament the teaching or didactic part with which we are expected to comply?
Aug . 1-22 Lands of the Bible, Sept. 6-20, Ken & Kass Seitz European Fall Harvest, Sept. 22-Oct. 6, Wilmer Martin, John Ruth
I would ask you to reconsider your case regarding the literal church, perhaps in another editorial, in which you identify those teachings of the New Testament which are to be literally observed Surely there are some.
I fear your editorial has been a source of encouragement and justification for disobedient church members who are following the ways of the world and may find out at last that they have been deceived
George R. Brunk II, editor
The Sword and Trumpet Harrisonburg, Va.
Help for a dazed dad
IN MIXED COMPANY, I notice that fathers tend to get a lot of ribbing for their dubious parenting skills. "My husband put our daughter's diaper on upside down," you hear. Or, "He fed him nothing but Pepsi and M&Ms for dinner." It's the kind of stuff that makes a dad feel kind of dumb. So I think it's time to stand up for fathers everywhere and say: Thank you very much. Hey, it could be worse. Instead of a little ribbing, we could get a lot of ridicule. Sure, there are dads who are proficient, conscientious caregivers, but I can personally guarantee that I'm not one of them. My parenting style can be better described by a recent movie title, "Dazed and Confused."
OK, it may not be that bad. "Clumsy and Forgetful" is probably more like it. Fortunately, I'm blessed with a patient wife who (mostly) doesn't mind helping me out when the mental gears start sticking. And when Kim isn't available, Seth (who will be 3 this summer) will jump in there with plenty of help of his own.
Good thing, because I need all the help I can get. Take toddler clothing, for instance. Is this stuff designed by NASA space suit engineers? With all those buttons, snaps, hooks, straps, belts, strings, tabs, and other tricky fastening apparatus, I've been known to put Seth's clothes on backward, sideways, and diagonally. He just looks at me (much like his mommy) and sighs. What do they expect? I have enough trouble fastening my own clothes, and they're not riddled with nearly as many buttonholes as Seth's.
Seth seems to know where everything goes, though. And he also seems to know where everything went. As one who regularly misplaces items, such as the car keys and the names of close family members, I sometimes find myself enlisting Seth's help: "Son, have you seen my keys?" Sure enough, he'll wander off and return a moment later with jangling metal: "Daddy's keys!" I'm surprised I haven't learned to ask him sooner.
Seth has, in fact, a much better memory than I do. He'll constantly remind me of things we said or did months ago, while I'm trying to remember what Kim said to me minutes ago. If he could drive, I think we'd be better off sending Seth to the store for milk and toothpaste instead of sending Daddy and winding up with no milk or toothpaste, but plenty of Pepsi and M&Ms.
At times Seth also remembers his priorities a little better than Daddy. I'll be kUling a Saturday afternoon watching some crucial golf match or something, and he'll sidle up with a stack of books and urge, "Daddy, read?" My son, the media critic. But I don't protest. Wouldn't want word getting around that my toddler is lecturing me on my TV watching habits, rather than the other way around.
Seth helps me keep other priorities straight, too. While I often get absorbed in life's petty hassles and worries, Seth is always on the lookout for the small wonders of daily living: "See the birdies? Look at the big tree! The sky is pretty. The flower smells nice!" He knows the right things to pay attention to, even if his shortsighted Daddy doesn't.
Strangely enough, Seth often seems to know what's good for Daddy better than Daddy does. He gets me to work on time ("Daddy, wake up!"), roots me from the sofa on weekends ("Wanna go outside?"), reminds me to exercise ("Let's run!"), and urges me to pay more attention to my family ("Daddy, come here!"). It makes me wonder: How can my 2and-a-half-year-old already be smarter than me? I didn't think kids got smarter than their parents until they were teenagers. In the meantime, isn't my son supposed to think of me as the smartest person in the world? A friend reported that his 4-year-old inquired: "Daddy, how come you know everything?" I'm still waiting.
But if Seth never says that, it will probably be just as well. I don't know everything. Like what time (when Mommy goes out and leaves detailed instructions which Daddy promptly forgets) Seth is supposed to go to bed. Good thing Seth remembers. "Daddy," he says with favorite blanket in tow, "Rock-a-bye baby."
And even then Seth is one up on me. After a change into PJs (with Seth's help), a few more lullabies (of Seth's choice), and a last drink of water (at Seth's reminder), I'm ready to put him down for the night. But he has to bail me out one more time. With sleepy eyes, he says, "Daddy pray?"
Ohyeah.
It's probably a good thing Seth is smarter than me. Somebody has to handle the important stuff. tSe
/tmakesme wonder: How can my 2-and-ahalf-year-old already be smarter than me? I didn't think kids got smarter than their parents until they were teenagers.
Philip Wiebe lives in Salem, Ore.
No ivory tower outlook
BY KATHY HEINRICHS WIEST
study is for naught if it doesn't find its application in the way Christians relate to each other and to the world around them.
SeJJlill([JY F{{ut/() I
FIFTH IN A SERIES
YOU MIGHT EXPECT SOME kind of ivory-tower mentality from a man who has written a book about the theology of the Old Testament, authored a commentary on the Book of Jeremiah, and worked on translation teams for the New American Standard Bible, the New King James Version, and the New Living Bible.
Elmer Martens's office itself, tucked away in the comer of the alcove in the grand old administration building at MB Biblical Seminary, may convey an impression of someone disconnected from the world.
That impression could not be farther from the truth. A man who loves to study ("Books are my life," he says), Martens is keenly aware that all his
Martens's world spreads far beyond the seminary community and includes an atheist friend with whom he meets monthly. "I try to convert him. He knows that and he tries to convert me. We are quite good friends and I find it very sharpening," he says.
As the world converges on Fresno, with people coming from Latin America, the Middle East, and the Orient, Martens and his wife, Phyllis, have also embraced the opportunity to make international students a part of their lives.
For many years Phyllis's work teaching English as a second language has brought them in contact with people from around the world. "It is not unusual for Elmer and Phyllis to come to church and have two or three international students with them," says their pastor, Larry Martens.
More than two years ago, when the board of MB Missions/Services was promoting an organized ministry to
ELMER MARTENS - THE BIO
Name: Elmer A. Martens
Birth: Aug. 12, 1930, Main Center, Sask.
Family: Wife, Phyllis (Hiebert), writer/editor, ESL instructor; four grown children: Lauren, Frances (married to Ken Friesen), Vern (married to Sally Clayton), and Karen (married to Rick Bartlett)
Education: B.A., University of Saskatchewan, 1954; B.Ed., University of Manitoba, 1956;
Present church involvement: North Fresno MB Church; until recently served on the Board of Spiritual Ministries
Most important book read in the last year: Answering God, by Eugene Peterson
Best advice ever received: (1) The reputation you have is the most important thing you own. (2) Be unflappable in every situation.
Hobbies/Interests: Reading (some fiction and works by Jewish authors such as Elie Wiesel), camping, traveling (for ministry), photography, cutting firewood, golf, archeological artifacts.
Fondest wish for the MB Church: That in an unobtrusive but somehow punchy way our understanding of the Bible, our Anabaptist theology-e.g. servant leadership, victimoffender reconciliation, relief ministries, peace position-become increasingly known and adopted by the Christian mainstream. These ideas are, for some, quite revolutionary. I would hope we Mennonite Brethren are open to dialog with other denominations and recognize our mission to share with them the way we read the Scriptures.
Elmer Martens: "Maybe you can have a little influence in a couple of peoples' lives. n international students, the Martenses became involved along with other local Mennonite Brethren also interested in international students. Sponsored by the Fresno and Madera Mennonite Brethren churches, the group developed the Hospitality to International Students Program (HISP).
Elmer Martens chairs the HISP board, which organizes receptions and activities to bring international students in contact with American families. But far more rewarding than planning and organizing during board meetings, Martens enjoys the personal contacts he has with people.
"We've been close to one Hmong family [from Laos] for 10 years. It has been gratifying to see one son, Tong, go through Fresno State and get his B.A. and his M.A. degrees."
Recently Tong's father and mother visited North Fresno MB Church with the Martenses. One of Tong's brothers meets regularly with Martens for Bible study, a type of encounter which Martens finds stimulating because the Hmong come to the Bible with a blank slate.
"It's always a challenge to see if you can make it Simple and put [the gospel] into the world context. It pushes you up again to the question of 'Do I really believe this?' and raises for me how unique and wonderful and how really far-fetched this business of the gospel is."
The doors to sharing the gospel swing open naturally with people who are new to America, Martens notes. "It inevitably comes up I don't think I've ever prompted a question,
QThe role of women in the church is such a volatile issue among us. How are Mennonite churches in other parts of the world affected by the issue? (CAuPoRNIA)
AIf we are troubled by the current differences of opinion regarding roles of women in the church, we might take heart that the struggle is not so different in other parts of the world.
Recently a large group of Mennonites from all continents met in BuIawayo, Zimbabwe. A report of the meeting stated: "No other topic (women's role) generated so much discussion." One observer said that while in North America such discussions are not always pleasant, in BuIawayo there was honest, caring discussion, and when disagreement arose, delegates handled it gracefully.
In most parts of Africa, for instance, women have traditionally been treated as subservient and their roles restricted to family and domestic matters. Strong feelings persist that women should not take public positions because that takes them out of the home and so the training of children suffers.
On the other hand, churches in other parts of the world have resolved the "women's role" problem not so much on a theological basis, but on pragmatics. In many countries, and we North Americans are equally guilty, having women lead congregations is a matter of necessity.
In Guatemala, for instance, some Mennonite congregations have only two or three men. In many Brethren in Christ congregations, female leadership is common-but the primary reason is a shortage of male pastoral candidates. In Tanzania, teachers once kept Mennonite women from preaching-but that, too, has changed. In Ethiopia, the Mennonite Church has women evangelists and deacons, though there are no women pastors
In European Mennonite churches, there is strong support for women in pastoral roles (recent immigrant churches would be an exception). In
Byt:tMA({VIN HEIN
India, strong feelings persist that the Bible teaches that a woman should not rule over a man.
What is evident, though, is that Mennonite women all over the world are active in church service. In Tanzania, evangelism by women includes comforting the sick and the bereaved. They bring water and firewood to
homes where there is a funeral or wedding . Some run day-care centers for children.
In Kenya, women take pride in visiting the old and poor. They open their homes to visitors. In Ghana, women have money-generating projects like sewing and weaving to augment church income. In Malawi, women carry out practical ministries, such as cooking and cleaning at church meetings.
One question remains unanswered: Since most Mennonite churches on other continents were born out of our mission programs, how much do their views reflect our teachings? And how much of the current movement to involve women in more pastoral responsibilities also comes from North Americans who actively support "equal rights" when they meet with people around the world?
In any event the struggle is not limited to North America. And how much can we help others when we have not found the grace to understand each other on this issue? Perhaps "third worlders" can teach us something about being gracious in the midst of disagreement.
QIs it common procedure, when a pastoral candidate visits a church, to have the candidate (and spouse) visit with various groups of people in the church and be "toasted" at such occasions? (OKLAHOMA)
AYes! When I first entered the Mennonite Brethren pastorate, I was interviewed by the pastor and then I preached a sermon on Sun-
Do you have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? Send it to «Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E. Butler, Fresno, CA 93727.
day evening. That was my complete exposure to that congregation.
Times have indeed changed! A week-end "candidating" experience now is often a grueling experience
The candidate meets with the search committee, the church council (or elders), the Christian education committee, the worship committee, the young people, perhaps even the elderly in the local retirement center, and who knows who else.
This procedure has both positive and negative aspects. The unhealthy side, it seems to me, is that it fosters a mindset that calls for the candidate to be all things to all people. He is to be adequate to serve all phases of church life-and most of us in the ministry are not that adept. Congregations will need to learn to prioritize what they want in a pastoral candidate and then not expect perfection or even moderate skills and training in other areas.
The positive side of today's candidating experience is that more people learn to know the potential pastor. There is nothing wrong with zeroing in on a candidate'S expertise if it is remembered that he will not possess all the gifts we would like. Those desired expectations should be in writing. Too often the church calls a pastor for one or two tasks, and then complains bitterly a few years later because some other qualities (not listed as priorities) are not being found in their leader. That is unfair! So, go ahead and have an elaborate candidating experience, but remember: You are still working with a human being. Oh, yes, you might also remember that the church is composed of human beings, too. tR.
TLaunching a new era?
HE PlACE: a hotel near the Los Angeles airport in early December 1993. In the middle of a multiethnic, multicultural city, tom in the last years by riots and fires, U.S. Mennonite Brethren leaders met to discuss the future of our denomination.
As if anticipating a meeting of Christians, the hotd, staffed mostly by non-white recent immigrants to the United States, played Handel's Messiah in the lobby and displayed a nativity scene in the restaurant entrance . It was a proper setting for a history-making meeting. What that history will be is yet to be determined.
THE PURPOSE: Nineteen Mennonite Brethren gathered in that hotel, representatives of the district conferences and home missions boards, leaders of the U.S. Conference, presidents of Fresno Pacific and Tabor colleges and MB Biblical Seminary, and the general director of MB Missions/Services. Ten months earlier, these same people, plus a few others, had met in Wichita, Kan., to see if U.S. Mennonite Brethren could together develop a set of priorities to guide the ministry of our denomination into the next century. All present at Wichita had agreed it was time for Mennonite Brethren institutions in the United States to work together, pool resources, and cooperate in a new venture of church renewal and church planting. Everyone left Wichita with a good feeling. We sensed the possibility that a new era was dawning. But one major question was left unanswered: So all these MB groups would work together-but how? Our time in Los Angeles was to formulate an answer to that question, to decide how our conferences, institutions and local churches could make renewal and church planting the flagship ministry of the Mennonite Brethren for the next 10 years. If Wichita had proposed a skeleton of an idea, Los Angeles was an attempt to see if such a skeleton could really take on muscles and flesh.
THE PROCESS: For three days the L.A. group prayed, deliberated, discussed, brainstormed, caucused, pondered, and prayed again. How could Mennonite Brethren make renewal and church planting the center of our focus? How could we strengthen the church in the United States without compromising our commitment to work around the world? How could we give the same energy to starting and growing churches that we have given to starting and growing educational institutions-without hurt-
ing those institutions in the process? How could we impress upon the churches the need to change our thinking so that the renewal of the local church and the planting of more local churches would rivet our unified attention?
The L.A. group tried to throwaway existing forms and think outside of old patterns. They knew that tackling this responsibility would call for sacrificing turf mentality and pooling resources in a way unprecedented in Menno· nite Brethren history, at least in this country.
THE PLAN: The Wichita agreement was reaffirmed in L.A. without reservation. These lead· ers agreed church renewal should have as high a priority as possible in the years before the end of this century. All were aware renewal is not something that can be planned, that only the movement of the Holy Spirit would produce revival in the church. Still, we can prepare our hearts and our churches for revival by seeking to do those things which the Spirit seems to make clear need to be done.
The group of 19 decided to recommend to the U.S. Conference leadership (which called this ad hoc group together), that the U.S. Conference create a center to facilitate church renewal and church planting in the United States. This center, which is still to be given a name, would be directed by a committed board. Our desire would be to elect or appoint to that board the strongest possible leaders, to seek the same high quality leadership that we have given to the boards of education and foreign missions over the years.
In addition, we recognize that paid staff will be needed. It is our desire to draw these staff persons from the best our denomination has to offer, and to train them adequately for the task at hand.
Financial support for this enterprise would come from a number of sources. The U.S. Conference would pledge the bulk of money needed, but district home missions boards and MBM/S, traditionally our "foreign" missions body, would commit a substantial amount of funds annually. The colleges and the seminary would subsidize training for prospective church planters or pastors.
We called it Mission USA, a new vision for Mennonite Brethren in the United States. Is it the vision of God for us? By his grace, the spark struck in Wichita and fanned in Los Angeles, will burst into flame across this country. tfZ
If Wichita had proposed a skeleton of an idea, Los Angeles was an attempt to see if such a skeleton could really take on musc/esand flesh.
Jim
Reedley, Calif.
Holm is from
BFL: Use and abuse of authority
• April consultation to focus on leadership and ordination in the church
How MUCH decision-making authority should the pastor have in your congregation? What does "servant leadership" mean in the 1990s? What do Mennonite Brethren believe about ordination? If ordination is biblical, who should be ordained?
These are some of the questions that will be addressed at Consultation '94, a gathering of North American leaders called by the General Conference Board of Faith and Life (BFL). The event will be held Apr. 7-9 at the Sheraton Inn Airport, Denver, Colo.
This consultation, titled "Ordaining, Using and Misusing Authority in the Church," is another in a series of
AND
Servants in Hungary
annual gatherings called by BFL to discuss theological issues facing the Mennonite Brethren Church in North America. Past topics have included women in ministry, church-growth models, and the meaning of baptism and the Lord's Supper.
BFL has established the following priority list of participants:
• First, all members of national and district/provincial boards of faith and life, or their equivalents. If some members cannot attend, the respective boards are encouraged to send substitutes, with an encouragement to "exercise some gender and 'ethnic' affirmative action."
• Second, General Conference agencies are invited to send one institutional staff representative in addition to their board members.
• Third, all post-secondaty institutions CAN send one representative.
• Fourth, the consultation will be
MEMBERS IN MISSION
Leonard R. Heinrichs, retired chiropractor from Fresno, Calif, traveled to Hungary last October as a shortterm missionary through the American Chiropractors' Assoctatton-and offered this report. Heinrichs, and his wl/e, Luella, are members of the Bethany Church.
""J"1nE HUNGARIAN people have managed to live 1. the many oppressors who have invaded their land in the past And they still possess a quiet dignity. Outwardly, they appear submissive , but inside they still say, "I am a Hungarian " Although the average wage is near $300 per month, food is plentiful and they are not suffering from want. However, some long for the days of communism when everyone had a job and competition was not so keen.
During our three-week stay in Toalmas, Hungary, our day typically began at 7 a.m., treating hired workers from the village before breakfast. Luella assisted me with patient records. Following breakfast, we had devotions read by a Hungarian minister. By 9 a.m. we were taking patients in the town
opened to any interested Mennonite Brethren after the invited participants have had an opportunity to register.
Working sessions at Consultation '94 will include worship, Bible study, brief presentations by practicing congregational leaders, case studies and discussion in small and large groups.
In addition to the primary agenda, the group will also review and respond to preliminary drafts of several articles in a revised Confession of Faith, plus auxiliary theological commentaries and pastoral helps being developed by BFL to augment and teach the Confession.
"We pray that this consultation will be a unifying experience for our conference and those called to lead it," says Gerry Ediger, BFL chair from Winnipeg, Man. "These days are your opportunity to be involved in some critical questions touching the faith and life of our church."
community center. The village people were notified of our availability by loud speaker-in the town center. We
were told that it was announced four times, so we were kept busy in this village of 4,500.
We returned to our headquarters, a large castle, for lunch at noon We worked through the afternoon, ate our evening meal at 6 p.m. and then treated more patients in the evening Our accommodations were in a castle leased by the Word of Life organization, which is used in the summer as a youth camp.
We treated many cases, but one that stands out was a woman in her late sixties who had not been able to lift her arm above her shoulder for two years After treatment, she could raise her arm to any position. She was so happy that she kissed me a number of times, and then kissed our 22-year-old interpreter on both cheeks It was funny to see his face, since he was not used to such exuberance
We also spent some time treating patients and sight-seeing in Budapest, and working in another village , called Koka . One Sunday, I gave my testimony through our interpreter.
We were blessed by the generosity of the people. Our patients provided us with
•fresh flowers for the clinic nearly every
day, and brought us fresh fruit. Many
asked us to return. tf2
LEONARD
LUELLA HEINRICHS
The Helnrichses with a bouquet of
flowers from their grateful patients
CHURCH NOTES
MARSHAll., Ark. (Martin Box)-The congregation welcomed several new members over the past several months. Mike Holley and Joel Freeman were baptized Aug. 15 at Big Creek. An unplanned part of the service occurred :when a local Freewill Baptist congregation joined the service and baptized a person from their fellowship. Joe Farris, battling cancer, was baptized at his home recentiy. Dave and Carlene Gentry and Stan and Janet Drew were also welcomed into membership recently.
MINOT, N.D. (Bible Fellowship)-Several members of the former Sawyer (N.D.) MB Church were received into the Minot congregation Dec . 12. Twenty-four members were recognized: Bennie, Amy and Chuck Beuchler, Albert Beck, Sr. , Al and Mary Beck, Lonnie Faul, Rick Faul, Betty Faul, Elmer and Verna Heizelman, Art and linda liebelt, Jay liebelt, Wes and Mavis Vix, Marvin and Jennell Heizelman, Sam and Ruby Lang , Kathryn Heizelman, LaVonne Heizelman, Sandy Sys, and Ken Vinton In addition , Jennifer liebelt and Jerry and Sharon Heizelman were received that day by letter transfer, and Ray and Channa White and Ernie and Opal Yuzicapi were received by reaffirmation of their faith.
OKEENE, Okla.-Three new members were added to the church Dec. 5 Martha Clink joined by transfer and Paul Schroeder and Mendie Janzen were received as members following their baptism .
WEATHERFORD, Okla. (pine Acres)The congregation celebrated their 40th anniversary Jan. 16 Activities included a memorabilia table and sharing stories about the past.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Heritage Bible)Flowers in the sanctuary Dec 5 marked Eber and Marguerite Pechin's 50th wedding anniversary.
CORN, Okla.-Herb and Ella Vogt celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Dec 2.
FRESNO, Calif (Bethany)-Flowers in the sanctuary Dec . 5 marked Dan and Bernice Nachtigal's 50th wedding anniversary.
CORN, Okla.-Mr and Mrs. Herb Vogt celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Dec 12 with a reception at the church.
COLLINSVILLE, Okla. (Westport)-The women of the church met for an all-night slumber party Jan 14. Activities included crafts, old movies, an AWANA breakfast fund-raiser, and words from Susan Froese, wife of the congregation's newly installed pastor.
• Ministry
MARSHALL, Ark. (Martin Box)-Members Jo Barnes and Janet Drew have established a small food closet stocked for emergency needs that arise in the church and community
BETHANY, Okla. (Western Oaks)-The church enjoyed a "gym party" Dec. 3. A surprise 15th wedding anniversary celebration for pastor Larry Ediger and his wife, Nancy, was a high point of the evening.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (Bible Fellowship)-Pastor Roger Engbrecht, of lincoln Hills Bible Church, Sioux Falls, S.D., was the guest speaker for the Harvest/Mission Festival Nov. 14. A potluck Thanksgiving dinner followed the morning service
• Tea<:hinglNurture
INMAN, Kan. (Zoar)-Leighton Kaloupek, instructor at Inman High School, spoke about his recent trip to Czechoslovakia during the Nov 28 evening service.
RAPID crrv, S.D. (Bible Fellowship)-The church sponsored a men's conference on the theme, "Dad, the Family Shepherd ," Dec. 10-11 at the Gold Nugget Motel, Rockerville, S D
EDMOND, Okla.-The congregation was invited to a "Day After Christmas Breakfast" Dec. 26. John Savoia, retired missionary to Colombia and Mexico, spoke at the morning worship service.
REEDLEY, Calif.-Ed Toews has resigned from his position as associate pastor. During his 15 years with the church he has served as Christian education and evangelism minister and has served on various Christian education boards for the General Conference, U.S Conference and Pacific District. Toews is prepared to enter the real estate field or to pursue other ministry opportunities
COll.INSVILLE, Okla. (Westport)-The congregation hosted a reception welcoming its new pastoral family, Dave and Susan Froese and their four sons, Dec. 12.
BLAINE, Wash. (Birch Bay)-A farewell program and fellowship meal was held Dec . 19 for pastor Byron Neufeld and his family. Members of area Mennonite Brethren churches were invited.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (El Camino Bible)The congregation recently approved a position for a part-time music minister and introduced a mission statement for 1994-95.
MRY 18-19-28-21, 1995
Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute is inuiting all former students, staff and board members to celebrate this anniuersary! If you haue not receiued any information, contact the school as soon as possible at:
58th Celebration MBC I 188 Riuerton Rue. Winnipeg, Manitoba R2l2E8
Phone (284)667-8218 FaH (284) 661-5891
SOUTH AMERICA
FEBRUARY 10·25, 1994
Hosted by Jake Harms
Join this interesting tour this winter. An unforgettable journey through the countries of Paraguay and Brazil. Visit interesting sights in Asuncion, Filadelphia, 19uacu Falls, Curitiba, Paranagua and Rio de Janeiro, to name a few. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION,
really a esh-colored"
That depends on who you are. It's easy for white North Americans to exclude others by making assumptions about race.
Consider:
A white child and a black child enter first grade. Will they have equal opportunities for academic success?
A white person and a Hispanic person are near a crime scene. Will the police suspect one more than the other?
A white person and a Native American person enter an unemployment office. Will the counselor presume they are equally industrious?
A white person and an Asian person inquire about a rental property. Will they receive the same consideration?
To examine racial assumptions, order Challenging Racism, junior high Bible studies (Faith & Life Press) and Enter the River, a book that invites adults to seek racial reconciliation (Herald Press). Call Provident Bookstore at 1-800- 759-444 7.
RESOURCES
Good reads ...
ANUMBER of good re sources exist for helping families work at peacemaking in the home
Here are a few to consider For working at conflict resolution in the home , try Fighting Fair for Families, by Fran Schmidt and Alice Friedman, Grace Contrino Abrams Peace Education Foundation, Inc., P.O Box 191153, Miami Beach, FL 33119 (1989)
For stories about peacemakers as heroes, consider these :
• Coals of Fire, by Elizabeth Hershberger Bauman , Scottdale , PA : Herald Press (1954,1982).
• Dial 911: Peaceful Christians and Urban Violence, by Dave Jackson , Scottdale , PA : Herald Pre ss (1981).
• The Friendly Caravan , by a committee , Wallingford , PA: Good Books (1991).
., Heard Good News Today, by Cornelia Lehn , Newton, KS: Faith & Life Press (1983).
• Peace Be with You , by Cornelia Lehn, Newton , KS: Faith & Life Press (1980).
• Seeking Peace , by Titus and Linda Peachey, Intercourse, PA: Good Books (1991)
• They Loved Their Enemies, by Marian Hostetler, Scottdale, PA : Herald Press (1988).
• Walking with Jesus, by Mary Clemen s Meyer, Scottdale, PA : Herald Pre ss (1992)
End of the line?
"The changes facing the church represent a 30-foot tidal wave," Mennonite Brethren theologian John E. Toews of Fresno, Calif., told the 90 Mennonite leaders and administrators attending the annual meeting of the Council of International Ministries held Dec. 12-16 at Techny, Ill.
"I suspect that the shift [in the way the church lives and works] means that the era of Mennonite institutional and bureaucracy building is over."
Though Toews was not optimistic about the longterm future of many Mennonite structures, he was optimistic about the church's future.
"The current sea of change is an opportunity for transformational change," he said. "The church is God's called-out people. The shape of how this called-out people live together and do mission will and must change. " -Reported by John Bender for Meetinghouse
Words to the wise
How should denominational ministries carry out their work in an age when denominationalism is on the decline? The following are some of the challenges and ideas highlighted during the Council of Ministries meeting last month in Illinois:
• Mennonites and their institutions are in transition. The decline in finan-
PEACEMAKING IN THE HOME
Words to span the great divide
WONDERING how to make peace with a spouse or estranged family member? These tips come from Bill and Lynne Hybels' book , Fit to Be Tied:
1. Begin with affirmation. Before jumping into the problem , reaffirm your love for each other. "You know I love you , and I would never do anything to damage our relationship , but I think we need to talk about something important... : . i\ I 2. Be willing to take blame. Unless '. -: both parties come to the table with a spirit of reconciliation -each willing to accept his or her share of the blame-much of the conflict will remain unresolved.
3. Express hurt instead of hostility. In Hybels' words , " Hurt is a legitimate response to disappointment and offense, and it should never be denied or be kept hidden inside. But hurt becomes a problem when people let it build up inside and turn into anger ."
4. Make direct statements. Don ' t be afraid to own your feelings; let the other person know specifically what it is they have done to hurt you. Avoid making grand accusations like, "You ' re always so insensitive to my needs. " say, " I was hurt because you didn ' t call and let me know' you were going to be late " (Discipleship Journal, Jan.jFeb .' 94 issue)
cial resources for agencies reflects a deep questioning of denominational structures and a growing interest in activities based locally or in congregations.
• Some perceive church institutions as distant, inflexible, unresponsive to grass-roots interests, eager to protect their prerogative and jurisdiction.
• People want direct involvement in mission and service activity locally and globally. Many, especially young people, want hands-on experiences without the mediation of representative servants of the church.
• Church agencies need to become interactive with congregations. They should be prepared to facilitate congregational initiatives.
• Church agencies as well as congregations must become more conscious of the interests and energies of younger people. More lively youth oriented promotional materials and educational materials oriented toward mission are needed now.
• Congregations undertaking new church building projects should be encouraged to provide a tithe for overseas church building needs.
No break deserved
An estimated 2,000 McDonald's restaurants have refused to participate in a corporate promotion
Peace: An idea for the '90s
BY KATIE FUNK WIEBE
PEACE IS AN IDEA whose time has come for Mennonite Brethren. Strife and violence are not unknown to our families and congregations. Yet peace is more than the absence of verbal abuse or physical violence.
As God's peace-agents we acknowledge that God has designed a special way for human beings to live together. In a world overrun with violence, bloodshed and injustice, that way is the way of peace and reconciliation.
giveness and renewal. Festivals are tremendous conveyers of values.
As a commission, we encourage women to promote peace and justice studies in their meetings, rallies and projects. We encourage Christian education directors to make it an integral part of the curriculum. We encourage families to talk about the need for peace with God, reconciliation with one another, and for justice to pour down on all people. We encourage pastors to incorporate peace Being a peace-agent includes concern for the total well-being of the individual in the context of the family, the community, the nation and the environment.
Peace brings together the concepts of discipleship and reconciliation, which means forgiving enemies-family members and neighbors, maybe even pastors and church members. It means mending broken relationshi.ps.
Being peace-agents means strengthening homes so they are places of love, joy and unity rather than places children fear to return to. It means building up our churches so that they are free of divisiveness, anger and bitterness. It means giving up some of our programs
The truth remains that we still have
an obligation to offer the
dominant culture of our nation
an alternative spirituality.
that keep our eyes focused only on our own spiritual well-being and taking our place beside those people suffering poverty, injustice and violence.
We stand at a threshold in the Mennonite Brethren Church. The goal is growth. Yet one hears repeatedly that change is taking place. The paradigms are shifting. And we face serious identity problems, financial issues, and variance between what we say we believe and what we practice. We must know what direction we are going or our spiritual foundations may crack from the strain.
For this reason the Peace Education Commission invites all congregations to begin each New Year with an emphasis on peace and reconciliation. This year the focus is on peace in the home.
Few truths take hold within a people unless they are celebrated. Consider the number of festivals the Old Testament worshipers held in order to teach their children their views about God's relationship to them. Many significant Hebrew events were celebrated with a joyful family or temple festival . Celebration is a significant way of passing on truth to the next generation. We have long enjoyed a strong missions emphasis because we celebrated it often and well.
If we are to become good stewards of the revised Article :xv we need to celebrate it freely, joyfully, and proclaim it boldly. Celebration includes confession, for-
and justice issues into their preaching and teaching.
Jesus finishes the Parable of the 10 Talents with a strong statement about what happens when people neglect their stewardship. The worthless servant who failed to use his one talent has that one talent taken from him and is thrown into outer darkness, "where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Mt. 25:30).
God once entrusted a precious truth to Mennonite Brethren. The church began in 1860 as a desire for a spirituality that offered an alternative way of living to the dominant church culture.
The truth remains that we still have an obligation to offer the dominant culture of our nation an alternative spirituality. Today that means resisting society's unjust and selfish race for pOSition, control and selfish living.
To be peace-agents means being challenged to move out of the mainstream by our words, our actions, our church programs, and our lifestyle. In the words of theologian Walter Brueggeman, the Christian church today is challenged to prophetically criticize the dominant culture while offering the hope of compassion, justice and peace with God.
The revised Article :xv on love and nonresistance invites Christians to fight evil and unrighteousness through the truth of the gospel. If Mennonite Brethren permanently set aside this prophetic stance, what we have may be taken from us.
We affirm those congregations which chose to celebrate Jan. 16 as "Peace Sunday" in this initial year. We encourage all Mennonite Brethren churches to celebrate Christ, the reconciler and bringer of love and justice to families. This is part of becoming the church of the 21st century. tf2.
Katie Funk Wiebe, whose story «Pig for a pig" appears on page 12, is chair of the Peace Education Commission of the u.s. Conference.
