HE IDEA FOR THIS ISSUE of the Leader was planted a couple of years ago, when the Southern and Central districts held their conventions together at Tabor College in Kansas. Among the seminars available for delegates was one focusing on spiritual warfare, organized by a couple of Tabor professors.
I decided to drop by and see what they had to say. As the time neared for the seminar to start, I turned around and stared. About 100 people crowded the room. All of the seats were taken and people lined up against the back wall and crowded in the door.
As the seminar progressed, I realized that, while there was a diversity of opinions regarding spiritual warfare, most people felt it was a very important issue. I learned that many of our churches are facing spiritual warfare issues and looking for opportunities to find out how others are dealing with them.
This issue of the Leader developed after many conversations over the last two years. We hope it will help us continue to talk with each other about this important part of our lives
In the first article, Lynn Jost explores the nature of spiritual warfare, focusing on tactics used by Satan-as well as strategies and methods for believers.
While MBs hold a variety of perspectives on spiritual warfare, two MBs agreed to talk with the Leader about some basic ideas and issues we need to know about. In our second feature, Randy Friesen, director of MBMSl's Youth Mission International, and Pierre Gilbert, professor of Bible at Canadian Mennonite University, share their experience with and knowledge on the subject.
Along the way, we've also included information about Third Wave theology-a popular theology associated with spiritual warfare-and resources available as well as suggestions on what you can do as a Christian to be prepared for spiritual warfare.
After reading through the feature section, be sure to take a look at the People Profile, BodyLife and In Brief sections. And don't miss this issue's Forum, which carries a poignant portrait of a unique individual from our Arkansas church.
Blessings. -CA
COMING
• MARCH 9-12, 2001-New pastors' orientation, MB Biblical Seminary, British Columbia
• AUGUST 3-5-Southern District Conference Convention, Branson, Missouri
• OCTOBER 26-28-Central District Conference Convention, Lincoln Hills Bible Church, Sioux Falls, SD
• NOVEMBER 9-10-Pacific District Conference Convention, Reedley MB Church, Reedley, Calif.
•
Dalton Reimer.
The Christian Leader (lSSN 0009-5149) is published monthly by the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 315 S Lincoln, Hillsboro, KS 67063 The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events, activities, decisions and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dialog so members will aspire to be faithful disciples of Christ as understood in the evangelical/Anabaptist theological tradition. However, the views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the Board of Communications or the Mennonite Brethren Church
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Just vuhat kind of are vue fighting anyvvay?
sophomore sits at his computer alone in his room. A battle mind. He's tempted to try the Internet site www playboy.com. umb? Or will he resist?
A missionary describes in terrifying detail his iarf s" t; demonic forces. A youthful Cambodian immigrant reacts to the :namltJofJesus by taking on the features of a serpent. The boy appl:lirS rd "crawl up the I G'" .j wall and hiss. Attempts to cast out the "gene rational demon" are partially successful.
An urban Mennonite Bre thren church wrestles daily with the spiritual structures of violence , drugs, gangs and adult bars A prayer group from the church meets in front of one of the bars to hold hands in prayer. Later, they rejoice when the city council votes to restrict the sale of liquor in establishments that feature nude dancing. Which of these events describe spiritual warfare ? Or are they all examples of "God at war"?
BY LYN N JOST
A real war wages
We are in the fight of our lives. As Christians, we are on war footing. We are agents in a cosmic conflict--good versus evil.
SCripture reveals that spiritual forces wage war in heaven and on earth, in the human psyche and in societal structures (Eph 6:10-18; 2 Cor. 10:3-4). Spiritual warfare is not just a faddish craze, but a fact of the Christian life.
Life is war because Satan-the devil, the enemy, the ancient serpent-attacks faith. Satan claims to be the ruler of this world and amasses his forces. Every act of human disobedience is a victory for him in his age-long battle with God. Rebellion, evil, sin and follOwing desires of the flesh collude with personal and corporate demonic forces in opposition to God.
But do we really believe this-that we are in a battle for our lives and the lives of those around us?
John Piper in Let the Nations Be Glad! warns that most people show by their casual approach to spiritual things that we act as ifwe are not in wartime. In wartime, people are on alert. They are armed and vigilant. Families talk about children on the front lines. Luxury liners become troop carriers. People live with austerity because there are more strategic ways to spend money than on new tires or a vacation.
Piper argues that this failure to recognize wartime circumstances has disrupted prayer. We have turned a wartime "walkie-talkie" into a domestic intercom. The prayer transmitter is meant to bring us into communication with the Commander's headquarters
But failure to keep watch has not altered the reality that we are at war As Christians we are fighting an enemy worse than any earthly foe. We are at war with Satan and his hordes.
Exposing the enemy's tactics
So, what does this war look like? Are there demons lurking in every corner? Or are we fighting more elusive biittles?'
Theologians voice a wide range of opinions on the practice of splnrual warfare. While most evangelicals acknowledge the existence of Satan and his continued fight against God, they differ on how this fight is manifested.
Does Satan "assign a demon or corps of demons to every geopolitical unit in the world" as asserted by Peter Wagner, a popular writer on the subject? Are personal demons a constant threat to unsuspecting, innocent victims? Or is the devil's primary threat sinful rebellion that destroys relationships and threatens justice, as Mennonite Brethren anthropologist Paul Hiebert describes it?
While spiritual warfare may take different forms, however, the enemy's tactics are the same.
• Distraction. In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis warns that Satan attempts to deceive Christians with two maneuvers On the one hand, Satan invites Christians to be so fascinated with the demonic supernatural that they become distracted from their true mission. On the other, Satan is pleased when Christians deny the reality of the enemy forces.
A key component of military strategy and counterintelligence is misleading the enemy about battle plans. During World War II the Allies had invaded North Africa and the next step was Sicily. Knowing the Germans calculated this, the Allies determined to outfox them. An Allied submarine surfaced off the cost of Spain and put the body of a dead airman out to sea in a rubber raft. In his pocket were secret documents indicating that the Allied forces would strike next in Greece. Axis intelligence operatives found the body and, thinking the airman had crashed at sea, passed the documents on to Hitler's headquarters. While Allied forces moved against Sicily, thousands of German troops moved to Greece-where the battle wasn't.
The devil wants us to focus our efforts ''where the battle isn't." He wants us to expend our energy and our attention away from the real battle.
• Truth vs. power encounter. Neil Anderson in The Bondage Breaker warns that conflict with the devil involves a "truth encounter" more often than it centers in a "power encounter." The "truth" is that Jesus has already won the war. Anderson argues that Satan has been tied up by Jesus (Mark 3:27). Jesus defeated Satan by proclaiming the coming of the reign of God, casting out demons and-ultimatelydying and rising again.
Christians can rely on the truth that Satan is defeated But Satan attempts to lure Christians into "power encounters"--detecting and defeating personal demons. When he succeeds, he has already tricked the believer by avoiding the truth encounter. Succumbing to a knockdown, terror-fUled free-forall gives Satan a foothold. Concentrating efforts on power encounters actually reduces a Christian's hold on the truth According to Anderson's view, marshaling forces to engage in battle in the style envisioned by Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness is to fight the wrong battle
Throughout history, people have misdirected efforts towards power encounters instead of God ' s truth. For example, God's gift of truth includes modern medical discoveries. In the 1800s, hospitals lost one of six mothers to the scourge of "childbed
SPIRITUAL WARFARE GLOSSARY:
SATAII
Uterally. -the Accuser" or -the Slanderer· or -the Adversary" also known as the devil. the ancient serpent, the prince of the world (John 12:31). the prince of the demons (Matt. 12:24). the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2). the powers of this dark world (Eph. 6:12), the evil one Satan is called a tempter, the father of lies (John 8:44). a murderer (John 8:44), a liar (John 8:44), a deceiver (Rev 20:10), and one disguised as an angel of light (2 Cor 11 :14) Satan Is a fallen created being who leads the rebellion against God but who has been defeated by the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ and awaits eternal torment in the lake of burning sulfur with the beast and the false prophet (Rev. 20:10)
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
GLOSSARY:
DIIMOII
Spirits In rebellion against God that pose a threat to invade the human personality to cause distress Also known as undeali spirits.
DEMCWI'NG, POSSIISSfON
The New Testament refers literally to -demonizing" in describing affliction by demons. ·"".,nizing, sometimes translated "demon-possession," does not designate ownership but,rather Influence or control exercised over a person by a demon
DIiMOIIIIC ATTACK
The activity of demonic forces. Satan attacked Jesus with temptations Paul described a "thomlnthe flesh, a messenger of Sata " which tormentedhlm.
fever." At the time a doctor's daily routine began in the autopsy room. From there he went to examine expectant mothers-without stopping to wash his hands. Dr. Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis associated the practice with infection and death. His procedure of washing with a chlorine solution resulted in a mortality rate of less than one in 50 for mothers.
While we continue to pray for safety in childbirth, we are grateful for a scientific worldview that allows us to battle germs with drugs and sterile conditions rather than prayers of exorcism. A modem worldview helps us determine the true battlefield.
• Fear of possession. This is not to deny the reality of personal demonic possession. People can open themselves and others to demonic activity. Typically, drug and sex abuse invite the devil to take control. Habitual sin (like addiction to pornography) and generational sin (like incest) open the door to demonization. If exorcism is sought, it should be practiced after all other means have been exhausted and within the context of an experienced team of spiritual and psychiatric care-givers.
Christians, however, have been baptized by the Spirit of Christ. Believers have moved from slavery to sin to freedom in righteousness. Christians do not need to live in fear of demonic possession.
Both Jesus and Paul command the disciples to take the fight to the enemy. What is more, both fully expect the church to win. In Eph. 6:10-18, Paul describes the armor of God, and the first article of armor is the belt of truth. Truth unmasks the lies of the Powers Truth exposes the attractions of sin as a lie. Truth proclaims to the spiritual forces that Jesus has defeated them at the cross. The battle is not over, but its outcome is no longer in doubt.
Beware of qulck.fix solutions
Talk about spiritual warfare is attractive these days. The metaphor itself is dramatic Battling evil forces conjures images of Hollywood-the Christian soldier parading into battle as a hybrid of John Wayne and Luke Skywalker.
Even more attractive is the promise of some spiritual warfare advocates that a sort of Christian "magic" is available to thwart the advances of the enemy. The hard work of obedience is replaced by the instant solution of deliverance.
Suppose, for example, that a boy and girl are struggling with sexual temptations in their dating relationship . Instead of confessing their sins to their youth sponsor and accepting the discipline of less time alone together, they resorted to repeatedly casting the demons of lust out of each other They have fallen into a cycle of sin , renunciation and reca-
pitulation. They are depending on the spiritual magic of exorcism instead of the walk of obedience.
The role of the "spirit-specialist"-a person claiming the ability to discern spirits based on 1 John 4: I-is also popular today. In place of the traditional disciplines, a Spirit-specialist's prayer of cleansing and release promises relief from besetting sins. The practitioner claims supernatural insights, sometimes labeled "a word of knowledge " The practitioner helps a troubled person identify incidents from the past or generational sins. Formulaic prayers are offered to rid the person of the hold of the evil one. Depending on the approach, these prayers may be exorcisms of spirits or a claim to hold onto biblical truth . These prayers can be helpful. Troubled minds are comforted by the assurance that someone else knows why they are experiencing problems. God is gracious in bringing healing.
But these prayers can also produce complications. A new class is created-people who see a spiritual reality to which most are blind and know the right formula to overcome evil influence. People susceptible to suggestion begin to see all problems rooted in personal demonic oppression. Physical ailments-including colds, flus and backaches-are attributed to demonic opposition.
When promised relief is short-lived, the consequences to faith can be disastrous. Psychological and spiritual problems often develop over a long period of time. While God can and does heal instantly, recovery is often a long-term project. Jesus seems to warn about such relapses in Luke 11:24-26 He teaches that an evil spirit may return to a cleansed, ordered house with seven other more evil spirits. Depending on a quick fix may cause "the last state of that person [to be] worse than the first" (26) .
Warfare tactics for believers
While Satan has his own tacti<;s, Scripture reveals strategies and methods fQf 5- ,'"
Read the instructions
Paul gives specific instructiOflB for spiritual warfare in Eph. 6: 10-20 Walter Wink in Naming the Powers identifies several principles that emerge from Paul's teaching.
• The enemy is personal, spiritual and structural. The powers include legal, religious, political and social institutions, worldviews, ideologies and codes
• Christian strategy is not individualistic but corporate. Paul's readers understood that twothirds of the shield covered its bearer and one-third
covered his comrade, encouraging tight ranks.
• The strategy is primarily offensive. To "stand" is not to brace for an onslaught but to overcome the enemy.
• The armor is spiritual. These are not "weapons" in any ordinary sense of the word. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Word of God are used to unmask the enemy's deceptive arguments .
• The entire operation is waged in an enormous concentration of prayer. Prayer is part of an offensive strategy for furthering God's rule.
An incident in the Mennonite Church in Indonesia demonstrates the truth of these principles During the recent wave of Islamic terrorism, 16-year-old Edgar went with his youth group to a prayer retreat As he was leaving, a gang of young toughs sanctioned by local authorities stopped Edgar and his youth pastor. They chopped the pastor to pieces with a machete, marched Edgar back to the retreat compound and asked him about his Christian commitment Edgar held up his Bible and confessed, "I am a warrior for Jesus Christ." The machete swung and chopped off his hand Asked again, Edgar held up the other hand and confessed, "I am a follower ofJesus Christ." The other hand was severed, and Edgar was butchered. The youth group that witnessed the event sang and prayed, giving witness to
We believe that the first butrn!!'i$ yielded to tempter aM felt into $In ,Sinoe then, all people disObey God and chOose to.sin, faUing shott of the glory of God ..As'afteWIt. sin evil have gained a hold Nil Jthe'w.oFlEt:,' disrupting God's ptlrposes for the created order and alienating humans from God.and thusfromcreatlOtl. each other and themselves. Human slnfulness results In physical and splritva1 all have sinned, all face separatIon from God.
the truth of Jesus Christ Unable to overcome,.this powerful testimony, the gang dissipated The testimony of the church has resulted in evangelistic growth among its persecutors. The Indonesian church is on the offensive
Discipline is key
Spiritual power is derived from practicing spiritual disciplines The spiritual disciplines include traditional , personal and daily activities including prayer, silence, Bible reading, meditation and service. Randy Friesen, director of Youth Mission International (a division of the North American MB mission agency MBMS International), teaches orientees to "PREP" for battle daily:
• Proclaim your identity in Christ as a warrior serving the sovereign of the universe
• Renounce the schemes of the enemy by confessing sin and claiming the Spirit's fruit
• Equip for battle by donning the spiritual weaponry described in Ephesians 6.
• Pray in petition, asking God for deliverance in the daily tasks.
Strength lies in community
Spiritual power is also developed in community Robert Linthicum in City of God, City of Satan points out that EpheSians, the letter which describes
Principalities Pewers
Sin is a power that enslaves humanity Satan, the adversary, seeks to rule creation and uses sin to corrupt human nature with pride and selfIshness In sin people turn from God, exchanging the truth about God for a lie, worshippIng and serving the creature rather than the Creator. Sin opens Individuals and groups to the bondage of demoniC prinolpalltles and powers These powers also work through political , economlo, social and even religious systems to turn people away from holiness, justice and righteousness Whether In word, deed, thought or attitude. all humans are under the domination 01 $In and, on their own, are unable to overcome its power
Gen 3; Gen Ps 14:1--3; PS 36:1-l4:' P'-s 52:1-1; Ps. 58:1 5; Ps 82; Iss 53:6; Ezek 16:49-50; Amos 2 :4-8; Mark 7:20-23: :100(18:34 44: 1t0in :1:;21:32) Rom 3:948, 2 3 ; Rom 5 :1 2 14, 18-19; Rom Gal 5 :19-21; Eph 2::1.-3 ; Eph 6:12; 1.. Peter 5:8-9; 1. lOtinJ:8-10: Rel!' 12:9
SPIRITUAL WARFARE GLOSSARY:
SPIRnUAL WARFARE
The New Testament frequently uses military metaphors to describe the act of opposing the enemy of God. Jesus' interpretation of the parable of the weeds refers to continuing conflict between the sons of1he kingdom and the sons of the ev" one (Matt. 13:36-43). Spiritual warfare necessitates taking up the full annor.f God (lph.6:10-18). resisting the devil by standing firm in faidi'(1 'et. 5:8-9" and praying on all occasions with all kinds of prayer (1.,.,.6:18)
EXORCISM
CUting out a demon Jesus cast oUt demons and gave authority over demonic powen to his disdples (Matt 10:8): John warned against misdiagnosing the presence of spirits and called for discernment by the community (1 John 4:1).
SPIRITUAL WARFARE GLOSSARY:
IUUllTUAL AND GENERA· TIOIIAL SINS
Habitual sins are sins that grow worse and more enslaving by repetition and could include outbursts of anger, indulgence in pornography or greed. Generationa' sin$ are sins that have been committed against a child who grows up and perpetuates the chain of oppression; incest, pedophili, and angry outbursts1hat result in emotional abuse could be examples of generational sins.
The way of the cross will lead to victory. Just as the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church in the first and sixteenth centuries, so the ultimate defeat of the enemy will come through the weapons of truth, righteousness and peace.
the spiritual armor, is centered around the doctrine of the church. God is creating a community of reconciliation. Against the primary threats of conflict (Eph. 4: 1-6), diversity (7-13) and heresy in teaching (14-16), the church should apply the principles of unity (1-6), peace (7-13) and purity (14-16). Ephesians 5 and 6 develop the behavior strategic for building community. When a spiritual specialist is accepted as the only one who can discern spirits, the community context of discernment envisioned in 1 John 4: 1-6 is forfeited. John intended the discernment of spirits to be practiced within the community, not by a single person.
Spiritual warfare on a larger scale
Spiritual warfare involves more than personal spiritual discipline and an awareness of personal demonic possession. The conflict demands an understanding of the corporate nature of evil power. The MB Confession of Faith (see "Sin and Evil") refers to this as "the bondage of demonic principalities and powers [that] work through political, economic, social and even religious systems to turn people away from holiness, justice and righteousness."
More than one writer in the New Testament analyzes the authority of pagan governments--the Roman Empire in particular. Romans 13 describes the powers as God's servant, appointed and instituted by God In Revelation 13 this imperial power is depicted as a beast at war with the saints. When read together, these texts indicate that the powers are God's agents, created for a good purpose but corrupted by the rebellion of Satan and humanity.
The Soviet Russian government of the 1970s is a contemporary example. The police state reduced street crime to zero. Moscow's streets were the safest in the world. On the other hand, the secret police prosecuted a martyr-filled war against the church. Government power sometimes acts as God's servant, but sometimes government fills the role of the beast. Awareness of the principalities and powers gives us at least two insights:
• Concerns with social justice have a spiritual dimension. The spirituality of the problem means that prayerful dependence on God is a primary weapon. Girded with truth, we proclaim to the powerful ones that Christ has transformed values. Feeding the hungry is a spiritual action
• Evil power has a structural dimension. Feeding the hungry is not as simple as giving North American grain to the African sub-Sahara. Laws, traditions, delivery systems, government agencies and national rivalries compound the problem of famine. Unless the system is converted, famine will persist. In dealing with structural evil, it is important to remember four principles:
• Symbolic actions communicate the truthcommunity fasts, CROP walks and harvest mission festivals really matter.
• Prayer is central to addressing structural issues.
• Satan is behind all evil, especially structurally reinforced evil.
• Institutions can become idolatrous when their own survival replaces service as the goal.
Greater Is the one who Is within you
Recognizing the pervasive nature of the spiritual conflict can be overwhelming. Even though he has been defeated at the cross, the enemy is powerful. When we see how rampant evil is in the world, we can become discouraged about the outcome. Biblically, the theme of spiritual warfare focuses on the assurance provided for believers. Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, has overcome. ''You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). The outcome of the battle is no longer in doubt. The way to triumph is the way of the cross. The way of the cross will lead to victory. Just as the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church in the first and sixteenth centuries, so the ultimate defeat of the enemy will come through the weapons of truth, righteousness and peace.
The final word on spiritual wrutare is the final word of the Scriptures--"Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all God's people. Amen" (Rev. 22:20-21) .•
LynnJost is chair of the Bible department at Tabor College, an MB college located in Hillsboro, Kan. He also serves on the u.s. Conference Board of Faith and Life. He is a member of Hillsboro MB Church.
SPIRlTUAL WARFARE
Like many denominations, Mennonite Brethren take a variety of viewpoints on spiritual warfare. Randy Friesen and Pierre Gilbert are two MBs who have spent a great deal of time thinking about the subject. While they come from differing perspectives, in this discussion they focus on basic ideas and issues that we believe MBs need to know about.
An interview with two MBs
about. finding out more Spiritual warfare
Randy Friesen, diredor of MBMSI's Youth Mission International (a short-term missions program for youth)
n Leader: Descrt"be why you have interested in spiritual warfare.
Friesen: My primary interest in life is pleasing Jesus and seeing his love reach this generation In the course of reaching and discipling youth and young adults, I 'occasionally meet young people whose spiritual Qrowth is blocked by their previous 1 )If"" It' J .),t involvement in ',s 1dI?-gdom-often through the occult or heavy drug' iYse. When that happens I can either walk away in fear or respond as Jesus would. The first time this happened I had prayed with a man for salvation and discovered later that he had been deeply involved in the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang. As I walked with him in the first steps of discipleship unclean spirits in his life repeatedly blocked us. This caused me to study the Scriptures and discover my position in Christ and authority to stand in the battle. I was then able to help my brother to also stand (Eph 6:13) I am not interested in spiritual warfare-I'm interested in people.
Pierre Gilbert, professor of Bible at Canadian Mennonite University and Manitoba's MB Biblical Seminary representative
Pierre Gilbert: I am a Kingdom person As a Christian, I am called to live by the standards of a Kingdom which is not of this world The Scriptures constantly remind us that the person who decides to follow Christ will experience conflict as he or she attempts to be faithful to Christ's calling in a world that is fundamentally opposed to him and what he represents.
More specifically, I am interested in spiritual warfare as it is commonly understood in the Third Wave movement (see "What does 'Third Wave' mean?" on page 10) because of experiences I have had both as a church leader and a professor in various theological institutions I have dialogued with people who claim God called them to an exorcism ministry. On occasion, I have counseled people who felt oppressed by what they considered to be demonic influences, and I have had to address the issue in my professional role as a professor of Bible and theology.
Paul counsels the belieuers in Ephesus that they are baUling against the "ways of the world," the "ruler of the Icingdom of the air" and the "crauings of our sinful nature" (Eph. 2:2,3).
Uigilance on all three fronts is needed.
-Randy Friesen
hear a lot about Third Wave theology ,4oB. 'TIn,." Will'''' ,,",II"P" below), theology associated with spiritual warfare today. What do you see as its strengths and weaknesses?
Friesen: Third Wave theology has opened our eyes to a more literal understanding of the Scriptures-in particular the experience of the early church Jesus' promise to his disciples that they would "receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8) points to the ntissional purpose of this empowerment.
Unfortunately, human nature has a tendency to follow the "signs" rather than letting the signs follow us. Jesus called his disciples to preach the Good News to all creation and, as they did that, "these signs will accompany those who believe" (Mark 16:17) The focus is on the gospel not the signs . Third Wave theology has a tendency to reverse the order.
Another potential extreme is the limiting of spiritual warfare to only the demonic. Paul counsels the believers in Ephesus that they are battling against the "ways of the world," the "ruler of the kingdom of the air" and the "cravings of our sinful nature" (Eph. 2:2, 3) Vigilance on all three fronts is needed Gilbert: It is important to realize that Third Wave theology encompasses more than spiritual warfare.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Third Wave theology reflects a desire to experience God's presence, a deep concern for evangelism and is also a dynamic catalyst for sharing the Good News and bringing healing to a broken world .
It 'Yould be terribly unfair to stereotype Third Wave adherents as fanatics who see a "demon behind every bush," as the saying goes. I have deep respect for many of the leaders of that movement and those who identify with it . These individuals often have a profound love and concern for people and sincerely want to see men and women come to the knowledge of Christ. One must recognize, for example, the dedication and commitment of a man like John Dawson, Southwest U.S. director of Youth with a Mission, who has devoted years of his life to ministering in the inner city of Los Angeles. Although I have been a strident critic of some aspects of the Third Wave theology, I have nothing but admiration for the difficult work in which many of these people are involved.
Not surprisingly, the greatest strength of the Third Wave movement is also its greatest weakness. Third Wave adherents are Christians who, on the one hand, seek a profound and intense spiritual experience with God. But, on the other hand, their emphasis on experience and emotions often leads them to seek these things for their own sake. One often gets the impression from reviewing the literature and dialoguing
What does "Third Wave " mean?
"Third Wav." Is a contemporary charismatic renewal mo".,...m. As the name suggests, the third Wave follows two earlier 2Oth-century r.newal movements
The first, Pentecostalism, had Its beginnings In the 1901 revivals In Topeka, Kan , and Asum Street, Los Angeles Classic Pentecostals share the conviction that conversion to Christ should be followed by baptism by the Holy Spirit which Is marked by speaking In tongues
The second wave of renewal, the charismatic movement of the 1960's and 70's, brought new life to malnUne Protestant and CathoHc churehes Again, a post-converslon experience
labaled "baptism with the Spirit," often attended by speaking In t was a clear emphasiS
The third Wave, a term coined by Peter Wagner of Fuller Seminary, began In the 1980& The third Wave emphasizes "power evangelism" accompanied by signs, wonders, miracles and other paranormal phenomena Special revelations, pr0phecy and practice of the sign gifts characterize third Wave practlcat the0logy. The Third Wave has spawned a new denomination, the Vineyard ChrIstIan Fellowship, and other renewal centers.
The emphasis on the supernatural Includes an expectation that spiritual
,/
warfare characterizes the ChdstIan ' life. Christians do batt.. agaInet the demonic realm. this realm .net......:
• personal epirfts or dimons that afflict Indlvlduals"andta,.iAlbjeot to exorcism ancfmt wwv¥ 1R
• territorial spirits they Identify as Paul's "JI!fiIolpa1lt1e8 and powers").
Although all Chrlstlahs.are enIaIed In a struggle against Satan, the 1'Idrd, Wave tradition holds that specially gifted Christians Identify and dO.battIe against the legions of the .vII. ' -compiled by Lynn Jost with-a$Si., tance from Thomas McAlpine 's F!iWing the Powers and David Ewert's unpublished " Discerning the Spiri ts "
Want to know more? Check these out.
Below Is a list of
• Direction : A Mennonite
• The Politics of Jesus,
• Spiritual Warfare , by Dean resources and books Brethren Forum. Fall 2000 (chapter 8) by John Howard Sherman (YWAM , 1990) _bout spiritual warfare (Kindred Productions) Yoder (Eerdmans, 1972,
• Taking Our Cities for God, from a variety of
• Engaging the Enemy , by 1994) by John Dawson (Creation perspectives Peter Wagner, ed (Regal ,
• Angels of LIght, Powers of
• Possessing the Gates of the House, 1989) 1991) Enemy, by Cindy Jacobs
• Territorial Spirits and World
• Powers of Evil : A Biblical (Mentor/OMF , 1998)
• Facing the Powers : What (Chosen Books , 1994) Evangelism? by Chuck Lowe Darkness , by Stephen Noll (lnterVarsity, 1998) are the Options? by Thomas
• The Bondage Breaker, by
H McAlpine (MARC , 1991) Study of satan and Demons ,
• The Three Battlegrounds ,
• Freedom in Christ by Sydney H T Page {Baker , by Francis Frangipane Nell Anderson (Regal, 1990) Ministries , www 1995) (Advancing Church
• God at War, by Gregory freedominchrist com
• Prayer Walking , by Stelle Publications , 1989) Boyd ( IVP , 1997) (directed by Neil Anderson) Hawthorne and Graham
• Three CrUCial Questions
• City of God, City of Satan,
• Naming the Powers , by Kendrick {Creation House, About Spiritual Warfare , by 1993) by Robert Linthicum Walter Wink (Regal , 1991)
Clinton Arnold (Baker, 1997) (Zondervan , 1991)
with them that experience-not the biblical text-is the ultimate standard in detennining truth.
is the most important thing Chris.hould be aware of concerning spiritual
Friesen: As followers of Jesus we do not need to fear. "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). This pOSitional authority becomes experiential once we act on it. We do that by standing in the victory Christ won for us and resisting the enemy in whatever area of our lives he is trying to gain a foothold (Eph 4:27; 1 Peter 5:8,9)
The Scriptures call us to both "submit yourselves, then, to God" and "resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7) Many Christians practice one or the other, but both submission to Christ (through repentance) and resisting the enemy are needed.
Sin gives the enemy room to influence our lives. The most powerful weapon we have against sin is the blood of Jesus. Repentance and living in the light of Christ's presence displace the harassing work of the evil one (Eph 5:8-20).
Gilbert: The emphasis on spiritual warfare theology has been helpful in tenns of reminding Christians that there is more to the Christian life than simply coasting to heaven.
Whether one agrees or not with the Third Wave emphasis, the fact remains that Scriptures do refer to the reality of spiritual warfare. The Bible recognizes that Christians will experience conflict, opposition and difficulties both as it pertains to life in general and the work of the Kingdom in particular This is most likely what the New Testament authors refer to when they allude to spiritual warfare (Eph . 6:12; 1 Pet. 5:8; etc.). The New Testament authors respond consistently to this reality by emphasizing the impor-
tance of cultivating a diSCiplined mind (Rom. 12: 1-2) and by relying on prayer (Phil 4:4-8)
Surprisingly, however, the epistles never suggest we use ritual-like practices to "bind" or "limit" the work of evil spirits-a practice commonly observed in Third Wave circles.
are the biggest dangers or cautions Christians need be aware of in spiri.
Friesen: There is a danger when disciples of Jesus are more interested in knowledge of the enemy than in their heavenly Father. Jesus warned his disciples of that when they returned with their spiritual warfare stories (Luke 10:17-21)
Similarly, we cannot let technique and knowledge replace our dependency on the Lord Jesus. The seven sons of Sceva discovered the danger of using spiritual warfare technique without a life of obedience to the Father (Acts 19:13-20). Pride and selfdependence blind us to our ongoing need oOesus and actually make God our enemy (1 Peter 5:5)
Gilbert: First, it is very important to realize that "spiritual warfare" is simply one metaphor among many used in Scripture to describe different aspects of the Christian life. For example, Psalm 1 uses the metaphor of the tree to describe the life of the righteous Paul uses such images as the sacrificial system to describe devoting our lives to God (Rom.12:1) , the court of law to denote the idea of forgiveness and justification (Rom 5 :1) and the institution of slavery to express the notion of unconditional service to God (Rom. 6:17-18) .
Second, the most important danger I see in concepts of spiritual warfare like Third Wave theology is the tendency to reduce spiritual warfare to a struggle against demonic powers Although the biblical text affinns the reality of evil spirits, Scripture does
The Bible recognizes that Christians will eKperience conflict, opposition and difficulties both as it pertains to life in general and the work: of the Kingdom in particular. This is most lik:ely what the New Testament authors refer to when they allude to spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:12; 1 Pet. 5:8, etc.)
- Pierre Gilbert
Anabaptists haue an opportunity to bring further balance to the spiritual warfare discussion.
-Randy
Friesen
not encourage or justify building an entire ideology around the concept of demons and evil powers.
Many Third Wave writers describe a world in which human beings are constantly oppressed by demonic powers. These spiritual entities adversely affect the lives of humans through the manipulation of the physical elements of nature. These authors are assuming the basic validity and reality of magicthe spoken word is inherently efficient; places and objects can be mediums of evil powers and influence; and traumatic experiences, either in the life of an individual or in his or her ancestral history, can generate "open doors" through which demons can take possession or gain significant influence over that person.
The Christian experience is characterized by the strong possibility of being attacked, possessed, demonized or othelWise aggressed by evil spirits. The source of these attacks is manifold and ultimately impossible to identify with precision. Any negative feeling or emotion can be an evidence of demonization. One can be demonized by coming into contact with a person who is demon-possessed, an occult object or by being present in a place inhabited by or associated with evil spirits. The extent of the fear-if not the terror-and the uncertainty inherent to the Third Wave ideology is particularly evident in Frank Peretti's work, which takes to their logical conclusions the teachings of the Third Wave movement on spiritual warfare.
I cannot state more strongly my conviction that such a worldview is not compatible with what the Bible teaches about who we are, the kind of universe we live in and the nature of our relationship with the demonic world. In addition, those who fully adopt the Third Wave paradigm expose themselves to developing paranoid tendencies and grave personality disorders including depression and psychosis. By providing convenient scapegoats-like demons-Third Wave theology offers a ready way to deny personal responsibility. In my opinion, this is also a grave problem .
,at contributions c:aa Anabaptists make . cussions and practices surrounding at warfare?
Friesen: As Hans Kasdorf and others so clearly pointed out in Shenk's Anabaptism and Mission, the theological core of the early Anabaptists was radical obedience to the Great Commission's call to go and make disciples of all nations. H.W. Meihuizen states that these early evangelists were commissioned as "Christian knights," borrowing a term first used by Erasmus. When captured and flogged before
magistrates, these evangelists publicly stated their forgiveness of their enemies. These "knights" were clearly in a war, however. They were not battling flesh and blood in their proclamation of Christ's Kingdom rule.
Paul stated that we "struggle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph 6 :12). Some have noted that if we don't wrestle against "principalities and powers," we will fight flesh and blood. This has been the history of the church through the ages. We have opted for battling "flesh and blood," principalities, powers and structures in our struggle for justice rather than invest in the warfare of intercession and prayer.
Jesus addressed both the physical and spiritual nature of the problem and the cure. The early Anabaptist evangelists were also "warriors" who integrated this seen and unseen nature ofthe battle. The present spiritual warfare discussion could benefit from a greater emphasis on this integration.
The "seen and unseen" nature of the battle was evident at the cross with the demonic forces of hell and the Roman soldiers surrounding the crucifixion. At the cross we also see the paradox of the suffering servant and the victorious warrior who led "captives in his train" (Eph. 4:8) Anabaptists have tended to focus on the suffering servant and not the victorious warrior. Both are accurate in a fuller understanding of the mission of Jesus as the head of the church However, with the church's tendency towards triumphalism and a prideful attitude in spiritual warfare, we do well to remember that Christ's greatest victory over Satan occurred through his humble obedience to the Father until the death. Anabaptists have an opportunity to bring further balance to the spiritual warfare discussion.
Gilbert: Anabaptists-not unlike most Evangelicals-have not been very helpful. Some have simply ignored the whole issue by qualifying it as a theological aberration, and others have bought it wholesale. A few scholars like Paul Hiebert, professor of missiology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, have attempted to formulate a balanced critique of the Third Wave understanding of spiritual warfare, but much needs to be done
One of the greatest contributions of Anabaptism is its emphasis on the importance of constantly going back to the biblical text for guidance. Anabaptism strongly states that it is the text that must determine our beliefs and our practice, not personal anecdotes This may seem like a trite thing to affirm, but this spiritual warfare theology as found in the
SPIRITUAL WARFAR E
What
should I do?
away from God warned them not
sort of demon· to follow their enemies '
ic ac:Iivity such as: occult practices, such
• Worshipping others ' as sacrificing to the gods (Num 25:1-5) fire , divination, sorcery, ty, most of our problems like a roaring lion look -
• Idol worship ( Exod interpreting omens, , victorious are caused by the ing for someone to 20 :4-5; Deut . 4 :15-18) . w it c hcraft , casting
CIuistIan life. "works of the flesh " devour " (1 Peter 5 :8)
• Astrology (Deut spells or acting as a
• Put on the full armor (Gal. 5 :19-21) and our • Test the spirits. 4 :19, 17 :3 ; lsa 47 :13- medium or spiritist who of God (Eph 6:10-18) own "evil desire " Many cults use the 15; Jer 10:1-2 ; Dan consults the dead
• Draw close to God (James 1 :14-15) We name " Jesus " but they 1 :20,4 :7 , 5 :7-8) (Deut 18 :9-14) the devil " is need to take responsibil- do not truly acknowl -
• Divination or sorcery bar,iI's preceded by ity for our own actions edge his lordship (Exod 22 :18 , Lev roughGod's yourselves, then , to 't be afraid. the devil 19 :26, Mal. 3 :5) power-not _r God" and is followed by It hough we should be you resist, he
• Mediums and owa--that we are come near to God " aware of Satan ' s reali - will flee from you spiritists (Lev 19:31 , victorious. (James 4 :7-8) ty, we do not need to (James 4:7). 20 :6,20 :27 ; Isa 8 :19) Our God is able 00
• 00 not give the devil fear him (Luke 10:17-
• Magic charms, false not rejoice that the a foothold (Eph. 4 :27) . 20 ; 1 John 5 :18) ·The authority visions and divinations spirits submit to you , ver the devil. (Isa 44 :24-5; Eze blame every- one who is in you is en the devil. greater than the one Be prepared to resist who Is in the world " the devil, yet do not get (lJohn 4 :4) carried away with spiritua! warfare Some peo. pie think demons cause and alert Your enemy all our problems In realithe devil prowls around
Third Wave movement appears to be basically developed from various personal experiences. These stories are then "melted" into a lens through which the SCrip,tures are interpreted.
what ways should Christians be in the area of spiritual warfare?
Fri n: As disciples of Jesus we are invited to learn who we are as sons and daughters of the King of Kings. Discovering our identity in Christ and our birthright in his kingdom is the foundation for standing firm in the spiritual battle. We learn who we are and what the Father's will is through the authority of his word. Jesus used the Scriptures to resist Satan in his wilderness temptations (Luke 4:1-13). We need to memorize and apply the truth of God's Word as it relates to the areas where we face temptation. Jesus also went into his battle with the enemy filled with the Spirit. Scripture invites us to be daily filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). That involves simply asking our Father to fill us (Luke 11:13)
The danger with the proliferation of books and teaching on spiritual warfare today is that we can be educated beyond our level of obedience or discipleship. Jesus desires that we first and foremost know him He will expose us to as much knowledge of spiritual warfare as is necessary to fulfill our life's call and purpose.
Gilbert: Much could be said, but I will summarize my response in three points
• Christians must learn to define well what the New Testament means by spiritual warfare. Frank
This is not saying 13:20-23 ; Zech 10:2) but that your names are " magic " words , but written in heaven " acknowledging, claim - unce demonic (Luke 10:20) ing and appropriating 'es (Acts -compiled by Doug God ' s victory over 19:18-.).
When the Israelites Britton , an author, Satan speaker and marriage defeated their enemies in the Old Testament, and family counselor
Peretti's writings should not be anyone's starting point
• It is imperative that Christians develop an adequate biblical worldview. A text like Genesis 13-a foundational passage for biblical theologyshould be carefully examined in order to address basic worldview issues such as the nature of God, the question of human nature and the character of the cosmos.
For example, according to creation theology, we live in a friendly universe-marred by sin no doubt, but fundamentally friendly nevertheless. The problem is not with the universe per se or evil cosmic powers. As Jesus himself stated, the problem is with the human heart (Matt. 12:35). In the Old Testament, demons are hardly ever held responsible for anything. Take, for example, the terrible conditions prevailing in Israel during the 8th century BC (see Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Micah). The cause of the oppression and the exploitation of the poor and the idolatry is never attributed to demonic forces . The prophets always address the leaders directly. According to the text, these conditions exist because some people chose to satisfy their thirst for power and wealth-period The prophets appeal to the leaders' reason, their conscience and their heart. They do not ever suggest that these conditions are the result of some territorial demonic spirit over Israel
• Finally, I would suggest that Christians live consciously and resolutely in the light of the resurrection (see 2 Tim. 1:7-10; Rom . 8 :34-39; Col. 2:12-15 , etc ) This is not a time to cringe in fear, but a time to live in joy and confidence.
The problem is not with the uniuerse per se or euil cosmic powers. Rs Jesus himself stated, the problem is with the human heart (Matt. 12:35).
-Pierre Gilbert
It is often wise to ask: others to help us discern the nature of what we are witnessing, whether it is the enemy's presence or something else.
-Randy Friesen
,,,-. -c _nat should Christians do if they think ey tiave encountered a person who appears demon-possessed?
Friesen: Jesus taught his disciples that they had "authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10: 19-20)
It is often wise to ask others to help us discern the nature of what we are witnessing, whether it is the enemy's presence or something else. Ifwe are confronted by a demon then Jesus has a purpose for our being in that experience . Pray. Ask the Lord what his will is in that circumstance. Jesus loves the person who is troubled by the enemy. It's also important not to have "zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way" (Prov. 19:2). The timing of God is important
Several helpful questions should be asked:
• Is the person who needs prayer ready to "hold the ground" once it has been won back from the enemy?
• Are they willing to repent for sin where that is needed? '
• Do they understand the victory of the cross over the enemy (Col. 2:15)?
• Are they ready to resist the enemy (with our support)?
While the battle is the Lord's, he invites us to work with him. When we walk under the authority of Jesus in confronting the enemy we do so in an atmosphere of love, humility and gentleness with our eyes on the Father.
Gilbert: According to Scripture, it is possible for human beings to be affected (I am tempted to say infected) by demons (see Mark 5:1-20). Having recognized this, however, I do not think Christians should necessarily put into motion some elaborate "ritual" to exorcise the demons.
If such a case should present itself, I would first advise great caution. Human beings have a capacity for a wide range of behavior. Some people have, for a lack of a better expression, odd personalities. Others have given in to their evil impulses. Others may suffer from various kinds of temporary or chronic mental disorders. And then some might be truly under the influence of demonic forces. None of these options should at first be discounted.
Whatever the case might be, I am not at all in favor of what's often called "power encounters" (see ''Just what kind of war are we fighting?" on page 4). This approach tends to overdramatize the issue and usually attributes much more power to demons than does the New Testament. These "power encounters" can even be downright dangerous in terms of misdiagnosing what could be a medical condition-and in fact contribute to making it worse.
Whatever the real problem might tum out to be, my advice is to tum to James 5:7-16. The "formula" suggested by James for dealing with people who experience major health problems could be adapted to dealing with suspected cases of demon possession or oppression. This approach would not presume on the real cause of the "illness," but would involve the community ("the elders") and a personal and rational conversation about the person's spiritual condition •
More about Friesen an d Gilbe rt
RandyFrieseII
Since 1988, Friesen has directed Youth Mission International, a shortterm youth mission program now w i th MBM S International, the North American MB world mission agency YMI's programs In 2000 served some 800 youth and young adults on missions assignments t hroughout North America and around the world. He has a bachelor's degree In Intern. tional politics from Brock University and a master's In theological stUdies from Tyndale Seminary In Toronto He
Is presently working toward a Ph .D. In mlsslology from the University of South Africa. Friesen Is married to Marjorie and they have two children: Joshua (8) and Olivia (6) .
Pierre Gilbert
Gilbert teaches at the Canadian Mennonite University and represents Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Manitoba. He earned a bachelor's In religious education and a master's In Old Testament from WInnipeg Bible College and Winnipeg
theological Seminary He completed a Ph.I) In Old Testament at the UnIversity of Montreal He pastored a church In Waterloo, Quebec from 1984-198G and taught from 19861996 at the Instltut Blbllque Laval (an MB Bible Institute affiliated with the Unlverslte de Montreal) He most recently taught Old Testament at MBSS In Fresno, Calif , from 1 99&1999. Gilbert Is married to Monlka, and they have three children : Pierre James (19), Rachel (17), and Slephen (16)
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Singing with angels
Hubert Tuell was a large man. He stood six feet, two inches and weighed 280 pounds or more. Part of his weight was because of his large heart. He loved people and he loved to sing. His trademark was his guitar and his overalls.
He guided a big rig over the nation's highways. For years, he'd driven the long roads loving the world and its ways. But one day, he heard Jesus say, "Just climb on board my 01' semi. Hungry souls are waiting to be won. This load is the Word of Salvation." With deep conviction, he repented for his ways and made a commitment to follow the Lord He made Jesus Christ Lord of his life and decided from that time on he would be trucking for the Lord.
He never looked back.
When I met him last summer, Hubert was tired. He had driven most of the miles he would drive, but he still looked forward to making another run together with his Lord.
We sat on a log just outside of Martin Box MB Church, a little white church in the beautiful Arkansas hills, where we were helping to build a new addition to their church building. His health allowed only a few minutes of work, then demanded more minutes of rest But this did not deter him. As we sat, he told me the story.
On Sept. 18, 1998, Hubert woke up to a beautiful Arkansas day Early in the morning, the Master seemed to scrub the deep blue skies clean with the soft white clouds that scudded across the horizon and disappeared . A gentle breeze wafted the sweet smell of fall through the giant oak trees around their little mountain home It was a wonderful world. He had a beautiful loving wife, a large supportive family and many grandchildren who loved and adored him Hubert puttered around during the day, reveling in the life and love the Lord had given him.
After supper, he and Belle, his wife, sat and visited as they usually did. For some
Forum is a column of opinion and comment on contemporary issues facing the Mennonite Brethren Church. Manuscripts expressing an opinion for Forum should aim for a length of 800 words. Authors must sign articles, identify their church home and vo cation, and include a clear photo of themselves
BY WILMER THIESSEN
reason, he did not feel as good as he had-maybe it was the extra pork chop he had eaten. But, later that evening, Hubert had difficulty breathing when he tried to lie down He told Belle to go to sleep and he would sit in his favorite chair for awhile. Near 11:00 p.m., he tried to lie down again, but his breath failed him once more. Finally, around 3:00 a.m. he went to bed again-but this time both his breath and his strength failed He remembered grabbing the cord to a lamp which turned on the light as he fell.
This awakened Belle, who called 911. Help arrived within minutes and he was rushed by ambulance on a harried 12 mile ride on curving roads to the hospital in Clinton. His heart stopped five times on the way.
In the emergency room, doctors found a walnut sized aneurysm on his heart. They didn't have the facilities or personnel to operate , so they ordered Hubert transferred to a Little Rock hospital Belle called the family, who alerted the church family to pray for Hubert and the doctors. They prayed for healing and a few more years to "Sing for the Lord "
During the 65 mile ride, with sirens screaming and lights flashing, Hubert's heart stopped several more times When they arrived in Little Rock at 7:00 a.m., a team of surgeons was waiting and he was rushed into the operating room, where they did another scan of his heart.
To the doctor's surprise, the aneurysm-which showed so clearly in the MRI scan before-was not there
Hubert looked at me "Do you believe God answe rs prayer? I do," he said quietly as he looked off into the distance . A tear ran down his face
He told me how tired and ill he was in spite of the healing of the aneurysm. During his stay in the hospital, his family
came to support him.
One day, Belle, his two daughters and his granddaughters went to the little hospital chapel to pray for him. The entrance to the chapel was in the center of a long hallway You had to enter two sets of swinging doors, separated by six feet.
When they entered, they were the only ones there. They knelt at the altar and began to pray. When his second daughter began to pray, she broke into deep sobs. The burdens and fears for her father were too much.
Then she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. When she looked up, she saw the most pleasant, smiling, black, motherlike face looking at her.
"May I pray for your daddy?" she asked . "Why, of course," said the daughter.
This beautiful woman prayed as if she'd known Hubert all her life. She ended with an unusually pleasant song, a song such as they'd never heard After the song, the woman looked into the daughter's eyes and said, "Don't weep anymore Your daddy will be all right, and he will sing again for the Lord." Then she turned and walked out of the chapel.
The oldest daughter ran to the door to catch the lady. When she passed through the first set of swinging doors, the outer doors were just swinging shut. When she ran through the next doors into the long hallway, there was no one there . They marveled . Who was the lady? How did she know so much about Hubert? They hadn't told her that he liked to sing, yet she knew he did.
"How did she know?" Hubert looked directly at me. "Do you believe in angels? I do."
"God has given me extra time , so I'll keep on singing for the Lord," he said For the next two years, Hubert traveled and sang with the Tuell Family Gospel Group, seeking the lost and telling of his grace and mercy. On Sept. 20, 2000, Hubert's guitar and song were stilled. His family and friends gathered to honor his life and lay his body to rest on a beautiful Arkansas day
Hubert is now singing for the Lord in eternity. We long to tell him , "Wait for us We will soon bring the entire band, and we'll sing together again "
Wilmer Thiessen is a member of Parkview MB Church in Hillsboro , Kan.
BY PHILIP WIEBE
Spears, strikes and silly stuff
A skeptic's wanderings on trivial things.
As a skeptic, I'm cursed with the dubious ability to waste time pondering things that other people might rightfully give only passing notice In
many ways being a skeptic isn't a bad thing, of course-the world needs people who keep an eye peeled for hypocrisies and inconsistencies and the pitfalls of conventional wisdom. But I find my
general public, have also gotten pretty good at "spin"-altering or covering up the truth when it suits our needs or works to our advantage. Not quite the "let your yes be yes" approach Jesus taught.
Speaking of entertainment, another item that grabbed my interest recently is
• The dreaded screen skepticism tends to gravitate not toward big issues or global concerns, but trivial things such as . . . actors' strike. Or maybe it was a screen writers' strike. I can't exactly remember, because the thing that caught my attention during a piece I saw about it was the dire warning issued by a reporter: "If a strike happens, the falllV season could be canceled!"
• Britney Spears' lips Well, not her actual lips, but the words that flow out of them and the beverage that flows into them For those of you who are blissfully unaware of Britney Spears, the teen pop superstar, I should explain that she recently signed a multi-million dollar deal to endorse the soft drink Pepsi. When a reporter asked her if she actually preferred Pepsi over that other famous cola, she coolly implied that she and her family had always been Pepsi people. Never mind that another report revealed that on a recent concert tour, Spears' contract called for cases of Coke to be delivered to the performers ' dressing rooms.
Now, I'm not going to claim that Spears was telling an untruth-maybe she carried a personal stash of Pepsi on the road for herself. But in reality it doesn't at all surprise me when celebrities fudge on the facts. Our whole pop culture has come to thrive on the concept of "spin," which is essentially the "spin" term for telling lies. Many entertainment stars and politicians and corporate executives and ad writers do it constantly, without a second thought . And we, the general public, largely take it with a shrug. Maybe that's because we, the
I realize that strikes involve real people who are genuinely concerned about fair employment and feeding their families, but in this case the prospect of the falllV season being canceled brought only one thought to my mind: We can only hope!
And while we're on the subject of screens
• My nine-year-old son and I were watching a basketball game a couple of weeks ago when a commercial came on for a computer website that boasted an amazing feature. For those of you blissfully unaware of Internet technology (and I often wish I were one of you), websites are always sprinkled with key words or phrases that are called "links," which you click on to go to a new screen or get more information Well, the amazing website being advertised claimed that in their case one wasn't limited to a few key words; one could get more information by clicking on any word!
My young but wise son then gave a laugh and said, ''Wonder what kind of information you'd get clicking on 'is' or 'the'." I can't tell you how proud I was to hear my child speaking the thoughts of my own heart. Because that website struck me as being like so many things in our age-looks good on the surface, but somehow fails to deliver real value or substance.
Speaking of hype and surface glitter, here's something else that's been on my mind
• The recent Christmas season took me a bit by surprise. I don't mean I was surprised when it came--one can hardly miss Christmas when the decorations start going up in October. What was surprising was that a sense of spirituality actually got through to me this holiday season. Who would have thought?
I've never been secretive about the fact that I'm not a big fan of Christmas as celebrated in modem American culture. Too much materialism and commercialism for my taste. So what often happens, unfortunately, is that I expect to be turned off by the seasonal glitz and glitter rather than anticipate that God could show me something new.
Well, this year God did, in spite of myself. It occurred to me that many of those involved in the original Christmas story shared two essential qualities: they stopped, and they worshiped. This may seem like an elementary observation, but it struck me in a rather profound way People literally stopped in their tracks and stared in amazement and awe at this Light that was dawning. And in response they could do nothing else but worship the Lord
This was the "reason for the season" I'd been missing in recent years-simply to stop and worship What a contrast to the usual message of Christmastime that beseeches, "go and shop ."
INQUIR1NG MINDS
BY MARVIN HEIN
This is the third offour columns focusing on worship styles in response to the September 2000 column askingfor reader comments about contemporary and traditional worship.
QWhat about this "noisome assembly"?
A"Loud" does not equal "wrong."
At least I recall that in the Old Testament, Israel celebrated so vigorously and loudly that their pagan neighbors heard them from far away.
However, there is no criticism of the contemporary worship service voiced more often and vehemently than the "decibel" factor. A writer speaks of their "blended" service where there are choruses, "repeating each several times, with standing too long, some swaying and some hand-raising ." She goes on to talk about the tambourine, drums and trumpet and concludes: "We have heard disgruntled comments about the tambourine and drums Because [the trumpet player] wears a microphone, his trumpet is quite loud, often shrill on the high notes."
One traditionalist objects to the noise level at many services and suggests that on radio and 'IV she can at least tune down the volume or "tum off things that make me feel angry, hostile, judgmental, critical, etc " She recalls how, growing up, she was taught not to reject people without the "right clothes" who came to church. Then she adds: "Now I'm beginning to feel that I don 't have the 'right clothes.' I don't fit Maybe church isn't for me."
No respondent wrote favoring the noise, so, in an attempt to be fair, I questioned several younger people I asked, "How would you younger worshippers answer the charge that the music is too loud?"
The first answered, "It isn't loud to us!" He then suggested that perhaps two reasons for troublesome decibel levels for older folks are: (1) in most churches the sound systems are less than adequate and (2) more often than not the operators of the sound system are not particularly skilled at working
the system and they allow the music to drown the words . He then asked me, "Is the instrumentation loud because it hurts the ears or because it pains your preferences?" "Sometimes the former," I said, "but more often because it completely obliterates the message of the song."
Do the young understand the lyrics? My friend replied, "Yes, most of the time, but if we miss a few words, it's no big deal. Often the words are either printed or on the wall." And why do the younger hear when the older do not? Probably because of "used" ears. And the younger have been reared in a culture of big sounds
One fascinating response came from a "forensic otiologist" (medical doctor) He has actually measured music "sound levels" in the sanctuary and found levels at times that exceed OSHA's level for hearing health. Older persons with hearing impairment cannot tolerate loud music as well as the younger He observes that as the level of instrumental music rises, the ability to understand the words drops off dramatically He says, "My point is that if the person listening cannot understand the words, or the words are lost in the sound intensity of the instruments, there is no purpose for any vocalization The message is lost."
Music is for the purpose of sending a message. If the organ in a traditional service depreciates the lyrics or any accompanist blots out the message with intolerable decibels, then perhaps they are out of order. I think Paul's words in Corinthians are apropos While the Corinthian problem was tongues speaking, it applies to music . He said that if people came to church and couldn't understand the message, the speakers were out of order.
QWhat t, tbe rok of r'fH'tUton?
APro-repeaters contend that repetition brings a real consciousness of what is being sung Repetition creates mood. Repetition is "centering down" or creating an atmosphere of receptibility. Moreover, they argue, the repetition of choruses in hymns doesn't seem to bring the same objections.
One anti-repeater cautions about repetitive practices. The "mantra" repetition of short phrases for purposes of "centering down" is a practice of many religions. In most cases, he suggests, the purpose is to numb rather than heighten awareness. A profeSSional musician suggested that repetition and variation are the primary devices of art music. "To achieve the balance between the two so that neither calls attention to itself may be a principle to pursue ." The "Hallelujah Chorus" is an example. "Repetition? Indeed! But the entire form would be compromised if one ' hallelujah' were removed . The structure demands them all." This coherent structure of repetition and variation is missing in most praise songs, he says.
A 60-pluser feels differently. "I love the repetition of singing my heart out in praise to our Lord again and again. I do not tire of that and it strikes me as odd, indeed, that apparently some people do." That agrees with the person who said "choruses are repeated . . . in an effort to have the worshipper really hear and mean the words." A traditionalist sees it differently: "I didn't stay at the adolescent stage of choruses-with simple melody and repetitive words we're going back musically to grade school."
Have a questton 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, 4812 E Butler, Fresno, CA 9372 7
Conclusion? For some the praise song is an invigorating element in worship-and I presume a part of the person's spiritual maturation. For others the praise song is "back to kindergarten ." As believers living in community, we will need to exert special effort in honoring one another in our respective preferences in worship.
ON THE JOURNEY
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Working with Wycliffe
An evening dinner turns into a two-week ministry opportunity.
It's all my friend Ella's fault. She invited my husband and me to attend a Wycliffe Associates banquet at a local hotel in May of last year. This organization is the volunteer support team ofWycliffe Bible Translators Ella and
thinking, "Lord, that's not what I had in mind when I said I wanted to get involved in volunteer work now that I am retired. Papua New Guinea?! Are you sure?!" Eventually, after much thought and prayer, I gave in and sent my application in as a volunteer. her husband were sponsoring one of the ' tables and we were asked to join them. By the time that Thursday evening rolled around I wished I hadn't agreed to go. I was very tired from my week of
Not too long afterward I received a phone call asking if I would be one of the team leaders for that program. Again, that's not what I had in teaching and just wanted to flop into bed and rest. However, we had promised-so we went.
It turned out to be an informative and enjoyable evening The food was good and the company around the table interesting. During the program time one of the speakers said that they were always interested in recruiting retired school teachers to help in their child care programs. Our youth pastor, who was also sitting at our table, turned around and said, "Rose, that's you."
My immediate response was "Forget it!" At that point in my life I was too tired to think of anything else except how to get through the school year, which would be over in a few weeks Then I had retirement on my mind.
As a result of this meeting, our name and address were entered into the Wycliffe Associates database, so several months later we began receiving their newsletter. I scanned through it and saw an ad for team leaders needed for a VBS program in Papua New Guinea (PNG) This country is located in the South Pacific, on the eastern half of the second largest island in the world, just north of Australia. My immediate reaction was, "I don't think so " The next newsletter again had the ad and this time they asked for team leaders and volunteers to assist them I remember
mind, but the Lord did. More thought and prayer followed and eventually I agreed to do that. Earlier, as I thought about volunteer work and short term mission trips, I had decided that I would have to have a special reason for such trips. I would look for work that could not be done by local nationals and would allow me to use my profeSSional training This assignment fit those criteria.
So, Lord willing, I am scheduled to leave for Ukarumpa, PNG, March 21 and return on April 14. There is a team of us from Massachusetts, North Carolina, Idaho, Indiana, Alaska and Kansas-all meeting at the Los Angeles International Airport for the flight to Sydney, Australia. We plan to spend several days there at the Wycliffe guest house getting acquainted and acclimatized to the time change before we fly up to PNG.
We are charged with the responsibility of providing a quality day camp program for two weeks for the Wycliffe missionary children while their linguisttranslator parents gather for their biannual conference This is the largest Wycliffe Branch in the world . We expect to have a total of 170 children to care for. I am the program director for the 120 children from kindergarten
through sixth grade. This means planning the activities, assigning responsibilities and collecting necessary materials. Another volunteer from Alaska is planning for the 50 children two to four years-old.
Our program is a combination Vacation Bible School/Discover/Math-is-Fun day camp. In addition to a Bible study on the life of Moses, we are planning for PE activities, preparing the musical1bis little Light ofMine, lots of crafts, games, puzzles and videos. (Does anyone have the director's manual for the musical we could borrow? It is now out of print.)
Papua New Guinea is home to over 800 different languages. Wycliffe's field arm, called SIL, operates a large Bible translation support community in the highlands there. Services here range from printing, radio communications, computer support, medical clinic, children's school to many more. Translators work in various parts of the country and use Ukarumpa as their home base 'as needed. They can function in a village setting because these support services are available.
The biannual conference our team is going to support is an essential service in the work of Bible translation. This is intended as a time of spiritual renewal and professional interaction for all who attend. Because we provide quality day care for the children, the parents can focus on their own needs and work.
As a team and as conference participants , we need a lot of prayer support. This is vital to the mission of all who will attend and serve. Please pray:
• for unity among the team members .
• for each of us volunteers and the children we will be working with.
• that all flight connections will be made on time and that our luggage will arrive with us.
• for our safety both in travel as well as in the country .
• for good relationships with the Wycliffe missionary families and others we interact with
• that our ministry will be a blessing to the missionary families and that we will be open to receive the blessing God has in store for us
MISSION USA IS STILL
Church Planting and Renewal results in new people following Jesus Christ!
Experiencing a personal God opens door to family music ministry to Hutterites
MBY SHEREE GERIG
ike Waldner and his wife Clara didn't know when--or if-they would ever visit another church. They were young, 30 and 25, and married only a year when they left their home, their friends and their faith behind in a Hutterite colony in South Dakota and moved 120 miles south to Yale, S.D . Their move marked the beginning of a spiritual journey, one that brought them back to the colony- not as residents but as witnesses to the simple truth of salvation through faith in Jesus
Life outside the colony
The Waldners were ill-prepared for
life outside the strictly structured colony. Waldner, a skilled mechanic, began work on a large farm. Clara was at home, alone. The two had to quickly learn how to manage money, shop for groceries and pay the bills.
After lOSing faith in their previous way of life, finding a new spiritual home was not a priority. But after repeated invitations from Mike's employer to visit his congregation at Bethel MB Church, Mike and Clara decided to give it a try Soon, both were attending Sunday school. But the studies and the way in which other members of the class talked about their faith confused the couple as much as budgeting their income
"I remember one guy saying to me, 'The Lord told me last night I need to visit with you and talk with you about your relationship with the Lord,'" says Waldner. "'The Lord talked to you,' I thought. That just absolutely blew me away."
New life begins
Faith within the Hutterite community, for Mike and Clara, meant follOwing the rules.
"Growing up we thought that if we lived in the colony as good Hutterites, obeyed everything the preacher said and went to church every day we would be alright," says Waldner. "We were very uneducated as far as the Gospel. We didn't know we were supposed to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ."
Mike and Clara asked then Bethel MB Pastor Gary Janzen to meet with them, and other family members who'd also left the colony, to help answer their many questions.
''We asked : Who is God? Who is Jesus? Who is the Holy Spirit? What can they do for us?" Mike says. ''We learned the basiCS, about the need to realize you are a sinner and Jesus' sacrifice on the cross ; that he can and will come into your life if you are willing to surrender."
The Waldners began reading the Bible, searching the Scriptures for more clues to this kind of personal relationship with Jesus. Waldner replaced his King James with a modern New Testament translation. They came to Bible study each week with questions. The most perplexing one being, can it be i this simple?
"The whole plan of salvation was so simple, we didn't believe it," Waldner says
Soon, the couple joined another Bible study with a name that promised what the couple desired. The popular "Experiencing God" study helped teach them how to, both literally and spiritually, walk with God.
"One of the lessons asks you to take a walk and praise the Lord out loud and tell him you want a new life. I did that on my tractor," says Waldner "It was through that study that I started sensing God and the presence ofJesus and the Holy Spirit I sensed the Lord take control of my life and change me from the inside. I'd thought that if I could cle an up my life on my own I'd be fine But I realized my heart first needed to change and then the outside would follow "
While Bible studies and budding friendships provided solace for their souls, the Bethel MB community rallied to supply material needs for their home.
"After we left the colony, I had $30 in my pocket," says Waldner. "My boss bought us a trailer house and allowed us to pick it out. People at Bethel made meals and brought them over. They gave us clothes to wear, because we only had colony clothes. One young family had us over a lot and gave us little things we needed, like a frying pan. We just didn't have a lot," he remembers.
To the Waldners this generosity was about as difficult to believe as the message of the gospel. "I asked my employer, 'Are you guys taking this or are you for real?'"
Mike eagerly embraced this new life and Clara soon followed. She found a job at the post office in town and joined a women's study group. But no amount of dinner invitations and helpful hints could match the depth of gratitude the couple felt for the spiritual insight they'd received.
"I just didn't realize how lost I was," Mike says. "I was blind but now 1 see "
A ministry begins
Life within the Hutterite colony forbade many things, including guitars. But that didn't mean Waldner never picked one up.
"''We grew up playing Johnny Cash, Charlie Pride and Hank Williams, Sr. songs," he says.
As life outside the colony began to fall into a new routine, Waldner remembered the joy he experienced from
music So he bought a new guitar. Together with his brothers and Clara's sister, the Waldners played and sang whenever time allowed. Waldner convinced the group to sing at Bethel MB.
"We sing and play country/gospel! bluegrass style, with lots of harmonies and a broad variety of songs," Waldner says. "We're not great. We're not professionals, but that's what a lot of people say they like about us "
The group's warm reception gave Mike an idea. He invited the church members to their house for a potluck BBQ and a concert. The gathering has become an annual event and attendance has grown from 30 the first year to 130 people the next
So Mike set their sights higher. They volunteered to perform at area churches He recalls that their first appearance was at a morning worship service in Howard, S D. They played two songs and were invited to return for a full concert that attracted 120 people.
In the three years since, the Waldners have played for many churches, including most of the MB churches in the area They also made an appearance at the South Dakota State Fair. Bethel MB held a fundraiser to help pay for the family's first CD, published March 2000, which sold about 1000 copies A new recording is scheduled for release inJune 2001.
"Our mission is to make Christ real in people's lives," Waldner says.
Word of the group, their music, testimonyand background has spread to those within the Hutterite community. The family is eager to share their faith
Who are Hutterites?
As HutterItes, Mike and Olara Waldner were among the nearly 40,000 Hut· terltes who live In 400 communal colonies located primarily In the plains states and prairie provinces of the U.S. and Canada
Mennonites and Hutterltes sha a common Anabaptist heritage 80th were
part of a movement In the sixteenth century In parts of Switzerland, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands that emph&sized adult confession of faith, pacifism, a simple lifestyle and the value of church discipline.
MennonItes 0riginated In the Nathe lands and wete named after early leader and
with colonists who are curious, and even suspicious. But they know that undermining the authority of colony leadership can have serious consequences for families who choose to remain a part of the colony community So the Waldners rely on their music as a way to share their trust in Christ alone.
Still, Hutterites have approached the Waldners with questions.
''We'll have people stop by," he says. "Maybe they've heard about us, they've heard a cassette or CD or read an article in the paper, and we'll talk to them We'll say, yes you are a good Hutterite, we were good Hutterites But it's not being a Hutterite that saves you, it's your personal relationship with Jesus Christ."
Sometimes this message is met with the same skepticism Mike and Clara once felt "Some say, 'Oh, you're just saying these things so you can feel good about being out of the colony.' So we encourage them to read the Bible for themselves.
"Sometimes all it takes is a little spark to get someone thinking," says Waldner. "I try never to let someone leave without them knowing what Jesus has done in my life. Maybe a little seed will be planted."
It is not only those within the Hutterite community to whom the Waldners speak. The family urges all that hear their story to focus on the need for a personal relationship with Christ. They relish their assurance of salvation.
It is this assurance Mike and Clara now enjoy, and want others to experience as well. "We don't want other people to miss Jesus." •
fonner Oathollc priest Menno Simons. The Hutterltes became the predominant Au. trlan Anabaptist group and wete named after early leader Jakob Hutter, a hatter by trade who became a gifted evangelist and was tortured and bunted at the stake In 1536
Although Hutterltes were essential-
Iy Anabaptists In their theoi0gicai beliefs, they also believed Ohrlstlans should not own private property and should live c0mmunally, as did, they believe, Jesus and his followers as well as the earty church this commitment to communalllvlng, a c0mmitment they've maintained for mere than 4SO years, sets Hutterltes apart from other Anabaptists
North AmerIcan Hutterltes are descen-
dante of about 435 people who Immigrated to the Dakota Territory from Ukrainian Russia In the 1870&. At that time, most every ethnic Hutterlte left his or her home north of the Black Sea and came to North America The mass migration was made In response to restrictive govemment policies that threatened to destroy traditional Huttertan tellgIous beliefs and cultural practIces.-CF
Relief aid committed to EI Salvador
In addition to funds, MCC commits to housing reconstruction
Ina two-phase response to the Jan. 13 earthquake that left more than 10 percent of EI Salvador's 6.2 million people homeless, Mennonite Central Committee is committing $400,000 and a shipment of material resources for both emergency relief and long-term housing reconstruction
Two MCC alumni will coordinate
the earthquake response, which will include North American Work and Learn teams as early as May. Offers of support are also pouring in from Central American Mennonite churches.
Rebuilding project to begin in May
About $350,000 will go to housing reconstruction, the focus of MCC's long-term response to the disaster.
MCC plans to rebuild 200 to 300 homes over the next two years.
"I was really shocked to see the extent of the damage to housing here," says David Martin, who arrived in San Salvador Feb. 3 to coordinate MCC's earthquake response. "It seems like it's been significantly under-reported by the media."
At least 74,955 homes were destroyed and 110,000 were heavily damaged in the earthquake Martin, of Clymer, N.Y., will use the expertise and connections he acquired coordinating MCC's 1998-2000 response to Hurricane Mitch in Honduras.
MCC is inviting eight to 10 Work and Learn teams to donate time and labor to help rebuild. Lisa Hughes, of Portland, Ore ., and a former MCC worker in EI Salvador, will coordinate Work and Learn teams.
Teams will be limited to eight members and will be scheduled in IO-day to two-week slots. Teams will be organized on a regionaVprovinciallevel. More information about the teams is available from regional MCC offices. Aside from Work and Learn teams, MCC is not calling for short-te,rm North American workers.
"Offers of support are also pouring in from the region," says country corepresentative Byron Peachey. He mentions offers of help from Mennonites in Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, as well as within EI Salvador.
A Honduran organization with which MCC worked in the Hurricane Mitch response offered to send 50 masons if needed, These people learned masonry in the hurricane response and would now like to help others.
Housing reconstruction will be complicated by several factors.
"Land is scarce in EI Salvador," says MCC Latin America assistant director Daryl Yoder-Bontrager. "Many people were living in rented houses or did not have clear title to their land, making it difficult for relief agencies to be able to build new houses for them."
Relief aid continues
MCC began collecting funds for its relief efforts in EI Salvador even before its workers had fully accessed the situation. MCC workers traveled to the regions affected by the quake within days of the disaster and worked with MCC-partner agencies to assess short-
tenn and long-tenn needs
In its initial emergency relie f phase, MCC sent $50,000 for locally-purchased food , clean water and temporary shelter materials for quake victims. MCC d istributed this aid through partner agencies, several of which work in the regions most affected by the quake
MCC is coordinating its efforts with a coalition of other faith-based humanitarian agencies. The Canadian Food Grains Bank has granted up to $100 ,000 for food grains and oil to eight groups in the coalition This money will provide food for 26 ,000 people for about six weeks The coalition h as applied to the Canadian International Development Agency for emergen cy and reconstruction funds
In February, MCC in conjunction with the Worship Cente r Chu r ch of Leo la , Penn ., organized a shipment o f material resources, including 350 relief kit buckets, 1 ,728 combination school!health kits , 3,000 comforters and 1,100 pounds of thennal underwear. All items wer e in stock at the Material Resources Cen ter in Ephrata, Pa .
MCC is accepting contributions for wor k in EI Salvador. Contributions , marked "EI Salvador Earthquake 591 320 19 " on the memo line, can be sent to P.O . Box 500, Akron, Pa . 17 501 . For more infonnation and stories on MCC post-earthquake work, check the MCC webSite , www.mcc.org -from MCC Commun i cations reports
Itinerary and Invitation
NOTE: Dates may be subject to some changes , pending further confirmation of some campaigns
• Team up with national Christians and witness for Christ door-to-door
• Some knowledge of the language of the country is helpful
• Between 800 and 2800 persons have prayed to accept Christ as their persona l Saviour and Lord during a two-week CPE campaign Come and be part of an enrich ing spiritual experience-discover what God can do through you.
For further Information , contact:
Church Partnership Evangelism office : telephone/fax: 604 -864-3941
Peter Loewen (residence) fax : 604-853-6482
Church Partnership Evangelism is a "church -to -church " effort that i nvolves all bornagain Christians in personal evangelism worldwide Your application to partic ipate will be forwarded to the CPE Executive Comm ittee for processing
PETER LOEWEN
CP E E xecutive Director
India receives MCC aid
Christian disaster and development agency ,. provides funds to help earthquake victims
Mennonite Central Committee has sent $330,000 as an initial response to the devastating earthquake that hit Gujarat State in western India in late January
gency food aid which was distributed by MCC's long-time partner in India, CASA, (Church's Auxiliary for Social Action) , the relief and development agency of the Indian Council of Churches.
MCC will provide an additional 1 $300,000 in food aid with the help of The aid includes $30,000 in emer- I the church-based Canadian Foodgrains
Quake hits artisans
While MCC does not have workers in the eastern part of the country devastated by the earthquake, MCC's nonprofit program Ten Thousand Villages was affected by the disaster. Ten Thousand Villages purchases handicrafts from artisans In 30 Third World countries around the world, markets their handicrafts and tells their stories In North America Ten Thousand Villages purchases products from two artisan
groups in eastern India.
Ahmadabad, the largest city in Gujarat State hit by the quake, Is home for about 300 women who sell their embroidery through St. Mary's, a Catholic organization wedged between a slum area and Ahmadabad.
For nearly two weeks after the earthquake, attempts to contact the women were futile, which added to the growing concern among lTV buyers In the U.S.
Bank This food will be available for food-for-work projects during cleanup and reconstruction, mostly in rural areas. All of the food will be purchased locally in India.
"We have a very good Indian partner organization," says Ed Martin, MCC director of CentrallSouth Central Asia programs . "CASA has done this kind of work for 50-some years ."
MCC expects further requests will include the need for additional funding and resources.
"This isn't all MCC will do," Martin said several days after the Jan. 27 quake "We will be hearing from other groups."
In February, J .K. Michael, CASA director, was in the earthquake region assessing the situation. CASA already had emergency teams working to distribute blankets, clothing, food and cooking utensils in the earthquake region .
The quake, which registered 7.9 on the Richter scale, flattened entire cities and towns and may have killed more than 20,000 people Indian government officials say the death toll could rise to 100,000.
While natural disasters affect both rich and poor, many poor families in Ahmadabad , the largest city in the area hit by the quake, escaped the worst damage. Most buildings that collapsed in the city were newer, multistory homes and apartment buildings only wealthier families can afford, reports an MCC team who toured the area in early February.
When a three-person MCC team traveled to Ahmadabad the first week of February, they were relieved to find the artisans unharmed, although some of their homes were damaged. Most of the artisans have been able to continue working from their homes, in fact many were bringing finished pillow covers and picking up new orders when the MCC team arrived.
Women from St. Mary's hand embroider tablecloths, pillow covers, Ch tmas stockings and waH hang. Ings Tiny mirrors are often incorporated Into their
detailed work.
"In many cases, these women provide the only Income fotthe family, tt says nv buyer NaomI Beach, who was a member of the MCC team. Poverty and unet'ftPIoyment have becoIl-..lMllmmajor problems In AhnlacIabaci since the.clty's nuftI8IIo GUS textile mills closed.
According to news reports, damage ... extensive In Ahmadabad, a nI@Ior textile -center of India. l1te Times of India said ne..,ty 1,000 people died, although thousands of oth8IS remain burled beneath rubble -Mee
"It is very dear these buildings collapsed due to poor construction," says Naomi Beach, a buyer with MCC's Ten Thousand Villages, adding that local newspapers and magazines are full of complaints of builder fraud.
The MCC team met with Manjari Bhatt, a woman who lived in Toronto for 16 years before returning to Ahmadabad to care for her elderly mother. Bhatt has been helping 12 families from a collapsed apartment building. Like others, they discovered after the quake that the building's foundation was only 75 centimeters (2.5 feet) instead ofthe required 210 centimeters (7 feet) deep One woman died when the building collapsed, while others were saved when a stair railing caught a toppling concrete wall as they fled down the stairs.
The Hindu caste system has also complicated relief work, MCC workers say. Although outlawed by the Indian government in the 1950s, the centuriesold system still permeates the country. In talking with a doctor from the Christian Medical Association of India, David Gerber, MCC India country co-representative, learned that some upper-caste families have been reluctant to accept help from anyone of a lower caste
Recently, the state of Gujarat, and particularly the city of Ahmedabad, has seen some Hindu persecution of Christians. This area has a very low percentage of Christians and there hasn't been a very hospitable climate for the Christian community. Despite this, Christian ministries and relief organizations located both in and outside of the country are sending aid and relief workers to help the victims of the tragedy.
Individuals interested in sending donations should call MCC toll free at (888) 563-4676. More information about the quake and MCC's response visit is reported at www.m cc .org.
i·/;; 0.: : . :,. MBs escape qua (Sfh:J ' India is home to 72,000 Mennonite Brethren, plus an additional 18,000 other Mennonites, who live for the most part in eastern India and were unaffected by the January earthquake
MBMS International reports that news stories regarding the city of Hydrabad refer to a city in Pakistan, not India . Hydrabad, India, is home to many MBs and their denominational ministries . - MCC, EP news service and Connie Faber
MB women invited to event
Anne Graham Lotz and Eliza beth Dole are keynote ,. speakers at global celebration
·Wnie Bartel of Shafter, Calif , is planning a celebration-one she hopes will bring her Mennonite Brethren sisters closer to Christian women from around the world.
Bartel, of Shafter MB Church, chairs the planning committee for the Global Celebration for Women planned for Sept. 19-21 at the Reliant Park Astrodome in Houston. Speakers Anne Graham Lotz and Elizabeth Dole and contemporary Christian singer Alicia Williamson will headline the event
The goal of the celebration- the largest such event ever sponsored by evangelical women-is to unite 25,000 women from around the world in their commitment and efforts to change the world for Christ
Bartel is a U.S. Conference representative to the National Association of Evangelicals and attended the 1995 United Nation's Fourth World Conference on Women as the chaplain for a 13-member team that represented the Institute of Religion and Democracy
"As a Mennonite Brethren my life, my world, my dreams and goals have been enhanced and enlarged immensely by my involvement in the 'broader' body of Christ, " says Bartel.
Bartel wants other MB women to share that experience and attending this historic gathering is a way to do that . She says women who attend the celebration will find that their concept of and commitment to helping the suffering women around the world will be expanded, as will their commitment to evangelism.
"Many missiologists feel that women are the key to evangelizing the world," says Bartel. "If that is indeed true, it is of vital interest and importance to have many Mennonite Brethren women in attendance. "
The event is sponsored by more than a dozen international women 's organizations, including Campus Crusade for Christ's Women Today; The Salvation Army Women's Organization; World Evangelical Fellowship's Commission on Women's Concerns ; Aglow International;
and Woman's Missionary Union, auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention.
Bartel says working with such a diverse group of people is challenging.
"My Mennonite Brethren background, meaning teaching and upbringing, has taught me much about servant leadership and peacemaking," says Bartel. "Working with the innumerable personalities, religious backgrounds and theological persuasions has forced me to use this training on a moment-by-moment basis."
Organizers want every woman who participates in the event to celebrate God and his faithfulness to women, become educated about and involved in meeting the needs of women around the world, expand their concept of and commitment to evangelism and help them have a global vision of how God is working among women.
"Most every one of the leaders in the partnering members had felt the call of God to unite women in the body of Christ in some manner to honor God and to rally the church to give encouragement to the suffering women around the world," says Bartel, director of the Commission for Women's Concerns for the World Evangelical Fellowship.
"We are convinced that this opportunity for international relationship building, networking and strategizing is necessary to start a new global women's movement-a movement where women feel the empowerment of God to transform cultures for Christ
"We also want to provide a new message about women's liberation," Bartel says 'The secular voice has been the most vocal-often misguided-voice for the needs of women As members of the Christian community, it is time we join together to bring the love of Christ and authentic Christian freedom to women in the world "
For registration fees and information, visit www.g1obal celebration.org; e-mail, WIT270@lightspeed net or write Global Celebration for Women, PO Box 362, Shafter, CA 93263 The early registration deadline is April 1 with registration costs increasing again after June 15, Sept 1 and for on-site registration -CF
PBS profiles MB church
Oklahoma station's interfaith documentary ,.. features Enid MB Church
Randy Hamm's sports loving friends shocked him when they said they'd seen his congregation featured on Oklahoma's PBS television station.
Prone to sun sports channels on weekends, they seemed unlikely to watch a documentary on religion, he says.
Hamm, a member of Enid MB Church, discovered some of his neighbors had seen the hour-long PBS documentary called "Faith of Our Neighbors" which profiled the MB congregation in Enid. The documentary highlighted six religious groups in the state, including the MB congregation, an Amish community, Muslims, Buddhists, two Russian Orthodox churches, a Benedictine Catholic monastery and a Messianic group.
"Here were guys you expected to be watching football or basketball, telling me they'd watched a show on the educational channel," says Hamm, EMBC moderator who was interviewed for the lO-minute segment of the program which aired four times in late November and December.
"They are the last ones I expected to see it," says Hamm. "But you just never knowwhat'U happen when when you do something like this."
Hamm isn't the only church member to be surprised by events that unfolded in telling their story. A PBS crew spent six hours Nov 1 filming interviews and the church's Wednesday night supper, choir practice and youth activities
Garvie Schmidt, Enid MB senior pastor also featured on the show, says he was surprised PBS wanted to use the congregation after he told them MBs weren't a plain group
"When I explained to producer Billey Rodely that we weren't what she thought we were-like the Amish, who are conservative in dress and outward appearance-I thought she would change her mind," Schmidt says .
"Instead, she became even more excited about filming us. She said a Mennonite group that didn't fit the stereotype could educate people and
change their perceptions.
"She also felt that featuring us could provide a good contrast to the Amish."
Rodely, one of the producers of "Stateline," a monthly PBS feature highlighting Oklahoma's people, places and issues, says filming dissimilar groups from the same Anabaptist family educated her and her viewers.
"It was really fun doing this project because a lot of people think the Mennonites are just like the Amish, with the long beards and black buggies," Rodely says.
"But here we were, filming a Mennonite guy [Hamm] who is a car dealer selling Cadillacs."
In the film, Rodely and her crew placed the MBs directly after the Amish I to compare their views on technology and dress. But this contrast was only one aspect of MBs that touched her
"We found the congregation and its people really impressive," says Rodely. "What hit us greatly was the youth and , how involved those kids were and also the cohesiveness of the group.
"It was so multicultural, too, as we discovered when we interviewed another gentleman [Mike Dutton] and his Asian wife."
Holly Dutton, a Vietnamese who grew up in a Buddhist background, had converted to Christianity many years ago.
"[The congregation] serves so many age groups without being stodgy," Rodely says "It doesn't bend its faith to please everyone, but they really open their hearts and open their faith to accept people from many different backgrounds "
Rodely's praise isn't cause for the congregation to bask in pride, says Schmidt. What she saw is the fruit of God's renewing work. After reassessing the church's core values and its ministries, the congregation has refocused its ministries to reach out more to the wider community and the unchurched, he says.
This includes befriending newcomers at Vance Air Force Base and inviting
them to church; reaching unchurched parents by building relationships with their children through youth programs; and providing two Sunday worship services, including contemporary and traditional styles.
About 260 people attend Sunday morning services and the church is growing.
"This documentary was a good chance to present ourselves to the community," Schmidt says. "Perhaps it can help people who are hesitant about attending our church to come and see who we are, to see that we desire to serve all people."
Schmidt emphasizes that they serve because Christ serves them through his love and fOrgiveness.
"I tried to communicate that our focus is not on the outward appearance, but on our hearts and how faith in God is based on a personal relationship to Jesus Christ," he says.
The biggest surprise for Mike Dutton, a computer sales person and a junior high youth leader at EMBC, came after the documentary aired.
"A gentleman I didn't have much contact with started talking to me about the documentary and church issues," he says. "He told me his wife went to church but that he didn't and wasn't sure he ever would.
"But I encouraged him to realize that people aren't crazy because they choose to go to church, that the whole world doesn't have to stop if he tries it," says Dutton. "I invited him to come. I don't know if he will. But at least he didn't shut me out. It seemed to open up some good discussion."
Being discussed in a documentary along with people from other faiths stretched Hamfu. sdme.
"It does make oile feet a: little bit odd, being on a show WITh other faiths," he says "But then, maybe they felt a little odd being on the same show with us."
Opening up dialogue between people of all faiths in Oklahoma was one of Rodely's goals. In the process, Rodely, who belongs to the Disciples of Christ, also gained a deeper appreciation for Mennonites and others.
"It helped me see that we all need to open up our eyes and look next door to our neighbors who we hardly know or who are different from us," she says
"We can see that we have something in common with someone else, that we have some resources to share with someone " -by Laurie Oswald, reprinted by permission from the Mennonite Weekly Review
ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE
David L. Hofer, a member of the Dinuba Mennonite Brethren Church, tells how God led in his life, in preparing him for spiritual activities and services. God allowed him to start the first Christian Gospel Supply store and FM radio station in his city; cofound the Hume Lake Christian Camps in Central California; co·own the Fres· no Bible 'Itouse cofound the First Radio Station in the Nation He was elect· h A J J& ed to serve of the National Religious Broadcasters and The Gideons International.
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A Month of Sundays provides just that-a month's worth of Earle W. Fike Jro's best Sunday sermons in thirty-some colorful, inspiring chapters. These are narrative sermons of unusual character and power.
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"Fike has done a wonderful job of creating a devotional reading collection that is Bible-based and deeply thoughtful."-June Alliman Yoder, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
288 pages, $14.99
MCC I8le comes off Texas style
Texan MB reflects on the first Mennonite Central ,.. Committee sale held in South Texas
As Feb 10 finally came upon us, both the planners and sale volunteers were anxious and excited to see how the day would unfold People were coming together to share their faith with others and we prayed that all would tum out in accordance to God's will. This group of organi.ze(S and volunteers are an active community of people who care about other and who want to JJW<e a difference along with all our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world
We had initially intended to start off the "ale at 9 :00 a m but thipgs started bustling for us at about 8 :00 a m We had quite a kw early bird shoppers out at the Ten Thousand Villages and crafts items section of our site and just btowsing around to see what in the auct,ion room
We started offwith a pancake breakfast. Several Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren COJlgregations came together and sold dif· , krent kinds of traditional Mexican foods including menud6, tamales and fajita tacos. Abig hit was the specialty "Mexican Plate," that included catoe gutsada, beans and rice. We also had homemade goodies, ranging from grapefruit, strawberry, pecan and shoofly pies to cookies, cupcakes, candied apples and homemade candy We included the famous
American hot dog which was its regular success. Rio Grande Valley oranges and grapefruit were also included in the sales.
We started our auction at 9 :30 a .m ., and continued it throughout the day. Sincewe live in South Texas and the majority of the people in this area are Hispanic, our committee decided that instead of initiating our auction with the traditional homemade loaf of bread,. our first auction item would be a dozen homemade flour tortillas,
whiCh were sold for $50. Our auction held more than 250 different items from quilts, pictures, pieces of crystal, WQ9den toys and crafted furniture to old Gennan records . We also had the Brownsville Rivera High School Mariachi student group play for us, whiCh added a Mexican twist to the event
To make things a little more interesting for our younger spectators, we
included a 32-foot rock-cUmbing wall, along with some different children's activities , which took place inside the Iglesia Menonita Duenas Nuevas Church
We also painted several soda pop cans yellow and wrote infurmation about the laos Bombie Removal Project and spread them throughout the relief sale site to draw awareness to how people are still dying and being maimed by these land mines To make people aware of different issues, the Projecto Uberta de Harlingen loaned us a banner of all the immigrants who have died along our Texas border
The sale generated $20,617 17 The committee is already praying and planning for the second Mennonite Relief Sale in the Valley area for the year 2002
We are extremely grateful forall the help, advice , , time and effort that we received from several Wmret Texans, who migrate to South Texas for the winter, and to the Houston relief sale organizers who made a special trip to sit side by side with us and walk us through our first sale This act of kindness made a great impression on our hearts and we truly appreciate their humble attitude and the spirit of kindness that we felt throughout the day
As beginners, we still have a lot to learn and we to for all their ,h¢lp, prayers and support The LQrdibwugftt many people from a.J.IVt!iV€f.''iliat dayto work \ "" ,together in Christ 's name and we + praise God for that. ...:..."'Rutb Salinas, member of La Grulla MB Church
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN DISTRICT MEMBERS ELECTED
New Tabor College board members named
David Brown of Omaha, Neb., Elaine Kroeker of Bingham Lake, Minn., and Janis Haynes of Owasso, Okla., have been named to the Tabor College Board of Directors.
Brown was elected by the Central District Conference to serve a four-year term. He is a TC graduate and is a personnel officer for the State of Nebraska Health and Human Services System. He is a member of Faith Bible Church in Omaha and is a current member of the Central District Conference church planting committee.
The CDC also elected Kroeker to a four-year term on the board . She is a graduate of Tabor and also received a master's degree from Kansas State University. She currently teaches grades 59 at Neuhof Hutteqi te Middle School, Mt. Lake, Minn. Krc ' is a member of CarsonMB
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6UIl/alSua/aH
'6n9' i
pastor
family
A fter a ..," ''W'J/'"I Civil war in his homeland prompted dian pastor Jean Kitata to stay in North Kitata was America and tackle the with his wife and two difficult task of bringyoung sons this past fumily to CanaAugust. In 1997, Kitatat 1999, an ordained pasto,! ,. the Conferenc Churches in
Kitata became the first Congolese to pastor a Mennonite Brethren church in North America when he was called to serve Saint-Jerome Church near Montreal, Quebec. A year later, the Saint-Jerome congregation was on hand 4ltthe airport when . , Kitata was - •• leUnited with his .filnUly. - MB Herald
NEWS FROM THE MENNONITE BRETHREN WORLD
Haynes was appointed by the board to serve a two-year term Haynes received her bachelor's degree from Langston University. She worked for a number of years in commercial and residential interior design For the past three years she has been in the real estate business. Haynes is an active member of Westport MB Church, Collinsville, Okla.
Tabor College, located in Hillsboro, Kan , is owned by the SDC,CDC, Latin America MB Conference and North Carolina Conference and is reptlJ resented on the gboard by members of those districts .Tabor College news release
LIFE STORIES PUBLISHED
: Two new books telling the life story of two Mennonite Brethren have recently been published. Act:epIIng the Challenge, the autobiography of David L Hofer, tells the story of Hofer's involvement in establishing Christian book and religious supply stores, the first commercial religious radio station in the nation and in founding Hume Lake Christian Camps of Central Califomia. Challenge Books of Reedley, Calif, published this book by Charlyn Bridges. Italy, I.lIInd of liealt:hlng "..". by Evelyn Stenbock-Ditty is the story of pioneer missionaries Art and Erma Wiens. Art opened the work of Gospel Missionary Union in northem Italy after World War II and he and his wife worked for 50 years in the city of Modena using tract distribution, Bible sales, InterVarsity groups, Christian hospitality, radio and home Bible studies to bring individuals to Christ. Christian Focus Publications, Ltd., of Scotland released this book. Wiens lives in Modena where he retired after his wife's death in 1996. -CF
chi ldre n w as offe r ed fo r th ree consecut ive wee k ends beg inning Feb 23 The i nstructors were Joel and Nadya Cripe w ith Ch i ld Evange li sm Fe llowsh i p
WICHITA. Kan . (First MB)--O n Jan 19, Sunday morning voluntee r wor kers were treated t o an an nual mid -winter supper provided by the Kids Ministry Team.
Workers
CORDELl. Okl a (Bible MB)-Kevin Creed will be se rvi ng as inter im pastor through May 2001 He is currently n ight nurse superv isor at Heritage Village.
HAYS, Kan. (North Oak Co mmuni· ty)-A ce r emony of blessing and p r ayer was held Feb 25 for associate pastor Pat Coyle, who was affirmed by the Faith and Life Commission as an o r dained MB minister. The Coyles have accepted the call to serve the Shafter (Calif ) MB Church an d will move to California this month.
HIWBO RO, Kan . (Par kview)Cord Werth was installed as youth pasto r Feb 4
DELFT, M i nn (Carson M B)-Pastor
ART
MCDONALD GAVE
Joh n and Anita Klassen arrived Jan 30 and he preached his first sermon Feb. 4 answer ing the question, "Who is John Klassen?" The service w as followe d by a pot luck meal. Klassen was installed Feb. 25.
GETTYSBURG, SD (Grace Bible)The congregation hosted the Central District pastors and w ives retreat Jan 9-11 Congressman John Thune and f o r mer district m inister Clint Grenz we re the speakers.
Deaths
FISCHER, TENA ROSELLA, Los Angeles, Calif , was bo rn Nov 19, 1920, to John and Tena Quiring at Henderson, Neb., and died Sept 19, 2000, at the age o f 79 On May 19, 1956, she wa s married to Floyd F. Fischer who predeceased her. She is survived by a son, Robert and wife Ann of Pleasanton, Calif ; a daughter, Linda of Los An g eles; two sisters, Martha and husband Melvin Nikkel of Bakersfield and Ann of Shafter, Calif ; and two grandchildren.
JOST, SUSIE WOHLGEMUTH, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of Parkview MB Church, Hillsboro, was born Feb. 18, 1905, to Franz and Aganetha
Regehr Wohlgemuth near Hillsbor o and d ied Fe b 1,2001, at the age of 95 On Oct 6, 1928, sh e was ma rri ed to Jo h n B Jost who p r edeceased her She is survived by two sons, Kenney and wife Jean of Hillsboro and John W and wife Sue of Cedarville, Calif ; two daughte rs, Virg i nia and husband Henry Bestvater of Newton, Ka n ., a n d M argaret a nd husband Joe l Enns of Fol som, Ca lif .; two sisters- i n-l aw, W i lm a Ep p of Hillsbor o and Lo is Wohlg emuth of New York; 10 grandch i ldren and 13 g r eat grandchildren
PANKRATZ. RUTH RUBY, Hillsboro, Kan , a membe r of Hillsboro MB Ch urch, was born March 12, 1917, to Abraham E. and M inn ie Fr antz Pankratz at Du r ham, Kan ., an d d ied Jan. 19, 2001 , at the age o f 83 On Mar ch 28, 1939, she was m arr ied t o Harry Pan kratz who surv ives She is also survived by two sons, Richard and w ife Phyllis and Herbert a n d wife Trudy; one daughter, Ruby and husband Paul ; on e brother, Paul; four sisters, Marine, Dorot hy, Althea, and Luella; fou r g r andch i ldren and three great g r a n dch il dren.
PENNER, ANNA. Reedley,Calif , of Reedley M B Chu rch, was born Apr il
LIFETIME OF SUPPORT TO MB UNIVERSITY
Life of service benefited alma mater
r-resno Pacific University lost r a strong supporter with the death of Art McDonald In early January.
McDonald served as a member of the FPU Foundation board since 1994 and was a contributor to many projects He and his wife Barbara served as co-chalrs of the "Building Our Community" capital campaign and were Instrumental In the building of McDonald Hall, the adminIstration, office and classroom building that bears their name
The entire McDonald family are FPU alumni. Art graduated In 1972 having studied social science. Barbara graduated In 1992 with a major In management and human resources Both their daughter Deborah (McDonald) Eirich (Class of '88) and son John (Class of '93) majored In social work.
McDonald eamed a master's In social work from California State University, Fresno, and eventually eamed credentials as a licensed clinical social worker and marriage, family, child counselor.
Many benefited from Art's desire to serve. After working as a youth pastor, In 1977, he founded his first halfway house
for community corrections. By the time of his 1994 ret.... mant he had started 17 such facilities throughoUt the United States for edults and Juveniles. He began both Eclectic Communications Inc and Intematlonal Self-Help Se vices Inc.
McDonald's efforts to help others didn't stop with his employment He chaired the University of Sioux Falls (S.D. ) University board and belonged to the school's tIon board In addition, he served on the boards of North Amarlcan Baptist Seminary Leadership Foundation and Carroll Institute and was past president of the Internatlqnal Halfway House Association
McDonald, of Sioux Falls, S.D., died Jan 4, at the age of 58 He was born to Fay and Myrtle Stewart McDonald at Visalia, Calif He Is survived by his wife, two children, one daughteHn-Iaw, one son-In-law, five grandchildren and two sisters.
The family hosted a "GoIng Home" ceIebratlon Jan 9 In Sioux Falls Where Art and Barbara moved In 1992. The couple attended Oak Hills Baptist Church - FPU news release
24, 1906, to Gerhard and Anna Friesen Klippenstein at Omsk, Russia, and died Jan 16, 2001 , at the age of 94. On July 16, 1928, she was married to Peter Penner who predeceased her She is survived by three sons, Pete and wife Ruth, George and wife Linda, and Vic and wife Connie of Reedley, Calif ; four daughters, Anne Rempel and Marilyn and husband Dennis Regier of Reedley, TIna and husband Tony Peterson of Fresno, Calif., and Janet and husband Cecil Hill of Clovis, Calif.; one brother, Pete Klippenstein of Dinuba, Calif ; one brother-in-law, Nick and wife Mary Friesen; one sister·in-Iaw, Selma Klippenstein, 39 grandchildren and 33 great grandchildren.
REIMER, PAUL. Reedley, Calif , a member of Reedley MB Church, was born Feb. 22,1916, to Jacob and Susie Reimer at Dallas, Ore , and died Jan. 22, 2001, at the age of 84 On April 2, 1944, he was married to Esther Huwa, who predeceased him He is survived by three daughters, Jane and husband Johnie Thomsen of Kingsburg, Calif , Carol and husband TIm Leppke of Reedley, and Laurie and husband Tim Franz of Fresno, Calif ; one brother, Ruben of Evans, Colo.; nine grandchildren and one great grandchild.
SCHELLENBERG, LAWRENCE , Shafter, CA. a member of Shafter MB Church, was born March 2,1928, to George F. and Matilda Dick Schellenberg at Waldheim, Sask., and died Jan. 24, 2001, at the age of 72 On Sept 4,1951, he was married to Roberta Kruger who survives He is also survived by one son, Robert and w ife Cindy; three daughters, lauretta Voth, Elaine and husband Kevin Bergman, and Rachel and husband Doug Harrison; three brothers, Ernest. and Ben; three sisDora Wirshe, and six grandnear 2000, at the age of 93. On 15, 1931, he to Edna Harder Who 'predeceased him He was married to Viela Suderman who survives : He is also survived by three sons, Art and wife Harri et, Ron and wife Sharon, both of Hillsboro, and Dale of Chicago, III.; one daughter, Elva of Hillsboro; three stepsons, Jim and wife Elaine of Hillsboro, Randy and wife Ginger of Morena Valley, Calif , and Curtis and wife Diane of Lexington, NC; one sister, Esther Hiebert of Hillsboro; one sister-in - law, Vera Harder of Hillsboro; eight grandchildren, seven step grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, one step great grandchild, and one great great grandchild.•
Clearinghouse
Have a position to fill? Looking for a new employment or ministry
Have a gather!ng or to Reach U.S Mennonite Brethren through a Clearinghouse classified ad. The charge IS 46 cents per word, with a $15 minimum. Withhold payment until an invoice is received. MB institutions advertising vacancies or position announcements may be eligible for a no-cost ad. Contact the editor for more information
EMPlOYMENT--cHURCH
Children's pastor
Neighborhood Church, a growing church of 800 people (including 150 kids) in Visalia, CA is looking for a full-time Children ' s Ministry director (infants-6th grade) who models a love relationship with Jesus Christ and is passionate about developing children into fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The ideal candidate is a people person with formal education and/or experience, gifts in leadership, administration, and teambuilding Send resumes to Neighborhood Church, Attn: Pastor Steve Harms, 5505 W Riggin Ave., Visalia, CA 93291. Phone (559) 7329107. Fax (559) 732-0051. Email: steveh@Valleyweb.net
Full time or bi-vocational pastor
United at the Cross Community Church (UCQ in Wichita, Kan., is seeking a full time or bi-vocational pastor. UCC is a multiethnic, urban church plant born 5 years ago out of a partnership between World Impact and the Southern District MB Conference. The church has 33 active members and an average attendance of 50-60 We are looking for a pastor who is called by God and has a passionate love for Christ's church in all its diversity We are looking for a pastor who is gifted in teaching and preaching God's word, who is serious about a personal prayer life and prayer in the life of the church, and who longs to stir up God's people to be the light of Christ in a hurting community, Direct all resumes or inquiries to Marlene Ewert, 2404 W. Crawford, Wichita, Kan. 67217; (316) 944-0968, cmewick@hotmail.com.
Pastor of worship
The Westport Mennonite Brethren Church is seeking a full-time pastor who would give 60% of their time overseeing and leading our worship services and directing our adult choir; and 40% of their time overseeing another of our ministries: adult ministries, children's ministries, or missions/evangelism We are a suburban church located in Owasso-Collinsville, OK, part of the Tulsa metro area. We are a congregation of over 300 people living in one of the fastest growing areas of Oklahoma. You can send your resume to: Search Committee, 11600 N Garnett Road, Collinsville OK 74021; e-mail dfroese@gmx.net; 918-371 -2505
Senior pastor
Topeka Mennonite Brethren Church, a growing evangelical congregation of approximately 140, is seeking a senior pastor. Our mission is to be "a vibrant community of faith and love, dedicated to passionately knowing and making known the hope and relevance of Jesus Christ." The candidate should have a passion for people, strong
leadership and teaching skills, and the ability to disciple and develop leaders. Direct all resumes or inquiries to: Pastoral Search Committee, Topeka Mennonite Brethren Church, 7620 SW 21st Street Topeka Kansas 66615; phone (785) 4782929; e-mail friesendsgn@earthlink.net
Youth pastor
Youth Pastor position open in an exciting, growing church. Enid Mennonite Brethren Church, Enid, OK, is seeking a Youth Pastor who will be responsible for organizing and coordinating the ministries to junior high, senior high, and college/career young adults For a complete job description contact the church at: enidmb@enid. com; call (580) 234-1698; fax resume to (580)2343625; or send resume to Enid Mennonite Brethren Church, 2500 N. Van Buren, Enid, OK, 73701.
EMPLOYMENT-EDUCATION
Athletic Trainer Br Physical Ed Instructor
Tabor College is seeking a full-time Head Athletic Trainer and Physical Education instructor Responsible for training services for all sports and for providing leadership (including teaching one course per semester) for the Athletic Training concentration within the PE major Master's degree, NATA certification, and one year of supervising student trainers required. Must understand and support the mission of an evangelical Christian college (refer to www tabor edu) and be able to articulate a personal Christian commitment. Send letter of application, vita, official transcripts and names of three references to Dr. Karol Hunt (karolh@tabor edu), Physical Education Department Chair, Tabor College, Hillsboro KS 67063 Position open until filled.
Conflict Transformation Br International Devel. Canadian Mennonite University seeks a candidate for a full-time faculty position for September 2001 in Conflict Transformation Studies and International Development Studies. CMU seeks candidates committed to excellence in teaching and research in interdisciplinary perspectives in both international development and conflict transformation Candidates who are qualified in only one of these areas may also be considered Ph.D. in related field, and commitment to educat i on in an Anabaptist-Mennonite context is required; field experience is desirable. CMU is a liberal arts university, formed in 1999 as an association of Canadian Mennonite Bible College, Concord College and Menno Simons College in Winnipeg, Manitoba. CMU is committed to being a center for careful reflection on the integration of faith and life. Through Menno Simons College, CMU offers undergraduate majors in
international development studies and conflict resolution/transformation studies, both on its own campus, and in association with the University of Winnipeg. Processing of applications will begin March 1, 2001. Submit applications to: Dean E; Peachey, Academic Dean, Menno Simons College, 380 Spence St , Winnipeg, Mani·toba Canada R3B 2E9. For further information, www cmu.caordpeachey@cmu.ca.
Leadership, Political studies and Sociology
Canadian Mennonite University is seeking faculty for tenure track positions for September 2001 in the following three areas: Leadership Studies, Political Studies, and Sociology. For detailed information about these positions, please see our website: www cmu ca All openings are subject to budgetary approval. CMU encourages both women and men to apply CMU is an association of three Mennonite colleges in Winnipeg, Manitoba, committed to the biblical faith and rooted in the AnabaptistlMennonite tradition
Senior Accounting Clerk
MBMS International, the global mission agency of Mennon ite Brethren churches in the U.S. and Canada, seeks a full time Senior Accounting Clerk in Fresno, CA. Requirements include several years of experience in a computerized office environment; bachelor'S degree to be given preference; ability to understand and manipulate automated integrated accounting software, spreadsheets, word processing and database programs (specifically Great Plains Dynamics and Microsoft Office) and familiarity with MS Windows in a network environment. Responsibilities include: cash depOSits and transfers, donor database maintenance, office management, benefits administration. Pay: hourly wage $11.05 - $16.85 per hour. Complete benefit package. Please send resume and name of pastor to: Director for Finance & Support Services, MBMS International, 4867 E Townsend Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727-5006 ; fax 559-251-1432; e-mail mbmsi@mbmsinternational.org.
EMPLOYMENT-RETIREMENT HOMES
CEO
Tel Hai Retirement Community in Honey Brook, Penn., seeks CEO. Requirements include Christian commitment, endorsement of Mennonite values, five years senior leadership experience. Send inquiries to Kirk Stiffney, Mennonite Health Services, 234 S. Main Street, Suite 1, Goshen, IN 46526 or fax to (219) 534- 3254 or e-mail to info@mhsonline.org.
Knowing the enemy-and knowing God
Afew years ago, I saw one of the many films Hollywood churns out about angels and demons. It was an unmemorable film-strictly B movie fare. It had the foibles of most Hollywood ftlms that try to capture spiritual beings and themes. It was pretty far off the mark, but it did get me thinking.
Set in modern day, the main plot centered on a powerful fallen angel and his minions who are looking for the soul of a depraved man and the struggle of another angel to make sure that they don't find it. A police detective-who had almost become a priest in his youth-stumbles on the evil quest and also fights to stop the fallen angels.
The movie definitely lacked a believable plot and Oscar-winning performances, and it made the usual Hollywood mistakes. God and Jesus-though mentioned and revealed to have ultimate power in the end-were not present throughout most of the film. The plot revealed a Peretti-like concept of the spirit world minus the need for human beings to rely on God for their protection or strength in spiritual warfare. There's no meaningful development of the need for a Savior or personal relationship with God. I could go on and on.
But I have to admit that the movie did a few things really well. The angels-fallen and unfallen-were not the friendly beings made popular by films like City of Angels or It's a Wondeiful Life. You wouldn't want to run into these beings if you had a choice. I could suddenly understand why people in the Bible were afraid when they encountered one. Also, it effectively communicated that there is another dimension to our lives besides the one we can hear, smell, touch and see. Our world coexists with a spiritual one, as evidenced by Daniel, Elijah and John in the Bible.
But more than that, the movie put some things into perspective about Satan. The most powerful of the fallen angels, Lucifer makes an appearance towards the end of the movie. He doesn't come with an army of demons, but subtly and in the dark. He's clever, seductive and dripping with disdain for humanity. Human beings-"talking monkeys," as he calls them-are unworthy of God's attention or love. Satan has an eternal, seething anger towards human beings and wants each and every one of them for his own.
This portrayal of Satan got me thinking about some common mistakes that we make about our enemy.
• Satan is a created being. I hate to admit it, but seeing our enemy portrayed as an angel was a shock. I'd fallen into thinking of him as a being more like God-with the unlimited powers of God.
But Satan is a created being, a fallen angel capable of being defeated. After the disciples returned from their appointed mission, Jesus told them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from
heaven" (Luke 10:18). Paul tells us that we have knowledge of his schemes (2 Cor. 2:11) and knowing them will keep us from being outwitted by him.
Also, Satan is ultimately defeated by Jesus. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work" (1 John 3:8). "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Col. 2:15) .
• Satan hates us. While he is only a created being, Satan is powerful. He is clever and seductive and he harbors a seething hatred for us-a lethal combination. At our very beginning, he undertook to alienate us from God by tempting Eve to doubt God (Gen. 3). Later, he sought to alienate God from us Gob 12). He still stands as the accuser, striving to separate man and God. His hateful desire is insatiable-he is likened to a "roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8).
• Satan is real. One of the strengths that the fallen angels had in this movie was the fact that no one really believed they existed. One of the common ideas I run into is that, while people may believe in God, many pooh-pooh the notion of Satan. By denying his existence, or underestimating his rabid desire to separate us from God, we give Satan a strong foothold in our lives.
• God is present and more powerful. One thing the movie didn't do, however, was illustrate the pervasive and powerful presence of God in our daily lives. The ftlm presented a world where human beings were only bystanders or pawns in a war between fallen angels and angels. God was a faraway, non-personal entity that intervened only in the end.
This worldview is dangerous. It puts too much emphasis on and gives too much power to Satan. Christians hold a similar view when they become too consumed or enraptured with the idea of fighting Satan and demons. Their eyes stray off Jesus and fix on Satan. It is through their strength they fight rather than God's.
There is a popular prayer in evangelical circles called "The Prayer ofJabez." Taken from 1 Chron. 4:9-10, the simple prayer goes, "Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil." In a book with the same title as the prayer, Bruce Wilkinson points out the Similarity of the last part of this prayer with Jesus' instruction on how to pray: "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matt. 6:13).
"Nothing about spiritual inSight or special powers," writes Wilkinson of Jesus' instruction. "Not a word about confrontation .... As we move deeper into the realm of the miraculous, the most effective war against sin that we can wage is to pray that we will not have to fight unnecessary temptation. And God offers us his supernatural power to do just that."-CA
"' H ' o ,w '" t o-, fu ,n ,d
ON 'STEWARDSHIP
,
YOU ,R ·· ENDOWMENT
ON THE INSIDE:
A Word from Ron
An introduction to Ron Sorensen, Planned Giving Advisor for MB
Interview with FOundation Board
Member Dan Ray
200Years
,From Now...
A personal testimony in your estate plan • I',
, nly rich can create endowment,s :" Has this ," ' " thought kepfyou ftom considering the ,creation of , ' your 'own 'Meppomte Brethren er'rlQwnient , Jund? tf so, the next few paragraphs rtiay cp.ange your min!;l. You'll discover'that nearly anyone, wtth ;'alittle planning, can ', establish an endowment; " ," ' ' ;, ' ,_ , ,
' ., Right' up-front, YOQ to' know;that' ' ; I , Mennonite requ'iresa tninlffiuinQf $1 0 to ' ' endowment. , ,This may : , lotofinoney; but C'Ori 7 > si!ier tl)ese rivtions. . ,.J :
DO ' IT ' NOW : ' 'folks to , , ,' " , " tlidt endo'wments ' so C:8;n 'enjoy watching them ' ' ID:,e, ', ' ; . ' 1. is:, ,. , possibie : aut , fall ttrrough ' an :inheritarice ot ,the proceeds " '," " ' . from 'the sale 'Qf a'-valuable :; ." '. IVinay also help.fu'l to 'know "" .' ,:: , Fotindation permits 00001:' to fuQd an endowmerit over a several ' , yeat period, gifts -over years may aiso ,,'" " . benefits for you : " , " ', , ' .',' ,'" , " ." ,
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n 1997, I was challenged" by Ron Blue, George Barna, and ,Brian Kluth, , (past president' of the '
, ' Association -CSA) at the " anllual CSA convention. , " These men presented facts and
trends a\Jout how modem day ' Cln1.stiaris, 'you and me, ' dIe 'OJr They did not · appropriate and clearly Ood's have' gOQd news to share. It , leaqing. ' Additionally, fam was theCSA blessed with a very 'under- :' . vention that ,God was stirring , startdii;lg ahp. committed , my thoughts ,about helping ' ' wom'an of in my wife, , belie,vers in ri\eitfinllficial Carol. She truly has been my arena: ; ten "belper'" in this, , years as aq advJsQr for a opportunity fbr miQis.try. :,' , ' national financial service com- . ' ",' , ' pany" I Ichew it, was time to "" My Foundatioh has a respond to "Grid's. igea. ' , dual a ste'YardshipF " ' .. , pla;rmed giving advisor. , me Wi(hin my seciirar , to teach,mehtor , the of advising peoprearid advise God's ,p¢6ple"in the , wIthout bying able to tie the ' prtnclples , principles of stewardship to ' will be a llobk for- : their firtanciaI plan was always ' givJngWlll , , and usually ' " allow me,to ,relate my past ;
"A Word ',"" from " R on ...
, heiieve God ,pardoI).s lack of vision, ignorance, or prQGrastination .
Helping our' MB ,dis- " COVf<tGod's way of b<illdliI).g , finances will produce 'a ,greater. and gen- ' erosity. "in turn, God ,will " ' \ , low on His Promises' :' :and bJes§ings.lHs wher( 'our vision" beliefs and aotions ' , align with ,fiji 'perspective, ' , that'theresults will be incredible: , Those you want 'God's best, please , contact the Fouil:datioh for , ' mQre details. , ", ' .'a dil¢mma; ,The frequency of ' ' yxperien,ces by helping others , con'lpromising 'tit)' biblical .' realize 'thattheir: financial " Jesus says if perfectly " beliefsfor work ' ,,', . Mark 4' (The Message), . , ,with, my Clients doe$.n0t have to erid at their ' carefully to ' what Iarii, ",its !91l; The JpY 'iIi. my work " . The ;sad parJ;:is. i4ete -' saYiQ-g .: and be ,wary of the " , QPportu- , ' are SO, feW: people wh.O',Gesh-e , shrewd advice thattells you .nity to, pal1TIer with Mennonite '; to' make the smart ,'" h<;>k hi , ' ' ' ,while still,call., ldori't , on' yo!!r oWri: Giving, not-get- " , ting1 .i& -the' ,
"The amount of rnoney you have has nothing to do with financial security or contentment. Neither can satisfaction be found ill wise investments, carefu I budgets, or debt-free Iivi ng. Instead the secret to financial freedom and joy is directly linked to one thing: the willingness to be generous with what you have."
(ROil BluC' ill CC17crous Living l Ollclcrvall I C)97 ) ,1 '
" ,begets: generosity, '" irppoverishes.;' " The question , ,: is, ,wiil-you ,be :gener9us ':, ':; . , qr Wril ' you ' be a' gIver or ,wW you be
':1 lookJorward to the task ' for each of us 'to aclpe.ve the:freedorp.an<;l JOY ' , ' , ,God " ' "
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with Fou ndation Board Member
Dan Ray
Dan Ray, Fresno, CA, was recently appointed to Mennonite Brethren Foundation's Board of Directors as a member at large. Not long ago, we caught up with Dan and asked him why he chose to serve.
Mennonite Brethren have history of service and concern for the developdisabled. We ,got involved with a ioeal MB ,minisfry that provides assisted livi ng serVices to developmentally ,abled adults, Central California " Mennonite Resideri,tial ServiGes. ' (C'CMRS). I was hlVited to serve on their , , board. ' After 'being on the 'board for , , , short time r realiied that :ii needed to set ' , ', lipan and pi arineq pro' gram: ' That, led me to contact . 'Neufeld, who ,serves qn the MBF board. ., Ken asked tnetoconsider being on ,the . MBF board:
" ,' What do you be : ' .. " your for , , ' Why did:YOll corisent t9': '
-,'" being ' ',,':,' , 'serving a'tithe qf ' : Ray: Professionally; fo t the last 1(> 'Mennonite Brethren ' 'phis years i 'have ,beell in the se(- " , " industiyas<ai1rihlicialplc;lllIier and ::', Foundatio'n mitllager for a bank ,trust ' , ',' , departrrtent: :1
Dim Ray: One; thing to ancither, ' f '. a volunteer, board memher, and " had the :opporttinity to ,see', some of the ' "", ' advis<;)f the ,area.,:,', Foundation. offered, 'from ' " I've :helped th6P. \vith thcir planped :" , churcll (Pig a ,arden .- . ' , Fre.shb"CA) to planned giv- ' 'men!; very sinlilru: to-wliat MBF does for ,:, ing ' services that It just ' ,, ' , :, , seemed lIke what they ' were involved with , ," , " , :' " ,. 'were that were itear and dear to '.' '" __ 'of your goals , " " ' my h¢art· ': " - ' " , " " ', ':' ,": Foundation? " '" : , ' :, " 0llr options {or ': , ' financing were ) irriited : 'We ' ', Dan am very , w!th what ' .. .': , ' , soon-found ontthat ME' Foundation could ', M13F is and 'desire.io s,ee would 'p6 pr6vide us with the , , it arig of , ,'" ' finaiIcing that we need,ed ,,'thanksto the , that it avai'lable .' I wpuld , Fund offers ' ",' , __ ' like tQsee the rate'in vestments to ', services fo MB ' O,on-profits and otir cpurch 'families., , ',, ' "'" : agencies,.1ike CCMRS,: in developing:endowment and, , that, wt had 'our child, , Aaron ; wh.9waS born wfth Dowri ', , .: We; that" , , -3 ' ing pr.ograms. : ", ' ' '" ' ,
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2. ' Use bo . ha-qe publicly traded stock that is highly in value but low in dividend returni ' Whynot uSe this to start your endowment1 Since we cah seU ' your stock without incilrring a capital gains tax, it may be perfect fund,ing method for you.
3. Use Real Estate. We will sell tlie property and place the proceeds in 'your endo\ vment. Again, this may produce significant tax &avings and you should check with ¥our tax advi'sor Jqr speci{tc advice.
DO IT LATER
While it may not be feasible to start an endowment 'now, your estate have eIi0ugh resources at your death.. Consider these possibilities: , .'
1. Use the RemaiQ.der of a Trust. Donors
.r ,establish a during life to provide tl1el}lselves V{ith ongoing income. When they are gone, whatever " remains in the trust is d isI }jursed according to instructions in the trust document : Thi s-, of course, can include the funding of an endowment with Mennonite Brethren Foundation.
2. Use Insurance Proceeds. Do you have a life Jp.surance policy you no longer need for: protection? You could sign part or an of the poJicy over to us for the purpose of 'Creating an when you are gone.
3. Use a Bequest From Your Will. The most popular way to fund a future endowment is to earmark a portion of one's estate for this purpose: If you do decide to create an endowment through a bequest, be
sure to talk with us to sure your attorney uses our proper legal name and address. . '
DO IT NOW AND LATER
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You may want to start your endowment tlow, modestly, anq then add to it later through your plan. Tills way you could see the fund in operation and ,enjoy knowing the good it does. , ,
A PERSONAL TESriMONY IN YOUR ESTATE PLAN
Many indjviduals desir,e that their estate plans 'of $eir personal relationship with ·Jesus Christ.: 'We believe this is an"excelh!nt idea :
.- Db you remember learning about Patrick Henry in history class? '
Rewa!;. involved-in .the ReyolutioQary' Wat and -was ,made
A personal testimony in your will ' . 9t estate plan right be as simple . 'as the following, "'1; mihdjutofthe iiess 'of life; qnd having my faith in jesu$ c:hrist) m y Savior and ' famous fOF this statement, .. . ,'. ' Lord ; who retJ.ee1'!led in)i' " • . .' thro/fgh' His :. ;.
· is reason.to a,ssurtle that , ' ,.' , bloQd and (ieath ,upon " Patrick Henry was alse a believer my .·iIi i¢s'us Cbiis( He' made a state- . '.. '. ajzd who thUs ,assures · nient to that e:ffect' :111 lie,., '.. .:: " " . " ,told his heirs in hi's last teslameilL ' : '., me ofeterYfallife, do . ' .. · that if l)ehad in .,:' C" dnp . ' : ". '" '. , . '",: -:.' . tIiem a in .... ' thzs ,to my .... qf people :.:'" .' . most wealthy. And ,then he a.<ided " '; :- ,. ,;' if he had left thet)l'allrne ···.. . Or, yOu .,cah writeyoUI' , :.:':' ·w:ealff}In the world apq not ' ,; '. testimony, ;/;: .. ' :; .. " left them 'a ' Jesus C,hrist, _ " . your family ; ' :' •. . they would be of all people niost ' . <,' deSptti.te ' ': •.:" ., '. ' .fitting for ", '; .If you were to. ,'. aI)d two ' lhYolved in the distribution of '. from now one of : s:· ' your waritedto,find ' the ,witJiess of knowing that , . '._. out whether 'oblot',yo:uwere -'" ':' 'proPL1rty .. mart or woman of:faith, CQuld ,· your .,act of'steward--' '," '. ,. 't:hatfact be from: ' .' ,your personal Why " :: and documents' that. you left ;. '; I).ot -apart your' ,_ . behind? ",' ,.. :. .' .... .. ' '. -;, . - .'. ,.' . '.' ',-;" .-. " ,
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Mennonite Brethren Foundatio.n
" " Board
of
Oite<:tors ' ,
Donald l" Martens, Chairman Fairyiew ok.
Vice 'Chairman, FresnQ CA, Realtor James FresnoCA, State.Auditor, , ', Reg ihalcf Boothe, yYichita KS, ' Interests, '
