MB Biblical Seminary takes on the challenge of changing times.
PAGE 19
HowMANY TIMES have we been told by leaders and missions folks that the future of the church is in the urban centers of our nation? The accompanying, though largely unspoken, message is that small-town congregations, especially those with memberships under 100, are all but irrelevant.
Bunk. At least partly so. If Mennonite Brethren are to reach the masses, we must embrace our urban centers. But small-town, small churches have a valuable ministry too. Ron Klassen and John Koessler say small churches actually have strengths. Their case begins on page 4.
Weary of the "worship war" raging in too many of our congregations over the singing of hymns or choruses?
Beginning on page 7, Steven R. Toews offers insights that both sides should consider about the function of "repetition" in worship. Maybe we have common ground after all.
Jesus said that a mark of the end times would be rumors of war. He didn't say there'd be rumors-false ones-among Christians about almost everything else too, but there are. "Holy Hoaxes," which begins on page 11, aims to dispel some of the most ridiculous and persistent ones. For the sake of Christian integrity, let's do our part to put some of this nonsense to rest.
With the insights of our regular columnists, we believe this issue makes for some pretty good summertime reading. Now, that's one rumor you can freely pass along.-DR FIRST WORDS
COMING
• JULY 22-26-Basic Institute in Conflict Management and Mediation, sponsored by the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies; held at Fresno Pacific College .
• JULY 26-29-U.S. Conference biennial convention; Colorado Springs, Colo.
• SEPTEMBER 26-28-General Conference consultation and Council of Boards; site to be announced.
• NOVEMBER 8-9-Pacific District annual convention; hosted by Laurelglen Bible Church, Bakersfield, Calif.
• JULY 10-12, 1997-General Conference convention, Waterloo,Ont.
QUOTABLE
((Faith is not an amalgram of all the bits and pieces of (religion' that are deposited in the delta of the soul..... Christian faith is choice and service-choosing Christ as Savior and serving him as Lord. "-EUGENE H PETERSON, IN PRAYING WITH JESUS
by RON KLASSEN and JOHN KOESSLER
e too , can eauti u rna
Small, rural churches sometimes feel inferior to their large, suburban counterparts. But there are some things small churches can do better.
AVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY PICTURES OF little country churches often grace Christfilas cards, but filegachurch facilities never do? Or "Why it's such a high cOfilplifilent for SOfileone visiting a big suburban church to say, "This feels like a sfilall church"? Yes, there is sOfilething special about the sfilall-to"Wn church.
Why then do so many small-town churches feel inferior to larger churches in cities and suburbs? That's easy to answer. It's because big churches can do so much more. After all, what small church can put together a mass choir? How many small churches can hire a youth pastor, a children's director, a director of senior adult ministries, or a full-time minister of music?
Both of us, as pastors of small-town churches, have at times tried to imitate larger suburban churches. The result? Our churches didn't feel like big churches, and in the process of imitating someone else, we lost some of what makes the small-town church so special. We discovered there are some things big churches can do best and some things small churches can do best. For any church to be all it can be, it has to make the most of its strengths.
Big tractor, little tractor
Most farmers have at least two tractors, one large, one small. The big tractor is better for some jobs, the lit-
CHURCH LIFE
To some intimacy and involvement happen spontaneously in the small church, but a church can also intentionally build on these qualities.
lets people on the platform if they can sing well. The small church that follows that policy will seldom have special music. Plus, this flies in the face of maximizing involvement. In his book Real Worship, Warren Wiersbe describes the attitude called for in the small church: "If the players and singers are doing their best, and seeking to do better, then God accepts their 'sacrifices of praise' and so should we Whenever I am listening to a belowaverage presentation, I imagine my Lord receiving it and presenting it to the Father; and that changes my attitude completely."
• Special music by children. The small church should invite children to play instruments or sing, even though their music is less than per-
fect. Everyone forgives children when they make mistakes. Plus, parents will think, "If our family was in a large church, they would not let my daughter playa piano solo."
• Special music by families. Both of us have heard family music presentations that, though full of imperfections, connected powerfully with the audience. To the small church's credit, the congregation is more interested in giving people opportunities to participate than it is in judging those who participate.
• Congregational singing. The small church cannot have a mass choir, but neither can the large church sing around the piano. The informality of the small church can make congregational singing something truly special. Instead of always announcing a hymn then asking everyone to stand to sing it, sing several songs or choruses in a row. Choose the most singable songs, whatever your congregation sings best. Slides or an overhead projector get people to look up to sing rather than burying their heads in hymn books.
• Leading worship. Consider forming a worship team to share in leading worship. Encourage broad participation in all parts of the worship service such as Scripture reading, praying and taking the offering. Young people especially should be encouraged to take part. This is excellent training for future ministry.
• Sharing time. Small churches can easily include testimonies and sharing times in their services. In our impersonal world, people feel a deep need to have a place to share their experiences, yet such sharing is almost impossible in a largechurch worship service. In the small church, personal sharing in the service can lead to powerful ministry.
What's special about the small-town church is its two I's-intimacy and involvement. In a world where most people feel like faces in the crowd, many are longing for intimacy more than polished performance, for involvement more than spectator status, for small rather than big. By focusing on what it does best, the small church can be there for people who are hungering for a personal touch in an impersonal age.
• Ron Klassen,jormer pastor oj the Corn (MB) Church, is now general director oj the Rural Home Missionary Association in Morton, Ill. John Koessler teaches pastoral studies at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Their article is adapted with permissionjrom No Little Places: The Untapped Potential of the Small-Town Church (Baker 1996).
IN WORSHIP SINGI G OR
by STEVEN R. TOEWS
EPETITION IN WORSHIP SINGING IS a battleground in nU1l1erous churches. S01l1e believers see repetition as 1l10notony. Others find hY1l1ns a different for every note totally distracting. SOOle believers enter the sanctuary priOled for ship, acc01l1plishing just that the first song. Others desire 15 1l1inutes of si1l1ple phrases just to get focused on the Lord. In their 1l1inds Olany services are over before they ever get started. What is it about repetition that stirs up such passion?
around the throne the angels and creatures are envisioned to be shouting day and night without stopping, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
God could have demolished the walls with one word. He could have called Samuel the first time. He could have made the first prophet irresistibly believable. He could have dispensed with the questions to Peter because he knew his heart anyway. But he didn't. Why? I believe it is because we must learn to listen. What pitifully slow learners we are.
It is on the fifth time around on the seventh day that the heart softens. When in the darkness and silence you hear your name the third time, that's when your ears begin to hear. It is the sixth time under the murky water that tests the perseverance of humility.
Repetition is a necessity because the flesh is weak.
Of course God hears the first time. The question is: What does God want to hear? I believe it is the ascribing of worth to God from hearts that are broken and contrite. In worship, God is our audience and we are the performers. A key ingredient in worship is a spirit of brokenness. Brokenness comes only in travail because the weakness of the flesh is revealed in its very strength. It is hard, stubborn and self-centered.
Like Namaan we want to "do a great thing," as in sing a resounding hymn, and get on with it. Singing a chorus several times is humbling, which is precisely the point. God wants to know if we are listening-and we don't listen well the first time. Our minds are cluttered, our hearts are hard, and our priorities are jumbled. We are "so
Steps toward settling our 'worship wars'
WHAT CAN WE DO to bridge the differences that divide us about worship music?
1. Rethink what worship really is. Describe a worship service to a friend without using any of these words: Traditional, contemporary, hymns, choruses, overhead transparencies, hymnbooks, organ, guitar, worship team, song leader, repetition, mikes, experience.
2. Teach our children well. Promote singing in the home and in chifdren's choirs. Bring the beauty and power of hymns to life for children. Teach the fundamentals of music itself. After the sixth grade it's an uphill battle.
3. Accept those who have not been taught to sing. If you've been trained to sing in four-part harmony, you're outnumbered by those who haven't-so get used to it. Coercion won't work. Look for ways to teach
music appreciation and a biblical understanding of worship.
4. Listen to the voice of God in the chorus. Slowdown, humble yourself, surrender your pride, confess sin, commune with God. What is God saying? Is it your name, do you hear it? Could it be that God will say to you, "I am about to do something"? Is God asking if you are awake, alert? Do you see the things that grieve the heart of God? Is God asking if you love him? Is God leading you to say /lHoly, Holy, Holy" not because it's in the hymn but because it's in your heart?
5. Listen to the voice of God in the hymn. Read the hymns to become familiar with the words. Rejoice in the poetry of the past. Advance, humble yourself, surrender your pride. Appreciate the fact that God spoke mightily to saints of centuries past. What truth did
Luther or Wesley learn that is meant for you this day? If God could transfer you from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, could God not also place a hymn in your heart?
6. Pray for those who plan and lead worship. It is difficult to unite people when expectations differ. Pray that they will be filled with the Spirit of God, with skilJ, ability, and knowledge of artistic craftsmanship. Pray that they will design a worship service to the glory of God. A service where repetition neither lacks nor overpowers. A service where tears can flow from the depth of brokenness and the height of praise. A service where the mature saint and the infant believer can so worship that the sinner off the street wilt say, "What must I do to be saved!" -SRT
It fflay be that what has given rise to many new choruses is that the old hyfflns were no longer breaking through like they once did. New songs have always been part of revival.
well-adjusted to our culture that we fit into it without even thinking" (Rom. 12:2, The Message). Fixing our attention on God is no small task.
Many of us have grown up singing four-part hymns with effortless joy. The musical complexity is so familiar we can contemplate the inner life and sing at the same time. It is in most cases true worship. However, just as Israel could be far from God even with the tabernacle in its camp, so can we who have the great hymns. It may be that what has given rise to many new choruses is that the old hymns were no longer breaking through like they once did. New songs have always been part of revival.
Repetition
is a hindrance because the flesh is weak.
Repetition has its downside. While it may help bring us to a state of brokenness, it doesn't always lift us into joyous praise. Occasionally it results in mindless praise. Sometimes brokenness can be a pharisaical euphemism for laziness. I have participated in corporate worship that purposely emphasized repetition, choruses and simplicity. On occasion I sensed a lack of any unbounded, exuberant, poetic expression of joy. While we sang to the Lord I wasn't necessarily reassured that I stood on the "foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ]esus himself as the chief cornerstone." In the quest for "meaningful" worship we sometimes reject, to our detriment, the great hymns with powerful words, musical excellence and a pull toward the transcendent.
In today's secular culture most people are not taught to sing. What they do learn is heavily influenced by popular culture. Unfortunately, many people are content to let music settle to
the lowest common denominator. It is a delicate issue as to when the exhortation to stretch and grow in worship music becomes a new form of condemnation for those who come from a musically barren past. We must have divine guidance to walk this tightrope of reality in the '90s.
Repetition: Let's use it for the glory of God.
Many politicians conveniently jumped on the word "militia" in response to the Oklahoma City bombing. Underlying causes remain buried while sound-bite cliches dominate the debate. Likewise, many worshipers jump on the word "repetition." It is a convenient peg on which to hang our discomfort. On the one hand, we are discomforted by a rapidly changing world, new converts, new songs, boomers, busters, and trends that bypass denominational channels. On the other hand, our discomfort is with the slow pace of change in the church, saints who know that worship didn't start in 1970, old songs and denominational responsibility. Furthermore, there may be discomfort with the fact that the changeless God finds his praise among all tribes, all languages, all peoples, all nations. Like it or not, diversity is seeping into every community. It is embodied in the pew where you sit.
God is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Eph. 3:18-21). He supplies the power to "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. " We are to reach for this "together with all the saints throughout all generations." God offers to us a filling "to the measure of all the fullness of God. " No chorus, no hymn, no worship style will encompass all of that!
If we are serious about evangelism, then repetition in worship is a topic that won't go away anytime soon. Let us throw off the labels. Whatever side of this issue we are on there is the tendency to think we have the whole loaf. But let us remember that if unbelief accompanies the loaf then the Lord will find praise among those who are content with crumbs. May our attitude in worship be such that the Lord need not go elsewhere to find faith.
•
Steven R. Toews is pastor of the Hesston (Kan) MB Church.
RUMORS
Some falsehoods and legends circulating within the Christian community refuse to die-and our credibility suffers as a result
HESE ARE TRYING TIMES
FOR the church-if you believe everything you read. According to fliers circulating through the Christian c01TI1TIunity in recent years, the church is under attack as never before:
• Famed atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair is petitioning the federal government to ban all religious broadcasting.
• The head of Procter & Gamble is appearing on talk shows to admit his company's ties with the Church of Satan.
• An Illinois company is making a movie about "the sex life of Christ. "
These stories are shocking, outrageous-and completely false. They are examples of hoaxes which continue to circulate in the church, even though there is no credible evidence to support them. Despite efforts by responsible church leaders to expose these stories for the lies that they are, the rumors have taken on a life of their own and refuse to die.
That FCC petition
The best-known example of this kind of hoax is the nonexistent Madalyn Murray 0' Hair petition to ban all religious broadcasting.
You've probably been exposed to this hoax through its most common form: a photocopied petition, warning
"Madalyn Murray O'Hair, an atheist whose efforts successfully eliminated the use of Bible reading and prayer from all public schools 15 years ago, has been granted a federal hearing in Washington, D.C The petition, R.H. 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel on the air waves of America."
The often photocopied form says that one million signed petitions are needed, and "That this should defeat Mrs. O'Hair and show that there are many Christians alive and well and concerned in our country."
Readers are urged to sign and mail an attached form to the FCC, and to make 10 copies of the flier to give to friends and relatives.
The hoax has generated enough response that the FCC has "religious petition" as one of the options you can select with your Touch-Tone phone when calling the agency's consumer switchboard. That triggers a recorded message declaring that the "rumors are absolutely false." The agency has received more than 30 million pieces of mail on the subject, and has worked to advise the public that the rumor is not true.
FCC spokesperson Maureen Peratino says that despite repeated efforts to kill the rumor, it remains alive and well. "It holds steady," she says. "We receive a
couple million pieces of mail each year. We don't see any let up in the phone calls either. Our consumer assistance office handles anywhere from 200 to 300 phone calls a month on this."
Not only isn't there a petition to ban religious broadcasting, but no such petition would have a chance of succeeding, says Peratino. "Under the First Amendment, the commission does not involve itself in the programming content of radio and television stations .... There's nothing under the First Amendment or in the Communications Act that would allow the commission to ban any particular type of programming."
A kernel of truth
Like many rumors, the FCC hoax has a tiny kernel of truth. Once upon a time, there really was an FCC petition #2493. Presented to the FCC in December 1974, the petition by California men Jeremy Lansman and Lorenzo Milam, asked the FCC to temporarily freeze the awarding of TV and FM channels to religious and government institutions while it studied whether existing noncommercial stations were fulfilling their obligations to broadcast truly educational programming.
HWe receive a couple million pieces of mail each year. We don't see any letup in the phone calls either. Our consumer assistance office handles anywhere from 200 to 300 phone calls a month on this. H
-MAUREEN PERATINO, FCC SPOKESPERSON
Their petition was denied nine months later. Richard Wiley, now a Washington, D.C., attorney whose clients include the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), was chairman of the FCC when the petition was submitted. "We dismissed it while I was chairman of the FCC. There's never been anything since then. There was never any truth to this, and I don't think the current commission would see religion as not being part of the public interest, which would be the issue. That's the way we saw it when I was there, and I wouldn't expect the current commission to see it differently."
The current FCC rumor may have roots that stretch back farther than the Lansman-Milam petition, according to Bob and Gretchen Passantino, cult research experts who direct the Californiabased Answers in Action. "The rumor has gone through an evolution," says Gretchen. "It started out much earlier as a [rumored] petition by Madalyn
Murray O'Hair to ban any astronauts from taking the Bible on space flights, or from saying religious things on space flights. It's kind of metamorphosed into the FCC thing."
The mail is likely to continue, according to Jan Harold Brunvand, a professor of English at the University of Utah and one of America's leading folklorists. Brunvand, author of The Vanishing Hitchhiker and other collections of urban legends, says, "I don't think it's going to die out or ever be debunked successfully. No matter how hard we try to debunk it, there will be people who haven't seen it and will help spread the rumor the next time around. These things are photocopied and can lie around in somebody's drawer for years and then be brought out again and posted on a bulletin board. The fact that it has a coupon and a petition number and address makes it seem real."
The phantom itlm
Another rumor driven by a photocopied sheet with shelf life involves an alleged film being made about the sex life of Christ. The photocopied flyer, which resurfaces from time to time, claims that an organization known as "Modern People News" is planning to produce a film about the "sexual life of Jesus Christ." The flyer claims that Christ will be portrayed as a homosexual, and the part of Mary Magdalene will be played by a notorious French prostitute. Concerned Christians are asked to "do everything possible to halt production of this film."
Halting the film should be easy, since there's no such film being made.
The roots of this rumor can be traced to November 1977, when Modern People, a weekly magazine then based in Franklin Park, Ill., published an article claiming that a group of European filmmakers planned to make a film depicting Christ as a bisexual.
In a later article, the magazine reported that the producers had given up on the film. But in 1980, a letter began to be circulated claiming that such a film was being made by a group called Modern People News. A year later, the office of the Illinois attorney general had received more than 40,000 let-
RUMORS
ters opposing the film-most of them photocopies of the anonymous letter.
Procter & Gamble
The third of the "big three" rumors making the rounds in Christendom involves Procter & Gamble. In this rumor, the president of the company is falsely alleged to have appeared on Phil Donahue's talk show and admitted that his company gives its profits to the Church of Satan, and that its familiar "moon and stars" logo is a satanic symbol. Variations have had the president of McDonald's appearing on "The Tonight Show" and Liz Claiborne appearing on "Oprah" to make similar admissions about their corporate ties to satanism.
In reality, the president of Procter & Gamble has never appeared on any talk show to discuss satanism. Donahue once tried to get him to appear to debunk the rumor, but the company determined that being able to say he had never been on was more effective. The company has successfully filed lawsuits over the years against a number of people who were intentionally spreading this rumor-some of whom were multilevel marketing businesspeople selling products which compete with Procter & Gamble brands.
Hoaxes, hoaxes everywhere
The "big three" hoaxes account for most of the pointless mail and phone calls in the Christian community, but there are many other examples of "things we know that just aren't so" circulating:
• NASA scientists are reported to have been puzzled while calculating the historical orbit of the planets because of a "missing day." In this legend their dilemma was resolved when a Christian member of the team showed them passages in the Bible where God stopped the sun. The stoppages, we're told, exactly equaled the unaccounted for "missing time" that had stumped the scientists. This rumor persists despite NASA's denials, and despite the scientific impossibility of a "missing day" -a finding that would presuppose a precisely known starting point for the universe.
• The Christian version of the "vanishing hitchhiker" story has a person, often a pastor, stopping to pick up a hitchhiker, who delivers a prophetic warning-often of Christ's imminent return-then vanishes. The "hitchhiker" is often assumed to be an angel or Jesus Christ. This story recently turned up in Australia and New Zealand.
• Amsterdam and Brussels are popular locations for a rumored super computer that the antiChrist will use to usher in his one-world government. The computer, said to be nicknamed "The
Beast" by its operators, will contain information about every person on earth. Some versions of the story have "666" as the code command that activates the computer's plan for world domination
• Another legend with a "666" component has a retired pastor or missionary going to the social security office to get a check for a missed payment. In this rumor, the director of the office provides a check with the number "666" in the lower left corner, then hurriedly takes it back, explaining that a mistake has been made, that those checks aren't to be distributed yet.
• Scientists in the Soviet Union are alleged to have drilled a hole straight to hell. In this story, scientists on an oil-drilling platform in the North Sea, drilling the deepest hole ever, stopped when they heard human screams of anguish and smelled sulfur, leading them to conclude that they had drilled right into hell. This supermarket tabloid story was once reported as truth by the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). A bogus English-language translation of a nonexistent Norwegian newspaper account of the incident was sent to TBN as a hoax by someone who wanted to see if the network would bother to check its sources; "TBN didn't check.
• The "satanist on the plane" story has surfaced over and over during the last decade. In this story, a Christian is flying home from a conference, and notices that his seatmate is refusing supper. The Christian asks if the person is sick, and is told that he or she is fasting. With a little more questioning, the person volunteers that he or she is a member of the church of Satan and is fasting and praying against three churches in the city that are giving them particular trouble. Which churches these are varies depending on who's telling the story. The person on the plane is always a "friend of a friend," but repeated journalistic efforts to identify the person have always failed
Why do we believe?
In reality, the president of Procter & Gamble has neverappeared on any talk show to discuss satanism.
In September 1989, Bob Passantino delivered a paper at the Evangelical Ministries to New Religions Conference in Rockford, Ill., that touched on the Christian community's susceptibility to fanciful stories like the FCC petition hoax. Passantino listed several reasons such hoaxes take root:
• "It fits into our worldview. [The fact that] something is possible doesn't mean that it is true; and [the fact that] something exists doesn't mean
every report we receive of it must be true.
• "We accept what we're told. It's not that we don't want to be critical, but we don't always have time to check everything we're told. We forget that finding someone willing to tell us what to think about a certain situation is not the same as finding the right person to tell us what can be verified.
• "We base our knowledge on common sense. Often common sense parallels the truth-that is, what we commonly think makes sense .... It may even correspond to truth, but common sense is not a trustworthy method to find truth."
for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College, agrees with Passantino's analysis. "With evangelicals, they're told to you by someone that you trust-a member of your church or a neighborand they tell you a story that sounds plausible, and you wouldn't think they're lying to you. They're probably not; they're just passing on what they've heard. The thing just gets passed on and on until it's accepted as fact."
"It's not just a stamp we're wasting. Our credibility is on the line .... "
• "We place too much faith in 'experts.' We seem to think that truth gets truer if someone important says it, even if that important person has no particular knowledge of that field. Believing an expert without appropriate authority and without corroborating evidence is not a trustworthy way to discern truth.
-BOB PASSANTINO
• "We believe what makes us feel comfortable."
Larry Eskridge, a staff member of the Institute
Jeff Siemon, an area director for the apologetics and evangelism group Search Ministries, agrees that the Christian worldview may predispose people to accept hoaxes. "When we think of hoaxes that relate to conspiracies that are being concocted against Christianity-in the case of Madalyn Murray O'Hair or Procter & Gamblethis is in some sense consistent with the biblical understanding that a great war rages at a spiritual level. Certainly there are enemies of the faith. This does not mean that these hoaxes are real, but there will be resistance and enemies of Christianity."
ULT RESEARCH EXPERT Bob Passantino offers several tips for V identifying false legends. "Use extra caution if the story fits any of the following characteristics, 11 he warns.
• There's no eviden,ce to back it up. Sometimes no evidence exists because of the very nature of the story. That doesn't m,ean such a story can't be true; it just means it's not a story that can be considered trustworthy research. At most it's an iHustration or example.
• It's so detailed or bizarre that we can't believe someone could make it up.
• It's strongest commendation is that it ought to be true. "Be careful that you are not persuaded to believe a particular story simply because you wish it to be true," Passantino concludes. "This can be a strong temptation, but don't give in to it. God won't excuse us for supporting made-up stories because they serve a useful purpose." (EP)
Beyond that, notes Siemon, part of Christianity is based on believing the unbelievable. "We have bought into a miracle," he explains. "We have set aside the philosophy of naturalism, and therefore have opened ourselves up to the unexpected, and even the supernatural. But there are some Christians who see miracles everywhere and the supernatural behind every door. It can be a danger, and it can lead to a propensity to believe in these kinds of hoaxes."
Bob Passantino says it's almost impossible to debunk an attractive rumor. "Sometimes it doesn't matter what you say. People will believe it anyway," he explains. "People want to believe that Madalyn Murray O'Hair does this stuff. It fits their modern image of atheism. They see this petition, it has a number on it, it looks authentic. Pastors of churches should be responsible when they get a petition like this to call someone and see if anyone knows about it."
Passantino says the consequences of Christian gullibility in the case of the FCC petition hoax go beyond the time wasted fighting a nonexistent petition. "It's not just a stamp we're wasting," he says. "Our credibility is on the line People might think if Christians are stupid enough to fall for this falsehood, maybe early Christians were gullible enough to fall for the resurrection story. In my view, there are consequences."
This article was produced by EP News Service, based in Minneapolis, Minn.
A model supporter
As team leader for our MB Missions/Services workers in Lithuania and Russia, we feel a small congregation in California has set a beautiful example of what it means to support an overseas worker.
Ten thousand miles and 10 time zones separate this family from their home church. But they are right there at all times. Those Monday morning faxes from the pastor are so encouraging. Recently about 10 letters arrivedall in the same type of envelope. Could the addressed aerogram envelopes in the church lobby have something to do with folks writing?
The church looks at this family as being their missionary family. They prayed over them. They sent them. They committed themselves to continued prayer. The prayer chain is activated as news comes from abroad.
Individuals and fellowship groups are excited about this family and its mission. Why would a woman send five parcels in one year filled with goodies? Why would a brother give a generous gift toward a building purchase? Why does the associate pastor write regularly? Why do fellowship groups keep asking, "What else do you need?" Why does one group give monthly so a local man can be employed in this developing church? This home church is doing so much. This missionary family is not alone in a strange city and new culture. Bob and Susan Gulack thank God for Pastor Fred Leonard and Mountain View Community Church in Clovis, Calif. Workers in these countries feel isolated and alone. Let them know you are supportive.
Ernie and Elfrieda Reimer Siauliai, Lithuania
Closed to the Spirit?
I am a 61-year-old male member of the Reedley (Calif.) MB Church. My son and his wife are currently members of Mountain View Community Church in Clovis, Calif. We recently worshipped with them and witnessed the baptism of our daughter-in-law. I was sharing that experience with
WHAT READERS SAY
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a Mennonite Brethren brother my age and mentioned that my wife and I were thrilled with the spirit that prevailed in the worship service. I made the mistake of saying it was a great service but that the music was sure loud and different.
His response: "I don't like what they are doing. They want to be Mennonites but act like Assembly of God people. You can't have it both ways. You are either a Mennonite or you go to an Assembly of God church if that is what you like so much."
Would someone please tell me what he meant by that statement?
I think I know what he meant. All
GOIIiGTO
the conventions, five-year programs, special meetings and giving of special titles to people will not result in numerical growth until we as a conference, or at least its leaders, understand the meaning of that statement and deal with it.
I am proud of my Mennonite heritage. I know the difference between religion which is a performance and Christianity which centers on Christ. I understand the finality of the cross and that I have been made perfect in the sight of God. It is truth that truly sets me free-not a worship style.
Orlando Bathauer Reedley, Calif.
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Undoing non-Christian
Most people don like to be carved up into cold demographic slices, especially slices labeled U un " and ((non."
.NNUMBER OF YEARS AGO THE 7-UP company ran anad campaign describ'ng its popular soft drink as "The Uncola." It was a clever pitch. "Uncola" defined 7Up's clear, light quality in opposition to the darker, heavier taste of its cola competition.
"Un" words do that. When "un" gets hooked with a term, it undoes the meaning of the original. Take the word "intentional." That's a go-getter kind of term, one that cinches up belt, pulls the hat brim low and marches stridently toward its destination. Make it "unintentional," though, and suddenly the limbs are loose, the shoulders shrugged, the mouth forming, "Who, me?" "Unintentional" can be nice to have on your side, being the kind of word that covers a multitude of jams. "Did I do that? Well, it was entirely unintentional. "
I also like "unusual." Not only does it roll nicely off the tongue, it gives the forehead and lower vocal chords a little exercise, as in the furrowing of the brow and throaty pronouncement: "Hmmm, very unusual." "Unspectacular" is a term with sparkle and wit, a kind of smirking pronouncement that something hasn't quite lived up to its advanced billing. "Unavailable" has a pleasing ring to it, especially for calendarchallenged folks like me who always have more to do than time to do it. How lovely it would be to say with utter confidence, "Sorry, I'm unavailable," without always hearing it come out, "Surely I'm available!"
A word I sometimes think has gotten bad rap is "unproductive." Why does it bother me when I come to
the end of a Saturday thinking, as I often do, that I didn't get enough work done around the house or yard or office? If my day off has been unproductive, it probably means I've been doing something healthfully unimportant like goofing off with kids or hacking a round of golf.
"Unassuming" has a refreshing air of humility about it. We could use more unassuming people in a world where self-promotion and self-glorification are both popular and profitable. "Unbiased" is always good to hear, though sometimes when we think that people should be more unbiased like us, it may be because we're holding the opposite bias from those we think are biased.
Anotherundoing kind of prefix is "non." If you think of the word "violent" -and far too many people do these days-all the starch gets taken out when you drop a "non" in front. "Nonviolent" is a word we can never hear too often. "Noncompetitive" is another term that could stand more exposure. The competitive spirit may be a bit oversold in a society where everyone from Little Leaguers to middle managers can be led to believe that winning is more important than cooperating.
"Nonplused" is a great word, though in this case I'm not exactly sure what "non" is up to. Rather than its real meaning of being "confounded" or "baffled," nonplused sounds more like an accounting term: "When she forgot to add the deposit, her checkbook remained nonplused. "
As a writer I like "nondescript." If
I were to type, "The neighborhood was nondescript," I would sound very authorial without having to go to the work of actually describing the neighborhood. "Nonaffiliated" is a word that has intrigued me lately. With the strange morality we've been seeing in decisions from both our Democratic president and Republican Congress, the idea of being nonaffiliated has been sounding better and better.
One "non" word I'm not really fond of, though, is "non-Christian." No wonder so many people would rather visit a dentist's office than a church, if we're already considering them nonpersons before we've even shaken hands and said, "Pleased to meet you." A term that fairly shouts "We're Christians and you're not" doesn't really seem to be in the spirit of Peter's encouragement to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Pet. 3:15).
In the realm of "un," I'm not crazy about the popular term "unchurched." I realize that it's meant, like non-Christian, to help us think about those we want to reach with God's good news of love and reconciliation. But if I wasn't a person of faith, "unchurched" would sound like a bit of an insult to me. Or a badge of honor. With churched Christians not always presenting the best model of godly behavior these days, it's no mystery why so many people would prefer to remain blissfully unchurched.
So what would I suggest as alternate terms for the ubiquitous unchurched and non-Christian? On that I remain, well, noncommittal. But I do think most people don't like to be carved up into cold demographic slices, especially slices labeled "un" and "non."
If we churched Christians want to make a positive impression on people, maybe the best place to start would be to ask them their names.
INQUIRING MINDS
BY MARVIN HEIN
QCan the current interest in local-church ministry be emphasized so much that the mission of the larger church is neglected or ignored? Isn Jt that a short-sighted, limited vision? (KANSAS)
ASome suspicious souls, knowing that I am employed halftime by the General Conference, will conclude that I have written my own question. Though I have pondered this issue many times, be assured this question is genuine.
In part to address this issue, the executive committee of the General Conference has called a special strategy session for September. Many leaders are convinced that things must change if the General Conference is to remain viable. Some rather vocal voices are saying the day of "conference" is past.
The basis for that view, in my opinion, is the emphasis on localchurch ministry.Increasingly, people want to invest their time and money in activities they can observe firsthand. We are no longer content to place our tithes in a unified budget that supports programs that are too remote to view except secondhand through a missionary or worker. We want more voice about what is done with our resources. We have become extremely pro-local instead of pro-global.
What is strange is that in other arenas we are persuaded to be global-minded. Today's investors will tell you the future is in "emerging markets" or international stocks. In the field of communication we are forced to think globally because of technologies like the Internet, e-mail and fax. We can't watch the evening news telecast without thinking far beyond our own country, let alone our own little community.
But in church work, our hearts and minds turn increasingly toward
the local congregation. Less and less money comes to the schools and mission office that serve a regional and global agenda. When we think of conference, we envision waste and corruption-simply because the work is more remote. So, increasingly we zero in on what we can see and handle and change-and from which we can retreat if it doesn't go our way.
Hear me carefully! Some of the new emphasis is badly needed. But believers need to realize we are part of a worldwide community of Christians. The local congregation may need to take priority in God's purposes, but groups of churches (conferences) should exist to facilitate and further the concerns and mission of congregations who cannot do everything as separate entities.
We need to be forced into fellowship and dialogue with others with whom we may not always agree. We cannot afford to think our point of view is the only one. History reveals how important this is, and how heresy most often emerges when believers cease to listen to others. No congregation, no matter how large, is without need of some supervision and pastoral care beyond what the congregation itself supplies. Conferences provide such functions.
To be sure, conference administrators must cease to see the congregations as the source of their everincreasing demands for money. Conferences must major in serving local churches, not being served. Conferences must change, and we will. If those changes divorce us from the wider relationships of fellowship and service, the Lord's church will be the loser.
QIn Luke 9:21, and in several other places in Scripture, why did]esus instruct those around him that witnessed the mir-
Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? Send it to (inquiring Minds, n c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E. Butler, Fresno, CA 93727.
acle not to tell anyone about it?
This seems contrary to his, and our, whole purpose in life. (CALIFORNIA)
AThe traditional answer to this question is that Jesus did not want to die prematurely. The news of his miraculous works would cause some people to follow him and others to hate him. While his miracles did spark the attention of potential disciples, his teaching could also be hindered by undue focus on the supernatural. The miracles tended to give people false notions about Jesus's messiahship. Frankly, I'm inclined to think Jesus put a damper on publicity because he knew something about evangelism we haven't learned very well. He knew that solid, long-term spiritual results generally are not enhanced by quick responses to spell-binding events. Miracles create awareness, and there are strategic moments when that is legitimate. But over the long haul, the spectacular is too often a mocker.
We are inherently hero-worshipers. So we figuratively fall at the feet of pro athletes who astound the world with feats of prowess, only later to find that they disappoint us when they commit gross moral failure. We place the recently bornagain singer or politician on such a pedestal that, if and when he or she falls, our faith is tested. We push the novice, sometimes naive new convert onto the public stage, when it would be far better to allow that person to mature to some extent.
Luke 5:14 records another instance where Jesus, after a healing, says, "Don't tell anyone." What Jesus suggested to this grateful follower was that, instead of getting on a podium and preaching to the world, he should follow the normal procedures for people healed: "Keep the law, go to the priest and offer sacrifices." It was not a command never to witness to Christ, but rather to do so in a context where people could see the evidence of a devout life.
Changing times challenge MBBS
BY CONNIE FABER
• Decentralization and church-based approaches to training carry pros and cons
A:ONE TIME it was a given: graduate theological education mong Mennonite Brethren in North America took place at the denominational seminary in Fresno, Calif. It's not a given anymore. With changing times, MB Biblical Seminary aims to modify its programs to accommodate a shifting environment.
"We're in for some interesting times," says Henry Schmidt, MBBS president.
semester than at anytime in MBBS history. Many of those were audit students who take classes that do not apply to a degree.
British Columbia was chosen for the first MBBS center because of the high concentration of Mennonite Brethren in the province-85 churches. Last fall the MBBS British Columbia Centre opened in Abbotsford with Ron Geddert as program director. The seminary is considering additional educational sites in Winnipeg, Man., Los Angeles and Kansas.
Inherent dangers
This shift comes with some inherent dangers. "With everything going local and regional, the tendency will be that each one of these sites becomes an independent entity," Schmidt says. "Then you end up with what we said we didn't want. We
Churches also affects the seminary, according to Schmidt. The General Conference executive committee has called for a strategic meeting in late September to evaluate the ministry of the conference currently comprised of churches in the United States and Canada.
A new training proposal
Two years ago, MBBS began the move to a decentralized, churchbased model of seminary education. "Instead of uprooting students," Schmidt explains, "the profs go to population centers. It's good for lay people and church lead- Illnstitutions can become islands In ers. It leaves people in the church and brings education into their lives in a more structured and supervised way."
some ways welre our own worst enemy because we don It talk enough and plan together. II_HENRY SCHMIDT
Statistics show that rather than moving to Fresno, more Mennonite Brethren are choosing to study at seminaries closer to home. This is particularly true in Canada. Schmidt and the MBBS board hope that decentralized programs, better "calling out" of leaders by local churches, and more financial aid will reverse the school's declining enrollment.
Currently, MBBS has 141 students enrolled for credit. Because many students are part-time, the full-time equivalency (FTE) stands at only 89. The seminary's peak enrollment measured by FTE came in 1980. That year 141 students were enrolled and the FTE stood at 124.
Recruitment and enrollment are major concerns at MBBS even though more students (259) were on campus during the just-completed spring
want one free-standing seminary jointly sponsored by the United States and Canada with four or five delivery points. That's different than having five seminaries."
A decentralized model is also more expensive. Overhead expenses have not been significant at the B.C. Centre but there are additional administrative costs.
These increases, combined with the growing number of direct fundraising appeals by other denominational agencies and institutions, concern seminary leaders. MBBS and the U.S. Conference recently hired Don Wohlgemuth to expand the seminary's donor base in the States. Harry Olfert is working at the same goal in Canada.
Uncertainty about the shape and role of the General Conference of MB
The seminary is affected by activities of other denominational agencies. Recently, representatives from four Mennonite Brethren agencies met to consider a proposal for a missions and discipleship center in British Columbia. Harold Ens, general director of MB Missions/Services, coordinated the consultation. MBBS was represented by Schmidt and MBBS board chairman Ron Toews; Ewald Unruh and Peter Nikkel represented the Canadian Conference Board of Evangelism; Chuck Buller and Fred Leonard represented Mission USA. Walter Unger, president of Columbia Bible College, and several area pastors also participated.
The proposal, developed by MBM/S missionary Ray Harms-Wiebe and Steve Klassen, constituency ministries secretary for MBM/S in Canada, recommends that a center located in the greater Vancouver area offer participants a one-year program of evangelistic, cross-cultural and spiritual training in preparation for ministry. Alumni of short-term outreach ministries like Youth Mission International and potential MBM/S missionaries would be among the target group.
MBBS supports the concept, according to Schmidt, and feels good about the people who are leading it. But questions were raised at the semiannual MBBS board meeting in April about how the new center would relate to existing institutions also offering internships, such as Columbia Bible College, Winkler Bible Institute and MBBS.
The seminary was invited to con-
IN BRIEF
• Hispanic churches in the Pacific District Conference gathered May 25-26 in Reedley, Calif., for their sixth annual praise festiva1. The assembly drew 780 participants from churches as far away as Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash, says Sam Resendez, chair of the POC Hispanic Council. This was the first year a delegation from Mennonite Brethren churches in Mexico attended the two-day event. About 10 pastors and leaders from Mexico participated.
• "Straight paths for a twisting world" wHl be the theme of the 1997 convention of the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches to be held July 10-12 at Waterloo (Ont.) MB Church. In preparation for the convention, the executive committee is calling a strategic evaJuationmeeting Sept. 24-26, 1996. According to conference moderator Ed Boschman the meeting will focus on issues facing the General Conference in the 21 st century. (G CMB C)
• Ed Boschman has been affirmed by the General Conference executive committee as conference moderator and will continue until the 1997 convention. He recently resigned his pastoral appointment at WiUow Park Church in Kelowna, B.C., to accept the position as executive director of Mission USA. The offices of moderator and vicemoderator are held alternately by Canadian and U.S. representatives. (GCMBC)
• An African American church in Alabama burned by arsonists in January is being rebuilt this summer with the help of Mennonite Disaster Service. MDS has been asked by community leaders in Greene County, Ala., to rebuild Mount Zoar Baptist, one of th ree churches nea r the town of Boligee destroyed by arsonists this past winter, says MDS coordinator Lowell Detweiler. The project witl be a major location for about 16 church youth teams who have volunteered to work with MDS this summer. Over 20 African American churches were burned in the South in the last year and many people fear the arsons are racially motivated. (MOS)
tribute $10,000 in seed money to the new training venture. Because MBBS has put a high priority on hiring an academic dean and a new faculty member in missions, the board declined to participate in this way.
"Internally, the academic dean shapes the direction of a seminary through theological reflection and critical thinking, strategic planning, faculty development, curriculum development and delivery systems," Schmidt says. "Externally, the academic dean shapes the image of an institution in terms of its academic credibility, theological direction and trust in the constituency."
Hiring a faculty member in the area of missions is also a high priOrity. "We feel this is crucial to the future of pastoral and mission training here on campus," Schmidt says. "Since we have nine international students coming here next year, we must work harder at that. And we are."
Less duplication and competition
It isn't only new ventures that challenge the role of MBBS. Schmidt advocates reducing duplication and competition among existing Mennonite Brethren Bible institutes, colleges and universities and increasing coordination and collaboration.
"Institutions can become islands," Schmidt says. "We have to talk to each other. In some ways we're our own worst enemy because we don't talk enough and plan together."
New programs in youth ministry at U.S. Mennonite Brethren colleges have prompted a meeting between the presidents, academic deans and board representatives from Tabor College, Fresno Pacific College and MBBS to discuss sequencing, duplication and other issues related to the undergraduate and graduate theological programs offered by the institutions.
Schmidt is optimistic about the ability of the MBBS board and administration to successfully tackle issues critical to the seminary's future, including denominational cohesiveness, staff appointments, recruitment and enrollment, financial stability and coordination of theological education.
During this past year, the MBBS board has been expanded and divided into four committees. Schmidt believes this has made it possible for
the board to better handle substantive issues. Most of the time at this spring's meetings was spent in committees; the larger board came together primarily to continue discussions or ratify committee action. Committee boards include student life, property and finance, academics and donor development and public relations.
"This is a very strong board, a good board," Schmidt says. "They are exceptional people. I don't think there has ever been a board more representative of the constituency."Connie Faber
Lithuania college to be adopted in FPC's 'university'
system
II Fledgling Christian liberal arts school wards off government attempt to close its doors
CHRISTIAN COLLEGE of Lithuania (LCC) ,a Christian liberal arts college supported by Mennonite Brethren from North America, has staved off a government attempt to have it closed and is in the process of being adopted by Fresno Pacific College as an international undergraduate college under FPC's new university structure.
Although LCC is licensed to offer courses, it has not been able to obtain Lithuanian government permission to grant recognized bachelor's degrees. Attempts by a parliamentary committee earlier this year to classify LCC and seven other schools as illegal, failed. LCC leaders say the college was caught in the crossfire of efforts to close Polish and Russian institutions in the country.
According to Richard Kriegbaum, FPC president, the biggest hurdle will be the novel arrangements required to satisfy both Lithuanian regulations and the standards of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which provides FPC's accreditation.
LCC was established as an Englishlanguage Christian undergraduate college in 1992 by a small team of evangelicals led by Art DeFehr, a Canadian Mennonite Brethren industrialist and philanthropist. LCC graduated its first
group of four-year students in May. Enrollment in the bachelor's program now stands at about 160, with an additional 800 students studying English part-time. Jim Mininger, former academic dean at Hesston (Kan.) College, is president of LCC. It is the only school of its kind in Lithuania.
The decision to move ahead with efforts to adopt LCC was made at the June meeting of the FPC Board of Trustees following significant discussion. In related action, the board also decided to begin implementing a university structure and name change to be completed by fall of 1997. The new name will be Fresno Pacific University. (FPC, LCC)
Hispanic Anabaptists create a North American association
IIFirst inter-Mennonite gathering celebrates unity, addresses common concerns
MENNONITE Brethren Hispanic leaders were among the 110 delegates to attend the "First Encounter of Ibero-American Anabaptists in North America" in Miami May 2-4. In addition to hearing addresses on the topics of renewal and unity, the delegates enthusiastically approved the creation of an association of Hispanic Anabaptists of North America.
The association will have an executive committee of two representatives from each of six participating denominations. Sam Resendez, chair of the Pacific District Hispanic Council, and Pablo Castillo, pastor of Templo La Paz in Orosi, Calif., will represent Mennonite Brethren on the executive committee.
The association will address common concerns, from such practical matters as Sunday school curriculum to more loftier questions of "prophetic discernment of mission outreach" and potentially thorny theological issues, such as the role of men and women in church and home. Support and assistance in nurturing this new initiative will come from Mennonite Central Committee U.S., whose staff helped plan the Miami consultation. The two days of meetings, though
crammed with agenda, were upbeat and lively; participants energetically engaged in discussion, openly sharing opinions even on potentially divisive issues.
The conference represented a "deliberate effort by MCC to address institutional racism," says Resendez, who is also a member of the MCC U.S. executive committee. Resendez describes the gathering as well attended, well received and well planned.
Resendez is pleased with the accomplishments of this first gathering. He sees the formation of a central bank for exchanging ideas, literature and pastoral and leadership needs to be an important feature of the new association.
Another purpose of the association will be to encourage hispanics to continue writing on Anabaptist theology and history. Resendez believes the 26 Mennonite Brethren hispanic churches in the PDC will benefit from being tied more closely to each other and other Anabaptist groups through the association.
Women's roles in church and in the home emerged as an important issue at the meeting. Planners had to squeeze additional discussion time into an already tight agenda to deal with the issue. According to Resendez, both men and women "together embraced the topic." Following a talk by Juanita Nunez, who is active in a Mennonite church in Apopka, Fla., the conference participants broke into discussion groups, then reported back to the full assembly. A diversity of beliefs unfolded. Some of the 35 women to participate are hoping to organize a conference for hispanic women in 1997 at a centrallocation.
Delegates represented six groupsBrethren in Christ, General Conference, Mennonite Brethren, Mennonite Church, Mennonite Convention of Puerto Rico and the Amor Viviente churches. Their national origins stretched from Mexico to Argentina, from Puerto Rico to Colombia. Delegates represented some 5,000 to 6,000 hispanic Anabaptists in more than 100 North American congregations.The eight Mennonite Brethren representatives also serve on the 10person PDC Hispanic Council.-Emiry Will and Connie Faber
IN BRIEF
• James Pankratz has resigned as president of Concord College in Winnipeg, Man., effective at the end of the 1996-97 college year. Mennonite colleges in Canada are developing a federation of schools and Pankratz believes an agreement will be reached regarding the mission, scope and character of the new configuration during this next year. He feels this would be an opportune time to bring new presidential leadership to Concord, formerly known as Mennonite Brethren Bible College. (CC)
• Fresno Pacific College's homepage is up and running at http://www.fresno.edu, says David Bonnar, director of information services. Visitors to the website can access information on academic divisions, a calendar of college events, faculty e-mail addresses, a photographic campus tour, library information, the Peace and Conflict Studies Center and the Center for MB Studies. Because one of the primary goals of the home page is to reach prospective students, Bonnar is working on developing an on-line financial aid and application package. (FPC)
• During its June meetings, the Fresno Pacific College Board of Trustees decided to begin implementing a university structure and name change to be completed by fall 1997. The new name will be Fresno Pacific University. The board also approved building a new residence hall with occupancy projected for fall 1997. The establishment of a satellite degree center in Bakersfield which will open fall 1996 was also approved. (FPC)
• The British Columbia MB Conference adopted an ambitious goal at its recent provincial convention. Delegates approved a recommendation from the Board of Church Extension to add eight new churches each year between 1996 and 2000. The eight would include three English-speaking churches planted directly by the board; two daughter churches planted by existing congregations, two culture and language-specific churches and one existing independent evangelical church added by adoption. (MB Herald)
IN BRIEF
• Mennonite Central Committee worker Carl Stauffer, a mediation trainer with the South African organization Wigespruit Fellowship Centre, will testify before South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The sian began hearing stories of murder, police torture and other abuses that occurred during apartheid and will recommend reparations to victims and propose measures to prevent future violations. Stauffer has been asked to speak on victim/offender reconciliation programs. (MCC)
• More than 200 women and a handful of men attended the third Anabaptist Women Doing Theology conference held in May at Canadian Bible College in Winnipeg, Man. The group gathered to worship and discuss issues of faith, exploring the emerging theological voices of women. It was the first conference of its kind to include drama, music and dance responses to the papers which were presented. An exhibition of art by Anabaptist women was also included for the first time. The conference was sponsored by Canadian Mennonite Bible College, Concord College and Mennonite Central Committee. ((MBC)
• Mennonite Economic Development Associates has 'come "full circle" in Paraguay. Paraguay was where MEDA began its first work in 1953, helping dislocated Mennonites to start dairy herds, a tannery and a shoe factory. Now, 26 local Mennonite businesspeople have officially formed MEDA Paraguay with Rudolf Loewen as president. The group aims to provide mutual support on both a spiritualmoral level and on a business level, and to develop business-oriented economic development projects for lowincome Paraguayans. (MEDA)
• John E. Toews, former MB Biblical Seminary professor, was installed April 21 as the fifth president of Conrad Grebel College, Waterloo,Ont. Conrad Grebel is a teaching program at the University of Waterloo, as well as a residence for 113 women and men. Students are registered in all six faculties of the university. (MB Hera/d)
Alabama burning: MDS aids church 'resurrection' project
Response to church burning draws national media attention
JUST PAST Tuscaloosa, on my way to Boligee, the radio news reports another black church has burned down. That makes 30 in one year. Mt. Zoar and two other Baptist churches near this small, rural town fell to flames, one in December 1995 and two in January this year.
Following initial inquiries by nearby Mennonites, Mennonite Disaster Service CMDS) agreed to coordinate the rebuilding effort at Mt. Zoar Baptist, the congregation with the least financial resources of those burned in the area.
I arrive on the work site in the midst of a torrential downpour. Water gathers in the red clay packed around the newly laid block foundation. I am reminded that this earth, already sticking to my shoes, has never been easy to till. Sharecroppers knew that 30 years ago. The Choctaw and other
native peoples knew it years before that. This land holds history like the clay holds water. It can sit for a long time without going anywhere.
MDS has set up a small village here. Seven trailers, including two mobile homes, will house the long-term team of nine and the 20-30 member youth groups who will assist the rebuilding project this summer. Although their presence probably more than triples the population in the immediate area, three decades ago that would not have been the case.
After voting rights were fully realized nearly three decades ago, white landowners forcibly removed the black sharecroppers. The only thing the sharecroppers did not have to move was the church buildings they owned. The sites, though now physically removed from the congregations, remain deeply significant to
Fire-scorched outer walls and rubble are all that remain of the Mt. Zoar Baptist church building.
Participants chosen for Zairian 'singing annbassadors'tour
II Esengo will tour North American churches in 1997
ELEVEN MEN and women have been selected to participate in Esengo Zaire, a group of singing ambassadors from the Zaire MB Conference. The seven men and four women were selected for their musicianship and personal and Christian maturity.
Esengo will launch its musical mission with concerts at the Mennonite World Conference in Calcutta in January 1997, followed by performances in Mennonite Brethren churches in India. After ministering to the Mennonite Brethren churches in Japan, Esengo will crisscross the United States and Canada for four months. The tour will conclude in Europe in June 1997.
The North American portion of the tour will coincide with the General Conference "Year of Global Mission." MB Missions/Services is encouraging every North American Mennonite Brethren church to plan a two- or three-day major global mission emphasis in conjunction with Esengo's nearest appearance. Tour organizers hope to spark new interest in global mission among 20 to 40 year olds.
Plans for a world tour by a Mennonite Brethren Zairian musical team have involved recruiting not only musicians but also a special envoy to accompany and shepherd the group. Jeanine Janzen, a French-speaking MB Biblical Seminary student, has agreed to travel with Esengo Zaire as cultural translator and facilitator.
Janzen will prepare and coach the team for its encounters with a culture far different than the village culture from which most of the singers come. She will educate, explain, mediate and represent the team. Janzen's responsibilities with Esengo Zaire have been coordinated by Youth Mission International, the conference's youth mission agency.
Janzen participated in YMI orientation events in June and leaves for Zaire July 8 to serve there with the YMI summer team. During the sum-
mer she will meet the other Esengo members and will begin her full-time ministry with them in fall.
Organizers hope to raise in advance the $60,000 needed for the tour and anticipate funds coming from three primary sources: fund raising by youth, personal donations from MBM/S board and staff, and special gifts from individuals. The funding plan enables offerings taken during the concerts to go "directly to world missions," says Gary Hardaway, MBM/S secretary for communications and public relations. (MBMjS)
.CHURCH NOTES
• Baptism/Membership
MANHATTAN, Kan.-Mary Ottman, Rick Schroeder and Robert and Melissa Atchison were received into membership March 17.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Heritage Bible)Christina Byrum, Joe Byrum, Vicki Byrum, Carlos Chavez, Audrey Hurd, Nancy Jacob, Ben Kropf, Chris Kropf, Debbie Mansfield, Stephanie Molitor, Tim Molitor, Nicole Padilla, Dennis Padilla, Crystal Porter, Karen Price, Crystal Sanchez, Nicole Sanchez, Janet Spingola, Kari Weinmann, Lisa Weinmann, Mark Weinmann, Mark Welch and Jacqueline Williams were baptized May 19. Karen Price, Janet Spingola and Bonnie Zoldak were welcomed into membership.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Laurelglen)-Ralph Harris, Tom Porter, and Jenifer and David Wilbur were baptized and accepted into membership May 5. Aaron and Yvette Assem, John and Dawn Champion, David Chapman, Shirley Cron, Brenda Harris, David Norris, John and Mary Penrose, Kathy Porter, and Carl and Beckie Roberts were welcomed into membership.
SALEM, Ore. (Kingwood Bible)-Claudi Allen, Christina Allen, Zachary Allen, Christina Andersen, Amy Light, Sean Light, Ashley Redinger and Earl Sherwood were baptized May 12 Alma Heppner, Millie Holmstrom, Brent and Julie Hudson, Earl Sherwood and Pat and Elsie Trude were received into membership May 19.
GRANT, Neb. (New Life)-Ben Polson, Tiffany Harms and Jacob Harms were baptized and welcomed into church membership May 12.
FRESNO, Calif. (Bethany)-Leanne McDannald, Kimberly Farris and Cosmo Tedeschi were baptized and received into membership May 12. Butch and Linda Stewart and Bernie and Sherry Ogden were welcomed as new members Paul
and Colleen Gaede, Kimberly Zamora and Doug Round were accepted as new members May 19.
WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Pine Acres)Angela Fast, Dusty Hayes and Gregory Hayes were baptized May 19. Greg and Janet Hayes, Chad Roberts, Wade Roberts, Cindy Kelley, Geneva Penner and Kenton Stubbs were accepted into membership.
HESSTON, Kan.- Brett Buhrman, Joshua Hofer, Bradley Jantz, Daniel Jantz, Marcus King, Rosa Lind, Ryan Lind, Jeremy Neufeld and Rachel Prieb were baptized and accepted into membership May 19.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (Bible Fellowship)Brandy Belken, Natalie Diaz, Angela Hoyt, Karl and Rebekah Newman and Darrell and Kim Olson were baptized May 26 Fred, Deb and Kari Wyss and Erin Stocks were accepted into membership May 12.
FRESNO, Calif. (Butler)-William Winchester, Manuel Zavaka, Mal Hing Heungpassuth, Joe Keodara, Toom Poisena, Ta Heungpaseuth and Khamsouk Keodara were baptized and welcomed into membership June 2. Carol Winchester, Curt and Mindy Shirey, Manuel Heredia and Matthew Eames were also accepted into membership.
OLATHE, Kan. (Community Bible)-Brett Mowry, Lindsey Way, Angie Yoder and John and Jan Schick were baptized June 2.
• Celebrations
FRESNO, Calif. (North)-Jim Holm, pastor of the Reedley (Calif.) MB Church, was the speaker for the dedication of the educational wing June 2. That afternoon and evening the junior and senior high students presented a musical, "The Builder," which focused on the vision of the new building and on the Builder (Jesus Christ) himself.
REEDLEY, Calif.-Flowers were placed in the sanctuary April 21 in honor of Jack and Mary Neufeld's 60th wedding anniversary Flowers were placed April 28 in honor of the 60th anniversary of Pete and Irma Toews A bouquet of flowers May 5 honored Ben and Anna Marie Nachtigall's 60th anniversary.
ENID, Okla.-Stella and Clayton Voth celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception May 11.
BUHLER, Kan.-Flowers were placed in the sanctuary May 19 in honor of the 50th wedding anniversary of Franklin and Kathryn Pankratz Milo and Leatrice Schroeder celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception May 26.
FAIRVIEW, Okla.-Flowers were placed in the sanctuary May 30 in honor of the
50th wedding anniversary of Leonard and Leona Vogt.
HESSTON, Kan.-Andy and Lillian Harms celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house June 2.
HENDERSON, Neb.-Lawrence and Verna Buller celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house June 8.
BLAINE, Wash. (Birch Bay)-The family of Elva and Clarence Schmidt hosted a reception June 15 in honor their 60th wedding anniversary.
BETHANY, Okla. (Western Oaks)-The congregation celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of Walt and Mary Unruh June 23 with a program and reception.
HILLSBORO, Kan. (Parkview)-The children of Harry and Millie Friesen hosted a reception June 30 in honor of their parentS' 50th wedding anniversary.
• Fellowship
ADAMS, Okla.-David and Martha Fast, retiring missionaries of the congregation for the past 30 years, were honored with a noon meal May 26.
FRESNO, Calif. (Butler)-A worship service and picnic June 2 on the Fresno Pacific College campus involved all four ethnic congregations that comprise the church. The day included baptisms, testimonies, update from missionary Rod Zook, a barbecue and afternoon recreation.
Social Action Board of Directors .... Hope Now for Youth, a Fresno-based ministry to reach at-risk youth, has set up an office at the church.
ADAMS, Okla.-The congregation went house to house June 9 inviting community children to attend the one day VBS Day Camp, June 11.
• Proclamation
HENDERSON, Neb.-David Brandt, Tabor College president, was the guest speaker May 12 .... MB Missions/Services missionaries Juan and Olga Martinez and their family participated in the morning and evening services May 19.
TULSA, Okla. (parkside)-Rick Eshbaugh, pastor of the Topeka (Kan.) MB Church, was the guest speaker May 19.
BETHANY, Okla. (Western Oaks)George Warrington of Bible Fellowship preached the message May 26. Bible Fellowship sponsors release time classes for children and state fair evangelism.
FRESNO, Calif. (Fig Garden)-Rick Bartlett, currently with Youth for Christ in Great Britain, spoke June 9.
• Workers
HENDERSON, Neb.-Pastor Garvie Schmidt has resigned to accept the pastorate of the Enid (Okla.) MB Church. He and his wife, Diane, and their children, Nathan and Heidi, will be moving to Oklahoma later this summer.
Eddie and Roselyn Goertzen residents in Independent Living
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Laurelglen)-An afternoon golf tournament June 16 was followed by a Father's Day banquet. Proceeds from the events supported the congregation's Romania ministry program A new congregational ministry will promote the health of the congregation through educational sessions, health screenings and support groups. • Ministry
RAPID CITY, S.D. (Bible Fellowship)Glenn and Marissa Krispense, 1996 graduates of Tabor College, will begin their ministry as the congregation's pastoral couple for youth Aug. 15.
GETIYSBURG, S.D. (Grace Bible)-An allchurch campout was held June 29-30 at West Whitlock Bay.
WICHITA, Kan.-Roland and Lois Reimer, Southern District minister couple, traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, May 28 through June 6 to speak at a MB Missions/Services missionary retreat.
DENVER, Colo. (Garden Park)-Members of the congregation who are sixth grade and older were invited to participate in an all-churchmissions trip to Navajoland June 29-July 4.
FRESNO, Calif. (Butler)-Pastor Phone Keo Keovilay of the Khmu congregation has been added to the Evangelicals for
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WITNESS Global March draws millions
The 1996 Global March for Jesus held May 25 drew millions of Christians from around the world to celebrate Jesus on the streets of more than 2,000 cities in 170 nations. In the United States, an estimated one million people marched in 625 cities. The largest single-city turnout was in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where two million people marched.
The idea of praising Jesus on city streets has grown tremendously since the first March for Jesus nine yearsago in London. At the first Global March for Jesus two years ago, 10 million believers took to the streets of 1,500 cities of
178 nations. In the United States that year, 550 cities held marches. Global marches are planned until the year 2000. (EP)
POLITICS Rush to judgment?
President Bill Clinton and Tony Campolo, wellknown evangelical speaker and writer, were sharing a memory of resurrection victory when TV cameras caught them briefly laughing following the memorial service for Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, Campo10 says.
In a written statement, Campolo criticized politically conservative evangelicals who distorted the facts in order to "demonize" Clinton. The video clip
received national exposure when broadcast by conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh, who aired it "as evidence of the President's insincerity. "
Campolo said he and Clinton laughed briefly while sharing a story of how an old gospel song about the coming resurrection had changed the mood of a funeral "from despair to celebration."
Campolo was saddened by the many Christians who rushed to judgment without knowing the facts. "I have come to expect that sort of thing from Rush, but what I did not expect was a barrage of letters from Christians across the country," Campolo wrote. "Without asking me what the TV footage was all
MB Circles ... by Lorlie Barkman
FASTER PASTOR FASTER!
about, they accepted Limbaugh's interpretation and delighted in what they were convinced it all meant.
"Many of us in the name of Christ have declared war on President Clinton and in the process have been sucked into [using biases and distortions to discredit political foes]. And after his most recent veto of a bill designed to limit late abortions, there are many who claim that they have good reason for demoniZing him. But as Evangelicals carry their moral crusade into the political arena, they should do well to heed the warning of Fredrick Nietzsche, who once said, 'Beware when you fight a dragon, lest you become a dragon. '" (EP)
ACTIVISM Show of force
The Christian Coalition plans to distribute about 45 million conservative voter guides in the 10 days before the November presidential election, according to Ralph Reed, executive director.
Speaking to reporters at a May 29 luncheon, Reed said the Christian Coalition now has 1.7 million registered members, one million of whom have contributed money to the organization. The loyalty of those members is what makes the Christian Coalition more of a force to be reckoned with than labor unions, Reed suggested.
"One thing we have that frankly unions do not have is a grass-roots organization out there that will actually do what we ask them to do politically," he said. "They
bounced for gender exclusivity. In preparing a new song book for the church, the hymnal committee compiled a list of 200 hymns and carols to be stricken. William Blake's famous "Jerusalem" is also on the way out, doomed by committee members who felt the hymn's reference to "dark Satanic mills" was outdated. (EP)
AFFIRMATION Card of appreciation
During a career in politics you see a lot of business cards, but presidential candidate Bob Dole says Mother Teresa's are particularly memorable. Dole met the Nobel-prize winning
nun recently and was given one of her cards, which reads, "The fruit of SILENCE is Prayer, the fruit of PRAYER is Faith, the fruit of FAITH is Love, the fruit of LOVE is Service, the fruit of SERVICE is Peace." Later, Dole told state party leaders that the 85-year-old nun has "a good sense of humor" and "not a bad business card." He added, "Mother Teresa's work is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of faith." (EP)
AIDS
Causes for concern
Intravenous drug use is responsible for most cases of AIDS among women and
$50 covers KVI's costs for program supplies, literature, first aid supplies and sports equipment for one youth between the ages of 11-17 to attend camp for 12 days. 100 camps expected in 1996. Camps, individuals, families, Sunday Schools and Youth groups are invited to be sponsors. 'ot,. Tax deductible receipt will be sent.
Make check payable to:
Lay Christian Association I KVI P.o. Box 914 Travelers Rest SC 29690
heterosexual men, according to federal health officials. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 85 percent of the 17,686 AIDS cases reported in 1995 among heterosexual men and 66 percent of the 10,777 cases among women could be traced to intravenous drug useeither by the person who developed AIDS or by a sex partner. Male homosexual activity continues to be the biggest cause in the growing AIDS epidemic, accounting for more than 60 percent of all cases. (EP)
RESEARCH
Shroud debate takes one more turn
New research on the Shroud of Turin suggests that the cloth is centuries older than suggested by earlier studies. A team from the University of Texas Science Health Center in San Antonio says a thin film of microbes and fungi on the linen threads of the cloth affected earlier radiocarbon dating attempts. The study suggests that the cloth is older than believed, placing its origin closer to the time of Christ. The shroud shows an image of a man with nail wounds in his hands and feet, and is believed by some to be the burial cloth of Christ. (EP)
CHARITY
Generosity jump in '95
Americans contributed nearly $144 billion to charities in 1995, up 10.78 percent from the previous year, according to a study by the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel. The group attributed the increase to increased personal income and more
effective fund-raising techniques. Individual giving increased by 11.9 percent, outpacing corporate donations which grew 7.4 percent. Religious organizations received about half of all charitable contributions in 1995, a 5.39 percent increase in total giving to religious organizations from the previous year. (EP)
CELEBRITY
Religious devotion
It was inevitable. A pop singer known as "The King" and frequently "sighted" after his death was bound to inspire a religion. After decades of informal worship, devotees of the late Elvis Presley have formed a new religion: The First Presbyterian Church of Elvis the Divine.
The tongue-in-cheek group holds weekly services in cyberspace, and boasts about 200 members. These prophets of Presley are urged to face Las Vegas once a day, make a pilgrimage to Graceland, eat six meals a day (plus frequent snacks), and fight the forces of the evil anti-Elvis, Michael Jackson, who at one time was married to Presley's daughter.
The church was founded as a joke in 1988, but has taken off with popularization of the Internet' s World Wide Web. It recently got a boost from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., where religion professor Norman Girardot teaches a class titled "Jesus, Buddha, Confucius and Elvis."
The founders of the church sell T-shirts and plan to publish the "New and Improved Testament of Elvis," which predicts Elvis will descend from heaven in a pink Cadillac and throw high-fat snacks to his believers. (EP) •
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT
A GUIDE FOR GROUP INTERACTION
SESSION 1: Strengths of the small church
Based on "Small Can Be Beautiful, Too" (page 4)
GET READY-Getting started
• What is the smallest church you have attended?
GET SET-Examining the issues
1. Do you agree with the authors' reasons for why small churches may feel inferior? Why, or why not?
2. Describe the unique qualities of a small church.
3. How difficult is it for large churches to have the same qualities and can these difficulties be overcome? Jf so, how?
GO-Applying ideas to the way we live
1. What does your congregation do to let people know they are needed?
2. What impact does size have on the effectiveness of your congregation-positively and negatively?
3. What are strengths of your church and how can you make the most of those strengths?
SESSION 2: Worship wars
Based on "Repetition in Worship Singing: Bane or Blessing 1" (page 7)
GET READY-Getting started
• Share an experience of meaningful worship you have had within the past six months.
GET SET-Examining the issues
1. Do you agree with the author's first statement, "Repetition in worship is a battleground in numerous churches"?
2. Summarize the up and down sides of repetition.
3. Review the story of Jesus and the woman from John 4. What does it say about our various preferences in worship today?
4. Identify ways in which the influence of our culture enhances and hinders our worship "in spirit and in truth."
GO-Applying ideas to the way we live
1. What in your congregation worship format helps you to fix your attention on God?
2. Try to describe a worship service as the author says to in the first suggestion in the sidebar "Steps Toward Settling Our Worship Wars" (page 9).
3. Which of the suggestions in the sidebar are most appropriate for your congregation and you personally?
SESSION 3: Miracles and the gospel
Based on the second question in Inquiring Minds (page 17).
GET READY-Getting started
• Share one of your favorite miracle stories from the Gospels.
GET SET-Examining the issues
1. Review the following passages: Matthew 8: 1-4, Matthew 16: 13-20, Luke 5: 12-26, Luke 9: 18-27. Is there anything significant about the times and settings in which Jesus gave these instructions?
2. What purpose did Jesus have in performing miracles? How did that purpose coincide with the truth of his teaching?
3. What is it about the miraculous/spectacular that attracts our attention?
4. What is Marvin Hein suggesting we have not done very well in our evangelism efforts? How can we improve?
GO-Applying ideas to the way we live
1. When is focusing on today's miracles positive and when is it negative?
2. Are there ways in which we can discern whether a new believer, or someone who has had a spectacular experience, is ready to share in a public setting?
3. How has time enriched your understanding and appreciation of the miracles in your life?
SESSION 4: Living legacies
Based on On the Journey (page 18)
GET READY-Getting started
• Identify a nomadic experience or campsite in your life.
GET SET-Examining the issues
1. Reflect on the life stories of biblical characters such as Abraham, Moses, Joseph and Paul. How did decisions they made affect the lives of others?
2. Who are people in your past who have influenced your present life? What was it about that person that influenced you most?
3. Identify Scriptures that remind us that we should consider the ways in which our lives influence the lives of others?
GO-Applying ideas to the way we live
1. What is it that you would like your descendants to remember most about you?
2. What day-to-day actions and attitudes on your part would help ensure that you leave the kind of impact you would like to leave?
3. How can we as members of Christ's body work together to leave a legacy of faith?
Listening to the Spirit?
CHUCK BELL had been the founding pastor of the Vineyard Fellowship of San Jose since 1989. One day he informed the congregation that God had called him to a radically different brand of ChristianityEastern Orthodoxy. Then he announced that God wanted them to join it, too. About half the members followed Bell from rock music, public prophesying and speaking in tongues to a new worship format of liturgical readings, lit candles and kissing paintings of the Virgin Mary.
The radical change makes Chuck Bell's story particularly unique. But The Wall streetJournal featured it last month to illustrate a broader trend: pastors leading whole from one denomination to another. And always the Spirit's direction,
of course.
The story caught our attention because Mennonite Brethren endured a similar experience within its ranks several months ago. The leader of a fledgling congregation in the Midwest became convinced that the Lord frowned on denominational ties. When he announced his resignation, the group decided to sever ties with the conference and follow their pastor down an independent path.
kinds of bold initiatives, both personal and corporate, with the claim of divine leading. Some ventures, in hindsight, appear to have been genuinely blessed. Others, though, were downright kooky, even harmful. What complicates the issue is that God has a track record of telling people to do things which are independent, assertive and seem inconsiderate of the status quo. Noah was told to build a barge on dry land. Abraham was told to leave hisvast estate for an unknown and far-off land. Mary was told by an angel she would bear the son of God. Peter was told through a vision to preach to Gentiles.
AS interest in and
sensitivity to the activity of the Holy Spirit increases in our North American conference, the need to talk together about it grows more urgent.
We could debate the ethics of these "conversions" for some time, but the bigger and more perplexing issue is this: How does the Holy Spirit lead? I have heard from conference leaders about an increasing focus on the activity of the Holy Spirit in our denomination, particularly among younger pastors and leaders. This would seem, at first blush, to be an encouraging indication of spiritual renewal and growth. But what these veteran leaders note is that often the "Spirit's leading" is expressed in words and actions that reflect an independent, assertive and sometimes inconsiderate posture. As if to say, "Because the Spirit has told me to do this, it doesn't matter what you think."
Of course, t1)ere is another waytQ read those, same signals. That is, the Spirit wants desperately to break through our rigid denominational traditions and lead us into a new and more dynamic way of doing church. If some veteran leaders feel threatened, it may be because they are listening to the "safe" but outmoded voice of the status quo rather than the fresh prompting of the Spirit.
So who is truly in tune with God? When do we know whether new ideas come from the Spirit or from our own imaginings? Lord knows we've blessed all
So, now you're telling me that God wants you to pull your church out of the denomination? Or change the worship style of your congregation? Or quit your lucrative job and volunteer with MCC? Or launch a national renewal and church-planting thrust? Well, might be right. Right? The challenge of discerning the Spirit's voice exists in every Christian group. Charismatic denominations may be more susceptible to the hair-brained whim, but Mennonites, as a group, struggle at the other end: We so want a faith that "makes sense" that we poohpooh new expressions that don't fit our predetermined mold. So, while a few take every dream and impulse as a spiritual revelation, others all but deny the possibility that God might use extraordinary means to communicate with his people.
To my knowledge, Mennonite Brethren have no formal theology of the_Holy Spirit. Until 1981, we didn't even have a conference resolution on the topic. As interest in and sensitivity to the activity of the Holy Spirit increases in our American conference, the need to talk together about it grows more urgent. But, ironically, the very necessity of talking together-a tradition we call covenant community-is increasingly called into question or simply ignored as more pastors and congregations listen with an independent ear and mind to "the Spirit's leading."
"With the weakened role of denominational heritage" the minister gets elevated in terms of the kind of influence he can have," says Wade Clark Roof, professor of religion and society at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the Wall StreetJournal article. For a church body whose birthright is the priesthood of all believers and a commitment to live in covenant community, his words are particularly probing.
