July 2003

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JULY 2003

ALSO INSIDE: • Faith in a living God • Testimonies of faith • MBMSI restructures funding model • Baptism and membership issues discussed

MBMSI's WITNESS INSIDE

INSIDE JULY

FIRST WORDS

2003

•.• from the editor

We often associate the summer months with family vacations and the opportunity for recreational pursuits. But vacations, recreation and other free time activities don't always leave us refreshed. We want to follow the advice ofJesus to his disciples when he said, "Come apart and rest a while." But the reality is more in keeping with an adaptation of those words penned anonymously, "Come apart and rest a while before you come apart." The first article in this month's feature section challenges us to refocus our mind-set when engaged in leisure time activities. Leisure, says author Karol Hunt, is about re-creation as much as recreation.

The feature section also includes a biblical story of faith and three personal testimonies from within our Mennonite Brethren family. Our journey of faith is not always easy, as these stories illustrate. But our God is reliable, trustworthy and gracious. He is a faithful God, and these testimonies celebrate that truth.

Two issues with which we Mennonite Brethren are currently wrestling are highlighted in the news section. Funding decreases have prompted MBMS International, our North American mission agency, to explore a new funding model that requires new missionaries to be fully funded by their supporting congregations before they leave their home country. The agency also hopes this new model will rekindle our vision for global mission. A study conference explored issues related to church membership and baptism and a report of that conference is included. While no conclusions were drawn, participants report the conversation was stimulating. Lynn Jost, a presenter at the study conference, reflects on his experience in a guest editorial.

District summer gatherings began over Memorial Day weekend when the Pacific District Conference Hispanic Assembly met for their annual worship gathering. Both the Central District Conference and Southern District Conference are holding their conventions dUring the summer months and with less emphasis on business and more on worship and fellowship. Families are invited to build a family vacation around the event. Maybe these events offer us a time to both recreate and re-create.-CF

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COMING • JULY 28-AUGUST I-Basic Institute of Conflict Management and Mediation, Oklahoma City, Okla.

• AUGUST 1-3-Southern District Conference convention, Oklahoma City, Okla.

• AUGUST 11-17-Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Africa • SEPTEMBER 19-21-North Carolina District convention, Lenoir, N.C. • NOVEMBER 14-15-Pacific District Conference convention, Lodi, Calif.

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Printing by Valley Offset Printing, Valley Center, Kan.

INS IDE JULY 2003

FEATURES

4 Leisure Leisure is a spiritual attitude that requires total commitment and involvement as a person lives a life of purpose, develops talents, looks at things in new ways or rediscovers the meaning of life. How can leisure be part of my life 365 days a year? BY KAROL HUNT

VOLUME 66, NUMBER 7

8 Faith in the God of life The story of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac is often used as an ideal example of faith. But below the surface of this account is something more. Abraham has an absolute confidence in God, because he knows exactly with whom he is dealing. BY PIERRE GILBERT

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nadine Friesen

BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Harold Loewen, chair; Peggy Goertzen Reggie Hunt, Phil Neufeld, Moises Tagle, Dalton Reimer, Kathy Heinrichs Wiest

11 Journeys in faith Three stories testify to faith in the God of life 11 Shipwrecked God did not always answer one couple's prayers how and when they wanted. Yet, God was faithful. BY CANDY DUDEK

13 A living sign of God's healing Schizophrenia took away many things from Josh Goossen. But it could never take from Josh his identity as a child of God. BY MICHAEL DYCK 14 Coming to the light of Christ Junichi Fujino was preparing himself for ministry in a heretical sect when he became a Christian. Today his goal is to build Christ's church.

16 Pulling off the highway Living life at full speed is comparable to speeding down the interstate. Periodically, we need to make a spiritual rest stop. Consider how your life can be enhanced when you stop and rest. BY NADINE FRIESEN

DEPARTMENTS What Readers Say

INTERIM EDITOR Connie Faber

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by Philip Wiebe 19 Ph'lip Side • In-your-face evangelism Inquiring Minds

by Marvin Hein 20 • Punishing evil and the likelihood of "Plan B" in Judas' betrayal On the Journey

by Rose Buschman 21 • Plumbers are missionaries too Chuck's Corner

by Chuck Buller 22 • Mark your calendars!

Bodylife 24 • Called, ready, set-ean we go?

24 • Study conference aims high, proves helpful 26 • U.S. Conference finishes fiscal year , 28 • Hispanic MBs gather for worship 29 • Seminary graduates 35 29 In Brief 31 Church News & Notes 33 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 • Baptism and church membership by Lynn Jost

MANDATE: The Christian Leader (ISSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. 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 dialogue so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition.

EDITORIAL POUCY: 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. Scripture references are from New International Version unless otherwise noted. The editors invite free-lance article submissions. A SASE must accompany articles.

READER PARTICIPATION: The editors invite readers to share their thoughts and opinions on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church using letters to the editor and Forum essays. Letters to the editor should be brief - 300 words or less - and on one subject.

Letters must be signed and include the writer's city and state. Letters will be edited for clarity, appropriateness and length. Letters will be published, as space allows, unless marked "Not for publication.' Forum is open to members or attendees of Mennonite Brethren churches. Essays should not exceed 800 words, and should include the writer's name, address, home church and occupation.

COMMUNICATION: All correspondence, including change of address, should be addressed to The Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Phone: (620)947-5543. Fax: (620)947-3266. E-mail: christianleader@usmb.org.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Rates: $16 for one year, $30 for two years and $42 for three years ($20, $38, $54 in Canada); $1.50 per copy.

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

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Periodicals postage paid at Hillsboro, Kansas.

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LEISURE

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by K a r 0 I Hunt

we often allow more time for leisure. the church schedules fewer activie cousins come to visit and we take . Many of us believe in leisure, but the summer months - to practice it. I leisure, but when I review my sched60 not always live what I teach. leisure? When do we experience leisure? How important is it to the Christian community? How can we expand our summertime focus on leisure to all 12 months of the year?

Defining Leisure Leisure is derived from the Latin word /tcere, meaning to be free, to be permitted freedom or opportunity to do something of value. It is a multifaceted concept and, according to Ruth V. Russell, author and recreation and park administration professor at Indiana University, leisure can be defined in tenns offree time, recreational activity and attitude or state of mind.

Free DOle. First, leisure is free time, discretionary time, and time away from obligation. Leisure is the weekend, holidays and the annual two-week vacation.

During their free time, individuals choose what they want to do and pursue those things that are of interest to them. No value judgment is made regarding the use of free time so what a person does can be positive or negative and activities can be either active or passive.

During my free time, I may choose to read a book, hike in the mountains, take a nap, hit tennis balls to my dog in the back yard, catch supper with friends or keep score for Thbor College basketball games. These are all things I choose to do and are of interest to me.

Recreational Activity. Second, leisure is the activity which takes place during free time. Leisure is participationbased and may include playing tennis, socializing, watching television, traveling, exercising or engaging in a hobby.

An activity becomes leisure when it is freely chosen and it benefits the participant. It is individual perception, not the activity itself; which makes it leisure. The value judgment is that the activity must be positive. However, .with a difference in values even within Christian circles, what is positive to some may be viewed as detrimental by others. Dancing and card playing are examples.

Each summer I climb Longs Peak, a 14,256-foot mountain in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park. The trek is about 16 miles. We start about 4:00 a.m. and return to base before lunch. In August 2002, to complete my midlife crisis, I competed in the Pikes Peak Ascent, a half marathon with a 7,800-foot elevation gain finishing at 14,109 feet. To me these are recreational activities. I freely choose to hike and I benefit from the experience by pushing myself

beyond my daily routine. However, I must admit, I usually question my sanity at some point on those adventures.

Attitude. Third, leisure is an attitude or state of mind.

Leisure is a spiritual attitude, a condition of the soul, a philosophy about living and a quality of life. It requires total commitment and involvement as a person lives a life of purpose, develops talents, looks at things in new ways or rediscovers the meaning of life.

As a state of mind, leisure is an opportunity to improve the quality of one's life. The difficulty is the ability to convert free time to leisure. Not everyone is able to achieve it. We rush through our days without giving much thought to what we are doing and why we are doing it. We get caught up in the trivial and don't look at the big picture.

Several summers ago I planned a camping and hiking trip to my home state of Wyoming to relive some of my childhood experiences. One Sunday afternoon I drove the mosdyone lane, gravel road through Crazy Woman Canyon in the Big Hom Mountains, an area where our family camped during my early years. I discovered a scenic spot and I pulled over. I sat for an extended period along the stream "contemplating life." I attempted to reconnect with my purpose and how I wanted my life to be different when I returned to start another school year that August.

For that short time, I experienced leisure as a state of mind.

In summary, to truly eXperience leisure we need to be totally committed and completely involved in an intrinsically rewarding pursuit. Simply having free time or participating in a free time activity is not leisure. Engaging in self. chosen activities that recreate us during our free time is leisure.

The Purpose of Leisure The purpose of leisure is rest, renewal, relaxation and re-creation. This suggests creating space or time for leisure in our lives. 'fum the computer off; close the door and leave the work at the office. Take a walk in the park or generate time for a cup of coffee with colleagues. Or le.ave the vacuum cleaner in the closet, the dishes in the sink and close the door to the laundry room. Meet another person with small children at the neighborhood playground.

The purpose of leisure is not to fill our time with an endless stream of mindless activities because we are not comfortable with unscheduled time or we want to avoid boredom. Watching television occupies about 30 percent of our free time, most of which cannot be considered leisure.

Taking time to re-create ourselves helps us to return to the office or daily tasks with calmness and a renewed spirit. We cannot effectively fulfill God's purpose for our JULY 2 0 0 3

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lives by continually being on autopilot or repeatedly serving others without calling time out to renew personal resources.

As I began writing this article, I failed to get excited about it, see much progress or have ideas that made much sense until I created some space to think. As the academic year wound down, I was part of a couple of discussions about creating space in our lives. Tabor College Academic Dean Howard Keim presented the concept of building into our schedules as discussed in The Dance ofChange by Peter Senge, et. al. Dr. Keim suggested that we faculty need time to think and to allow ideas in our respective academic areas to resonate. The result?

We will be more effective instructors. Senge also suggests that space provides a greater sense of control, which eases some of the personal stress in our lives. This is what true leisure is all about.

Adding leisure to our lives Unfortunately, leisure does not automatically happen.

It's another work task that often subtly creeps into the schedule. Seldom does leisure slip into my daily calendar.

Following are some principles for thinking about leisure.

Gift yourself permission. Give yourself permission to experience leisure. It's OK not to fill every waking moment with productivity. God is not going to increase your heavenly reward because you took one more telephone call or tried to help another individual.

This is a concept I am still learning as a second-generation person involved in ministry. My example growing up in a pastor's home was to place members of the congregation and church activities first. Although I have forgiven my dad, I still remember the evening that our family outing was cancelled after a phone call from a parishioner.

Supposedly, pastoral care was urgently needed and my siblings and I were left to understand.

Give yourself permission to play with your children or grandchildren. Give yourself permission to climb that mountain, to visit a national park, to build sand castles on the beach, to read a book, to sit and think, to volunteer for a mission project, to learn a hobby, to walk and pray, to take a drive and watch the wheat grow. Give yourself permission to fill in your own blank.

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Follow the biblical model. I find it interesting that a model ofleisure first surfaces in the second chapter of the first book of the Bible. After creating the world in six days, God rested on the seventh day. God gives us the ultimate example. He worked hard. He produced. He was satisfied. Then he rested.

The New Testament also supports this theme in Mark 6:31-32. Jesus was in the midst of his earthly public ministry. He and the apostles were in such high demand over a period of time, and on this particular day they did not even have an opportunity to eat. Jesus tells his apostles, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." They went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. They gave themselves some time away from their heavy load.

Make a goal to take one day a week off and to do something fun, to regain perspective or to reconnect with family and friends. lf a full day is not realistic, schedule an afternoon or evening for leisure. Grab the opportunity to practice solitude on a daily basis. We simply cannot continually give to others without allowing ourselves some recovery time.

Spend time iD. prayer. The Latin for prayer is recreatio mentis in Deum, meaning recreation of the soul in God. Prayer, then, is an act of leisure. I do not believe this is the "God, get me out of this trouble" kind of prayer, but is a prayer of surrender and listening. We focus on who God is, yield to the work of the Spirit and listen for his message to us, which is suggested in Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." Thus, prayer is what can help re-create us and help us focus on our life purpose in the kingdom.

Make leisure a priority. Plan your leisure. Pull out your Palm Pilot or schedule book and block off time for leisure. It will not happen if we do not make it a priority.

Include time with family and friends as well as time for yoursel£ Then do not allow another activity, no matter how compelling it may appear, to crowd out your priority. If an individual does ask for your time, you can simply pull out your calendar and say, "I am sorry, I already have an appointment on Thesday evening."

Discover your leisure interests. If busyness has overtaken you and leisure has not been a vital part of your life lately, you may need to discover or rediscover your leisure interests. Ask yourself some questions. What leisure pursuits have I enjoyed in the past? To what activities would I like to devote more time? What new challenge would I like to attempt? What have I dreamed about doing, but have never gotten around to attempting? What continuing education classes are available in my community? What volunteer work is open to me? Discover what is important to you. Then follow through.

I, E 1 S LI R

I often hear people say, "I used to do that, but...." Why not get back to your "that?" Return to Friday night out with friends, the weekly date with your spouse, reading 30 minutes a day or regular exercise.

In addition to rediscovering the past, discover something new; Climb more challenging mountains. Visit out-ofthe-way places. Learn an innovative skill or creative hobby.

Risk a challenge. The important thing is to do what you have always dreamed about doing or learning.

Year-round leisure A chapter in Tun Hansel's book When I RelaxI Feel GUilty is titled, "Make Life Happen." I think that Hansel's suggestions are a clear picture ofexperiencing leisure: • Make time to think, ror it is the source of power.

• Make time to play, ror it is the source offreedom, spontaneity, rela:xation and the secret ofyouth.

• Make time to read, ror it is the roundation ofknowledge.

• Make time to worship, ror it is the pathway ofblessing.

• Thke time to help and enjoy friends, ror no other happiness can match this.

• Make time to love, ror it is the greatest sacrament of life.

• Make time to laugh and pray, for they lighten life's roads.

• Make time to be alone with God, for it the greatest privilege in life and source of everything to do.

Leisure is not just a summer time activity. It is a yearround attitude. The challenge is to use our free time to pursue activities that re-create us. Leisure is a time for growth and development. •

Karol Hunt is a professor ofphysical education at Tabor College, a Mennonite Brethren college located in Hillsboro, Kan., and is a member ofParkview MB Church, Hillsboro. The summer monthsfind Hunt at Highlands Camp, Allenspark, Colo., where she creates leisure experiencesfor others. She serves Highlands as specialty camp and activity coordinator.

LEISURE ACTIVITIES - SOMETHING fOR EVERYONE Since the purpose of leisure is rest, renewal, relaxation and re-creation, as we create space for leisure in our lives, we can draw from a wide variety of activities. Karol Hunt offers this list of activities for our consideration. It is not an exhaustive list, says Hunt, and she invites readers to add to and subtract from it.

Reading a book - fiction or nonfiction Horseback riding Cycling Watching a video Watching a play Attending an athletic event Walking Playingcompukrgames Playing board games Date night Hiking Camping Taking a drive in the country Swimming Eating Sunday dinner at Grandma's Attending a family reunion Attending Sunday worship Playing golf or tennis Rock climbing Talking with friends

Sunday school class socials Church pitch-in meals Playing with children and grandchildren Playing with pets Visiting nursing home residents Woodworking Sewing Needlework Crafts Working crossword pUZlles Assembling a pUZlle Surfing the Web Touring historic sites Walking through a museum Walking on the beach Getting a massage Going to an amusement park Bird-watching Backpacking Fishing

Watching old movies Studying the Bible Painting watercolor Drawing Traveling Attending concerts listening to music Playing a musical instrument Rollerblading Ice skating Cross-country skiing Snow-shoeing Downhill skiing Attending a family camp Thkinga nap Socializing with friends Gardening Restoring cars

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in the

The story of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac is certainly about Abraham's faith. But the text is first and foremost about the God of life.

WHEN TRAGIDY STRIKES, IT IS NOT UNCOMMON to hear that we must have faith. But what does it mean to have faith? The book of Hebrews offers Abraham as an ideal example of faith (Heb. 11:8-20).

The author alludes, however, to one of the most shocking stories of the Old Testament to make his point: God's request that Abraham sacrifice his only child, Isaac. How does such a story illustrate faith? Is faith some kind of blind, mindless allegiance to a blood· thirsty God? In order to get a better insight into the significance ofthls story, we need to examine Gen. 22:1-19.

Adifficult story Right from the outset, the reader is left speechless

by the apparent immorality and unfairness of God's demand. Isaac is not only a son, but he is the very prom· a-THE

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ise of a future for Abraham. Plenty of preachers have waxed at length about the horrendous anguish Abraham must have felt as he contemplated what lay ahead.

But part of the difficulty in this story is the startling absence of any reference to Abraham's distress or to any opposition to God's request. At first sight, this is some· what arresting. One presumes that Abraham must have experienced some degree of despair over GQd's demand, as any father would, but the author-chooses not to emphasize it. We are left with the systttnatic, calm, inescapable and unrelenting progressiOn ofthe drama. If anything, it is the reader who worriesand frets over Abraham's insane course of action and theirighten· log possibillty that he will go through with sacrifice.

10 verses 9·10, the story reaches its climax: Abraham

r A 1T H

by Pierre Gilbert binds his son, lays him on the altar and stands, poised to inflict the fatal strike.

But then, the unexpected happens. Suddenly, an insistent and urgent call echoes from heaven: ')\braham!

Abraham! ... Do not lay a hand on the boy... Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God..." (vv.

12-13). The contrast between Abraham, on the one hand, and Isaac, the reader and the angel, on the other hand, is unmistakable. Abraham is portrayed as resolute and calm, evidendy convinced that something extraordinary is going to happen (v. 8). In the remaining portion of this story (vv. 13-19), the crisis is resolved: A substitute is offered for the life of Isaac, and the Lord reiterates the promise to make Abraham into a great nation.

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Faith at its best So, what does this story teach us about faith?

At a very basic level, this text highlights the remarkable character ofAbraham's faith. This is faith at its best. God speaks and Abraham responds. That's all there is to it. Part of the reason for the insertion of this story in the book of Genesis is to provide a concrete example of faith in and loyaltyto God. But one nagging question remains: How can Abraham remain so brazenly confident throughout the whole ordeal? Part of the explanation is inherent to Abraham's overwhelming gratefulness towards God: There was a time when Abraham had no future, and now he does (see Gen. 12:1-3). But there is something else percolating below the surface. Abraham has an absolute confidence in God, because he knows exactly with whom he is dealing.

Trust is always based on knowledge. My brother and I implicitly and unconditionally trust each other. For example, I often use one of his credit cards to book flights; it enables him to accumulate air miles. Once, he unexpectedly received a bill for almost $1,200. He immediately called me to inform me of the payment deadline and simply hung up. No further comments were needed.

When he and his wife wrote up their will, he said to me: "If we both die, you get the twins and all our financial assets." He implicitly assumed that I would take care of the children and wisely manage their resources. Only one thing can justify this kind of trust: We know each other.

We have history. Abraham has complete confidence in God, because he has an intimate knowledge of God. But can we reconcile such brazen confidence with the notion of a God who literally asks for a human sacrifice? To us such a request seems both immoral and scandalous. But considering the context of the patriarchal

period, it probably did not come as a complete and shocking surprise to Abraham.

The God of life Infant sacrifice was not an uncommon occurrence in the religions of the Ancient Near East. For example, Baal, the Canaanite fertility god, would occasionally require the flesh and blood of infants to satisfy his hunger (2 Kings 16:3; Micah 6:7). We know that under Israelite law; the firstborn belonged to God and had to be redeemed by a sacrifice (Ex. 13:1, 12-13, 15; 22:29; Num. 3:13; 18:15).

We can safely assume that the request to sacrifice a child to a deity would not have been out of character in terms of Abraham's culture. But Abraham has history with God. He knows him intimately. Abraham knows Yahweh has no need of the flesh and blood of children, a notion affirmed throughout the history of Israel (see Lev. 20:2-5; Jer. 7:31; 19:5; 32:35). Yahweh is the God of the promise. He is the provider. He is the God who lavishes his love on his creation. He is the living God; the Lord of JULY 2 0 0 3

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life. Abraham knew that life would burst regardless of what would eventually come out of this ordeal. This is the real significance of this story and it also incidentally is what the author of Hebrews underlines in chapter 11.

Abraham unflinchingly prepares the sacrifice, because in the end he knows life will prevail. And if life does not prevail, then it can only mean that he has been deceived. And if that is the case, then life is not worth living anyway. And here is the heart of the matter. While this story is certainly about Abraham's faith, it is not only Abraham's faith. It is about Abraham's faith in God. This text is first and foremost about God, not Abraham.

And this God is not Baal.

Baalism represents a system of bondage, manipulation, terror and fear. In the end, Baal always demands human flesh and blood. Nothing else will do. Idols, regardless of the name we attribute to them, require all and give nothing in return. Baal is death. In Genesis 22, however, Abraham is vindicated. When the angel of the Lord urgently intervened to stop Abraham, it confirmed the true nature of God's character. The God ofAbraham is indeed the God of life.

AFrench psychoanalyst, Tony Anatrella, wrote in his book Non a la societe depressive (1997) that only a deeply sick society can consider such phenomena as abortion, divorce, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, substance addiction and teenage suicide as unavoidable.

For Anatrella, it speaks of a society in depression. But beyond the mere observation, AnatrelIa offers a startling explanation. He links the chronic state of depression in which we seem to be locked to the rejection of the Judeo-Christian God. In an interview for the French magazine Paris Match, he noted: "In their desire to free themselves from God, our societies have often produced hopeless and alienating ideologies, which implode one after the other."

A fundamental question The Bible ultimately addresses one fundamental issue. Who will we serve? Will we serve God or Baal?

Will we choose life or death? Abraham abandoned himself to the care and love of the God he knew: He chose God and found life. Genesis 22 is a witness to Abraham's unconditional commitment to what he knew to Baal enslaves be true.

Generation after generation, Baal rises anew, but The notion that God is loving and trustworthy repwe never quite recognize him; he comes in many shapes resents, I believe, the single most difficult concept for and forms. We know, of course, that there is no Baal. humans to accept. From the very beginning in the garBaal is an illusion, a cover for the ideologies of dehuden, and throughout human history, God has tirelessly manization and exploitation human societies constantly and in various ways sought to reveal himself. In the end, recreate. In a way, Baalism and the system it represents the Son came and showed God as he truly was, and the are what the apostle John calls the "world." like Baal, was murdered. We have been told that subjects Son the ''world'' is also hungry and thirsty. It demands our must die for their king. But now, we know the truth. all but gives nothing in return. At best, it will claim our And that is the Good News. The King died for his peoflesh and blood. At worst, it will snatch our souls. The Nazis sacrificed millions of lives to feed ideological gods ple, and rose again that life might swallow all. whose hunger was insatiable. Millions of people around Genesis 22 is the story of a man who had come to the world and throughout history have been enslaved to an intimate knowledge of God and his unswerving comserve ideological imperatives. mitment to act confidently on that basis. This is biblical In Canada, "Baal" is also well fed. According to Stafaith. It is also this attitude the prophet Habakkuk tistics Canada, over two million abortions were perreflects in the closing verses of his book. formed between 1970 and 1998. And there was a com"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no pelling reason for every single one of these abortions: grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the money, career, convenience and despair. In the end, fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in each life was discarded because the "system" demanded the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in it. Alittle while ago, a couple in China was ordered to the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior" (Hab. 3: 17kill their youngest child, because they were over their 18).• quota. The couple refused. The bureaucrats forcibly Pierre Gilbert is associate professor ofOld Testament seized the baby and immediately drowned it before at MB Biblical Seminary and Canadian Menstudies their eyes. These officials knew it had to be that way. nonite University in Winnipeg, Man. This article was The "system" required it. This baby had to die so that others may live. The lie goes on and "Baal" keeps on liv- first printed in The Messenger, a publication ofthe ing... over there and over here.

Evangelical Mennonite Conference.

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Journe •Lit,

When we share ourjourneys offaith wUb· encouraged. Here, from our Mennonite HrI,rtlJl three stories that testify to faith in tbe Shipwrecked: Trusting God whil

By Candy Dudek

I

WILL REMEMBER TUESDAY, NOV. 6, 2001, A$ THE DAY THAT OUR LWD

shipwrecked. I had persuaded my husband Carl to Visit our f.unlly did reluctantly. Carl's cough, once slight, had become very persistent. we Lawrence to review Carl's x-ray. When the doctor returned to the examining room I was bad news the moment I saw the expression on his face. Carl had a large tumof • right lung. In one brief moment, our lives changed forever.

Pastor Don Morris had recently preached a series of sermot,lS from Acts 27 wheft apostle Paul, a prisoner enroute to Rome, was shipwrecked during a tremendous stom. sea. Pastor Don encouraged us to have courage and faith in Go(l eyen durina the 8totn'JS our lives. These sermons came to mind as we began the process 9frdeterminina a s diagnosis. It was like we were floating on planks, adrift at sea and movie. towards an unknown destination. The days were filled with physician appoinbDents, lab tests, CAT scam and biopsies. We waited endless hours for test results.

At first we prayed for complete deliverance, for the tumor to gone when the CAT ICIIl was performed; the tumor was still present on the CAT scan. we prayOO for the diagnOSis be a benign tumor; the diagnosis was cancer. Then we prayed fqr the malilJOaIlC! to be anything but lung cancer, since it was uncertain whether the mass in'the luns the cbe8I. The diagnosis came back lung cancer, which the oncologist was ttte m08t'difft t to treat. Confused but hopeful, we prayed for the lung cancer to be ope.dlble.1ihe decision Carl's team of doctors was that because of the location of the mass ther could not rem1)ve surgically. As he laid out the treabDent plan, the oncologist Carl only a percent chance of survival due to the severity of his cancer.

Given this news, prayer became a vital part of our lives. cart and I were praying. ¤fur families were praying. When Carl was first diagnosed, Pastor Don deaa>os to OUt house and they offered special prayer, laying their hands on Carl and anointlna him with oil.

The dedicated prayer warriors from the Pine Acres congregation were prayina. Carl was placed on prayer lists at many other churches and before long thousaqdS of Chrlstims 1\"eQ: praying for us. We received hundreds of cards and letters frotnjC<>pJe, many we didn't know, who were praying for us. We will always be thankful forJhe.contlnued people.

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I have learned to

trust him even when the storm is raging and my life is shipwrecked, to rest in his arms because he will bring me safely home.

Yet, it seemed at times that God wasn't hearing us. "God, where are you?" I cried. We were calling to him from the very depths of our hearts in grief and emotional pain. Satan tried to convince me there was no hope.

Then came the moment we realized we were powerless. We admitted to God that the power to heal Carl was his. It did not belong to the doctors, or the treatment plan. It did not depend on how much we desired healing. God loved us and would always be true to his promise in Heb. 13:5 to never forsake us. We knew we had to give the situation completely over to God and to trust him for all outcomes-even the outcomes we didn't want. I remember rebuking Satan and his negative suggestions in the name ofJesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer, and placing Carl completely in God's hands.

God responded to our pleas and we were totally overwhelmed by it. It has been so very powerful to see God work through this very difficult experience. He is so full of surprises. God's answers were not immediate.

Carl tolerated 24 chemotherapy treatments and 35 radiation treatments. But as his oncologist followed Carl through treatment, he was amazed. In the beginning, when the tumor first began to shrink, the doctors were hesitant to give us hope. But as time passed and as Carl went to follow-up appointments, the doctor used words like "awesome" and "fabulous" regarding Carl's progress. What an answer to prayer when the oncologist told us only four months later that he was almost sure the cancerous tumor was gone, with only scar tissue from the radiation left in its place.

Because of this experience, I now trust God in a different way. I have learned to trust him even when the storm is raging and my life is shipwrecked, to rest in his arms because he will bring me safely home. I know for sure that my ship will be safe in his harbor. Through Carl's experience and my own battle with breast cancer five years ago, God has shown his faithfulness. I hold on to his promises because he is faithful and his word stands forever (Heb. 10:23; Isa. 40:8). We will always be thankful for God's great love and his tremendous healing power that works in our lives daily, both physically and spiritually.

Carl and Candy Dudek attend Pine Acres Church in Weatherford, Okla. Candy's testimony wasfirst printed in theJanuary issue ofthe Pine Acres church newsletter.

The Dudeks have continued to experience the support of their churchfamily a1uJ God'sfaithfulneSs. Candy reports that in earlyJune Carl underwent surgery to remove questionable lymph nodes the doctor said could we called on our indicate the return ofhis cancer. spiritualfamily at Pine Acres Church to pray, "she writes in a follow-up letter to the Leader. "Ourprayer request wasplaced on the church prayer line. Pastor Don organized a specialgathering the Sunday afternoon before surgery to claim Carl's healing. Carl and I were encircled by those who came to pray, with each person's hand touching us as they prayedfor Garl's healing andfor peace as hefaced surgery the next day. n The couple expected to wait several days for the pathology report but "God spared us the days ofwaiting andgave us a report the very next afternoon, "says Candy. The report that the growth was benign quickly spread through the church. "Praise Godfor his incrediblygreat power and love and hisfaithfulness to his people, "says Candy.

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A living sign of God's healing

M

y name is Michael Dyck, and I am the psychi-

atrist who had the privilege of working with Josh Goossen. Josh was a Christian man who struggled hard to overcome a debilitating disease, a disease which ultimately took his life. But it never took away his burning desire to fulfill God's purpose for him. I knew Josh as a patient, but also as a person who affected me in ways that are hard to express.

Josh came to see me in October of 2000, when many of his friends, family and teachers were concerned that he could not study and relate to those around him as he had before. Josh had been admitted to a hospital in Saskatoon the winter before for similar symptoms. He was making what was a very difficult decision for him-to again accept help from the medical care system, and to try to open himself to understand what was happening to him from the point of view of doctors, nurses and professionals who work in what we might caU ''Western medicine," Josh struggled to come to terms with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, a word shrouded in mystery; fear and stigma. You may think that choosing to get treatment from a doctor for a legitimate disease would be easy to do; this is rarely easy for those with this disease, and it was never easy for Josh.

With some persuasion, Josh agreed to be admitted to Eden Mental Health Centre. The first day that I met Josh, he talked, as he was able, about thoughts and voices which criticized him, about a cloudedness in his mind.

Then, and often thereafter, Josh expressed his sense that he was failing God in some way, that he was not behaving as he thought God wanted. This sense, which others around him found so difficult to understand, caused him to behave in ways which could only be understood through the prism through which Josh saw the world and himself Josh stayed with us at Eden from October 2000 to February 2001. During this time, even when he struggled the most, Josh was always seeking ways to minister to those around him. He ministered to other patients with song and Scripture. He ministered to staff with his art, which seemed to weU up from the deepest center of himself. Josh brought a gende, peaceful glow to aU those with whom he interacted.

A few weeks after admission, after Josh had been involved in different forms of assessment, I prepared to explain to Josh and his family what our findings were. I prepared to teU him that the confused or absent

thoughts, the disturbing thoughts and voices and the change in personality in recent years-which his family described and the tests and assessments confirmedwere aU consistent with a brain disease caUed schizophrenia. Several days before I planned to explain the diagnosis, Josh must have sensed my concern about how he would accept it, because in a session with him he suddenly brought up the subject of his diagnosis. I asked him what he thought it was. Without hesitation he said, "Schizophrenia."

To remember Josh and to support his family is to try to understand how this disease, so often misunderstood, affected him and them, to understand how a disease of the brain can take a life.

Schizophrenia is a disease of the brain which, like other brain diseases, causes it to change, to stop functioning normaUy. You and I take for granted that we can teU the difference between our own thoughts and any voices we may hear; when the brain is affected by schizophrenia, it loses the ability to distinguish between these.

You and I take for granted that when we have to make a decision, we can decide between two options; the brain affected by schizophrenia is plagued by indecision and seeming contradiction. You and I take for granted that we can generate thoughts; the brain of someone suffering

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from schizophrenia often is unable to generate thoughts and conversation.

I know that, in his deepest self and before God his Maker, Josh Goossen, even at this most troubled, was the same Josh who had been born 21 years earlier. His soul was intact and could not be touched by any disease. But we humans are not God. We see through a glass dimly; we can see parts of a person, but not his soul.

Schizophrenia affected Josh's brain, causing us to perceive a change inJosh's personality, in what he said and in what he did.

Josh lived at home with his parents again in spring 2001 for just over two months. During that time, Josh's parents, his family, friends and professionals provided medication, helped him to minister at Wmkler Bible Camp and worked to help him define his goals for the future. Despite this, his mind and body weakened, even as he drove himself ever harder physically. He had greater difficulty accepting Western medical treatment.

Ted and Mary Goossen never stopped supporting their son. I have never met two parents more devoted to their children. They never ceased to engage Josh, to advocate for and to read about his disease. Even as they struggled with the inability to cure Josh, they held me up in prayer, as I did them.

Josh had to be admitted to Eden again due to deterioration in his condition, including a struggle with thoughts of death. As the disease prevented him from making everyday choices, so it prevented him from choosing a way forward. When, at some unknown moment, Josh's mind could no longer see a way forward, when the disease of schizophrenia disabled his hope, he could not struggle any longer. I do not comprehend the mystery of death, especially the death of the young. I do know that when disease has come to its end, followers of Christ like Josh Goossen see him no longer dimly; but face to face.

Schizophrenia can do many things to a person. It can take away the parts of a person that allow us, as human beings, to fully recognize that individual as the same person we knew; But there are things that schizophrenia, or any other illness, can never take away. Schizophrenia could never take from Josh his identity as a child of God. It could never take away his desire to fol-

Schizophrenia could never takefromJosh his identity as a child ofGod. It could never take away his desire to follow Christ in everything he did.

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low Christ in everything he did. In his times of despair, Josh felt that he had failed God and those around him.

But those of us who had the privilege of knowing him could see the Christ-light shining through the prism that was Joshua Goossen, even when he couldn't. Despite everything that he lost, despite what medicine, the love of his family and the care of those who knewJosh just could not heal, Josh never ceased to be a living sign of the healing power of Christ.

Michael Dyck is a psychiatrist at Eden Mental Health Centre, a government-funded inter-Mennonite agency based in Winkler, Man. This article is adaptedfrom reflections Dyck shared atjosh Goossen'sfuneral April 30, 2001.josh'sparents, Ted andMary Goossen, have given manyyears ofservice directing Christian camps andpastoringMennonite Brethren Churches. This article is reprintedfrom the MB Herald, the publication ofthe Canadian MB Conference.

Coming to the light of Christ

T

he charm hangs on a chain around the neck. In a small vinyl bag next to the skin is a piece of paper folded into a four-inch square. On it is written the Japanese character for "light.» This charm, according to those who wear it, acts like a radio receiver drawing power from God. The wearer can then bring healing to others as the power radiates its light through the palms of his hands. Junichi Fujino saw it work when his mother had been healed of tuberculosis. He himself had practiced the rite on others and they had been healed.

Now a pastor of a Mennonite Brethren church in Osaka, Japan, Junichi Fujino once embraced a heretical sect of Shintoism known as World Messianity. The group emphasizes healing and claims that salvation will start in the east and spread to the entire world. It was only after struggles and uncertainties during his university days that Fujino found Christianity.

Fujino had initially gone to the university to study science, believing, as his religion taught, that someday science and religion would harmonize. In his final year, however, he attended a lecture called "Beyond Science" given by Herbert Mitchell, a NASA scientist who ended his lecture by speaking of Christ and salvation. Mitchell was invited to speak by Harry Friesen, a Mennonite Brethren missionary who is now retired and living in

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Hillsboro, Kan. Since all lecture attendees were invited to the Friesens for coffee, Fujino joined and began asking questions.

"At that time I had no doubts about my religion," he says. "I talked and preached about it to others. I was preparing to become a foreign missionary for it. In fact, my university education was suffering because I was working so hard for the religion. I was working for my salvation. ''When I discussed this with Dr. Mitchell, however, I suddenly had the feeling that he personally knew God and I did not. When he talked about a salvation which did not depend on works, I decided there must be anoth· er salvation than the one I knew about," says Fujino.

Prior to this, Fujino had had a few chance exposures to Christianity, giving him the impression that Christianity was very narrow for claiming to be the only true religion.

But after Mitchell's lecture, he was interested in the Bible. "I wanted to know the truth; I was thirsty," he explains.

One day he met Friesen accidentally at the train station and told him that he was interested in studying the Bible. Friesen invited him to the Sunday evening English and Bible classes at the Friesen home and Fujino began attending the meeting.

Every week he brought questions to discuss with Friesen and every week he searched for answers. They discussed creation and evolution, and Bible prophecy and the life of Christ. He learned that the most important message of the Bible is to believe in Christ for salvation.

"I couldn't accept it," he says. "I was still tied to my previous beliefs."

Realizing his need, Friesen began meeting with Fujino every week for two to three hours. While Fujino asked questions, Friesen tried to answer them. Among other things, he explained to Fujino that God is always one step behind you. If you tum and say, "I accept salvation," he will save you.

Fujino describes his struggle: I tried to bring the two religions together, but it didn't work. I realized that I had to believe. On March 13, 1975, I made my decision. The moment I finished my prayer to accept Christ, I felt something enter into me. That feeling was the assurance that I had been saved."

Fujino didn't want to continue with his old religion, but by this time, he had committed himself to attend the World Messianity seminary, and his integrity compelled him to follow through with this commitment. "The lectures were boring," he remembers. "They were all on doctrines that I already knew were false. I knew that no one in the religion knew God or had salvation. The best times were when I was reading the Bible and when I

went back to the Ishibashi church every Sunday."

Behind the scenes, the Friesens, the Christians meeting in their home and the members of Ishibashi Church were praying Fujino through. For seven months he struggled with his Christianity in the environment of his old religion. "Those were transitional days for me," he says.

"But it was during this year that I finally realized the World Messianity was from Satan; its healing was satanic, the same as sorcery."

In 1981, the Lord called Fujino into full-time ministry. After completing his studies at the Evangelical Biblical Seminary (MB) in Osaka in March 1983, he took over the pastorate at the Kuzuha Mennonite Brethren church in northern Osaka. "My goal," he says, "is to build the church and raise my family according to the Word."

Fujirw is currently the pastor ofHirakata Church and represents theJapan MB Conference on the International Committee ofMennonite Brethren. He gave a printed copy ofhis testimony to the Leader stafflast summer at the 2002 ICOMB meeting. Fujino's story wasfirst told in "1bey Saw His Glory -Stories ofConversion andService, "published in 1984 by Kindred Press.

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by Nadine F r i

sen

Pulling off the highway REST AREA 1 MfJ RES i---AREA / '

S

OMEWHERE WE HAVE TAKEN ON THE assumption that busyness is a sign of importance, hurried is the best way to accomplish the most and a sense of being overwhelmed is normal. living life at full speed is comparable in many ways to speeding down the interstate-so much distance to cover, so little time in which to cover it and no time to enjoy the Sights along the way.

What we may need most is to add a few rest stops to the itinerary.

There is good theology to be found in the analogy of the rest stop. God intends for his people to rest as well as to travel. Periodically, we need to pull off the harried and hurried interstate of all that is part of everyday life and review our destination and travel plan.

Jesus repeatedly took time in a quiet place to pray and renew perspective with his father. The gospels say nothing about Jesus being in a hurry-intense, passionate and full of purpose yes-but not rushed.lfJesus needed a rest stop, certainly we have reason to carefully consider the invitation he extends. To his followers then and now he says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28); come with me to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31).

Consider the follOwing ways in which the journey oflife can be enhanced by slowing down and stopping at a spiritual rest stop now and then.

Review the map and destination It is possible to travel many miles in the wrong direction without being aware of it. Spiritual journeys can also become misdirected if one loses sight of the purpose ofour travel. It seems significant that the number one best-seller for Christ followers for many months, with over three million copies sold, is the book The Purpose Driven Life. What is the purpose that drives our lives? A rest stop can remind us of the person who instigated our trip and the purpose for our journey. In the midst offast paced travel, we may lose sight of the joy and call to "do all to the glory of God." There is a great difference between adding miles to the odometer and making progress in being the people God has called us to be.

Get a drink

It's not at all uncommon to see people toting a beverage container wherever they go. How invigorating it can be if we consistently sip on living water to quench our spiritual thirst. God's invitation is always extended, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters" (Isa. 55:1-2). We can be renewed by even a short pause in the day's activity as we respond to God's invitation. "0 God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (psalm 63: 1) can renew the journey.

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Stretch muscles and empty the trash The intensity with which we travel can cramp our spirits and clutter our alertness to God's presence and the prompting of the Spirit. Stopping to take time for the exercise of prayer will stimulate our circulation. And, emptying whatever clutters our relationship with God and others, clears the way for freedom in travel.

Catching a short nap One of the greatest benefits of a short nap is that it can totally relax the mind and the body. The intensity in our life journey is often the result of hanging on tightly to all the things, situations and people for which we assume responsibility. God invites us to stop, take a spiritual nap from our own control and trust in Him. He encourages us to lay aside our activity for a while and rest in his love and power.

Pause long enough to look at surroundings There may be more to a rest stop than we expect. Anticipating only a place to get rid of trash and make the "necessary" stop, one is surprised to find a mini history museum, a pleasant encounter with another traveler or a beautiful hiking trail that reveals scenery not visible from the highway. Spiritual rest stops often provide surprises as well. Much more than just a pause on the way from here to there, God may reveal new perspectives and opportunities to see things that we miss if we just keep traveling at maximum speed. As we stop, we may find that God is "doing immeasurably more than we ask or imagine" (Eph. 3:20) even as we're speeding down the road.

An occasional stop is essential if we want to keep going. If we are too busy to pause at a wayside rest, we're simply too busy. If we are so consumed with our own agenda that we don't notice the signs that call us to "come aside and rest," we've missed the goal of the journey. At the same time, if we want only to rest, we have yet to discover the joy of serving out ofgratitude to a loving and ever faithful God. We're called to travel and to rest in the presence, purpose and power of God. When we do, the joy and adventure of travel is as limitless as God's goodness.

-Nadtne Friesen ts the Leader edttorial assistant.

\VHAT READERS SAY

Women in ministry I appreciated Doug Heidebrecht's article, "Women In Ministry," in the May 2003 issue. I agree wholeheartedly with his statement. Gal. 3:28, while establishing the equal status of women and men in Christ, does not remove the functional differences in the church. The context of Galatians suggests that the social implications are not addressed by Paul's statement proclaiming oneness in Christ."

Having said that, I do not understand why later he poses the question, "Should one text take interpretive priority over another (i.e., Galatians 3:28 or 1 Timothy 2: 11)?" I cannot see how Galatians even enters the question. As Brother Heidebrecht says, Paul is not dealing with "functional differences," or we might say differences in roles. The fact is that ''Jews and Gentiles" still exist. "Slave (or worker) and free (or boss)," still exist, and "male and female" still exist.

The Bible also gives very specific instructions as to functions or roles of some of these. I cannot see that the Galatians passage enters into the discussion of female and male roles in the church.

Jonathan Bartel Denver, Colo.

Women in ministry We are so concerned about proper gender roles. Perhaps we have not been asking the right question about the right to minister in the church.

It is true that the church as a legal entity in a community is an organization and needs administrators. They have "position." But the church as an organism of many believers of all ages, various abilities, different stages of maturity, etc., needs good servant leaders.

The church is a family. Everybody, Grandpa and Grandma, Dad, Mom, young people and children, has a part in the family life and has something to say. They seNe out of non-position. All need to be heard, for all have something to offer. We tend to overlook that.

Ifwe take Jesus' own words to his disciples at face value we learn that the basic position of a leader is that of a servant. And the true servant does not stand or sit at the top.

He or she occupies the lowest position. To all men and women who aspire to leadership in the church we can say: "There is plenty of room at the bottom."

If we read the list of opportunities for

selVing found in Romans 12, it appears that none are gender bound, and none speak of position, but of selVing: a non-position. I wonder if more often than not, the best ministry is done by people in the everyday pursuits of life, who take the time to live out their faith, help others, and to speak words of comfort, encouragement and counsel to those around them without necessarily having an official position in the church organization.

Only one person at a time can sit in the pastor's office, or lead the choir or stand in front of a Sunday school class. For that position they need to be duly approved and appointed. I have noticed that for the most important age group in our churches we place the very best qualified people in charge; we generally call on the women to teach the little ones. (perhaps we do need to consider gender preferences.) However, for all of the best opportunities to seNe of which the Bible speaks in Romans 12:3-8, they are open to all; and I quote (out of context) such there is no law" and no gender restrictions.

Real ministry is not a matter of position but of a heart to seNe. Paul C. Friesen

PerU, South America.

Sharing church leadership As a member and pastor in a congregation with a "lead pastor" it has not been my experience that the identification of one member of the leadership team as a "leader among leaders" has led to a decrease in every member ministry (''Why not share church leadership," May 2003). On the contrary, our lead pastor sees himself as an equipper and releaser of others. To be sure, lead pastors are up front leaders and do most of the vision casting, but the vision they communicate is precisely that of a church where we all work together, male and female, to do the work of the Kingdom. In fact, as I read books and attend conferences resourced by lead pastor types I find them all working with teams of leaders and all emphasizing the same thing-leading the church in such a way as to encourage every member to see him or herself as a full-time minister.

In the book ofActs leadership was clearly shared but it is also equally clear to me that people like Peter and Paul stood out as leaders of leaders. In MB history my

hunch is that the pattern was similar to what we find in Acts. Within the team of leading elders one would have probably been able to find one individual that the rest of the team recognized as the leader.

The term "lead pastor" doesn't necessarily communicate a commitment to a top down, CEO-style leadership philosophy. I think it's just a term that acknowledges the vital, spiritual gift of leadership at work in the local church.

Dave Thiessen Clovis, Calif.

How willing are we to spread the gospel?

We have been studying Acts in our adult Sunday school class and have seen how effective the early church was in spreading the gospel and also how rapidly the movement spread from Jerusalem to the then known world. The apostles were willing to suffer for the cause of the gospel even in the face of persecution and death.

The United States went to war in Iraq to rid that country of their tyrant leader. Thousands of troops were called to seNe. The military is made up entirely of volunteers of one kind or another. Many who have been called up to seNe are family men with jobs who have to leave everything behind to seNe their country. From what I have seen they go willingly, leaving behind their wives, families, sweethearts and jobs to do something which they feel is important. Some of them have made the ultimate sacrifice and will not be returning home. Also from what I have seen, the families who have lost loved ones feel it is a worthy sacrifice.

My aim in this letter is not to go into the pros and cons of fighting a war in Iraq but to make a comparison between the willingness of the church of]esus Christ to go out and make sacrifices to the willingness of our military personal to go out and fight a war. Do we as Christians think it is as important to send people to spread the gospel as it is supposedly to protect our political and personal freedoms?

Our military personal are looked on as heroes. But what about those who have gone out, especially those in times past who went to out of the way places in tropical climates, and laid down their lives for the sake of the gospel. Do we think of them as heroes? If the continued on page 35 J U LY 2 0 0 3

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In-your-face evangelism SOMEONE WALKED BY ME RECENTLY with a T-shirt that read, ''You don't know Jack if you don't know Jesus." Kind of a clever saying, I thought. But if I didn't know Jesus, how would it have struck me? Probably I would have been offended. And certainly the saying wouldn't have moved me to talk to the guy wearing it. Just another one of those selfrighteous Christians looking down at the rest of us, I would have thought. Which may not have been true, but I wouldn't have stuck around to find out.

Thinking about it later, it seemed to me that T-shirt reflected an "in-your-face" style of evangelism that has gained favor among some Christians today. There has been a movement to speak out, be bold, stop being silent. In theory, that's not bad. In practice, it isn't always good. For some Christians, speaking out translates as speaking down, and being bold turns into being overbearing. The church hasn't gotten a reputation for being too judgmental for nothing.

As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of the in-your-face approach to sharing faith. Then again, a greater problem in today's church may be just the opposite, what you might call "non-evangelism."

It's a feeling, in our relativistic age, that we shouldn't bug anyone with our beliefs. Since people believe a lot of different things in our culture, we should respect that.

Well, of course we should. But that shouldn't stop us from talking about our really good news. God, the Creator and Sustainer, wants to have a loving relationship with us. He is sad to see the greed and violence and hedonism haunting so much of humanity. There's a way out. Jesus wants to show us. The difference between speaking out like this and

the "in-your-face" approach is obvious.

The latter focuses on the bad news about you (''You don't know Jack. ..''), while the former embraces the good news for all of us.

Another thing that strikes me as iffy evangelism is the opportunistic approach. This says I should strike up conversations in order to introduce Christianity, and make friends for the purpose of witnessing to them. Novv, I would hope that in the course of conversations and friendships, people would sense that I'm a person of faith. It's wrapped up with who I am. It would be natural for that to open doors to deeper spiritual dialogue.

But I don't relate with unchurched folks thinking I'm going to clinch some spiritual deal down the road, like a salesman. Jesus certainly didn't deal with people that way. He hung around with "sinners" just because he cared about them.

From Gospel accounts of dinners and gatherings he attended, my sense is that Jesus was a great party guest. Very personable and engaging, prone to saying and doing amazing things. I wonder how many in secular society today would say that about church people.

I could go on about bad ways to witness, but already we're seeing the quandary of sharing faith in our culture.

It's kind of like walking a tightrope. Certainly we should be bold, but definitely not brazen. We should be sensitive to people's backgrounds and beliefs, but not to the point of silence. We do want to talk about spiritual things with friends and acquaintances, but not with sneaky tactics or ulterior motives. Thinking about all this, one may wonder: Isn't it just easier to witness by putting on a Tshirt with some clever saying?

Yes it is. But slogans rarely turn people's hearts toward God. What does lead people to faith, most often, is persons of faith living lives of integrity and building caring relationships with those who haven't yet met Jesus.

Evangelism has often been a struggle for the church. In today's cynical society, especially; it can be tough to share a message that captures anyone's attention.

But even in this difficult environment, I'm encouraged by some biblical truths about sharing faith.

The first is that I can't convince anyone to turn to God, only God can. "No one can come to me," Jesus said, "unless the Father who sent me draws him" Qohn 6:44). I don't have to "sell" anyone on Christianity, which is a good thing because everyone's trying to sell something these days. I just need to share my own experience of faith. This is the seed the Spirit can water in someone's heart.

Second, there is really no "conventional" evangelistic strategy. The way Jesus related to spiritual seekers was often surprising to his disciples, and frequentlyoffensive to the day's religious teachers. And just when people thought they had Jesus figured out, he'd do or say something completely new; The church has a tendency to try and program and formulize evangelism, but Jesus used a lot of creativity and improvisation. We can do that too.

Third, the real power of evangelism comes not from just saying Jesus is Lord, but living like it. That means that when we seek the Lord first, and daily follow his ways, our lives automatically become a witness. To me that seems a lot more effective than wearing a T-shirt that gets on people's nerves.

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MARVIN

HEIN

Questions about faith Be life __"'

....

evil and the likelihood of "Plan B" in]udas' betrayal .__.._¥... . . .,__ . . "'__...

-_.__ ._v ._ c

What about the God of the Old Testament who used his nation to punish evil nations, and the God of the New Testament? Does he use Christian nations to punish evil nations today? (california)

Q

God captained the Israel of the Old Testament as a theocracy.

Israel, politically as well as spiritually, was a unique group of GOd's people who received the blessings and curses of God because they were his chosen people. The theocracy, very totalitarian in our minds, was the means by which the Lord established the nation and laid the foundation for the coming of Christ and the New Testament era. God called all the shots. He blessed and he punished. When pagan nations were evil and in the way of God's plan, he used Israel to punish them.

Since the coming of Christ there has never been such a God-sanctioned arrangement where Christians were empowered to rule the world. Constantine thought he would like such an arrangement when he combined church and state, but his experience failed.

Other attempts by Protestants have failed miserably and left only havoc in their wake. The Roman Catholic Church has sought to establish similar combinations of church and state. Today in some segments of Islam there is likewise an attempt made to establish political reigns administered totally by the religious order.

The inference in the question is the poSSibility that God could use the U.S., a Christian nation, to pUnish evil nations

A

....... _ - ,

He believed the Word that had been spoken.

He trusted the revelation of his Father. Even when he prayed for this "cup to pass from me," he must have been assured Judas would carry out his evil deed. such as Iraq. Serious questions must be asked if such an assumption is considered. Is the U.S. really a "Christian" nation? With millions of unborn babies killed annually, and with other criminal activities so prevalent that some of the socalled "evil nations" put us to shame, can we claim to be Christian? While our nation was founded in part on Christian principles, were there not deist and theist founders who would never have passed our tests for being children of God? We must also ask: Who determines which nations our "Christian" nation punishes? Saddam Hussein undoubtedly was a very evil man, guilty of gross criminality against his own people. If God's gift to us is to punish such nations, where do we stop? There are numerous countries, some of which we support, who also perpetuate gross injustices.

Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or otber spiritual issue? E·mail Marvin at mbeinl@fresno.edu or sendyour question to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710.

20 • THE

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Should we invade all Iraq-like countries where evil abounds?

I'm aware that the New Testament says government is an agent of God to keep the peace and work for justice.

Domestically, yes, but internationally?

Does the New Testament therefore imply that one nation, under God, can correct other nations it deems evil? I'm inclined to think we may have overstepped the boundaries.

Q

Jesus speaks of Judas as the betrayer in John 13. Jesus knew what had been prophesied. But Judas still had free will. If Judas had not betrayed Jesus, was there a "Plan B?" (california)

A

Jesus knew that his time had come to leave the world Oohn 13:1). He knew Judas had already been prompted by the devil to betray him (v. 2). Jesus "knew who was going to betray him" (v. 11). Referring to Judas, Jesus said, "This is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me'" (v. 18).

It is only natural for us humans to ask the "if" questions. "What iff" But I am satisfied that with Jesus this "if" question did not make its home in his mind. He believed the Word that had been spoken.

He trusted the revelation of his Father.

Even when he prayed for this "cup to pass from me," he must have been assured Judas would carry out his evil deed.

It seems to me that there are no "ifs" when God is involved. What he says is true. In the Old Testament God did indeed "change his mind" a time or two.

However, I'm persuaded that in the most crucial event in the history of humankind, Jesus knew there would be no "Plan B."

ON THE JOURNEY BY

ROSE

BUSCHMAN

Plumbers are missionaries too __ "WHAT DO MISSIONARIES 001" I asked a group of elementary school children. One child said, "They tell others about Jesus." The others nodded in agreement. Another volunteered that "They go to other countries." As we processed this one eight-year-old boy's face lit up and he waved his arms to get my attention.

"My uncle is a plumber and he did missionary work once," said the boy. "He helped build a house for some missionaries. He did the plumbing for it." Some of the children looked at him with doubtful eyes. Could a plumber be a missionary?

Could building a house be mission work?

I must admit a plumber doesn't fit our traditional image of a missionary. But then, neither does a washing machine repairman. However, I met just such a missionary in the South Pacific several years ago. In order for traditional missionaries to enter and work in this country, the government required, in return, that the mission provide some vocational training for its nationals. There was a need for technicians trained to repair home appliances, so this washing machine repairman from Oklahoma came with his family to do this work. Now the work of Bible translation and preaching the gospel could continue. On weekends this man went out with a team to bring the JESUS film to outlying villages. He did double duty as a missionary.

There is a mission organization, TECHSERVE (www.techserve.org) which sends out teams ofvolunteers to do electrical and telephone work for churches, mission organizations and Christian schools around the world. Electrical linemen, electricians and telephone installers use their skills in the Lord's work. On one of my mission trips I was the beneficiary of this kind of work.

.

Thro years ago I spent eight weeks at a school of missionary children as a substitute teacher. The September 11 attacks occurred as I was flying over the Pacific OCean on my way there. In the weeks that followed, the U.S. war against Afghanistan broke out. Terrorist elements in the country I was in were threatening serious consequences against foreigners, especially Americans living there. The group of missionaries I was with faced an uncertain future. Would we have to evacuate? Could we? Where would we go? Emergency meetings, contingency planning, praying and waiting continued as we tried to go about our daily duties.

During this time of uncertainty it was very important for me to be in daily email contact with my husband. He needed the assurance that I was safe and I needed to know he was there for me.

This is where the mission volunteers of TECHSERVE came in. Just the year before a team of telephone installers had completely rewired this school. They installed new telephone equipment and networked the computers throughout the school into one integrated system.

Because they did this, I was able to go to the computer in the teachers' workroom each morning and stay in touch with my husband during a very insecure time.

Just last fall two men from our church went on a two-week mission to Honduras to connect a Christian school situated in a rural area with the national electrical system. Dan and Bob, both experienced electrical linemen, were part of a team of 34 volunteers that put up 3.5 miles of electrical cables over rugged terrain to provide electricity to this mission center. Along the way, the men also strung lines to a nearby village which now has electricity for the first time.

This mission-sponsored educational center began in 1954 with 12 students as a school for underprivileged youth in Honduras. It has a current enrollment of 350 students in seven areas of academic, vocational and theological studies. Young men, at least 14 years of age, come here to catch up on their education and to learn a trade. They also learn more about the love of God and how to live the Christian life.

Before this team arrived the school had been generating its own electricity but could not produce the capacity needed for its vocational programs. It had received some high-tech welding equipment which needed more electrical output than the generators could produce.

Dan was excited about this project.

"Now the school will be able to teach welding with equipment that works properly because of a better source'of power," he said.

When Bob told his coworkers of his plans to go on this trip, their reaction was one of disbelief "You aren't going to be paid for your work?" ''You're paying your own way to do this and taking your own tools?" crazy?"

In the end, however, two men lent him some of their tools. When he returned he shared with them his excitement about the trip and his desire to go again. Now several ofhis coworkers are talking about doing something similar through their own churches.

Bob is excited. "I can't preach," he told me, "but I can string electrical cable. I think it's wonderlul that I can go and be a part of mission work in this way."

Yes, plumbers can be missionaries, too, and so can telephone installers and electrical linemen.

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CHLCK's CORNER

BY CHUCK BULLER CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

U.S.

Mark your calendarsl '2004 i;;' sdlt-idk;-citj;--------·,---'---__

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IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY TO PLAN TO attend a good party. So, count yourself invited to the next U.S. Conference convention to be held July 23-25,2004, in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition we are adding a first ever event, the U.S. Conference Pastors Conference from July 21-23 in the same location. The Board of Faith and Life, formed only recently, and I are working to appeal to not only our senior pastors, but also additional church staff members to join their colleagues at this inaugural event.

With the divestiture of the General Conference in 2000, these are significant times in our national conference as we U.S. Mennonite Brethren think together about what God is calling us to do and be. Our partnerships in kingdom work between district, national and international boards are in the process of being shaped. By the time we meet in Salt Lake City, we should have important details of these partnerships to present for our leaders to consider. Each of our churches is encouraged to send their pastors, but also one delegate for every 50 members.

Why not encourage your local leadership council to begin prompting people now to consider this a priority?

The location is significant and interesting, I think you would agree. Salt Lake City does play host to religious gatherings on a regular basis, but usually those involve the Mormons, not the Mennonites. Yet, God has been doing wonderful things in this area through a Mennonite Brethren church called South Mountain Community Church in Draper, just 30 minutes south of downtown Salt Lake City. This church is the unique product of a partnership between Mission USA, the Pacific District Conference and Laurelglen Bible Church in Bakersfield, Calif.

22 • THE C H

Why not encourage your local leadership council to begin promptingpeople now to consider this apriority?

As partnerships go, this one had all the ingredients for success. But in the end church planting is always as much a result of God's good grace and favor as good planning. Day to day, Senior Pastor Paul Robie and his staff face the challenges of continuing to lead this growing church of 600 plus people in a beautiful facility located in an industrial building complex. In just four short years we have seen God supply a significant increase to his kingdom through this MB congregation. I think you will be encouraged and refreshed to see how God has blessed one of the churches in our larger partnership as a U.S. Conference. And, by the time we meet in Utah, the Pacific District Conference and South Mountain Church will have been instrumental in helping to plant Shadow Mountain Community Church in a neighboring community.

These two MB congregations will serve as our hosts and we will be privileged to be their guests.

Planning for this event is currently underway and we will have the details sewn up by this fall when we will send

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each ofyou a personal invitation. We are in the process of securing some powerful speakers with national reputations, excellent worship music and the usual fellowship that just comes from being together.

In the meantime, put this event on your calendar. Begin now to plan your vacations around it. We will offer full children's programming with some great opportunities for leisure, worship and study for our families.

If you need further motivation, consider this kind of trip as part of discipleship. As far back as Deuteronomy 12 we read God's admonition that part of the "tithe" was to be consumed by the Israelites in God's presence, in a city other than their own home town, in a location of God's choosing.

"You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose-you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns-and you are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to" (Deut. 12:17-18).

I'm not claiming any divine revelation regarding Salt Lake City as being that chosen location. I do want you to consider God's pleasure when we gather for worship and fellowship in places distant from home. Places where God is glorified in our unity as the body of Christ doing the work of God in this world. I look forward to seeing many of you there!

<1:asources invested ''-for the future Thank you to the Mennonite Brethren Church visionaries who started these organizations.

CORN HERITAGE VILLAGE Com Oklahoma Incorporated 1948 SNF,ILU DALLAS MENNONITE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY Dallas Oregon Incorporated 1947 SNF. ALF. ILU. SCU

They built the communities and now they live in them.

FAIRVIEW FELLOWSHIP HOME Fairview, Oklahoma Incorporated 1961 SNF,ILU GARDEN VALLEY RETIREMENT VILLAGE Garden City, Kansas Incorporated 1974 SNF. SCU, ILU

Today senior adults benefit from more than 398 combined years of long term care experience.

HERITAGE VILLAGE Bakersfield, California Incorporated 1986 ILU LINCOLN GLEN MANOR San Jose, California Incorporated 1965 SNF, ALF, ILU

Whete hJilL !fOU live in the

PALM VILLAGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY Reedley, California Incorporated 1970 (Founded 1942) SNF. ALF, ILU PARKSIDE HOMES, INC. Hillsboro, Kansas Incorporated 1961 SNF,ILU

Your continued support through time, gifts and prayer help to ensure that these communities will be here tomorrow.

SUNSHINE MEADOWS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY Buhler, Kansas Incorporated 1975 (Founded 1945) SNF. ALF, ILU

MENNONITE BRETHREN REUREMENT COMMUNITIES

SNF: skilled nursing facility ALF: 8SSisted IMng facility ILU: independent IMng units SCU: special C8I9 units

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Called, ready, set -

Can we go? teams to fully

Proposal recommends

Christ and the church in anoth6 the world is not a new thought for Teresa Regier of Hillsboro, Kan. It immering in the back oftheir ds years, even before theywere marrie . Plans for international service, once in the background, are now in the forefront as the couple has resigned their jobs, put their house up for sale and been accepted as missionary candidates for ministry in India with MBMS International, the global mission agency ofMennonite Brethren churches in North America.

The Regiers are called, ready and set for ministry. Yet the question remains. Will they and the other 13 MBMSI recently approved candidates be able to go? Given the current trend in missions giving among Mennonite Brethren, the answer is no. MBMSI has always relied on funding from local churches in order to do its work. The agency does not receive any funds from giving to u.s. Confer-

nae

24.T H E C H

ence per-member giving goals, unless the donation is designated to MBMSI. MBMSI ended their most recent fiscal year in May with a deficit of at least $500,000. MBMSI general director Harold Ens says the agency is no longer able to send out new missionaries or to start new programs without new financial support.

But MBMSI hopes a new funding model will reverse the downward trend in giving and spark new interest in global mission.

The mission agency is asking delegates to the 2004 Canadian and U.S. national conventions to approve the new support model, currently being tested by new candidates.

MBMSI has approved the Regiers and other new missionaries under a new funding model called Relationship Based Funding.

One of the ways to understand the changes proposed by MBMSI is to see how the process after acceptance for the Regiers is different under the proposed model than

R 1ST I A N LEA D E R

it would have been a few years ago. In the past, MBMSI would have provided the necessary funding for the Regiers' support through the undesignated funds given by U.S. and Canadian MB churches. Upon returning from a three year term, the Regiers would travel to churches throughout the U.S. and Canada getting to know those who had supported them and sharing information about life and ministry in India.

At the heart of the relationship based funding process is a vision and support team for each missionary unit. The team includes the missionary, their membership church along with up to seven other supporting congregations, MBMSI staffand international partners. Hopefully, someone from the missionary's local church will lead the team. The relationship between the missionaries and their supporting congregations is a serious one. The written proposal says, "New missionaries will be sent and new programs will be initiated only as local churches and individuals have the vision for these ministries and fully financially adopt them.»

While details are still to be determined, in the Regiers' case the plan calls for this team to encourage supporting churches to provide most of the Regiers' needed finances. MBMSI will provide some financial support to the Regier family during a two to six month time of Ministry in North America (MINA) prior to their first term. The couple will begin to build relationships with their supporting churches and will participate in a four-month Mission Training Institute at MB Biblical Seminary.

The team building process for the Regiers and other new missionaries will be completed over a three-year period that concludes at the end of MINA follOwing the first term. The goal of the proposed plan is that full support is raised for each missionary before they leave for a second term. Otherwise, they may not be able to return.

H approved, MBMSI plans to switch funding for its current missionaries over to the new model in 2004. The team building process will be completed for each existing

13()1)) 1.111

missionary unit during a period of no more initiating and sustaining new ministries, says While MBMSI staffand board members than two tenns ofMINA Ens says that this Ens. have worked diligently and prayerfully on model is clearly distinct from faith mission Mission work in the last decade has the proposal for relationship based funding, programs in which individuals seek funding been affected by new patterns in church and Ens says the agency is looking for feedback. from their own sources. The support team individual giving and support. For many MB Information about the new funding churches and individuals, their passion for approach means that the missionaries will model is being shared at every provincial and not be responsible to generate financial supglobal mission begins with specific ministries district convention in written form and verbalport on their own. Relationship based fundand missionaries, rather than with instituly when opportunity is given, with pastor ing builds on the strong denominational tions, says Ens. People want hands-on groups, on the MBMSI web site and at leader forums in various regions ofthe U.S. and context in which MB missionaries have been involvement in the missionary task by send, ing their own church members for shortcalled and setved for more than 100 years, Canada. Ens says responses are needed by the term and career assignments. They expect to end ofAugust so that data can be summarized says Ens. The MB commitment to missions as a hear directly from missionaries rather than in time for MBMSI board in 0cto"highest" priority, says Ens, was affirmed in from the sponsoring agency. They want firstber. Additional information and brochures are 2000. At. that time both U.S. and Canadian hand knowledge of how their giving really available from churches, the web site or by changes lives. Responding to these new patcontacting MBMSI area directors. conferences approved a memo of underIs relationship funding just another prostanding that also affirmed MBMSI as the pri- terns will hopefully turn around the mary channel among North American MBs decrease in giving, says Ens. gram change, a new way of doing something for global missions. This joint effort in proMBMSI responded to this shift by creatthat's been done for years? No, say MBMSI viding funds by a denomination is generally ing Adoption Option, a program approved in staffand the board. Not if one has to deal not the case in faith mission agencies. with the realities of the world's need for the 1993 by the U.S. and Canadian conferences The relationship based funding model is that encourages congregations to adopt spegospel, missionaries who want to go and the also distinct in that the commitment to miscific missionaries and projects and to offer lack in funds to support them. No, answer sions by the denomination gives the opporDale and Teresa. They have been called by them financial, prayer and relational suptunity to deepen relationships between the port. Presently, many missionaries receive 20 God, and have the skills to meet the needs of supporting congregations and the missionto 39 percent of their support through these people in another part of the world. They ary. Ens says, "There is already a relationship funds. Ens feels that if given higher priority, are getting ready and set to make the of agency to churches. We want now to sigthe concept can continue to grow. mOVe-<aIl they go? nificantly bridge the relationship between The Adoption Option model was MBMSI says the Regiers' question will enhanced three years ago when MBMSI be answered as it always has been-by those workers and churches, so that there is more direct relating to workers and workers are formed Team 2000, a group ofsix missionar- who are part of the MB church in North really seen and heard in the constituency." ies and their children who have made a 10America. Under the new proposal the quesWhile many projects carried out by misyear commitment to church planting in Thai- tion seems more personal and MBMSI is sionaries and partners will move toward rela- land. Before leaving North America, Team hoping more invigorating for individuals and tionship based funding, there is still a great churches that become part of the support 2000 piloted some of the strategies incorpo. teams for global mission.• need for support of all kinds for those minrated into the relationship based funding istries, says Ens. Undesignated funds are very model.

by Nadine Friesen welcome and needed, he is quick to say.

MBMSI plans to provide more detail and follow up on such projects with the hope that individuals and local churches will eventually connect more closely with those specific ministries.

Beyond increased financial support, Ens Dale Regier, MB Foundation vice Canada and the U.S. Their youngest son, hopes that relationship based funding will president and treasurer, has announced Jordan, will be joining them. create new interest and commitment to mishis resignation effective August 8, 2003.

Regier has been with conference minsions within MB churches. As congregations Regier, together with his wife Thresa, a istries since 1988 when he joined MB become aware of the urgent need to share family nurse practitioner and certified Stewardship MInistries under the auspices the gospel around the world, churches that nurse midwife, are approved as missionar- of the U.S. Conference Board ofTrustees. do not have a member missionary may begin ies at the Jadcherla Medical Center in Since that time, he has served in the dual to call out people to serve. The new model role of treasurer of the U.S. Conference India through MBMS International, the can vitalize the work of all Mennonite global mission agency of MB churches in and MB Foundation.-MBP andMBMSI Brethren as churches are given a key role in

Regier resigns at MB Foundation; joining MBMSI

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Bom 1.111

Study conference aims high, proves helpful on bapii'sm"andmem'bershipissues'

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case/in point is "Rite and Pilgrim<;c:inference on Baptism and Ch emlkrship," convened by the MB Conference Board of Faith and . and held May 22-24 at Canadian Mennonite University in Wmnipeg, Man. The aim was high: that U.S. and Canadian participants, as a hermeneutical community led by the Holy Spirit, would "interpret Scripture and choose a direction together" and "come to a consensus on the issue," according to the invitational brochure.

While consensus proved a lofty goal, the study conference was useful and a good experience.

The four major papers commissioned for the conference were intended to exam· ine current alternative practices, present the historical MB practice, support this with an overview of New Testament teaching and then sum it all up theologically. The format for these sessions included the presentation of the paper, two formal responses (one supportive and one critical) and then discussion around tables. The results of the table discussions were forwarded to a findings committee, summarized and later reported to the whole gathering. Acouple of times during the sessions and again on Saturday morning, there were "open mic" sessions for discussion by the whole group.

The format was mentally demanding.

Presenters for the most part read their papers in full; and long before the end, many partiCipants experienced information overload.

While discussion of the papers hopped back and forth between topics and offered various viewpoints, some general themes emerged.

• Within the wide variety ofopinions expressed, the tone of the conference was very cordial and graCious, even salted with humor and laughter. Only once or twice did noticeable tension creep into the discussion.

• Although many aspects of baptism and membership were discussed, discussion kept coming back to two practices that are out ofstep with MB doctrine as defined by ,the Confession of Faith. The first was the practice of baptizing people without making 26 • THE

them members of the church. When asked what happens to such people in his congregation, The Meeting Place interim leader and presenter David Falk said they are encouraged to move on to membership classes. He said The Meeting Place has begun looking at the question of member· ship.

It was also asked whether these church· es developed their model because of direct experience with seekers or if the reluctance came from the leaders themselves. The danger with separating baptism and membership, some partiCipants said, is that it separates salvation and discipleship. Others asked if a person is really committed to Christ if one claims to be saved but does not want to be part of a church or be accountable for how one lives.

• The other issue that kept cropping up was whether a congregation can accept as members individuals who had been baptized as infants but underwent confirmation as an adult in an evangelical church. It became clear that while at least one congregation is considering such exceptions, other churches and pastors are wrestling with the issue, while still other churches have firmly insisted on believer's baptism. This issue was not on the agenda, but was raised by the final point in Lynn]ost's paper in which he defined very narrowly who might be

C H R 1ST I A N LEA D E R

accepted under such an exception.

• The discussion clearly revealed, time and again, that part of the problem is the different definitions of terms, particularly the term "membership." When a church uses a legal/organizational definition of membership, then membership is not important for all Christians. When a theological definition (accountable covenant community) is used, membership is very important.

• If consensus emerged anywhere, it was that in many instances current practice regarding membership raises questions of what interpretation is called for by the Confession of Faith. Regardless of the definition of membership, it is obvious that in practice, membership in many churches is just "a name on a list" that includes many "inactive" members, and young people are right to question such a meaningless practice. In this sense, participants said, the majority of churches are not being faithful to the Confession of Faith. There was a widespread desire for covenant community and mutual accountability to become a reality in practice, where churches would not only discipline members but also support and disciple them.

• There was considerable discussion about the relationship between the universal invisible church (all Christians in all

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times and places) and the local visible church. The papers argued that for the early church and.Anabaptists there was no conflict between the two. The local church was just one part of the universal church, and when a person joined one, he/she automatically joined the other.) The danger in this thinking is the idea that it is baptism and membership that save a person and not faith in Christ. Or at least, that baptism and membership as well as faith are needed for salvation.

On the other hand, now there is too much focus on the universal church. When people are baptized into the universal church but do not join a local church, they can have a self-centered faith (just Jesus and me) and never be accountable or discipled.

Salvation should have both a vertical and a horizontal dimension, said participants.

• The idea of salvation as a joumeywith baptism, membership and discipleship (and maybe even infant baptism) as just some of the various steps along the waywas affirmed by many participants. Only a few noted the extent to which it contrasts with the traditional Mennonite Brethren emphasis on conversion. Wtlly Reimer, senior pastor of SunWest Christian Fellowship of Calgary; Alta., said it used to be that people would believe in Christ, behave (repent and start living a Christian life) and belong (join the church), but now people belong (identify with the local church community), behave and only later come to believe.

• A number of delegates complained that not enough emphasis was placed on

studying Scripture-systematic examination of the Bible's teaching began with the third paper. This led to the complaint that the conference was trying to derive theology from experience and the surrounding culture rather than from Scripture. Considerable discussion did revolve around two specific Bible passages. The first concerned whether the story of the Ethiopian eunuch, who was baptized but did not join a church (Acts 8:26fi) should be used as a model for church life today. The second concerned whether the reference to "one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5) means that those christened as infants should not be rebaptized.

• There was considerable discussion on whether the MB Confession of Faith is "prescriptive" (meaning that churches are obligated to follow it) or merely "descriptive" (the Confession merely describes what most MBs believed at the moment it was written). It was finally declared that the Confession of Faith is prescriptive.

The question then arose about how to respond to churches that have practices that are different from those set out in the Confession of Faith. One comment from the floor argued that covenant community and mutual accountability should be practiced not only in the local church but also in the MB Conference and that it shows a lack of integrity for churches to make decisions without consulting the larger body.

While the study conference participants worked hard at wrestling with the theological issues, an especially difficult

question is the extent to which the discussion represents the two national conferences as a whole and therefore how much weight to give it.

Several participants lamented the under-representation ofwomen (26 of the 147 registrants were women), ofyoung adults (although there was disagreement on this point) and ethnic churches. Attendance also seemed to come more from churches that have divergent practices and views rather than from churches with more traditional views. There were two participants from Europe, six from the U.S. and 134 from Canada. So, although most agreed the study conference was a useful exercise, the North American Mennonite Brethren position on baptism and church membership seems not much clearer than it was before the study conference.

Nevertheless, the Canadian Conference BR has stated it will use the findings from the study conference to develop a position paper on the issue of baptism and membership which will be processed with the churches and provincial conferences this fall and then presented to the Canadian MB Conference convention for ratification in July 2004. The U.S. Conference BR is planning to discuss the issue at their fall meeting, consult with the Canadian BR regarding their findings and consider bringing a report or resolution to the 2004 convention.• -from a report byJim Coggins, then editor of MB Herald, the publication of the Canadian ME Conff?1"ence.

Papers and responses available online The full text of the four papers commissioned for the study conference and the papers of affirmation and critique can be read online at the Canadian MB Conference web site at www.mbconfca.

• "Baptism and membership ... an alternative perspective" by David Falk, interim leader at The Meeting Place, Wmnipeg, Man. Affirmation by Bruce Eons, pastoral staff member at Forest Grove Community Church in Saskatoon, Sask Critique byVidyaJ. Narimalla, pastor of Kitchener (Ont.) MB Church • "The church without spot or wrin-

kIe: Testing the tradition" by Walter Unger, president emeritus at Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C. Affirmation by Gerry Ediger, associate professor of Christian history at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Man. Critique by Bruce L Guenther, associate professor ofchurch history at MB Biblical Seminary, Langley, B.C. • "Baptism among the early Christians" by Jon Isaak, assistant professor of New 1estament at MB Biblical seminary, Fresno, Calif Affirmation by Lorraine Dick, associate pastor ofChristian education at South Lan-

gley MB Church, Langley, B.C. Critique by Gay Lynn Voth, &culty member at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C. • "Mennonite Brethem theology of baptism" by LynnJost, associate professor of Biblical and religious studies at Thbor College, Hillsboro, Kan., and U.S. Conference Board of Faith and Life chair.

Affirmation by Roger Thiessen, pastor at Westwood MB Church, Wmnipeg, Man. Critique by Ed Boschman, pastoral staff member at Laurelglen Bible Church, Bakersfield, Ca1.I£

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Surplus helps stabalize ministries

u.s. Conference finishes fiscal year In a year when U.S. Conference ministries lived on a "skeleton" budget in an effort to improve financial stability, conference leaders awaited the close of the 2002. ()3 fiscal year with interest. Would the strategy work? The fiscal year closed May 31, and the answer to that question depends on whether or not one is a "the glass is half-full" kind-of person.

If one is an optimist and the glass is half full, one would see plenty of good things to celebrate about fiscal year 2oo2.Q3. The conference finished the year with a surplus of just under $71,000 in income and transfers.

An optimist would qUickly note that receipts from churches increased substantially, from $312,277 in 2oo1.Q2 to $431,531 in 200203, and that overall net assets improved from $437,700 to $511,200.

A pessimist would see the state of U.S. Conference coffers as "half empty." Among other things, a pessimist would point out that while church giving has increased, it is still only at 27 percent of suggested per member goals, and receipts and transfers were $60,146 less than budget. And that even after applying the current year surplus to the previous year's cumulative deficit, the U.S. Conference is still left with a $91,422 operating deficit.

A pessimist would also question the surplus, saying it occurred due to an unusual set of circumstances. These circumstances include an effort by conference ministries to reduce spending that kept actual expenses to $130,888 less than budget and the cessation of the General Conference.

When the General Conference ceased operation Dec. 31, 2002, its remaining assets of $59,881 were granted to the U.S. Conference. Without this unexpected income, a pessimist would say the U.S. Conference operating deficit would be in the red by about an additional $60,000.

In his analysis of the fiscal year, Dale Regier, who after 15 years is stepping down next month as U.S. Conference treasurer (see page 25), notes both the positive and negative aspects of the 2oo2.Q3 report and comes out somewhere in the middle of the

two.

"Last year conference leaders decided

28 • THE C H

to do something draspicking up the challenge." tic to turn around the The 2oo2.Q3 U.S. current trend in the U.S. Conference," says Conference financial Regier, "and convenpicture was affected by tion delegates didn't the divestiture of Genlike it. But I think it's eral Conference minworking. Maybe not istries beyond the as quickly as we transfer of General hoped. But it is workConference assets. In ing." divestiture agreements U.S. Conference with the Canadian executive director Conference, the U.S. Chuck Buller agrees.

Conference agreed to "The strategy was increased funding for obviously effective. the Historical ComWe took in $70,000 mission and Disciplemore than we spent," ship Ministries for Kinsays Buller. ''We are dred Productions. planning to hold our Under divestiture agreements, funding for MB budget numbers for an additional year, until the Biblical seminary is no convention in 2004, at longer guaranteed as in the which time we will project a past. Rather, all contributions new set of budget numbers that sent to the conference for MBBS may include more visionary planning." , are forwarded to the seminary. This year the The strategy Regier and Buller are refer- U.S. Conference sent MBBS $237,848, six ring to is the Board of Church Ministries' percent less than last year's $254,000. decision to drastically reduce funding of This past fiscal year, congregational per member giving goals were increased by a conference ministries, from $1.1 million in 2oo1.Q2 to $699,978 this past year. The total of $20. Because binational ministries reduction was prompted by an accumulated have been divested to the national conferdeficit of $162,164. Under this plan, Mission ences, per member giving goals were increased by $10 to help fund the continuaUSA, the conference's church renewal and planting ministry, would curtail its expendition of these ministries on a national level. tures to about one-half of the previous The other $10 increase was put in place to year's amount and partial funding for the generate additional funds for the U.S. Conference coffers.

Christian Leader would come from the Communication Endowment fund. DeleBecause the U.S. Conference had a gates to the 2002 U.S. Conference conven"good year" in 2oo2.Q3, Buller, who says he tion approved the budget, but reluctantly. is an optimist by nature, looks with confidence to the current fiscal year. "The budget "Given the skepticism delegates expressed in Abbotsford, we can report a , for 2003-04 is virtually the same as this past good year," says Buller. "The $70,000 suryear," says Buller, "although we have made plus helps us get started on this year, hire some significant changes in allocating funds the staffwe need and pay down the deficit." to various ministries." As Buller considers One aspect of the year-end report that I the many denominational ministries U.S. Buller says deserves to be celebrated is the Mennonite Brethren have the opportunity to support, he says, "It is our task to respon$130,000 increase in church contributions.

"Districts and the U.S. Conference need to sibly manage the U.S. Conference budget , be supported in the offering plate," says I while we continue to evaluate our long term Buller. "I'm thrilled when I see the churches ; ministry commitments.". -Connie Faber

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Congregations enjoy fellowship despite various countries of origin

Hispanic MBs gather for worship hundred and fifty Hispanic MenSenda Antigua of Pacoima. Saturday afterBrethren from Pacific District Confer- noon the sermon was given by church plantenc oongregations met on the Fresno Pam- ing pastor Pedro Grecevich, a 23-year-old ic Unitersity campus May 23-24 for fellowArgentinean currently leading an emerging ship and spiritual renewal. The participants church in Indio, Calif, interested in affiliatcame from a variety of countries, including ing with the Mennonite Brethren.

Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia and Prior to each sermon, a different worGuatemala, but "there are no differences at ,ship team led in singing. Teams came from all" when they gather for their annual assem- Casa del.Alfarero in Dinuba, Iglesia Sinai in bly, says Jose Elizondo, POC associate minis- Sun Valley and Iglesia Fuente de Vida in Parter. ''We are a big blend of Hispanics." lier. Special music was provided by Sabino The POC Hispanic congregations gather ! Franco from Torre Fuerte in Modesto. Other twice each year. The Memorial Day weekend participants included Ron Penner, MBMS gathering is for worship and fellowship International staff member, who gave a testiwhile the second meeting is to conduct mony and retired missionary Elizabeth . gathering on the FPU campus provided parbusiness.

Tieszen who led in receiving an offering.

The theme for the 2003 worship assemElizondo officiated at the Saturday after- ticipants with an opportunity to become bener acquainted with the university's facilibly was "Seek ye first the kingdom of God," noon closing communion service. He also ties.

Former POC district minister Henry and a variety of pastors addressed the topic presented a pastoral license to Luis Ramirez, Dick welcomed the group to the campus. during four offive worship services. Speakpastor of a new congregation in Perris, He reminded the participants that FPU is ers included California pastors Edmoso Calif, that just recently affiliated with the Ludio, pastor of City Terrace Bible Church in POC. ''your university" and affirmed the congregations for their interest in providing for the Los Angeles; Juan Montes, pastor ofIglesia The Fresno area, with its 15 Hispanic congregations, was a natural location for the ! theological education of Hispanic pastors Fuente de Vida in Parlier and Rafael Paz through the Hispanic Bible Institute.• Ramirez, pastor ofIglesia de Restauracion la 2003 assembly, says Elizondo. Holding the

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First Community Service Award given by Fresno campus

Seminary graduates 35 OOSDtal Seminary held graduation esJnApril at its Fresno, Calif, campus in Langley, B.C. A total of duated and were feted with a dessert reception following the services.

1\venty-four students graduated April 27 in Fresno. Nine graduated with the Master of Divinity degree, seven with the Master of Ministry degree, six with Masters of Arts in New Thstament or Theology, and two with Diplomas in Christian Studies. Seventeen students were from the U.S., three from Canada, two from Ethiopia and two from Kenya.

Sharon Stanley, executive director of FIRM (Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries) gave the commencement address. Stanley was also awarded the first Community Service award by MBBS, for exemplary leadership in building relation-

ships among the 90 plus cultural groups in Fresno. The award included a plaque for Stanley, and a $1000 check to her ministry.

MBBS board vice-chair Bill LoeWen, announced that I the "Multicul• Associated Canadian Theological Schools in tural Leadership Scholarship" was renamed I Langley. 1\vo of the students received Master the "Henry J. Schmidt Multicultural leaderof Divinity degrees from MBBS. The other ship Scholarship" honoring oUtgOing Presi- I students received Master of Arts, Master of dent Henry Schmidt. ! Counseling, or Master ofApplied Linguistics Eleven students who were affiliated and Exegesis degrees, and one received a with MBBS graduated April 21 from the Diploma in Christian Studies.a-MBBS

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NEWS FROM THE MENNONITE BRETHREN WORLD

Agency plans for long-term response

MCC aid targets hospitals and families Mennonite Central Committee is plandistributed food to several Baghdad hospining to spend more than $630,000 in emer- tals. Water is being distributed to an impovgency relief aid, trauma counseling, peace erished area in Baghdad and food packets building and clearance of unexploded ordare being distributed to 20,000 families in nance in war-tom Iraq. An MCC assessment three cities, including Baghdad. Aspecialty I hospital on the edge of Baghdad is receivteam visited Iraq in late May and determined that the most immediate needs ing bedding and other supplies and the AI included the distribution offood, water and Rashad psychiatric hospital outside of BaghMCC relief kits. MCC also plans to place a dad continues to receive aid. second short-term worker in Iraq to assist Funds will also go toward Arabic-language stress and trauma counseling and to aid administration.

MCC and its partner agencies in Iraq, support a Middle East conflict resolution/peace building specialist. In late CARE, the Middle East Council of Churches and the Islamic ReliefAgency, have been May, the U.S. occupation forces said there distributing blankets, quilts, canned meat were more than 1,440 sites of unexploded and relief kits that were pre-positioned before the war. Those supplies, worth nearly $2 million, and the new proposed funding are part of the first phase of a longerterm response that will likely last for several more years.

Within days of approving the aid, MCC I "

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ordnance (UXO) in and around Baghdad.

The number across the country is still unknown. MCC will support an ongoing program of de-mining and UXO clearance.

Kasumi Abdullah Nassau, a 68-year-old, seven-year resident of a home for the elderly, received a MCC relief kit. He says, "Iraq was like a prison before, and the door to the prison is now open. People are very lucky for this change-we can say what we think and we have new opportunities." He is quick, however, to point out that change has come at a price. "We haven't had liberty for 35 years," said Kasumi. "But liberty is very, very expensive."-MCC

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Holm to serve as interim MBBS president Jim Holm has been appointed as interim president of MB Seminary by the board of directors, effective June 16. Holm has been connected with'the Fresno campus in the capacities of dean of students and director of constituency relations since

1997.

Cal Bergen, chair of the board says, "Holm has the ability to relate well to, and address, the uniqueness of each of our campuses with a visionary and collegial leadership style."

Holm is presendy completing a doctor of ministry degree in the area of spiritual formation and leadership training.-MBBS J U LY 2 0 0 3

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MORE China workers commended for NEWS staying despite SARS All Mennonite Central Committee workers in -Sharing Gifts In the Global Family of Faith: China have One Church's Experiment by Timothy Und and remained in the Paklsa K. Tshlmlka has been chosen for the 2003 Mennonite World Conference's Global country dUring the Anabaptlst·Mennonlte Shelf of Uterature. The SARS crisis, and book Is the result of multiple visits Tshlmlka, a many have felt Mennonite Brethren from the Congo currently supported because living In Fresno, Calif., and Und made to Mennonite and Brethren In Christ churches of their decision to throughout Africa, latin America and Asia on stay.

As of]une 3, behalf of MWC. SARS (Severe The significance of sharing the treasure of diverse gifts among churches worldwide Is Acute Respiratory highlighted In the book. The authors became Syndrome) has convinced that gifts, like manna, will rot If not killed more than shared. They also Identify the gifts and ways 800 people worldthey could be shared to bind congregations together around the world. The 124-page book wide, the majority Is published by Good Books In Pennsylvania In of them in China. cooperation with MWC. While their The Global Anabaptlst·Mennonlte Shelf of Uterature was launched last year to develop Chinese col; Technology in Luoyang, an International shelf of common literature leagues have encouraged among the Anabaptlst-related fellowships In 62 ; Henan Province. "Obviousthem to take safety precaucountrles.-MWC , ly, sharing the hard times tions, colleagues have also Loan repayment benefits : draws people near, and expressed thanks to MCC ; that has been especially .,. MWC travel fund workers for not fleeing . -More Africans will be able to attend the i meaningful to us." The Mennonite World Conference assembly In ZIm- , dUring the uncertain days I school has cut meetings of babwe next month under terms of an unusual ofSARS. more than 40 people and repayment of a Mennonite Economic Develop"People are surprised ment Associates loan. By mutual agreement, : heightened security measand pleased that we are funds from the remaining debt of the Phakama ures because of SARS, but not running back to the mlcro-enterprlse program In Zimbabwe have i classes have continued, been donated to the MWC Africa travel fund.

States," says Nate Siemens Siemens report.

In 1995 MEDA helped launch what who works with his wife became known as the Phakama Economic MCC has 37 workers Bekki as English teachers Development Company In Bulawayo, Zimbabin China, including 25 we, and supported It with a loan. Performance at Luoyang Institute of

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Global Shelf project names 2003 selection

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was hampered by Intemal problems, huge devaluation of Zimbabwe's currency and continuing political unrest and the program did not progress. When the program was taken over by new leadership, MEDA's loan remained unpaid.

It was recently agreed that the current owners I would pay what amounts to $7,250 In U.S. funds.

Rather than having the funds repatriated, the new owners agreed to contribute this amount to MWC. Not only that, the owners made an additional donation toward what they termed a "noble cause." The combined total Is being given to MWC In the name of MEDA. The final amount Is well below the face value of the loan. However, MEDA president Allan Sauder says, "this settlement represents a partial forgiveness of debt as well as some , tangible support for the MWC assembly In Bulawayo. I am pleased to see closure on this, and pleased that we can make a contribution to MWC."-MEDA

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adults and 12 children.

Most are teachers with China Educational Exchange, a joint program of several Mennonite agencies. They teach English in technical, medical and teachers' colleges. One MCC worker assists with a poverty alleviation project and two others work with the agency Documentation for Action Groups in Asia.-MCC

Leader receive. EPA reporting award The Christian Leader and MB Herald, the Englislrlanguage publication of the Canadian MB Conference, were recendy rec:ognJzed by the Bvangelical Press Association for journalistic excellence.

The Leader received a second place award in the reporting category for

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"Thking care of family business," an article in the September 2002 issue

by Connie Faber reporting on the 2002 U.S. Con· ference convention.

The Herald received a first place award in the "Bvangelistic Article" category for "Good news in bad times," byJim Coggins and James Toews,

and a third place award in the poetry category for "MourningtMoming" by Henry Rempel.

EPA is an association of more than 400 periodicals, organizations and individual members.

Awards were announced at the annual EPA convention held May 4-7 in Atlanta, Ga.

NEWS

CHURCH Baptismlmembership

celebrations

Freeman, S.D. (salem)-Ray Goosen was welcomed into membership by testimony March 9.

Freeman, S.D. (Silver Lake)-A thanksgiving and praise service, celebrating 125 years as a church is being held July 20. The church will be dosing, and the building given to Ethiopian Christian Fellowship of Sioux Falls, S.D., and moved later this fall.

Ferndale, Wash. (Good News Robertson was baptized and received into membership April 20. Kurt, Lorraine and Breanna Morlock were also received into membership.

Olda.--<:hloe Kliewer, Angie Davis, Megan Souter; Mitchell Pembrook, Jordon Short, Mark Martens, David and Lavada Koehn were baptized and welcomed into membership May 11.

Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglen)Princess Bookout, Brian Wong and Andy Wong were baptized the weekend of May 31- June 1. Janet Barnes, Mary Moosios and Jerry and Stephanie Trickey were baptized May 31/June 1 and welcomed into membership June 8. Also received into membership by testimony were Mike Barnes, Eric and Kathy Dyer; Brian and Gelayol Haddon, David and Kim Howe, Randy and Karen Prine, Terri Thompson and Jason and Elyce Wyatt.

Covis, Calif. (College Community Church)-Chris & Cristiane Vega were received into membership June 1.

Blaine. wash. (Birch Bay Bible}-Bill and Georgia Shermon, Phillip Davis and Melissa Lind were baptized and accepted into membership June 1.

Fresno. Calif. (Bethany)-Dan and Heidi Bond, Chelsea Goertzen and Jennifer Roth were baptized and received into membership June 1. Anthony Alvarado, Kurt Willems. Crystal Wilkinson and John Young joined upon their confession of faith or transfer.

Wichita, Kans. (First).-Chanae Langley, Denise Wyssenbach, Katy Wittich, Brianna Mann, Andrea Ewert, Tammy Stevenson, Shawn Henderson, Brandon Bally, Katie Bally and Tammy Johnson were baptized June 8 at Bay Ridge beach.

Lawton, Okla. (Faith Bible)-Gary and Sharon Roddy and SCott and Trudy Schenker were added as new members June 15.

NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

(Kan.) MB Church spoke at revival services in May. Warkentin's grandfather was a former pastor at Cordell.

Lawton, Okla. (Faith Bible)-pastor Russell Schmidt served as the House of Representatives chaplain at the state capitol May 19-23. He opened the legislative session in prayer every morning, and gave a brief devotional Friday.

Fellowship

TeachingiNurture

Buhler, Kan.-Ethiopian Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Denver joined the Buhler congregation for services in May. They shared Ethiopian cuisine and culture with Sunday school classes and participated in the worship service.

Yale, S.D. (Bethel)-Youth from the church are participating in a variety of ministry opportunities within the church this summer. Elementary Sunday school teachers are mentoring some, others are. mowing lawns, helping with praise teams, cleaning the church, decorating and visiting.

The goal of the summer practicum is to give youth an opportunity to begin to use God-given talents in the local church.

Olathe, Kan. (Community Bible)Women of all ages participated in an Anne of Green Gables trilogy film festival and sleepover at the church on May 16. Breakfast and devotions concluded the event in the morning.

Ministry Tulsa. Olda.. (lbe Heart)-Twenty-six junior high students and seven sponsors from Fairview MB took a mission trip to The Heart church plant in May. Included in their ministry was handing out nearly 2,500 door hangers advertising the church and giving out 100 free bottles of water around town. Their enthusiasm and energy was also an encouragement to the people of The Heart.

Reedley, Calif.-MBMSI, Mennonite Central Committee and Community Youth Ministries are working together with the church to send young people to the Mennonite World Conference and the Youth Leadership Summit in Africa next month. The congregation raised more than $4,000 through the making and purchasing of fresh strawberry pies.

Visalia. Calif. (Neighbortlood)-An annual golf tournament was held in May to help raise money to send children to camp. The congregation participates through being tee sponsors, donating prizes and assisting with organizing the event.

Okla. (Bible MB Church)Brent Warkentin, pastor of Buhler

Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglen)-A three-week seminar for young married couples was held in June. The first two weeks focused on "Family Foundations: Communications, Commitment, and Christ." The third week was a social event for participants.

Rapid City, S.D. (Bible Fellowship)Children, age six and older; received camp scholarships by quoting scripture to Christian Education Committee members. Camp choice and Bible translation used for memory is left up to each child.

LaGrulla. Tex.(Grulla)-Jon C. Wiebe, president and CEO of MB Foundation and Loan Fund, presented a personal finance workshop for the LAMB District, hosted by the congregation May 31.

Lawton, Okla. (Faith Bible)-Jon C. Wiebe, president and CEO of MB Foundation and Loan Fund, spoke June 8 about charitable estate planning.

Workers Ark. (Martin Box)-The congregation welcomed Bruce and Lorraine Anthony June 1. Anthony, a faculty member at Tabor College, is serving as interim pastor in Martin Box this summer.

Collinsville, Okla. (Westport) - Derk and Connie Madden of Sacramento, calif., have accepted the call to serve as senior pastoral couple and will begin ministry in August.

Fairview, Okla.-Associate pastoral couple James and Linda Suderman have announced their resignation.

Their plans are indefinite.

Worship Kingsburg, Calif.-A Children's Day Celebration was held May 4. A variety of children's groups sang songs, a puppet show by "POW" (Puppets of Worship) was presented by the junior high youth and Pastor Jim Vandermark gave a meditation. A picnic lunch and an afternoon of games followed.

Wichita, Kan. (United at the Cross)The church lawn was the gathering place for the congregation and others in the neighborhood for two Sundays in May. A potluck meal, communion and a business session followed the worship service.

Deaths CARNES, DOLORES, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born Aug. 13, 1915, to Charles and Yvette Kelly carnes and died May 15, 2003, at the age of 87. She is survived by her adopted family, Elfreda Fast, Diether and Janet van Houten, Dale and Ruth Fast, Steve and Janice Fast and Randy and LaVon Sperling.

EDIGER, ALBERT L., Inman, Kan., a member of Zoar MB Church, Inman, was born Aug. 10, 19M, to Henry A. and Katherine Toews Ediger at Henderson, Neb., and died April 28, 2003, at the age of 88. On Aug. 23, 1942, he was married to Ethel SChroeder, who survives. He is also survived by two daughters, Kathleen and husband James Lafferty, Janice and husband John DeSocio; two sons, Steve and wife Melanie and David; two brothers, Henry and Neal; three sisters, Mary Fletcher, Lynda Willems and Adina SChmidt, 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

HAAG, WILLIAM JAMES -BILL, " Bakersfield, Calif., member of Heritage MB Church, Bakersfield, was born Feb. 1, 1913, at Rio Bravo,

JULY 2 0 0 3

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Calif., to James E. and Mary Kennedy Haag, and died Aug. 26, 1997, at the age of 84. On March 11, 1938, he was married to Hulda Edna Ratzlaff who survived him. He was also survived by two daughters, Carol Jean Haag and Beverly .

Southard; a brother and sisters, two grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

HAAG. CAROL JEAN, Bakersfield, Calif.• of Heritage MB Church, Bakersfield, was born March 11, 1942. to William James and Hulda Edna Ratzlaff Haag, and died Oct. 28, 1999. at the age of 57. She was survived by her mother; one sister; Beverly Southard, one niece, one nephew. one grand nephew and two grand nieces.

HAAG. HULDA EDNA RATZLAFF, Bakersfield, Calif., member of Heritage MB Church, Bakersfield, was born June 1, 1918, at Balko, Okla.• to Jacob D. and Sarah Duerksen Ratzlaff, and died April 14, 2003. at the age of 85. On March 11, 1938. she was married to William James Haag who predeceased her.

She is survived by her daughter, Beverly Southard, one grandson, one granddaughter and three great grandchildren.

HOFMAN. JOE THEODORE, Freeman, S.D., member of the Salem MB Church, was born July 18, 1921, to Christian and Justina Tschetter Hofman, near Bridgewater, S.D.• and died March 5, 2003, at the age of 81. On May 7, 1944, he was married to Mary Ruth Glanzer, who survives. He is also survived by one son,

Donald and wife Elaine of Kearney, Neb.; one sister, Anna and husband Ted Fisher; one brother, Rheiny and wife Susie; one sister-in-law. Rose Hofman; three brothers-in-law. Paul and wife Eva Glanzer, Moses and wife Reva Glanzer. Aaron and wife Marcella Glanzer; and five sisters-inlaw, Alma and husband Joe E. Hofer, Miriam and husband Don Hamm, lorraine and husband Marlow Deckert, Clara and husband Cordell Glanzer and Shirley Glanzer.

Calif., 22 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.

THIESSEN, GLADYS DERSTINE, Hillsboro. Kans.• member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born December 22, 1923, to Clarence and Mamie Derstine in Souderton, Pa., and died May 22, 2003, at the age of 79. On August 20, 1944, she was married to Emil Thiessen, who survives. She is also survived by one son, lonnie and wife Barbara of Wichita, Kan.; one daughter, Jonelle and husband Steve Barkyoumb of Madison. Wis.; two brothers, Norman and wife Virginia Destine of Harrisonburg, Va., and Kermit and wife Sherilyn Derstine of Denver, Colo.; one sister, Beulah Fulmer of Lititz, Pa.; one sister-in-law, Esther Derstine of Souderton, Pa.; her stepmother, Esther Myers Derstine; two stepsisters, lois and Frieda Myers, both of Doylestown, Pa.; one stepbrother, Gerald Myers of Florida, and five grandchildren.

KARBER. VERNON, Bellingham, Wash., a member of Community Bible Fellowship of Bellingham, was born March 25.1920, in Boyd, Okla., and died April 15, 2003. at the age of 83.

He was married to Edythe, who survives. He is also survived by two daughters, Jacque and husband Scott Gulbertson and Jana and husband Gene Hildebrandt, and five grandchildren.

PENNER, ALICE DEUA, Reedley, Calif., a member of the Reedley MB Church, was born Jan. 1, 1908, to Abraham A. and Agatha Wiens Reimer, at Corn, Okla. and died Nov. 29, 2002, at the age of 94. On Sept.

18, 1927, she was married to John Martin Penner, who predeceased her. She is survived by four sons and three daughters, Abner and wife Olene of Kingsburg, Calif., Elvera and husband Wesley Jost of Reedley, JoElia and husband Vernon Reimer of Bakersfield. Calif., John and wife Ullian of Bakersfield, Eugene and wife Libby of Denver, Colo., Del and wife Linda of Kingsburg and Sheryl and husband lee Talley of Willows,

THIESSEN, LORENE K., Inman, Kan.• member of Zoar MB Church of Inman, was born December 9, 1923, to Dietrich D. and Agnes Friesen Thiessen at Inman and died May 18, 2003, at the age of 79. On August 22, 1946, she was married to Adolph Thiessen. who survives. She is also survived by three daughters, Dorothy and husband Larry Brunk, Anita and husband Neal Buller, and Patti and husband Jim Friesen; two sons, Darrel and wife Pam. Terry and fiancee Stephanie Base; three broth-

ers, Isaac of lehigh, Kan., and Dan and Menno of Inman; two sisters.

Barbara Wohlgemuth Franz of Wichita, Kan.• and Neoma Boersma of Newton, Kan., and 10 grandchildren.

YOGT. ROBERT WAYNE. Dinuba, Calif., long time MB pastor, was born December 19,1930, to C.W. and Marie Heidebrecht Vogt in Corn, Okla., and died May 20, 2003. at the age of 72. On May 25, 1951, he was married to Deloris Willems, who survives. He is also survived by two sons. Keith of Fresno, Calif., and Randy and wife LaVonne of Clovis, Calif.; two daughters, Cyndi and husband Stan Isaac of Dinuba, and Denise and husband Terry Bese of Dinuba; two brothers. Herb and wife Ella of Corn, Okla., and John and wife Hilda of Hillsboro, Kan., one sister-in-law, Carolyn Winter of Fairview, Okla., and nine grandchildren.

WEW. ANNmE, Fresno. Calif., was born June 23, 1964, to Eddie and Kathleen Heinrichs at Kingsburg, Calif.• and died May 7, 2003, at the age of 39 due to breast cancer. For fifteen years she was married to Bryan, who survives. She is also survived by her children. Rebekah and David of the home; two sisters, Laurel and husband Alfred Acosta of Fresno, and Sandra and husband Jason Marshall of Reedley, Calif.; father-in-law, Dave Wells, of Fresno; one sister-in-law, Tracey and husband Matt Havens of Fresno, and her nieces and nephews.

MB educator dies unexpectedly V.K. Rufus a respected leader in India The Rev. V. K. Rufus, principal of MB Centenary Bible College in Shamshabad, India, died of a heart attack June 6, at the age of 60. His passing is mourned by many pastors and fonner students in India, and friends and colleagues in North America and around the world.

Various sources report that at least 1,000 people attended the funeral June 8.

"The number and variety of people in attendance was a testimony to how widely known and respected Rufus was," writes Darren Duerksen, MBMS International's India Conference liaison who

was in India at the time of Rufus' passing. Duerksen writes, "Though he was in weak health last year, he had recovered quite well and was keeping very active. His pass· ing early Saturday moming was thus quite unexpected."

Rufus studied at MB Bible College in Winnipeg, Man.,

Kan., and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.

He has held many leadership positions in the Indian MB Conference and has represented the conference in international gatherings.

Because of his health he was not planning to attend Men-

34.T H E C H R 1ST I A N LEA DE R

nonite World Conference in Zimbabwe next month, and arranged for another to go in his place.

Rufus is remembered by those who knew him for his dedicated development of the Bible college. Douglas Cressman, administrator of the MB Medical Center in Jadcherla reflected on his association with Rufus in his late June hospital newsletter. "Although I did not know Rev. Rufus well, I was impressed with his singular dedication and past sion for the development of the Bible school. Only two days prior to his death, he had proudly presided over a

t

ceremony to inaugurate the bachelor of divinity degree program. He also took time to be interested in my work at the hospital and offered recommendations for improvement. We will miss him."

Elmer Martens, professor emeritus at MB Biblical Semi· nary, says, "I remember sitting with him at a faculty potluck 15 months ago, and hearing from him his passion and detennination to build up and enlarge the school for the sake of leadership training.

He will be sorely missed."

Rufus is survived by his wife, VlCginia, their two sons and one daughter.-MBMSI

What Readers Say continued from page 17 church had shown more ofthe dedication that we see when a nation goes to war, sending young men and women into places like Iraq would not be quite so necessary. We Christians need to keep in mind that our first and foremost loyalty is to Christ and no one else.

Alvin Dick

Mt. Lake, Minn.

Clarifying historical roots Steve Goossen states in his response to the war (''What Readers Say," March, 2003), "Even as our own Anabaptist faith was being birthed during the Reformation..." To my knowledge, the Mennonites were part of a larger group called the Anabaptists, due to the fact that they peac-

CLEARINGHOUSE Have a position to fill? Looking for a new employment or ministry opportunity?

Have a gathering to promote? Reach U. S. Mennonite Brethren through a Clearinghouse classified ad. The charge is 53 cents per word, with a $15 minimum. Withhold payment until an invoice is received. MB institutions advertising vacancies or position announcements may be eligible for a nrxost ad.

Contact the editor for more information.

EMPLOYMENT-eHURCH

Senior pastor Vinewood Community Church of Lodi, Calif., continues to seek a senior pastor. We are a congrega-

tion of about 300 members, eager to minister the love of Christ in our community. We are looking for a motivational team builder with a strong Bible-centered pulpit ministry. A seminary degree and previous pastoral experience is assumed. Interested persons may direct inquiries to: Bryan Hyzdu, Search Chairman, 1927 Lakeshore Dr., Lodi, CA 95242, 209644-7807, E-mail: bhyzdu@service1stbank.com

Senior pastor La Grulla MB Church of La Grulla, Texas, is seeking a full time pastor.

As a rural congregation of 125 members, we are looking for a pastor with strengths in preaching, teaching, counseling and visiting. Qualifications: minimum education of Bible college or seminary, pastoral experience preferred, mature and married, bilingual (EnglishlSpanish). References required. Please submit your resume or call the Pastoral Search Committee by contacting: Imelda Zarate,(956) 487-7856 or Rolando Mireles, PO Box 34, La Grulla, TX 78548, E-mail r1rpi@yahoo.com.

Fax 956-487-5201

ticed baptism after salvation, not infant baptism as was the accepted custom of the Catholic church. The Reformation, however, gave birth to the Protestant movement of which we were not a part as Anabaptists.

Bonita Sawatzky North Carolina

MISSION USA DIRECTOR The Mission USA Board of the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches is seeking a full time director of its ministries.

The MUSA Director shall lead a national vision for building Jesus' Kingdom through winning and discipiing people into the family of God. The director will: • work with the appropriate district leadership teams at their request in the planting of new churches

faith .

'Put!jour in{oClC{JOn

• work at developing a strategy for church health and growth for local congregations that request these services • oversee and facilitate the Integrated Ministries of the U.s.

Conference

Witness door-to-door alongside Christians from other cou ntries PARAGUAY ZIMBABWE PHILIPPINES 1 PHILIPPINES 2 UKRAINE MEXICO INDIA NIGERIA ECUADOR

JUL. 03-20 JUL. 23-AuG. 10 SEPT. 03-21 SEPT. 03-21 AUG. 27-SEPT 15 OCT. 03-19 Nov. 05-23 Nov. 05-23 Nov. 28-DEC. 14

$1600 $2700 $1520 $1520 $1775 $1275 $1900 $2550 $1400

Subject to additions and changes. Additional campaigns may be approved pending funding.

Tuition totals include flights from a major city center.

Costs to city center are responsibility of participant.

• help facilitate the Leadership Development of emerging leaders in partnership with a variety of Conference agencies.

The MUSA Director will report to and be accountable to the U.s.

Conference Executive Director.

Secondarily, the MUSA Director will relate to and help lead the MUSA board.

Qualifications include: • A clear understanding of and commitment to the U.S. Conference of MB Churches and its confession of faith, demonstrated visionary leadership, excellent management skills and ministry experience. ...

rt>MI

a ministry of

•

MBMS International bbciplu thruu;J fIrballtliMioft

To LEARN MORE CALL (604)859-6267 EMAIL dmi@dminternational.org OR VISIT www.dminternational.org

formerly known as CPED - Church Partnership Evangelism and Discipleship

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A full job description is available upon request. Applications should be submitted to Mission USA, Loretta Jost, Chair, 1606 East 8 Road, Aurora, NE, 68818; Telephone 402-694-3257; fax 402694-5088; or e-mail dljost@dtnspeed.net

J U LY

2 0 0

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35

EDITORIAL

Baptism and church membership: At the heart of a believer's life Baptism and church membership. Does the topic stir passions in you? What makes the issue worth dying for-as Hans Denck did when he was drowned in 1527 for insisting on baptizing adult believers? Why would church leaders spend an entire weekend together discussing just this one topic-as did Mennonite Brethren from across Canada (with a few from the U.S.) less than two months ago? (See pages 26-27.) Why does the issue prompt a pastor in California to call me a week after the study conference to check signals?

I agree with the Canadian Board of Faith and Life-the issue is worth front-burner status. In fact, I agree with Hans Denck-baptism and church membership is worth dying for---oh for the courage to follow! Certainly, it is worthwhile for us to work through ideas new and old together---on the phone, at study conferences, through Leader columns articles.

Baptism and church membership get to the heart of our life as believers-they are identity symbols. Baptism is a sign that we are cleansed from sin. Baptism is a sign of covenant, of incorporationmembership in Christ's body, the church local and global. Baptism is a pledge to serve Christ. That's what our MB Confession of Faith says.

The study conference gave an opportunity for reminder, reflection and testing. Churches are wrestling with baptismal issues that grow out of evangelistic growth. One primary issue has emerged: What do we mean when we say that baptism incorporates the immersed believer into local church membership? The Canadians will continue processing the question and likely approve a resolution. Perhaps we in the U.S. should follow suit.

• Reminder. The conference reminded us that we MBs immerse believers after they have confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord. Bible teachers reminded us that the New Testament practice linked conversion, baptism and incorporation into the local church as a single event (see Acts 2:41, 47). I remember a sermon by Larry Martens from 25 years ago in which he said, "You can't say 'Yes' to Jesus and 'No' to the church!"

• Reflection. The conference invited reflection. What makes church membership different than belonging to a civic organization or a book club? Our view of church membership is informed by our image of the church, as the four major study conference presenters

36 • THE

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suggested. If the church is an emergency room that tends the wounded of the world, can "recovering patients" practice mutually accountable membership? Does Menno Simons' favorite imagethe church as spotless bride-transform accountability into impossibly austere perfectionism? If the church's missional vocation makes us a salvation caravan, we members must be called to serve.

To see the church as a colony of resident aliens is to live as a people who are in but not of the world.

• Testing. The conference offered an opportunity for testing how we apply our confessional reading of the Bible. Congregations that separate baptism from membership argue that this "lowers the barrier" to celebrating the healing of conversion but "raises the bar" for meaningful covenant relationships for members. Conference participants confronted this practice with the understanding that the New Testament church practiced baptism as incorporation into the church-local, visible and global.

1myself came to the conference to test two practical issues.

One regards age of baptism. I encouraged churches to postpone baptism until believers are better able to understand covenant community responSibilities such as accountability and stewardship, at least until adolescence. The second regards accepting believers who were confirmed, but did not receive believer's baptism. On this issue, the conference participants spoke with vigor. Most saw such a move as redUcing commitment to believer's baptism. This conversation renewed my conviction that the ideal setting to test divergent practice is the study conference, not the independent action of individual congregations.

• Outcomes. The study conference produced hopeful results: • commitment to reinvest membership with meaning • willingness to submit to the wisdom of the larger community • freedom to test ideas, then live with the consensus of the sisters and brothers-which seems to me to be a sign of church health. llook forward to continuing conversation about how Mennonite Brethren can live faithfully in obedience to the Bible as we interpret God's Word together. Let us commit ourselves to talk together rather than pursue independent congregational initiatives regarding baptism and church membership.-Lynn}ost