June 2005

> Man does not live tacos ala

> The discipline of eating well > Rules for everyday eafng

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1 9 > Good grief

21 > Commencement ceremonies held in May

22 > Institutional Summit addresses larger questions 23 > MBBS board focuses on strategic planning 24 > M BMSI board hears update on restructuring 24 > ICOMB appoints executive secretary

26 > U-SERV team assists Arkansas church

27 > Poured out: Dallas (Ore.) MB Church

> English-lang uage Korean church first of its kind

ON THE JOURNEY

Rose Buschman Giving our retirement to God 30 INQUIRING MINDS by Marvin Hein

What about Terri Shiavo? 33 PH ' LlP SIDE

by Philip Wiebe

Change - what's the big deal?

FEATURES [Food for thought ]

9 TABLE GRACE

10 MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY TACOS ALONE by Philip Wiebe

Can you still taste that initial bite of a new food? That epiphany moment when you exclaimed, "Man that's good!"

13 THE DISCIPLINE OF EATING WELL by Ingrid Friesen Mose r

What would happen if our faith guided our eating? Would it make a difference? Scripture can help us reconsider what it takes to be well and what it means to have God at the center of life.

16 RULES FOR EVERYDAY EATING by Ingrid Friesen Moser

How can God's dietary instructions in Leviticus II be lived in the 21St century? What do I put in my grocery cart and how do I prepare meals? What do I order in a restaurant?

18 SAVORING by Leanne Eshleman Benner

When we savor a cup of tea or a spoon of peanut butter, we shape holy moments.

> FiRST WORDS

[from the editor)

READERS HAVE ASKED WHERE WE GET THE IDEAS FOR EACH month's theme. The answer is, it depends. Some feature sections are carefully planned while others "just happen " In the "carefully planned" category would fall topics suggested by readers who responded to the 2002 Leader readership survey as well as topics recommended by members of the former Board of Faith and Life. Events around the globe and in the U.S., and in the broad Christian community as well as our own denomination prompt us to pursue certain themes.

Then there are times when we are blessed by the unexpected. An unsolicited article arrives via e-mail - from a Mennonite Brethren writer or a freelance author-and it becomes the catalyst for a theme. Food and eating is the focus of this month's feature section thanks to an article submitted by a freelance writing team.

The women, both cooks , offered an article that would take "an informative and lighthearted look at various dishes through out history that have been given religious names of one kind or another and at their possible biblical tie-ins." Dishes described in the article included Monk Fish Crepes, Shepherd's Pie, Angel Biscuits, Angel Food Cake and other food named for historical religious leaders.

From the description, this just didn't sound like a Leader-type article, and the writers were so informed. But it was food for thought. Religious monikers do not make for faith -filled eating. But what does? 'We are what we eat and what we eat shows our theology," writes Mary Beth Lind in the introduction to the anniversary edition of the very popular More-with- Less Cookbook. So what are we u.s. Mennonite Brethren eating and what does it tell us about our faith? What should we be eating?

We asked two writers to help us think about food and theology. Philip Wiebe was given the assignment of thinking humorously about the subject while Ingrid Friesen Moser was asked to reflect on the topic from her perspective as a nutritionist and theologian. So while this issue does not contain any recipes for your summer picnics, we do hope it gives you a taste for new ways you can express your faith at the dinner table.

A word of thanks goes to staff member Nadine Friesen. Because we are in the process of moving the assistant editor to the Fresno, Calif., area, assistant editor Nadine Friesen concluded her work at the Leader in May. She worked for the magazine for almost two years and we wish Nadine well in her future endeavors.

> QUOT ABLE

We may live without poetry, music and art, We may live without conscience and live without heart, We may live without friends, we may live without books, But civilized (folks) cannot live without cooks.

- Anonymous, quoted in The Centennial Treasury of Recipes: Swiss Mennonites.

> UP & COMING

• July 29-31 Southern District Conference convention, Denver, Colo

• Se pt 17 -18 North Carolina District Conference convention, Lenoir, N. C.

• Nov 3-6 Central District Conference convention, Salem MB Church, Bridgewater, S.D

June 2005

Volume 68

Number 6

Co nnie Fab er EDITOR

Nadine Friese n EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Myra Holmes NEWS WRITER

Elaine Ewerr GRAPHIC DESIGNER

MANDATE The Christian Leader IiSSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions and issues of their denomination. and to instruct. inspire and initiate dialogue so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangeLicaVAnabaptist theological tradition.

EDITORIAL POLICY The views expressed in this pubLication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader. the U.S. Conference Leadership Board or the Mennonite Brethren Church. Scripture references are from New International Version unless otherwise noted. The editors invite freelance article submissions. A SASE must accompany articles

READER PARTICIPATION The editors invite readers to share their thoughts and opinions on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church using letters to the editor and Forum essays Letters to the editor should be brief - 300 words or less - and on one subject. Letters must be signed and include the writer's city and state. Letters will be edited for clarity, appropriateness and length. Letters will be published, as space allows. unless marked -Not for publication : Forum is open to members or attendees of Mennonite Brethren churches. Essays should not exceed 800 words, and should include the writer's name. address. home church and occupation.

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

SUBSCRIPTIONS $18 for one year, $34 for two years and $50 for three years ($20. $38, $54 in Canada); $1.50 per copy.

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

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

CONNIE FABER

By Laurence D. Hiebert

> Readers SAY

Don't need to know

God's kingdom (Net)work

God is at work and his kingdom is CPI Conference and subsequently advancing for his glory! How do I introduced him to Steve Childers. know?

Steve was amazed to hear how

This past fall I took Yuji Kondo to God had used a Presbyterian and a Japan's annual Church Planting Institute Mennonite like this and asked the Conference and introduced him to speaker name of the Oklahoma church. Steve Childers, who is with the Presbyterian "My wife and I planted that church Church of America. I explained to Childers 2S years ago," Steve said. that Yuji spent a month in Oklahoma City Incredible! Here was Steve, trainwith a PCA pastor and there heard the ing church planters in Japan only to gospel for the first time . Yuji went abroad meet the fruit of his first church again, this time to Toronto where he attend- plant in the U.S. ed a Japanese fellowship and was led to Yuji graduated from university Christ. this spring and God has answered

As Yuji moved toward baptism, he our prayers by leading Yuji back to talked to his parents about it He recalls that, his home town of Toyota City and "their answer wasn't completely negative has provided a job nearby so he can but they were really worrying for me. But live with his parents. He attends we reached the agreement that they (would) our church regularly and is getting go to church to know what I (was) involved involved in youth and young adult in." ministries. Yuji and I meet twice a

So Yuji asked his friend in Oklahoma month so I can mentor and coach to help him find a church in Toyota City for him for ministry. Having a passion his parents to visit The for worship, he decidOklahoma pastor contacted a ed to learn to play the PCA missionary in Japan and guitar so he can help that missionary, a friend of with singing during mine for 16 years , told him our worship services. about me. Recently he was an Yuji e-mailed me for the active participant at a first time Nov 3, 2003, and I national MB youth was able to spend time with leaders seminar in his parents. I explained the Osaka and started to significance of baptism and get to know people in shared the gospel with them. Since then his our denomination He formally mother has been attending regularly and his joined our church in May. father has attended special events

It's not often I come away from Phil Wiebe's column "Ph1ip Side" agreeing with most of what was said The 'Things I don't need to know" column (March 2ooS) was a great piece and repeated what most Christians I know think-except for possibly the paragraph on trying to figure out what is on the heart and mind of my spouse. Who of the male gender would undertake such an endless trip with that goal in mind? Thanks for a pointed, yet whimsical way of greeting our media's culturally obsessed data overload.

James Shapazian, Bakersfield,

Calif

Love Your Neighbor

Looking at the article by Phil Wiebe (Philp Side, November 2004), the answer by Gene Kliewer and then the note from Clint Bergen (What Readers Say, March 200S), makes one think we are at war with one another. Come, come gentlemen. Let's all join together as brothers in Christ .

As one digests what is being said, one will see there is merit in each belief All we have are divided reality checks and balances.

I am now 82 years old. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was 40, never looking back. I fought proudly in World War 2 against an enemy, not the man but the distorted belief of one man. The war ended and I became close and lasting friends with one I had been fighting against.

Recently a minister who allowed his political belief to control his union with Christ divided a Baptist church in the South. His proclamation was that if one failed to follow his drummer politically, one could not be a Christian How disastrous for more reasons than one. The Internal Revenue Service is now looking at this nice church with the thought of removing their tax-exempt status. Worse, the church is now divided

When you see a Toyota car or Yuji was baptized in February 2004 sign, please pray for Laurence and and then returned to Japan. For several Leona Hiebert in Toyota City and weeks before going to Kyoto for his last year that God will use Yuji to build his of university, Yuji attended our church and kingdom here! studied the Bible with me After Yuji's good friend suddenly died, God led Yuji to commit himself to serving the Lord. When he shared this with me, I invited him to the

Laurence and Leona Hiebert are Mennonite Brethren church planting missionaries in Toyota City, Japan.

One man's self-proclamation is another man's sin. The very statement that "we are all sinners, saved by grace" is as true today in the political world as the spiritual world. I do not love sin . That does not stop me from loving the sinner. When we get so high and mighty in our Christian beliefs , we become no worldly good. We each must attack that internal problem to see if we measure up in our walk with Christ Les Dunton, Dallas, Oregon

The best and worst of transitions

MBMS International is in a period of transition and as one working to chart our course through the sometimes turbulent waters of transition I find it exciting and at times difficult.

Transitions in Christian ministry organizations involving personnel changes are particularly difficult. Ministry and lives go hand

leaders and staff close to the director has resulted in further transitions of personnel. Most of these have already found new ministry or job assignments and we are striving to be generous and supportive of those who are currently looking.

MBMSI desires to maintain and strengthen its vital connection to local churches and district conferences. Currently we will have representatives in the two U.S. regional offices- Fresno and Wichita-but will reshape the job descriptions. With the title of regional mobilizer, we will shift the task of these offices to bring together our short and long-term strategies We by no means intend to become a primarily short-tenn mission agency, but

[J I lived in Hillsboro when the MBMSI office moved from that somewhat historic location to Fresno, so I understand the loss that is felt in such a move.

in hand, and when transition leads to life transitions it's seldom easy. While some of our changes have raised questions, the MBMSI board made them to reflect more accurately its vision and mandate for global mission.

Approximately 14 months ago a search committee that included key leaders from Canada and the u.s. presented a unanimous and enthusiastic recommendation to our board that Randy Friesen be named as the next MBMSI general director. The board accepted that recommendation and asked Randy to lead us through the transitions that had begun several years earlier. Randy graciously accepted the assignment, beginning his role in August 2004.

We see in Randy significant experience, numerous international liaisons, connectedness to the M B youth culture, an ability to motivate a new generation for mission and a passion to see lost people find hope in Jesus. Completing his doctoral studies signaled his continued appetite for learning and growth.

The board fully expected our management center to remain in Fresno, Calif., for the foreseeable future so the decision to move this office to Abbotsford, B.C. was made thoughtfully. I lived in Hillsboro, Kan ., when the MBMSI office moved from that somewhat historic location to Winnipeg, Man., and then Fresno so I understand the loss that is felt in such a move. But I also understand a director's vision in placing his office in a strategic location. Contrary to rumors that have surfaced, we are not closing the Fresno office but will maintain a number of staff there and make room for other conference ministries to join us .

While I miss the proximity of the management center to my own ministry in Reedley, I also recognize that the U S. has enjoyed this blessing for many of the first roo years of our mi ssion and we can graciously share it with our Canadian family The move is resulting in cost savings and places our offi ce in the heart of the critical mass of roo-plus MB churches of British Columbia . The value of having key

21st century

Ultimately we want to involve more and more people in God's mission. Experience teaches us that once people experience firsthand what God is doing in the world their lives are changed. The passion for mission is contagious and we want it to spread effectively. I'm enthused about the direction of MBMSI. You and your church are invited to join us in the adventure of God's mission to the world

Dennis Fast is the lead pastor of Reedley MB Church. He has been on the MBMS International board since 1993, served four years as chair and is currently serving as vice chair.

[ new 5 fro m the m e n non t e brethren world]

Christians ban ished from village

MBMSI sending relief aid to displaced Asian believers

Amany as 175 Christians, dults and children have been banished from their village in Southeast Asia by local government authorities, according to MBMS International resource missionary Phone Keo Keovilay. MBMSI is withholding the name of the country for security reasons. Local Ch ri stians , with the help of other national Christians and MBMSI, are caring for the refugees.

For several years, the government of

this country has tried to eliminate Christianity in this particular area by forcing Christians to renounce their faith When this failed , the government forced the believers to leave their village empty-handed.

Th e evicted families, living without homes, food or water, took refuge with other Christians in a nearby village. The local families are caring for the refugees, but will soon run out of food since it is the dry season and too late to plant rice. '1\s we are a Christian village who live close by with about 32 families, we can help them as much as we can ," says a pastor from a neighboring village, " but it is not enough to cover the need."

Phone Keo is associated with a larger group of churches in the northern part of this country that will buy supplies and transport

Lien rele ased from prison

Irn prisoned V ietn amese Me nn onite Le

Th i Hong Lie n was o ne of 7,820 prisoners granted amnesty and rele ase d April

28. Lien , who se rved 10 month s of he r o neyear sentence, ha ppily greeted th e IS famil y mernb ers and church fri ends w h o we nt to Bien Hoa Me ntal H ospital to meet he r

Th e V ietn a m Me nnonite C hurch reports that poli ce advised Lien's fath er th at his d aughte r sho uld not go to th e ho me o f church lead e r Ng uyen Hong Q u ang who se hu sb and is still irnpri son ed , o r th e church's meeting pla ce and should not " ca u se any diffi culties for th e local gove rnm e nt auth orities." Li en's fath e r resolutely affirm ed th at his famil y wo uld continu e to wo rs hip God and

p arti

cipate in th e act ivities of th eir church

Both Lie n and her fath e r we re also reportedly as ked to sign an amnesty paper b efor e her release th at included a cla use agree in g to hou se arrest fo r th e re mainder of he r se ntence. Th ey refu sed .

Lien was arrest ed and jailed Jun e 30 for he r involve ment in a Ma rch 2 in ci d ent, and con vict ed and se ntence d to on e ye ar in p riso n fo r "res istin g person s ca rryin g o ut o ffi c ial du ties." Durin g he r in carce ration, L ie n was beaten , abu se d and to rtured to th e poi n t th at she b ecam e mentally ill She was tran sferred t o a mental hos pital Ma rch 7. Frie nds are rais in g money fo r her med ical treatm ent

them to the needy group. MBMSI is sending $2,000 in emergency relief funds and is accepting financial donations to the fund. Immediate needs include food, mosquito nets, blankets , malaria medication and dig· ging wells for water . Supplying food until the village is able to harvest rice again is the priority need

Future employment will be a challenge for these Christians, s;lys Phone Keo, since they will not be hired because of their faith However, they can start farming again.

Although the eviction occurred in March, Phone Keo did not hear about the events from a neighboring pastor until late April. Because Christians are afraid to use the mail service, the pastor, who received a hand-delivered note from the group, contacted Phone Keo via cellphone - MBMSI

Th e V ietn a m Me nn o nite C hurch

b eli eves L ie n's release was d ue to the co n side rab le arte ntion paid to he r case b y many foreign gove rnm e ilt s, human righ ts organization s, internati onal media and M ennonites and oth e r C hri sti ans aro und th e world Th ey thank all w ho prayed and contributed to ward th e needs of th e pri soners and th eir famili es and call on government offi cial s to free th e remaining two church le ad e rs, th e Rev. N gu ye n Quang and E vangeli st Pham N goc Thach. - MWC

Anti-malaria campaign shows commercial promise

AJew national voucher system operated by Mennonite Economic Development ssociates and intended to halt the spread of malaria in children in Tanzania is showing early indications of commercial success.

The national voucher scheme aims to put more insecticide-treated mosquito nets into the hands of pregnant women and mothers of young children. reducing the devastation of mosquito-borne malaria. The annual African toll from the disease is 20 times greater than the number of people killed in the recent tsunami.

MEDA was invited to develop a new business model to get mosquito nets to the rural poor. Commercial channels were selling

nets successfully in cities. but the nets were not reaching the countryside. Together with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. Tuberculosis and Malaria. MEDA designed a government voucher program that covers part of the cost of the net The vouchers are distributed through maternal child health clinics and are redeemable at rural phartnacy shops. MEDA is handling the logistics for the $10 million program.

Recent reports show that sales are extremely positive. says Jerry Quigley of MEDA. The five wholesalers claim an increase in sales from 10 to 300 percent. A total of 681 retailers had been signed by the end of the first quarter. well in excess of the target of 400 for that point. -MEDA

SD church breaks ground

Bethel MB Church of rural Yale. SD. the groundbreaking for its new worship center April 24. The event had several unique features.

Building committee members used a paint-marking machine to completely outline the building on the grass where it will actually stand. Rooms were individually drawn and labels placed in each open-air room. Congregants were invited to walk through the new facility to get a feel for the size and room arrangement.

Following the official groundbreaking. each children's Sunday school class and its teacher took shovels to their open-air rooms and broke ground.

Bethel's new 13.500-square-foot wood structure will feature a central worship center with an educational wing and offices to the north and fellowship wing to the south. In addition. a 1.500-square-foot youth room will be located above the front entry Some special features the congregation is looking forward to in the new facility include a better sound

system. PowerPoint capability. more accessible classroom. an improved and enlarged fellowship hall. updated restroom facilities and handicap accessibility

The worship center will be located on the same property immediately west of the present facility that has served the congregation for 100 years . The present facility. which the congregation deemed too costly to remodel and update. will be demolished upon completion of the new worship center. - BMBC

Leader receives top writing award

The Christian Leader recently received a first place award in the 2004 Evangelical Press Association Higher Goals contest. The top award in the Biblical Exposition category recognizes the article "The relentless God: A reflection on Jonah " by Pierre Gilbert and published in the February 2004 issue Higher Goals awards honor the best work done by EPA publications during the calendar year 2004. The MB Herald , the English-language magazine of the Canadian MB Conference , received a third place award for a critical review by David Eagle and Marketplace, the Mennonite Economic Development Associates publication, received a third place award for a poem by Jean Janzen . EPA is an association of more than 375 periodicals, organizations and individual members. The awards were announced at the annual EPA convention held April 2427 in Chicago, Ill.

Goossen authors book

A new book by Mennonite Brethren worship leader Gareth J. Goossen encourages readers to discover true worship . In Worship Walk: Where Worship and Life Intersect , Goossen encourages readers to recognize worship as something that impacts all of life and changes people as they pursue who God is. Goossen describes worship as much more than music and highlights "God's invitation to the walk of worship," Written in three parts, the book addresses the essence and cost of worship , offers practical ways in which worship is " walked out," and describes the experience of inspiring and enthusiastic worship Goossen has been involved in a variety of MB churches and ministries and is presently executive director of Makeusholy Ministries and lives in Kitchener, Ont. ,

@ @

Table Grace

o gracious God, when you open your hand, you satisfy the desires of every living thing. Bless the land and waters; give the world a plentiful harvest; let your Spirit go forth to renew the face of the earth.

As you show your love and kindness in the bounty of the land and sea, save us from selfish use of your gifts, so that women and men everywhere may give you thanks, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

From Words for Worship edited by Arlene M. Mark Copyright (c) 1996 by Herald Press, Scottdale, PA 15683. Used by permission.

food for thought Man does not live by tacos alone

Reflections on a food-enriched existence

GROWING UP IN A MENNONITE BRETHREN HOME HAS GIVEN ME WARM memories of enjoying the distinctive foods of our people, such as tacos, pizza, spaghetti, chili, chocolate chip cookies and my all-time favorite Mennonite treat, barbecued hamburgers.

I will admit that I've been on this earth long enough to remember a time when my family ate foods more readily associated with Mennonite cooking. Among other things, these included zwieback (the famous double bun), peppernuts (crunchy holiday mini-cookies), Mennonite sausage (or "Reedley sausage" as we called it in California), plumamoos (a stewed fruit concoction) and borscht (cabbage soup).

The last two dishes in particular fill my mind with vivid recollections of sitting at the table in great anticipation of how these intensely disgusting foods would surely make me ill. As an adult, naturally, my culinary tastes have broadened. Now I find plumamoos and borsht only mildly disgusting.

However, one of my food epiphanies-the moments when new taste treats have caused me to exclaim, "Man that's good!" -does involve a Mennonite item I've mentioned. Back in the 70S when barbecue grilling was booming, my father got wind that folks were applying the magic charcoal fires to Reedley sausage. He tried it one evening and, my goodness, I can still taste that initial bite and the ensuing taste bud celebration.

My first food epiphany came prior to that, probably in grade school. when I was at a friend's house. For dinner his mom made an unfamiliar dish called tacos. She had fried some

out, shall we say, a little chewy.

While some new recipes tum out all right, others crash and bum. Perhaps literally. As the old joke goes for kitchenchallenged folks, they know dinner is ready when the smoke alarm goes off. Given such risks, at home you tend to be cautious about trying new things . At someone else's house, or when out for a new dining experience, you are probably going to consume what is put before you no matter how alarming it might look.

Years ago while visiting the Louisiana bayou region, for example, I was driven by locals through the viney woods to this plain-looking building that was described to me as a "crawfish place " Being unfamiliar with Cajun cuisine, I thought to myself, do they mean crawdads? People eat those things? If that

I hadn't realized my friend was a prophet. Tacos were the best food I'd yet devoured in my young life. As for hot sauce, I still give thanks regularly for its many varieties and uses.

flat thingies in oil, bent them in the shape of horseshoes and stuffed them with ground beef, lettuce and cheese.

I watched skeptically as my friend poured some nasty looking red stuff out of a bottle onto his taco . He noticed my look and said, "You need to use hot sauce Trust me, youll like it."

I hadn't realized my friend was a prophet. Tacos were the best food I'd yet devoured in my young life. As for hot sauce, I still give thanks regularly for irs many varieties and uses .

Some time after that dinner at my friend's, tacos became a staple at our house too And now they are a favorite at my house. As I watch my children make liberal use of the hot sauce during a taco meal. I might even shed a tear or two. This is probably because Ive just taken a bite of my own taco dripping with Ultra Fiery Super Pepper Death Sauce

•••Many of the new foods I've tried have come while visiting someone's home, meeting people in an unfamiliar restaurant or traveling through a new patt of the country. I suppose that's not surprising. At home, we tend to stick with what we know Attempting new recipes can be risky and end in mixed resulrs A delicious roast I grill on the faithful old Webber, for instance, only settled into the meal rotation after trial and error. The first couple of times it came

wasn't unpromising enough, the eatery itself was just a big room with cement floor, plain tables and metal chairs. After we got seated I asked my companions, "What do they have on the menu, anyway?"

"No menu Just boiled crawfish."

Yikes.

It goes without saying that my apprehension was way off base. The crawfish were delicious. My hosts trained me in the extraction of the meat and the making of dipping sauce from various peppery liquids and condiments arranged on our table. Cajun food zoomed to the top of my Favorite Things to Eat list that evening and in days following as I sampled other South Louisiana cooking.

That bayou experience is just one example of the variety of homes and geographical areas and regional restaurants I've had the pleasure to eat in over the years. I think of the church potluck in rural Massachusetts where families brought the most delicious chowders I've ever tasted. In Chicago a group of locals introduced me to yummy stuffed pizza . In Kansas City I learned secrets of authentic wood-pit barbecue. In South Texas I thoroughly enjoyed the Tex-Mex culture and food I got hooked on the spicy New Mexican cuisine in (where else?) New Mexico. And the list goes on These forays have not just been about the food. Far from it. My memories of such meals are always accompanied by the pleasing experiences of new friends made, existing relationships deepened and meaningful fellowship enjoyed

It is often said that the rise of generic fast food has led to a decline in the arts of home cooking and regional cuisine, and the breakdown of the traditional dinner hour. But I wonder if

food for thought

it's really the other way around. Has he decline of slow food and meals made from scratch led to the rise of speed-eating?

The pace of life has accelerated considerably in recent decades. People are in such a rush they hardly take time to cook a nice meal or sit around the table or go out for a talky gettogether at some eclectic bistro. With everyone

there is a scene where actor Jack Black's character is questioned for being a bit overweight. "I like to eat," he replies. "Is that a crime?"

You wouldn't think so, but it sure can seem that way these days. Obesity is hot news right now, reported with manyalartning case studies and disturbing statistics. The number of people in the U.S. who are overweight is said to be at epidemic levels .

Now, I realize obesity is a serious health concern in our coun-

With everyone in a hurry to get to the next thing on the schedule, no wonder fast food drive-up windows are always crowded with cars, while home dining rooms around the neighborhood sit empty and pristine.

in a hurry to get to the next thing on the schedule, no wonder fast food drive-up windows are always crowded with cars, while home dining rooms around the neighborhood sit empty and pristine.

•••

In 'The School of Rock," a movIe In which a music-loving slacker molds a group of school kids into an awesome rock band,

try, with several trends contributing to the problem One is physical inactivity among many children and adults due to prolonged use of video entertainments and the Internet. Another is that pe0ple simply eat too much. Portion sizes have become too large, and overindulgence in junk food has become too prevalent.

However, sometimes the response to this seems rather dour and defeatist. I think of today's booming fad diet industry and its underlying inference that "food is your enemy." Often you1l hear dieters joke, "I just don't eat anything that tastes good." Even in jest, there's something out of balance in that statement. Sensible eating is not best accomplished with gimmicks or self-abuse. Studies have shown that one-food diets and wide caloric fluctuations may be worse for one's health that maintaining a constant weight, even if somewhat over the ideal.

Like 'The School of Rock" character, I've always been one who likes to eat. That being the case, I do occasionally need to step back from the tendency to consume too much. At these times it never enters my mind to get on a trendy diet. Rather, I tum to the highly complicated, top-secret technique of trying to eat a little less and exercise a litrle more. So you won't soon find me following the celery and tofu diet, the wheat gertn and cabbage diet, or the tree bark and topsoil diet.

God made an endless variety of fruits and vegetables, grains and proteins, herbs and spices and, yes, even sweet treats that are quite capable of fulfilling the need for health and wellness while making my taste buds sing.

Philip Wiebe is an editor in the publications unit of the Oregon State Archives. He is active as a worship and small group leader at Kingwood Bible Church in Salem, Ore., where he lives with his wife and two children

The discipline of eating well

We struggLe to make needed changes in our diet and lifestyLe. What wouLd happen if our Christian faith guided our eating? WouLd it make a difference?

DoES GoD CARE WHAT I EAT? YES, HE DOES! .ANn we North American Christians desperately need to hear this message. We know more about health and how the body works from a scientific standpoint than ever before , but in North America we continue the struggle to prevent diseases and conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis that are directly influenced by our eating and lifestyle choices.

As a nutrition counselor and educator, I have listened to people's life stories over the years and I know it takes more than knowing what to eat to lower your cholesterol, lose weight or control blood sugars Many people struggle to make the needed changes in their life to support and sustain their bodies in the best health possible

These are some of the common struggles I heard in my patients ' stories:

• Motivation

• Lack of self-esteem to take the initiative to do things differently

• No hope th at if one

f

ood for thought

does things differently things could change

• Inability to prioritize what is important in life; too busy to do what one knows is best

• Overwhelming feelings of guilt and shame over failed attempts to lose weight or improve health

Maybe you share some of them, or know someone who does. As I listen to these stories I find myself wondering: What would happen if one truly made faith the center of all one does and is?

The question of faith is a strange one to ask in a hospital or doctors' office, at a fast food restaurant, in the grocery store or when deciding how to spend the evening. On the other hand, the strange part about asking this question at church is that we are not used to seeing what we ate for breakfast as revealing something about our relationship with God. But it does!

Instructions for living

As Christians, daily life choices that impact our health and well-being should reflect and be motivated out of our identity as children of God. Our lifestyle choices-what we do with and to our bodies, such as food choices, exercise and activity-are integral components of our faith just as prayer, reading Scripture, practicing peace and worshiping in the house of God are integral components of faith.

The Bible can help us reorient our thinking about what it means to live out a sacred view of wellness and eating. Scripture can help us reconsider what it takes to be well and what it means to place God at the center of our lives.

Leviticus is not a book in the Bible that gets studied or talked about very often by Christians. Yet it outlines in detail daily instructions for living. Most of

us skip over Leviticus thinking that it doesn't apply to us today. However, by regarding Leviticus as outdated and not needed anymore now that we have Jesus, we are missing an important message about what it means to live in right relationship with God. We are ignoring the importance of the activities of daily life in shaping who we are as a people of God

Leviticus is a book of laws. The dietary laws found in Leviticus II have elements that are clearly about health, hygiene and protection The

laws are to keep us safe and healthy but there is more to it than that. Sharing in God's holiness

Jacob Milgrom, a well-known and respected scholar of the book of Leviticus, identifies the common thread that ties together all the laws present in Leviticus as about being holy or being as close to God as humanly possible. This is the purpose and motivation for following these laws As people of God, we choose to accept restriction (law) in our lives because the end result is that it brings us c1osertoGod.

From Leviticus we learn that our faith causes us to choosemaybe even multiple times a day when it comes to food-a narrow path. This path is oriented towards God, not towards human gratification or destruction. We are to choose a path that is life-giving, but that comes at a cost.

While the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus have taken the emphasis off of following the letrer of the law, Jesus is still asking us to choose the narrow path. "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it," he says. "For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matr. 7: 13-14).

Heb. 12:1-13 also highlights the importance, role and purpose of the disciplined life modeled for us in Jesus that is clear in the New Testament, despite the Christian reinterpretation of the Jewish laws of daily life

The author of Hebrews does not use the word discipline in a punishing, scolding sense Rather, the discipline described in this

deserve passage is the kind of discipline that is meant to shape and guide choices . An image that might help you frame the kind of discipline being talked about is the image of coaches training and preparing their athletes for a great race.

This passage in Hebrews also offers us two more important lessons about discipline that we need to hear First, the discipline is not out of spite, hate or even apathy, but out of love. And second, discipline gives us a futuristic orientation and perspective. It trains us to think beyond the immediate gratification that we want or believe we

How different this is from the ads we see for health and beauty! Weight loss signs posted to telephone poles

promising you1l be 20 pounds lighter in two weeks are just one example of this. And chances are good the things they would have you do to lose that weight are not going to make you healthier, even if they do make you skinnier.

In Hebrews, like in Leviticus, we choose restriction or discipline because of holiness or being close to God; "... that we may share in God's holiness" (Heb. 12: 10).

Restrictions

A sacred view of wellness is not doing exactly word for word what the Bible says in Leviticus. Leviticus was written for a specific time and place. The general guidelines of a plant-based diet are still important, but it is impractical and a poor use of our limited energy to tty to follow them in this day and age.

More restriction is not always better and will not keep drawing you closer and closer to God The Bible is full of passages that are about feasting, joy, celebration and taking pleasure in what God has created. It is a temptation to make the earthly world bad and the spiritual world good, but we know from the very beginning in Genesis that God created the world and pronounced it "good."

There is also a point where restriction turns from being good to being evil. For restriction to be life-giving, God has to be the focus. An important question to ask if you aren't sure if the restriction you are living by is for good or for evil is: Who or what am I serving with my restriction? If my need to be

thin or fit is the answer, then you need to change your priorities. The best part

When you approach wellness from a sacred center, no matter how much you may struggle, God offers a fresh start each day. When we are centered on God we don't catty the guilt and shame from our past failings with us. How different this is from the secular view of wellness and eating. I have often seen the power of guilt and shame to drag even those with the best of intentions down into a pit of despair.

Leviticus, the book that gives us the laws of how to live, also gives instruction and words of assurance that God will make us "clean" again. In the case of the dietary laws, we are told that at the close of each day God restores the unclean to clean. In Hebrews we are told to lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely and run with perseverance (12:1). God knows that you can't run well with the weight of sin and shame dragging you down. The road is narrow and difficult enough just as it is!

The choice to live with God's life-giving discipline is also a choice to receive God's grace, which makes all things possible. May we hear this life-giving message and let it transform us into a people of deeper faith and greater health and wellness.

Ingrid Friesen Moser is the stewardship of health manager for Mennonite Mutual Aid. She is a member of Southside Fellowship, a Mennonite Church USA congreation in Goshen, Ind.

How to overcome common struggles

What can Christians and the church do to overcome the common struggles that keep us from being well and eating well? Here are five ideas.

I. When we make choices in daily life we need to ask ourselves some questions. Does this choice bring me closer to God? Is this what God wants for me? When it comes to food the questions may be: Am I eating a variety of foods that help nourish the body God made? Does the manner in which I am eating honor God and the body God created?

With regard to exercise we should ask, What activities have I done today that brought pleasure to my body, created by God

to move? In what ways did I glorify God with my body?

2. An image of God that may be new and helpful to adopt is that of God as personal trainer. Many times I've heard people say, "If I only had someone to come to my house and cook for me or tell me what to do or hold me accountable." Well, you've got it! God is the personal trainer you want and God is ready and waiting to direct and guide you. As you relate to God through prayer and grow in your spiritual life, it may be helpful to call upon this image of God as personal trainer just as you might use images of God as Rock, Shepherd or Creator.

3. Churches would be wise to encourage people to think

about what their daily life choices reflect and say about their relationship with God. Just as the church teaches us to pray, it needs to teach us how to love and care for our bodies. This means teaching about healthy eating and exercise and prioritizing our daily activities so God can be seen in all we do and are. Churches could do this by sponsoring organized times where people gather to eat and exercise together. This could also happen by incorporating themes of wellness and health into times of worship. How about a sermon series on spiritual and physical wellness or children's stories that address the topic of loving and caring for our bodies?

4. Churches can also help

people to incorporate life-giving discipline into their lives by providing ways to interpret and "modernize" the biblical concept of discipline for holy living. An example of this is the reinterpretation of Leviticus II published in this issue.

5. Churches could set up wellness accountability groups By encouraging discipline and being a communiry of support and accountability to help people follow through with the disciplined life, a church becomes a significant place for discovering new life. These accountability groups should also be places where people experience God's grace and are reminded that our God is a God that longs to make all things new. - IFM

Rules for everyday

eatIng

Modern dietary laws based on Leviticus II

Purchasing foods in the grocery store :

From among all the foods available in the grocery stores you are to eat primarily of those foods found in the outer perimeter of the store. This includes all forms of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as fresh meats, poultry and fish, eggs, dairy products and grains. However, your selection of fruits, vegetables and grains should be greater than your selection of meats, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy.

Breads and other foods made from grains should be the foundation of our eating, but you must follow the guideline that at least a half to a third of your choices come from a whole grain source.

You may eat all fruits and vegetables without restriction, with the exception of the avocado, which contains a significant amount of calories in comparison to the other fruits, and vegetables. If you drink fruit juice, drink only 100 percent fruit juice and only in portion sizes of four to six ounces due to its concentrated calories.

You should select beef and pork marked as loin or lean and choose the skinless, white meat of poultry for everyday eating Fish should be eaten at least twice a week. Eggs should not be eaten in excess of five to seven per week.

You may eat freely from the dairy case those foods that are reduced in fat content such as skim and one percent milk, low-fat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese. The items higher in dairy fat such as two percent milk, whole milk, cheese, cream and ice cream should be reserved for special occasions.

You may continue shopping in the center aisles of the store to pick up items such as nuts and seeds, beans, lentils, and canned and frozen fruits and vegetables when you are unable to get what you need fresh. Olive or canola oil may be purchased and used in the preparation of foods , but should be used sparingly. The purchase

and use of herbs and spices is strongly encouraged Seasoning foods with salt should be limited You are also to drink freely and frequently of pure clean water.

When purchasing food for feasts, you may buy and eat of anything in the store provided that you eat it with a glad and generous heart. Feast meals (including those feast meals eaten at restaurants) should not be eaten in excess of four to six times per month.

An exception to this may be for those people who are very physically active and require more calories from richer foods to be able to maintain a healthy weight. Another exception to this guideline of four to six feast meals per month is in the case of multiple holidays and special events. In this case more than six feast meals is allowed, but all opportunities to balance this out over the following or preceding months should be taken

Rules regarding food selection in restaurants:

You must obey th e following rules for ordering if you are eating in restaurants more than once a week. If you are following the rules for food selection in grocery stores, and

eating in restaurants one or fewer times per week, than you may order whatever you want provided that you eat it with a glad and generous heart and you count it as one of your feast meals for the month.

Restaurant Rules:

• Skip the fried items and order the grilled, baked or broiled foods instead

• Order mayo, butter, sauces and dressings on the side and use them sparingly.

• Order the simplest item on the menu. This is especially true in fast food restaurants that will lure you

food for thought

If you have negative thoughts and emotions while cooking and preparing or eating the food, you will become impure and remain impure until after washing the dishes used in preparing and eating the food. Th e setting of the sun that marks the close of the day also marks the end of God's judgment and is a time to make peace with oneself and one's neighbor. By God's grace we are made pure again and given the chance to live each new day in right relationship with God.

Whenever possible, food should be eaten in the company of others. When it is not possible to eat with others, then eat in the presence of the holy, by lighting a candle or by placing yourself in harmony with God's creation by eating outside or with a token

Each eating experience should include a time of centering, remembering God's goodness and offering an expression of thanks for God's goodness, grace and mercy in providing food to eat and enjoy.

with double, triple burgers and extra cheese and bacon

• Do not "up-size" your meal even if it appears to be the better monetary value .

• Only eat what you need. Take home the remainder of a large portion for another meal.

A word about fasting:

limes of fasting are important ways we honor the abundance we have been given by God At minimum , plan to fast once a year. A fast can be done in a variety of ways. It may involve giving up a certain food group or item for a set time period, or a conscious choice to not eat a certain meal during the day, or it may mean we take on more restricted to no food intake for an entire day.

A fast should always be something that is entered into with great care and with careful consideration of any limitations you have. If you are unable to fast due to a physical or medical condition, you may substitute by giving up for a set time period use of your dishwasher and any small electric appliances that you use in the preparation of food

Rules

for preparing and eating food:

Food should be washed, chopped, sauteed, stirred and baked with a grateful attitude and with tender loving care Your spirit shall be free from anger and judgment so as not to defile the food in your preparation of it. This way the food will enter your body free from defilement and you shall remain in right relationship with God who created both you and the food and pronounced both of these good.

reminder of God's creation such as in the company of a flower or plant or a picture of something from God's creation. Placing yourself in the presence of a view or a window that displays God's creation can also do this.

All actions that distract you from the food you are eating are detestable. You shall restrict yourself from doing other things while you are eating such as driving, watching TV or working. These activities distract you from being in the presence of God and hold the potential to be destructive in nurturing and tending to your relationship with God. Each eating experience should include a time of centering, remembering God's goodness and offering an expression of thanks for God's goodness, grace and mercy in providing food to eat and enjoy This is an important part of what it means to be a distinctive people

All negative emotions surrounding eating should be avoided. You shall come to God's table free from guilt and shame and leave from God's table free from guilt and shame. In fact, you shall leave God's table filled with the grace and love God is offering to us in the food that has been provided for us Eating with guilt and shame will defile your body and the food. Any defilement experienced with eating is made new with the coming of the evening and the washing of the dishes. Each new day God offers the freedom from guilt and shame associated with eating. All we have to do is accept it and seek to live the life to which God has called us.

This is the law pertaining to the foods of the earth which I have made and intend for your health, wholeness, enjoyment and pleasure and through which I seek to be made known to you You shall not defile yourselves with the foods you eat or the way you prepare and eat them For I am the Lord your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. - IFM

B Y LEANNE ESHLEMAN BENNER

s • aVOfln g

ONE OF MY FAVORITE WORDS IS "SAVOR,"

I learned to savor early in life . Chewing on a joint of sugar cane with the sticky juice running down my chin was next to heaven A glistening, fuchsia-colored bite of pomegranate, with its tiny, sweet burst of juice, was worth every effort required to pluck the seeds one by one from their bitter membrane

ing day. It can never be caged or bronzed. It flits and floats and teases but never settles down for long.

When we savor, we shape holy moments God did just that when he created the earth, and in my mind's eye, I see him cupping it in his hands like a fragrant mug of hot coffee, shutting his eyes and saying, "Mmmh That's good."

Savoring is best when it is snatched, bit by bit, from an unrelenting day. It can never be caged or bronzed. It flits and floats and teases but never settles down for long.

Every sip on my Sunday morning half-cup allotment of milky coffee was worth the wait. Daily midmorning teatimes were savory because of dunked cookies, but more so because we stopped our work to enjoy each other.

In Ethiopia, peddlers often came to our house to earn a few cents for their home -roasted snacks For hygienic reasons, my parents rarely bought the questionable products, but they couldn't resist fire-roasted pumpkin seeds. I crunched each one, bit by bit, to make them last as long as possible.

With the years, savoring has come to mean more than taste. We celebrated being together as a family by eating spaghetti in a restaurant, even slurping the saucy pasta. For an hour or so we stepped outside the days' demands and enjoyed each other. On our birthdays and anniversaries, graduations, holidays and weddings we feasted together, reveling in the tastes, sights, sounds, aromas and feelings of the occasion .

When I left home, I discovered that I needed some savoring each day, no matter how little time I had. In college the highlight of my day was sitting with my friends at the supper table , long after the trays were empty. We cradled hot coffee cups and discussed life's great issues

A hot drink, and a few minutes to enjoy it, still does wonders for me . Small sips are best, whether it's warm bitter coffee or sweet mellow tea. Sometimes licking off a spoon of peanut butter is enough. And when I'm able to be really indulgent, I spend an hour or two reading a good book. In the dusk of a cold evening, I've risked burning the beans to watch a stunning sunset. I gaze with unadulterated bliss on my sleeping daughters. I lose myself in the encircling warmth of my husband's arms. All these are minegifts to savor or overlook.

I feel like Peter when Jesus was transfigured. I want to build a tent and live permanently in the glory of those moments But savoring is best when it is snatched, bit by bit, from an unrelent -

Leanne Eshleman Benner, who lived the first 10 years of her life in Ethiopia as the child of missionaries, is a freelance writer living in Harrisonburg, Va. This article is from The Peanuts in My Life, Benner's book ofpersonal meditations published by Good Books (www.Goodbks com). Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Your Mennonite Brethren

Good grief

GA husband mourning the death of his wife makes a cross-country bike trip to benefit tsunami victims

rief can sometimes be debilitating, but it's a key part of what is motivating Jerry Koop to ride his bicycle for a second time across this counrry Koop, a 52-year-old businessman and a member of Heritage Bible Church, a Mennonite Brethren congregation in Bakersfield, Calif., should finish his two-month trip early this month.

Ten months ago Koop's wife Kathi was killed in an automobile accident. But the grief Koop feels since the death of his wife is only part of his motivation. Koop also is promoting the work of Mennonite Central Commitree, an inter-Mennonite relief and development agency.

Jerry Koop, standing beside his suppo rt veh icle, demonstra tes just how lig ht his bicycle is.

"The purpose of my trip is two pronged-it' s a farewell to my wife, because I'm still grieving her loss, as well as promoting the efforts of MCC and the tsunami disaster work that they're doing (in Southeast Asia)," Koop says. ''The grief over there is compounded much higher than my own , and I would like to draw attention to that effort. "

Koop undertook his first c ross - country excursion in 1974. Beginning in Germantown, Pa., he and riding companion Clyde Stutzman pedaled some 3,000 miles in 63 days to reach their destination in Bakersfield. Along the way, the duo accepted 18 speaking engagements to promote the work of MCC.

The trip also gave Koop a chance to think about his futurewhich included a marriage proposal to a girl he 'd known his whole life.

' 'That first ride was c hara cterized by a realization about middle

America that I was going home to marry my childhood friend," Koop says. "It was a girl I was destined to marry and I asked her to marry me even before I met my parents on the other end of the trip."

The couple eventually raised two children and founded a landscaping business that today employs 13 people, including a supervisor and three foremen. Koop says the couple planned to repeat his cross-country odyssey on his 44th birthday, but the trip was never realized

"Now it's an event I'm going to use to say farewell to her," he says "Of course, I would have preferted to have her with me.

" Every day is different. I don't think I have a preoccupation with thinking

riding farther per day- 100 miles per day average," he says. ''This trip is more enjoyable, believe me. Maturity has definitely taught me berter ways of doing things."

Koop planned an itinerary before starting the trip and when he artived in Hillsboro, Kan., the last week in April he reported that he has kept to his schedule.

"I have 30 very predictable artivals on this trip and I haven't missed a meeting yet, thanks

"Every (by Jifterent. I Jon't think I ha\'e a preoccupation \\ 'ith thinking ahout her. hut I Jo leel her Jerry Koop, about the death of hie., wile Kathi.

about her, but I do feel her presence," says Koop

Koop said he's been an MCC volunteer for nearly 30 years in one capacity or another. In fact, his trip began April 2 at the West Coast Mennonite Sale and Auction.

"MCC has 1,200 people placed around the world and in North America who perform deeds of passion in the name of Christ wherever they find the need," he says .

'They're very efficient at doing this kind of work; the organization has just

a 12 percent administrative overhead, which is less than a customary meal tip at a restaurant."

Although Koop is more than 30 years older on this trip than he was on the first one, the creature comforts of this attempt make the trip much more manageable. He is traveling with the support of his parents, who are driving a large recreational vehicle.

"I have a sofr bed, I shower regularly and I have warm food each day," he says. "The last time, we were camping and carrying 50 pounds of gear.

'Tm actually

to my support group," he said. 'Tve done II speaking engagements so far and traveled about 1,400 miles. So I'm about one-third done with the talks and one-half done with the mileage."

"To this point (Kansas), Colorado was the most difficult-Wolf Creek Pass," he says, shaking his head. "It was a seven percent grade for nine miles at a whopping 41/ 2 mph. That is the killer of all remembrances.

"But that was the assent, and what you go up you must come down," he says. "We camped on the Continental Divide and in the morning, with frost on the ground, I coasted to a 48.8 mph non-assisted ride.

"I can tell you about turns that were marked 35 mph that I took at 48 mph with a half inch of rubber planting on the asphalt."

Individuals interested in following Koop's adventures could visit the www.mcccycletour.com Web site to read regular updates and Koop's journal entries. He also invited people, especially children, to correspond with him via e-mail throughout the trip.

When Koop finally reaches his destination in the eastern U.S ., he will have been on the road for 58 days, averaging between 80 and 100 miles per day-and talked to a lot of folks about MCC. He will have visited many churches as well as several schools, colleges and at least one retirement home .

" I want to bring attention to compassionate deeds done because of the love of God, " Koop says. " In a nutshell, this trip is about grief - both my own and from the tsunami."

By Tom Stoppel. This article first appeared in the Hillsboro (Kan ) Free Press and is reprinted with permission.

Commencement ceremonies held in May

MB institutions graduate 484 students

Commencement ceremonies at three Mennonite Brethren institutions awarded a variety of degrees to graduates.

MB Biblical Seminary awarded degrees, from its campuses in Fresno, Calif. and Langley, B.C., to 49 graduates trained to be pastors, missionaries, counselors and Christian ministry workers

Fifteen seminary graduates received the Master of Divinity degree, 33 received the Master of Arts degree and one received a Diploma in Christian Studies. More than half of the graduates, who come from numerous denominations including Mennonite Brethren, Presbyterian and Episcopalian, will be serving in pastoral ministry positions in North America and around the world.

The Fresno graduation ceremonies were held May 1 at Fresno First Baptist Church. Chris Erdman, senior pastor at University Presbyterian Church in Fresno, gave the keynote address. Speaking out of portions of Scripture from 2 Samuel and Revelation, Erdman encouraged students to be reliant on God as they go out into their individual ministries.

At Fresno Pacific University commencement ceremonies May 7, 299 students were awarded degrees. Bachelor degrees were awarded to 166 students The Fresno Pacific Graduate School and Center for Degree Completion honored 64 graduate school and 69 CDC graduates FPU, located in Fresno, Calif., is owned by the Pacific District Conference.

FPU faculty member Rod Janzen, the university's first distinguished scholar, gave the commencement address and spoke of the spiritual and the intellectual as necessary to life

Graduates exit the Tabor College Student Center following May 21 commencement exercises as faculty and staff applaud thei r accomplishments. Following the recessional, the students and faculty form a circle around the college green and sing the clos- I ing verse of t he college hymn, "Redeemed of God:'

The 95th Tabor College commencement ceremony May 21 honored 136 students receiving degrees: 127 undergraduates and nine graduate students. Tabor College , located in Hillsboro, Kan., is owned by the Central District, Latin American District, Southern District and North C arolina District Conferences.

Latty Martens , former MB Biblical Seminary president and Tabor alum, gave the commencem ent address He spoke about the "measure of success " with Mark 10:35-45 as his text.

Institutional Summit addresses larger questions

Ministry coordination and theological unity dominate discussions

•• T here is lots of leadership power in this room," resource speaker Les Stahlke told the men and women gathered May 14 in Denver, Colo., for the first U.S. Conference Institutional Summit. "It shapes the relationships of thousands of people in the (Mennonite Brethren) church and beyond the church. How you use power is of great importance."

The Institutional Summit is a feature of the new U.S. Conference governance structure provisionally approved for two years by delegates to the 2004 USC convention. The IS brings together the lead staff member and board chair of MB Biblical Seminary, MBMS International, MB Foundation, Tabor College, Fresno Pacific University and the five USC district conferences for an annual gathering. Of this group, all but one district conference was represented. The nine members of the USC Leadership Board also attended the IS which was led by USC executive director Chuck Buller and LB chair Steve Prieb.

The format for the one-day summit included educational input from Stahlke, small group discussions and brief reports from each organization. In his opening remarks Buller said that the intention was that this first summit provide a forum for leaders to discuss the larger questions facing the denomination; the board did not anticipate that the group would take action on matters discussed.

Based on the question and answer times that followed Stahlke's presentations and the afternoon small group discussions, Stahlke's material and his straightforward manner helped the group focus on several key issues. A number of participants suggested that the day's discussions could significantly impact the denomination. A sense of urgency was present, although it was balanced by an awareness that the entities represented would need to reflect further . 'This is the sort of thing you need to sleep on," said Stahlke.

A central issue IS participants wrestled with was how the denominational organizations that are corporate organizations separate [soI(c)Jl from the USC-the colleges, MBBS, MBMSI and MBF -can best coordinate their efforts. While characterizing the current state of the conference as fragmented, individualistic and functioning as a federation of churches, the majority of leaders spoke in favor of denominational entities working together

'We all want a healthy denomination. We're small and would like to grow, " said Tabor College president Larry Nikkel. "I don't think we have much of a chance as long as we each can do whatever we want I don 't know how to get to where we want to be."

While citing several options, Stahlke recommended that MB denominational entities cooperate at the strategic planning stage ' The definition of how authority flows has been very relaxed for

many years," said Stahlke. "So any clear definition has been replaced by independence and assumptions. The way to overcome that is by committing to do strategic planning together."

Stahlke commended the group for their desire to tackle coordination. "You have gathered together today and you want to talk about this One hundred percent of you came. You've turned it around. You're going in a different direction today."

Participants picked up on Stahlke's emphasis on theological unity. Stahlke spoke several times to the importance of a national board of faith and life, comparing theological matters to the keel of a ship. He advocated including a theological board in the new governance structure

'Without a keel, it appears there is no standard," said Stahlke, "that you can do what you want."

IS participants discussed the importance of establishing "minimum" theological standards for churches affiliated with the USC. One person suggested phrasing the question this way, 'What can't you do and still be Mennonite Brethren?"

The Leadership Board met prior to the IS and began by talking with Stahlke about relational governance Stahlke described the organizational chart in relational governance as looking like a tree. 'Think roots up," he said, saying that the member congregations are the roots. The Leadership Board is the trunk with the executive director at the top of the trunk. Staff members and volunteers are the branches and the fruit of the tree is the outcome of the ministries. "Every single one of these is a relationship that needs to be defined," said Stahlke

The LB decided to retain Stahlke as a consultant to guide the board through the process of restructuring the USc. Stahlke, who is also working with MBMSI and the Canadian MB Conference in their restructuring processes, will help the LB draft several governance documents, including by-laws .

The LB also heard staff reports, approved a budget for 200S-06, affirmed the Mennonite World Conference statement of faith, finalized plans for the IS and identified a number of faith and life issues to discuss at future meetings. - CF

MBBS board focuses on strategic planning

Five primary issues identified for future action

When the MB Biblical Seminary board met this spring, they participated in the school's strategic planning process .

One of the mandates given to Jim Holm by the board when he was appointed MBBS president in November 2003 was to lead in the development of a strategic plan for the seminary and its three campuses in Fresno, Calif., Langley, B.C., and Winnipeg, Man.

A year ago, as a first step in that process, the board reaffirmed the seminary's primary mission to "inspire and equip men and women to be disciples of Christ, and to serve and lead in the church and the world."

Over the past yea r, Holm has led the board, faculty and staff members through the first five steps of a lo-step strategic planning process. At the April board meetings, board members worked through three exercises: They identified key stakeholders that have a vital interest in the seminary and determined what their interest is They suggested which values the seminary must have as it develops ministries to meet the desire of the stakeholders. They identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that present themselves to the seminary.

The same process was undertaken in March and April by the MBBS faculty and staff, as well as the MBBS Regional Advisory Council in British Columbia.

While gaining this input was a lengthy task, Holm believes it has been essential to the integrity of the process. "It is vital that any vision for the seminary is a community vision, owned by all of those who are to have a part in carrying it out," says Holm.

These discussions among board, faculty, and staff produced a list of five primary issues the seminary will address in a strategic plan. Listed in order of priority, they are: system-wide vision and strategizing; an academic plan ; student enrollment, retention, placement and alumni relations; financial stability and viability; and strengthening denominational tie s .

At a retreat in August , faculty and

staff from all three MBBS campuses will provide input on strategies to manage these issues. Holm will present the outcomes of this process to the board at its October, 2005 meeting. U.S. MBBS board members are Randy Ataide of Reedely, Calif., Steve Goossen of Dinuba, Calif., Mark Isaac of Newton, Kan., and Bill Loewen of Wichita, Kan.-MBBS

7ravefwith a Purpose BMI

DIsdpIe Making InIIematIOnaI

2005 OM! CAMPAIGNS

PERU JUNE 2-20

CONGO JUNE 9-27

COSTA RICA JUNE 16-JULY 4

BRAZIL JULY 1-18

missio n

$2600

$3500

$2600

$2600

PANAMA* JULY 7-10 N/A

NAMIBIA AUG 4-22 $3500

UKRAINE SEP 8-26 $2800

PHIUPPINES SEP 15-0cr 4 $2500

PERU* SEP 16-18 N/A

PARAGUAY SEP 22-0cr 10 $2600

NICARAGUA* SEP 23-25 N/A

MEXICO Ocr 6-24 $2200

INDIA Nov 10- 28 $2900

EL SALVADOR* Nov 25-27 N/A

*THESE ARE NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS ALL PRICES ARE IN CANADIAN DOLLARS. PlEASE CAli FOR lHE US EQUIVALENT. DATES AND LOCATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON PARTIOPANT RESPONSE. CHURCHES ARE ENCOURAGED TO SPONSOR MEMBERS ON lHESE SHORT-TERM DMI MISSIONS

MBMSI board hears update on restructuring

Board discusses recent shifts

MBMS International is introducing several new concepts in an effort to broaden the ownership base for MB mission, refocus on mobilizing short-term and long-term missionaries and reduce overall staff costs. The mission board reviewed the progress of several of these changes during their April 7-9 meeting in Abbotsford, B.C.

MBMSI's new focus is on "holistic church planting that transforms cornmunities among the least reached " New lead staff members have been hired over the past months and each one shared with the board his personal story and vision . Members of the Lead Team are Randy Friesen, general director; Viktor Hamm, global programs; Selwyn Uittenbosch , finance and administration; Carlin Weinhauer, mobilization and media; and Ray Harms Wiebe, training and team health.

Board members spent one full day with consultant Les Stahlke reviewing a draft of the new governance manual. The process helped the board address big picture questions related to how it can best serve North American Mennonite Brethren

In addition, the board discussed restructuring. including the formation of Mission Advisory Forums. country-specific groups that will partly fill the role of the former regional program directors, and the creation of a new position, regional mobilizer. The new position would combine North American short-term ministries staff with area constituency relations staff to form a single division focused on mobilizing people, finances and prayer. The board approved severance packages for staff whose positions are being phased out.

The board was concerned about the response in the U.S. constituency to the staff changes and the effect of the decisions on staff and took steps to address these issues The regional mobilizer for the Pacific District Conference is Ron Penner, based in Fresno, Calif. A Midwest regional mobilizer has not yet been appointed.

The MBMSI board accepted the proposed budget and learned that the year-to-date finan ci al report shows that MBMSI has received rnore income than anticipated and that spending has been less than budgeted. Approximately $102,000 of the designated donations received has been for tsunami relief. especially Operation Rebuilding Lives in Thailand

MBMSI board members representing the U S Conference are Dennis Fast. Reedley. Calif.• serving as vice chair; Delores Friesen. Fresno, C alif .• serving as secretary; Paul Bottom, Grant. Neb ; Randy Long Reedley; and Brent Warkentin. Buhler, Kan

leOMB appoints exe l

ICOMB establishes alliance to coordinate global mission efforts

The International Committee of Mennonite Brethren has appointed its first executive secretary and established an alliance to coordinate global mission efforts. Both decisions, made at ICOMB's annual meeting Aprilz7-30 in Osaka, Japan. signal the continued development of this association.

Victor Wall , president of the Paraguay- German Mennonite Brethren Conference. will serve as the first ICOMB executive secretary. a new position created to coordinate Mennonite Brethren global ministries

"ICOMB made a historic decision to hire Victor Wall as its first executive secretary " says Chuck Buller. U.S. Conference executive secretary and the USC representative to ICOMB "We believe that ICOMB represents a unique opportunity for MBs to remain faithful to Christ through international partnerships."

Wall says. "I have always valued ICOMB. My experience in working in different language and cultural contexts has led me up to this point ."

ICOMB was originally created by MBMS International. and its firs t meeting was held in C uritiba , Brazil in 1988 . At that time MBM SI carried the impetus and financial ba cking. However during the past 17 years IC OMB membe rs have seen the need to take responsibility as an international body outside of th e mission umbrel-

ive secretary

lao Members agree that hiring an executive secretary is a significant step in that direction.

In another significant decision, ICOMB acted on resolutions it received from a global missions task force ICOMB commissioned Randy Friesen of MBMSI to convene the task force this past year . ICOMB voted to establish the Global Mission Alliance, a new body that will coordinate the global effort to plant Mennonite Brethren churches through the various mission agencies owned and operated by MB conferences in different parts of the world.

According to the recommendations, the Global Mission Alliance will not supplant the Mennonite World Conference Global Mission Fellowship. It will also not be able, at this time , to initiate new projects in different parts of the world However, it will be a vehicle to coordinate mission and will speak to and receive perspective and direction from ICOMB in re spect to global strategic priorities.

A picture of a wheel was drawn to illustrate the relationship between ICOMB, the member conferences and various ICOMB projects. ICOMB is the hub organization The member conferences are the spokes . The Global

Mission Alliance, theological work (such as the recent Intemational Confession of Faith) and education forums each form parts of the "rim and rubber" that tie the conferences together In this way, MBMSI and other agencies are contextualized into the larger picture.

In other business:

• ICOMB members reported to each other about their conferences.

• Financial reports showed stability in income and expenses.

• A section was added to the bylaws outlining the conditions under which new conferences can be added This reflects the growth of emerging MB conferences worldwide

• Plans for a 2010 assembly in Europe to mark the 150th anniversary continued.

• A history project that shows the progress in mission and growth through the years will be undertaken.

• Emesto Wiens of COBIM, Brazil was elected vice chair, and Chuck Buller of the u.s. was elected treasurer.

ICOMB's annual meeting was held in Osaka at the Evangelical Biblical Seminary, which is owned and operated by the Japan MB Conference. The location made it possible for seminary students to observe proceedings and learn about the international MB family.

ICOMB members participated April 29 in a day of services and workshops celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Japan MB Conference. ICOMB members were introduced and sang "God is so good" in 10 different languages represented by ICOMB members. In a workshop segment each ICOMB member spoke about his/her conference. About 350 people artended, as it was the beginning of "Golden Week," a national Japanese holiday.

The next day the ICOMB group travelled to Kyoto to tour a major Buddhisttemple. Sunday those ICOMB members who could speak English preached in local MB churches.

"The gracious hospitality of the Japanese leaders and members made this event memorable for all," writes David Wiebe in concluding his report of the gathering. Wiebe is the C anadian Conference representative to ICOMB and was most recently the ICOMB treasurer.-from a report by David Wiebe

TOP: ICOMB group prays for Victor Wall. RIGHT : Participants in the 2005 ICOMB meeting represente d t he ir national conferences.

U-SERV team assists Arkansas church

Volunteers from f ive states do painting and roofing

Thanks to Team U-SERV volunteers, the Martin Box MB Church of Marshall, Ark. , received some help with its spring cleaning

At the end of March , members of the Westport MB Church youth group spent their spring break painting the exterior of the church auditorium as part of the Team U-SERV project.

The next week 19 volunteers from Mennonite Brethren congregations in Co rdell , Corn and Coll insville, Okla.; Hillsboro, Hesston and Wichita , Kan .; and Mountain Lake, Minn., joined with nine local workers to continue the project The second team worked 10 days and completed a variety of projects The on-site foreman was Wayman Penner of Cordell.

«(The volunteers) came with just the right talents and skills to make the work go exceptionally well ," says Wilmer Thiessen, Team U-SERV coordinator from Hillsboro.

The team divided into two work crews and spent the first week roofing the church parsonage and auditorium During the second week the volunteers finished roofing the parsonage, built a patio onto the family center dining hall, reglazed and painted most of the windows on the church facility, replaced and painted eaves and did other painting.

Thiessen says that even though the Team U-SERV policy is that volunteers provide their own food and lodging, the

Martin Box congregation provided both. A team of women prepared and served three meals each day. Twice the team was treated to a fish fry and the first week a program of mountain music followed the meal.

'We praise the Lord for the wonderful time of work and fellowship he gave us and for the fine work that was done, " says Thiessen in a Team U-SERV news release. 'The results of this Team U-SERVactivity far exceed the plans which had been made for the two week activity."

In addition to the high school students from Collinsville, volunteers who assisted with the Martin Box project were Ernie Reimer of Collinsville, Okla. ; Wayman Penner, Kevin Creed and Alfred Miller of Cordell, Okla ; Aaron Flaming and Marvin and Elsie Vogt of Com, Okla.; Art Dalke of Tulsa, Okla .; Alvin and Bernice Dick of Mountain Lake, Minn .; James and Dorothy Reimer of Hesston, Kan.; Robert and CaroLee Derksen of Wichita, Kan .; and Daren Arndt, Norman Epp, and Wilmer and Hildegard Thiessen of Hillsboro, along with Tabor College student Nathan Faul .

Team U-SERV is a ministry of the Southern District Conference -from a Team U-SERV news release

Art Dalke, Nat ha n Faul an d Aa r on Fla mi ng do som e shin gli ng on Mart in Box church faciliti es.

Poured out

1OO-year old Dallas MB Church closes

III T

hey spent themselves and did some amazing things," Bob Buxman says about Dallas (Ore.) MB Church. The loo-year-old congregation closed its doors in a final service Jan. 9. Buxman, who pastored the congregation in the late 70S and 80S, compares Dallas to the gift of costly perfume poured out for Jesus in Mark 14. 'Whenever a church pours itself out to the point of death-like Christ himself-then we say it's a failure, when based on this text it's actually one of the few churches that can consider itself very successful," he says.

Although Dallas had an average attendance of only 32 at the time of its closing , at least zoo former members, mends and community members filled the pews for the closing service-one indicator that this congregation had touched many. Gary Wall. Pacific District minister, led the service, Gordon Bergman, pastor of the nearby Kingwood Bible Church, Salem, Ore , led music and Buxman served as the main speaker.

For many, the service was a time of grief. Galen Harms, church moderator, describes it as a difficult day and says the closing was "one of the most difficult and saddest times in my life." But the sadness was mingled with what Ken Braun, the church's - ----, last pastor, calls "a celeParishoners at Dallas (Ore .) MB Church held their final worship service Jan 9, bratory sense" as they reflected on the church 's long history and impact

on the community.

Some claim Dallas was th e oldest MB church in the Pacific District, vying for the honor with Reedley (Calif.) MB Church. According to Kevin Enns- Rempel, archivist at the Center for MB Studies in Fresno, Calif., MBs trace their presence in the Dallas area to the 1890S, when several families from Manitoba migrated to the area in search of farmland. A small church began but never flourished and closed within a few years

The current Dallas congregation considers 1905 to be the year of its founding, with the birth of the North Dallas MB Church in a rural area north of Dallas. In 1917, a separate congregation sprang up in the town of Dallas. By the mid-zos, the two congregations had merged at the Dallas location with about 140 members and were known as Dallas MB Church .

During its lifespan, the church poured itself out in ways both visible and not-so-visible Among the most visible legacies the church leaves is the Dallas Retirement Village, founded in cooperation with several area churches in 1947. In a brief history of the church written in 1983, Otto Bier describes the facility as a 'large residence building" which was modified to accommodate a few seniors. Dallas MB quickly became the sole sponsor of the facility and retained a significant voice in its administration through the years. Dallas Retirement Village has grown from a small nursing home to an extensive facility with independent living, assisted living and full care. Wall calls it "a major contribution in the community."

Although the Dallas church's connection with the Village will necessarily change with the church's closing, representatives from the church and the facility are working together with Mennonite Health Services and the Pacific District to ensure that the facility remains true to its history as a Christ-centered institution, according to Wall.

Another legacy that will remain long after the church's doors have closed is the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program. Braun now serves as executive director of the Dallas VORP program, which was started by Dallas MBs in 1984 and continues to bring juvenile offenders and their victims together for mediation and reconciliation. Buxman says the VORP program "set us apart as concerned about community."

Dallas MB's legacy will continue indirectly with the Kingwood Bible Church in nearby Salem, Ore .• which has roots in the Dallas congregation. Others in the community may remember the church's Indoor Park program, which provided a gathering place for mothers of young children, or a Mennonite Central Committee self-help store that "had a huge impact in our community," as Braun says.

The congregation's influence extends across the country and across the world through the many pastors and missionaries sent by the congregation. Harms says, ' There was an era when there were a good number of people from the church that went on to become pastors and missionaries."

Ultimately, the people that made this church special will be its most lasting legacy. Braun describes a generous congregation, one with big vision and big heart. He talks about specific times when the congregation gave of their finances their time and their love to those in need. Harms says, "If we've left any mark on the community. it has to be because of the witness and testimony of individuals in the church."

The church reached peak attendance in 1956. with membership of 363. but had steadily declined since Reasons for the decline are hard to

identify. In his brief history, Bier writes about crises and conflicts that left scars. He alludes to declining attendance and" a lack of enthusiasm and spiritual fervor" which he calls "evidence of a serious malady difficult to identify," Buxman speculates. "Maybe the church actually did just pour itself out."

Braun submitted his resignation in September 2004. His hope, he explains, was that his resignation would give the congregation a chance to starr fresh. He emphasizes that the decision was not borne out of lack of love, either he for the church or the church for him. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done personally, because I love the people of this congregation," he says.

Wall says that, altho ugh Braun and the congregation had given a "valiant efforr " at renewal in recent yeats, "People were tired." They simply had nothing left to give. At a Nov. 7 meeting, the congregation voted to close its doors and sell the church building. At press time, the building has not been sold.

'There are seasons of life," Wall says. ' There's been a season for Dallas MB, and now that season is concluded " -Myra Holmes

English-language Korean church first of its kind

Second-generation Koreans living in greater Los Angeles now have an English-language congregation thanks to Shalom Korean Church and Mission USA, the U.S. conference church planting and church health ministry. Shalom, located in Glendale, Calif., launched its new ministry, Shalom Church English Ministry led by co-directors Joshua and Eun Ji Kim, on Easter Sunday.

It has been reporred to Mission USA director Don Morris that Shalom Church English Ministry may be the first full-fledged English ministry for Koreans in all of greater LA. "We're pioneering new territory," says Morris. "God appears to have his blessing on this new venture "

Worship Walk

More than 100 people plus another 30 to 40 first generation Koreans and other guests attended the launch service. "Several of the new attendees indicated they would return," says Morris. "I spoke with one young father (not Korean) who said he had been traveling several miles to a Presbyterian church because there was not another church he felt good about which was closer. He was very interested in continuing to come to SCEM."

Shalom's first generation congregation hosted a barbeque after the service. "I was impressed by the supporr coming from the first generation church," says Morris.

' The coming Sundays will be very imporrant as they follow up on Launch Sunday and strive to keep the momentum going, " says Morris. Please pray for this new ministry in our Mennonite Brethren family."

Where Worship & Life Intersect

Foreword by Bria n Doerkse n

"At the very heart of worship is our longing to know and love God! Worship Walk helps bring us back to that heart in a compelling way! There are many powerful truths covered in th is book - I lov e the way Gareth helps us to r e member the truth of the cost of worship Thi s book is a timely reminder of what worship is all about and how we are to walk it out in our li ves."

(reviewed by Johnny Markin in the Ap r il 8 th issue of the MB HERALD http: // www.mbherald com / 44 / 0S / books.en html)

Giving our retirement to God

Irecently heard the story of a retired couple that visited their children who are Bible translators in the South Pacific. They planned for a short visit but their plans changed when they were made aware of an urgent vacancy. Someone was needed to host a guesthouse in a coastal city on the island whe re they were.

This house is maintained by the mission organization as a place for missionaries to stay when they come to the city on businessshopping. medical appointments and other necessary chores. Local nationals do the work of cleaning the house, cooking meals, shopping and keeping the yard neat . However someone is needed to take reservations and make sure the guesthouse runs smoothly

Since the need was imme-

diate, this retired couple decided that they would volunteer for a few weeks . They had so much fun meeting missionaries

retirement time rejuvenating and updating phartnacies for various mission organizations A fortner business college professor volunteers her services, free-of-charge, as a tax consultant to missionaries who are part of a large mission organization. Another CPA volunteers his time doing audits for various branches of this mission society.

Not all retirees can go to a foreign country. However, we are all called to "bloom where we are planted." I think of Ruth who faithfully nursed her husband when his health failed and then visited him daily in the

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Not <.111 retirees call go to 3 foreign country. However, we are all called to "bloom where we are planted."

from around the country that they extended their stay for several months Recently they decided to extend their stay again-this time for a year He is 85 and she is 83 and they are having the time of their lives!

Lynn Miller, when writing about retirement says, 'There is no end to what you can do when you decide that your life is a firstfruit offering to God for a world that needs to know him " Our life, including retirement, is a gift from God to be given back to him, says Miller A firstfruit offering means that we give God our very best. "Being an offering means being willing to take some risk," writes Miller. "It is an act of organizing our lives, so that they show how thankful we are for what we have received It is a form of worship tha t offers thanks for the grace of God." It results in extravagant, abundant living My cousin 's husband, a retired pharmacist, spends some of his

nursing home when he had to be transferred there. After he died, she continued to minister to a sister-in-law in the same home and now she regularly visits a friend who is there. She is 87.

I think of Hazel who for a number of years checked in with shut-ins living in a retirement village and then did their grocery shopping for them. My friend Joyce considers visiting shut-ins in her community her calling from God and has a significant ministry in this area

When I attended the funeral of my husband's elderly Aunt Elizabeth, I was deeply touched by a young woman's tribute to her. This woman shared with us how lonely she was when she first moved to their city. Elizabeth befriended her and came over occasionally with a loaf of freshly baked bread They would sit and visit Elizabeth became her friend at a time when she desperately needed one. This young woman traveled hundreds of miles to the funeral to make sure we all knew about Aunt Elizabeth 's kindness to her.

Giving our retirement to God doesn't just happen. It takes a commitment to open our eyes to the needs around us. It takes planning and inner motivation to find areas where we can serve using the gifts and abilities God has given us

It doesn't take a huge amount of money but it does take a willingness to be content with what we have so we will have the finances needed to do the work God has called us to do . Above all , it means giving God our best as a thank-offering for God giving his best to us - his son Jesus!

What about Terri Shiavo?

QWhat ought to be our attitude in the Terri Schiavo case? (California)

&erry Schiavo, a Florida woman who doctors said had been in a vegetative state for IS years, ied when a feeding tube was removed Because her husband and her parents disagreed on whether or not rhe tube should be removed, Schiavo became a pawn in a political battle Judges, courts, Congress and the President all became involved in a

matter that I think should have been an intimate choice within the family.

In one sense; those who would have kept Schiavo alive reveal an inconsistency. An editorial in Mennonite Weekly Review points out that if Shiavo had signed an

Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at mheinl@fresno .edu or send your question to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA93710.

advance directive saying she didn't want to live in this way, everyone apparently would be happy.

But if it were wrong to withhold life-sustaining tteatment when a person is in this condition, wouldn't it also be wrong to withhold it even if it was the ill person's desire? If removing the feeding tube is murder, does not the person's desire to withhold the tube also constitute murder?

I want to be a conservative, loyal and biblical follower of Jesus. This means, I believe, that I consider all human life sacred That no one has the right to take another's life. And while it may appear to be inconsistent, I would not want to live in the vegetative state.

Most of us would say that removing or refusing a feeding tube is no different from refusing CPR or a respirator. The problem is that we disagree on whether or not the administration of food and water, even when provided artificially, represents a medical act or a natural means of preserving life. I disagree with the late Pope John Paul who said it was a natural means of saving life.

Some readers may say that I have never been in this kind of situation and am not qualified to judge. I have watched one of my best friends be fed with a feeding tube for several years (he was not in a vegetative state) and it was not removed until impending death became rather obvious. I have also personally made the decision to remove the life-support system that kept my father alive days after he would have died naturally.

Sincere Christians will disagree on what the most compassionate and moral choice is in this case. I don't believe the strong ought to decide whether or not the weak ought to live. I am fitmly opposed to euthanasia. I won't argue with those who disagree with me. While Rush Limbaugh said that over one weekend he found not one person in favor of removing the tube, among my conservative friends I have found only one who opposed the removal. Decisions, however, should not be made by means of a majority vote.

There is one nagging question I have not heard discussed: Is it possible that medical science has gone too far in artificially extending life? Will future technology make that question even more potent? The church speaks loudly about taking life. Is it not time for the church to speak to the issue of preserving life? Perhaps we have reached a point where essentially we are assuming God's prerogative with respect to preserving life with extreme, artificial means

MARVIN HEIN

Baptism/Membership

Salem, Ore. (Kingwood Biblel-Craig and Jennifer Kistler. Bill and Peggy Mefford. Joe Smith and Dorine Skarmas were recently welcomed as members.

Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglen Biblel-Heather Bushnell was baptized the weekend of April 16-17. Kelly Allen. Bonnie Blackmer. Encarnacion Sanchez. Lorraine Bayless and Christopher Quintos were baptized the weekend of May 7 and 8.

Martin Box, Ark.-Michael, Marie and Matthew Gregg were welcomed as members April 17.

Fresno, Calif (North Fresnol-Emily Akina. Kevin Griffith. Rebecca Lentell and Kyle Standring were baptized April 24.

Hillsboro, Kan. (Ebenfeld)-Bart and Anne Eskeldson and Malinda Just were baptized and welcomed as members April 24 Jason and Rachel Mohn. Amy Suderman and Jessica Eitzen also joined

Bakersfield, Calif. (Rosedale Biblel- Sirila Lozano, Sierra Sprouse, Brianna Klopfenstein, Hannah Byrd, Brittany Downing and Sarah Wanke were baptized May 1.

Fellowship

Shafter, Calif.-Shari Tolbert, whose husband was killed at the Pentagon on 9/11, was the guest speaker at an April 23 women's brunch A scramble golf tournament was held May 22 Pastor Pat Coyle will host the annual backpack trip June 24-26

Edmund, Okla. (Memorial Roadl - A craft and fellowship night April 23 gave participants an opportunity to work on their own projects, catch up with prayer partners and enjoy informal fellowship

San Jose, Calif. (Uncoln Glenl-A piano and organ concert included photo illustrations, Lyle Haug and the church choir.

Bakersfield, CaUf. (Rosedale Biblel-At the "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" April 16, 30 women, attired in decorated hats, enjoyed tea and played croquet and badminton. Prize s were awarded for the most festive hats

Huron, S.D. (Bethesda)-A men's fishing and camping retreat was held April 29-Mayl.

Harvey, N.D. -Participants were invited to bring baby or childhood pictures of themselves to "Motherhood : Past, Present and Future," a women's tea held May 1

Uttl!!ton, Colo. (Belleview Community) - A men's Spring Tee was held May 31 for those who enjoy golf Ministry

Ferndale, Wash. (Good Newsl- Twenty students offered their services for hire as a fund-ra iser for their summer retreat. Minimum donations were suggested for "Hire a Disciple" services such as babysitting , yard

work, painting, cleaning and odd jobs.

Reedley, CaUf.-A Mexican meal, to support the Hispanic Leadership Training Program of the Pacific District Conference, was served April 17. Proceeds from the meal went toward scholarships and support for the 39 students enrolled in the program El Faro Community Church prepared the meal.

Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglen Biblel-Iranian Christian Fellowship is a new ministry to Iranian and Muslim people in the community. The small group meets weekly on Sunday afternoons and held its first meeting May 8

Fresno, Calif. (North Fresnol- A concert of light classical music was presented May 29 by Canadian concert violinist Calvin Dyck and pianist Betty Suderman as a benefit for Central California Mennonite Residential Services, a Mennonite Central Committee-affiliated ministry for persons with developmental disabilities.

Collinsville, Okla. IWestportl- Effective June 12, the church will be known as Discovery Bible Fellowship Topeka, Kan.-Darren and Shahna Duerksen, who are leaving for India in July to serve with MBMS International. were guests of the congregation May IllS.

Weatherford, Okla. (Pine Acresl- A church nursery shower was held to replace old and broken toys Bakersfield, CaUf. (Heritage Biblel-"Five Day Clubs" is a new approach to VBS Five to 10 homes will provide backyards and bathroom facilities July 25-29 and neighborhood kids will be invited for Bible stories, crafts and games

Workers

Olathe, Kan. (Ethiopian Christian FellowshiplAshenafi and Zewdinesh Zewge Tadesse were installed as assistant pastor May 8.

Meno, Okla. (New Hopedale Mennonitel-James and Linda Suderman, currently serving as interim pastoral couple. have accepted a call to be the senior pastoral couple.

Buhler, Kan.-Ken Adrian has been called to serve as pastor of discipleship and family ministries. He and his wife LuAnn moved to Buhler and began their ministry in May

Reedley, Calif: - Scott Holman, high school and college ministries pastor, has res igned, effective at th e end of July. He and his wife Susan have served in a variety of youth ministry roles at Reedley for 14 years.

Worship

San Jose, Calif. (Lincoln Glenl-Speakers at the April miss ion emphasis were Ma rk D Baker of MB Bib lical Seminary Loyal Funk, former pastor, and Carl in We inhauer from MBMS International.

Tlilsa, Okla. (The Heartl-Members of the district and conference task force that helped to establish the church plant officially passed leadership to local leaders at celebration events May 21-22. Special recognition and thanks were given to churches and individuals that have helped to establish the church

Deaths

BULLER, LAWRENCE, Henderson, Neb , member of Henderson MB Church, was born Aug 30, 1923, to Henry A. and Katherine Buller and died April 30, 2005, at the age of 82 On Jan 22, 1946, he married Verna Kroeker, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, Galen and fiancee Tannis Fox of Santa Fe, N M , and Lynn and wife Karen of Lincoln, Neb.; one daughter, Carleen and husband Bob Franz of Lawrence, Kan., and seven grandchildren EPP, WILMA FLAMING WOHLGEMUTH, Whitewater, Kc!n , member of Parkview MB Church of Hillsboro, was born Nov 7, 1912, to Henry D and Agnes Wiebe Flaming and died April 19, 2005, at the age of 83. On March I, 1936, she was married to Abe Wohlgemuth, who predeceased her. On May 26,1979, she was married to Edwin Epp, who predeceased her. She is survived by four sons, Eldon and wife Jan of Whitewater, Kan., Howard and wife Carolyn of Hesston, Kan , Larry and wife Betty of Houston, Tex., and Dick and wife Sue of Spring Grove, Minn ; one daughter, Kathy and husband Larry Wiebe of Whitewater; two stepsons, Norman and wife Rosella of Hillsboro, Kan., and Alvin and wife Kay of Bradshaw, Neb.; three stepdaughters, LaVerna and husband Alden Quiring of Henderson, Neb , Evelyn and husband Dale Peterson of Clyde, Kan ., and Rosalie and husband Roy Mays of Enid, Okla ; one brother, Waldo Flaming of Reedley, Calif •48 grandch ildren and 35 great grandchildren.

HARMS, ARPA, Dallas, Tex., member of the former Dallas MB Church, was born in 1919toJohn K. and Eva Wedel Reimer in Vanderhoof, B.C. and died Feb. 5, 2005, at the age of 85 In 1941 she married Andy Harms, who predeceased her. She is survived by two sons, Galen and wife Jonell of Dallas, and Marlin and wife Connie of Morro Bay, Calif.; and one daughter, Connie and husband Al Wilson of Tualatin, Calif., five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

HOFER, JOYCE JUUA, Freeman, S D , member of Salem MB Church, was born April 11, 1931, to David G. and Rebecca Hofer near Carpenter, S.D , and died April 16, 21l05, at the age of 74. On March 8,1953, she married Clarence Hofer who predeceased her. They had one son, Steven who also predeceased her. She is survived by one sister. Ella and husband Dave M. Hofer of Henderson, Neb ; six sisters-in - law, Barbara Peterson of Watertown, S D., Katy Ann and husband Dennis Deirks, Caro li ne and husband John Gallo, Bernice and husband David Kiner, Selma and husband

David Mendel, and Jeanette and husband Willard Hofer ; and three brothers-in-law, Paul Jr and wife Priscilla, Joe Danny and wi fe Genevieve, and Dwane JOST, CLELLA M. , Bakersfield, Calif , member of Laurelglen Bible Church of Bakersfield, was born June 3,1919 , to Wesley and Pauline Schwendiman in Canada, Kan. , and died March 24, 2005, at the age of 85. On Oct. 5, 1941 , she married Chester Jost, who predeceased her. She is survived by two sons, Davi d and wife Carol and Duane and wife Cher; one daughter, Diane David; two sisters, Irene Weibert and Darlene Tinberg; one brother, Kenneth, eight grandch ildren and one great grandson KUBO, VIRGINIA GARNER, Parli er, Calif., member of Reed ley (Ca lif. ) MB Church, was born Oct. 7, 1938, to Arthur and Minnie Garner in Sanger, Calif., and died April 23, 2005, at the age of 67 She is survived by he r husband, George Kubo; he r mother, her children and their families, Sheila and DeWayne Davison, Paul and Lindsay of Reedley, Calif., and Brett and Rhonda DeBrum, Calyea, Emily and Kira of Kingsburg , Calif.; her step-children and famil ies, Rod Kubo of Reedley, Lorraine and Robb Kerr, Kyle and Katie of Boise , Idaho, Wes and Sherrie Kubo, Reese and Rylee of Reedley, and Daniel and Holly Kubo, Erin , Sara, Amy and Lynn of Temple City, Calif.; one brother, Ron Garner of Beaverton, Ore .; and six sisters, Helen Winters, Linda King of Selma, Calif , Betty Bastress of Kingsburg, Calif., Judy Eilliott of Clovis, Ca li f , Margie McNulty of Reed ley and Lorie Johnson of Kingsburg RATZLAFF, EDWIN A., Fresno, Calif., member of Kingsburg (Calif.! MB Church, was born Jan. 3, 1913, to John T. and Anna Fast Ratzlaff in Jansen, Neb ., and died April 12, 2005, at the age of 92 On Oct. 26, 1945, he married Esther Braun, who predeceased him. On

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Nov 25, 2001, he married Lois Handly Wilson, who survives. He is also survived by two daughters , Lois E Ratzlaff and Ruth and husband Tom Branson, all of Fresno; one brother, Al and wife Dorothy Ratzla ff of Kingsburg, Calif.; and two brothers- in-law, Orville Fast of Dinuba , Calif , and Marvin Janzen of Oklahoma From his wife Esther's family, he is survived by two sisters-in-law, Carol ine Gilstrap of Selma, Calif. and Marie Braun of Fowler, Calif ; and three brothers -inlaw, Henry Sawatzky of Reedley, Calvin and wife Ti llie Braun, and Fra nklin and wife Nadine Braun of Oregon. From his wife Lois' family, he is survived by her three sons, Carroll and wife Karen Handly of Idaho, Frank and wife Rhonda Handly of Washington, and Ralph and wife Ba rbara Handly of Fresno; and one daughter, Gai l and husband Kenn Cosgrove of Pennsylvania

RATZLAFF, ORVAL CLAYTON, Fresno, Calif., member of Bethany MB Church of Fresno , was born Aug 26 , 1920, to Henry and Anne Ratzlaff in Dal meny, Sask , and died Jan. 17, 2005 , at the age of 84 On March 21, 1950, he married Ethel Friesen, who survives He is al so survived by three sons, Stan and wife Brenda of Clovis, Calif., Howard and wife Judi of Sanger, Calif., and Darryl and wife Dawn of Madera , Calif ; two daughters, Dorothy and husband David WarkentinDarnall of Cowiche, Wash , and Connie and husband Kim Fast of Clovis; three brothers, Harvey and wife Rose, Irvin, all of Sa lem, Ore , and Vern and wife Jean of Monmouth, Ore ; one sister, Gladys and husband Jerry Friesen of Salem, 21 grandch ildren and four great grandchildren

SCHULTZ, ORLANDO ARNOLD, Hillsboro, Kan., member of Hillsboro MB Church, was born Aug 26, 1916 , to Abraham D. and Marie Fast Schultz north of Chinook, Mont., and died April 12, 2005, at the age of 88. On Aug 17, 1947, he married Marie Ediger, who survives. He is

also survived by four daughters, Ve rda and husband Doyle Converse of Wichita, Kan , Linda Schultz of Wichita, Kan , Ruth and husband Kurt Funk of Hillsboro, and Rache l and husband Brad Griffith of WaKeeney, Kan ; two sons , Harold and wife Susan of Hill sboro and Paul and wife Audrey of Valley Center, Kan ; one brother,'Alden and wife Lois of Maple Grove, Minn.; two sisters, Rosie Fadenrecht of Salem, Ore an d Li llian and husba nd Al Richert of Rockford, Ill., 13 grandc hi ldren and two great grandchildren

WIENS, ARTHUR HAROLD, Bakersfie l d, Cal if , membe r of Heritage Bible Church of Bakersfie l d, was born Aug. 28, 1913, in Corn, Okla , and died Dec 23, 2004, at the age of 90 In 1936, he ma r ried Edna Mae Frantz, who survives. He is also survived by one daughter , Debrah Jeanne Stockton; one sister, Bertha Heier; one brother- in-law, Henry Brandt and three granddaug hte rs

First Mennonite Brethren Church

8000 w. 21 st Wichita, KS 67205

The chu rch hasanope ni ng for

Senior Pastor

Responsibilities indude serving os primary preacher/teamer, clarifying and communicating the ministry vision consistent with our confession of foith ond purposes, providing spimuolleodership for the postorolteam ond council, ond participating in the areas of core-giving ond the larger Mennonne Brethren community, Contad Jason Klassen, Search Committee Chair, at jklassen3@cox. net for more information

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Senior Pastor. Shorelife Community Church seeks a full-time senior pastor with a shepherd 's heart. He will lead us, equip us, and challenge us to grow as fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, ministering to one another and reaching out to the lost around us. He will have an engaging and biblically based preaching style, as well as visionary strengths He will have strong relat ional skills and be attuned to the unique challenges of the Santa Cruz, Calif., area. Shorelife Community Church is a small, friendly church located on the coast 25 miles from Silicon Valley. Established in 1997, the church has an average Sunday· morning attendance of 50-60 people. There is a strong desire among the membership to see growth and to have a greater outreach into the community For further information regarding Shorelife Community Church, a detailed job description and instructions for applying, please contact the search committee via email at : search0shorelifecc.org

Youth Ministry. Reedley MB Church has openings in the youth ministry areas of high school and junior high We are specifically seeking an associate pas tor to youth who can develop a team of ass istants, interns and volunteers to guide a dynamic youth min istry Wh ile job descriptions are bein g reviewed ,

interested applicants are invited to send a resume and testimony to dennis0reedleymbc org RMBC is a 1,300-member congregation in Reedley, Calif., in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley The community is somewhat diverse culturally and student ministries bridge to local public schools, a junior co llege and a Christian junior and senior high school. Youth ministers are part of a pastoral staff that values partnerships, team work and integration of the church's vision. Applications will be reviewed by the search committee and will be open until the position is filled The mission and purpose of youth ministries are available at www reedleymbc.org

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Director of Lending. MB Foundation & Loan Fund in Hillsboro , Kan , has an opening for Director of Lending Responsibilities include communicating MBLF vision, processing loan applications, coordinating loan documentation, mon it oring the loan portfolio and promoting the Certificate program Please contact Jon Wiebe at 620 - 947 - 3151 or jwiebe0mbfo undation com

Insurance/Financial Services Sales. Are you looking for a career t hat comb ines your professional skil l s and yo ur Chr istian faith va l ues? If so, Mennon ite Mutual Aid wan ts to talk with you We are a ch urchrelated organizat ion whose pr imary missio n is to

help people manage their God-given gifts. MMA is seeking sales professiona l s to help provide insurance and financial solutions to individuals and businesses primarily associated with Mennonite and other Anabaptist -related denominations. Openings in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Oregon and other states Excellent compensation and benefits packages To learn more visit www mma-on l ine.org/careers Fax or email resume to (574) 537-6635 or hr0mma - online org. (3/10)

Human Resources Director. Mennonite Central Committee is looking for a Human Resources Director based in Akron, Penn The director leads a 14-member department that carries out much of the human resource funct ion of MCC, includ ing recruitment, sc reening, placement, training and care of workers ; compensation and benefits administration; personne l policy development; and maintenance of personnel data Quali fic ations include experience in personnel management and administrat ion; knowledge of human resources policies, pract ices and tools; and sol id skills in wr iti ng, problem-solving and negotiation Cross -cultural experience and prior Christ ian se rvic e preferred Cand idates from diverse ra cial and et hnic ba ckgrounds and lo r bil ingual (Spanish/Engl ish) cand i dates , and wo men are enc ou raged to app ly Co ntact Prem Dic k Ipsd0mcc org) for a copy of the j ob des cr iption (3/4 )

Change-what's the big deal?

Ive been hearing a lot about the difficulty of change. Certainly change can be hard. Some of life's biggest stress-producers involve upheavals such as changing a job, moving to a new city, or seeing a grown child move out of the house and into the world . These changes aren't necessarily bad. Yet even a positive change, if it's big. can be challenging and stressful.

There are negative upheavals, too, such as divorce or job termination, serious illness or death of a loved one Nobody wants to experience the pain and difficulty of those types of changes.

One can get the impression that even if positive changes are challenging to get through, then change must be hard, period. That's what I've been hearing recently It's a common observation to say that people

such a time one can get the sense that all change is bad because everything seems to be changing in an uncontrollable or unfathomable manner .

Third , when people talk about not liking change, they are often referring to something that goes outside their comfort zones or beyond the realm of their particular tastes. This is another sign of the times. Our culture is so much about individualism and "self," it's easy for people to dismiss changes they don't like even when the changes work toward a greater good

I don't know if the church is more resistant to change than any other group, but sometimes it seems that way To a degree, this is understandable . We believe in a Lord who "is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Heb. 13:8). We stand on the solid truth of God's Word . We worry about churches tinkering with the basic tenets of faith, which unfortunately is all too common these days

But the desire for doctrinal steadfastness can pertify other areas of ministry work that shouldn't be set in stone.

The desire for doctrinaL steadfastness can petrify other areas of ministry work that shouLdn't be set in stone. That's one of the big things Jesus dealt with when he waLked the earth.

don't like change of any kind.

But I don't think that's true There are plenty of changes people don't mind making at all .

For example, change is a basic principle of our consumer society. People trade their old cars toward the purchase of new ones and sell their old houses in order to buy bigger ones They're looking to update their wardrobes with the newest fashions and their households with the latest home decor items. Folks are always getting in line to see the latest movie or buy the honest-selling book or music . Consumers gladly dump their old computers and entertainment systems to get the new technology that comes out. Then in a couple of years when another generation of gadgets appears, they do it all over again

You don't hear many complaints about these types of changes. Though I'm no techie, even I appreciate the fact that I'm typing this column on a nifty computer rather than the old electric typewriter I pounded stuff out on 20 years ago.

The point is, it's not accurate to say humans don't like change. There are plenty of changes we like just fine, and please give us more of them.

If that's the case, then why does change often seem like such a big deal? Why all the discussions about how hard it is?

First, let's acknowledge again that some changes truly are excruciating Life-altering tragedies or losses are terrible ordeals that we wish nobody would have to go through.

Second, we live in an age where change has accelerated. It's happening all around us at a rate that can be unsettling and intimidating In

That's one of the big things Jesus dealt with when he walked the earth Many religious leaders were more concerned about maintain-

ing their rules and traditions than with meeting people's needs and helping people connect with God Jesus' ministry was powerfully relational and progressive, which got on the traditionalisrs' nerves.

Churches definitely go through changes that are undeniably difficult. This is true when a pastor is lost, individuals or families leave, or tragedy strikes within the congregation.

There are other changes that shouldn't be so hard, however. Most of us adapt to changing styles methods and technologies in secular life just fine. Why should they be such a big deal in the church? If I was to argue that typing this column on myoId electric typewriter would somehow make it more valid than writing it on a newfangled computer, you would probably say that's silly.

Yet resistance to change and progress in the church can follow a similar line of thought. Somehow the old ways are more "spiritual" th an the new, even as the new ways are proving to be powerful and effective in ministry and outreach

Though God doesn't change, he continually finds fresh and unexpected ways to work in the world . Those aren't the kinds of changes that should be resisted, but rather embraced with hope and anticipation

Fog and the banyan tree

Bringing together "all things MB" is how some describe the Institutional Summit, a feature of th e newly restructu red U.S. Con ference that pulls together the lead staff member and board chair of MB Biblical Seminary, MB Foundation, MBMS International, Fresno Pacific University, Tabor College and the five district conferences for an annual meeting. Last month's inaugural summit was also attended by the nine-member USC Leadership Board and USC staff members. (See report on page 22 ).

One common concern that emerged during summit discussions was enhanc ing coordination among the II entities represented, six of which function as separate nonprofit organizations with their own board of directors. Wh il e those present agreed that coordination is important, there was also consensus that this is one of those things that is easier said than done.

Fifteen years ago representatives from these same entities agreed to work toget her towards the common goal of church planting and church renewal. "We had no plan or structure to enable us to make that happen," said current MBBS President Jim Holm who attended the 1990 meeting as the USC chair "What needs to happen now to make the outcome different?"

Some ideas emerged in the ensuing discussion and a suggestion made by consultant Les Stahlke is one that CL readers need to hear But first a story.

During a 1945 soccer match between England's Arsenal and Dynamo Moscow, a dense fog fell on the field The referee refused to call the game since the visiting team had ttaveled such a distance. Thanks to the fog, the game was rapidly reduced to shambles. One player, sent off the field for fighting, sneaked back on again in the fog. During one substitution, both players stayed on the field and it was widely felt that Moscow actually had up to 15 players, rather than II, on the field at one time The last unusual incident occurred when the Arsenal goalie became disoriented in the fog and ran into the goalpost He was knocked unconscious and was replaced by a member of the crowd .

It seems like sometimes leaders of MB entities are playing-serving the denomination-in a fog of independence and autonomy. It's maybe not always a thick fog, but it's there and prevents our MB organizations from playing as a team. They can't work the ball around the field like they would like, it's harder to defend the goal and scoring is a real challenge. Who can lift the fog? We can, if we mandate that our ministries work together.

Sta hlke uses a tree to help people visualize the governance concepts he advocates. This model uses "roots up" thinking; the final source of authority and resources for the entire organization is in the root. The tree's root is its membership- in our case, U.S. MB churches. The trunk is the governing board and the execu tive officer is at the top of the trunk. Lead staff members are the branches and the fruit of the tree is the ministries led by the staff and volunteers.

The challenge facing the U.S . Conference is that our organizational chart doesn't have one governing board or trunk through which all ministries flow. Right now U S denominational ministries look more like an orchard of trees Our six nonprofit organizations - MBBS, MBF. MBMSI. TC and FPU along with the USC-are each fed and nourished by the same MB congregations, as are our regional conferences, but each organization has its own trunk , branches and fruit. And to illustrate the current lack of cooperation among our ministries,

let's say tha t each of thes e trees b ears a d ifferent type of fruit.

The leaders of all things MB here in the U.S. have said again that it's tim e to work together. This suggests replacing t he orchard with a banyan tree, a unique East I ndian tree in the mulberry family with branches that

send out shoots that grow down to the soil and root to form secondary trunks. So an organizational chart using the banyan as a model would show common roots supporting many trunks topped with foliage and fruit that appears to the passerby as one tree.

Our agencies can't make the transition from an orchard to a banyan tree without the help of the individuals and churches that support, nourish and govern these ministries. It is our responsibility to determine the priority in which resources are provided for these ministries, to provide those financial and human resources and to provide information and feedback as requested that will help our denomination set-a plan for the future.

After listening to the summit discussions , I believe it would be appropriate and timely for us to mandate that U S denominational entities work together It is time to lift the fog. -CF