•As faithful followers of Christ, we are not likely to use gu ns or other weapons to ki II or maim those around us. But is that enough?
ALSO in this issue:
• General Conference task force recommends restructuring PAGE 26
• Agencies join Central American relief efforts PAGE 28
FIRST WORDS from the editor
WE CAN'T escape conflict.
No matter where we go - home, work, school, church - we are bound to find ourselves disagreeing with someone. As Christians, however, we are called to unity. So, what do we do with conflict? What should we do when we disagree?
The articles in this issue explore how we can be effective peacemakers with each other. First, Lon Fendalliays out three biblical models for interpersonal peacemaking. When disagreements grow to the point that the courtroom seems the only place to resolve them, Lyndon Vix shows how the church can offer Christians an alternative to litigation. In the third article, Dalton Reimer challenges the church to articulate and model a peace theology that addresses the conflict we experience in our day-to-day lives. Finally, from the beginnings of scripture comes the story of Abram and Lot. They faced the challenge of resolving a conflict over land. This paraphrase tells th!lt story again.
As a denomination, we are facing our own challenges. The first story in our news section reflects on what's happened over the past year in our denomination. Many of those challenges are ongoing. The General Conference task force report is out, recommending some big changes in the binational structure. Our U.S. Conference boards are processing these changes and the challenges we face as a national conference. Hurricane Mitch's legacy is still with us, and Mennonite Brethren are responding in many ways - and keep coming up with more.
As Christians, we face many challenges. I hope you will find encouragement and tools in this issue that will help you work through your own challenges and make peace with those in your life. -CA
COMING
FEBRUARY 21- Peace Sunday for U.S. Mennonite Brethren churches.
MARCH 20·23 - Estes '99, the quadrennial Mennonite Brethren youth convention, Estes Park, Colo.
APRIL 8-10 - U.S. Conference joint board meetings, Central California.
-JULY 8-10 - Biennial General Conference convention, Wichita, Kan.
_JULY 11-14 - International Committee of Mennonite Brethren consultation, Buhler, Kan.
What does the Bible tell us about how to make peace with each other when we disagree?
The legal system is not the only way to resolve a dispute. BY
The Mennonite Brethren recently adopted this statement -a commitment to maintain the unity of the Spirit in times of disagreement. BY
Abram and Lot found out conflict is as old as the hills - and the valleys. BY
• Invest five minutes a day in the Word
• It's God's call
Minds.
• Pulpits and worship
• Top 10 news stories for 1998 24
• Task force recommends restructuring General Conference 26
• u.s. boards review General Conference report 26
• Agencies join relief and rebuilding efforts in Central America 28
• MBBS students awarded scholarships 32 •
• Norman's ark
CREDITS: Cover, photo by PhotoDisc, design by Diane Steiner; pages 4 and 10, Orley Friesen; pages 7 and 12, Ed Wallowitch; page 14, engraving by Dore; page 24, Center for MB Studies, Fresno, Calif.; page 28, MCC photo by Michael Eby Good; page 29, FPU photo by Janet Kroeker.
Printing by Valley Offset Printing, Valley Center, Kansas.
BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, chair; Peggy Goertzen, Phil Neufeld, Dalton Reimer, Herb Schroeder.
The Christian Leader (ISSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 315 S. Lincoln, Hillsboro, KS 67063. The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dialog so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition. However, the views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the Board of Communications or the Mennonite Brethren Church.
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Making Peace the Bible's Way
What should we do when we disagree?
Here are three biblical models for resolving interpersonal conflict.
BY LON FENDALL
Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matt. 5:9). People have often explored what Jesus and scripture teaches about peacemaking in relation to wars and international conflict. But what about conflicts with other persons?
Violence resulting in death and injury at home and abroad is widespread. As faithful followers of Christ, we are not likely to use guns or other weapons to kill or maim those around us. But is that enough?
I don't think so. As people called to peacemaking, we are to make peace with each other in the friction of day-to-day living.
My work as an academic administrator draws me into the middle of interpersonal conflicts on a regular basis. There are times when I am tempted to cast aside the biblical principles of interpersonal peacemaking and resolve disputes through the power of my position. At such times, I am drawn back to several biblical models and principles of interpersonal peacemaking.
"STICK TO YOUR CONVICTIONS" MODEL
Hidden away at the end of Acts 15 is a short account of an episode important in shaping our approach to interpersonal disputes. The first part of the chapter is a wonderful model for dealing with conflicts over church beliefs and practices. But the last six verses of the chapter, disguised as a flat-out argument, provide an important interpersonal conflict resolution model.
The Apostle Paul definitely wasn't a conflict avoider. Paul frequently went headfirst into disputes and, in this model in Acts 15, this was the right thing to do. Picture Paul and Barnabas sitting down over coffee and laying out plans for their next ministry trip. They agreed on where they were going and the purpose of the trip - to provide encouragement and teaching in the areas where they had previously done evangelistic work.
The disagreement arose over who would accompany them. The text doesn't say if Paul had a preferred companion, but it is very clear that he was not comfortable with taking John Mark. We might criticize Paul for being unforgiving, but he was not ready to add a person to their team who had bailed out on them during a previous ministry trip. We are not told Barnabas' side of the discussion. Maybe Barnabas had seen John Mark in ministry situations since then, was convinced he was repentant for previous failings and was now a dependable worker.
Silas, were capable. Had Paul conceded immediately, this solution would have gone undiscovered.
"NOISY IN CHURCH" MODEL
I grew up in a small rural church, which had squeaky wooden chairs. Every wiggle and whisper echoed throughout the sanctuary. I got the message from my parents that no noise was to be tolerated, but I vividly remember a number of other kids being extracted from the service to face parental reprimands.
As people called to peacemaki ng, we are to make peace with each other in the friction of day-to-day living.
The conversation between Paul and Barnabas is described as a "sharp disagreement." When diplomats speak of a "frank and open exchange of views," they mean it was a verbal "knock-down-drag-out." Paul and Barnabas both felt very strongly. Important issues were at stake for the quality of their ministry and the restoration of John Mark to effective ministry work.
Maybe this passage belongs in a list of missed opportunities for reconciliation. Maybe Paul was being stubborn and willful, not attentive to the Holy Spirit's invitation to be forgiving and loving. If so, there is no such indication in the passage. Rather, it seems fair to interpret the event in a more positive light. When important matters of church strategy and theology are involved, we are not called to give in immediately, just to "keep the peace." Peace which involves unthoughtful and inappropriate concessions and compromises is not peace at all. Barnabas could well have been wrong about John Mark's readiness to continue ministry. Paul thought so and he stood his ground. He did the right thing about insisting that the issues be thoroughly discussed before they solidified their trip plan.
The decision to create two ministry teams was a positive outcome. Both Paul and Barnabas were seasoned in ministry, and their helpers, John Mark and
In light of this, it seems strange that the Gospels condone - even celebrate - the disruption of worship services. Just a few verses after the "Blessed are the peacemakers" pronouncement, Christ called on his followers to leave their gift at the altar and go seek reconciliation with a brother or sister whom they had hurt (Matt. 5:23-24). What could be more disruptive in worship than for someone to suddenly get up, squeeze past the others in the pew, go to the front with their offering, then head out the door to find the offended one? Not only that, but Christ instructed us to come back after the reconciliation effort and participate in the worship, free of the burden of unresolved wrongs.
The point is not to think of ways to disrupt worship, but to consider that even something as vital as worship is of lesser importance than peacemaking. Christ's teaching does not indicate that this principle is limited to disputes directly involving the church. The teaching applies as well to wrongdoing between one person and another - so serious that participating in worship was inappropriate as long as that dispute was left unresolved. It might be an act of wrongdoing that requires a simple confession. But it might also be a two-way battle for which both parties share the blame. Experience would say such conflicts aren't going to be resolved while the worship service is still in session. Maybe the worshiper would have to come back to the worship a week later with a heart free of guilt and a renewed basis of fellowship with the Holy Spirit and other believers.
"TELL IT TO THE CHURCH" MODEL
In Matthew 18 we find one of the most important - and least understood - biblical models of interpersonal peacemaking. The passage can be used to justify hateful treatment of someone with whom there have been unsuccessful attempts toward reconciliation. In the Matthew 5 passage
above, the person being addressed has been the cause of the hurt. In Matthew 18, someone else has caused the pain, but the teaching is the sametake the initiative toward reconciliation.
Jesus tells us that if we are wronged, to first approach the one who has wronged us alone. If he or she refuses to listen, then "take one or two oth· ers along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'" If he or she still refuses to listen, "tell it to the church." If that doesn't work, "treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector" (Matt. 18:15-17).
In this escalatory model, an important reality is brought out: we cannot always expect our first efforts toward reconciliation to succeed. We are taught to go first to the person who has offended us and seek peace. Success at that level is both possible and welcome. But we know that might not happen. The other party may not accept any responsibility for the problem and may not even want to discuss the issue.
The next level of activity, as it is described in the passage, sounds confrontational and accusatory. Taking persons along to the offender as witnesses to their stubbornness is not likely to promote reconciliation. But think of the "witnesses" not as accusers but as mediators and peacemakers. That could help a great deal to bring about reconciliation.
Realistically, even mediation may not bring about peace, since the other party still has the option of resisting these efforts. Pride and denial are huge factors. The next stage, "telling it to the church," seems to be problematic and inflammatory. Think of a group of accusers and the offender standing in front of the church, with all the unpleasant details of the argument laid out for all to hear. Such a scenario is probably not intended by this passage and such an approach is certain to fail. Instead of the whole church being witness to a gladiatorial think of a small group of godly people, trained and called out as the church's peacemaking group, sensitively listeriing to both parties, waiting before the Lord in
silence, then praying together for solutions which can be good for all involved. That's a much more appealing version of "tell it to the church" than usually comes to mind when we read the passage.
The model in Matthew 18, grounded in the realism of human stubbornness, assumes that even the best church-based peacemaking process may fail. The passage describes a next step in the process and this one is the least understood of all. "If he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector" (Matt. 18: 17). This seems on the surface to be an invitation to treat the stubborn offender with contempt and hatred. How else would one think of treating pagans and tax collectors, the lowest of the low in the Jewish value system?
But wait a minute. How did Jesus treat such persons? He liked to hang out with them. He was much more tolerant of their overt wrongdoing than the prideful self-righteousness of the religious leaders. He said "The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you," referring to his unrepentant "religious" listeners (Matt. 21:31). We find this comment just a few verses after the Matthew 18 passage, so it seems quite clear we are to treat pagans and tax collectors as persons whom God loves - even when they refuse to accept our efforts toward reconciliation.
As I deal with conflict and interpersonal peacemaking, I realize how imperfectly I apply these models. There is a portrait of a godly peacemaker in James - just before the passage that places the blame for conflicts on coveting and selfishness. We would all do well to read this passage often and ask Jesus how we can obey it.
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" Oames 3:17-18). •
Lon Fendall is Vice President ofAcademic Affairs at Tabor College. He and his wife, Raelene, live in Hillsboro, Kansas and attend Parkview ME Church.
BY LYNDON VIX
Taking the law into our hands
If the church plays its role, then Christians won't have to rely on Iitigation to resolve confl ict.
Iwas a junior in high school when I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. At the time I was dating the daughter of a local minister. When her father found out about my career plans he told me, "We need Christian lawyers like we need Christian bartenders."
When I was a senior at Tabor College I took part in a music tour to Oklahoma. After one of our concerts a church leader came up to me and told me that he was praying that I would abandon my plans of going to law school and instead go to seminary.
Shortly after I began practicing law I was involved in a small group discussion at our church when I was asked if I found any conflict in being a Christian lawyer. Before I could respond, someone suggested that the term "Christian lawyer" might be an oxymoron.
It has been my experience that the church has some difficulty knowing what to do with the legal profession. Many Christians find it most comfortable to maintain a safe distance from the lawyers, viewing them with a strong distrust - at least until they need one.
I applaud that attitude.
The unfortunate truth is that involvement in the legal system seldom produces joy for the participants. To the extent it is possible for a person to go through life without ever requiring the services of a lawyer, at least in an adversarial setting, they will probably be better for it.
The reality in present day North American society is, however, that disputes among people are almost unavoidable. The sad, but equally true
fact is that these disputes also arise among fellow Christians. Does the church have a role to play in such situations? I believe it does.
The most familiar biblical passage relating to this issue is found in I Corinthians 6, where Paul rebukes the church at Corinth for taking their internal disputes to "the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints" (I Cor. 6:1). Paul is dumbfounded that the church was unable to resolve disputes between its members and that instead, "one brother goes to the law against another - and this in front of unbelievers!" (I Cor. 6:6).
There is a basis for arguing that Paul's words were not intended as a blanket prohibition on legal action. The church in Corinth, after all, found itself in the midst of a society in which idol worship and religious prostitution were predominate. Some of these practices had already found their way into the church (I Cor. 5:1; 10:21). The situation was such that Paul would later instruct the Corinthian Christians to "not be yoked together with unbelievers" (II Cor. 6:14). It is hardly surprising that he would also urge them to avoid relying upon the courts of this society to settle their internal disagreements.
Other biblical passages suggest that the use of a formal legal system to resolve conflicts was given express approval. God established such a system in
It has been my experience that the church has some difficulty knowing what to do with the legal profession. Many Christians find it most comfortable to maintain a safe distance from the lawyers, viewi ng them with a strong distrust - at least until they need one.
the Old Testament for dealing with disputes that arose among the Israelites. In Deuteronomy 25:1, He directed that "when men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty." Later, through the Old Testament prophets, God instructs His people to "maintain justice in the courts" (Amos 5: 15) and "render true and sound judgment in your courts" (Zech. 8: 16).
In addition, it appears that Jesus did not see the resolution of legal disputes as an appropriate role for himself. When asked by a follower to address a legal dispute over an inheritance, Jesus said, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Rather, it appears that Jesus recognized the validity of the existing legal system, urging his followers to "settle matters quickly with
your adversary who is taking you to court" or suffer the consequences of civil judgment (Matt. 5:25).
While it appears that resort to the legal system was not prohibited in the Bible, this was clearly not regarded as the ideal method of resolving conflict. In Hosea 10:4, lawsuits are likened to "poisonous weeds in a plowed field." Solomon advises to not go "hastily into court" (prov. 25:8). In the New Testament, James speaks out against those who "are dragging you into court" Games 2:6).
So, what to make of all this?
Although I earn my livelihood in the legal system and probably view it more favorably than most of my fellow believers, I believe that Paul's words to the Corinthians have application for us today. For Christians, there can be a better way of conflict resolution. Without the involvement of the church, however, there is little chance that nonlitigation conflict resolution can be successful.
The church can, and should, play several roles in this process.
• Preventive maintenance. Paul's central point in the first part of I Corinthians 6 may be the most overlooked. After admonishing the Corinthians for taking their disputes to local civil authorities he tells them, "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" (I Cor. 6:7).
Paul seems more concerned about the fact that disputes exist within the church at all than the manner in which they are being dealt with. Throughout I Corinthians he warns his listeners about the dangers of divisions within the church. In chapter 1 he says, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectlyunited in mind and thought" (I Cor. 1:10).
As in Paul's day, it is essential that modem day churches create an atmosphere where positive relationships can be formed and where potential disputes are recognized early and dealt with quickly. Remember that later in I Corinthians Paul devotes an entire chapter to the topic oflove. If the church and its members are seeking to live in "the most excellent way" Paul describes in chapter 13, the question of how to deal with internal disputes will be, to borrow a legal term, moot.
• Active mediation. Often, when disputes between Christians do arise, the church is reluctant to become involved. This is understandable. By involving itself in disputes between members, the church risks deepening rather than healing the division. If not handled properly, church interven-
tion can result in members taking sides, extending the dispute beyond its original borders. In many instances it may appear that the safest course for the church is to distance itself from the dispute in hopes that it simply goes away. It seldom does.
The way in which a church seeks to resolve disputes between members will likely determine whether those efforts are successful. In this regard, several guidelines should be considered:
Confidentiality. A lack of confidentiality can rob the process of integrity. The involvement of more than a small, carefully discerned group of individuals in the mediation process is unnecessary and counterproductive.
Compromise. In most instances, the goal of mediation should be to find a middle ground for those in dispute. If the process sets out to judge the positions of each side and declare a "winner" and a "loser," the mediation will likely cause more problems than it solves.
Cooperation. It is difficult to mediate a dispute when the parties involved are not willing participants who have agreed to the process. I am aware of two instances where a church's attempt to mediate a dispute between members failed because one of the parties refused to participate in good faith and be bound by the outcome. In both cases the parties eventually ended up in court.
Those in dispute need to be shown the practical advantages of mediation so that they are willing to participate fully. In addition to the spiritual benefits articulated by Paul, there are obvious practical advantages to mediation - it is quicker, cheaper and less stressful than formal litigation.
Call for Help. Paul asks the Corinthians, "Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?" (I Cor. 6:5). For the present day church, there may be good reason to consider this question carefully. There may well be situations that are beyond the
. Pontius' Puddle
ability of the local church to mediate. Even in the context of the Old Testament legal system, God recognized that there may be cases "that are too difficult for you to judge" (Deut. 17:8).
More commonly, there may be instances where, because of the sensitive nature of the dispute, or the positions of the parties within the church, it is not desirable to have the mediation conducted by other members of the church.
In situations such as these, it is helpful to think of "church" in the broader sense. While it may not be possible or prudent to have mediation conducted by members of the local congregation, there may well be individuals from neighboring churches or at a conference level who would be well qualified to assist in the process. In addition, in some areas, there are Christian organizations that offer mediation services to churches and individuals. The local congregation may best fill its role by steering its members to such an organization rather than attempting to take on the task of mediation itself.
• Reconciliation and healing. Finally, regardless of whether church members agree to have their dispute handled within the church or resort to the civil legal system, the church must be waiting with open arms to reconcile them to each other and to the body of Christ. It is only if the church is willing to forgive and accept the parties back into fellowship that the mandate of dispute resolution is truly fulfilled. •
Lyndon Vix is an attorney with 13 years of experience. In addition to his professional work, Vix is active in a number of denominational activities. He is chair of the Tabor College Board of Directors and is a member of the General Conference Board of Trustees and the MB Biblical Seminary Board of Directors. He and his family are members of First MB Church in Wichita, Kan
A Peace The.ology for Our Time
Our communities are crying out for better ways to deal with conflict. It is time for us to figure out what the Bible has to say about peace in today's changing and uncertain times.
QY
DALTON REIMER
Conflict is a fact of life.
Wherever humans relate to each other, the potential for conflict exists. People who live together, whether in families or in other arrangements, experience conflict. People who work together or play together experience conflict. People, whether small or big, who attend school together experience conflict. People who worship together experience conflict. Even people separated by physical distance yet related in some way experience conflict. Any relationship in the context of any human activity has the potential for conflict. This has been so from the beginning. Scripture is filled with accounts of conflict from beginning to end.
The times in which we live significantly shape the questions we face. If we are serious in our faith, we turn to the Scriptures for answers. The Bible, Old Testament scholar Phyllis Trible suggests, is like a pilgrim wandering through time to whom persons of every age bring their particular questions. During the first half of this century with its two world wars, major questions posed for our pilgrim Bible had to do with war and peace. Peace theology - what we understand the Bible to say about peace - came to be defined largely in reference to war. For young men, at least, the issue was unavoidable.
I turned 18 my senior year in high school. Turning 18 in the cold-war climate of the mid1950s meant registering for the draft. I faced choices. I could go "straight," meaning straight into the military. Or, I could request conscientious objector status with the option of noncombatant service in the military or alternative civilian service. I had uncles who had faced this choice during WW II and had chosen alternative civilian ser-
I was similarly inclined, but I needed to make my own choice. During that senior year of high school I turned a class research paper assignment into an opportunity to learn what my Anabaptist forebears had understood the Bible to say about war and peace. I embraced what I learned, and made my choice.
As we stumbletoward the end of this century, war continues to be one of the defining experiences of this most bloody of all centuries. However, in the latter part of this century, regional religious, ethnic and tribal wars in places distant from North America have replaced the world wars of the earlier part of the century. And the draft is no longer with us. For us the war questions of the earlier part of our century have been largely overtaken by questions growing out of accelerated cultural change. From the turbulent 1960s to the present, in particular, change has been the hallmark of our lives. In a world of accelerated cultural change, conflict multiplies - in our homes, churches, schools, work places, and communities. For us, conflict today is not something primarily out there in some distant place. It has become an increasingly visible part of our everyday existence.
Now, peace in relation to war remains an important issue for us to ponder. Though the draft is no longer with us, we would be remiss to ignore issues of war and peace as we conclude a century in which over 100 million persons are estimated to have died as a result of war and warrelated diseases and famine. War remains a critical issue. But an adequate peace theology for our times must also address the questions of how we live constructively and harmoniously in the ordinariness of life in a world of rapid cultural change. Once again we need to return to the SCriptures with our questions.
Living in stable times is challenging enough. Living in changing and uncertain times increases the stress level. Today conflict has become a particularly impressive reality for us because accelerated cultural change has heightened its prominence in our experience. In the last half of this century we have had to reexamine our views of gender, ethnicity and race. Popular culture has
both challenged and shaped our tastes in music and the arts. The sexual revolution has challenged the boundaries of traditional ethics. The multiplication of both portrayed violence in the media and real violence has left us grasping for answers.
Accelerated cultural change has been the constant during this past half-century. This is not to judge the goodness or badness of change, for it can be either. Conflict brings with it both danger and opportunity. The point is that accelerated cultural change increases the likelihood of conflict in our experience - and no societal institution has been left untouched.
We struggle to know what to do with conflict. Fortunately, we are not without guidance. Scripture teaches us much about how to deal with conflict. The U.S. MB Conference this past summer adopted a guide entided "Agreeing & Disagreeing in Love - Committnents for Christians in Times of Disagreement" [see page 12]. This guide summarizes biblical teaching on conflict for the use of all of us. This statement has now been adopted by the three major American Mennonite conferences as a guide, representing something of a consensus within the Mennonite community about how to deal with conflict in a biblical way.
The statement begins with the 'mportant recognition that "conflict is a normal part of our life." Accepting conflict as normal is an important beginning to a geace theology. Peace teaching has sometimes been misunderstood to mean that we shouldn't have conflicts. Avoiding and denying that conflicts exist often leads to destructive consequences. Conflicts swept under the carpet, so to speak, often lead to later eruptions. They don't simply go away.
It is important, therefore, that we clearly distinguish between conflict itself and how we deal with conflict. To be in conflict is in itself no sin. If
Accelerated cultural change has been the constant during this past half-century. This is not to judge the goodness or badness of change, for it can be either. Conf) ict bri ngs with it both danger and opportunity.
conflict is sin, then Jesus was a very great sinner, indeed. How we deal with conflict is what makes the difference.
For example, we learn as early as that first post-Eden story of Cain and Abel that eliminating the other is not the way to deal with conflict (Gen. 4:1-16). Neither is quarreling, as we learn in the story of the conflict between Uncle Abraham and Nephew Lot over limited resources (Gen. 13:1-12).
The early rejection of both murder and quarreling in Genesis as ways of dealing with conflict are based on the same assumption. Uncle Abram
states the assumption well to Nephew Lot: "There must be no quarreling between us, or between my herdsmen and yours; for we are brothers." Or, as the King James puts it, "we be brethren." The root Hebrew word, sometimes translated here as brothers or brethren and sometimes as kinsmen, is the same as the word in Cain's question: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Murder and quarreling are rejected as ways for brothers and sisters to deal with conflict. Uncle Abraham provides an alternative model. He negotiated with Nephew Lot. Robert Alter, in his recent translation of Genesis,
Agreeing
and
Disagreeing in Love
Commitments for Christians inti mes of disagreements
"Making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, " (Eph. 4:3) as both individual members and the body of Christ, we pledge that we shall:
In thought
Accept conflict. Acknowledge together that conflict is a normal part of our life in the church (Rom. 14:1-8, 10-12,17-19; 15:1-7).
Affirm hope. Affirm that as God walks with us in conflict we can work through to growth (Eph.4:15-16).
Commit to prayer. Admit our needs and commit ourselves to pray for a mutually satisfactory solution (no prayers for my success or for the other to change, but to find a joint way) (Jas. 5:16).
In action
Go to the other. Go directly to those with whom we disagree; avoid behind-the-back criticism* (Mt. 5:23-24; 18: 15-20).
In the spirit of humility.... Go in gentleness, patience and humility. Place the problem between us at neither doorstep and own our
*Go directly if you are European-North American; in other cultures disagreements are often addressed through a trusted go-between.
describes Abraham's approach as "clear, firm, and polite," and I would add, generous. Not a bad model for dealing with conflict.
Schools and other organizations in our society are giving increasing attention to finding constructive ways of dealing with conflict. The frustrating violence, destructiveness and nonproductiveness of so much conflict in our society have contributed to a growing cry for better ways of dealing with conflict.
The time is ripe for the church to articulate and model a peace theology that embraces the full
range of conflict from the interpersonal to the international. Christ's way of peace knows no boundaries, and we do well to return again and again to Scripture to find our way.
•
Dalton Reimer is chair of the Peace Education Commission of the u.s. MB Conference and a professor of conflict studies and communications at Fresno Pacific University. He also serves as codirector of the FPU Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies. He attends College Community MB Church in ClOViS, Calif.
part in the conflict instead of pointing out the other's (Gal. 6:1-5).
Be quick to listen. Listen carefully, summarize and check out what is heard before responding. Seek as much to understand as to be understood (Jas. 1:19; Prov.18:13).
Be slow to judge. Suspend judgments, avoid labeling, end name calling, discard threats, and act in a nondefensive, nonreactive way (Rom. 2:1-4; Gal. 5:22-26).
Be willing to negotiate. Work through the disagreements constructively (Acts 15; Phil. 2:1-1).
• Identify issues, interests and needs of both rather than take positions.
• Generate a variety of options for meeting both parties' needs rather than defending one's own way.
• Evaluate options by how they meet the needs and satisfy the interests of all sides, not one side's values.
• Collaborate in working out a joint solution so both sides gain, both grow and win.
• Cooperate with the emerging agreement; accept the possible, not demand your ideal.
• Reward each other for each step forward, toward agreement; celebrate mutuality.
Be steadfast in love. Be firm in our commitment to seek a mutual solution; be stubborn in
holding to our common foundation in Christ; be steadfast in love (Col. 3: 12-15).
Be open to mediation. Be open to accept skilled help: If we cannot reach agreement among ourselves, we will use those with gifts and training in mediation in the larger church (Phil. 4:1-3).
Trust the community. We will trust the community and if we cannot reach agreement or experience reconciliation, we will turn the decision over to others in the congregation or from the broader church (Acts 15).
.In one-to-one or small group disputes, this may mean allowing others to arbitrate.
• In congregational, or broader-ehurch disputes, this may mean allowing others to arbitrate or implementing constitutional decisionmaking processes, ensuring that they are done in the spirit of these guidelines, and abiding by whatever decision is made.
Be the Body of Christ. Believe in and rely on the solidarity of the Body of Christ and its commitment to peace and justice, rather than resort to the courts of law (1 Cor. 6:1-6).
General Conference Mennonite and Mennonite Church. Adapted and used with permission by the Mennonite Brethren Church.
Ouarrel
bat the Waterhole
A Bible Story of Conflict Resolution
The Old Testament describes life among Hebrews just as it was: the ugly with the beautiful, the embarrassing with the pleasant. The Bible includes true stories of quarrels, murder, theft, lying, cheating and cruelty. The biblical writers did not lock closets which held family or community skeletons. The Old Testament also tells of love and forgiveness, faithfulness and courage, resourcefulness and fairness. Many biblical stories of conflict lead to experiences of reconciliation.
The following story about land and water rights paraphrases a conflict found in the thirteenth chapter of Genesis.
Abram and his nephew Lot had come as immigrants to a country of fertile plains, mountain val-
leys, and scattered springs. Abram and Lot, uncle and nephew, worked closely in many farming and ranch enterprises: cattle and sheep buying, sheep shearing,marketing, and water improvement projects. Both had accumulated huge herds of cattle and flocks of sheep.
To handle their extensive operations, each employed large staffs of cowhands and shepherds. As their ranching expanded, problems mounted. The two men overgrazed the best pastures. Too few wells, springs, and ponds were available to meet the needs of the big herds and flocks. The two family groups began to lose the spirit of kinship. Lot's hired men and Abram's hired men jostled for position at the watering places. Tempers flared. Disputes led to blows.
Abram and Lot observed outbreaks of hostility between their two family groups. Both found it difficult to cool the hotheads among their workers. Abram went to his nephew and said, "This quarreling is getting out of hand. When you and I came to this country, we were one big caring family. Things have changed and it's not the way you and I would like to live."
"The problem, I think, is water," Lot responded. "Both of us have taken on new hired hands who think the only way to speak is with elbows and fists."
Abram added, "We tried, you know, to set up some understandings on water use, but have to admit that this country is getting too crowded for all of us."
Lot assented sadly. "Maybe you are right. And yet maybe we could dig more wells."
Abram was silent for a time and then responded. "We are a peaceful people. We do not want this quarreling between your workers and ours, your family and ours. There are tens of thousands of acres out there. Let us separate and put a little space between us. I heard a wise man once say, 'Good fences make good neighbors.' So, if you go left, I will go right; if you go right, I will go left."
Lot and Abram were standing on a high ridge. Lot looked east and saw the broad, well-watered Jordan Valley which stretched south as far as the eye could see. The soil was deep and fertile. He thought to himself: "I could move into grain farming and could cut back on cattle and sheep. I wouldn't be away from home so much." To the west Lot saw the hill country, range upon range. Some upland valleys had small patches suitable for farming, but most of the rugged hills would be better for grazing.
Lot decided quickly, "I choose the plain to the east." Abram said, "Fine, we'll take to the hills." They embraced and wished each other well. Each went his way with his extended family, workers, and herds and flocks.
RESOURCES
There are many resources available for dealing with conflict and exploring interpersonal peacemaking. If you are interested in finding out more, try one of the resources below.
Books and Study Guides
• Cross Walkers: An Interactive Study in Restoring Relationships for Youth, by Philip Wiebe (1997). Cross Walkers calls youth to be peacemakers in a relational way. Youth can learn to respond creatively to conflict, minimizing rather than intensifying the conflict. This interactive study will help youth discover that when the peace of Christ rules their own hearts, they will be empowered to live peaceably with others. Available from Kindred Productions. *
• Peace: Just Live It! A Challenge to Youth for the 21st Century, by Christine Neufeld (1995). A ten-session Bible study curriculum for high school youth that encourages them to consider peacemaking as a way of life. Faith and life Press. Available from Kindred Productions.*
• The Power of the Lamb, editors John E. Toews and Gordon Nickel (1986). Eight Mennonite Brethren churchmen and educators combine to bring us a penetrating look at the Scriptural teachings on peace and peacemaking and how these issues affect our response to today's crisis of violence. Study Guide available. Available from Kindred Press (Productions). *
• When Good People Quarrel: Studies in Conflict Resolution, by Robert S. Kreider and Rachel Waltner Goossen (1989). These case studies, both present day and biblical stories collected by the authors, help readers learn to deal with conflict by experiencing the various roles: the peacemaker, the confronting antagonist, the weaker party, the victim. Questions for discussion and resources such as guidelines for role-playing are provided to make this useful for group study or training in conflict resolution. Published by Herald Press. Available from Provident Bookstores, (800) 759-4447 or on the web at http://www.mph.org/pbsl
• With the Arms of the Father: A Group Study in Restoring Relationships for Adults (Faith Family Focus-Mennonite Brethren Core Value Studies) by Robert Rempel (1996). A group study guide to help you learn to creatively deal with conflict so as to restore, maintain, and build godly relationships. The video segment, Reconciliation, is a creative teaching option also available. Available from Kindred Productions. *
* Kindred Productions: (800) 545-7322 or on the web at http://www.mbconf.org/mbdkp/kindred.htm
This decision closed a major chapter in each of their lives. Lot settled near one of the prosperous cities on the plain. Abram, the older man, moved with his people into the hills where they pioneered in harsh country. Though Lot and Abram encountered new sets of problems, the old quarrels at the waterholes ended.
This article was adapted with permission from When Good People Quarrel: Studies of Conflict Resolution by Robert S. Kreider and Rachel Waltner Goossen published by Herald Press.
•
Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies (http://www.fresno.edu/dept/pacsl)
Basic Institute in Conflict Management and Mediation. The weeklong institute is offered twice a year by the Fresno Pacific Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies and the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary. The Institute is located on the Fresno campuses of the university and seminary and is open to any adults who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in the practice of peacemaking. This year, the Institute is January 25-29 and August 2-6. Further information regarding the Institute is available from the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies, Fresno Pacific University, (559) 455-5840 or (800) 909-8677. JANUARY 1999. 15
Growing Kids God's Way offers effective parenting help
I am responding to the article "Why 'Growing Kids God's Way' might not work" (Oct. 1998). I have benefited from this program in all aspects of my life - not just parenting, and I cannot let this program be criticized without voicing my support for the Ezzos and Growing Families International.
Mr. McDuff claims that parents applying GKGW material are easily "motivated by self-interest" and that GKGW is parent-centered. I disagree. To encourage children in godly living is extremely time-consuming and not always fun. According to McDuff the philosophy of training children to think about the "preciousness of others" as GKGW teaches, is in practice just a plan for parents "to look good" in the eyes of others. A self-motivated attitude can usually be observed in a public setting by parents who suddenly have to do their training. We do want others to enjoy our kids, but I would question whether that alone is enough for parents who do apply the biblical principles taught in GKGW.
McDuff's article leaves me with the assumption that parenting with GKGW principles is not sacrificial. After taking three GFI classes and reading a couple of the Ezzo's books, I have never encountered the Ezzos promoting a "parent first mentality." In fact, they warn of the danger of parenting with authoritarianism (demanding behavior to conform to society's rules). Godly parenting by nature is sacrificial, but not to the degree that a parent's identity is lost in the child(ren).
&.. Pontius' Puddle
WHAT READERS SAY
to
According to McDuff, my kids will never learn to trust and won't know how to gain my approval because I allowed them to cry a few times while learning to put themselves to sleep. A trust relationship is far more than responding to an infant's cry, and the Ezzos deal with building trusting relationships between parent and child in several chapters. Of course if a parent refuses to respond to any needs, the foundations of trust are eroded. However, the Ezzos encourage parents to respond to an infant's cry after assessing the cry and the situation. Personally, I found I could identify my baby's cries and respond more appropriately because they had a routine.
McDuff's third warning was about creating kids who do things only to avoid negative reinforcement or gain approval. He neglected to point out that the Ezzos teach that beginning at age three, children should be taught the reason for both good and bad behavior based on Scripture. Having been a youth pastor couple, we found this very attractive about GKGW. We have worked with so many teens who knew the right actions, but missed the moral and biblical reasons why they did (or were supposed to do) what they did.
McDuff links withholding warmth with the Ezzo's material. The Ezzos call withholding love "devastating." They also have devoted an entire chapter in GKGW to help discover the most effective way to communicate love to children through the five love languages taught by Dr. Gary Chapman. McDuff is right about what will happen to "emotionally unengaged kids," but he is mis-
lead that GKGW is promoting this type of parenting.
Connie Faber's article "Ezzos say do it by the Book" was quite dramatic linking "failure to thrive" and child abuse to the GFI curriculum. This is the only material I have seen that teaches a parent how to watch for adequate nutrition in newborns. Unfortunately, the handful of parents who neglected to observe their baby's nutritional intake closely enough get the spotlight. All of the materials encourage flexibility and dialogue with the baby's physician.
Many families have been and will be successful without GKGW. But in a society that is pursuing humanistic philosophies, GKGW has a lot to offer. It is not the final authority on parenting and was never designed to be that. The Ezzos are offering biblical principles applied to parenting along with practical ideas that have been successful in their family. I thank God that the Ezzos have shared their insight.
Michelle Lippincott Tulare, Calif.
What we eat is important
Your recent article regarding the Weigh Down Workshop weight loss program was of interest to me. It is exciting to see people taking an honest look at the role of food in their lives. For many overweight people food has indeed become an idol to which they tum in times of stress or emotional hurt. God wants to be that source of comfort for His children.
I would like to make some personal observations about the WDW program. The article says that Shamblin (founder ofWDW) doesn't actually condone "eating whatever you want." In her book, however, Shamblin says that we should not be concerned with "food content, its nutritional value or whether it is good or bad for you." She says that all foods are "clean," citing Mark 7:14-23. This passage actually refers to]esus's discussion with the Pharisees about ceremonial washing, not the nutritional value of food. Shamblin gives a sample three-day menu from her personal diet. It includes biscuits and butter, bacon,
chips, candy bars, pie each day, cookies, blue cheese dressing, burger and fries, steak, cream, mayo, and sour cream. Even if eaten in small quantities, these choices are hardly consistent with what is known today about the relationship between diet and good health.
The wnw program is based on the belief that obesity is the overriding risk factor for poor health. Certainly it is an important one. But it is a well documented fact that other lifestyle components must also be addressed. A diet high in fat coupled with a lack of exercise carries a long-term risk for heart disease and, to a lesser degree, other health problems as well.
There are other weight loss programs with a more responsible approach to food choices that are available to church groups. They recognize the hazards of obesity but also acknowledge the risks of an undisciplined life in the area of food choices. Uncommon Vessels and First Place are programs that stress the need for a lifestyle that includes the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study, a balanced diet and moderate exercise. I would heartily recommend either of these to church groups wanting to minister in the area of weight loss and health.
Carol Braun Reedley, Calif.
Youssefs commended
Congratulations on a good start in your first issue of the Christian Leader. We look forward to a lot more good reporting and encouragement.
This is to give a special word of commendation to Samir and Lewiza Youssef of MBMSI International Arab Ministries. We had the privilege of having them in our home over the Thanksgiving weekend and showing them around Hillsboro. They are truly a delightful and energetic couple with a passion for the Muslim Arab world. Although they were originally scheduled for only one meeting in the area, we were able to arrange several engagements. The audiences were thrilled with their testimonies and commitment.
We would urge support of their ministry and the opportunity for them to speak. You will not be disappointed. Herb and Ruth Friesen Hillsboro, Kan.
The Christian Leader welcomes brief letters on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church. All letters must be signed and will be edited for clarity and length. Send letters to Christian Leader, 7531 Delta Wind Or., Sacramento, CA 95831 (e-mail: chleader@jps.net).
"Disqjpline cornerstone of successful investing."
Mennonite Central Committee Canada
Mennonite Central Committee Canada seeks applications for the position of
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Executive Director is the chief executive officer of Mennonite Central Committee Canada.
All applicants must exhibit a commitment to a personal Christian faith and discipleship. active membership in a Mennonite or Brethren in Christ church. and nonviolent peacemaking.
Please direct enquiries to Search Committee members:
John Wiens (chair) - (604) 434-5358
Pauline Hogan - (905) 688-0361
WIllie Stoesz - (204) 377-4724
Ed Barkman - (204) 254-7734
Lori Unger Brandt - (204) 284-7881
Please direct applications to:
John Wiens
Executive Director Search Committee clo Mennonite Central Committee Canada 134 Plaza Drive
Wmnipeg. Manitoba R3T 5K9 Fax: (204) 269-9875
Review of applications will begin on January 31. 1999 and will continue until a suitable candidate is selected.
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Invest five minutes a day in the Word
BY DENNIS FAST
STATISTICS TELL US that fewer than half of those who own a Bible read it. While the reasons for not reading the Bible vary greatly, a common one is that people say they just don't understand it. The fact is that many American homes still only have a Bible in a version written in a language that is archaic to them. To meet this challenge, the American Bible Society is making an easy-to-understand translation of the New Testament available and declaring 1999 as "The Year of the Bible."
This program was born out of the grassroots Year of the Bible crusade developed in 1997 by an organization called EI Paso for Jesus. It is estimated that over 100,000 EI Pasoans participated in reading the New Testament that year. Fifty-eight churches crossing all denominational lines joined the crusade as The Hi Paso Times printed the scripture reading daily at no charge. They also offered a free New Testament to anyone who called a specific number. Approximately 65,000 New Testaments and 200,000 bookmarks with the reading schedule on them were distributed through churches, Christian bookstores, convenience stores and the newspaper.
Now a growing number of organizations and denominations, including the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, have joined to encourage this same crusade across the nation beginning in January of 1999. Some of the more recognizable groups include Campus Crusade for Christ, Luis Palau Evangelistic Association, Lutheran Hour Ministries, The Wesleyan Church and Walk Through the Bible.
The focus of the 1999 Year of the Bible is to encourage people in our 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 home and vocation, and include a clear photo of themselves.
Mennonite Brethren have been people of "the book" from the founding of our movement. It makes sense that we would be part of a national effort to encourage the reading of the New Testament.
communities to invest five minutes a day to read the entire New Testament in 1999. The ultimate goal is that everyone in our communities will have an opportunity to know Jesus Christ through this reading program. Psalm 119:105 states, "Your Word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk" (CEV). It is the prayer of organizers that by reading God's Word thousands of people will discover the light of Christ.
'lVThile local congregations are W encouraged to join the reading plan, the greater goal is to get the Scriptures into the hands of those who otherwise would not read it. Many newspapers will be willing to cooperate with articles and free space for printing the reading schedule or even the entire text. Through the newspapers and Public Service Announcements on radio and television, the challenge to read can be spread.
Mennonite Brethren pastors should have received a packet promoting 1999 as The Year of the Bible shortly after this past summer's U.S. Conference convention in La Mirada. Those who have not responded should not consider it too late to join this campaign. A call to the American Bible Society will have bookmarks and reading guides in the mail and returned within a week. The offer of Contemporary English Version New Testaments at $.75 per copy may be past, but other options exist that would get a readable translation in people's hands economically.
In my own community of Reedley, California, the ministerial organization is behind the program, but individual churches are promoting it in a way that best fits their current programs. The local newspaper has been cooperative
and is making decisions about the amount of space to be allotted to the reading schedule. Reading guides and bookmarks have been ordered for all families of the church to encourage the five minutes a day reading plan among members as well.
Mennonite Brethren have been people of "the book" from the founding of our movement. It makes sense that we would be part of a national effort to encourage the reading of the New Testament. I encourage pastors and leadership boards to act today by calling or writing to: Year of the Bible, American Bible Society, 15720 W. 150th Terrace, Olathe, KS 66062; 1-888-3-BIBLE-5 (phone); 1-913-780-2175 (fax). •
Dennis Fast is pastor ofReedley Mennonite Brethren Church in Reedley, Calif. Fast is a past-chair of the u.s. Conference and brought the Year of the Bible program to the attention of the u.s. Conference convention last summer. This article is a result of a request by the Leader for more information about Mennonite Brethren involvement in the Year of the Bible program.
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PH'UP SIDE
BY PHILIP WIEBE
It's God's call
There is a prevailing sense these days that somehow we all deserve to receive more than we give.
OVER A UFETIME of churchgoing I've heard many variations of the "call to service" sermon from Isaiah 6. According to the passage, when the Lord inquired "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" Isaiah famously responded, "Here am I. Send me!" (v. 8). This exchange has been used as the call-answering model for everything from substitute Sunday school teaching to full-time ministry or missions.
There was a time about a decade ago when I seemed to hear speakers reflect on this passage so often that a bit of cynicism crept in "Here am I, send me, yeah sure." If I'd have followed every urgent call given in this manner, I would have wound up as a substitute Sunday school teaching evangelism committee member community volunteer youth sponsor deacon disaster relief worker serving in career overseas missions. Or something like that.
I'm not trying to diminish one of Scripture's great passages nor the powerful call to service it embodies. Not long ago, however, I noticed something I'd been missing all these years. Either speakers hadn't mentioned it, or I wasn't listening very well, or both. What I missed were the dramatic events leading up to the call; the stunning vision that fueled Isaiah's fervent devotion.
"I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple," relates Isaiah. "Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: 'Holy holy, holy is the
LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.' At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke" (v. 14).
If I were to witness such a scene, undoubtedly I'd have a reaction similar to Isaiah's: "Woe to me! I am ruined!" And in fact that has been my response the times I've really gotten glimpses of the staggering majesty, the unfathomable Other of the Great Creator God.
In a raging sea, a star-dazzled night, a high mountain vista, an old stone church, a surpassing work of art, a transcendent passage of Scripture - through these kinds of visions God occasionally gives me a shock and a start about his magnificence versus my insignificance. ''I'm not worthy!" has become a flippant pop phrase, but in this case it is thoroughly accurate.
But modem spirituality and service rarely start here anymore. It's all become rather clinical and practical. Go through these steps, attend that conference, fill out those forms, and get on with the program. Ministry today tends to be a function of marketing and demographics rather than life-changing devotion. Worship tends to be driven by style and strategy rather than awe-inspiring, foundation-shaking encounters with Lord God Almighty.
There is an old Anabaptist prayer that seems to echo the reverence of Isaiah 6 and of an earlier time in the church, when prayers of confession were common and feel-good faith
wasn't necessarily the goal. Here are some excepts: "0 Lord, almighty, eternal, benevolent, and gracious God, heavenly Father who is merciful in Christ Jesus, our Lord. You are the one who best discerns and knows our every flaw and futility, that we are nothing and have nothing Yet we ask you in complete humility and from the heart, 0 holy, dear Father in heaven, grant us grace that together we may truly call to you in prayer May you hear and accept our prayer for your own sake, that it may serve for your credit and high honor, praise, and glory" (from Prayer Book for Earnest Christians, first published in 1708).
That gets at Isaiah's intent, I think, when he said to God, "Here am I, send me!" - "that it may serve for your credit and high honor, praise, and glory." It didn't start with Isaiah deciding to work for God, but God choosing to work in Isaiah. "Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for'" (v. 6-7).
For many the beginning of a new year is a time to consider goals and resolutions; a chance to add new activities and ambitions for the purpose of enhancing and empowering one's life. While this certainly has merit, I wonder if Isaiah 6 offers an alternative approach. Rather than trying to follow the inclination of our culture to do more, do better, do everything, perhaps this is a time to strip away the extras and simply seek God. "Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians," wrote A.W. Tozer in his classic The Pursuit of God, "stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly."
That's what Isaiah did: adjusted his life according to God. In the grip of God's awesome presence and salvation, the call came in loud and clear.
INQUIRJNG MINDS
BY MARVIN HEIN
QWhat is behind this trend to do away with pulpits and replace them with flimsy music stands? It seems to lessen and/or remove another of the symbols of the church?
ALet me say first that the issue certainly is not "flimsy music stands." I know some pastors who have opted for some pretty solid, expensive, "see-through" stands that can be moved wherever the occasion demands. So forget the music stands. Why remove the pulpit from the stage?
My first resource for discussing this question came informally at a seminary faculty coffee break. I was told that the trend is "a quest for intimacy." Pastors feel the need to come closer to the congregation and some feel that less distance between the preacher and the listeners generates a greater sense of intimacy for the preacher. Some pastors do not want a wooden stand to keep them from relating very personally to their spiritual sheep. It is part of our culture's emphasis on creating close relationships. It is an attempt, in part at least, to eradicate distance between authority figures and the common people.
My next attempt to get opinions on the question came via the Internet. I sent the question to four or five younger pastors, most of whom I either knew or figured were not using the stage pulpit. Unfortunately, only one of these younger men answered my inquiry. But the one who did, I think very adequately voiced the opinions of those who would rather not preach from behind a big, wooden pulpit. And I'm grateful for his very prompt reply.
The essence of this person's answer was basically the "quest for intimacy." He stated that research and interaction with people from nonchurch backgrounds as well as individuals from very liturgical church backgrounds informed them that pulpits represent certain negative images. Their findings
seemed to say that there is a perception that to stand behind a pulpit is to speak down to people. If that barrier can be taken away by placing the sermon notes on a music stand, so much the better.
In my interaction with coffee-breaking theologians, I listened with fascination as one person rehearsed his experiences of visiting many churches recently. He had found that those pastors most interested in an informal, conversational, closely personal style of preaching tended to be the ones who spoke most authoritatively - giving the people very plain and direct answers as to how they should live and act. His view of such pastors was that they leave little room for doubt about the way people should live. To which another professor replied: "But it doesn't allow the listener the freedom to respond or give the hearers room to be priests in any responsible sense."
I tested my own personal biases with my friends. I happen to like big, wooden pulpits. They allow me to spread out the resources I might want to use during the message and they also hide the unpressed suit I might be wearing. I'm not certain it made me more unapproachable to my people, though I do recall one interesting experience. A new family had visited the church. I called on them the following week, but was met first by their four year old son. When he discovered who I was, he said abruptly: "you're mean!" Upon further investigation, I discovered that last Sunday had been the boy's first-ever visit to a church. And because I spoke loudly (in his mind at least) I was mean. I comforted myself by assuming his comments told more about his parents and their disciplinary habits than about my preaching.
Continuing with my biases, I have said in the past that removing the pulpit from the stage seemed to me to be downgrading the importance of what I
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.
think is central in worship - preaching. I'm not certain I can defend that bias. But I have observed in my much-traveled ministry in recent years that preaching is being given less and less time in the worship service. And when we do preach, we get less and less exposition and more so-called pragmatic, easily understood teaching. Consequently, much preaching has become primarily teaching - carried on in a dialogical, informal, casual, classroom-like setting that makes people feel comfortable. And that's what our culture wants - to be happy and comfortable. There are times when I think that worship probably ought to make people somewhat uncomfortable, especially if we expound the "whole counsel of God" that includes not only the joys of salvation but also the judgment and damnation that all of us inherit and then practice.
So in one sense I sympathize with the inqUirer. I wonder if we are not "dumbing-down" the importance of the pulpit and the authority of the Word of God that it symbolizes. Our culture doesn't do well with authority and I'm not yet content to adapt to that notion. I'm not certain either that the distance from the people, or the furniture between them, has all that much to do with whether or not the people love and trust their pastor. That will likely come with experiences outside the pulpit ministry. Like funerals and weddings and dedications and interpersonal relationships outside the worship service.
On the other hand, I did appreciate the younger pastor's conclusion in his e-mail response to me. He said he felt having God's Word central was very important. He wasn't too concerned whether it was preached behind a pulpit, music stand, Plexiglas thing, or whatever. I can buy that.
If I had my "druthers," I'd still vote for the pulpit, but just let me hear the Word of God preached plainly, authoritatively, practically, capably, passionately, intelligently and Spiritled. Then I can probably accept even a flimsy music stand.
ON THE JOURNEY
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Story of a peacemaker
I have reread (this book) several times. Each time, I am left with a strong message the Palestinian Christians are my people.
IT'S ABOUT A YEAR NOW since a friend handed me a book and said, "I think you need to read this. I've just finished reading it and it has changed the way I view events in the Middle East." The book, Blood Brothers, is the story of Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian whose suffering and struggles have led him to become an internationally known peacemaker.
Chacour is a highly educated scholar who speaks eleven languages, has studied at a seminary in Paris, and has a degree from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He has traveled to many countries and is a frequent speaker sharing with all who will listen the secrets of creating lasting peace in a country filled with conflict and turmoil. He has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Chacour is a Palestinian Christian who grew up in a simple peasant home in Galilee. His parents were godly people who taught him the scriptures and how to live by them. In the dedication to his book he speaks of his father as a "refugee in his own country and one who speaks the language of patience, forgiveness and love."
As a small town parish minIster Elias Chacour began by helping antagonistic factions in his church settle their differences and work together. Then with the help of some Catholic nuns he founded a kindergarten and work program for both Christian and Muslim women in his community. Fifteen years ago an inter-faith college-prep high school was begun as a way of helping Palestinian youth gain access to quality education beyond the eighth grade. At this school the primary focus is on teaching students to learn to live together, "to educate a new generation for peace." It's
working. Students from Arabic, Jewish and Christian cultures work and study together and in the process form close relationships with each other. The high school is today considered to be one of the best in Israel. Four years ago the Mar Elias College opened its doors.
Today on a hillside in northern Galilee just 15 miles northeast of Haifa, stands an educational complex that houses 2600 students and 171 teachers and staff that come from diverse backgrounds, religions and cultures. They seek "peace and security based on mutual recognition, respect and esteem."
As a young child, Elias lived a quiet life in the small town of Biram in Galilee. His father owned a fig orchard which he tended with great care. The town's peace was shattered one morning by the arrival of noisy trucks carrying heavily armed Zionist soldiers. In a matter of days all the people in the village were evicted from their homes carrying nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Nearby villages suffered a similar fate. Elias, together with manyothers, was forced to camp in the nearby groves or hillside caves for many months. He watched in horror on a Christmas morning as his hometown was bombed and bulldozed to smithereens. All around him the "cleansing" of the Palestinian villages continued. His father and older brothers were arrested and taken from the family. (They were part of only a handful of men dragged from their homes who eventually found their way back to their families.) The family finally found shelter in an abandoned village that had not been completely destroyed.
One afternoon several Zionist cars sped into town. A man jumped out of one of the cars, grabbed Elias from a group of boys playing street soccer and charged him with stealing some missing telephone wire running to a new Zionist kibbutz being built nearby. Because he refused to "confess" to taking the wire he was severely beaten by these soldiers.
Throughout all of this turmoil his parents modeled the Christian behavior of "Love your enemies, do good to those who spitefully use you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27). Night after night during the years of their refugee status, Elias would hear his father pray: "Forgive them, oh God. Heal their pain. Remove their bitterness. Let us show them your peace." Later, after the land taken from the Palestinians was parceled out to the Zionists, he watched as his father applied for the job to work the fig orchard that had once been his own.
Elias was watching his father and, in turn, his father was carefully watching him. Father soon saw something very special in his son. Young Elias often found solace from his pain in quiet walks in the countryside talking to his friend, Jesus. His father noticed this. He contacted the local bishop and was able, through the church, to get an education for his son.
The first time, I read the book in one sitting. Since then, I have reread it several times. Each time, I am left with a strong message: Elias Chacour is my brother in the Lord. The Palestinian Christians are my people. And, yes, reading this book has changed the way I look at events in the Middle East.
In a recent search on the Internet, I found a wealth of information including a paper in which Chacour writes: "Our conversion does not always mean only to give up sin, but also to forgive and to stop contemplating destruction and revenge." That is a powerful message from one who has suffered much and forgiven much.
We need to listen to his message.
God's abundance, and giving back in celebration, is part of the journey toward better stewardship - one you'll enjoy your entire life. Its joys and opportunities can be found in the choices you make every day.
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Recapping a year of hard work and change
• The Leader picks its top news stories for 1998.
The beginning of the year is a good time to look back and take stock of where we have been. Last year, many events impacted our denomination. Compiling a list of these events was easy - picking only a few was hard.
Rather than ranking this year's top news stories, the editors decided to group them in three categories: international, binational and national events.
News on the intemational front
1998 is the first year in the history of the Anabaptist-Mennonite movement that its baptized followers number more than a million. According to information published by Mennonite World Conference, an international fellowship of Anabaptist churches, there are 1,060,000 baptized members living in 60 countries.
• War takes its toll. International members of our MB family had a tough year. The civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo claimed the lives of
six Mennonite Brethren in October and a member of the United Evangelical Church (MB) in Panama was killed by Colombian guerrillas in late August.
• Relief organizations kept busy. The bookends of 1998 were two significant relief efforts. The year began with Mennonite Brethren in Peru responding to flooding in their country by setting up emergency food stations in two regions and appealing to their brothers and sisters in North America to offer prayer and financial support for the Peruvian people.
While flooding in Peru received little religious media attention in the United States outside of Mennonite Brethren circles, the devastation wrecked in early November by Hurricane Mitch throughout Central America was frontpage news. Regional Mennonite Central Committee offices were swamped with more than 45,000 hurricane relief kits as well as $2 million in financial contributions. MCC is the relief and development arm of Anabaptist churches in North America.
In addition to these two relief efforts, congregations in North America supported special MBMS International relief projects for war-torn Democratic
Republic of Congo. MBMSI is the global mission agency of MB churches in Canada and the United States. Political tensions in Congo as well as Indonesia and Iraq prompted MBMSI and MCC to evacuate missionary and relief workers assigned to those countries.
• Toews dies. When John Benjamin O.B.) Toews died in early May, Mennonite Brethren lost the last surviving link to those who established the MB denomination. During his 60 years of ministry, ].B. led Mennonite Brethren worldwide in a variety of capacities: pastor, educator, missions executive and historian. Many agree that ].B.'s legacy was his commitment to maintaining a historic Anabaptist faith among Mennonite Brethren.
Binational ministries reworked
• Confession of Faith revised ... again. The General Conference Board of Faith and Life spent much of 1998 revising the revised Confession of Faith for the Canadian and U.S. Conferences. When BFL published the first revisions in 1997, the constituency was invited to respond. And respond we did! Feedback from congregations and individuals prompted BFL to issue a second draft in May, 1998. This past October, 104 pastors and denominational leaders were invited to a BFL consultation for the purpose of reviewing the second - and potentially final - draft. Additional revisions were called for and will be made before the final draft is presented for ratification this summer at the General Conference convention.
• General Conference reviewed. The revised Confession of Faith won't be the only hot potato this summer at the binational convention. During 1998, the structure of the binational conference itself was scrutinized by a task force assigned to conduct a "noholds-barred" review denominational ministries. The task force employed a variety of listening sessions throughout the year and in early December met with the Executive Committee to present their final recommendations. The bottom line - dissolve the General
J. B. Toews (far left) is shown here while he was the general secretary of the Mennonite Brethren global missions effort during the 1960s. Toews, who made a lasting impact on the denomination in numerous capacities. died in 1998 at the age of 91.
Conference in favor of putting denominational ministries in the hands of the U.S. and Canadian conferences - is currently being discussed by General Conference and national conference leaders
•A new MBMSI unveiled. Most everything at MBMS International was new in 1998. Early in the year the mission agency revealed a new name (MBMS International replaced MB Missions/Services) and a new logo. New guidelines through the year 2005 were approved and Harold Ens committed to continue as general director through 2005. Plans commit MBMSI to minister to unreached people groups primarily in African and Asian urban areas; to increase partnerships with national conferences; and to increase economic development and aid.
At the administrative level, all staff will now be located in one place (Fresno, Calif.); three part-time "mission mobilizers" will be added; and a fivemember administrative council including a new position, assistant director for personnel services, will be created.
• Changes in theological training. Regional theological training in Canada got a shot in the arm this year when approval was given for MB Biblical Seminary's B.C. Centre to partner with the Association of Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS) and for a Winnipeg Centre to be built in partnership with Mennonite University.
Other changes at MBBS include the addition of James Pankratz, former president of Concord College in Winnipeg, Man., as academic dean. He replaces Pierre Gilbert who resigned to return to full-time teaching in Old Testament. Gilbert's move back to the classroom came at a "good" time given Allen Guenther's request to be released from his teaching responsibilities due to Parkinson's disease. MBBS also said goodbye to AI Dueck, longtime professor of pastoral counseling, who accepted a position at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.
National places welcome new faces
Both the U.S. and General conferences finished the 1997-98 fiscal year with record giving from U.S. congregations. Giving to the U.S. Conference increased by 21 percent over the previous year and giving to General Conference causes was 16 percent higher.
Maybe it was the news of record giving that prompted delegates to the 1998 convention to approve a budget of almost $650,000 -a budget increase of around 20 percent from the previous year. But if successful ministries bring increased financial support - U.S. Conference coffers may have it made.
• Four church plants launched. Mission USA church planting efforts went from zero to four in 1998. MUSA, the U.S. Conference church planting and renewal arm, is cooperating with the Pacific District Conference to plant Mennonite Brethren congregations in Draper, Utah; Phoenix, Ariz.; and La Mirada, Calif.; and with the Central District Conference to plant a new church in Papillion, Neb. Led by executive director Ed Boschman, MUSA is also encouraging established churches to complete a church health assessment.
• Diversity showcased at convention. While folks have been hearing about the cultural diversity of the U.S. Conference for a number of years, the 1998 convention held in La Mirada, Calif., put faces to that reality. Convention goers were treated to a homecooked meal prepared and served by the Joong Ang Korean congregation at their facility and enjoyed the ministry of Korean praise motion dancers and a Slavic mixed quartet. Testimonies by
Japanese, Slavic, Korean and Ethiopian pastors were evidence of a fruitful Integrated Ministries.
• Leader opens west coast office. The resignation of Don Ratzlaff as editor of the Leader marked the end of an era, of sorts. Ratzlaff served the denominational magazine for 20 years, 13 as Leader editor, and was a respected journalist among his peers. When Carmen Andres, a 1989 graduate of Fresno Pacific University, was appointed the new editor, the U.S. Conference Board of Communication also decided to open a west coast office.
• TC faces change. Another Mennonite Brethren agency to welcome new faces was Tabor College, the denominational Christian liberal arts college located in Hillsboro, Kan.
Larry Nikkel, president and chief executive officer of Mennonite Health Services, was named interim president following the resignation of H. David Brandt, who served nearly four years as Tabor's president. The search for a new president continues into 1999.
The face of the northeast corner of the campus was transformed this past year when two new buildings were constructed. A new residence hall was dedicated in late August and in October the college community celebrated the dedication of the Solomon L. Loewen Natural Science Center. JANUARY 1999.
Members of the Joong Ang Korean Church served a banquet meal of Korean foods during the u.s. Conference convention last summer in La Mirada. The meal. plus the multicultural program that followed. illustrated again the growing ethnic diversity of the conference.
Task force recommends restructuring General Conf.
• Some ministries would become binational 'partnerships'
THEGENERAL Conference task force report - detailing recommendations for restructuring the management of North American Mennonite Brethren denominational ministries - is in the hands of the Executive Council. Now it is up to the General Conference officers and board chairs to sift through the report and draft final recommendations to be presented to delegates at the General Conference convention in WiChita, Kan., this summer.
The main thrust of the report, issued at the beginning of December, advises dissolving the current General Conference structure and moving management of the ministries to Canadian and U.S. national levels. The report rec-
ommends that church planting and financial management continue as solely national ministries and all other ministries be done within "partnerships" between Canada and the U.S., directly controlled and managed by the national conferences.
The recommendations come after eleven months of examining all levels of MB conference and church activity in North America. Called for by the delegates to the 1997 General Conference convention in Waterloo, Ontario, the task force made a "no-holds-barred" review of all levels of conference ministries with a goal to prepare an appropriate realignment of Conference ministries. They were also instructed to
provide opportunity for strengthening relationships with other national MB Conferences.
"The Executive Committee is grateful to the task force and commends them for their thorough and helpful recommendations," said General Conference Moderator Ed Boschman. The other General Conference Executive Committee members are Marvin Hein, executive secretary, Herb Kopp, assistant moderator, and Valerie Rempel, secretary.
Throughout the report, the task force acknowledges that the sharing of unique gifts and cultures is beneficial to overall ministry. They also express a desire for greater accountability to the local church and a commitment to model positive partnership in a global environment.
The task force recommends that the General Conference "as a legal entity" be dissolved. The General Conference is a binational structure and currently meets every other year at a convention.
u.s. Conference board members prepare for April meeting
• Delay will give boards a chance to consider restructuring recommendations and finances
THE u.s. Conference all- moved for several reasons, boards meeting has say Lynford Becker, U.S. been moved to April, giving Conference administrative board members more time secretary, and David Reimer, to consider top agenda U.S. Conference moderator. items - General Conference "Not all boards would restructuring, meeting the have been able to attend expanded U.S. Conference (the January meeting) as full budget and maintaining boards. At this point in our conference unity. conference journey, it is
Initial plans had U.S. essential to find a time when Conference board members all boards can meet togethgathering in Wichita, Kan., er," says Becker. in mid-January to process Becker and Reimer agree the General Conference that the rapid growth in U.S. task force report on restruc- Conference ministries over turing (see story above) as the past five years has part of the annual all- brought its share of chalboards meeting. In early lenges. December, the national ''With so many changesboard meetings were shift- naturally we've had some ed to April 8-10 in Central misunderstandings," says California. Becker. "We want to build
The date of the U.S. Con- consensus and community ference board meeting was as boards."
Even though the boards will not be meeting until April, members still had the chance to review and respond to the Task Force report.
"Originally we had thought to be responsive to the request by the General Conference to have all boards meet and process the report prior to the February Executive Council meeting," says Reimer. "Since that time, we concluded that we would collect feedback in a different way."
In early December, board members received copies of the 43-page report recommending restructure of the General Conference with instructions to pass their comments on to board chairs by the end of December, says Reimer.
Board chairs will in tum provide feedback to the
General Conference Executive Council, officers and board chairs of the bi· national conference who will meet in early February to discuss the task force recommendations. U.S. Board chairs are Chuck Buller, Mission USA; Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, Board of Communications; Ken Neufeld, Board of Trustees; and Reimer, who is not only the conference moderator but chairs the Board of Church Ministries. Becker adds that once board members have passed on their comments to board chairs, a special meeting of board chairs might be convened in Central California if necessary.
In addition to any prior discussion, General Conference restructuring will be an agenda item at the April U.S. Conference board meetings, says Reimer.
It owns ministries and elects boards to complete work associated with those ministries.
In place of the current structure, five partnership ministries would be formed between the U.S. and Canadian conferences in areas of existing ministries:
• faith and life
• global missions
• theological training
• communication, Christian education and resources
• historical commission
Each ministry would have a board consisting of members from each country.
The task force emphasized a desire for equal representation from each country on each board. Each national conference would carry responsibility for the partnership ministries. Reporting from the various ministries would occur at the national conventions.
In addition to the partnership ministries, each national conference would
Financial concerns also played a part in the decision to reschedule board meetings, says Reimer. "What we want to do (at the April allboard meeting) is evaluate our revenue and expenses for this year. By meeting later into the year we'll have a better idea where that is headed."
Delegates to the 1998 U.S. Conference convention approved a budget of $650,000 - an increase of around 20 percent from the previous year. It is anticipated that conference ministry expenses in four of five categories will increase significandy over the past fiscal year.
• Church growth! renewal. Since it was initiated in 1994, the growth of Mission USA - in programs and subsequendy dollarshas been dramatic. Ed Boschman was hired as executive director in 1996 and opened an office in Phoenix, Ariz. From that
carry responsibility for its own national evangelism and financial management. The report also recommends that the binational conventions would be discontinued in favor of a rotating schedule of regional and national conventions with a partnership convention occurring every six years.
Over the next several months, boards, leadership teams and national conference executives will review the report for implications for their ministries. The General Conference Executive Council will meet February 5-6 to decide and prepare the recommendations to be presented to delegates for action in July at the General Conference convention in Wichita, Kan.
issue of the Christian Leader.
"The mandate for change given to the Executive Committee at the General Conference convention in Fresno in 1995 has taken us on a considerable journey of interaction and process with our North American MB constituency," said Boschman. "We request your continued prayer with and for us."
The mandate for change... has taken us on a considerable journey of interaction and process "
-ED BOSCHMAN
Boschman urges people to freely communicate with the Executive Board members and their own local leadership. "It's our desire to serve God and our binational family faithfully, and to prepare ourselves for a new millennium of effectively contributing to the support of His Kingdom on earth."
The entire text of these recommendations will be published in the April 30 issue of the MB Herald and the May
location he has worked to coordinate church planting efforts in cooperation with district conferences. In the last two years, four church plants have been launched in cooperation with MUSA. As can be expected, the costs of running a fullfledged church planting program are much higher than initial start-up costs, says Dale Regier, U.S. Conference treasurer .
• Publications. Board of Communication members knew searching for and setting up a new Leader editor might mean increased expenses - but could only estimate costs when the 1998-99 budget was approved in July.
Since then, the Leader has set up a West Coast office under the management of editor Carmen Andres. The costs involved in maintaining two offices will be clearer in April than they would have been at the first of the year.
Copies of the task force report are available from the executive secretary's office: 4812 E. Butler Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727; (209) 452-1713; or mheinl @fresno.edu. - General Conference Executive Committee Press Release
• Conference administration. The coordinating board of the U.S. Conference, the Board of Church Ministries, has partnered with the North Carolina Conference to call their first "full-time" pastor. BCM will provide the funds for this ministry. Other additional BCM expenses for 1998-99 are tied to publishing the biennial convention yearbook and promotion.
• Cross-cultural ministry. More than 40 new congregations have been added to the U.S. Conference regional districts since 1988, when the U.S. Conference began targeting immigrant people groups for outreach.
Several more congregations remain independent of a district, primarily because of geographic location.
Loyal Funk, U.S. Conference minister, oversees this growing program which has, over the past five years, remained fairly constant in dollars spent.
• Trustees. Unlike its counterparts, the Board of Trustees expects to maintain its expenses for 199899.
With regard to the 199899 budget, Board of Trustees chair Ken Neufeld noted in his report to convention delegates that the budget "represents a significant increase and reflects our vision for growth in the church and moving ahead aggressively with Mission USA. The Board of Mission USA and others have done a magnificent work in fund raising for the past two years. We are suggesting that responSibility should not be theirs alone; we must share in that responsibility."
To accommodate the expanded agenda, an extra day was added to the April board meetings. "With the rapid growth, we want to take an extra day and process how we feel about the changes," says Reimer.
JANUARY 1999.
Aid in the aftermath
Agencies join relief and rebuilding efforts in Central America
MCC constituents respond generously to hurricane disaster
• Gifts more than double initial requests for assistance
CENTRAL
AMERICAN Mennonites, Mennonite Central Committee workers and hosts of other friends and partners are in the midst of one of the largest MCC relief efforts in recent years following Hurricane Mitch, the most devastating storm of the century to hit Central America. According to figures from the Washington Post, 11,000 were killed by the storm and 2 million were left homeless.
Families, churches and schools throughout the United States and Canada have participated in relief efforts in response to Hurricane Mitch by preparing the hurricane relief kits, many decorated and containing holiday greetings or personal letters. As of December 9, 44,700 buckets filled with various pharmaceutical and personal hygiene items had been collected. MCC anticipates that before all is said and done, more than 50,000 buckets will be sent to Central America.
MCC's purchases of more than 23,000 copies of Spanish-language Bibles, to add to the relief kits, nearly depleted the American Bible Society's inventory. "We are sending Spanish-language New Testaments instead, until the Bible society can locate and send us more Bibles," notes Brenda Wagner, director of MCC Constituency Ministries.
observes Linda Shelly, who oversees the MCC programs in Latin America.
"We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our constituents. The need in Central America is great," says Ronald J.R. Mathies, executive director of MCC. "This is one of the largest relief efforts undertaken by MCC in recent years, and we are thankful for the contributions."
MCC anticipates that before all is said and done, more than 50,000 buckets will be sent to Central America.
North American Christians have been generous in their gifts of cash. Last month, MCC workers estimated they could use at least $1 million in cash to respond to the many requests they had received or would receive from partner churches and agencies in the region. Constituents responded by sharing nearly $2.2 million.
"Our partners are delighted that the number of hurricane relief kits keeps rising. They say they can use as many relief kits as we prepare,"
MCC's long-term response to Mitch's destruction will last three to five years, notes Ray Brubacher, who directs MCC's programs overseas. "We anticipate
rebuilding homes destroyed or damaged by Mitch. We also want to help farmers clean debris from their fields and to give them seeds and tools so they can again begin growing their own food." MCC also expects to support or initiate water projects so communities can drink clean water and build dikes and other water control devices.
MCC expects to work with Central American partners to prepare proposals and plans that will cost between $3 million and $5 million cash to rebuild the lives of those suffering due to Mitch.
"MCC workers in Honduras, Nicaragua, EI Salvador and Guatemala continue to work with local partners to receive and deliver aid to those affected by the devastation brought by Hurricane Mitch," says Mathies.
To contribute funds designate donations to 5900-2030 Hurricane Mitch Relief and Rehabilitation. - From reports by John M. Spidaliere, MCC Communications Dept.
Workers at Mennonite Central Committee's material resources center in Ephrata, Pa., pack a shipment of canned meat bound for hurricane victims in Central America.
FPU community sends goods and messages to Mitch victims
• Faculty, staff and students prepare 37 relief buckets and raise more than $1,030 in funds
",VThen news reports of Hurricane W Mitch hit the airwaves, Amy Penner was compelled to pray_
"God has been teaching me the importance of prayer together with action," says Penner, a junior majoring in Spanish and intercultural studies.
Penner, aware of Mennonite Central Committee's relief efforts, mentioned them to Suzana Dobric, student body president. Dobric had just gotten off the phone with FPU President Allen Carden discussing a community response to Hurricane Mitch.
All over campus, people were asking what could be done. Penner accepted the role as coordinator and the work began.
November 19 was set aside as a community day of fasting and prayer. Instead of balking at a loss of revenue, the campus caterers supported the fast by providing an additional array of juices.
Penner, also a residence assistant,
Students add notes in Spanish to hurricane relief buckets.
challenged each module to supply at least one MCC hurricane kit toward the cause. (Residence halls are divided into groups of students called modules.)
Penner also met with the commuter representative, Karin Stukey, and sent faxes to local Mennonite Brethren churches encouraging them to initiate their own response or join forces with FPU. Penner went to the staff and faculty, asking for their participation.
On November 20 students, faculty and staff gathered in the Student Exec-
utive Offices to pack kits. Stacks of towels, soap, toothbrushes, antifungal and antibacterial cream were everywhere. Conversation was thoughtful: "I wonder if a family will get this bucket?" "Look at these brightly colored toothbrushes ... maybe a child will get one." "I hear these buckets aren't just for packing but will be used to carry drinking water."
At times notes in Spanish and drawings done by school children were tucked into kits. For some, the memory of being on the receiving end of such efforts was sobering. Recent immigrant and international students from regions devastated by war and poverty worked side by side with staff and faculty whose families faced similar adversity 80 years ago. Though the room was often filled with laughter and joy, the seriousness of the task was clear.
Those who could not contribute goods or time, gave money. At press, over $1,030 had been collected and 37 hurricane kits assembled. According to Penner, "many extra items were collected which will also go to MCC."
Carden took time to encourage those packing, thanking them for leading the effort. "This is important work we are dOing," he said. -len Fransen
MEDA launches Hurricane Mitch appeal for partners in Nicaragua
• Agency is accepting donations for reconstruction help for clients who lost homes and businesses
A lthough most of Mennonite Eco.l"\.nomic Development Associate's programs in Nicaragua were spared the brunt of Hurricane Mitch, many clients lost homes, workshops, inventory and raw materials; farmers belonging to MEDA's rural marketing assistance program lost between 50-70 percent of their bean crop.
"After people have their immediate needs taken care of, they will need to move on to the second stage of disaster recovery: rebuilding their lives and businesses," says Allan Sauder, who directs MEDA's international programs.
"We want to be there to help people get back on their feet again so they can once again be independent and support themselves. After all, the relief aid isn't going to last forever, nor should it."
MEDA will provide $640,000 of assistance in that country. Of that total, $25,000 will be used for workshop rehabilitation, $400,000 for housing loans, $200,000 for additional lending capital and $15,000 for road repairs. Providing disaster assistance isn't usual for MEDA, which focuses primarilyon microcredit, marketing and business and technical training programs for entrepreneurs in the developing world. "But the needs of our clients are so great, we have to help," Sauder says. "Some people are left only with their
bare hands - everything is gone."
Until the storm hit that country, Nicaragua was one of the model success stories for MEDA. Two former MEDA programs - CHISPA, a microenterprise assistance program, and PROARTE, a marketing agency for artisans - had "graduated" to become independent businesses and begun operating on their own. In fact, PROARTE had secured a contract with Pier One Imports for $70,000 of pottery, its second contract with that large North American crafts retailer. But the storm destroyed 12 workshops, as well as ceramics which were ready to be shipped. About 40 arti-
Continued next page
Aid in the aftermath,
sans lost their houses. Also, 100 CHI SPA clients lost everything.
MEDA will also be helping farmers in its PRODUMER program, which helps them market their crops. Crops which survived the storm are ready for harvest; the agency will assist with road reconstruction to help them get the produce to market.
MEDA's Reconstruction Fund got a boost at the agency's annual convention in Dallas November 12-15 when participants raised $35,000 to help hurricane victims.
People who want to support MEDA's long-term reconstruction efforts can send donations to MEDA Nicaragua Reconstruction, 302-280 Smith St. Winnipeg, MB R3C lK2 or 1821 Oregon Pike, Ste. 201, Lancaster, PA 17601. - MEDA
MCC to host work teams in Central America
ByMID-DECEMBER, Mennonite Central Committee partners in Honduras were ready to receive work teams from the United States and Canada to help with relief and clean-up efforts needed after Hurricane Mitch. MCC expects to host the work teams over the next six to 12 months.
MCC country corepresentative Ed Stamm Miller notes that the first teams will be "mud and muck" teams. "People volunteering for these teams should be strong and capable of a full day of hard, physical work," he says. Health teams with nurses, doctors and public health workers would also travel soon. In several months, MCC expects to place construction teams to do cement work at health clinics, public schools and church preschools.
MCC expects work teams to pay their own air fares and in-country costs of about $350 per person. This fee also helps cover costs for the Central American members of the work teams. Work team participants will also be asked to cover their own medical costs and insurance. Churches sending teams can provide funds for those who need assistance. Preference will be given to teams that come from one or two congregations and include one or more members who know Spanish well. To explore possibilities for a congregational work team, contact MCC at (717) 859-1151.
Former MB pastoral couple to coordinate West Coast MCC office
"OUR FIRST WEEK was orientation. It was quiet and peaceful," says Bob Buxman. "The second week the phone started ringing."
It was Hurricane Mitch calling. Mitch furiously roared through the Caribbean basin in early Novemberabout the same time Barb and Bob Buxman arrived in Reeeley, Calif., for their new jobs as codirectors for West Coast Mennonite Central Committee. Little did Barb and Bob expect that this storm, which brought devastation to their most recent home country, Nicaragua, would be the first challenge they'd face as codirectors.
Barb, 52, and Bob, 53, worked as country corepresentatives in Costa Rica and Nicaragua from 1992 to 1998. Prior to their MCC service Barb worked in accounting at the Dallas Care Center in Dallas and Bob pastored the Dallas Mennonite Brethren Church in Dallas, Ore., from 1978 to 1992.
"This second week on the job was supposed to be our orientation time, but that got put on hold by Mitch," says Bob. As MCC's response to Hurricane Mitch kicked into high gear, the Buxmans were thrown into the mix immediately.
"Their combination of practical experience and leadership abilities
Former MB pasto'raJ couple Barb and Bob Buxman recently took a new job with MCC. The former country corepresentatives in Costa Rica and Nicaragua are now codirectors of West Coast MCC.
has served them well," says Steve Penner, MCC U.S. interim executive director. The West Coast MCC office is one of four regional offices organized under MCC U.S. "Barb and Bob will bring many strengths to the West Coast director position. They know the West Coast well, having lived in these parts for many years. It's also a great plus, especially now, that they speak Spanish. Right now, with their link to Nicaragua, there are no better people for MCC to have here."
Leaving their post as country representatives in Nicaragua, after serving six years in Central America, the Buxmans are now elbow deep pulling together
material and financial resources for the people in that country.
"I must admit," says Bob, "at first we felt guilty for leaving, like we had abandoned our friends and partners. Sometimes I read the news and find myself crying. Yet, it's been good to be here, knowing that we are very much a part of the picture with West Coast MCC."
Barb agrees. "We consider it a gift to be here and continue working with MCC. Specifically, it's an honor to serve with West Coast MCC and its diverse constituency. It's also good to return to the region where we were born, grew up, farmed, pastored and raised our children."
"It was wonderful working with Barb and Bob," says Linda Shelly, director of Latin America and Caribbean programs. "The Buxmans were appreciated by both Nicaraguan and Costa Rican partners and the MCC team there for their strong relational skills and ability to understand the challenges, struggles and celebrations of others. They will enjoy getting to know MCC's diverse constituency in this region, and they will be able to help broaden understandings and make connections among people." -John M. Spidaliere, MCC Communications
Kingwood Bible Church: Committed to Renewal and Growth
Kingwood Bible Church in Salem, Oregon is one of many Mennonite Brethren Churches throughout the United States which is seeking renewal, church health and growth. Kingwood is an established church of the Pacific District located in the Northwest part of our nation. The church's desire to grow is evident in its mission statement: "We want to have a great Commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission that will grow a great Church." Their vision is to be actively involved in helping people find their place in this world.
After receiving training their group has begun this fall with a discipleship/outreach emphasis. We anticipate the development of more small groups later.
"We have addressed the evangelism factor in several ways. We invited the trainer from the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association to come help us with relational evangelism. We had around 50 adults participating, and many felt better equipped to relate to the unchurched in their life circles. As a followup, we take one Sunday a month to pray for the unchurched on our prayer lists. We are
Kingwood Core Values
Kingwood recently partnered with Mission USA in Mission Analysis, a self-study on church health and effectiveness. Following this experience, Pastor Gordon Bergman states that, "We committed to the Mission Analysis process and assessment in 1997. We were encouraged to see our strengths in areas of Visionary Leadership and Celebrative Worship. The two lowest factors at Kingwood were Relational Evangelism and Small Groups. The challenge ahead is great, but we are encouraged as God is beginning to broaden us in these areas.
1. We believe that cultivating a love relationship with Jesus Christ is our highest priority.
2. We believe that lost people matter to God, and therefore should matter to us.
3. We believe every Christian should be nurtured in their faith toward full devotion to Christ.
4. We believe our worship should reflect God's heart for ongoing renewal and relevance.
5. We believe every Christian is called and gifted to minister and should be released to do so.
6. We believe that building relationships is indispensable to spiritual formation and growth.
7. We believe the church should be culturally relevant while remaining doctrinally pure.
"We began to tackle small groups first. The Elders began to pray and develop parameters for Kingwood's small group ministry. A couple soon emerged whose hearts were being stirred to lead a group.
MISSION USA BOARD:
Ed Boschman, Phoenix, AI.., Loretto Jost, Aurora, NE
Chuck Buller, V'lSOha, CA. Brad Klassen, Glendale, AI.
Karin EnIlS, Dinuba, CA
Phd Glanzer, New Hope, MN
Joe Johns, Weatherford, OK
Nanty Loverty, Jones, OK
Stephen Reimer, Shaher, CA
Randy Steinert, Bakersfield, CA
inviting people who are growing in this area to share their testimonies, as an encouragement to the congregation. Kingwood is also continuing its pattern of scheduling quarterly Friend Day/Seeker Sundays as outreach days to friends and neighbors.
For more information on Mission USA programs in your district, please contact your District Minister. For information on Mission Analysis, churches may contact Ed Boschman, Mission USA Executive Director, at 20165 N. 67th Ave., Suite 120, Glendale, AZ 85308.
TIm Sullivan, Hilkboro, KS
Gary Wall, Lodi, CA
Ex Offido Members: Henry Dick, Fresno, CA.
Ointon Grenz, Bismark, N.D.
Bruce Porter, Fresno, CA
Roland Reimer, WIChita, KS. dint Seibel, Hilkboro, KS
Jim Westgate, Fresno, CA
IN BRIEF
RECOGNIZED: Members of the Anabaptist Curriculum Publishing Council recognized Rosella Wiens Regier for her work in leading the Jubilee: God's Good News children's curriculum project for the past eight years. Wiens Regier is retiring at the end of this month. Jubilee is published by six denominations including the Mennonite Brethren. Publishing Council members include Michael Dick, representing the General Conference Board of Resource Ministries, and Marilyn Hudson, representing Kindred Productions. (BRM)
WINNERS: When members of Heritage Bible Church in Bakersfield, Calif., entered a float in the city's centennial parade Dec. 3, they had no idea their unbudgeted, backyardbuilt, last-minute entry would bring home the four-foot Sweepstakes Award trophy, beating out other expensive, professionally built entries. The float copied the famous yellow arch leading into the city and added the message, "Bakersfield -A century of blessings." Kids dressed as angels "stood" at the ends of the arch.
CALL TO PRAYER: Conflict over homosexuality and membership in the new Mennonite Church dissolved into a prayerful search for the Holy Spirit's leading as a proposal for a consultation on the issue was approved by the General Boards of the three integrating bodies at their November meetings in Winnipeg. The consultation, projected for March 1999, may be the last hope for addressing disagreements that have threatened to slow or even derail integration of the General Conference Mennonite Church, the Mennonite Church and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada. The tensions over church membership ran throughout the meetings - the first joint gatherings of the GC, MC and CMC General Boards - but were defused at caucuses of the U.S. members on the GCMC and MC boards and of the Canadian board members. (MWR)
MBBS announces recipients of Multi-Cultural and Janz scholarships
• The two scholarships are intended to encourage career ministry in ethnic and global outreach enterprises
MB BIBLICAL Seminary recently established by the Janz family in 1997, awarded its Multi-Cultural Lead- as part of a larger estate gift to MB Misership Scholarship and the Helen Janz sions/Services International. Helen Memorial Mission Scholarship. Janz exhibited a lifelong commitment
The recipients of the Multi-Cultural to serve people as a registered nurse, Leadership Scholarship were Maribel to be involved in local church minRamirez and Charles Meux, both of istries, and to generously support globFresno, and the recipients of the Janz al missions.
Scholarship were Jeanine Janzen of St. One scholarship per year is given to Catharines, Ontario, and Joao Valter a Canadian student who is focusing on Pereira of Brazil. preparation for global missions, and
The Multi-Cultural scholarship was another is given to an international stuestablished to further MBBS awareness dent who plans to return to his or her and commitment to leadership training home country to serve the Mennonite in an increasingly culturally diverse Brethren church. context in Fresno.
Janzen is a member of the
The recipients must be involved in Grantham MB Church in St. Cathaleadership in a church, mission or rines, but in Fresno lives in the inner Christian organization, and their city and is on staff with World Impact, future plans should include ministry Inc. in an ethnic-specific or cross-cultural Janzen is the mission representative setting. for the Seminary's Student Council.
Ramirez was born in Mexico and She invested much of 1997 traveling moved to California with her family worldwide with a music and ministry when she was five. She has a bachelor's team from the Congo, and last summer degree in psychology from Fresno gave leadership to a Youth Mission Pacific University and is enrolled in International team in India. She is MBBS' Marriage, Family and Child working toward a Master of Divinity Counseling program. She is a member of the Mennonite Brethren church in Orange Cove, where she has taught Sunday School, directed a children's choir and been a worship team member.
Ramirez has been involved in outreach ministries through music, drama and translation work. She is currently a bilingual Spanish Residential Services Counselor at the Marjaree Mason Center, providing crisis intervention, case management, supportive services and supportive counseling to battered women.
Meux is a Master of Divinity student at MBBS who until recently was director of the House of Worship Project for the Fresno Leadership Foundation.
He has a bachelor's in business administration, and has served various churches as a trustee, assistant pastor and pastor.
The Helen Janz Scholarship was
Westwood
Senior Pastor Community Church
Winnipeg, Manitoba invites applications for the position of
" Mission Statement: Planted and growing in our community through biblical teaching, inspiring worship, relevant outreach and loving community.
" Ministry experience essential.
" Average attendance for Sunday worship is 240.
Interested candidates may send resumes to: Search Committee
401 Westwood Dr. Winnipeg, Man. R3K 1G4
Fax: 204·888·1787
E-mail: westwood@poboxes.com
degree in Christian Community Development.
Pereira and his wife Maria have two children, Valter and Felipe, and are from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where ]oao was a pastor in an MB church. He is pursuing Master of Arts degrees in Old Testament and New Testament, and plans to graduate in December, 1999. Maria is pursuing a bachelor of arts degree at Fresno Pacific University. - MEBS
• DEATHS
BERG, HULDA, Reedley, Calif., was born April 18, 1903, to Daniel and Elizabeth Eitzen Berg in Fairview, Okla., and died Nov. 27, 1998, at the age of 95. On July 1, 1939, she was married to Arnold Berg, who predeceased her in 1983. She is survived by one son, Jack; one sister, Mary Wiens, and two brothers, Jake and Bill.
DOANE, EMMETT CECIL, Fairview, Okla., of Fairview MB Church, was born April 13, 1914, in Beaver, Okla., to George and Nora Husted Doane and died Nov. 29, 1998, at the age of 84. On Aug. 1, 1937, he was married to Edna Martens, who survives. He is also survived by one brother, Clifford of Okmulgee, Okla., and one sister, Vera Anderson of Branson, Kan.
ENSZ, ROY, Inman, Kan., a member of Zoar MB Church of Inman, was born April 24, 1928, to G.D. and Lena Klaassen Ensz in McPherson County and died Nov. 27, 1998, at the age of 70. On April 22, 1949, he was married to Luella Thiessen, who
survives. He is also survived by one daughter, Jodi and husband Don Macklin of Bartlesville, Okla.; two sons, Rick and Ron, both of Inman; two brothers, Arnold of Whitewater, Kan., and Elmer of Inman; three sisters, Marie Jost of Hillsboro, Kan., Ruth Jost of Newton, Kan., and Irene Sullivan of Oak Ridge, Tenn., and five grandchildren.
FORGEY, HOWARD, Gettysburg, S.D., was born Oct. 13, 1921, to Lon and Alta Evans Forgey at Mobridge, S.D., and died Nov. 1, 1998, at the age of 77. On Sept. 28, 1943, he was married to Berry Carr, who survives. He is also survived by six children, Sandra and husband Rick Bartels of Gettysburg, S.D., Wayne and wife JaDene of Algona, Iowa, Dan and wife Cindi of Gettysburg, Mark and wife Patty of Bremerton, Wash., Rick and Julie of Gettysburg and Jeff and wife Sandy of San Diego, Calif.; five brothers and sisters, Jewell Brown of Onida, Bob of Keystone, S.D., Ella Maye Hankins of Olympia, Wash., Beverly Merrill of Piedmont, S.D., and Ken of Redfield, S.D.; 19 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
HODEL, HELEN K., Madera, Calif., of Bethany MB Church in Fresno, Calif., was born Nov. 28, 1899, to Peter and Wilhel· mena Loewen Klassen in Goldberg, Russia, and died Nov. 14, 1998, at the age of 98. On Nov. 30, 1919, she was married to Abraham M. Hodel, who predeceased her in 1963. She is survived by one son, Edwin of Grover Beach, Calif.; two daughters, Erma Blanton of Porterville, Calif., and Annie Ruth Jamison of Fresno; one broth· er, John Klassen; one sister, Selma Schmidt; 13 grandchildren, 26 great-
SPECTACULAR SCANDINAVIA
June 14 ... 28, 1999
- wild fjords - rocky coastlines - green, fertile pastures - majestic mountains - endless summer nights - old world charm - gentle people - a cruise and more
Call TODAY for a brochure. Ask about our Oberammergau 2000 tours.
IN BRIEF
WEB SITE: Prayer requests, news, and information about Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches around the world are now available on a new Mennonite World Conference Web site: http://www.mwccmm.org. One important part of the Web site will be an international prayer exchange, a ministry of the Global Anabaptist Peace and Justice Network. It is intended to establish a worldwide network of information and support, and to "help Anabaptist churches encourage each other and pray for peace." "We want the site to be more than an electronic brochure for MWC," said Larry Miller, MWC executive secretary. "We hope it can become a meeting place for churches around the world." 1011
PA 18960
SUPPORT: Mesach Krisetya, chair of the United Muria Christian Church in Indonesia and Mennonite World Conference president, spoke about the importance of the World Wide Web at a recent conference on Unity and Mission with Suffering Churches. "In Indonesia, our fears of persecution are shrinking as a result of the growing sense of community made possible by technology. When our persecution has been at the greatest, we reach out through Email and within minutes we are receiving support that encourages and reminds us that we are part of a larger family that cares." (MWC)
RELIEF: What would cause college students to give up sleeping in on a Saturday morning and choose to work in muddy, stinky environments for no pay? Nothing less than the Great Flood of 1998. In early November, ten Tabor students traveled to Elmdale, Kan., a town badly hit by recent flooding. They joined in flood cleanup led by Kansas Mennonite Disaster Service volunteers The students worked for several hours in residential areas doing everything from tearing up saturated carpet to carrying out soaked furniture, collectibles and other possessions from the houses of the flood victims. (TC)
Cathill Road Sellersville.
grandchildren, and 26 great-great-grandchildren.
ISAAC, ABRAHAM FRANK, Shafter, Calif., a member of the Shafter MB Church, Shafter, was born July 6, 1906, to Kornelius and Aganetha Penner Isaak at Alexanderpole, Russia, and died Nov. 5, 1998, at the age of 92. On June 30, 1929, he was married to Susie Siemens, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, Vernon and wife Laura of
is accepting applications for
FIELD REPRESENTATIVE
This full-time position is responsible for our activity on the West Coast and would be based in Central California.
DUTIES:
To encourage and assist Christians throughout the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in faithful stewardship. Specific responsibilities include stewardship education, individual counseling, planned giving, charitable estate planning and Foundation-related activity.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to communicate
• Aptitude for detail work
• Willingness to learn
• Christian com' t and desire to promote t work 0 nite Brethren
Shafter, Calif., and Donald and wife Constance of Hillsboro, Kan.; a daughter, Betty and husband Lowell Bergman of Shafter, seven grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
ISAAC, VELMA LOUISE, Fresno, Calif., was born Jan. 17, 1921 in Reedley, Calif., and died Nov. 17, 1998, at the age of 77. On Dec. 30, 1937, she was married to Arthur Graves. She is survived by three daughters, Barbara Short of Coarsegold, Calif., Linda Miranda and Kathy Rouit, both of Clovis; four sons-in-law, Tim Short, Eddie Miranda, Dan Rouit, Richard English; daughter-in-law Imogene English, 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
KROEKER, SUSAN FRIESEN, Reedley, Calif., active in the El Faro MB Church in Reedley, was born Feb. 27, 1908, and died Nov. 17, 1998, at the age of 90. On August 23, 1959, she was married to George Kroeker. She is survived by her nieces and nephews and their families.
LOEWEN, HENRY, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Parkview MB Church, Hillsboro, was born Sept. 3, 1926, to Henry and Elizabeth Loewen at Saratov, Siberia, Russia, and died Nov. 14, 1998, at the age of 72. On June 5, 1950, he was married to Anna Kliewer, who survives. He is also survived by two daughters, Susan and hus-
Westwood
MB Church
Prince George, Be invites applications for Associate Pastor - Adult Ministries
Westwood is a growing, vibrant church, with a Sunday morning attendance averaging approximately 700. We are seeking a full-time staff member with both relational and administrative abilities to maintain and lead our adult ministry program. Since the emphasis of the job will be assimilation, spiritual growth and pastoral care through small groups, demonstrated ability in discipling and equipping adults for leadership is essential. We are looking for an individual with significant ministry experience and the desire and ability to work on a multiple-staff team.
Prior to submitting a resume, please call for a job description and information package:
Pastor Mel Fehr
250-562-3711 or 250-964-3407
Fax: 250-562-1012
email: mel@westwoodchurch.bc.ca
Westwood Is associated with the
band Dave Froese and Ruthanne and husband Mark Willems; five sons, Ron and wife Barbara, Dave and wife Joanne, Nathan and wife Rosette, Loren and wife Nolly and Jonathan and wife Diane; four sisters, Betty Born, Elma Hamm, Mary Loewen and Ruth Harder; five brothers, Tony, David, Ike, Danny and Gordon, and 26 grandchildren.
PAULS, MARIE THIESSEN, Inman, Kan., a member of the Zoar MB Church, Inman, was born May 30, 1897, to Peter and Katherine Wipf Thiessen at Inman, and died Nov. 12, 1998, at the age of 101. On June 15, 1916, she was married to John E. Pauls, who predeceased her in 1992. She is survived by two daughters, Viola and husband Harry and Marian and husband Raymond; a son, Harold and wife Shirley; 14 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren.
RUPP, ELSIE DARLENE, Gettysburg, S.D., a missionary among Native American people for 41 years, was born April 19, 1908, to Edward and Marie Hubin Rupp at Butterfield, Minn., and died Nov. 18, 1998, at the age of 90. She is survived by three brothers, Walter of Salem, Ore., Herbert of Eugene, Ore., and Raymond of Clarkfield, Minn.; and three sisters, Linda of Mountain Lake, Minn., Anna Constable of Boone, Iowa, and Kathy Young of Bear, Del.
WIEBE, LUELlA, Ferndale, Wash., a charter member of Birch Bay Bible Community Church in Blaine, Wash., was born Sept. 14, 1918, to John and Nettie Kunkel Goossen at Poplar, Mont., and died Nov. 30, 1998, at the age of 80. On Feb. 9, 1947, she was married to Walter Wiebe, who survives. She is also survived by two sons, Lee and wife Jan and Bill and wife Nancy, all of Ferndale, Wash.; one daughter, Janice and Ben Norton of Beirut, Lebanon; three sisters, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
WILLEMS, DAVID H., Inman, Kan., a member of Zoar MB Church in Inman, was born Aug. 16, 1911 to Henry and Elizabeth Klassen Willems near Inman, Kan., and died Dec. 1, 1998, at the age of 87. On Aug. 2, 1936, he was married to Lydia Keihn, who predeceased him. He is survived by three sons, Don and wife Lucene of Inman, Noel and wife Sarah of Columbia, Tenn., and Paul and wife Carol of Percadero, Calif., one brother, Ben, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
NOTE: Would the individual who submitted information about Scott Jacob Jost please contact the Midwest Leader office. •
A GUIDE FOR GROUP INTERACTION
SESSION 1: Working through conflict
Based on "Agreeing and disagreeing in love," page 12.
GET READY - Getting started
• When are you most likely to want to deal with conflict?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. Individually or as a group, identify or create a situation in which conflict resolution is needed.
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1. Apply the suggestions and Scriptures given for thought, action and life to the situation you have identified. Identify specific ways in which they could be implemented and what might happen if they are not. Refer also to Fendall's article, "Making peace the Bible's way" for additional ideas.
2. According to your understanding of Scripture and personal experience, what are the best and worst ways to deal with conflict?
3. What can one do if the "other side" does not want to work toward resolution?
SESSION 2: Going to the courts
Based on "Taking the law into our hands, " page 7.
GET READY - Getting started
• Do you think "Christian lawyer" is an oxymoron?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. What examples are given of times when Scripture suggests that use of the legal system is appropriate?
2. What role does the church have in dealing with disputes, according to the author?
3. How can disputes be prevented?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1. Can you identify a conflict in which your congregation ought to get involved?
2. When should churches not get involved with conflicts?
3. How can you personally help resolve disputes in your home, work place or church?
SESSION 3: Peace in our time
Based on "A peace theology for our time," page 10.
GET READY - Getting started
• What have you experienced or observed this week that supports the idea that "conflict is a way of life"?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. What factors are necessary in order for there to be potential for conflict?
2. Do you agree or disagree that "in a world of accelerated cultural changes, conflict multiplies"?
3. How can conflict bring both danger and opportunity?
4. What are the dangers of avoiding conflict?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1. How can congregations emphasize peace theology even if war is not uppermost in our minds or when we think violence and conflict do not affect us personally?
2. What are key elements to your peace theology?
3. What do we have to want most in order to deal with conflict?
SESSION 4: Year of the Bible
Based on "Invest five minutes a day in the Word, " page 18.
GET READY - Getting started
• How many Bibles do you have in your home?
GET SET - Examining the issues
1. What is the ultimate goal of the 1999 Year of the Bible?
2. According to II Timothy 3:16, what is the purpose of Scripture?
3. In what ways does Scripture serve as a lamp and light in your life?
4. To what extent do you believe reading and meditating on Scripture is essential to life?
GO - Applying ideas to the way we live
1. How could your community,congregation, Sunday school class, small group, etc., be encouraged to read?
2. How do you plan to be enriched and empowered by Scripture in 1999?
Norman's ark
ONA SUNDAY evening a few months ago, I caught Disney's made for TV movie "Noah," a modern retelling of Noah's ark. Now, I'm skeptical when it comes to Hollywood's rewrites of biblical stories. They always seem to miss the point. I didn't see every minute of "Noah" (being a new mom, I can't seem to watch a movie all the way through anymore), but what I did see caught my attention.
Zac, a well-intentioned pencil-pushing angel, tells Norman Waters to build an ark in the middle of a desert. Of course, Norman shares one of Noah's biggest travailseveryone thinks he's crazy. As he starts building the ark, his two youngest sons believe in him and come to his aid. But his oldest son and most everyone else question him. It doesn't help that he's a widower with heavy baggage and a corner-cutting contractor with less than perfect - even criminal - business practices.
Well, Norman is reformed as he builds the ark on a plot of desert called Jacob's Parcel, and - 10 and behold - it begins to rain. Hard. Hard enough that the dam above the town is about to break.
The well-meaning Zac stands in the rain outside the ark, clutching his rulebook. "We've got a problem," he tells Norman, pointing to a string of headlights approaching in the darkness. The townspeople are heading for the ark. Norman assures him that there's enough room for everyone in the ark. Zac shakes his head, holding on to the rulebook. "The ark is only for your family," he says worriedly.
ing, and he made room enough for everyone. I'm not sure Disney intended to make a movie that symbolized the salvation of Jesus. There was no real mention of Jesus or Christianity that I heard. But the point is there just the same. Jesus opened salvation up to everyone.
Just as Norman claimed those who came to the ark as his family, we also claim as family those who accept Christ. We don't stand alone. We are joined by our salvation in Christ and by the Spirit.
Also like Norman, we can not escape conflict within our family. Living in his community, Norman was bound to come into conflict with others, but he still reached outwhether they had hurt him or he had hurt them. As a community of believers, we also will disagree and hurt one another, but we must seek peace.
When we live as peacemakers, we ... are witnesses, shining like lights that lead to an ark in the middle of the desert in the
pouring rain
Norman looks around at the townspeople huddling in the rain, the ones who called him crazy. "I understand," Norman says. Then Norman yells for everyone to get on board.
Zac is beside himself, clutching the rulebook and repeating that the ark is only for Norman's family. Norman looks at him and says resolutely, "This is my family."
The townspeople scramble on board and morning finds the ark floating above the town. The dam had broken, but the townspeople were saved. The ark was big enough for everyone.
It dawned on me that this is what Jesus did. The "rulebook" no longer binds us. No longer is it only the Hebrews that God has chosen. Because of Jesus, the proverbial ark is for anyone who chooses to get on board and be saved - for anyone who chooses to accept Jesus as Savior. Jesus is wait-
God calls us to live as a peaceful family. We must "bear with one another, and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another - forgive as the Lord forgave you." He tells us we must seek peace between ourselves. "As members of one body, you were called to peace." (Col. 3:13, 15). We are called to live in a community reconciled to one another and God.
Peace is active, not static. It takes constant work. We must faithfully bear with each other, forgive one another - that's labor in my book. Making peace also brings pain. Many times, making peace entails sacrifice and submission to the family of God.
That goes against my grain. I want to be independent. I want to do things my way. I want to hold a grudge or write off a relationship when someone hurts me - or when I've hurt someone. That's a lot easier than dealing with the turmoil and pain. But being in relationship with my brothers and sisters is more important than my pride or self-interest. I need only look at Jesus. He gave up his place in heaven to be in relationship with me. What then does that call me to do for my relationships with my brothers and sisters - and for those who watch me from outside our ark, as the floodwaters rise?
When we live as peacemakers, we shine like beacons. We are witnesses, shining like lights that lead to an ark in the middle of the desert in the pouring rain. There Jesus stands, his arms stretched out, saying there is room for all.-CA
