June 1997

CHRISTIAN

FIRST WORDS ••• from the editor

CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE almost assumes a dynamic spiritual link between husband and wife. Yet, many couples, with a mix of gUilt and frustration, admit they have little or no spiritual intimacy with their mate. Why? Charles and Virginia Sell have identified several relationship barriers that work against a truly holy union (page 4) These barriers, they argue, don't have to be permanent

Conflict in the church doesn't have to be a bad thing, says Marlin Thomas, but it can turn toxic. When that happens, "people abuse" is a real danger. Thomas identifies several ways it occurs and offers advice out of his counseling experience to help us prevent or change it (page 9)

Next month, Mennonite Brethren in Canada and the United States will gather in Waterloo, Ont., for the biennial General Conference convention. A major issue on the agenda is whether to dissolve that binational structure. At least we think it's a major agenda. But you can't tell it by the amount of discussion, say conference leaders. The silence has been deafening. In this issue, we thought we'd break that silence by publishing a think piece by a veteran and insightful conference observer (page 16). Paul Toews challenges the notion of dissolution-or at least challenges us to look more carefully at our options. Whether you agree with him or not, we think he identifies some issues that are worthy of our attention-and discussion.

You'll find a new regular feature (we hope!) in our BodyLife section, beginning with this issue (page 27) We call it "Turning Points " It's our desire to pass on to you stories of lives within our communities that have been changed by our Lord. Amid the routine and sometimes mundane activities that we associate with church, God is at work. God is saving people from a lost eternity-and using us to help.

If you have a transformation tale to tell, or know about someone else who might, drop us a line. We ' ll work with you or them to get these significant stories into print in future issues.

Have a good read!-DR

COMING

.JULY 10-12, 1997-General Conference convention, Waterloo, Ont o

• NOVEMBER 7-9-Southern District Conference convention, site to be determined.

• NOVEMBER 7-S-Pacific District Conference convention, hosted by Bethany Church, Fresno, Calif.

• NOVEMBER 14-16-Central District Conference convention, Minneapolis, Minn.

Why do so many Christian couples struggle to maintain spiritual intimacy in their marriage? Busy schedules aren't the only reason! BY CHARLES & VIRGINIA SELL 8 When conflict turns toxic

"People abuse" is a problem in most congregations because conflict between individuals can lead to unhealthy attitudes and actions. BY

MARLIN E THOMAS

• What does it mean to be 'partners?

Out of options

• Looking for younger pastors

Criticism in the church

Esengo means joy!

• 'Hidden famine' in North Korea 20

• Bloodbath averted in Zaire 21

• Red River Valley flooding rallies volunteers 22

• Scam targets Mennonites, Amish 23

• Canadian schools in transition 24

• FPU prof helps with new Spanish Bible translation 25

• MBBS board prepares for future, hires new prof 26

• Estes '99 planners expecting record participation 26

• Church notes 27 • Deaths

Photography, page 4, Skjold Photography, page 8, Ed Wallowitch ; page 20, MCC photo by Rick Fee,' page 23, FPU photo.

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MARRIAG E

BY CHARLES & VIRGINIA SELL

Busy schedules aren't the only obstacles keeping couples from relating together spiritually

F ONLY I COULD GET THE

married couples in my church to pray together twice a week, I believe it could transform their relationship." The pastor who said this believes that the saying "Those who pray together stay together" is not an empty bumper sticker slogan. Yet, despite the obvious perks couples get from spending time together with God, many fail to do so. Recently, we surveyed couples to find out why.

Busyness obviously showed up on everyone's list of barriers But other barriers were mentioned too, indicating that the time problem is not the only obstacle that keeps couples from relating together spiritually A major one has to do with our attitude toward changing each other.

Because the Bible or Christian books often help us identify and confront areas of personal weakness, couples can feel pressured to change . Such exposure in the presence of our spouse can be quite threatening , particularly when the area which needs altering is closely related to our role as husband or wife We know of men who, after hearing a sermon on marriage, drive home with their wife silently praying she won't bring up some of the points the pastor made. If one of you has a problem with your temper, your reading a passage of Scripture dealing with anger could

turn a spiritual discussion into a heated argument. Discussing the Bible can be like opening up the proverbial "can of worms" one of us would rather keep the lid on

On the other hand, think of what we deny ourselves by keeping these things tucked away safely out of view: a chance to know each other better; a chance to deal with our problems; a chance to help each other grow in Christ. We are in a sort of dilemma : spiritually relating can potentially make our relationship better; but, we have to have a good enough relationship in order to relate on a spiritual plane.

The answer to this problem is simply this: We need to accept and support each other and resist the urge to unduly pressure each other to change. Forcing each other to change often makes us resist like mules . Then we treat each

other like stubborn animals and tum to the timehonored practices of yelling, screaming, begging, threatening, pouting and-the most popular of all-nagging. Christians sometimes marshal their spiritual forces to jostle a spouse in the right direction-talk to the pastor, read this book, go to this meeting, etc. Spiritual times together become opportunities to hint at the problem and

tum up the heat. We play ecclesiastical basketball God tosses a message to us, ignoring it for ourselves, we quickly pass it to our spouse.

I've often kidded Virginia when she asks which passage we should read today. I say, "Ephesians 5, about wives submitting to their husbands."

"Fine," she replies, "just so we get to the part about husbands ioving their wives."

This little joshing game illustrates what couples play out day after day, only often it is gravely serious. Hearing a sermon, or reading a passage of Scripture together, a man thinks to himself: "I sure hope she got that." She knows what's going on since she's aware of the problem and that he's aware of it too. She feels squeezed in a marital vice Couples soon discover these pressure tactics work extremely well. They dramatically

produce change-in their relationship. Husbands and wives withdraw from each other disillusioned, disappointed and often angry. In their attempts to remodel each other, they have demolished their marriage. Some separate. Some stay together, but have little contact. If they do, it is often abusive. Those who successfully survive these years of adjustment do so by patiently accepting each other. They also focus on changing themselves, not their partners. Otherwise, they get locked into codependency, an overdependence on each other that actually prevents them from growing. There are ways to combat this .

• Don't demand too much. Watch what you demand of each other. Don't demand too much and do it where you have no right to. Imagine this: a husband insists his wife report regularly about whether she is (1) staying on her diet, (2) following her exercise plan and (3) having her personal devotions. He does it in the name of "accountability." I've known men who have done this, treating their wives as if they were one of their Christian buddies who had pledged to brace each other to change.

But marriage is not exactly an accountability group. This is not to say that it's always abusive to make demands on each other. Being married means you are responsible to one another in certain areas. We have every right to suggest, and even insist, on changes that affect our relationship. A husband can insist his wife not flirt with other men and a wife that her husband not neglect her. And sometimes when our partner gets addicted to drugs or alcohol or is caught in some obsession, we have to confront them, sometimes harshly.

But we must constantly be asking, is this an issue that is personal to my spouse or is it one that is within the bounds of our marriage? To intrude into your spouse's personal boundaries can be' extremely oppressive. A husband, for example, might insist his wife not chew gum. Now, it's his right to ask her not to whenever they are kissing; that involves both of them But chewing gum privately is her business. You could argue that he's only trying to avoid what sugared gum might do to her teeth and that is his business The same thing could be true of eating too much, which is a hazard to health.

Yet, some things can't be controlled from the outside; change must come from within. Unless you have absolute control over someone , you cannot make them stop drinking or eat prop-

erly. As long as you keep pushing them, they may refuse to push themselves. You keep pressure on from the outside, they don't tum it on in the inside.

We have to avoid needlessly intruding on our partner's personal life, even when we disagree with what they are doing. We have to give each other freedom to fail, respecting each other'S choices This liberates people to be responsible for the changes they need to make .

Charles explained this once during a Friday evening meeting in a weekend seminar in a New

that person will not feel the pressure to change and will fail to solve the problem. Proverbs 19:19 makes this clear: "An hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again "

The same thing is true when we try to solve our partner's problems for them by doing all sorts of things: telling them what to do, constantly reminding them of it, and constantly applying pressure on them. Essentially, we try to be their conscience, guide and willpower We become their substitute. So, as long as we're playing the game for them, they sit on the bench, England city. Saturdayafternoon, a woman reported to him she followed his suggestion. For years she has been

We have to avol"d stuck in their problem, resisting our efforts. Essentially we perpetuate the complaining to her husband needlessly about how he dresses, jeans problem when we try to stop drinking, eating, gambling for someone. and sometimes, dirty shirts- intruding on our something she would never

Certainly, the Bible says: "Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulftll the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2). Yet, a few sentences later it do in public. Walking beside him embarrasses her, which she's been forcefully telling him for 20 years.

partner's

personal life,

warns: "Each one shall bear his own load" (6 :5, NASB) . The different Greek words used for "burdens" and "load" explains the difference. "Bur· "This morning," she said, "I told him I would never again gripe about how even when we ' ' dens" are like rocks too heavy for one person to handle. At times, troubles are such that we need others to help by giving us a lift. The "load" is like a backpack, representing what we ourselves are personally responsible for carrying. When we take someone he dresses. After dropping his jaw, he asked me to repeat myself. I did . Later, he went out and bought two new shirts and two new trousers and dressed very nicely to come to the semi· nar this afternoon "

disagree with what they are doing"

We don't like marriage to take away our personal liberty; when someone robs us of our space, we fight to gain it back. Apparently, this is what this husband was doing; when the pressure was off, he felt free to choose for himself.

• Don't do too much. Codependents like to say, "Here, let me do it." Demanding can be a way of doing that, saying, "I'll be your conscience; I'll keep reminding you . I'll take charge " Rescuing people from the consequences of their actions is another way to do more than we should. People married to alcoholics often do this. They cover up by lying to the boss when their hung over partner is unable to report for work . This is similar to the spouse of a workaholic who makes excuses to the children for the neglect they feel.

As long as we rescue and protect someone,

else's assigned backpack, we rob them of the opportunity to solve their own problem and do their own thing . Love means doing what's best for someone; sometimes that means refusing to help . Instead of substituting for our partner's efforts, we can best help them by offering our support. In essence, our attitude toward each other should be: "I won't try to fix you, but I'll support you as you try to fix yourself " This means we'll suggest steps for solving the problem, but we'll let our partner take them. At times, we'll suggest options, but refrain from giving advice

Instead of preventing them from falling, we'll encourage them to pick themselves up after they have Essentially, we 'll stand on the side line cheering, "You can do it, " while refusing to do it for them .

• Don't depend too much. Just as you can encourage a person to depend too much, you

can easily depend too much on them. We do this in petty, sometimes amusing ways. "Remind me to buy milk on the way home from church tonight," we say to our spouse, "or we won't have any for breakfast in the morning." When you both forget, you accuse : "I told you to remind me." It's possible that asking your partner to remember caused you to forget, because in your unconscious you had relieved yourself of the pressure to remember.

Leaning on your spouse may have caused you to have eggs instead of cereal for breakfast, but that's no big deal. But overdependence in other matters can be a problem For instance, when you trust someone else to break your bad habit. Or keep your spending or eating under control. Or expect them to think for you. By doing so, you may stifle your growth and remain stuck in the problem you refuse to face on your own . In the meantime, your partner, too, is stuck-in the frustration and disappointment that comes to those who try to force someone to change.

An ancient Chinese tale speaks to this. A father came into the house carrying several cornstalks, their roots dangling. The son asked the father what he had been doing. "I have been out in the field helping them grow by pulling on them," his father replied. The story is rather foolish, but the lesson is profound: We cannot force plants nor people to grow. Nagging, jerking and pressuring doesn't seem to work.

Don't insist, encourage. Your trust in God will enable you to do this Committing our partners to God's control relieves us of the need to control them ourselves . By faith we believe God is at work in us and that we grow from the inside out.

Standing by someone you love, hand in hand, supporting them and watching them mature is one of life's-and marriage's-greatest experiences.

This article is based on material from the book, Spiritual Intimacy for Couples (Crossway Books, 1996), written by Charles and Virginia Sell Charles Sell is associated with Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Ill.

B Y . MAR L N E. THO MAS

EMBERS AT CENTRAL AVENUE CHURCH

reported that Pastor Hauser had continually slighted several members, causing them to feel rejected and uncared for.

• Pastor Tom Swartz of Mulberry Grove Church confided to a close friend that some church members consistently refused to acknowledge his presence on Sunday morning, causing him to feel isolated and hurt.

• Cherie reported that Helen frequently disagreed with her rudely during committee meetings, causing her to withdraw from her committee assignment.

• One elder confided that there were shouting matches in some board meetings, and a deacon reported that some leaders used sharp language when speaking to one another. Another, who finally left the church, reported that the leader "always had to have his way."

These examples, multiplied hundreds of times over, illustrate some general types of "people abuse" that occur routinely in many congregational systems. Such abuse ultimately gives rise to a toxic type of conflict which destroys ministries and relationships rather than building up the kingdom of God.

Conflict is healthy when it enables people to look at different sides of an issue and develop a better approach to problem-solving. But when conflict tears people down and destroys relationships, it is sinful. Destructive conflict needs to be transformed through prayer, Bible study, confession, and growth-sometimes with the help of outside mediators and guides.

"People abuse" may include any type of social, psychological or spiritual treatment of another person which causes them inappropriate pain. Misuse of power is one ready example . Lack of attention and spiritual care is another, at least in the context of the pastoral responsibility. But other forms of people abuse exist as well

People abuse always occurs when one person is not being sensitive enough to another person's situation to keep the relationship balanced, courteous and respectful. It may also involve such complete preoccupation with one's own point of view or personal convictions that it causes the other person to feel unheard, uncared for, and less than equal.

Sexual abuse has dominated the abuse landscape in recent years , and it should have . It was time for such sins against others to be exposed and confronted. Abuse of power has also been discussed frequently, although it has not been addressed as intently as sexual abuse In addition, other types

of people abuse exist, although they have hardly been identified and condemned openly.

How does the abuse of power manifest itself in the church? It manifests itself whenever anyone, from the pastor to the janitor, or the board chair to the newest member, fails to follow policy guidelines and takes control of things in a way not acceptable to others in the church

It also rqanifests itself when one person dictates to another person what they should or should not do without going through appropriate channels. Other abuses of power include undue criticism, loss of temper, inappropriate withholding of information, utilization of unsigned notes, formation of small, special interest «pressure groups, " and many others.

In church conflict , abuse of power also frequently appears when one person, or a small group of persons, decides to manipulate an election or oust a pastor without regard for due process or the feelings of others.

What other types of people abuse are there? To name just a few, gossip may stand among the worst. Insinuations and statements which represent only half the truth are not far behind. Seeking unfair advantage is another, and continually ignoring individuals is a fifth. Some would argue that being ignored is the worst type of abuse of all, and they may have a valid point. Neither can we omit racial prejudice or any other kind of affront to minorities of people who hold different views from our own. Other forms of people abuse include interpersonal boundary violations, abuse of trust and confidentiality, and inappropriate manipulation.

A quick review of this catalog of evil will no doubt prompt some to exclaim that such behaviors surely don't occur in churches-not among Christians! But take a poll. Ask any 10 church attenders if they have ever suffered any of these injustices from church people , and see what responses you receive.

Besides practicing humility when God's spirit prompts us to seek reconciliation, we can also open our hearts to new learning, so we don't

offend with the sin of "people abuse" as often.

The truth is, we all partake of the sinfulness and frailty of the human race , which includes personal bias, all types of myopia, and other imperfections. It follows that we sin all too often against our brother or sister in the church in abusive ways. Pastors are gUilty, elders and deacons are guilty, other church leaders are guilty, and so is virtually every other member of the church at one time or another

How can we turn the tide? How can we transform our abusive behaviors into blessings, our hurting into healing, our rending into reconciliation? Scripture teaches eloquently how important humility is in the gracious process of reconciliation.

When the prophet Nathan confronted David with his sin, David repented in great humility. Psalm 51 is persuasive testimony to his personal honesty and open humility concerning his own misdeeds. When Isaiah encountered the majesty of the Lord in the temple he confessed that he was «a man of unclean lips."

When Jesus looked at Peter after his denial of Christ, Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Sadly, when pastors, church leaders and members alike are confronted with their offenses they often make excuses. << If only she hadn ' t said that," or «1f our pastor was a true leader," or «Surely he could tell that I was hurt , " or «Don't they know what the Bible says?" We hear these and other phrases all too often

Jesus taught differently. «1fyou discover that you have offended your brother, go and be reconciled to him" (Mt. 5:23-24). «1fyour brother sins against you, go and show him his fault (Mt. 18:15) .

Those Scriptures are truly familiar to us, yet obeying their instruction all too often doesn ' t follow from our theology of peacemaking. It is seemingly too hard for us to be the first to say, «I have sinned," or «Yes, you're right, what I did (or said) wasn't kind. I failed you Please forgive me." We shy away from it , never experiencing the joy of releasing our sin in confession or experiencing the joy of forgiveness by the wronged party.

Besides practicing humility when God's spirit prompts us to seek reconciliation, we can also open our hearts to new learning, so we don't offend with the sin of «people abuse" as often

What new things can we learn? We can learn which words hurt and sting, so we can avoid them. We c;m learn how to soften our tone and our gaze so our voice and eyes don't wound unnecessarily. We can learn how to place sensitivity for others above being «right," and how to practice tolerance alongside our strong desire to be right. We can also learn to be more forgiving of those who blunder, and more patient with those who forget. We can learn to turn the other cheek and go the second mile.

Our goal must always be that which Scripture sets before us: to know Christ in all his crucified splendor, and to mature in him in all our words, deeds and behaviors. In that maturity, grace is multiplied to us and we begin to catch a glimpse of the reconciling power of our savior, Jesus Christ. •

Marlin Thomas is an ordained Mennonite Brethren pastor, who is in his 11 th year working with congregations who have experienced destructive confliCt. He is president of Resources for Resolving ConfliCt, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Reaching anglos, too

Can someone please explain the editorial "Reaching today's USA n in the May issue? Is the writer saying that God prefers we build only "multicultural, multiracial" churches? What if the community we are in is 95 percent anglo?

In our area of greater Phoenix the anglo population is by far the majority . Regrettably, the city and state does not have as diverse a mix of races and cultures as California. Should Phoenix be written off because most of the people are not from the correct culture and/or race?

The editorial seems to imply that if we were really serious about growth we should be more "excited about reaching across cultures." I'm sorry, but when someone comes to the Lord I get excited no matter what culture or race . I live in a Mission USA target community and I am not ashamed that I have a intense desire to reach my friends and neighbors for Christ. I will not apologize for them because they are mostly white. "Real" church planting will necessarily involve anglos when the church is planted in an anglo community. The editorial makes the point that non-anglo congregations are booming within our conferences, and yet planting a church in a predominantly anglo community is evidence that we are not really as open minded as we think: we are.

Brothers and sisters, the challenge to reach our neighborhoods for Christ will be met with all kinds of misunderstanding, and uncomfortable questions. Beating up on ourselves with self-doubt about our real intentions is not going to achieve anything. God knows the hearts of his people. With God's help, we should reach out to the people of Phoenix (and other communities), regardless of culture or racial background, even to anglos.

Ric Brown Glendale, Arizona

WHAT READERS SAY

Don't assume motive

While I agree with much of what David Faber has to say in "The case

for an empty tomb" (March), I have to take exception with his tone toward John Dominic Crossan and Crossan's claim that Joseph of Arimathea was "invented by the author of Mark ."

The empty tomb account which Faber says is "roughly" the one given by Crossan may in fact have been Crossan's attempt to discredit the empty tomb story, as Faber implies But readers of the article have no idea of the context of the account. It might simply be Crossan's best reading based on his particular historical method; we don't know, from this article, what he might believe about things that can't be scientifically proven (for which faith is required).

It seems unfair to paint Crossan as wanting to disprove the story simply for the sake of doing so, or because he only wants to tear down the faith that may be grounded in the story. We have no idea from the evidence of this article why Crossan reads the empty tomb story the way he does.

I don't go along with everything the Jesus Seminar produces, but its members' Christian faith is as valid as yours or mine even if we disagree with their scholarly methods

Melanie Zuercher North Newton, Kan.

Too hard on TBN

We read and appreciate the news and features in the Leader, but we felt your March editorial, "Spring Cleaning," was unduly harsh and unkind regarding so-called "Christian television," and particularly the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

We all have opinions as to the way the gospel should be presented. The "antics" of some leaders and their groups raise questions in our minds That some leaders and their programs are open to question is no secret

But could it be possible that in these "last days" the Lord accepts the honest, serious ones-the noisy, clapping, falling on the floor folks , who are reaching out with an enthusiasm that is often sadly lacking in our staid programming and presentations of the gospel?

Jesus said , "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (Mt. 7: 1).

Paul wrote, "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls" (Rom. 14:4)

Incidentally, we have a daily threehour TBN program on our local TV station. In checking their program of the day, we find the shut-off button very handy at times!

But TBN does air some substantial programs, we discovered. Recently, some stalwarts like Bill Brigt\t of Campus Crusade was on. On another program, Josh McDowell gave one of the best analysis and advice messages on reaching modern youth that I have heard. So Christian television is a mixture, but I don't believe it is as bad as you pictured it

R.l Swanson Fresno, Calif.

A packaging tip

As an occasional volunteer at the MCC Resource Center in North Newton, I have noticed that when MCC makes an appeal, the response is usually generous. For this, everyone is grateful

I have also noticed in processing kits or food boxes that sometimes instructions about size or weight were not followed carefully enough. The items did not all fit into the box to be used. These items must then be returned or exchanged when possible This also creates extra work for the staff at the Resource Center. The same size box for a given project is important for shipping. It is also important to have some uniformity for the sake of the recipients . Rachel Wiebe Easter Hesston, Kan.

The Christian Leader welcomes brief letters of relevance to the Mennonite Brethren Church. All letters must be signed and will be edited for clarity and length Send letters to Christian Leader, Box V, Hillsboro, KS 67063 ; fax : 316-9473266 ; e-mail : chleader@southwind net.

What does it mean to be 'partners'?

BY FIDELE LUMEYA

THE MENNONITE Brethren Church in Zaire began in early 1990 to reflect on the decade of mission. These reflections eventually led to the creation of a training school for Zairian missionaries in Kinshasa.

Five years later, this school is now sending out the first batch of missionaries and many more are still in training. A Mennonite church in Bukavu, eastern Zaire, has seen the light of day, due in large part to the efforts of Zairian Christians from the Mennonite Brethren Church who had served as short-term Mennonite Central Committee volunteers in Bukavu during the Rwandan refugee crisis of 1994. This church just celebrated its first year of existence, and this month will baptize its first candidates, including one former Muslim.

It was therefore with pleasure that we read in the January issue of Christian Leader that your accent was placed on mission. But what does "A Year of Global Mission" mean to us?

Before, in Mrica in general and in Zaire specifically, the word "mission" signifted for us a village, a missionary station, a place where in the center was the church, surrounded by garages, workshops, homes of the African workers and finally the missionaries' homes. Eventually "mission" came to represent the whites who came to Mrica to bring souls (black) to Christ Mission came to signify also the relationship between the mother church (North American) and the daughter church (Mrican).

In this paternalistic model, the daughter church received all from her mother. Not only material resources, but also the chance to have all her decisions made for her Giving resources gave permission for the mother church

Forum is a column of opinion and comment on contemporary issues facing the Mennonite Brethren Church. Manuscripts expressing an opinion for Forum should aim for a length of 800 words. Authors must sign articles, identify their church membership and vocation, and include a clear photo of themselves.

Western Christians prefer to play golf on Sundays rather than to go to church and give their offerings and tithes. Aid comes more slowly now

to choose the local leaders for the daughter church, as well as any local policies to be followed.

This relationship led in time to the assimilation of "mission" into the overall concept of "colonization," and thus the missionary became a colonizer. As we Mricans began to see more and more French and Belgian colonizers, this distinction between missionary and colonizer became more blurred . Today in Zaire we see a real growth in sects. Their popularity can be traced to this relationship between mother church and daughter church and the nationalistic feelings upon independence that spilled over into spiritual life as well.

The question that mission poses in Zaire is this: What type of relationship will exist now between the "mother church" from the north and the "daughter church" in Africa? It seems now that the mother has become tired of the dependency and needs of the daughter. Economic recessions have touched us all. Western Christians prefer to play golf on Sundays rather than to go to church and give their offerings and tithes. Aid comes more slowly now; there's a new consciousness about creating dependency.

Many voices in Mennonite circles are now speaking of "partnership," but this word will pose problems as well. Partnership suggests that each participant brings something to the table Obviously, the churches in Zaire are full of human resources, competent and available. However, how to pay these resources? This is the root of the problem . The mother church has tired of being the cash cow and wishes her daughter would start to take her destiny into her own hands.

We all agree that aid can create dependency and can give too much power to the donor and diminish the

role of the beneficiary. However, for the moment there doesn't seem to be another model for the African churches, empowering enough to help her fly with her own wings.

How in a country such as Zaire, where government workers have not been paid in more than three years, and where a distinct lack of structures discourages development, can we hope to see a daughter church ftnancially strong and independent?

We need to acknowledge, too, that in the past the African leaders of our churches have mismanaged the resources they have received from the north, often using these resources for the benefit of a few-their extended families.

We planted a church a year ago and now we're praying with 100 persons each Sunday. The challenge, however, is in addressing the needs of our members. How does one speak of Christ to those who are hungry, tired, underemployed? What is the appropriate way for a North American church to stand beside her suffering Mrican sister without confiscating the ownership?

Is it possible for these churches to return to their sisters with short-term aid for the suffering when not too long ago she asked for self-sufficiency from her "partner?" Do we need to rethink our relationships?

In asking ourselves these questions, we want to reopen the debate to come to some conclusions from both the north and the south, all the while accepting that the church in Zaire has benefited from much aid and projects, which, due to mismanagement, now exist only as memories •

Fidele Lumeya, originally from Kikwit, Zaire, is currently an MCC worker seroing in Bukavu, Zaire

BY PHILIP WIEBE

Out of options

I find myself astonished at today's deluge of statistics, studies and info bites that come from who-knows-where to tell us who-knows-what.

WHEN WE were preparing to paint our house a few years ago, I was confounded to learn that we could

choose from what seemed like at least 300 colors. It didn't take long, sifting through stacks of paint chips, to start wishing for about 290 fewer options. But we were eventually able to narrow down the field, decide on a color, and paint our house. That's when we discovered the teemendous advantage of having 300 choices: 299 of them could have been wrong.

The color we ended up with didn't particularly thrill us, even after having all those choices. It seemed a bit ironic. Our great choice advantage turned out to be somewhat of a disadvantage Too many choices increased the difficulty of making a good choice . Therein lies a dilemma, I think, in today's culture of options We want choices. Lots of choices. Unlimited choices But where does it really get us? Hopping around a lot, it seems: from place to place, thing to thing, relationship to relationship, church to church.

Rather than fulfilling the promise of freedom, options can imprison with indecision, ineffectiveness, overcommitment, lack of commitment. These days I rarely, if ever, find myself wishing for more choices when facing a given situation or task. I often find myself longing for fewer.

Think of our Information Age. If the goal of information media is to help make us better informed, how often is that undercut by the availability of too much information? I regularly feel overinformed without even trying. Actually pursuing all the information options available to me-newspapers,

newsmagazines, television, and so on-would simply be unmanageable.

The next information revolution, the Internet, merely compounds the problem. Hyped as the Mecca of options, the place to learn everything you ever wanted to know, the Internet is currently more like the place to learn everything you never wanted to know. "Ninetynine percent of what's on it

is garbage," one technology analyst gripes. "We're into the stage where everybody's doing it, and that's exactly the problem."

Even e-mail, the most widely used and useful part of the Internet, has opened up unexpected cans of worms. A recent Time article noted that many workplaces are dealing with the challenge of an e-mail culture "gone quietly berserk." A technology that was supposed to enhance communication has actually entangled it. "So much for the e-mail revolution, n says the article, which is now enslaving the desk jockeys it was suppose to free, creating communications problems (of all things) so new that they cannot be found on the pages of any management textbook. n

Chalk it up to our Age of Options, in which we are continually thinking up more ways to get less done. Or so it seems With our computers and cell phones and faxes and pagers and e-mail and who knows what next, we stand ready to conquer the great challenges oLscurrying around attending to our computers and cell phones and faxes and pagers and e-mail and so on, trying to remem-

ber what possessed us to accumulate all this beeping stuff in the first place.

Simply put, options can be overrated. Of course it's nice to have choices. The career and lifestyle options we enjoy, the abundance of material provisions available to us, the proliferation of ministry and service opportunities out there, these are all blessings we easily take for granted But the culture of options we've created has not come without serious side-effects: optional morality, optional monogamy, optional loyalty, optional integrity, optional spirituality, among other things. Too many choices have increased the difficulty of making good choices.

Maybe that's why I can't shake feelings of concern when I hear today's church marketing experts preach the gospel of options. The way to reach people, goes the logic, is to give 'em more of what they want . Certainly there is truth in that, as we've already seen, but is there a point where too many options can sabotage the original intent?

I think so. At times today's church looks more like a reflection of our fickle consumer culture than God's pure heart

Churchgoers can get so caught up in shopping for spirituality that they never take time to develop the deep devotion God desires.

In a sense the gospel is more about limiting options than expanding them . Seek God first. Jesus is the way. Walk the narrow road. You can't serve two masters. Love God, love others. There is one Lord, one faith, one body, one hope Don't run after worldly things. You shall have no other gods before me.

At its best, today's church of options is simply trying different ways to reach people, to connect and communicate with busy citizens of a changing world.

When too many options conspire to keep us optionally committed to God, however, we have entirely missed the point.

And that's not an option.

INQUIRING MINDS

BY MARVIN HEIN

QIs it true that the trend in our North American churches is to seek pastoral leadership in the "under 50" age group? (CANADA)

AAmong those of us in the pastorate, it's an old, old adage that when a church is looking for a pastor, they want a 40-year-old person with 30 years of experience.

It cannot be denied that we have become age-conscious when it comes to choosing our church leaders. More than a few pastors have resigned from their positions and then discovered that the middle 50s are considered too old for some congregations.

I was fortunate as a pastor to be able to serve until I was 65 years old. I did become aware, however, that even among the best of parishioners, the prevailing mind set is that when you reach a certain age (particularly 65), it is assumed the pastor must resign or retire.

The problem really is a cultural one. In many business responsibilities, skilled and capable men and women are given the "pink slip" when they are in the 50s because younger persons can be employed at lower salaries and fringe benefits The church should probably consider whether it is following a worldly trend when we set aside those who have the most experience but have passed their mid-life crisis.

We have the same problem in our educational institutions. Some of the most capable teachers I know are those who have passed the age of 65. Usually we expect them to retire. We may give them part-time positions, but they are prevented from sharing their wisdom and learning with young students in our schools.

I'm not suggesting for a moment that pastors and teachers should be allowed to work forever. I'm only saying that, making each decision an individual matter, we should not be deceived into thinking that a certain age automatically disqualifies a Chris-

tian servant from fulfilling his or her role in the church.

I'm very conscious that rapid change tends to render the Lord's servants ineffective more quickly than once was the case. I can personally testify that a changing world and changing techniques made me wary of my own effectiveness and influenced my retirement from the pastorate. My only plea is this: let a congregation think very carefully before they disqualify a potential pastor because he is 55 years old.

QIt would seem that churches are becoming increasingly criticalnot just toward their pastors but to everything in general. What can we do about this negative attitude? (PENNSYLVANIA)

AThe query reminds me of the parishioner who, after hearing that a youth pastor had been called by a unanimous vote, told me with tongue in cheek that he wished he had been present at the meeting because he didn't think anyone deserved a vote without some dissent.

Criticism makes life difficult, but it also needs to be heard. We can often learn from it. Let me make three suggestions about facing criticism, reflecting on words written by a Presbyterian pastor in Eastern United States.

When criticized, we need to remember that much negativism is born of ignorance and fear. Often, criticism is not opposition to a pastor or church, but a sign of deep, unresolved problems that may have little to do with the church.

I used to tell my church secretary occasionally, after a person had vented his wrath at the church, that this person had a problem and it wasn't necessarily us. We were just the convenient people on whom this person could unload. Many times I discovered, sometimes years later, that an unfor-

Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? Send it to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 4812 E. Butler, Fresno, CA 93727.

giving spirit, an illicit relationship or an unresolved conflict was the real problem, and the church was the most convenient place to blame.

Some criticism is simply ill conceived. It is based on misconceptions and can be dismissed quickly, though it may bring discomfort.

A second kind of criticism may be a valid judgment that deserves careful hearing. I never liked criticism. I still don't. I never got used to it. But long ago I decided that whenever criticism came, I would try to discover what I might learn from it. Even the most outlandish critique probably carries a hint of truth. Sometimes we have indeed missed the mark and someone needs to point this to our attention. Criticism can be the voice of God calling us to mend our ways.

A third kind of criticism comes to the church from the world. Here we need to listen carefully. Too often we yield to the temptation to be less interested in serving the Lord and more interested in winning the battle. I'm afraid much of evangelicalism is guilty and can be rightly criticized. In the hot cultural issues of the day (church/state relationships, abortion, political conservatism, etc.) we want more to "win one for Jesus" than to strive to live correctly.

The Old Testament prophet prompts us to "do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). Jesus instructed us to proclaim release to captives and recovery of sight to the blinded and freedom to the oppressed (Lk. 4:18-19).

I am increasingly persuaded that we need to spend our energies more on preaching the good news, feeding the hungry and enabling the poor than on fighting for having a creche at the Main Street Christmas display or the Ten Commandments posted in the courtroom.

I'm entirely in favor of the commandments and the creche, but are we spending our time and energy. at the right places?

I have to wonder.

ON THE JOURNEY

BY ROSE BUSCHMAN

Esengo means joy!

Through their singing and sharing, these young people from Zaire certainly demonstrated the Christian joy that is in their hearts

Iw AS TIRED and my feet hurt . All I really wanted to do was sit down and relax. As part of the kitchen crew that fed the Esen-

get the message. I can still see them going through the chopping motions with special emphasis on the word "break " go choir before their evening concert, I had worked all afternoon to get the meal ready and then to serve our guests.

Now with the clean-up complete, I made a quick trip home to freshen up and then to return to the concert. After I got home, though, I actually thought of staying there, but soon talked myself into going back to town. I told myself, "You'll never get the chance to hear these singers again."

I was so glad I chose to attend. What a privilege! What an experience! Esengo is the word for "joy" in Lingala, a major language of Zaire Through their singing and sharing, these young people from Zaire certainly demonstrated the Christian joy that is in their hearts.

I was impressed that the choir sang in so many languages: Lingala, Kikongo, Kituba, Gipende, Tchokwe, French and even English . And that they sang all their songs from memory If you have ever tried to learn another language, you'll know that's a big "wow."

The evening turned out to be a series of special moments Like when we sang, "How Great Thou Art" together-the choir in Kituba and the audience in English. As we stood together and sang, tears filled my eyes I was deeply moved. Was this a foretaste of heaven, when we will all gather around the throne and praise God, each in our own language?

Or when Esengo sang" Break down the walls that divide us, " in English, so that we would be sure to

One special moment occurred when my husband met one of the choir members and realized they

had strong personal ties. My husband 's parents had spent 11 years as missionaries to what was earlier called the Belgian Congo . Later, after Dad retired from teaching, he went back to Zaire on a two-year Christian service assignment and worked closely with Kulepeta, his Zairian counterpart Now , the son of an American missionary to Zaire and the son of a Zairian church leader met in a Mennonite Brethren church in western Kansas and recognized each other for who they were . Another "wow"!

!fYOU didn't get to an Esengo concert you missed the "offering experience." While the choir sang and played their instruments, we were all asked to walk single me down to the front and place our offering in a big basket If we had no money to give we were to give "ourselves" to God as we walked by Actually, it wasn't supposed to be a "walk." We were to show joyful exuberance-and some of us did.

One first-grade girl went home and told her father who had not been at the concert, "Daddy, we have to talk to Pastor Steve (prieb)." When her father asked why, she said, "Because we have to start doing the offering like we did last night That was fun." Yes, dear, it was! We can learn so much from our

brothers and sisters in other countries and other cultures. I heard the Zairians had a problem with our "stiffness" in worship Don't these North American Christians show their joy, they wondered? They were told we worship differently-that this is a cultural difference

Well, I lost some of my own "stiffness" that night Never before had I been able to raise my hands in worship to God during the singing of a praise song . For the first time in my life I did so at the concert-and I even felt led to do so again in a Sunday morning worship service several weeks later. For me this is a significant step in my own worship experience . Thank you , Esengo , for teachingme!

Three of the young men came home with us for the night As we sat around the table eating a lateevening snack, we talked , some in French and some in English I must admit my French was taxed to the limit , but it felt good to be able to follow much of the conversation and know what they were talking about. One of the men told me I have a nice accent. I'll take that! Anything that boosts my confidence in the area of French is much appreciated.

In spite oftheir Christian joy, they also expressed concern As 10 o'clock approached, one ofthe men brought out a shortwave radio, tuned to Paris, so we could hear the latest news from Zaire and the civil war raging there. One of the men had a wife and two children back home, another a wife and the third a fiance They were worried The potential problems of looting, bloodshed and other atrocities were very much on their minds .

The next day , as the bus left to take the choir to their next concert, Kulepeta Bona called to me, "Goodbye , Mama Rose "

"Auf wiedersehn," I replied . If not in this life, then we will see each other again in heaven

Esengo, thank you for coming and enriching my life

Dear Dad,

When I was growing up, I didn't think of you as a church planter. You were just my Dad and my pastor. I didn't realize how unique your ministry was. Whether it was Denver, Eugene or Ferndale, I just figured all churches were new churches.

But during my Tabor College days, it only took one trip home for me to catch the excitement of that new emerging Ferndale church. People were becoming Christians and being baptized. New people were coming almost every week. And the spirit of cooperation and anticipation was contagious!

Later, during my studies at MBBS, I thought a lot about the fun you seemed to be having in that new church. I thought about the freedom you enjoyed. And in my heart, I wanted to pastor a church like yours. But as I prayed about where God would lead after graduation, I wasn't expecting the opportunity to be a church planter. Yet that's exactly where God led us!

To be honest, Dad, a big reason for us accepting this assignment to plant a church in Bellingham was the opportunity to work closely with you and learn from you. Do you remember the day I sat you down and said, "Dad, what's the most effective thing I can do to reach new people?"

You said, "Love your people. When they feel loved The late Harold Schroeder and his son, Steve, in 1993. and they're excited about their church, they will invite others."

You were right! And another important thing you modeled for me was that people were always more important than fancy buildings. You taught me that God always provides all we need to do His work. He certainly did when you built your building. And now He's doing that for us. We're just a few weeks away from moving into our own building and we're seeing God supply our needs, too!

As I was preparing one of my messages recently, I reflected on the words of advice you gave me during my ordination service. About preaching, you said, "Keep it simple, Steve." I'm still trying to do that, Dad.

How can I thank you for this rich heritage you've given me? Your acceptance of unbelievers, your patient persistence, your gentle spirit, your love for all kinds of people, your deep trust in God, and your willingness to take risks have all left a permanent impression on my heart. Those are the kinds of things I could never learn from a book or seminar.

Thanks, Dad, for your commitment to planting churches. It's catching on. You would be encouraged to see how God is growing our church and using our people to reach others for Christ. And you would be so pleased to see how our U.S. Conference is taking church planting seriously. You remember how Mission USA was just getting off the ground when you were called Home?

Now we've got Ed Boschman as our National Director, and people all over the country are getting excited about God's agenda for growing more churches.

Hardly a day goes by when I don't think of you, Dad. I miSs you a lot. This Father's Day 1'd like to say, "Thanks, Dad. Thanks for being a church planter. Thanks for your love for the church. Thanks for your part in Mission USA, and thanks for your confidence in me. I love

Steve Schroeder planted the Community Bible Fellowship church in Bellingham, Washington in 1991. His father, Harold, was postoring the Good News Fellowship in Ferndale at the time . They were the "mother" church for the new Bellingham church. Harold Schroeder died of cancer in December, 1993.

MISSION USA 80UD:

Ed Bosdunan, Phoenix, M.

Exewtiva Director

Chudc Buler, 1JSOtIl, CA

Mia Schud, Reecley, CA

Fred Leonard, Oovis, CA

Phil Glanzer, Haw Hope, MH

Lorena lost, Aurora, HE

Clarke Rempel, KS

RrnIy Steinert, B.ersfieId, CA

ant Seibel, HiIsboro, KS

&nie Friesen, WKhiIa, KS

Howard Loewen, Fresno, CA

filii Geddert, Fresno, CA

Ride Eschbaugh, Topeka, KS

TIm SuUivan, Hillsboro, KS

Ex Officio Members:

Henry Dick, Fresno, CA

Clinton Grenz, Bismark, NO

Roland Reimer, WIChita, KS

NEXT MONTH, Canadian and u.s. delegates to Waterloo '97 will be asked to consider a recommendation that would lead to the dissolution of the binational General Conference structure. This rather radical proposal has been met in the constituency with a deafening silence. Few people have registered a "yea" or a "nay," reports Marvin Hein, General Conference executive secretary.

Is it apathy or simply a lack of fodder for discussion? To help define pertinent issues, we are publishing the following perspective written by Paul Toews, director of the Center for MB Studies in Fresno, Calif. Toews makes a case for reconsidering, or at least delaying, the recommendation. A statement from Ed Boschman, General Conference moderator, which explains the process and rationale that led to the proposal was published in our November 1996 issue -the editors

Do we really want to dissolve the General Conference?

BY PAUL TOEWS

CONSIDERABLE talk circulates these days about the need to alter our conference structures Some feel our current threetiered structure (regional, national and binational) is too much to sustain and that we would be better served by substantially reducing the scope and authority of the General Conference A proposal to achieve that result will be brought to the forthcoming General Conference convention next month in Waterloo/Kitchener, Ont.

Our current three-tiered structure has essentially been in place for more than 40 years (see sidebar). It is no doubt appropriate to review and determine whether the current structures are appropriate for our mission in the world and our identity as a people Nothing lasts forever and changes can bring new vitality. Simultaneously, change can also corrode and even destroy what is good and valuable Our task is to be discerning and careful as we seek to position ourselves for the future.

An initiative

Amid much talk about restructur-

ing, the only real proposal on the table is the one that came out of what is referred to as the "Strategic Evaluation Meeting " This gathering of about 35 participants was held at the ECCO Retreat Center near Fresno, Calif., last September. Called together by the Executive Committee of the General Conference, they proposed three models for change. Each assumes some variation of dismantling the General Conference with the district/provincial or national conferences picking up or coordinating the General Conference ministries.

Since this gathering was called by the General Conference , I presume they began with the notion that any radical suggestions they were empowered to make would have to be limited to the General Conference. After all, it would hardly be appropriate for a General Conference body to suggest dismantling either the national or district conferences.

But that is precisely the problem with the proposal It is an insular one that fails to take into account the strength or weaknesses of the other conference levels What we need is an honest look at the entire three-tiered

system and a careful analysis of what can be consolidated, realigned , discarded or added. To begin with the view that the structural or functional problems all lie with the General Conference is to miss both the history of these structures or the current state of the various conference levels

We probably oUght to begin with the point of view that is prevalent in the commercial world when a fIrm. faces the need for downsizing . Businesspersons know you downsize the weak sector or division , never the strong .

A record of accomplishment

The accomplishments of the General Conference during the past 25 years are considerable :

• the development of a strong program of theological education (MB Biblical Seminary);

• writing and rewriting the Confession of Faith and systematizing confessional issues (Board of Faith & Life);

• the worldwide mission program (MB Missions/Services);

• the promising beginnings of the recently established Board of Resource Ministries.

I think it fair to say that in regard to program, the last decades have been among the strongest for the General Conference. The strength of those programs is recognized by the "ECCO Summit" statement that, while calling for structural change, it also calls for us to "continue our global ministries, retain theological/seminary education and provide a means to deal with theological/doctrinal matters. "

So what the proposal really

with these other ministries .

I agree that we currently have too many conference levels, too many overlapping programs and staffs. But we should begin with the premise that we cut out the weakest. The General Conference , from a programming perspective, is the strongest of the existing conference levels. It is engaged in more ministries , and more successfully than any other confer-

I agree that we currently have too

many conference levels, too many overlapping programs and staffs. But

network of colleges and Bible Institutes. It is the national conferences that are in trouble.

U.s. Conference:

In search of a role

The u.S. Conference has never quite found itself. It was forced into existence in 1954 because Canada withdrew its support from U.S.-based higher education institutions. calls for is dismantling the structures but continuing the work . Oh that life were so simple that means and ends, that ministries and structures, could so readily be segregated.

The litany of things that should

The conference had some kind of glue so long as it managed the program of Christian higher education The 1979 decision to regionalize Tabor and Fresno Pacific colleges and the subsequent 1982 Deer Creek "masbe continued-global missions, theological education and doctrinalleadersbip-should be expand-

we should begin with the premise that

we cut out the weakest. The General Conference.. .is the strongest of the ed to include Christian nurture. For the first time in decades we existing conference levels. have a distinctly denominational church school curriculum coming out of the recently constituted and revitalized Board of Resource Ministries. Denominations have long known that part of maintaining cohesion is to produce church school materials. Just now as we have a board that is doing that, we want to emasculate it along

ence level. Many of the district/provincial conferences are also strong these years. They benefit from the closeness of proximity. They have traditionally carried churchplanting work and some have been very successful in recent years . They are currently also the carriers of the

sacre" which gutted the Christian Service program, the MB Publishing House and the Words of the Gospel program left the u.S. conference with precious little. Since 1988, the conference has been trying to reorganize itself around what eventually has come to be known as "Mission USA." Since that convention and through thte 1996 convention, this proposed program of church planting and revitalization has been the centerpiece of the national conference. While it has been the subject of discussion for much of the past decade, it is only now becoming operational. That lag time is its own commentary on the ability of the conference. And now the April 1997 issue of the Christian Leader already indicates funding problems for Mission USA.

Mission USA is essentially the national conference taking on renewal, evangelism and church-planting concerns that heretofore have been primarily the responsibility of the district conferences. The reason for nationaliZing these concerns is ostensibly that the national conference "may have access to expertise and resources" which are not available to the district conferences and that it might be easier for the seminary and MB Missions/Services to work with a national entity rather than the numerous regional ones. That same logic also suggests the binational conference has more resources and that it would also be easier for all of the par-

t ies ac ross t h e 49th parallel to work together . Missi on USA may eventually invigorate the U. S. Conference . But it is certainly too early to assume that we can dismantle other confere nce structures because we hope for its fu t ure success Caution is advisable , particularly when t h e history of church p lanting in t h e U n ited States is not an altogethe r successful story.

. A direction to consider #'

,GIVEN

mE arguments out. lined here, I would offer three proposals:

Proposal 1: That. at < the General Conference, in concert with the national and the district/pro vincial conferences. appoint a "blue ribbon task force" to objectively examine the work and program of alI three coiU'erence levels, then decide how streatn1lne or than begin " assuPIption.,that it is l:IesMo do.radical surgetf'on the Qmte!" etlee j

Proj)O$all: l

Genepil COn(ere,nce c<>nli¢1itlon <!it ! ierently for several times. i uri:leash the creatWe QUf 1 I

mspir'ing event1Uld'then how we fea abollt the of . dissolving Pi"oP9$al3t 't!lat we I fully about what tb"e conference \'IVill d9 to the i<fentif;Y'of our de.notnin.a:tiOn, <>1: of the two subgr<;»ups that in will em,.erge_-P1' '' '"

Canadian Conference: Declining cohesion

The Canadian Conference is also in trouble these days. That is partly because Canadian national unity is itself factitious. Powerful regional forces are at work in Canadian public life and in the Canadian Conference. Nowhere is that more evident than when the Canadian Conference, like the U.S Conference did nearly two decades ago , decided to tum over the program of higher education to the provincial conferences.

The recent decision of the Canadian Conference to move to a biennial schedule instead of an annual conference, which had been the case since 1912, is its own comment on the significance of the national conference.

Limited national strengths

The reality at the moment is that the strength of the two national conferences lies essentially in its communication/publication and trustee/foundation work . The Christian Leader and the Mennonite Brethren Herald are , in many ways , programmatic heart of the U S. and Canadian conferences .

In addition, Canada has a strong Christian education board and the U.S. Conference has engaged in a program of church adoption. Both national conferences have equivalents of the General Conference Boards of Faith and ute, but in each case that work has largely been transferred to the district/provincial conferences Canada also has a Board of Evangelism that functions nationally but in reality it is the provincial conferences that carry most of this work.

The trustee functions, which formerly were binational, have been largely nationalized to accommodate the concerns of the tax codes of the respective countries. Neither national conference has as full a programmatic work as the General Conference .

So why the rush to embrace national conferences? Those in the conference that read futuristic literature know the "mega trends " worldwide are localism and globalism National boundaries are increasingly less significant in economics , culture, and certainly in religion . By proposing to strengthen the national conferences

we are opposing much of the conventional wisdom these days as to how structures are evolving

A fragile global network

One of the major reasons that circulates in the proposal to disband the General Conference is the emergence of the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren (lCOMB). We all are clearly interested in moving away from the paternalism of the past, where North America dominated Mennonite Brethren global relationships It is time for an equality that recognizes there is a spiritual , theological, cultural and intellectual capital in all of our conferences around the world.

But to date ICOMB is a fragile entity. Whether it will mature into a strong federation remains unknown . A couple of glowing press releases about its work do not a conference make. ICOMB , as a working conference, is at this point but a distant dream. Furthermore, the inability of the U.S . and Canada to work together effectively is hardly a down payment on any kind of internationalism.

Those who want to dismantle the General Conference say the work of the binational conference is too far removed from the people in the churches. ICOMB is not going to be too far removed? Are the national conferences really any closer?

With modem communication, distance is not the issue. The question is whether the people want to own the conference ministries . That question needs to be asked at every level. One concrete question we oUght to ask is whether support for the national conferences has been stronger than for the General Conference. Certainly on the U S. side the answer would hardly be yes.

Another issue is at work in the current proposal: a strong case of antiinstitutionalism. One participant in the General Conference Council of Boards meeting following the ECCO summit is reported in the p apers as saying that "the young leaders that I work with are not willing to accept a passed baton They will only pick up a dropped baton ." That is a form of generational arrogance that can only lead to institutional chaos Where is

the conception of the "peoplehood" as a continuing story? Where is the church if it must be recreated from scratch every generation? If we grant legitimacy to such thinking, we will soon have to pack in all our conferences and institutions.

Doing conventions right

The strategy of admitting that we need the General Conference ministries but wanting to dismantle the structure might be pointing to something else. Part of our problem is that we have not been served well by General Conference convention

planners for some time. Too much of the planning has relied

doned, we have not given the conference a fair chance Let's learn from those denominational conventions that are highly satisfactory and successful events.

Diluting identity

Finally, let's get to the real issue that ought to dominate our conversation about dismantling the General Conference: Will dismantling empower the witness that God has entrusted to us? Denominations can be thOUght of as the failure of Christianity-its

My real fear about dismantling is on local committees for not only that it will erode the core values

of our Anabaptist-Mennonite

ence to the commands of Christ, for salvation to translate into discipleship, for the church to be a community of standards and even diScipline, for ministries of compassion and reconciliation as evidences of Christ's salvational work among us.

My real fear about dismantling is that it will erode the core values of our Anabaptist-Mennonite Brethren identity. The notion that we will hang together as a binational body without doing any real work together has little precedence. Denominations in North America are purposive. They are agencies for common work. They do not survive on the basis of occasional fellowship. So in effect, what we will the hosting functions but also the program. Worship forms and music, critical elements in a convention, have often been left to local churches And hence they have not always been as strong or as representative as they might

Brethren

identity. The notion that we will do by segregating into two conferences is divide into two smaller groups. As that happens we will increasingly find fellowship and association hang together as a binational body without doing any real work together with others in the evangelical world. That is not all bad, but it will have the overall effect of be. We need to work in a fashion has little precedence. to ensure that worship is done in ways that are inclusive of the rich diversity of our congregations

Our conventions have also insisted on a schedule that tries to do far too much in a short time. We end up tacking worship onto business sessions, having insufficient time for discussion and shortening the breaks and fellowship time. In short we have insufficient time to do anything well. The convention needs time for work, worship, fellowship and even play. The convention oUght to be a time to bond people together. That happens as much over the dinner table and in playing volleyball together as in working sessions. Many other denominational conventions now last five to six days instead of three days that we have usually allotted for ourselves

We have also been delinquent in not moving to consider different locations for our conventions Many denominational gatherings these days meet at large camps or in resort locations so that it is an inviting setting for families to participate.

Some voices have been calling for a change in the format of the General Conference convention at least since the mid-1970s By sticking to a format that long ago should have been aban-

accommodation to social class, ethnic and racial realities. They can also be thOUght of as a gift-as resources that point to the richness and vastness of the kingdom of God that transcends all limited human vision and experience.

If we think of denominations as gifts, as one member of the body, then we also need to recognize our responsibility to preserve and witness to that which is our distinctive contribution within the larger fabric of Christianity. Why has the AnabaptistMennonite tradition survived through many tests for now nearly 500 years? What is the role that Mennonite Brethren are called to play in the world? Is it the same role that other denominations are called to play? Do we have clarity on our mission as one segment of God's church?

Mennonites have historically been called to the prophetic function. It may not be the popular call . Our call has been to embody the witness of Jesus the Christ even in forms that may be unpopular with the surrounding culture. It has been the call for costly discipleship, for radical obedi-

corroding those distinctive core values of our identity. I also understand that some wish for that. But I take that position to be one that does not understand that the Mennonite elements of our identity are the truly strong ones. Many thoughtful observers in the North American religious scene are turning toward our Anabaptist-Mennonite Brethren understandings. That is because we have something to say to a world desperate for an authentic word of salvation. Many unauthentic words float in today's religious culture. It would be a tragedy if we were to make structural moves that will in effect diminish our witness just when our moment in time has come.

We are the inheritors of a sacred trust. We need to ensure that when we make major structural changes that they in fact empower our witness and work in the world. I don't think the proposals before us have received that kind of careful and sustained attention to warrant action in 1997 In the life cycle of the conference, giving ourselves another two years for a thorough assessment across the entire spectrum of denominational ministries would seem to be both prudent and advisable. •

MCC responds to 'hidden famine'

• North Korean food crisis could lead to the deaths of more than a million people

INfERNATIONAL aid groups believe North Korea is facing a food shortage more severe than the one that led to the deaths of a million people in Ethiopia in the early 1980s, says Ann Martin, program director for Mennonite Central Committee East Asia. Yet, international attention has only recently focused on the plight of this isolated country, prompting some to call this a "hidden famine. "

The North Korean government granted World Food Program workers permission to travel to any region of the country earlier this year, giving the world its ftrst glimpse of conditions in this communist country WFP officials report signs of malnutrition in children and warn that the entire population of 23 million is weakening. WFP is an agency of the United Nations.

Citizens are rationed to half a bowl of rice daily. To supplement this meager ration, people are eating a weak gruel made from tree bark. Communities are without dogs and cats because pets have been consumed for food There

are isolated reports of cannibalism North Korea's government predicted the country would run out of food in April and experts predict mass starva· tion

MCC is joining with other groups to send emergency food shipments to North Korea. MCC's food aid will be dis-

Food shipment was a miracle story

THE EVENTS of April 1 were no joke for Kevin King. By day's end, he was teary as he recounted the series of small miracles that had taken place. And they continued all week.

As Mennonite Central Committee's material resources director, King's task on that Tuesday was to find a way to move 115,200 cans of beef from warehouses in Pennsylvania and Kansas to North Korea, the world's most politically isolated country.

After a long Easter weekend, King had arrived back at

work to find his desk piled with paperwork. But a phone conversation with a United Nations official made it clear what he needed to work on first. The official reported that on a recent visit to North Korea, he had seen hungry people scavenging corn cobs and pine bark to supplement their small rice ration

King's next phone call was to Joe, a freight forwarder in New Jersey, who said a ship would sail directly from Texas to North Korea the following week. This would get the food

tributed by Caritas, a Catholic relief agency, with help from WFP. MCC has no workers in North Korea.

In April, MCC provided $150,000 to purchase corn and rice from Vietnam and shipped 115,200 cans of beef from warehouses in Kansas and Pennsylvania. MCC Canada, together with Canada

faster to those who needed it. The ship had room for MCC's meat, Joe said, if MCC could obtain all the clearances and get the meat to the harbor on time.

King prayed, "Lord if you want this to work, you'll have to make it happen because it's not humanly possible."

Theday unfolded. An energetic youth group could help prepare the cans of meat for shipping . A trucking company agreed to haul the meat to Texas.

Tom, a Washington official who knew of Mennonites-he attended their "quilt sales" and

enjoyed their cheese-was willing to expedite the paperwork.

The export office in Harrisburg, Va., had one last copy of the six-page BXA 748P form. An official happened to live near King and would bring it home from work .

A staff member overheard a phone conversation about how to get the completed form to Washington. He was taking visiting relatives there the next morning and offered to handdeliver it.

By the end of the day, King was breathing a prayer of thanks .

But the saga continued throughout the week Tom

North Koreans line up to receive their rations-now only 3.5 ounces of rice per person per day

Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) and seven other church groups, sent 15 ,000 metric tons of wheat valued at $3.1 million. The food shipment is scheduled to arrive this month.

Initially the Canadian government would not allow government funds allocated to CFGB to be used to ship the wheat since North Korea is on the list of countries ineligible for Canadian government aid. That decision was reversed in April thanks to advocacy by the church groups, says Marv Frey, MCC Canada executive director.

North Korea is entering the second year of a famine caused by severe flooding, which destroyed 890,000 acres of crop land. The Soviet-style government's agricultural policies have added to the problem.

Typically, in a famine the United States supplies one-third of the food needed, says World Vision. But in this situation the U.S. has supplied only 1 percent of the food aid North Korea says is needed. The current U S. administration seem to be withholding food in order to punish North Korea for its isolationism and occasional belligerence, reports Christianity Today.

Fortunately, Christian relief organizations like Mennonite Central Committee, World Vision, Caritas, Church World Service, and other humanitarian aid groups are providing food, medicines and seeds to help the country get through its immediate crisis -MCC and Christianity Today

called to say MCC's shipping license needed approvals from both the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense. Joe called to say the ship was planning to load three days early. MCC's meat could not be loaded on the ship until the approvals came through

Finally, Tom called to report MCC's request to ship the meat had been approved "There must have been a lot of prayers," he said A process that normally takes 30 days had taken just four and a half

But then panicky MCC staff from Kansas called. One truck had not arrived to pick up the

Rebels seize Zaire's capital; feared bloodbath averted

• Mennonites faring well so far during transitional period

THE BLOODBATH some had feared as rebels seized Zaire's capital city of Kinshasa May 17 did not happen. Initial reports from the Zairian Red Cross indicate some 200 diedmostly looters and government soldiers who offered resistance

The rebel leader, Laurent Kabila, declared himself president, and Mobutu Sese Seko, who had ruled Zaire for nearly 32 years, left the country.

"Thank you to everyone who has been praying about this situation," wrote Ann and Bruce Campbell-Janz, Mennonite Central Committee workers, in an e-mail to MCC headquarters in Akron, Pa . "It feels like last weekend's events were an answer to prayer."

Some areas of Kinshasa did suffer heavy looting, including the home of MCC's Zairian administrator, Epampia mbo Wato. The family was frightened but unharmed.

Pakisa Tshimika of MB Missions/ Services reported many houses in his neighborhood were looted When some looters tried but failed to get through his gate, Tshimika said he felt

meat. King found a trucker willing to make the overnight trip but knew it would probably make it to the harbor too late .

Then it rained in Texas. Dock workers had to wait to load the ship "It's a good thing God controls the weather, too," said a relieved King

The ship, Xian Xia Ling, set sail from Texas on April 15, carrying the 100 tons of MCC meat and other donations from the United Nations and church groups. It was set to arrive in Nampo, North Korea, in May when people will have eaten food from the last harvest and will not have new crops until October -Peal Sensenig, MCC

"protected by angels." The looting appears to have stopped as the rebels , known as the Alliance, established control.

Tshimika's wife, Linda, and daughters left Zaire May 16 for France, then flew to the United States for an undetermined time.

The overall mood in Kinshasa is joyful. "It's as if people are breathing a collective sigh of relief," writes Ann Campbell-]anz

Under Mobutu's dictatorial rule, people had seen their country disintegrate-the economy had collapsed and government services became nonexistent.

"People are clamoring for a change," Bruce adds. "The hope now is for democracy and elections." The country-which is the third largest in Africa in area-will need at least a year to prepare for elections, he predicts. Many of the nation's 40 million inhabItants have known no president other than Mobutu.

"I feel the Mennonite church here has a potentially very important role to play in the message of peace-that peace does not just mean lack of war," Bruce writes.

Adds Ann: "We do not know exactly what this change in government will mean, but we do know that whatever it is, it will not be able to separate us from the powerful love of God. That's true liberation!"

King prayed I "Lord if you want this to work, you III have to make it happen because it's not humanly possible."

MCC workers are looking forward to working in the same country once again Eastern Zaire, where MCC workers Fidele Lumeya and Krista Rigalo live, has been cut off from Kinshasa since October 1996 when rebels seized control of Bukavu. Mennonite communities have been cut off from each other, except for ham radio contacts.

Zaire's new leader has renamed the country the "Democratic Republic of Congo." Congo was the name in 1960 immediately after the nation became independent from Belgium. Mobutu later named the country Zaire .

"Your thoughts and prayers will be a positive contribution during this transitional time here," conclude the Campbell-Janzs. "Continuing peace would be a wonderful gift to all."

-MCC Information Services

IN BRIEF

• PARTICIPATIN G: Real est ate develo p er and phila nthro pist Reg Boothe, a m e mber o f First MB Chu rch in Wichit a, Kan , atte nded th e Presidents ' Summit fo r Am erica's Futu re chai red by Colin Po w e ll Boothe, c ha ir of the W ic h it a Co mmu nity Foundation , w as a me m ber o f t h e W ic h i ta de le gat io n t o th e April 27-29 eve nt in Phi l ad elph ia, Pa Eac h Boothe delega t io n w as re q ui red to leave t he su mm it w ith a pl an f or m eet in g th e loca l sha re of t he summ it goal o f add ress in g th e needs of 2,000 ad d itiona l children by th e year 2000. The summit was attended by all livi ng ex-p resi dent s, 30 governors, 100 mayo r s, a variety of ce lebr it ies, sco res of t CEOs, and clergy and charity chiefs

• TARGETED: Pin e Acres Chu rc h in W eatherfo r d, Ok l a , h as m ad e a covena nt agree ment w ith M issi o n USA and t h e Sou t her n Dis t r i ct Chu rch Extension and Eva nge lism Comm ission to be a target church f or renewal and grow th In add ition t o co u nse l and guidance fqr conti nu ed gro wth, th e congregation will receive a matching g rant for their building fund, salary assista nce for a new part-time pastor of worship and music; and funds fQr a 'flew keyboar d and other worship equipmen t. (PAC)

• TOUR UPDATE: "E.sengo is le'$ving a trai l o f b lessing in the tOWA"$ and " i ties i t has visited , " says elmer Martens. chair of the task force that organized the Zairian choir's North< American tour Martens reports coocert attendance of 6,000 in the Pacific District, 4,000 in and more t,han 12,000 i(l sritish Colurribia M9-st offerings , taken African-style, have ranged between $1,000 and $2,Q.QO The largest offering as of Jate Ap r il, $13 .871 , was received at First MB Church in Wichita, Kan Since most tour expenses were covered prior to the tour, funds abOve expenses are earmarked for global missions . Tou r organizers hope to raise $70, 000 , which is the 1997 mission subsidy for Zaire (MB M/S)

Red River Valley flooding takes toll on S.D. school, camp

• MDS addresses needs in North Dakota and Manitoba, too

NATIONAL news reports about this spring's Red River Valley flood alluded to the damage experienced in communities along the river's tributaries But for Mennonite Brethren in the Huron, S.D., area, the battle to save a community school and camp was front-page news .

Huron's James Valley Christian School and Byron Bible Camp have adjacent property on the bank of the James River. ]YCS and BBC are sponsored by five Mennonite churches, including Bethel MB Church of Yale and Bethesda MB Church of Huron.

Gary Janzen, Bethel pastor, reports that as the James River rose, many volunteers, including the state's governor the National Guard , the Army Corps of Engineers, and around 140 prison inmates, made valiant efforts to save ]YCS and BBC.

The dike was raised in hopes of saving the school and camp. It held until April 6 when, in the face of 65 to 70 mph wind gusts , the water was pushed over the dike, ftlling the building with six to 12 feet of water.

Anticipating the worst , school administrators had cleared the lower floor of the two-story JVCS building and staff residents had moved many of their belongings The main dining hall at Byron Bible Camp was used to serve meals throughout the crisis rather than for emergency storage adding to the losses. Belongings and furnishings were lost and buildings were seriously damaged. JVCS finished the school year in the Bethesda church facilities The boards of ]YCS and BBC are considering the longrange effects of the flood on each of these ministries, including location

The crisis provided an unexpected opportunity according to Janzen "Workers mingling with the governor, inmates and others provided opportunities for a witness for our Lord , " Janzen says

Virtually the entire Red River Valley leading from Fargo, N .D., to Win -

nipeg, Man .-about 25,000 peoplewas evacuated due to flooding. As the flood waters neared Winnipeg in early May, several thousand residents south of the city were evacuated, including hundreds of Mennonites .

Local Mennonite Disaster Service units in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Manitoba helped to sandbag buildings and began cleanup work along smaller streams once flood water receded. MDS has also established two flood response centers and welcomes volunteers and funds to bolster clean-up and construction work. Facilities are limited so volunteers should confirm available space before traveling to North Dakota.

MDS has established a base at Fargo-Moorhead Faith Mennonite Church in Fargo, N D. , where the Red River crested at 22.5 feet above flood stage MDS volunteers who flew over the area in late April reported many houses standing in water, some up to the roof. Complicating the situation were pollutants , including diesel fuel, gasoline, fertilizers, raw sewage and carcasses of livestock.

MDS has also established a flood response center in Winnipeg, Man., as well as satellite centers south of the city Volunteers began digging out basements and cleaning and disinfecting houses in Manitoba communities on the periphery of the flood in midMay.

Manitoba's Red River Valley area is home to many Mennonites . Steinbach, about 45 miles southeast of Winnipeg, has 10 Mennonite congregations, and Winkler, about 60 miles southwest of Winnipeg , has nine congregations Volunteers from both communities , which are located outside the flood zone, helped with sandbagging, housing evacuees and providing soup kitchens.

Winnipeg is home to 42 Mennonite congregations and numerous agencies . Mennonite Brethren were among the many volunteers involved in relief efforts . Concord College in Winnipeg opened its facilities to flood victims, making its dorms available for evacuees and its classrooms for storage. Diane Kroeker, coordinator, expected to fill the 54-bed residence facilities to capacity.

Volunteers interested in working in North Dakota can phone (701)237-

6095 for more information; those interested in helping in Manitoba can phone (888)240-5480. Contributions designated for "Red Rive r Floods" can be mailed to MDS at P .O . Box 500, Akron, PA 17501.-from the Central District Conference Sentinel, Mennonite Weekly Review and MDS

Foundation warns Mennonites, Amish about pyramid fraud

• 'Ministry' organization promises 'donation' payoff

GREATER Ministries International of Tampa, Fla , a subsidia ry of Greater Ministries International, Inc ., Grand Cayman, BWI , is a pyramid scheme targeted at Mennonites and Amish , warns J .B. Miller , executive director of Mennonite Foundation.

According to the MF report, the organization accepts "donations" from individuals with promises that not only will their money be given back to them, but they will realize huge fmancial returns from their "donation ." Claims that 100 percent returns on "donations" are being promised by the organizers have been reported.

Initially pyramids work, but when the number of new investors drops , the pyramid collapses, Miller says. The Foundation for New Era Philanthropy, a successful pyramid scheme aimed at Christian agencies and institutions, collapsed in 1995, negatively impacting the charitable community

The State of Pennsylvania has investigated Greater Ministries and has concluded the services offered are illegal in that state, Mille r reports. A state securities official warns that people sending money across state lines or out of the country via U.S. mail or other forms of shipment, could be in violation of federal law as well.

The Mennonite Foundation, a peer organization of the Mennonite Brethren Foundation , serves the General Conference Mennonite Church and Mennonite Church constituencies Miller became aware of Greater Ministries after several Mennonite Foundation donors raised questions about the organization.

• FRESNO PACIFIC UNIVERSITY:' Rony' Juliano of t he Brazi l MB Church (pictured above . left) and Pascal Kulungu of the Zairian MB Ch urch celebrate their recent graduation . A total of 403 students were the' first to receive degrees fr om newly Fresno Paci!ic University and the last to have their degrees conferred by Kr.egba,um May 3-4 The school officia ll y switched fro m college to unlvEtrS.rty In Kflegbaum ends his term June 30 Bachelor of arts degrees conferred to 155 students M?I): 3 ; master of arts degrees and 102 Center for Degree Completion degrees were awarded May 4- SeniorBilly caldwell ru, who was killed in a drive-by shooting Milrch 28, was -granted an honorary bachelor's degree posthumqusly David was the featured speaker at both ceremonies Karb ero' a of the Tabqr College boat<;i of director:s( is a professor of pulslic admlOlstratu:>o at California State University Dominguez Rills and has had a long-term interest in il'lner<ity ministry

In a announcement, -and his wife, were called to the Board chair Enns aonounce<;i the naming of the eastern part of Witand ElpnaKriegbaum )HaU in honor of their years of service to the ll\$tJtutlOn What a wonderful honor," said Elona In an impromptu accep\cl(lce spet;tdl "What a wonq,eriUI I waQt a'U 'Of you to know that we SRerit the best 13 years of our life here CFPU)

• MB81aLlCAL SEMINARY: Twenty-two stUdents graduated from Ms Biblical SemfresnQ , Calif ., May 18 teceilled a master of divinity d!l9ree and' 11 r«eiveq a master of The speakeI' was Ron Penner, interim (M8SS)

• TABPR COI,.LEGE: Newly elected U.S JetTY Moran addressed 106 Tpbor cqlfege graduates May 14 BachelQr of arts graduates were awarded to stUGents fj'Qm the Tat,lQ'r C011ege Wichita adult program and 78 from the Hillsboro campus ' four associate of degrees w.ere a of the North Oak ' Community Church 10 Jtays, Kan ., 1$ tne first U.S Mennonite Brethren elected to national office and rep-state's 66-county "Big First" district (TC)'

IN BRIEF

• RECORDING: " More Than Worship, " a music and worship project of the General Conference Board of Resource Ministries, was recorded April 26 at the Butler Ave MB Church in Fresno, Calif , with a live audience of about 100 people Sixteen songs written by 13 composers from 10 Mennonite Brethren churches and two countries are included The recording features 13 musicians from five Fresnoarea churches and a communion service led by 12 MB Biblical Seminary students In addition "to cassette and CD recordings, a C()'ROM and song book will also be available . The project is the vision of Gareth Goossen and offers Mennonite Brethren composers encouragement and an opportunity to broaden their ministry to the larger body of believers . (Ron Geddert)

• REORGANIZED: Due to the rapid growth of Church Partnership Evange-' lism , the Abbotsford, B C. -based mission organization has reorganized its structure so that it now fall s solely under an administrative committee of MB Missions/Services rather than under the King Road MB Church Missi'ops Committee King Road and M9M/S have wQrked a ' ship agreement early 1995. Prior to that, the ministry operated as a ehurch project. Thirteen door-to.doot 'ev{lngeli$tic campaigns are plahned for ' 199'7 (MB Herald)

• fETED: The Christian I..ea,der three at: this years EV8Agelical Press Association convention neld May 5-1 in Grand Rapids, Mich The January 1996 cover on racism won t\rsf-,place in the "full-Color tover" category. The original art was cr-eated, by' tim Ladwig, Widlita, Kan. Jhe same issue received third -place i-n the "SingleTheme Section/Issue" Writers contributing to that issue Jody MilIe¥ Katie Funk Wieb.,. J.net E. Boldt# Jfzesh Lumeya. Span(er Perkins ano Don RlaUlaff An article written in 'the becembe:r 1996 issue, "Such a Backward Time," a seqji'ld.place award in the :' Humorous Arttde n <lategory embraces more than 400 pe'ribdkal$, • organizations and ihdividual members

Canadian conferences struggle to decide future of schools

• Winkler Bible Institute closes, Concord College's future unclear

MANITOBA

Mennonite Brethren met for a special cO,nvention March 15 to discuss the future of two schools-Winkler Bible Institute, a two-year program, and Concord College, a four-year accredited school linked to the University of Winnipeg. The intense day of discussion failed, however, to give clear direction.

Two weeks later, the WBI board did what the delegates could not bring themselves to do: close the school after more than 70 years of operation, effective April 19.

The decision to close WBI was made in consultation with the Manitoba Conference Committee of Reference and Counsel. Few student prospects, insufficient funds, and a lack of confidence by conference delegates were cited as reasons for the decision. The board also noted the school is "not able to form alliances with others quickly enough to be able to propose any partnerships in the near future." Some talk had circulated about cooperating with the Conference of Mennonites in Canada and some smaller conferences.

Recommendations concerning WBI and Concord (formerly MB Bible College) were presented at the annual Manitoba Conference convention held Feb. 28-March 1. Following two weeks of prayer and fasting, the delegates reconvened for a special convention on the issue. Three recommendations were presented, but, in the end, decisions were made by default.

The first recommendation was to merge WBI and Concord into "one coheSIve post-secondary Christian education program with multi-trackscertificate, diploma and degree programs-on the Concord campus" in Winnipeg, Man.

The new school was tentatively named "Concord College and School of Discipleship." It was to begin operating Sept. 1, 1997. Participation in the inter-Mennonite university federa-

tion would continue.

Currently, Concord College has 62 full-time students plus 320 part-timers. It had accumulated an operating deficit of $275,000 (Canadian) going into this school year. WBl's accumulated deficit was estimated to be $148,484 (Canadian) at the close of this year; WBI had a student body of 40.

The motion to merge the two schools failed to receive the required two-thirds vote; 170 (63 percent) voted yes and 99 no.

The second recommendation, contingent on the first, was that the Manitoba Conference take ownership of Concord College. Currently, Concord is operated by a board drawn from four provincial conferences.

The Canadian Conference Council of Boards decided in January to transfer the land and buildings of the former MB Bible College to Concord as agreed upon in 1992-if the Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario conferences accepted ownership of Concord.

But during conventions held this winter, the Ontario and Alberta conferences voted to release ownership but remain "co-sponsors" of the college with little or no financial obligation. The Saskatchewan conference decided to phase out all involvement.

That left ownership up to the Manitoba Conference. But the Manitoba delegates decided to postpone a decision regarding Concord until 1998. The postponement was prompted by their first decision not to merge WBI and Concord.

The college will continue to receive the $100,000 annual subsidy from the Manitoba Conference and a $400,000 line of credit from the Canadian Conference. The arrangement has been extended until July 1998.

The third recommendation was to close Winkler Bible Institute in keeping with a 1994 resolution that WBI meet certain enrollment and financial benchmarks for three years or face closure. Delegates were not ready to act quickly. After lengthy debate the vote was cast-146 (62 percent) voted to close WBI and 90 voted no. Again, the vote fell short of the required twothirds.

The result was what one delegate called "the worst possible scenario."

Bom Lill

The conference had rejected the proposal to merge schools, but it had also failed to affirm WBI or take ownership of Concord.

Concord College will continue to operate as it has in the past, reported AI Doerksen, Concord board chair, at a March 18 meeting of the federation committee for Concord , Menno Simons College and Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC). The three Mennonite schools, all in Winnipeg, are working toward federation.

A federation committee is currently negotiating with the Manitoba government for partial funding for the federation, as well as purchase of a new site for Concord These negotiations were expected to be completed in May and ratified in July by the Conference of Mennonites in Canada (owners of CMBC), by a special Concord convention and by the board of Menno Simons College, a private Mennonite institution.

However, CMBC has decided the time line is too tight for adequate consultation with its constituency and has now postponed a decision until July 1998. The special Concord convention will now not be held.-From reports in the MB Herald

FPU prof helps with Spanish Bible project

• New translation will be first in 20 years for Latin America

HUGO ZORRILLA, professor of biblical and religious studies and Spanish at Fresno Pacific University, is helping to give Latin America its first

new Bible translation in more than 20 years. The translation project is funded by the International Bible Society. This new Spanish-language Bible is a translation rather than a revision of an existing version, Zorrilla says. It is a "dynamic" translation, similar to the New International Version, and seeks to be a balance between the literary reputation of the "functional" translation of the King James Version and the accessibility of

the "contemporary" translation of Good News for Modern Man, he says. "It's more clear, it's how we talk."

Other Spanish-language Bibles include the Spanish KJV, dating from the 16th century with revisions in 1862, 1909, 1960 and 1995, and GNMN, first published in 1966 and revised in 1970 and 1979.

The new IBS New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs are currently available and the Old Testament will be available at the end of 1997. Both volumes have been assembled over the past seven years by a group of 17 men and women, all but one of whom work part time on the project, and reviewed by 200 Latin American church leaders.

Zorrilla says clarity doesn't come easily, either linguistically or theologically. For example, in Latin America "hosts" is understood as armies, so "Lord of hosts" becomes "Lord of the armies" rather than "Lord of the universe," says Zorrilla. Likewise, the capitalization of "Spirit" for God rather than human spirit is meaningless since Spanish only capitalizes the first word of each sentence, while English may capitalize for emphasis.

The many dialects of the region also poses problems. Latin America includes 20 countries and more than 400 million people from a vast spectrum of ethnic groups. What in one country means "to work" means in another "to go to the bathroom."

"So it's very hard to say 'Jesus works miracles, '" Zorrilla says.

Words with similar sounds and spellings but with different meanings pose translation problems when the Bible is read aloud. The word for "manna, " as in bread, may be read as the word for peanuts So "God gave bread" becomes "God gave peanuts."

The structure of Spanish-with its male and female words-makes using inclusive language much easier than in English Terms for people are used unless the gender of the person is important to the passage. God is always referred to as male since "espirito" is a male word, with a glossary available for use when God is given feminine traits, explains Zorrilla.

This translation also notes places where translation is difficult, a unique feature among translations available in Latin America.- Wayne Steffen

IN BRIEF

• RESIG NED: Jean-Raymond Theorit has resigned as president o f Institut e BibUqu e lavel, effe ctive July 1998. IBl is a Bibl e school ope fated by th e Quebec MB Conference with major funding coming from th e Canadian Conference It , ha s a wor k in g relati o nship with th e Univers i t e de Mon t real , through wh ich stud ies at IBl are counted t oward a bachelo r:' s degree at the un iversity Theoret would li ke ta continue servinglBl in a teaching role and is open,t o other options. (MB Herald)

• PROGRJ SS : Central Committee ha s been a pioneer in calling >attention to the problem s caused by unexploded , Vietnam War- e r a bomb s in l aos Toda y, M CC's on ce lon ely voice ha s swelled into a chorus, includ ing the U S military, wh ich was res pon sible for the unexploded bomb s In May 1996 the U.s go vernment began provi ding equipm ent , vehicles and t ecl)nical staff t o train laotians as de-miners and community awareness staff Eigh t co untries have pledged a total of more th an $7. million (U S ) to ,aUnited Nations trust fund for de-minj ng in laos, Many credit MCC's advo<ie-mining experiments an <1 threeyear bomp re m'oval project t or 1eadi ng th e way (MCC)

• UU'&GRA110N: All appear \ 0 be " g o " f or General C¢nference MenJ,ohite ( GC) anti M er1(tonite q:m'Vegtion de1ega,es t,9 th is,>stlr'hmer..treg1trd ing t be integration of the two groups into one <feoominaG'c anq Me meeting 10sewrate co nve nt1 0h$, w iU 'mQst Itk,;ly Q.e voting o n pr-o poS'als to 'the g en eral bQ8rds by 199i and to " Me(ll'lonite BQlh the gener.al lioards have offered coon ci l on Other i ntegration issues, i ncluding «} propos!1 to divide the n,ew l ",tO four They have "a l$o 'implh;:atrons on a asseiflb1y t&Jety te<ltS- The GC assembly win be July 6,.8 ill Witlnipeg, Man ., .a nd the , Me -assembly wilt 2 in Qrlat)-do Fl-a . ,(..Me/J nonite R.evieW)

ZorrUla

MBBS task force considers possibl e conference changes

• B. C. Centre affirmed for service to congregations

THE BOARD of directors of MB Biblical Seminary has appointed a task force to deal with issues related to the anticipated dissolution of the General Conference of MB Churches.

The MBBS board met April 24-26 in Fresno, Calif., to deal with realignment issues and other matters . MBBS is jointly owned by Canadian and U.S. Mennonite Brethren churches under the umbrella of the General Conference Delegates to the General Conference convention in Waterloo, Ont , this coming July are expected to approve a recommendation to explore the realignment of General Conference ministries under two national conferences.

The MBBS task force will meet twice prior to the Waterloo convention. Task force members are Ron Toews, Harold Enns, Arthur Block, Bill Fast, Jason Trego and Henry Schmidt, MBBS president.

An evaluation of the seminary's British Columbia Centre was a second major agenda item for the board. A survey of B.C. church leaders shows

Winni"eg native

affirmation for the program , particularly its commitment to church-based, practical tra ining The hope of the B.C. Commission is to "tum affirmation into ownership ," Schmidt said, so that British Columbia Mennonite Brethren affirm the Cent r e as "our seminary."

The board approv ed a 3 percent budget increase for the 199 7 -98 school year, from $1,88 2, 66 3 to $1,938,976. Tuition will be raised from $205 to $216 per unit. The board approved a policy that tuition provide 35 percent of the total MBBS budget over the next few years. Currently, tuition accounts for around 40 percent of the budget and the remaining 7 0 percent is split about evenly between conference support and gifts from individual and corporate donors .

Fund raisers are also being sought since U S development director Don Wohlgemuth resigned last fall and Harry OIfert, Canadian director, has resigned to become interim president of Concord College.

The board heard a report on the On-Site counseling Program directed by Al Dueck that places Marriage, Family and Child Counseling students in Fresno-area public schools t o help at-risk students The board also placed a high priority on hiring a missiologist for the faculty in consultation with MB Missions/Services .

-From an MBBS report

tlf> MBBS

JON lSAAK, 36, a 3f Winnipeg, Man , anc;l;ww a doctoral student at 'If!!Yersity In Montrea! 'OI.!&>. has beeir appointed 'to< >ttle faculty of MB Blbheal $l1rtlinary fssak will an New tEistament In fall 1998 Isaak wife, Ma[Y graduates of 0: and 1-1e is a graduate Qf Winkler 'Bible Insti t ute, while she IS a grad'Uatct 6f ,etnany-Bible InStitute TQeir \ ea chJng minist qes ttLj m 'nqrtherp , Nalive ' ,!dia'rts, aufd t«) nire,"ahd st. RUSSIa, with MB , They 1988 to and at St. Peter sburg Chnsin 1994 and 'I 99! . .' . 10n .says that he and hi! that being in tnefQrmatio n of mmiStry' is: -£OntinuiUjQ(r of .6tt! long-time commitment to() the globa l t tte (It\ur<:I't.'' . . , . . " .. is ,,¥ith a great deal 'Of 'gratitooe..tnat 'sernmary S inVitatIOn to jO in 'ii\e fa¢U,lty," fie 'wrote to() Henry S<;h(l'li9t, "At tne same time tam over, \vhefmeCt wit}q tremendous this position However, I . cQnvmeed ttLat Gbct isstroJ1g that thiS kind , of leadership traiA,irfg is worthwhile " -M88S

Estes planners gear for largest youth gathering in 1999

• National youth conference could draw 2,000-2,500 youth

PLANNERS of Estes '99, the U.S Mennonite Brethren youth convention, are expecting the biggest turnout yet when it convenes two years from now.

"We're hoping for 2,000 and praying for 2,500, " says Greg Schmidt, codirector of the event which is held every four years at Estes Park, Colo. High school students from across the United States will gather March 20-23, 1999, to worship , build upon friendships old and new, and establish a deeper relationship with Christ.

The theme for Estes '99 is "Power Up: Generation of Determination," based on Acts 1:8. "We want to show kids that they are not 'Generation X' and without direction," Schmidt explains.

Schmidt says plans are already well under way The planning committee will introduce new strategies, including pre-conference kits for fund raising, earlier registration among youth groups, and heavier promotion in Christian high schools. Travel stipends will be provided for church groups attending the conference for the first time, as well as for '95 alumni churches involved in the U.S. Conference's Integrated Ministries program. Estes '99 committee members also plan to seat convention attenders in bleachers circling a center stage instead of folding chairs down the length of the park's meeting place, called the "Long House, " in order to create better unity.

Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University will be represented during the conference to promote the schools and answer questions for prospective students.

Stuart Pederson, convention codirector, says a heavier emphasiS will be placed on worship, prayer, the Holy Spirit and understanding Christ's message and spreading the Word. "Our knowing Christ helps us share him," Schmidt says. Schmidt, Pederson and other Estes planners were

pleased by the commitments made by students during Estes '95 . "There were things that happened in 1995 that were not our fault," Pederson says. "The Holy Spirit was at work." -Jessica Penner

• CHURCH NOTES

• Baptism/Membership

WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Pine Acres)Mark and Matthew Deimund were baptized and accepted into fellowship March 20.

FRESNO, Calif. (Butler)-Alex and Lori Garcia, Rick Ban , Tithivy Chheang, Jenny Henry, Lean Magallane, Marie Espudo , Pedro and Inez Sansores, and Refugio Ureno were baptized and received into membership March 23 Melissa Ens , Harold and Marianna Gaede, Jan Griffith, Robert and Shelly Spencer, Ken and Francine Hunter , John Shields, Andy Owen, Efrain and Rosalva Acuna, and Jose and Inez Magallanez were welcomed as new members.

HIllSBORO, Kan. (Parkview)-The con· gregation received 21 people into member· ship this spring. The following were bap· t ized March 27 : Scott Brubacher, Grant Brubacher,Chelsea D'A1bini, Amber Jost, Austin Jost, Andrew Jost, Sue Jost, Shannon Friesen, Jenny Bartel , Diana Koslowsky,

• TURNING POINTS

COMING TO THE LORD was such a long way- and yet it happened like a lightning strike!

I grew up in a Catholic family in Bavaria We attended chur ch every Sunday, not because we wanted to but because it was an obligation. I never really knew the Lord, but thought of myself as a good Christian. After all, we had religion class in school twice a week . Over the years I drifted further from salvation and the Lord The only person trying to save my soul was my wife, Michele, who insisted that I at least attend church on ce in a while.

Last spring, I visited my grandfather in Germany two weeks befor e his death I could sense that despite t he fact that he had spent his entire life active in the Catholic church, he did not know the Lord In his final days, when the re shou ld have been peace and contentment, he

Amanda Edwards, Paula Edwards , Jennifer Walker, Tara Schultz and Austin Frantz . David Ediger and Michelle Ediger were received by letter May 4 and Jon Wiebe, Ellyne Wiebe, David krause and Alice Krause were received by letter May 25

O MAHA, Neb . , (Millard Bible)-Steve Puffer, Anthony and Stacy DeCantis , Raina Avalon and Deloris Smith were welcomed as new members April 20

HILLSBORO, Kan.-Danna Dawes , Brice Hagen , Matt Schuler, Adri Friesen , Joey Smallwood , Jeff Vogel and Lloyd Smith were baptized April 27.

OLATHE, Kan . (Community Bible)Doug, Denise and Annie Huber , Randy, Joan, Lindsey and Jason Harper, Debbie Montgomery, Ellen Funk, and Scott, Diana and Paul Nelson were welcomed into membership April 27.

FAIRVIEW, Okla.-Glenna Rush, Clayton and Connie Johnson, Gary Hendricks and Jennifer Patzkowsky were baptized and accepted into membership April 27. Robert Wieler, Elton and Pat Regier, Merle and Ann Fast, Michael Rush and Linda Cravens were also welcomed as new memIbers

CORN, Okla.-Craig Dyck, Mary Dyck, Peter Dyck, Adam Gossen , David Kliewer, Ryan Schmidt, Sarah Thiessen and Peter Wall were recently baptized and welcomed into membership Clair Redcay was also accepted as a new member

STORIES OF NEW LIFE

was afraid

Shortly after my return to Denver, the local Promise Keepers meeting was scheduled Michelle made do without some things she really wanted so she could buy my ticket. I went to Promise Keepers that Friday night with some men from the church Michelle attended - partially so she would be happy with me and partially because I had become deeply concerned with my lack of values, direction and guidance.

On that balmy, beautiful summer evening in Mile High Stadium, thousands of men gathered to worship Jesus There was no pressure to do anything, to put up a facade , to fit in It was j ust me and the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit did go to work on me that evening!

When they asked those who were ready to receive the Lord to come forward, I was later to ld I practically flew out

HESSTON, Kan.- The congregation welcomed seven people into membership May 18 They were Vernon Minor, Jackie Minor, Candis Minor, Ray Neufeld, Judy Neufeld, Preston Neufeld and Traci Neufeld

CORDELL, Okla. (Bible)- The April 6 evening service began at the parsonage with a rededication service Supper followed at the chu rch . Extensive repairs were made on the home following a December house fire

FRESNO, Calif (Butler)-The congregation hosted the April 26 live recording of "More Than Music," a project of the Mennonite Brethren Board of Resource Ministries to encourage the gift of music "More Than Music" is the unified effort of musicians throughout North American Mennonite Brethren churches to produce a CD of original worship songs.

BUHLER, Kan.-Flowers in the sanctuary April 27 marked the 60th wedding anniversary of Arnie and Martha Balzer.

HIllSBORO, Kan (Ebenfeld)-The congregation dedicated the new multi -purpose facility May 18 following the morning worship service The facility includes a fellowship hall that can be partitioned into 10 classrooms , wheelchair accessibility features and new restrooms. A fellowship meal and open house followed the dedication service

of my seat to pray and be assu red of my salvation I remember singing "Amazing Grace" and simp ly being amazed that Jesus gave his life to save me The conference concluded the following day The previous evening I had felt terribly out of place. Now, be ing a Christian al ready fe lt natural.

Turning to the Lord, while at times st ill a struggle , has given my life an an cho r and true meaning. I have joined a Bible study group to learn more about my Savior and the teachings of the Bible The past year has truly been a time o f amazing spiritual awakening and learning At times sin still gets the upper hand, but now at least I know that I need to figh t back and that Jesus is always there to fight for me •

Michael and Michele Ha rtman attend Belleview Acres Church in Littleton, Colo .

•

M I CHAE L HA RTM A N

FRESNO, Calif. (Bethany)-Flowers in the sanctuary April 27 marked the 55th wedding anniversary of Mabrie and Anna Goins.

FREEMAN, S.D. (Salem)-Isaac and Martha Walter celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house May 4.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Lincoln Hills)-The congregation plans to dedicate their new facility June 8. Bob Ratke of the Billy Graham Association will be the speaker.

FRESNO, Calif. (Butler)-Charies and Shirley Hollesen celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Feb 9.

CORN, Okla.-Sanctuary flowers April 6 were given by the children of Paul and Melba Friesen in honor of their parent ' s 50th wedding anniversary

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Laurelglen)-Flowers were placed in the sanctuary April 13 in honor of Alvin and Minnie Nikkel's 50th wedding anniversary.

MOUNTAIN LAKE, Minn.-The children of Art and Norma Wall placed flowers in the sanctuary April 27 in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary.

FAIRVIEW, Okla.-A floral arrangement May 11 was placed in celebration of the 50th wedding anniversary of Eddie and Edna Karber .

• Fellowship

NEWTON, Kan. (Koerner Heights)-Several women of the congregation spent May 3 tackling church cleaning projects during "Mop ' n Muffin" day. A brunch including muffms was served later.

• Ministry

HARVEY, N.D.- In an effort to "capture the heart of the community," the congregation wrote appreciation notes to city employees , firefighters, politicians and school and hospital personnel to offer encouragement and support Notes written during the "card party," which was

held in March after a Sunday noon potluck , were well received by the community workers.

ENID, Okla.-The congregation has begun a young adult ministry under the leadership of youth pastor Mike Miller. The group ranging in age from 18 to 30 has taken the name Open Arms Fellowship and meets Sunday evenings

EDMOND, Okla.-A Youth Mission International ACTION team has been invited to serve with the congregation during the summer

• Proclamation

BRIDGEWATER, S.D. (Salem)-Stephen Knoble, a member of Grace Bible (MB) Church, Gettysburg, S.D., was the speaker April 27. Knoble and his wife, Marcy, hope to minister in Nepal as medical missionaries with TEAM beginning in July

DELFT/MOUNTAIN LAKE, Minn. (Carson and Mountain Lake)-The congregations held a joint missionary conference May 2-4 with Ernie Friesen, retired Mennonite Brethren pastor and missionary. Friesen, from Wichita, Kan., is currently a member of the MB Missions/Services board. Services were held at both churches and included the area Esengo concert.

• Teaching/nurture

EDMOND, Okla.-The children and high school Sunday school classes visited the

TourMagination

Peace Factory April 20 when it was in Oklahoma City The Peace Factory is an inter-Mennonite traveling display that pro· vides participants with a new understanding and new skills in being peacemakers in their relationships with others.

• Workers

FRESNO, Calif. (Butler)-A farewell lunch attended by members of all four Butler congregations was held April 13 for associate pastor Barbie Larson. Larson is beginning a new ministry assignment in Thun, Switzer· land Jeremy Vogt will serve the congregation as interim youth pastor during the summer.

REEDLEY, Calif.- An appreciation party was held May 4 for Jim and Shirley Holm. After serving the congregation for more than nine years as pastor, Jim Holm has accepted a position at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif.

FRESNO, Calif. (Bethany)-Sam Freshwa· ter has accepted the call to serve as senior pastor. Freshwater and his wife, Lizabeth, and their four children are currently servo ing the Washington Heights Community Church in Bismark, N.D.

WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Pine Acres)Tony Carmon will be commissioned as the congregation 's new pastor of worship and music June 8. Cannon's assignment is parttime and is funded in part by Mission USA Cannon and his wife, Reggie, began their workJune 1.

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• Teaching/nurture

WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Pine Acres)Youth Sunday April 20 featured reports on summer camp experiences, various youth conventions and mission trips. The youth group also presented a mini-drama "Born Again Through Christ "

OlATIIE, Kan. (Community Bible)-Members of the youth group planned and presented the Sunday morning worship service April 20.

.DEATHS

BERGMAN, JOHNNIE RICHERT, Com, Okla., a member of the Com MB Church, was born Jan. 8, 1920, to John and Eva Richert Bergman and died April 20, 1997, at the age of 77. On Feb. 11, 1940, he was married to Alvina Regier, who survives. He is also survived by one daughter, Kaylin and husband Harvey Penner; three grandchildren and one great-grandson.

DUERKSEN, SELMA, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Hillsboro MB Church, was born April 21, 1916, to Cornelius C. and Mary Funk Duerksen near Lehigh, Kan., and died April 18, 1997, at the age of SO. She is survived by three sisters, Myrtle Duerksen of Hillsboro, Ruth Rempel of Clovis, Calif., and Mariann and husband Levi Unruh of Hillsboro; and one brother, Clarence and wife Betty of Hillsboro.

ESAU,JACOB T , Buhler, Kan., a member of the Buhler MB Church, was born Feb. 14, 1915, to Gerhard and Anna Toews Esau at Collinsville, Okla , and died April 10, 1997, at the age of 82. On Dec. 19, 1937, he was married to Linda Heidebrecht, who survives. He is also survived by three sons, Jarold and wife Judy of Kansas City, Mo., Dwight and wife Laura of Rifle, Colo., and Dwayne and wife Michaela of Kernersville, N.C.; two sisters, Margaret Koop and Sarah Esau, both of Buhler; nine grandchildren, and 13 grandchildren.

FLAMING, ALLEN H., Corn, Okla., a member of the Com MB Church, was born Nov. 24, 1923, to H.B.R. and Maggie Reimer Flaming at Com, and died April 7, 1997, at the age of73. On Sept. 24, 1944, he was married to Vema Marie Hinz, who survives. He is also survived by one daughter, Sandra Flaming of Oklahoma City, Okla.; two sons, Rex and wife Gail of Clinton, Okla. and Jim and wife Sonya of Weatherford, Okla.; four brothers, Roy and John, both of Com, Vern of Clinton, and Leonard of Artesia, N.M.; two sisters, Mabel Thiessen of Fairview, Okla., and Arlene Hamm of Dallas, Texas; and one grandson

FI.AMING, MINNIE KREWALL, Weatherford, Okla , a member of the Corn MB Church, Corn, Okla., was born Jan. 13, 1908, to Ed and Augusta Wedel Krewall near Com, and died April 28, 1997, at the age of 89. On April 25, 1926, she was married to Elmer Flaming, who predeceased her. She is survived by one daughter, Erma Jean and husband ElRoy Ratzlaff of Pharr, Texas; three sisters, Tillie Unger of Cordell, Okla., Martha and husband John Reimer of Corn and Elsie and husband John Penner of Clinton, Okla ; three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

FI.AMING, ROY H., Corn, Okla , a member of the Com MB Church, was born Feb. 10, 1922, to H B.R. and Maggie Reimer Kliewer at Com, and died May 3, 1997, at the age of 75. On Oct. 19, 1944, he was married to Bertha Thiessen, who survives. He is also survived by one daughter, Kay and husband Stan Kosanke of Edmond, Okla.; two sons,John and wife Debbie and Steve and wife Connie, both of Corn; three brothers, John and wife Margaret of Corn, Vern and wife Lorene of Clinton, Okla., and Leonard and wife Sammy of Artesia, N.M.; and nine grandchildren.

GLOECKLER, EDNA L., Shafter, Calif., a

member of the Shafter MB Church, was born Oct. 2, 1918, to Henry and Agatha Williams Nikkel at Shafter, and died May 2, 1997, at the age of 78. On Nov. 21, 1948, she was married to Dan Gloeckler, who predeceased her in 1988. She is survived by one son Keith and wife Darl of Bakersfield, Calif.; three sisters, Claire and husband Jack Gerrie, Kathy and husband Roger Frantz and June and husband Gus Stoesz; one brother, AI Nikkel and wife Minnie; and two grandchildren.

GOERTZEN, PETER, West Linn, Ore., a member of the Shafter (Calif.) MB Church, was born Feb. 3, 1913, to Peter Goertzen Sr. and Elizabeth Janzen Goertzen in Los Molinos, Calif., and died March 30, 1997, at the age of84. In 1942 he was married to June Klingenberg, who predeceased him in 1995. He is survived by three sons, Philip and wife Phyllis Goertzen of West Linn, James of Redding, Calif., and Donald of Berkeley, Calif.; a brother, Adolph of Salem, Ore ; two sisters, Margaret Goertzen of Fresno, Calif., and Elizabeth Lewis of Turlock, Calif ; and two grandsons.

HEIN, MARIE, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Ebenfeld MB Church, Hillsboro, was

Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective

How do confessions of faith serve the church? They

• provide guidelines for the interpretation of Scripture.

• build a foundation for unity within and among Mennonite and other Christian churches.

• offer an outline for instructing new believers and for sharing information with seekers and inquirers

• aid in sharing Mennonite belief and practice with other Christians, members of other faiths, as well as with people of no faith

Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective was adopted by the General Conference Mennonite Church and Mennonite Church. The 24 articles and summary statement were accepted by both groups as their statement of faith for teaching and nurture in the life of the church

The confession of faith is arranged in four groupings:

• Articles 1-8 explore themes common to all Christian churches.

• Articles 9-16 examine the church and its practices.

• Articles 17-23 describe the life of discipleship

• Article 24 clarifies the reign of God

The commentary sections were endorsed as helpful clarification and illustrative application of the articles of the confession. The accompanying unison readings for use in worship are samples of the ways this confession can be used widely in the church.

Already 22,500 copies in print.

Paper, 112 pages, $4.99; in Canada $7.15.

born March 5, 1908, to John H. and Lena Schmidt Fast at Beach, N D , and died April 20, 1997, at the age of 89 On Aug 22, 1950, she was married to John D Wiens, who predeceased her in 1959. On Aug. 9, 1964, she was married to Edward W. Hein, who predeceased her in 1997 She is survived by a brother, Henry Fast of Newton , Kan .; seven step-children from her first marriage, Esther Wood of the Republic of South Africa, Ruth Buller of Salem, Ore. , Mary Ann Wiens of Salem, Ore., Eldina Collins of Clovis, N M , Lydia Doerksen of Fowler, Kan , Harold Wiens of Rockford, 111., and Grace Telles of Mountain Lake, Minn.; six step-children from her second marriage, Harry Hein of Colorado Springs, Colo , Edward Hein of Hillsboro, Dalton Hein of Arvada, Colo , Eileen Pugh of Littleton, Colo., Melba Hill of Hillsboro and Marilyn Mohn of Corvallis, Ore

HOOCK, ALVINA, Com, Okla , a member of the Com MB Church, was born March 7, 1912 to Otto and Lizzie Warkentin Hoock near Com and died May 8, 1997, at the age of 85 She is survived by three brothers, John and wife Velma, Albert and wife Mandy and Herbert and wife Bede, all of Com ; seven sisters, Lizzie Thiessen of Com , Mary and husband Ed Schmidt of Cordell, Okla , Martha Fadenrecht of Com,

MARTIN BOX CHURCH

50TH CELEBRATION INVITATION

The Martin Box Mennonite Brethren Church extends an invitation to all former pastors, former members, friends and attenders to come and share in our church's 50th anniversary celebration.

SATURDAY, July 26 &SUNDAY, July 27, '97

The weekend's theme will be : "The Past, Present and Future "

SATURDAY : 10-11 a m , men's prayer breakfast at the church

• 1-5 p.m., fun and games at the Beuford TuelV Bill Beavers backyards.

• 5-6 :30 p.m. a cookout followed by an informal program of songs and sharing of times J2aS1.

SUNDAY: 9-10 a m., coffee and doughnuts will be served at the church.

• 10-noon, Sunday service at the church

• Noon-l p.m., potluck meal at the church

• 1-2 p.m. , youth presentation at the church

Please come and help us celebrate ''The Past, Present and Future " of our church. Contact Pastor Robert Martz, Martin Box Church ; phone: 870 -448 -2208 for more information .

Rosie Caldwell of Thomas, Okla , Namie and husband Art Penner of Weatherford , Okla , Pauline Strickert of Scott City, Kan , and Bertha and husband Floyd Dalke of Oklahoma City, Okla.; and many nieces and nephews

JANZEN, SARA OLGA, Corn , Okla , a member of the Com MB Church, was born Nov 4, 1896, to Peter H. and Anna Voth Bartel at Burrton, Kan , and died April 22, 1997, at the age of 100 On Oct 17, 1917, she was married to Cornelius N Janzen , who predeceased her in 1965. She is survived by one daughter, Ann and husband Raymond of Corn ; one daughter-in-law , Caroline and husband Harry Reimer of Balko, Okla ; eight grandchildren, 19 greatgrandchildren and four great -great-grandchildren

KUPPENSTEIN, JOHN G., Reedley , Calif. , a member of the Reedley MB Church , was born Nov. 22, 1911, to Gerhard John and Anna Friesen Klippenstein in Petrovka (Lichtfeld) , Siberia , and died April II, 1997, at the age of 85 . On Nov. 5, 1936, he was married to Ella Driedger, who predeceased him in 1945 . On Oct . 19, 1946 he was married to Selma Loewen, who survives He is also survived by three sons, John and wife Francine of Reno , Nev . , Richard and wife Joyce of Reedley , and Paul and wife Joyce of Porterville, Calif ; a daughter, LoIlie and husband Norm Willems of Squaw Valley, Calif.; two sisters, Anna Penner and Helen Friesen, both of Reedley ; a brother, Pete of Dinuba, Calif.; 11 grandchildren, three step-grand-

children and 16 great-grandchildren

PARSONS, KIRK, Gettysburg, S D , of the Grace Bible MB Church , was born Oct . 19, 1981, to Glenn and Diane Newman Parsons at Philip , S D. , and died April 29, 1997, at the age of 15 as a result of an accidental gunshot wound He is survived by his parents; grandparents Dwayne and Donna Newman of Philip , Bill and Connie Parsons of Milesville, S D , and Laurie Mor· gan of Philip ; one brother , Morgan of the home; and two sisters, Shayla and Chelsea of the home .

PETERS,JACOB W., Buhler, Kan., a member of the Buhler MB Church, was born to Jacob A. and Katie Warkentin Peters on May 5 , 1910, in McPherson County, Kan., and died April 7, 1997 at the age of 86. On April 17, 1938, he was married to Martha Adrian, who predeceased him in 1982. He is survived by a daughter, Carolyn and husband Bob Shelton of South Hutchinson , Kan .; a son, Raymond and wife Grace Peters of Fresno, Calif. ; three brothers, Ernie of Medora, Frank of Hillsboro, Kan. , and Menno of Enid , Okla .; two sisters, Minnie Hagen of Littleton , Colo . , and Elsie Penner of Medora , Kan .; four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren.

SCHMIDT, EDDISON, Hillsboro, Kan. , a member of the Hillsboro MB Church , was born Sept 25, 1911, to Agnes and Ben B Schmidt near Hillsboro, and died April 21, 1997, at the age of 85 On Aug. 8, 1946, he was married to Esther Groening, who pre-

Becky Horst (Menno Simons '96

deceased him in 1991. He is survived by two sons, Jay of Madison, Ohio and Ray of Topeka, Kan.; one brother, Leonard of Salina, Kan.; one sister, Margie Penner of Green River, Wyo.; and four grandchildren.

SCHMIDT, TII.l..IE, Clinton, Okla., a member of the Com MB Church, was born Feb. 1, 1911, to P.E. and Katie Hiebert Friesen near Weatherford, Okla , and died April 19, 1997, at the age of 86. On June 4, 1939, she was married to Will Schmidt, who predeceased her . She is survived by two daughters, Delores and husband Milton Schmidt of Garden City, Kan . , and Janie and husband Loren Penner of Com; two brothers, Harvey and wife Ruth Ann of Weatherford and Paul and wife Melba of Com; one sister , Ruby and husband Victor Becker of Reedley, Calif.; one sister-in-law , Frances and husband Douglas Merchant of California; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

SCHROEDER, EMMA JANZEN, Inman, Kan., a member of the Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church, was born July 31, 1904, to Peter and Mary Knaak Janzen near Hillsboro, and died April 13, 1997, at the age of 92. On Sept. 8, 1921, she was married Harrison Schroeder, who predeceased her in 1982. She is survived by a daughter, Ethel and husband Albert Ediger, Inman; a son, J ames and wife Ardina of Wichita, Kan.; six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

THIESSEN, LEONARD, Reedley, Calif., a member of the former Zion MB Church , Dinuba, Calif., was born Jan. 23, 1919, to George W and Margaret Thiessen at Inman, Kan., and died in 1997 at the age of 78. On April 30, 1948, he was married to Imogene Toews, who survives. He is also survived by one son , Dale and wife Jodi ; two daughters, Bonnie and husband Tommy and Judy; two brothers, Pete and George; seven sisters, Marie, Helen, Hilda, Edna, Martha, La Vada and Vema; and three grandchildren

VOGT, FRANK, Reedley, Calif, of the Reedley MB Church, was born Dec. 26, 1906, to Frank D. and Anna Funk Vogt at Hillsboro, Kan., and died April 30, 1997, at the age of 90. On Nov. 14, 1927, he was married to Kathryn Wiebe, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, Gene and wife Georgia of Sun Lakes, Ariz ., and Frank and wife Carol of Herington, Kan .; two daughters, Charlotte Schroeder of McPherson, Kan. and Betsy and husband Chet Funk of Reedley; nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and three stepgreat-grandchildren.

VOTH, ROBERT PETER, Enid, Okla , a member of the Enid MB Church, was born Dec. 1, 1927, to Peter H. and Clara Toews Voth near Kremlin, Okla , and died April

11, 1997, at the age of 69. On Nov . 10, 1951, he was married to Carol Epp, who survives. He is also survived by a daughter, Donna and husband Lynn Jost of Hillsboro , Kan.; two sons, Dean and wife Jacque of Kremlin and Danny and wife Rhonda; two brothers, Ernest H andJohn E. of Kremlin; a sister, Dorothy Gray of Tulsa, Okla ; and eight grandchildren

WALL, mVIN FRANK, Fresno, Calif , was born May 1, 1917, to Peter B. and Elizabeth Franz Wall near Henderson, Neb., and died Jan. 19 , 1997 , at the age of 79. He is survived by his wife, Betty; a son, Mark ; two daughters, Marlyce Williams and Marilyn Just; a brother, John of Dallas, Ore ; two sisters, Helena Friesen of Newton, Kan . , and Mary Ann Harms of New Wilmington , Pa.; and five grandchildren.

WIENS, OTTO JOHN, Reedley, Calif, a member of the Reedley MB Church, was born Nov. 23, 1913, to John and Katherine Wiebe Wiens at Dallas, Ore . , and died April 20, 1997, at the age of 83. On Sept 16, 1937, he was married to Eva Epp, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, Wayne of Clovis, Calif , and Leland and wife Grace of Fresno, Calif.; two daughters, Norma of Fresno and Leora and husband Bob Pursel of Cerritos , Calif.; two sisters-in-Iaw, Hilda Wiens and Evone Wiens; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren

WILLEMS, ABRAM R., Reedley, Calif., a member of the Reedley MB Church, was born April 25, 1904, to Klaas D. and Anna Klassen Willems near Inman , Kan., and died April 26, 1997, at the age of 93. On Oct. 7, 1934, he was married to Kathryn Neufeld, who predeceased him in 1976. On Dec. 30 , 1977, he was married to Helen E. Schellenberg, who predeceased him in 1993 . •

POSITION OPENING

MENNONITE BRETHREN FOUNDATION

is seeking a full-time field representative to work primarily in the Pacific District area with focus on planned giving, charitable estate planning, stewardship education and Foundation-related activity.

For more information, send cover letter stating interest in position, resume, namesaddresses-phone numbers of three professional references.

Send to: Mennonite Brethren Foundation Attn: Lynford Becker PO Box V Hillsboro, KS 67063

CHURCH PARTNERSHIP EVANGELISM

Invitation: TO: Born-again Christians

King Road MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C., is seeking volunteers for its Church Partnership Evangelism outreach to Cost/person*

1. NICARAGUA - Managua. July 5-21, '97

2. PARAGUAY - Asuncion July 13-29, '97

3. PERU· Chlclayo, Talara Aug 3-26, '97

4. ZAIRE· Kikwit - postponed until July 6 -30 or Aug. 5-27, '97

5. FIJI ISLAND Aug 2-19, '97

6. SIBERIA· possible campaign Sept. 4-24, '97

7. RUSSIA· Orenburg. Sept. 4-26, '97

8. ARGENTINA· Cordoba. Oct. 4-21, '97 $1,600

9. PHILIPPINES· possible campaign Nov.15-30, '97 $1,100

10. INDIA· Shamshabad Nov. 8-25, '97 $1 ,600

Note : Dates may be subject to change , pending further confinmation of some campa igns 'Canadian dollars

• Team up with national Christians and witness for Christ door to door.

• Some knowledge of the language of the country is helpful.

• Between 800-2,800 persons have prayed to accept Christ as their personal Savior and Lord during a two -week CPE campaign. Come and be a part of an enriching spiritual experience-discover what God can do through you.

For more information, contact: CPE office: TeL -Fax: 604-864-3941, or Evelyn Unruh, 604852-5744; or Peter Loewen, 604 -853-3173 or FAX 604 -853 -6482

Church Partnership Evangelism is a "church -to-church" effort that involves lay members in personal evangelism worldwide. Your application to participate will be forwarded to the C.P.E. Executive Committee for processing

Peter Loewen CPE Promoter

Harold W Ens MBMIS General Director

BELIEF

Scientific discovery: knowing is believing?

Though a majority of U.S. scientists do not believe in God, about 40 percent do-a statistic that has remained unchanged for 80 years

Edward Larson, a University of Georgia historian, and Larry Witham of Seattle's Discovery Institute, replicated a 1916 survey by James Leuba, which shocked the nation with the finding that most scientists did not believe in God . Leuba predicted that as education improved, people would be less likely to believe in a Supreme Being.

"To test that belief, we replicated Leuba's survey as

exactly as possible," Larson and Witham write in an article for the science journal Nature. "The result: about 40 percent of scientists still believe in a personal God and an afterlife. In both surveys, roughly 45 percent disbelieved and 15 percent were doubters (agnostic)."

The researchers surveyed 1,000 randomly chosen scientists listed in the reference work "American Men and Women of Science," using the current version of the 1910 work Leuba used. Scientists were asked if they believed in a God who answered prayers, in an afterlife, and in immortality.

"Today, even more than in 1916, most scientists have no use for God or an

Lorlie Barkman

afterlife," they concluded "But to the extent that both surveys are accurate readings, traditional Western theism has not lost its place among U.S. Scientists, despite their intellectual preoccupation with material reality. Americans will doubtless be pleased to know that as many as 40 percent of scientists agree with them about God and an afterlife."

The 1996 study found that mathematicians are the most likely to believe in God (44 .6 percent), while physicists and astronomers are the least likely. In Leuba's day, biologists were least likely to believe in God. (EP)

TRANSFORMATION No longer a cult

The Worldwide Church of God, a former cult that has undergone startling doctrinal changes in recent years, was welcomed in the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) in early May, following an overwhelmingly positive vote by the NAE board They bring NAE membership to 49 denominations.

"NAE is founded on the premise that the Bible is the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God," says NAE president Don Argue. "I respect Joseph Tkach and the leadership ofthe Worldwide Church of God who did not rest in the refuge of their historically held doctrines, but sought the truth through careful study of the Scriptures - even at significant cost to the denomination And we thank God for his faithfulness to them. We

appreciate the gracious and open manner in which this church's leaders answered questions about the struggles that led them to a biblically-based theology."

The Worldwide Church of God originally followed the teachings of founder Herbert W. Armstrong, including the rejection of the Trinity and the teaching that tithing and Sabbath observance were necessary for salvation. After Armstrong died in 1986, church leaders began to study the Validity of church teachings, and determined that many of the denomination's controversial beliefs had no foundation in Scripture.

The church made dramatic changes in its teachings, and brought itself in line with orthodox evangelical belief. Those changes cost the denomination nearly half of its membership. Today the church has nearly 50,000 members in the U S. and about 73,000 worldwide. (EP)

GENERATIONS

Busters value faith

After the "lost generation" of baby boomers abandoned organized religion in droves, many expected the "baby busters," also known as Generation X, to be even less interested in church. However, a decade of national polling results suggests that members of Generation X are no less religious than the baby boomers who came before them. In fact, faith is more important in the lives of baby busters in significant ways.

MB Circles by

Herman seeks refuge under the organizational structure

"Overall, we must conclude that , popular rhetoric notwithstanding, the prognosis for organized religion generally is quite good," notes David W. Machacek, who presented a study on "Generation X and Religion" at this year's meeting of the Society of the Scientific Study of Religion.

Rather than finding a "post-Christian generation, " he found that baby busters aren't all that different from baby boomers. He studied religion and social attitudes from 1983 to 1994 using polling data from the General Social surveys collected by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

For instance, 40 percent of baby busters who stated a religiOUS preference said they attend worship services at least twice a month That's much less than the 55 percent of people born before 1946, but only slightly less than the 43 percent of baby boomers who attend

church frequently Machacek found less denominational loyalty among Generation X Among baby busters, 31 percent said they are strongly committed to their denOmination, compared to 38 percent of boomers and 49 percent of older Americans. The percentage of Generation Xers claiming no religious preference was 13 percent up only slightly from 11 percent among boomers. The study also suggested that conservative churches are having much more success attracting baby busters than liberal churches

In some ways, baby busters place more of an emphasis on faith than boomers do. About one in four busters expressed a great deal of confidence in organized religion, slightly more than the 22 percent of boomers who responded that way Slightly more busters than boomers (40 percent to 37 percent) say it is important to attend

patron saint of pastry?

Industry. The Bongo Java coffee shop in Nashville,. Tenn., has the bun on display in a glass case, and has'C:toted a "nunbun" web site on the Internet thttp;J/www.qecmedia.com/nunbu n/) . The page lets users link to a piaute of the bun that umorphs" into MQ\her Teresa, as well as to new stories and jokes about ) pU\ry Available for sale are t -shlrts. bookmarks and prayer coffee mugs, Mother Teresa Special Blend (,rf" and a video in which a squirrel steals the bun and it while horrified Bongo Java workers look on The says it will send at least five percent of the proceed$ to Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.- (EP)

church regularly, and significantly more Generation Xers (47 percent) say church teachings are important in making personal decisions, compared to 41 percent of boomers

Machacek notes that people tend to develop a greater interest in religion as they grow, so the outlook for spiritual growth in Generation X is bright (EP)

SCANDAL Pyramid payback

Organizations that profited from a pyramid scheme run by the bankrupt Foundation for New Era Philanthropy have agreed to pay $41 million to help compensate groups that lost money in the scam, according to a trustee for the bankruptcy estate.

New Era approached hundreds of Christian ministries and other non-profit agencies, promising to double their money by matching them with anonymous donors. In classic Ponzi scheme fashion, early investors were paid with funds contributed by later investors, and the pyramid collapsed when the foundation could no longer find enough new recruits to meet its obligations. The founder later admitted that there never were any anonymous investors.

"The recovery of such a large portion of the Ponzi funds is truly remarkable," bankruptcy estate trustee Arlin Adams said in a statement.

The $41 million in repayment funds is in addition to $30 million initially surrendered by securities firms and an additional $15 million to $18 million settlement expected to be reached with Prudential Securities Ind . Total losses in the New Era scheme

have been estimated at $100 million.

John G. BennettJr., the former head of New Era, pleaded no contest in late March to 82 counts of money laundering and fraud. Bennett, a 59-year-old former drug counselor, had planned to argue that brain damage from two car accidents and a personality disorder had turned him into a religious zealot who did not believe he was doing wrong. But when the judge limited use of that defense he withdrew his "not gUilty" plea and agreed to plead "no contest ." (EP)

INSURANCE

No more oddball coverage

The company that insured Heaven's Gate cult members against alien abduction, impregnation and attack, said it will no longer offer the bizarre policies. The insurance brokerage Goodfellow Rebecca Ingrams Pearson (GRIP) offers oddball insurance policies as a publicity gimmick. It insures virgins against immaculate conception and insures against conversion to a werewolf or vampire.

The Heaven's Gate cult bought a $1,000 policy Oct. 10 that covered up to 50 members and promised to pay $1 million per person for abduction, impregnation or death caused by aliens. Cult members killed themselves in March because they believed that act would bring them to a spaceship following the Hale-Bopp comet.

GRIP managing director Simon Burgess said the group's alien abduction policy is still in effect, but to collect "they would have to prove that they were abducted." (EP)

MEDIA MATTERS

BY BURTON BULLER

'A Father and Two Sons'

Gather your seventh- or eighth-grade class around the computer screen for the most in-depth look at the Prodigal Son story you're likely to find.

IN THE UNITED STATES, where five are gathered together, two will have computers. Uyou purchased a computer during

the past year or so, you likely purchased one with multi·media capabilities. This includes a CD-ROM, 16-bit sound card, speakers and other hardware and software to play video and sound files on your computer screen .

Sales of multi-media software products designed to take advantage of these capabilities have exploded. Many computer outlets now devote as much floor space to software as they do to computer hardware. Game makers, of course, are the big winners. Some educational software is showing up. But have you looked for anything that could be called "religious" or anything promoting family values on these shelves?

You won ' t find much. The church, once again, is on the trailing edge of this powerful technology With a few notable exceptions.

The American Bible Society mar· kets two interactive CD-ROMs, with a third currently in production. Unfortunately, you have to do your homework to find these; they are marketed exclusively by ABS, which means you must order them from New York by telephone.

"A Father and Two Sons" repackages into interactive CD-ROM a video ABS produced earlier depicting the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Additional material produced specifically for this CD creates a good early effort to bring the stories of the Bible to the computer screen

A CD-ROM packs so much material that getting hopelessly lost is a real threat. The creators of "A Father

and Two Sons " forestalled this by organizing the con· tents to appear like a shopping mall, with an entrance, a cinema, a mediaplex and the main mall itself. It's a neat device that works well; we all know almost intuitively where to fmd the directory when we

enter an unfamiliar mall.

So, when one steps into this virtual mall, what does one fmd?

First, there are three different video enactments of the Prodigal Son story. One uses a western theme with soundtrack by blues singer Rory Block to place the story in a contemporary setting. A second tells the story through chant. A third, in Spanish, uses video enactment and a soundtrack by Tony Melendez to place the story in a Latino context. All presentations use only the words as recorded in the Bible, allowing the visual to provide the context .

Themain story is surrounded by ancillary resources. Many of these reside in the mediaplex . Here one finds examples of artwork, music and film/video titles that have used this story as inspiration. Colorful maps provide spatial detail. These resources provide both additional background to the story, and a pool of resources to draw from as you create your own interpretive slide show. You are also encouraged to create your own artistic interpretation of this story Suggestions include poet· ry, your own translation and a video production. Grab a few friends and your video camera, and see whether you can do better than ABS . This CD goes even further . Under

the direction section of the mall, one fmds concise videos explaining how and why parables were used in Jesus's day, the significance ofthe kingdom in Jesus's parables, and background information on Luke 15. Such topics as inheritance, family ties, rituals, compassion, justice, mercy, honor and shame all receive extensive video treatment. Viewers are encouraged to keep a journal of their thoughts as they explore the cavernous avenues of this virtual mall. Screens pop up to make it easy to do so.

Every church should have this $29.95 CD-ROM in the library It's a Sunday school teacher's or youth sponsor's dream Gather your seventh- or eighth-grade class around the computer screen for the most indepth look at the Prodigal Son story you're likely to fmd. And all in a format that will keep students glued to the screen. Don't plan only a onehour session. You will likely need to devote at least two class periods to this unit, and if you choose to do the personal enrichment activities, like poetry or a class video, add at least another period

There are a few rough spots . The most disconcerting flaw in this project is the lack of consistency when returning to a previous screen or when exiting altogether. Occasionally, one must try two or three mouse -clicks before one gets to where one wants to go. This won't be a problem for most students with computer experience. Others may be placed in limbo unless they are aggressive mouse clickers.

I applaud ABS for this visionary CD. They have set an opening benchmark for religious interactive CD ROMs. Now, if they can improve their marketing so that these are easy, rather than hard, to purchase, we will all be the better for it. Check this one out, even if you have to call 1-800-322-4253 to order it. Have your credit card ready It could be one of the best 30 bucks your library fund will spend this year

LET'S TALK ABOUT IT

A GUIDE FOR GROUP INTERACT ION

SESSION 1 SpIritual intimacy In marriage

Based on "B arriers to Bliss, " page 4

GET READY - Getting started

• What example did your parents set for spiritual intimacy in marriage?

GET SET - Examining the issues

1. Highlight the reasons given for lack of spiritual intimacy in marriage and identify other reasons you would add.

2. What are the possible results of a lack of spiritual intimacy within a marriage ?

3. What suggestions are made for making spiritual intimacy more appealing ?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. When are you most likely to feel like you've been pushed into a vice to be remodeled?

2. In what ways do you try to remodel your spouse or others?

3 Which of the suggestions given is most needed in your marriage or other relationships?

4 In what ways can we help each other in the church community develop spiritual intima cy in marriages?

SESSION 2 People abuse In the church

Based on "When Conflict Turns Toxic," page 8.

GET READY - Getting started

• With which of the examples given at the beginning of the article would you most closely identify?

GET SET - Examining the issues

1. What makes conflict healthy and what makes it sinful?

2. Do you agree with Thomas's definition of abuse of power in the church? Why or why not?

3 . Review the various forms of "people abuse" suggested in the article. Which do you think is the greatest challenge in our churches?

4 Name some examples of similar kinds of abuse found in the Bible .

5 What role does humility have in dealing with abuse?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. What steps are recommended for turning abuse into blessing?

2. Which of those steps is your greatest challenge?

3. To what situations in your life and congregation would you like to see these principles applied?

4. Spend time in prayer, asking God to reveal your responsibility in bringing reconciliation.

SESSION 3 The challenge of choices

Based on Ph'lip Side, page 12.

GET READY - Getting started

• What is the color of your house? Are you pleased with it , or would you like a change?

GET SET - Examining the issues

1. Identify some of the ad vantages and disad vantages of having so many choices in life

2 In what ways are the vast amounts of information and choices affecting the community of faith?

3. What are the timeless truths of Scripture that teach us how to live in the modern "Age of Options and Information"?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. Are there ways in which your congregation is "more like a reflection of our fickle consumer culture than God's pure heart"?

2 . How do we nurture a sense of deep devotion to God in a culture that encourages optional commitment?

3. Spend time recommitting your choice to follow Christ and his ways.

SESSION 4 Rethinking conference structul'es

Based on "Do We Really Want to Dissolve the General Conference, " page 16

GET READY - Getting started

• What is the most recent Mennonite Brethren conference you have attended (or closest you have come to attending)

GET SET - Examining the issues

1. Briefly review the history and structure of Mennonite Brethren conferences.

2. What are the three recommendations suggested by Toews? With which do you agree or disagree?

3 What reasons have been given for dismantling the binational General Conference?

4. How would you answer the question, "Do people want to own conference ministries?"

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. What conference action or structure would be most beneficial to your local congregation?

2. What can be done to increase the opportunities for your congregation to process conference decisions and ministries together?

3. Does your congregation promote denominations as "the failure of Christianity" or as a "gift"? In what ways have you observed the Mennonite Brethren denomination to be a gift?

Nothing spoken, nothing gained?

IF A TREE FALLS in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound? That familiar conundrum still perplexes me. Lately, though, a similar but more pressing riddle has been on my mind as we look toward next month's General Conference convention in Waterloo-Kitchener, Ont.: If a significant proposal fails to generate much discussion, is it really significant?

The proposal I have in mind, of course, is the one offered by the Executive Council of the General Conference: that we begin the process of rmding a way to eliminate the need for a General Conference structure. In other words, the leadership of a conference is suggesting that we eliminate the conference they're leading.

By traditional news criteria, especially in the church

does care about: using our time, money and energy effectively; enhancing the unity and solidarity of like-minded believers; discerning doctrinal truth; planning and initiating global mission; training church leaders; producing resources for discipling and encouraging us toward greater maturity and faithfulness.

This is more than polka music we're talking about. Except we're not talking about it. And that's what bothers me.

It's not my intent here to make anyone feel gUilty for not saying or doing more about this particular proposal. Rather, I want you to understand why we decided to publish Paul Toews's provocative news essay as a last-minute entry into this issue (page 16). We decided to go ahead

This proposal is more context, this would generally fit the technical definition of a significant proposal. It's unusual-when's the last time a church-related structure offered to pull the plug on itself? It's historic-the original and predominant association of Mennonite Brethren in North America could follow the dinosaur into extinction. It's bold and maybe even risky-and when's the last time you've heard those two

with it eve.n though we've gone on record as encouraging the elimination or redefmition of the General Conference, which Toews cauthan What we tend to think tions against And even though we would quibof as the esoteric ble with some of his observations and conclusions about our present strengths and weaknesses. interests of a few church bureaucrats.

words used in the context of the institutional church?

But is it really significant? If measured by the energy of the preconvention discussion about it, then no. According to Marvin Hein, General Conference executive secretary, the proposal has generated about as much response as polka music at a youth rally. No one seems enthused enough or alarmed enough to let their feelings be known. Seems to me one of the following is happening:

• The word about the recommendation hasn't gotten out yet.

• Everyone's saving their debating energy for the convention floor.

• Most people feel it's a done deal, so what's the use of speaking up?

• Nobody cares about the General Conference anymore.

• Nobody cares about anything denominational if it resides beyond the front door of the local congregation. To some degree, I understand and can sympathize with any and all of those possibilities. In the grand scheme of things, whether the General Conference structure lives or dies is probably not near the top of God's agenda in the world. But at least a few issues are involved that I think God

The fact is, Toews is right to suggest that we need to think carefully about the proposed course of action. In short, if we care at all about the future of this family of God called Mennonite Brethren, we need to talk about it together.

I have days when I think I'm riding a double dinosaur in this changing world of ours. First, I'm a print journalist in an increasing visual world. And, second, I'm a denominational journalist operating in an increasingly local-congregation and ecumenical religious milieu. But I'm not ready to start fossilizing just yet.

On at least one point, I agree fundamentally and wholeheartedly with Toews: that denominations can be thOUght of as a gift of God-"as resources that point to the richness and vastness of the kingdom of God that transcends all limited human vision and experience. " If we believe that, "then we also need to recognize our responsibility to preserve and witness to our distinctive contribution within the larger fabric of Christianity. "

We do have something to talk about as we prepare for Waterloo. This proposal is more than what we tend to think of as the esoteric interests of a few church bureaucrats. Rather, we need to talk seriously and intensely about the best way to organize and harness the resources God has entrusted to us to fulfill our small but important role in his great mission at this point in history -DR