The man sitting beside me on the airplane was going fishing in Canada. I was going to a meeting of Mennonite magazine editors. In the course of our conversation, he talked about his church experience and asked about mine. Then he asked if I thought my denomination's beliefs were the only "right" ones-at least that's what I thought he meant. I told him no, other denominations also preach salvation through Jesus Christ and emphasize a life of discipleship . His response to this answer clarified his real question : Did I think Christians, regardless of denomination affiliation, should be so closed-minded as to think Christ was the only way to salvation?
MBMS International general director Harold Ens says that since 9/11 the attitudes of my seatmate have become more prevalent. We are not only encouraged to become more aware of other faiths but to also concede that all religions provide equally legitimate avenues to salvation. On the later point, the u.s. Conference confession of faith clearly states our belief regarding Christianity and other faiths. Article 17 begins with this statement: "We believe that the saving grace of God in Jesus is the only means of reconciling humanity with God Although salvation is available to all, only those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have the assurance of eternal life. "
The confession also says that we will "treat people of other faiths and philosophies with respect, but lovingly and urgently proclaim Christ. ... " Our country is home to people who have immigrated from other countries and other internationals who live here temporarily. We have an opportunity to share our faith with these people and to plant a kingdom seed in their lives. The first feature article by James Pankratz offers some practical suggestions for how to follow Jesus' model for witnessing It is followed by stories and reflections from individuals who share their faith on a regular basis with individuals who follow Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.
In the context of this look at the world, it seems appropriate to also think about how the world looks at American Christians What perceptions do people have who come to live in or visit this country? Their perceptions will certainly affect our efforts to share Jesus Christ with them. Pakisa 1Shimika graciously agreed to tackle this sensitive question. He has a broad range of experiences in the global community. He is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and has traveled extensively in his work for MBMS International and now for Mennonite World Conference. We appreciate his willingness to share what he has heard. The focus on sharing Christ with the world concludes with a guest editorial written by Ens of MBMSI
The March news section includes articles describing how Mennonite Brethren congregations are using technology to enhance their ministry, about the connection between Paraguay's new president and a local Mennonite Brethren church, and sharing reflections from members of MBMSI's Team 2000 after one term of service in Thailand. --CF
COMING
• JULY 21-23, 2004-National pastors' convention, Salt Lake City, Utah
• JULY 23-25, 2004-U.S . Conference convention, Salt Lake City, Utah
• JULY 25-26, 2004-55-Plus Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah
FEATURES - Sharing Christ with the world
Conversations about faith is how Jesus taught his disciples about the kingdom and it is a model we can follow. Incidental exchanges at work and in the store or a health club can lead to a transformation in the lives of the people we talk with-and in our lives as well. BY
JAMES N. PANKRATZ
Buddhism: Reaching for enlightenment
A Thai pastor has said, "In Thailand, it's the easiest thing in the world to evangelize . It's the hardest thing in the world to make disciples." One Team 2000 member shares the joys and challenges of sharing his faith with his Buddhist friends. BY
When it comes to sharing my faith with a Muslim friend, understanding "true" Islam is not as important as understanding the way in which this friend understands his or her faith. BY
TIMOTHY BERGDAHL
Becoming one with the ultimate life-source
How do I w itness to a Hindu when his worldview is radically different from mine? By confidently sharing my faith and trusting God to use my actions and words to his glory. BY
DARREN DUERKSEN
What does the world think about American Christians? Americans-and U.S Christians-are both loved and resented by people in other countries. Why? The answers are complex and paradoxical. The answers challenge us to look at our lives from another perspective and to ponder what changes we can make in our churches and communities BY PAKISA K.TSHIMIKA
Corner
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Life conversations about faith
.1 ersations about faith S . with exchanges about '.' .. orilfnary life. That's how Jesus taught his disciples about the kingdom and it's a model we can follow . Following these 12 steps can guide you in sharing your Christia n faith with followers of other traditions.
AttheOffice
"Karim, are you joining us for lunch today? We're going to Casey's for pizza."
"Thanks, George, but today is the first day of Ramadan I won't be eating during the day, so I think I'll stay in the office. The smell of pizza will make it too difficult. The first few days are always the toughest . Thanks, though."
"How long will you be doing this?" a month."
"Wow. I can't even resist another slice of Casey's pizza after I've eaten three. I don't know how you can go through the day without eating. Why do you do it? Like, is it a religious sort of thing or a family tradition?"
Atthelocalstore
"Thanks for your help, Debbie. This is just what I want. It's perfect. How many do you have? I'd like seven."
"Seven? I don't know if we have seven . I'll check. Lynn, what are you going to do with seven?"
"Oh, they're gifts for my Bible study group. We all agreed that it took too much time to find the perfect gift for everyone in the group. So now that it's my tum to buy an encouragement gift for the group, I buy the
same thing for everyone."
encouragement gift? Now there's an angle I hadn't thought of for my store. I could have a section for encouragement gifts I always thought that was what I did when I bought another pair of shoes for myselfl How did you come up with that idea?"
Most of our conversations about faith start like these brief exchanges at the office or in a store. They are about ordinary life. They don't start with theology or mystical experiences. They start with a few remarks about lunch, friends, our families and what we will be doing on the weekend.
We are fortunate in the U.S. Comments about faith and religion are quite common in everyday conversations. Compared with people in Canada, New Zealand, Germany or England, Americans are at ease with public references to religion. Politicians mention faith in their speeches, newspapers describe the worship of Pentecostals, the yearly festivals of Muslims, the construction of a new Hindu temple, the debate about the ordination
SHARING CHRIST WITH THE WORLD
by James N. Pankratz
of women in the Roman Catholic Church and the homeless shelter sponsored by a local consortium of evangelical churches. There is plenty of resistance to faith in our culture, but there is remarkable openness as well.
How can we share our faith in this culture? More specifically, how can we share our faith with the friends, family members, coworkers and neighbors who are adherents of another faith?
The model for this kind of witness is Jesus in his relationship with his disciples. That may seem surprising. We often look for models for Christian witness in the stories in Acts in which Paul proclaimed a new "religion" to the population of a city and then moved on. These stories are helpful models for some of the short-term ministries that are common today; they are less relevant for our ongoing relationships with our friends, families and coworkers.
But as we read the Gospels, we see how Jesus reshaped the religious understanding of his disciples as they lived with him. The disciples were with Jesus as he dealt with joy and sorrow, admiration and opposition. They asked him to explain his stories and actions. They listened as he answered questions on the street and preached in synagogues. He asked them what they were arguing about and what they thought of him. Over time they understood the kingdom of God in a new way, and eventually they grasped who he was.
None of them, not even those who became the greatest leaders later in life, "got it" immediately. In fact, in the book of Acts, after the death, resurrection and ascension ofJesus, the diSciples were still "getting it," day by day and event by event. Peter's encounter with Cornelius (Acts 10-11) is a dramatic example. When Cornelius received the Holy Spirit, Peter's understanding of the implications of the gospel changed radically.
How can you share your faith with those of other faiths who live and work with you?
live your faith. This follows the example of Jesus. It is also the best foundation for interreligiOUS conversation. So much Christian advice about witnessing is focused on our words and our theology, and so we are inclined to start a conversation about faith by talking about beliefs. But most people are far more interested in how you coped with the death of your son after a four-year battle with cancer than in the most recent book you read on the question of good and evil. For most people religious practice is more immediate and more central than religious belief How you live and how your faith permeates your life will be of great interest to others.
Integrate your life of faith into your actions and conversations. Lynn told Debbie that her gifts were for friends from her Bible study group.
She could have just said "For a group of friends who meet every month " Similarly Karim, the Muslim in the office, told his friend that he was not going to eat lunch because of the fast of Ramadan. He could have just said, "I'm not hungry today." When a repairman offers to fix something in our home on Sunday morning we can say it isn't convenient, or we can mention that we're in church at that time. Be informed about your own faith. Most Christians rely on religious profeSSionals (pastors, evangelists, counselors, etc.) to interpret the gospel to others. They have an understanding of the Christian life that is sincere but sketchy. One of the greatest advantages of interfaith conversations is that they push Christians to become more aware of their own faith. I've had people say to me, "I have a Muslim friend and we've started talking about faith. Both of us realize how little we knOw. Aside from telling her to read the Bible, I don't have any idea what would be a good place for her to start learning about Christian faith. I don't even know if I should tell her to start reading the Bible at Genesis or in the New Testament. What should I say?"
A short answer is, "Focus on Jesus, on the love of God and on forgiveness, freedom and reconciliation. Celebrate the gift of the Spirit. It's good news. Tell it." A longer answer is that there are many resources in print and on the Internet that can help us all tell the Christian story in a way that is appropriate for people of different faiths.
Recognize the tremendous differences among the many opportunities we have to share our faith. Consider a church-sponsored 1V program, a local church, an Alpha group, a summer camp, a dinner with friends in our own home, a visit to a dying friend in the hospital, a conversation at a concert or a performance review of a colleague at work. Each situation has its potential and limitations. There are written and unwritten rules and expectations. There are some words that we can easily say to people with whom we have established relationships, and other words that we cannot say for the same reason. "Proclaiming the truth" is appropriate in some situations. Listening carefully, praying silently, and questioning respectfully is appropriate in others
Be fair. Imagine that the roles are reversed. Imagine that your friend is sharing his faith with you. What would interest you? What would make you defensive? What would offend you? What might attract you? Keep that in mind as you share your faith with him.
For years I have expected students in my religion classes to interview someone of another faith and to share their faith with that person. Students always expect
that they will not find anyone willing to do this. But when they offer people the opportunity to speak first, when they make it clear that they are not setting a trap for them, they always find people. Many times these people tell them that this is one of the few times when Christians have listened to them.
There are other aspects of fairness. Don't compare our best to their worst. Sadly, all religions and nations have scoundrels Fortunately, they all have heroes Don't compare our hero to their scoundrel. It's not fair, it's not honest and we would object if the tables were reversed.
Pay attention . Someone wrote, "Listening is the rarest form of love." It seems so simple; yet we know that in ordinary conversations we often miss what people are saying because we aren't listening, we're not paying attention . Instead we are focusing our attention on what we will say next. How many times have you heard someone involved in a public program say that they were glad when their part was finally over because then they could really enjoy the rest of the program. Once they had spoken or performed, they could listen to and 'observe others with attention and appreciation. Until then their attention was on themselves.
If we ask people about their faith, we should listen with interest. Why not? If we can be interested in their families, their foods, their jobs, their illnesses and their ambitions, why not their faith? The more important our faith is to us, the more attentive we will be to what they tell us about their faith. We are not simply looking for an "opening," a flaw or a sign of weakness, ready to pounce with our prepared speech. If we listen attentively we will learn to know our friends and ourselves more deeply.
7.·.
Be informed about the faith of others, but don't try to be an expert. Few of us are experts on our own faith traditions . Even fewer are experts on the faith traditions of others. Learn enough though to anticipate what the particular sensitive issues are in the faith of your friend in relation to Christianity. For example, in relation to Islam it is the Christian rejection of the divine inspiration of the Qur'an and the Muslim rejection of the deity and atoning death of Jesus. You don't need to be an expert to have a meaningful conversation with someone about your faith or theirs, but it helps to be informed. Let your friend be your teacher. Be a humble and willing learner Ask them about their religious practices and beliefs. Ask them to recommend what you should read or listen to . Ask them how their faith helps them cope with the inevitable sick-
ness, loss, disappointment, fear and death that we all experience. Ask them what motivates them to serve others. Ask them if they have favorite religious music or art. Read and listen with care. Use that as the basis for deeper conversations. If you have listened carefully it is quite appropriate to say, "I can't understand why it doesn't matter if I worship this god or that one. The Bible reveals a God to me who is concerned about all of the fake gods. Are there really no fake gods? Is any concept or shape of god equally true? Don't people ever have wrong ideas about God the way we have mistaken ideas about everything else in life?"
But in fairness, recognize that your friend is probably no expert either. If you've done a bit of extra reading in your friend's religion, you may have read more than they have. Also, don't overgeneralize from your friend and make them into a "typical" Jew or Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist. Your friend will have personal perspectives that will help you understand them and their faith. That is your focus. Your purpose is to build a relationship with them and to share the love of God through Christ with them You are not becoming an expert in comparative religion.
Expect difficulties, rough spots, awkward pauses and misunderstandings along the way. You or your friend will occasionally feel inadequate, embarrassed, misunderstood or trapped. Stay committed to the relationship and the conversation about faith will be able to resume and it will be stronger.
Be aware of a paradoxical advantage that Christians have in America. Most of the religions of the world assume a close correlation between nation/cultural interests and the dominant religion. Most Christians in Europe, North and South America and Russia believed the same thing during the last 1700 years . Many Christians in the U.S. still share that belief So do most immigrants. The older immigrants assume that life in America is likely to undermine the religious tradition in which they raised their family. Their children are likely to become nonreligious or to become Christian.
Recent Americans , especially young people, want to learn the way of life" and they know that Christian faith is a significant part of that identity. Because they assume that religion and culture are closely linked, they expect to be drawn into the dominant American religious culture over time. Christian faith can become a valid option that makes them more fully American. They are often open to learn about and even embrace the faith of their friends, their host families and their coworkers as an expression of gratitude and an
OOfsifJiiWk'wIlllMm_*OOf'_100filllliJIm-§11l1l_ M%fB5Qt§& n
ki&rlh[ Ell affinnation of American cultural identity. Be sensitive to this dynamic in relationships with people of other faiths that are establishing themselves in America.
Many Christians, and certainly many Mennonite Christians, experience a dilemma here. They are embarrassed when they learn that most Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists regard the U.S. as a Christian country and assume that the sexuality, disrespect and materialism portrayed in public entertainment are acceptable to Christians. So while Christians welcome people's openness to Christian faith, they are reluctant to carpet the pathway to faith with promises of cultural acceptance.
Recognize that religious relativism has advantages. So many Christians fear the popular attitude that "all religions are basically different and valid ways to God" but it can make people more open to explore Christian faith. Except for Islam, most Asian religions do not have strong theological barriers to Christian conversion. They may believe that such conversion is spiritually unnecessary. There will be Significant barriers of family and community identity that make people reluctant to embrace Christian faith. But faith traditions that affinn many ways of experiencing, understanding and describing God are open to a sympathetic coexistence with Christianity and have no strong theological grounds for objecting to those who
The Internet Is a major source of Information about religions. There are scholarly resources, Web sites sponsored by various religions and Individual churches, sites that have a bit of everything (profound, Interesting and weird) evangelistic Web sites, and Web sites that rant and rave about just about any subject Many sites provide links to other sites, and that Is usually the best way to search for more detailed Information But there is always the possibility that when you write a topic Into an Internet search engine you will watch with delight and dismay as 386,788 possibilIties appear on the screen.
Web site. for general Information: www.adher.nts.com
This plaln-looklng site pro-
Ichoose to follow the way of Christ.
Be prepared for the changes God will make in your life through conversations about faith. Recall the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10-11. Ifwe were telling that story today we would be inclined to tell it as the dramatic conversion of Cornelius, a major political figure or a celebrity. But we don't hear about Cornelius again. What we hear about is the transformation that happened to Peter in Caesarea and then to his fellow leaders in Jerusalem. Peter acknowledged, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism" (10:34) and the church praised God saying, "So then, God has even granted the Gentiles repentance unto life" (11:18)
Conversations about faith may begin as incidental comments at the office or in a store but they can lead to life-changing transformation in those who witness for Christ and in those who receive this witness •
James Pankratz is the academic dean at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif. He and his wife Goldine are members of College Community Church in Clovis, Calif. Pankratz is currently on a sabbatical leave and one of his projects is developing a Web site for Christians interested in other religiOns.
Learn more about ... world religions
vides statistics about religions
But on the home page there Is a link to "Excellent Intemet Resources for Research about Religions " That opens up links to useful directories and sites. This Is good place to start searching for Information www.bell.fnet.com
This Is a site with a lot of Information, most of It at a popular level. It's helpful to start with the "site map" which can be found on
Then go elsewhere for a meal. Web sites for scholarly and ".,.......eviewed" informa. lion: These are the most dependable sites, with good links to other sources.
www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu /Internet/front.htm
This is the outstanding site maintained by the Wabash Center You hardly have to go anywhere else From the opening page click any subject For Christians interthe opening page There are many sites like this on the Web-"pop" religion and spirituality; consumer oriented ested in other religions at It to see how many people nourIsh themselves with fast food there are sites for specific religions and there Is also a site for "Inter-religiOUS Dialogue" and one for " Christian Outreach " Each of these sites then carries articles, speeches and links to other resources.
www.ucalg&ry.ca/....... relweb/
This part of a larger site Is maintained by Irving Hexham at the University of calgary. It has helpful "Unks to various evangelical Christian resources." Evangelistic and mission:
Almost every mission organization has a Web site They reflect the purpose of the organization Examples: http://wrl••eacleru.com
This Is the Campus Crusade "World Religion Index" Web site and Is conservative evangelical In nature It has data, personal stories, articles, apologetics and links to selected other sites. http://www.scpoInc.org
The Spiritual Counterfeits Project focuses on aggressive Christian challenges to the occult and "New Age " - JP
Buddhism: Reachingforenlightenment
f}indy, do people in America believe in spirits?" my Thai friend Anan asked. Anan is a Buddhist and that day he was explaining to me how important it is to appease the various spirits and territorial gods to have good luck and a blessed life. Anan said he wears an anlulet with an image of Buddha inside it to ensure the spirits will keep him safe. His family gives daily offerings to their "spirit house, " a mini-temple just outside their home, in hopes that the residential spirit uJill bless them. Anan is a college graduate with a good job and yet he believes the unseen spirits can i111pact his life for better or worse. Then he turned the table and asked ifI believed in spirits too . I quickly prayed "Help, Lord," as I considered how to answer.
This was not the kind of conversation I had expected as I studied Buddhism in college and seminary. My studies focused on the theories of Buddhism and I am finding that the practice of Buddhism is quite different. Buddhism was founded in the sixth century B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, a Hindhu prince turned monk. Theoretical Buddhism goes something like this: Gautama wanted to know why the world was full of suffering and how to escape it. While meditating, Gautama saw his previous lives pass before him in the cycle of reincarnation (birth, death and rebirth) and saw the law of karma that governs life. He discovered that suffering is caused by the qesire for transient things (people and material wealth, for example), and that to eliminate suffering you must eliminate desire. The way to eliminate desire is to follow the "eight-fold path" (right thinking, acting, etc). Following this path is tough, but if you are diSciplined, the path can eradicate desire, lead to enlightenment and ultimately to nirvana, a state of nonexistence, emptiness and nothingness.
Improvingyourlotinlife
Most Buddhists don't think that they can reach enlightenment or nirvana, so their only hope is improving their karma. Karma basically means you reap what you sow. Every deed , good and bad, is recorded and will determine your fate in this life and the next. There is no mercy or grace when it comes to karma, but you can gain "extra credit" on your karma if you "make merit." There are many ways to make merit, including giving to the monks, doing something kind for someone or giving to a charitable cause. Last year my family passed out flowers at the local market one day as an act of kindness. As we gave flowers to vendors and shoppers, we were surprised when many of them told me, "Happy birthday." That day we learned that people often give things away on their birthday-like flowers-in order to make merit. Our effort to show God's love in an unconditional way was interpreted as an effort to improve our karma.
The other way to improve your lot in life is to make offerings to the spirits who playa part in a person's
by
Andy Owen
karma . That's why Anan and millions of other Buddhists bum incense in front of a spirit shelf; put a Buddha image in their restaurant or wear some kind of lucky charm: They hope to receive protection and blessing from spirits. Shortly after moving to Chonburl, Carmen and I were overjoyed when our neighbor prayed to receive Christ She came with us to church once and then continually made excuses not to come again. Later we learned that she just wanted to make sure that she did what she needed to do in order to appease our God, in hopes that being our friend and praying to this god would bring her good luck, just like all the other gods
she worshipped. Buddhism in Thailand has been described as a pie. The crust might be theoretical Buddhism, but inside is a complex mix of Hindhu gods, astrology, meditation, good luck charms and spirit worship. Buddhism has a way of
absorbing other religious practices and traditions, adapting to the environment around it. I wasn't in Thailand very long before I realized that while I understood Buddhism in theory, the challenge would be understanding Buddhism as this particular country has shaped it. According to the Dalai Lama, one of Bud-
dhism's most well-known
and respected teachers,
"Religion is a food for the mind, and as we all have different tastes, we must take that which is most suitable for us." In other words, if you find something that works to move you towards enlightenment, then try it! It is this kind of tolerance and individual spirituality that appeals to many in the West
How do we Christians respond to Buddhism? Alex Smith, a veteran missionary to Thaila:nd , says, "Sharing the gospel with a Buddhist is like slicing water with a knife." When talking about Christ with a Buddhist, the stock response will generally be something along these lines: All religions are the same and teach you how to be a good person. Many will smile and nod, some may act interested, and some may even pray for salvation so you do not lose face . Our team talked with one Thai pastor about how to minister to Buddhists. "In Thailand, it's the easiest thing in the world to evangelize," he said. "It's the hardest thing in the world to make disciples." While he was thinking of the Thai context, it probably applies worldwide.
However, we have been privileged to see some of our Thai friends trust inJesus and continue on the path of discipleship. As we look at their stories and those of other Buddhists who have become Christians we have noticed two common elements. Perhaps they will be of some help as you encounter and pray for Buddhists in your sphere of influence, whether they are coworkers, foreign exchange students or the cook at your favorite Thai restaurant.
•Proclaimthegospel
There are many unreached Buddhist people groups around the world. Even among Buddhists in the U S. , it should never be assumed that they have clearly heard the gospel (Rom 10:14) . We need to proclaim the gospel in word and deed. Buddhists are generally open
to talking about spiritual things, as long as you aren't comparing religions. Talk about what you believe, what Jesus has meant to you and how your life is different since you met Christ. When Anan asked me if I believed in spirits, I answered, ''Yes, I believe in spirits. In fact I was afraid of ghosts when I was a kid. But then I learned that Jesus is more powerful than anything in the spirit world. I can pray to him for protection, he loves me and even wants to have a relationship with me." This kind of witnessing can leave the door open to more questions and a deeper relationship instead of raising barriers.
•Bethereforthe"crisispoint"
One day our friend Noi shared with Carmen that her husband was cheating on her and planned to leave. Carmen listened and then asked to pray with Noi in order to ask God to intervene in this crisis. A few days later Noi came back and told us her husband had come to her and asked for forgiveness This is very uncommon in Thai society and we rejoiced with Noi over this answered prayer. This prompted Noi to begin coming to our .small group Bible study. There she is learning that her sins can actually be forgiven and that she can have a personal relationship with Jesus. Noi hasn't yet broken away from all things Buddhist, but she is on the path of discipleship.
Like Noi, other friends have found themselves in need of help or direction during a "crisis point" and for one reason or another, they were ready to give God a try. For one it was a need for a job, for another a midlife crisis and for another an identity crisis upon entering the university. I believe that the Lord allowed these crisis points to enter their lives in order to provide a window of opportunity for God to reveal himself
There is no one strategy that works in reaching Buddhists. In fact, in Thailand many evangelism strategies have been tried only to be shrugged off by the polite resistance of the Thai people. But Buddhist or not, these people were made by God and are loved by him. As God's people pray and the Holy Spirit works in the lives of Buddhists, they can break free of the legalistic chains of karma and experience mercy and grace in Jesus Christ. •
Andy and Carmen Owen are members of MBMS International's Team 2000, three families who have committed to living in Thailandfor 10 years as church planting missionaries. The team has completed their first term of service and the families are currently in the US and Canada visitingfamily and their supporting congregations. Andy and Carmen have two sons, Connor and Isaac.
by Timothy Bergdahl
Islam: Submittingtothecommunity
If)u would have to have lived a pretty isolated life over the past several years not to learn something alJout Islam and Muslims. You probably are aware of the basic facts of this religion that shapes the lives of nations ofpeople from Morocco to the Philippines and large communities offaithful around the world. You likely have heard of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam and, in the eyes of those who believe, the final conclusive proph et sent by Allah. You may know that the revelations he received are gathered into a collection called the Qur ' an. You might know that most Muslims are not Arabs. You may even have learned the rough meanings of words like jihad, fatwa , Sunni, Shia, mujahideen, imam and Ramadan . Chances are you would have known little of this before Sept. 11, 2001.
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Areligionofsubmission than it currendy was. This Islam is a religion of submission to Allah, and a Muslim (a variation of the Arabic root sI-m) is a person who submits. Submits to what? Submits to the practice of the community (ummab) and that means following the pattern of Muhammad in life, 'including what we think of as worship. At its simplest that means performing obligations commonly referred
to as pillars. These pillars include ritual confession of Allah's rule and Muhammad's place in it, five times daily worship/prayer, almsgiving, fasting during daylight hours of the month of Ramadan, and if able, pilgrimage to the sacred places of Mecca during the annual period set aside for it Yet even these basics are not part of the worship of some minority Muslim groups.
Submission means memorizing and reciting large portions or even all of the Qur'an. Submission means striving (jihad) by all means, inner and outer, to see that the individual, the family, the community, the nation and the world are all submitted to the will of Allah as evidenced in the practice and teaching of Muhammad and some of his contemporaries. It means life ordered by traditions surrounding the prophet and doing things not according to human values but according to godly values.
DiversitywithinMuslimunity
Years ago I decided I was a Mennonite after reading every book about them I could get my hands on, including the Bible. So I was sobered when the very first Mennonite I met told me, "Be careful. Mennonites aren't like all you read about in books." An alternate take on this can be said of my Muslim friends: They are like most of the things you read about in books . There is diversity within the unity of the Muslim community, a diversity that allows any number of things-sometimes contradictory-to be asserted about Islam and Muslims. The most obvious example of this is the picture Muslims and non-Muslims have of a unified "Muslim World" and their growing understanding that this is expressed in many different ways and through the grid of many cultures and languages.
What then is "true" Islam? It could be argued it is that Islam to which each Muslim aspires. I say aspires because I have only occasionally known a Muslim who didn't wish his practice and understanding was purer
answer is not especially helpful for someone who wants to identify Islam as one particular thing, but it is a helpful insight for those who might be tempted to witness to followers of a religion they have learned about from academic or straight-faced study. That kind ofIslam doesn't exist in our world today. The answer should be that true Islam is the
religion of my Muslim friend. This paves the way for sharing a testimony pertinent to the lives involved. I hold this position because I am unashamedly more interested in my relationship with Muslim friends than in encyclopedic comprehension of the religion known to us as Islam.
Finding"true"Islam
Saying that, I do sympathize with journalists, politicians, academics and laypersons wrestling with how the violent events seen in Sept. 11,2001 and elsewhere are connected to Islam. Is it true, as many say, that. Islam is a peaceful religion, or is it true, as I heard many times from Taliban being interviewed on Pakistani Tv, that the jihadists will "show the world who the real Muslims are?"
As the lone Christian student among a handful of Sunni Muslims, I was asked, "Mr. Tim, what do you think of Islam?" I replied, "That's a good question, but I have to ask you one before I can answer it. Islam is spoken of as the most natural of religions; it doesn't require the "impossible" like turning the other cheek. It is also a religion of community (and historically it has been felt that it was impossible to live as a Muslim outside that community) So, I have to ask you, Where is it?" Puzzled looks. "I am in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," I said. "It says so in my passport. Is Islam here?" My fellow students replied,"No, this is not Islam, we are far from it." In Iran? sect." Saudi Arabia? "Islam knows nothing of kings." And so it went: Afghanistan? "Tribalism." TInkey? "Secular." Egypt? "The lapdog of America" (!). "So you can see my problem. How can I tell you what I think of Islam if I can't find it anywhere?" A student smiled and said, "Islam is a great religion, but we are all lousy Muslims "
Osama bin Laden, and others, thinks so too. In his eyes history and foreign influence have hijacked Islam in a way that has obscured its essence . It has been made a toothless religion, with a safe god and tame followers who live a life devoted to manipulating divine power
through magic, wealth according to un-Islamic commercial practices and leadership through the adoption of western theories.
Our common desire
And here is where I am challenged as an Anabaptist Christian . There is something bin Ladin and I have in common-knowledge that God is not safe, not under the control of human designs, not a principle by which we might all get along, not something voted on or subject to amendment. So bin Laden and others like him say that what is known as the Muslim world is not really a Muslim world at all, just like our ancestors said that what was known as the Christian world was not really the Christian world at all. Their solution to this dilemma is similar to our own: Get back to the origins. For the jihadists this means a recreation of the Muslim community as it was organized in its earliest years. For Anabaptists this has meant pushing aside religious history and social pressures to bring the New Testament church into the present. You probably don't want to hear that you have much in common with Osama bin Laden and his type, but it is important to see that among Muslims there is a yearning to get to the heart of the matter that is comparable to the Christian resolve to be more like Jesus and to incarnate a New Testament church It is important because this discontent can serve as a bridge in our communication of the gospel to Muslims-the bridge of our common desire to see all things submitted to the love of the one God. It is also important because it reveals the essential nature of our faiths Simply put, we are to have the mind of Christ and Muslims are to have the traditions of Muhammad The truth of our faiths is not , unfortunately perhaps, to be found in our similarities and the vague commonness known as good religion. It is to be found in our distinctiveness.
Building re l at ionships-sharing my faith
So, how do I witness to a Muslim? You really shouldn't unless you are willing to risk the time and energy of building a relationship. Once you have that relationship, discover what is distinctive about your Muslim friend's testimony to Allah 's character as exemplified through his prophet Muhammad .
At the same time, be bold in asserting what God has done for you in Jesus Christ , and especially how his mercy, compassion and justice led God to change everything through the life, death, resurrection and reign of his son Jesus Christ. Hear how the nature of Allah is revealed through his commandments; tell how the atoning work of Christ enables us to be submitted Gently but insistently explain that our Scriptures have not been corrupted and understand that the Qur'an has never had anything like the scientific examination to which the
Bible has been subjected. Ask what the mercy and compassion of an the merciful, the compassionate" feels like when Allah is completely higher and other than humanity. Share the freedom from fear that comes from trust in Jesus
The history of Christian witness to Muslims had some high points, and many many lows. I believe that effective witness to Muslims involves being a Christian to them , and trusting the Holy Spirit for the increase . •
Timothy Bergdahl is MBMS International's director for long-term ministries He is a Ph.D candidate in Islamic studies at Fuller Theological Seminary's School of International Studies. He and his wijejanine have two children, Kayleigh and Pradnya.
LargestreligionsintheU.S.
Unlike some countries, the U S does not Include a question about religion In Its census, and has not done so for over 50 years Religious adherent statistics In the U S are obtained from surveys and organizational reporting IncludIng the 2001 American Religious Identity Survey from which this Infonnatlon Is taken. For more statistics visit the Adherants com Web site.
Top Five Organized Religions in the U.S., 2001
Americans who listed themselves as nonreligious, atheist and agnostic have been dropped from this list as these are not considered organized religions In 2001 they accounted for 13.2 percent of the U S population, an Increase of 110 percent from 1990
In this study Christian Includes Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Orthodox and other, Including nondenominational
How does the U.S ranking compare to the global ranking? Adherents.com lists the top five organized world religions as Christianity (2 billion), Islam (1.3 billion), Hinduism (900 million) Buddhism (360 million) and Chinese traditional religion (225 million) The Secular, Nonrellg1ous, AgnostiC and Atheist group, If added, would be ranked fourth at 850 million adherents.
Hinduism: Becomingonewith theultimatelife-source
When Christians begin sharing their faith with Hindus, the first response is sometirrles quite positive. Hindus (who are usually Indian) are generally both polite as well as interested and open to spiritual tOPics. This is refreshing and can lead the Christian to think that she is not far from leading the Hindu to Ch rist. This may be true. However, the Hindu worldview is generally so radically different from the Christian worldview that the conversation 1nay soon go into some uncharted u'aters.
As you start talking to someone from the Hindu faith, it is important to understand that they generally see the world in a very different way than Christians do. I say generally because, unlike many other religions, Hinduism has no creed Neither does it have a founder, a date of origin or a defined "canon" of scripture. Instead, there are what seems to the outsider to be a bewildering array of beliefs, practices and philosophies that all somehow come under the banner "Hinduism."
CommonthemesinHinduism
Despite the variety of beliefs, there are some common themes to which many, if not most, Hindus will ascribe to some degree Hinduism is inclusive. E. Stanley Jones, a prominent missionary to India in the early 20th century, once asked a Hindu judge to define who is a Hindu. The judge replied, good (person) is a Hindu-'-you're a Hindu." When Jones objected, the judge said, ''You can believe in anything and be a Hindu-anything from pantheism to atheism-anything, provided you don't reject the rest."
In Hinduism all roads ultimately lead to the same place. Whether you are Christian, Hindu, Muslim or agnostic, the Hindu will say we are all on paths that lead to the same spiritual goal Hinduism doesn't exclude-it absorbs. This is one of the reasons why it has endured in various forms for over 4,000 years and why Christianity and other religions have often struggled in Hindu contexts
Everyone and everything reincarnates. Ever wanted that second chance at life? Hinduism claims that you have hundreds, if not thousands of chances! Most Hindus agree that we are in the midst of a cycle of reincarnations. If things are going well for us, we are gradually progressing "up" the life-chain one life at a time. You and I, the Hindu would say, have moved from various animal incarnations and are now in a stage of humanity. Where do we go from here?
The goal is to become one with God. There are many Hindu interpretations of the goal of life. However, most Hindus believe that we will ultimately lose all personal distinctiveness and become one with God. This god (Brahma) is not necessarily the personal being that Christians think of. Rather, Brahma is a type of impersonallife-source to which everything is linked in some way. Salvation, says the Hindu , is to finally come to the
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DarrenDuerksen
place where we are liberated from our selfish, personal selves and become one with this source.
All life is sacred. Traditional Hindus regard everything, including animals, as having "souls" that are connected to God and that are gradually incarnating into higher forms of life. Among animals, the cow has a special place of honor. Out of respect and honor for life, therefore, most Hindus refrain from eating meat, especially beef. Even trees, mountains and rivers are traditionally believed to have souls and given a high amount of respect.
Belief in many gods and one ultimate god. Hindus the ones that believe in lots of gods?" This is what many Christians think of when they think of Hinduism. It is true that Hindus worship many gods. Traditional estimates put the number of gods in the millions . However,
not all gods are the same. Some, such as VIShnu and Shiva, are often given a higher place of honor. Also, most Hindus believe that all gods are actually manifestations of the one ultimate god Brahma. Everyone has
"You can believe in anything... provided you don't reject the rest. "
their place. The caste system forms the backbone of Hinduism in India and is one of the most enduring social structures in human history. People are "assigned" their place in society by being born into a certain family caste Each caste has a place in the overall hierarchy, and people cannot generally move caste, at least not during this lifetime. H a person stays true to their caste, they may move up the caste hierarchy in their next life.
Hinduunderstandingsof Christianity
HowdoHindus see Christians? This would a great question to ask a Hindu with whom you've developed a good friendship. Some of the general perceptions might be: Christians are exclusive and close-minded. After all, Christians generally hold a worldview very differ-
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ent from the Hindu. The idea that a person should have "no other god" before Jehovah (Ex. 34: 14), or that there is "salvation in no one else" other than Jesus (Acts 4:12) seems very narrow to the Hindu.
Countering this perception can be tricky. Christianity is exclusive. We shouldn't deny it. Some Christians embrace this and try to prove the superiority of Christianity to Hindus shOwing, for example, how Jesus did things that no Hindu god ever did. This approach might be effective. However, it can also create a wall between you and the Hindu you're talking to. It is usually better to demonstrate an interest in and respect for Hindu beliefs and gradually testify to your own experience in following Jesus.
Christianity is the religion of England and the U. S. Many people in Asia, including Indians, see religion geographically. Since religion and society are one for the Hindu, they view every society as having its own religion. Islam has Pakistan and Hinduism has India, so Christianity must therefore have England and the u.S. The oft-televised prayers and Christian declarations made by the u S. president and politicians reinforce this.
There are various ways to show that Christ is not geographically limited to the U S. or to any other country. It can be helpful to point out that Jesus was actually born in West Asia (Israel) and was therefore Asian. Offering a Hindu books and testimonies by Indian Christians such as Sadhu Sundar Singh can also be effective.
Christians promote the "C" word. In India, and among some Indo-Americans, the word "conversion" is almost a swear word. This is because, as was stated above, Hindus hold religion and culture/society together. To "convert" to another religion is, for some Hindus, tantamount to giving up their family, heritage and their very identity.
Even though Jesus does require much of his followers, it is important to avoid asking Hindus to "convert" or to "become a Christian." Instead, talk about becoming a "follower" or a "devotee" of Christ. This is language the Hindu understands Some Christians resist this, worried that a Hindu will Simply add Jesus to the other gods that he follows. Certainly a Hindu may do this. However, as he starts down the road of follOwing Christ he will, with the help of others who disciple him, understand more and more of what Jesus requires ofa devotee.
Practicalmatters
As you relate to Hindus, what are some practical things to keep in mind?
Your actions matter. If the person is an older, more devout Hindu, you can bet that they will watch you
.iRi- 1Wb: i&& tclosely. A spiritual person, according to Hindus, dresses modestly and observes rituals-they will expect that you pray.
Don't serve meat. This can be the supreme offense. If you have them over for dinner, ask them beforehand if they're vegetarian, or just assume it and cook accordingly.
Show interest in them as people. Ask about their family, their country, special points about their home place and about their education. These are topiCS that are important to many Hindus.
Ask about their beliefs and religion. Make it a point to learn about their beliefs from their point of view. And don't be surprised if they give answers that are not "textbook" Hinduism. Hindus vary widely in their beliefs and philosophies.
Beabiblicalwitness
As has been said, confrontational criticism or doctrinal debates will rarely move a Hindu towards Christ. Rather, a consistently Christ-like life will be the best "tract" that the Hindu will see. A person showing a "still and quiet soul" (psalm 131) will speak loudly to the Hindu.
It is often appropriate to lead in prayer and worship with a Hindu friend. This connects with the Hindu's appreciation of spirituality. It also opens the way for Christ to miraculously answer those prayers and thus demonstrate his power and presence in a very personal way.
Be confident in your beliefs, but don't claim to know everything about the majesty of God. Hindus regard the spiritual with awe and mystery and do not neceSSarily appreciate simplistic explanations of who God is and how he works. More important is to share your own personal testimony, including experiences of being lost and God's gracious forgiveness and peace.
There is a great need for Christians to befriend and sensitively share Christ with Hindus. And, with the increasing number of Hindus moving to the U.S., it seems that God is giving us that chance. Though you and other Christians may be intimidated by the radically different worldview of the Hindu, know that God can use you in a powerful way to encourage Hindus to become followers of him •
Darren Duerksen works halftime as the MBMS International area director for the Pacific District Conference. He and his wife Shahna also serve as resource missionaries to East Indians and are members of Reedley (Calif) MB Church
What does the world think about American Christians?
'1:)at ¥/iJ think about American Christians in general anti Men nonites in particular?I wanted to refuse the invitation to write an article on this question. I did not think anyone in North America really wanted to know what other people say or think about this question . I have been in situations where a nonAmerican, upon expressing honest observations about the church in the U.S., had been made to feel unwelcome by Americans in the group .
Upon reflection, I realized that the reasons for refusing to write on this subject were also the reasons for saying yes. So here I am, tackling a topic that is complex and full of paradox. It is complex because when you speak to someone in a church or on the streets of Kinshasa, Luanda, Bogota or Guatemala City, he or she may not see a difference between Americans, American Christians and American Mennonites.
The answers to this question are paradoxical because the reasons people around the world love and admire Americans, American Christians and Mennonites are also the reasons for resenting them. Although most of my comments are based on many encounters in airplanes, churches, market places and schools with people from many different parts of the world I visited in rela-
tion to my work with Mennonite World Conference and MBMS International, a strong bias towards my African experience will be obvious.
The complexity of the question falls in the gray area that lies between the perception and the reality of what other people think of Americans and American Chtistians
For many, on first sight they associate American Christians, including MennOnites, with their Itt 2001 while visiting Congo, a pastor approached .me and asked if the U.S. government was supporting ihe rebels who were fighting in his country. I told him that I di4 not knOw. After some time of reflecting, he told me to aSkAmerican Mennonites why their government had sent them to Congo to bring the message of the gospel then later the same government was sending guns to kill them For this pastor, although he grew up in the church, he was not to the point of separating American Christians from their country's government.
There is also a Perception that while Americans were not involved in colOnizing African, Asian or Latin American countries, Americans have been using religion as the means of colonizing in the "post-colonial" period. Whenever Americans turned over administration of the churches they had started to local leaders, it was seen by many as independence rather than taking over administration Most local leaders felt that Americans would not let go of power- the control of church affairs-unless pressured or forced to do so
The paradox of the way others in the worM view Americans, American Christians and can be seen in the following areas :
• Committed, but with one foot on the jJ1'Ound and one foot in the plane Americans we nt 3$ missionaries to countries once considered_dangerous They were willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Gospel Many people around the world admire that commitment And yet whenever there is conflict or war in a country of service, American missionaries are perceived to be among the first to leave. The brothers and sisters among whom they were living and serving feel that they have forgotten
their commitment.
• No fences in front of homes, but a family life that has moved to the backyard or inside the home. One thing that impresses many people when coming to America for the first time is the lack of high fences in front of most homes . But after a while one realizes that family life has moved to the back of the house where there are fences between neighbors, or to the inside, in front of the television or computer screens. As a result you don't see many people sitting on porches in front of their houses. For foreigners ; the front of an American home feels cold and the back keeps those around the family at a distance Outsiders struggle to find a place to connect for true fellowship and relationship building. Furthermore they wonder how this carries over to churches that have wide open doors yet feel cold inside .
• Invited and yet not fully welcome. Many Christian communities make an effort to include foreigners in their communities and churches. Open invitations are given verbally or in writing to those away from their homeland and living in the U.S. However, a comment I have heard many times is that people never felt at home despite the warm invitation. Foreigners coming with the idea that they will become fully participating members of given Christian communities or churches find themselves with unintended distinctions between insiders and outsiders. Churches have categories such as full membership, associate membership and regular attendees. In some congregations, an international student, no matter how long he or she is in that church, will never become a full member because of church policies.
• Committed to unity, diversity and fellowship and yet Sundays and churches are the most segregated times and places in American Christian communities. Internationals who come to America or who are familiar with American Christians are impressed with the way American Christians are committed to evangelism and reaching the unreached and yet at the same time have difficulty integrating the different races and ethnicities in their own country.
• Committed to peace and justice and yet perceived as supporting a government that uses its power over other countries to impose its own agenda. furthermore, Americans are perceived as considering themselves to be the modem day equivalent of the nation of Israel, a people called by God to accomplish his mission in the world today. They can justify any action taken against other nations by their privileged position with God. Any opposing view or disagreement is perceived as unpatriotic and un-Christian Killing of others is blessed by the Christian community because it is in the context of the mandate to establish a New World Order based on God's principles.
• Generous with wealth and yet seen as hoard-
ing and controlling most of the world's resources. American Christians are known for their generosity throughout the world. Mennonites in particular are known for helping to provide assistance in times of disaster, war, conflict and famine. And yet even Mennonites are perceived to not be exempt from the dominant American culture that hoards and controls most of the world's resources. A study of the economic status of our different Mennonite churches around the globe as indicated in the book In God's Image by Ray Dirks shows that although North American Mennonites represent 25.59 percent of recent Mennonite World Conference membership, they hold 88 33 percent of the estimated Mennonite wealth. Africa represents 43.26 percent of the membership with 0.85 percent of the wealth; Asia with 20.44 percent of membership and 2.13 percent of wealth; Latin America with 8 30 percent of membership and 6.97 percent of wealth and Europe with 2.40 percent of membership and 6 97 percent of wealth.
Where is the reality in all this? How seriously do American Christians take what other people think? Do American Christians have a built-in capacity to listen to the opposing view when the issue of control is involved? What would happen if those who perceive American Christians as described above 'would m;come part of a nation that sees itself as powerful?
Well, I am not sure that I am able to answer these questions . But I have discovered one thing while working on this article. I started writing in my living room in Fresno, Calif., with a fireplace going and while watching a movie on the rescue of Israeli hostages in Entebbe, Uganda. Now, I am finishing it while sitting in a nice hotel room in Chicago where I am attending the meeting of all the North American Mennonite mission agencies. In the shuttle that took me from the airport to the hotel, I heard the driver on his radio requesting a room for one young lady who was desperate to find a place for just one night. The voice from the other end indicated that the hotel was full but there were a couple of rooms open that were usually set aside for handicapped people. The young lady could have one if she wanted for the price of $129 for the night , a rate higher than I was paying. So that's the place I am going, I thought to myself I guess I have become one of them .•
Pakisa K lShimika is from Kajiji in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has served as the MBMS International program director for Africa and director for social ministry and is currently the associate executive secretary for networks and projects for Mennonite World Conference. Five years ago he a nd his wife Linda moved to Fresno, Calif, where they are members of College Community Church of Clovis. Since 1993 they have been parents to three children of Pakisa's deceased brother.
CHUCK'S CORNER
BY CHUCK BULLER U.S. CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AGoldenAnniversary
Th e glue that holds us together is that w e are Mennonite Brethren
It surprises most U.S. Mennonite Brethren to hear of our age. Yes, Mennonite Brethren first arrived in this country in 1874, just 14 years after the denomination was founded in Russia, and five years later formed the General Conference. Yet in 2004, the U.S. Conference of MB Churches is only 50 years old. In marriage that's a lifetime. In matters of faith, it's called just getting started!
It was in 1954 that our Canadian partners in the General Conference informed our leaders that they were exiting their partnership with us at Tabor College and would also be forming their own national conference So rather inauspiciously the U.S. Conference began a fivedecade journey that brings us to this summer's convention in Salt Lake City. Interesting irony there, don't you think? A conference that began with familiar centers in locations like Hillsboro, Kan. , and Reedley, Calif, will pull out the "golden cudery" in Salt Lake City, Utah , a city by far better known for Mormons than Mennonites . I think it is fitting. It speaks to an interesting journey of MBs in the U.S.
Many a conference leader from previous generations can argue persuasively that U.S. MBs have struggled with their identity. Some would go so far as to call it a "split soul" of evangelicalism and Mennonite tradition and values In part some would suggest this is because the U.S. Conference really didn't start intentionally as much as in reaction to the Canadian agenda. Some would suggest this is still the case. Many efforts to establish mission and identity have grown out of this larger question. As the first chair of the Mission USA board, I well remember it was suggested that this effort would give a new "center" to our mission
As the staff leader for this season of our journey, I would like to offer this per-
spective on our identity as we begin our next 50 years: We will only increase our identity confusion by suggesting that we need to continually redefine it!
Call it a gift of posttnodernity. As I study the trends for the future I find that people are less interested in "airtight" mission statements than they are in Simply sharing life together. Allow me to illustrate. I grew up in Reedley as a Mennonite Brethren. Admittedly, pretty much everyone in Reedley knew what that was. But I also was a pastor in places like Lodi, Calif; Saskatoon, Sask.; Waterloo, Ont.; and Visalia, Calif All towns with different expressions of what Mennonite Brethren stood for. This was during the era when we spent long hours debating whether a church was wise to use "Mennonite Brethren" in its tide. Interestingly, of the six churches I served half were known as Mennonite Brethren and the other half did all they could to keep this moniker out of sight, if not out of mind.
While my experience includes only six churches, I find it interesting that there were no real differences in those churches related to their missional success. The reason was simple. Once you got past the sign and bulletin and into the pews of the church you discovered what the church really was, rather than what they said they were trying to be! As Jesus said, you will know Christians by their love . .. not their bulletins!
My conclusion is simple. For all our diversity, this glue holds us together: We are Mennonite Brethren. Some of us prefer church names that include words like Community, Neighborhood or . .. you fill in the blank. Some of us have theological preferences that are weighted towards evangelical, charismatic or Anabaptist perspectives. Our unique characteristics are as diverse as the people who sit in our
pews. And something tells me we need to get more comfortable with that reality. For all kinds of reasons we have ended up in Mennonite Brethren churches. We can try to define ourselves in sophisticated ways. Or at some level we can accept the fact that in God's providence he birthed a Mennonite Brethren Church some 144 years ago out of the soil of evangelicaVcharismatic pietism and Anabaptist values. What more might we need to say? And at the end of the discussion there is really only one thing that matters. We follow Jesus and call him Lord, just like millions of other Christians with whom we share God's blue and green planet.
Frequendyas a pastor and now as a conference executive I am asked to define our identity. I am saying with greater enjoyment all the time-and probably a smug smile- ''Well, we're Mennonite Brethren." Usually there is a pause and the assumption that more must certainly be coming. Does there have to be? Sometimes words get in the way. As I used to tell people in membership classes unfamiliar with the Mennonite Brethren, ''Why don't you worship with us for awhile and then we'll let you tell us what you think we believe . Then when you see a copy of our confession of faith you'll at least know whether we're honest!"
It seems that the model ofJesus is pretty relevant here. People asked him to describe his mission and he said, "Come and follow me " I like that. In a world that increasingly distrusts the words of religious institutions and is looking for what is real, it is sounding like a better identity all the time. And posttnodernity is getting off to a better start than I imagined!
P.S. We'd love to see many Mennonite Brethren at our Golden Anniversary! •
BY PHILIP WIEBE
Outofthemicrocosm
IT IS OFTEN OBSERVED THAT OUR culture is going "supersized." A lot of things are getting bigger. The growth of food portions, especially, has been in the news as fast food joints dole out tubs of fries and barrels of soda to a waistlineexpanding public
My own awareness of this supersizing trend was heightened awhile ago when I tried to request a small order of fries at a drive-up window. "We don't have small anymore," came the reply. "We just have medium, large and giant."
"Oh," I said. "So now your medium is small, your large is medium and your giant is large." After a lengthy silence on the other end, I added, "Just give me the medium."
Even as some things in our culture are getting bigger, however, others are getting smaller. A major realm for this is technology, which keeps jamming more gadgets into smaller packages, such as tiny cell phones that also take pictures, send e-mails and play music.
Perhaps not coincidentally, along with shrinking technology has come a growing phenomena which I think of as "microstats." These are information bits that have been broken down into smaller units than one would normally think of as useful. My personal microstat test comes from Linus, the blanket-toting Peanuts character. When someone presented him with an odd factoid about something or other, Linus pondered to himself, "Now that I know that, what do I do?"
These days I often feel that way. Televised sports, for example, have become thick with microstats. During a basketball game one might hear an announcer say, "In the last four minutes of the first half, this team outscores its opponents by an
average of seven points." Or, "The team's record is only three and five in arenas that seat over 10,000 fans."
I'm not making these kinds of statistics up; you really do hear this stuff. Such information might sound like it brings enlightenment regarding a team's fortunes or misfortunes. But often the microstats have little or no correlation to a team's overall performance.
At times I get the impression that statisticians come up with microstats just because they can. The growing sophistication of computer software allows the sorting of information in endless ways. So information gets sorted in endless ways, whether it winds up being truly informative or not.
I saw another example of this recently. My own community apparently ranked high on a list of America's most stressful small cities to live in. Now, I'd heard of lists ranking cities according to job market, housing costs, environment and the like. But the "most stressful" label was a new one for me. Someone must have decided they could sort a bunch of data regarding unemployment, hypertension, psychiatric consultation per capita and so on, then come up with the "most stressful" label. Never mind that stress tends to be a subjective thing I've known many employed persons who were considerably stressed and many unemployed persons who were quite relaxed.
The "micro" trend affects more than just the sorting of statistics, though. I think our culture is suffering more and more from the malady of micromanagement.
For example, scheduling demands and busyness have gotten out of hand for many families. Some would say we've brought that on ourselves by trying to do
too much. Certainly there is truth in that. But it's not the whole story. Technological advances have not only revolutionized information processing but also the pace of life. Because more can be done in less time, we are often at the mercy of authority figures that would have it be so for us.
In addition, we live in an age of increasing specialization. We can get so caught up in the details of life, we lose sight of life itself. People get so busy tinkering with the endless minutiae of their jobs, finances, relationships, possessions, recreational pursuits, church involvement and so on, they forget simply to live, love and appreciate the blessings God has given.
One could say that a crucial element of Jesus' ministry was to draw people out of the microcosm to a larger, fuller perspective of life and faith. Many spiritual leaders inJesus' day were so absorbed with the details of religiosity that they missed the God who had bigger things in mind. On one occasion Jesus told them, "You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness" (Matt. 23:23)
Jesus kept clashing with the leaders about these kinds of things; he was frustrated with their "micro" view of spirituality. They let go of their precious details to pursue the expansive, wholehearted love and service God wanted.
The question comes to us in today's church: Are we pursuing "micro" or "macro" Christianity? Too often, I fear, we're motivated by a desire to maintain the details of churchianity, rather than letting go into the tremendous love and grace God has given for us to embrace and enjoy, and to share with others •
InsupportofJamesDobson
Why would we join the "anti-monument folks" in casting a stone atJames Dobson? (Ph'lip Side, October 2003) There are enough outside Christ's kingdom making mockery of evangelical leaders without handing them support in decrying a voice in the wilderness. He, like the rest of us , may at times use adjectives a bit too freely but where will you find a person more effective in our day calling all of us to good morality and a holy life.
Loyal Funk Arroyo Grande, Calif.
GettingangrywithGod
The article by Kenneth Gibble ("Getting angry with God," February 2004) was comforting and challenging. He does a good job of allowing us the freedom of getting angry with God yet learning from it and benefiting from it. Another good book to read in this arena of thought is Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey. It deals a little differendy with the subject yet it is an excellent book.
Ken Penner Ingalls, Kansas Reflectionson Jonah
I really enjoyed the reflections on Jonah by Pierre Gilbert (February 2004). It came at the perfect time because our pastor is preach-
The Christian Leader welcomes brief letters on topics relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church. Letters to the editor should be brief - 300 words or less - and on one subject. Letters must be signed and include the writer's city and state. Letters will be edited for clarity, appropriateness and length. Letters will be published, as space allows, unless marked "Not for publication. " Send letters to Christian Leader, P.O Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063 (e-mail: editor@usmb org)
WHAT READEHS SAY
ing on Jonah. Any chance we will have more reflections by Dr. Gilbert in future issues? I'd like to read his take on Job. Thanks for all you do in putting together a quality, thought provoking Christian magazine!
Janet Penner-Williams Friendswood, Texas
Ordainingwomenaspastors
Is the decision of the Congolese MB Church to ordain women pastors one that North American MB churches should follow? According to Mary Anne Isaak and Jeanine Yoder (Forum, November 2003) that is precisely what we are invited to do.
I object to the Congolese decision to ordain women on procedural and theological grounds. Procedurally, it appears that the initial decision to ordain Madame Charly was taken prior to any formal decision by the Congo MB Church on the issue of female ordination per se, accommodating rather to the policies and wishes of a larger Protestant body without due consideration of its own doctrinal stance. Isaak and Yoder state that much consideration occurred after this initial approval, but a precedent had already been set.
After this initial step the inconsistency of ordaining a female missionary and not women serving on pastoral teams in the Congo was in high relief according to Isaak and Yoder. "If we ordain female missionaries, why not local female pastors?" Indeed, why not? "Did not God pour out his Holy Spirit on men and women at Pentecost?" Certainly, he did. Then "should the church withhold its bleSSing of women's ministry?" When the discussion is framed in this manner, there is little doubt as to the outcome. For the Congolese it was "no" to any restrictions and ''yes'' to the ordination of female pastors.
But there is another line that the discussion could have taken. Namely: 1) "Bib-
lically speaking, did we make a mistake in ordaining Madame Charly?" 2) "Does the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in all believers invalidate any gender considerations that we might have in ministerial .assignments?" If not, then 3) "to which specific ministerial assignments can women be affinned and to which can they not?" Perhaps these questions were addressed, but the article left me with the impression that a precedent was set in the Congo church prior to sufficient theological reflection and, if necessary, debate in the larger church community. Much prayer and discernment occurred after the Charly ordination and prior to the formal decision to ordain female pastors, and that is admirable, but did not the order of events make that final decision to ordain women nearly inevitable?
And what of the biblical text? I object to the Congolese decision because I find it difficult to set aside the objections of the "complementarian" position which does not allow ordination of women to authoritative leadership roles. What about the Aposde Paul's specific restrictions in 1 Tim. 2:12-14? He did not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. He did not base this restriction on any particular cultural custom , but on Adam being created first; that initially it was Eve that was deceived and fell into transgreSSion Whatever the full meaning of those reasons are, they certainly haven't changed since Paul's day.
Finally, have we not decided on this matter? During the 80s and 90s conference resolutions were always clearly against female ordination to authoritative leadership roles in the church . Nevertheless Isaak and Yoder state the "debate" ues here while the church in the Congo has been ''willing to reach resolution" on this issue . It's curious to me how allowing female ordination is seen as "resolution" by continued on page 34
BY MARVIN HEIN
Questions about faith Be life
QIs there a lesson for us to learn with resped to church/state relationships in the experiences of the PolishlPrussian Mennonite Church during the 18005 and early 190051 (California)
APeter Klassen, former dean of social sciences and professor of history at Fresno State University as well as a former Fresno Pacific University faculty member and board chair, has become one of the foremost authorities on the Mennonite church in Poland. In his repeated trips to this Eastern European country where many of our Mennonite forefathers once lived, he has sought to analyze their spiritual journeys.
During and after World War 2 virtually all Mennonites fled or were forced out of this area. In recent years numerous cooperative efforts with Poles now living in this area have been pursued. These projects include visiting and presenting programs in the former Mennonite church (now Pentecostal) in Gdansk and helping this church regain property once held by the Mennonite church. Cooperative efforts have also included working with local government, educational, religious, social,and historical agencies to restore and preserve Mennonite cemeteries; installing historical plaques reflecting a former Mennonite presence; making Polish-language literature available explaining the Mennonite story and encouraging church-to-church contacts . In a recent report to the FPU and
MB Biblical Seminary Council of Senior Professionals, Klassen described the events occurring in the 1800s and early 1900s. His explanation led one person to ask, "Is it possible that we may be in a situation similar to the Polish/Prussian Mennonite Church when it comes to how we view our relationship to the state?"
Mennonites migrated to Poland (West Prussia) as early as the mid-1500s. Cities such as Danzig (Gdansk today), Marienburg and Elbing were largely selfgoverning and not beholden to the country at large. Consequently they could make their private agreements and concessions to Mennonites who enjoyed considerable freedom. Local lords, who owned or administered properties, made similar concessions as did the king. Mennonites were freed from quartering military troops and paying for military causes. In 1642 they were promised liberties "for all time." They were promised free exercise of their faith. Succeeding rulers made similar declarations.
When in 1722 Frederick II "The Great" seized the area that came to be called West Prussia, restrictions began to be imposed. Freedom of religion would be secondary to the security of the state. Later, during the Napoleonic wars, some Dutch Mennonites joined the military. After 1848 nationalism, democracy and militarism began to confront the Anabaptist nonviolence stand. Churches were divided. Most rural congregations stood for the traditional view of nonparticipation in war. City churches felt more constrained to support the government.
The Danzig Mennonite Church
Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at mheinl@fresno.edu or send your question to "Inquiring Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710.
opened the dike in 1870 with a unanimous vote, saying in effect: "We have a wonderful czar, wonderful Christian servants in government and we must support the government." At that time Pastor H. G. Mannhardt, who had Lutheran roots, led the congregation in revising its historic peace stance
Hearing this report, another member of the Council shared how 30 years ago he had asked a German Mennonite how they could have been so blind to support Adolph Hitler. His answer? "When someone promises you a chicken in every pot and a VW in every garage, you bend." InJune 1995 German Mennonites asked forgiveness for their participation in World War 2. They confessed they valued union with the state above their union with Mennonites in other countries
All this prompted the question about learning from history. American evangelicals and Mennonites are prone to say we have a good Christian president. We have Christians in high places We have many liberties. We have the best government in the world. And those may all well be true. So war in Iraq is good, or at least okay. It is the way to preserve the liberties God and government have given us. Are we echoing the words and actions of those European forefathers? Will we perhaps one day have to apologize for our good-intentioned blindness? It seems to me to be a legitimate question. Those who do not learn from history are apt to repeat it.
ON THE JOURNEY
BY ROSE BUSCHMAN
Issuinga"calltoaction"
Fig hting/o r o u r rights is not king d o m work
A FRIEND RECENTLY FORWARDED
an e-mail to me that was a call to action insisting that we as Christians in America should fight for our rights . The writer decried the fact that prayers before football games have been banned He claimed we should be allowed to have such public Christian prayers because we are a nation founded on Christian principles.
He writes, "If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome " His expectations of what might happen in these countries might be true. However, I believe that in some of those countries prayers would not be said at secular events. They would be reserved for appropriate religious occasions.
Then the writer continues, "Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying." What? Did I miss something? Since when? I don't remember anyone telling me that I have to stop praying. His statement is an overstatement. There may be a ban on organized, public prayer before a high school football game, but there is nothing stopping anyone at the game from praying. And if I remember my Sunday schoollessons, Jesus was much more into the private praying-in-the-closet kind of prayers than the public seen-and-be-heard kind anyway. I was a teacher in the public school system for many years. While I was not allowed to publicly lead my students in a formal prayer, no one could stop me from privately praying for
myself, for my students and/or anything else for which I wanted to pray.
What I really had the biggest problem with in this e-mail was this writer's statement: "Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights " First of all, this is an inflammatory statement designed to make people mad and secondly it's not true We are not being stripped of all our rights Just talk to some of the Christians on the Indonesian Island of Sulawesi (formerly Borneo) and find out what it really means to be stripped of all our rights. These Christians can describe the terror of fleeing from their homes into the jungle while watching their houses and churches bum or destroyed by bulldozers. They can tell you what it's like to see family members raped, attacked by machetes and/or murdered. In our country we have no real concept of what lack of freedom to practice our faith really means The fact is, we have so many rights that we don't appreciate what we have.
Furthermore this argument is counter to Jesus' teachings. In speaking about the Jewish practice of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth " Jesus said, "Here's what I propose. Don't hit back at all. If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, gift-wrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff" (Matt. 5:39-41 The Message) . Paul echoed this teaching when he wrote, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of fire on his head"
(Rom. 12:20).
The recent turmoil surrounding the Ten Commandments monument in a Birmingham, Ala ., courthouse has left me deeply saddened As I watched the demonstrations on 1V and the angry "we have rights" speeches made by some Christian leaders I wondered how many unbelievers watching this will want to become Christians when they see and hear this news broadcast. Will anyone? Or will they walk away and decide not to have anything to do with Christ.
Christians who don't want to accept Jesus' teaching of turning the other cheek need to rethink their commitment to follow Christ. As servants of Christ we are expected to live by it even if it's hard to follow or we don't like it.
I am deeply disturbed by these calls in some Christian circles for us to "fight for our rights." Nowhere in scripture can I find the injunction that I am to fight for my rights . In fact, to me fighting for our rights is not kingdom work.
In contrast, the Bible has many references and calls-for-action to give justice for the oppressed, the poor and those who can't help themselves. Jesus in his own mission statement said that he came "to preach good news to the poor to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed" (Luke 4 : 18) Then at a later date he says to his disciples (and to us), ')\s the father has sent me, so I am sending you" (John 20:21).
We Christians in the U.S. definitely need a call to action. But this action needs to be kingdom work that leads unbelievers to Christ and not away from him •
Maxwell, George Barna, James Dobson and Max Lucado. Topics cover both church needs, such as church growth or small groups, and individual needs, such as stewardship or parenting. Broadcasts are live, and audiences have the opportunity to ask questions via fax or e-mail.
The same advances in technology that make personal life more entertaining and business more convenient can also be used as effective tools for building the church. Several U.S . Mennonite Brethren churches are using technology to do just that. Grace Bible Church in Gettysburg, S.D. and Fairview (Okla.) MB Church are examples of those using satellite technology to equip their congregations for more effective ministry. At least three congregations are testing video tools to open up seating space and provide a different worship venue for their church families and communities.
In Gettysburg, Grace Bible subscribes to Church Communication Network which brings them live satellite feed of national conferences and seminars with wellknown speakers. Senior Pastor Jim Weems says that because of this tool the congregation is "better equipped than they were five years ago."
CCN makes about 30 satellite seminars per year available to churches on a subSCription basis. Churches can also purchase broadcasts on a pay-per-view basis, as Fairview MB has done. Programs include leadership training seminars, individual speakers and special events and feature such well-known speakers as John
From a technical standpoint, the requirements are fairly simple: a Dish Network satellite receiver, a video projector and some kind of screen. A subscription to the service is $1,100 per year or $99 per month, according to the CCN Web site. Pay-per-view packages start at $195. Dish Network installation adds another $500. Weems points out that the cost is minimal . when compared to the cost of attending such a conference or workshop in person. Gettysburg, for example, is in a rural area not likely to be targeted by a national-level conference. For a small delegation from the church to attend a single such conference, travel, :urfare, hotel and meals would quickly eclipse the subscription fee. With CCN, Weems says, ''We get it right here." He adds that in terms of cost "there is no comparison. "
Fairview MB has tried two pay-perview seminars through CCN : one on financial management in the fall of 2003 and a women's conference in November 2003. Senior Pastor Gary Janzen says that although neither event brought huge attendance, Fairview will definitely use such a tool again. "I think it opens up a door of training possibilities and resourcing possibilities," he says.
At Grace Bible, the church takes full advantage of the resources available through CCN by recording every broadcast, even if it falls at an inconvenient time.
The recorded seminars and workshops are then available to church members who could not attend or can be used during the Sunday school hour.
Weems says that equipping the congregation through CCN is helping the church reach its goals. "It motivates and it helps us commit to our ministry," he says. He points to a recent outreach concert as one example of outreach that has been a result of the encouragement and training they've received through CCN.
Janzen says this is a tool that could easily be used by any church, large or small. "It allows you to access resources for training, for inspiration, people, events that probably would not be available," Janzen says.
At least three churches are testing how a different tool-video technology---can be used to build their ministry. At both Koerner Heights MB Church in Newton, Kan., and Ebenfeld MB near Hillsboro, Kan., the motivation to try something new came in part out of a need for space. Koerner Heights was regularly using its overflow area; Ebenfeld had determined that seating space was an issue Ebenfeld considered plans for a new building or remodeling project, but found the cost prohibitive. Both churches considered adding a second service, but were concerned about potential disunity caused by separating the existing church family into two services Vaughn Jost, associate pastor at Ebenfeld, says that church members wanted to be together and to share Sunday school and fellowship times. Mark Isaac, pastor at Koerner Heights, says the dilemma prOvided an "opportunity for creativity."
So, in September 2002 Koerner Heights launched a simultaneous video service christened "The Heights." Their experience proved helpful to the Ebenfeld congregation when its leaders began planning "The Branch," begun in September 2003. Both congregations hold the second service at the same time as the regular service, but not in the sanctuary. They meet in a fellowship hall and feature a more relaxed atmosphere, with tables and chairs rather than pews and slightly more contemporary music. The Heights serves gourmet coffees and other refreshments to encourage the more relaxed feel. Regular
attendance at The Heights runs about 40 to 60; regular attendance at The Branch runs about 120 to 130.
Both The Heights and The Branch have their own music worship time, then join the regular service for teaching through live video feed. The technology required to make such a video simulcast possible is something any church could do, according to Eric Clark, who helped set up the technology for The Heights. Both churches use two cameras in the , sanctuary to allow for a variety of angles. A mixer allows the technician to manipulate the image and implement special effects, then the image is sent through cables to the fellowship hall, where a video projector transmits the image onto a screen.
Koerner Heights spent between $18,000 and $20,000 to upgrade their technology churchwide, including the technology to do the video simulcast, says Isaac. Ebenfeld spent about $15,000, including a new sound system for The Branch, according to Jost. Jost points out that, although it is a serious financial commitment, it is minimal compared to the cost of building or remodeling. The investment at the start was important, he says, because the church wanted "to do it well from the start."
Both churches say adjusting to the change has not been easy. Jost says that because the Ebenfeld sanctuary was nearly full, it was hard for some to see empty pews when The Branch began. Further-
more, he says, many who gravitate toward The Branch are college students and young families, so their absence is keenly felt. "It's taken time to get used to that feel," he says.
At both The Heights and The Branch, one benefit of the video service is the opportunity to offer a slightly different worship style. Craig Dickinson, who regularly leads worship at The Heights, says, "It appeals to a different crowd. It gives our church the opportunity of reaching, in effect, twice as many people." At The Branch, Jost says, the desire to be relevant is a passion. "The gospel is relevant to all people and all generations and all time periods," he says. "But how do we make sure that the way we present the gospel is relevant to people who are living in the 21st century?" The Branch is one attempt to be relevant.
Isaac points out that technology is integrated into the lives of the upcoming generations-so much so that some say hearing the teaching via video makes it more "valid" than hearing it in person. As far as that is true, Isaac says, something like a video simulcast is "a tool that is quite effective in presenting the truth of God's word to a technological people ."
Frank Huebert III, director of student ministries at Koerner Heights, says the informality at The Heights encourages people to interact and worship together, rather than just "sit back and observe." He says it also gives church members another
opportunity to serve. "It has allowed some other people to really step up and take some ownership in our time together." One of those who has taken ownership is Dickinson, who says that being involved with The Heights has energized his faith in a new way, so that he is "the most excited I've been about church in a long time ."
Laurelglen Bible Church in Bakersfield, Calif., has also used video tools to expand their worship options For about a year, Laurelglen's ''Video Cafe" met concurrent with a Sunday morning service and featured a video sermon prerecorded from their Saturday evening service Like The Heights and The Branch, the worship style was more informal, with music that Executive Pastor Ed Boschman calls "edgy" and coffees and tables to replicate a "coffee house" atmosphere.
Goals for the Video Cafe were to create space, offer a different worship style and penetrate the community more effectively, especially for younger generations Although those goals were largely met, according to Boschman, the Video Cafe was "back-bumered" about a year ago. At that time, Laurelglen poured considerable energy into birthing a new church. Plus, says Boschman, attendance and commitment were not strong enough to "make it what it ought to be," but he says that Video Cafe-or something similar-will be back at Laurelglen when the time is right.
Boschman says , ''We learned that there were a number of people who really loved the opportunity." The music style, relaxed feel and flexibility of Video Cafe appealed to many. Laurelglen also learned that it is critical to be focused in their music style, that technical excellence makes a difference and that staffing and leadership continuity makes a difference. When they relaunch, Boschman says, they will make sure they have an adequate team committed to it-"deep enough to go second or third string if we need to"-and they will make an effort to better inform both the congregation and the community of the option.
Boschman says it will be an exCiting service when they do relaunch ''When something like this is done right, " he says , "it does provide a window of opportunity to expand ministry and to build kingdom in fresh and new ways." He says such tools mean that "the old, old story can get told in a new and fresh venue and in a new and fresh way, so that we can be faithful to our mission, because, in the end, that's what it's all about."
Isaac says churches should not be afraid to "keep trying new stuff." He says that although change can be difficult, "if the Lord himself is our rock, everything else can change." Weems likewise encourages other churches to give new tools a try: "Check it out," he says simply. "It's worked for us " - By Myra
Holmes
M
r efl ect on ch a ll enges and joy s o f m i n istry
Team 2000 completestheirfirstterm
It has been three years since the families that make up Team 2000 were sent by MBMS International for a ministry assignment in Thailand. Ricky and Karen Sanchez, Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters and Andy and Carmen Owen, all home for MINA-"Ministry in North America"- recently visited MBMS International's main office in Fresno, Calif, and talked about their first term. They organized their reflections around several themes. the team has discipled Thai people in what it
Language study: Team 2000 spent their first year studying the Thai language at the OMF school in the city of Lopburi. They remember it as a trying and challenging time, but one from which they received great benefit. Following their first year of language
: to reach these communities by offering the opportunity to learn English.
The journey of faith: Many of the 'learn : 2000 members speak of the privilege it is to see others grow in their journey of fuith. As
, means to love Jesus and have him be part of ; their lives, they have seen many take that first step of fuith. This does not always begin with : the Western idea of accepting Jesus Christ into : one 's heart, but is sometimes a simple desire ; to learn more about the Bible 1Wo women : who are on that journey are Phil Neat, being discipled by Louise Sinclair-Peters, and Noi, discipled by Carmen Owen
Short-term teams and visitors: Shortstudy, the team settled in Chonburi where it term teams have played a major role in the was up to them to find their own language : ministry and lives of Team 2000 members. teachers This opened the door for many
new relationships and provided the opportu- : nity for team members to share the love of ' Christ with their teachers. In the last year the team has been able to lead Bible studies, preach and lead people to Christ-all in
Thai. Andy Owen describes the process of language learning as losing one identity to gain another
Evangelism and outreach: The vision of Team 2000 is to plant a healthy reproducing churCh in the city of Chonburi. Many steps have been taken to get this process underway. The first "celebration service" was held March 2, 2003 at the Friendship Center, a small building the team has been renting for over a year. Through the center, English classes of five to six weeks, sports camps and the Chonburi Children's Choir led by Karen Sanchez and Carmen Owen have been offered Services that include worship, singing, a message and often games and movies have also taken place at the Friendship Center. Located near a major university, the Friendship Center is a prime location for evangelism, outreach and service in the area. The team has been excited over the past six months by several new developments. A weekly seekers' Bible study has started with various Thai contacts. The team also began an outreach into a muban, a poorer community. Through activities and reading Bible stories, members ofTeam 2000 have been able
Over 40 short-term team members as well as many guests came during the team's first term for a total of 152 visitors. Among other benefits, the visits gave the opportunity for closer relationships with supporting North : American churches. Currently Stephanie
Schroeder, a Global Action Partners participant, is spending 10 months with the team keeping programs running while members areonMINA
Team: Being part of a team has meant a lot to the members ofTeam 2000. They have become a family. They encourage each other, celebrate and worship together. Thanks to the various gifts present in team members they have been able to reach out further and with more impact then they would have on their own.--by Megan E. Roberts for MBMSI
11M I Traver · with a PUffJOse
DIsciple Ma king Inb!Imational
FEB 18- MAR
NewMEDA-supportedinvestmentfundlaunched
First private equity fund to be direded at poor in the developing world
MicroVest One, the newest Mennonite Economic Development Associates-supported investment fund aimed at helping poor people, was launched Jan . 22 in New York. The fund is the first ever private equity fund directed at poor in the developing world.
The fund, founded in 2002, is owned by MicroVest as a joint venture between MEDA, CARE U.S.A, the second-largest relief and development agency in the U.S., and the Seed Capital Development Fund. The goal of MicroVest is to link poor entrepreneurs in the developing world with investors in the U.S. and Canada; MicroVest hopes to assist two million poor entrepreneurs over the ten-year life of this first fund.
Gerhard Pries, MED.Ns chief financial , officer and vice chair of MicroVest, says the new fund will enable investors to provide debt and equity capital to profitable microfinance institutions (or micro banks) that serve poor people in developing countries. "These banks fill a critical need for credit in
the developing world," says Pries, noting that local commercial banks won't lend to poor people because they consider them too risky and because of the high costs involved in servicing small loans.
''Without these small loans, poor entrepreneurs can't escape poverty-they need them to start or grow small businesses so they can take care of their families," he says. By Dec. 31, 2003, the new fund had raised $15.4 million from private investors and MEDA, CARE and Seed Capital Development Fund. Over $2 million came from 18 private investors connected to MEDA.
According to Pries, the number of MEDA-related investors was a pleasant surprise. "I had told MicroVest's partners early on that because MEDA members were family business owners, and had their capital actively employed in their bUSinesses, we shouldn't expect much investment from , them," he says. "I expected perhaps two or
three to invest. 1 was wrong. Since MEDA members identify themselves as working at the nexus of faith, business and development, using their capital to help the poor makes sense to them."
Pries says that MicroVest is needed because there is a lack of commercial sources for funding for the growing microfinance sector, forcing them to rely on government and aid agency support-something that "leaves these banks falling well short of their potential."
He believes that the new fund will be attractive to individuals and foundations in North America because many people "are looking for ways other than traditional aid programs to help poor people improve their lives By investing as well as giving, they can make a deep contribution to poverty alleviation while maintaining accountability through returns and through their continued involvement with the fund."-MEDA
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MBchurchnurtures'Paraguay'sfirstfamily
Firstladywasamongearlyconvertsofchurchplant
Maria Gloria Penayo de Duarte Frutos, first lady of Paraguay, and her five children are a vital part of Iglesia Raices Hermanos Menonitas
Firstladysendsletterof greetingtoMWC
A letter of greeting and blessing on the global Anabaptist family from Maria Gloria Penayo de Duarte Frutos, first lady of Paraguay, has initiate d a response from Mennonite World Confere n ce officials .
"We pray for God's blessing of your world conference and that the unity among Mennonites all over the world may be strengthened," she wrote in August, referring to Assembly 14 being held then in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Delegates to the MWC General Council from Paraguay presented the letter to the council, which also met in Bulawayo
The letter, translated from Spanish , speaks of God's wisdom leading daily in the sharing of the gospel in Paraguay. The first lady requested prayer "for us as w e are facing gre at challenge as a family and as authority of this country. "
In a response to the Frutos' le tte r , MWC incoming president Nancy Heisey and outgoing president Mesach Krietya said h e r m e ssage was "received and read with great joy." The y thanked her for her prayers for the assembly and assured her of the prayers of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ community for the leade rs of Paraguay and her Christian famil y in the challenges they face
With th e ir letter, MWC officials sent a copy of the Mennonite world membership map ; Correo, the Spanish edition of the Mennonite World Conference quarterly publication which re ported on the Zimbabwe assembly; and the new book, In God's Image : a Global Anabaptist Fami ly , whic h portrays the Mennonite and Brethren in Chris t family of faith worldwide - MWC
(Rooths Mennonite Brethren Church) in Paraguay. The preSident, Nicanor Duarte Frutos, attends whenever duties of state allow him to do so
"From our church, we try everything to relate closely to these people so that they do not have to be alone," says Victor Wall, one of the congregation's team of pastors.
Maria Gloria, a former Roman Catholic, turned to the MB church through its evangelism efforts . She was among the second group of converts baptized at the Spanish church, founded seven years ago as an expansion of the German-speaking MB church in Asuncion. It has 163 members, but attendance spikes as high as 600 for special events like baptisms.
The first lady's baptism followed diScipleship training and her expressed commitment to the church and its Anabaptist theology. She is active in all church activities, but especially evangelism, says Wall. The family's eldest son, IS-year-old Jose Fernando, is also a baptized member. The four younger children participate regularly in Sunday school and youth activities.
Nicanor Duarte Frutos was installed
, as president Aug. 15, 2003. He had been : Minister of Education for two terms. Wall i says the president is a believer and identi, fies strongly with Iglesia Raices, whose lead: ers have regular prayer with him.
· "Politically, he pays a price for his i commitment to Christ, (but) he shares his · faith with his cabinet," adds Wall. : last baptism Nov. 30, the secretary general i of the presidency was baptized." That bapi tism made the news in Paraguay, which is i 90 percent Catholic .
, The president has invited Mennonite ! business leaders to work with him on "a I frontal war on corruption," a difficult task that he has started, says Wall, who is also : MB conference moderator, conference • minister and works half time for the Evan: gelical University.
Paraguay is one possible location for : the Mennonite World Conference Assem1 bly 15, expected to be held in 2009. An : invitation from the Brethren in Christ Gen· eral Conference, the Mennonite Church ; USA, and the U.S. Conference of Menno! nite Brethren Churches to hold the assem, bly in eastern Pennsylvania is also being , considered. MWC officials will conduct feaI sibility studies of both locations.-By ; Ferne Burkhardt for MWC
The author's love of God and his word are very evident in this study of John's gospel. Bystrom explores and expounds on the text, building a bridge between the original context and our own day. Personal response questions at the end of each chapter make this an ideal book for personal or group study. Paper, 345 pages, $19.99 (shipping and taxes extra ) Order your copy
The newly created Pacific I features author and speaker District Conference Board of II Leonard Sweet and focuses Leadership Development is on ministry in a postmodern offering two upcoming initia- context. tives The Summer Internship 'I The mission of the BLD Program is for young adults, is to inspire and challenge ages 19 to 25 who desire an emerging and existing church entry level, church-based leaders by providing opportuinternship experience at a I nities for gifts to be tested, PDC congregation and offers I skills to be developed, charexperience in areas such as acter to be strengthened , and youth, children's, music/wor- I competence to be ship, preaching/teaching, and increased.-PDC diScipleship/small group ministries. Interns will be super-
vised by a mentor and will be compensated. The BLD hopes that young men and women who participate will have the opportunity to hear God's call and respond by offering their lives and gifts in service to Christ. Information and applications for bo!h potential interns and potential host churches are available by calling the PDC office at 559-453-2082 or e-mailing pdcmbc@fresno.edu. The information/application packet may be accessed online at the PDC Web site at www.pdcmbc.org
The second initiative is a partnership venture between the PDC and Fresno Pacific University and will offer ministry forums. The first forum will be held April 22 on the FPU campus . The day-long leadership and training event
Hundreds of Anabaptists working in health and human services are meeting in San Francisco March 25-28, 2004 for the Mennonite Health Assembly. This annual gathering is designed to help Anabaptist leaders and caregivers integrate faith and work.
Keynote addresses include "What does a Good Samaritan do when resources are scarce?" by Allen Verhey, professor at Hope College, Holland, Mich ; "Spirituality for subversives" by David Augsburger, professor at Fuller Theological Seminary,
and "Congregations and organizations : Meeting the world's needs together" by Edith Yoder, executive director of Bridge of Hope National Office.
Sponsored by Mennonite Health Services and MMA, Mennonite Health Assembly is open to Anabaptist doctors, nurses and chaplains, as well as board and staff leaders of Anabaptistrelated health and human service ministries College and graduate students interested in health or human services are also welcome.-MHS
NewbookpublishedinLuminaireStudies
A Gospel fo r a New People: Studies in Sermon on the Mount is a new release in th e Luminaire Studies series produced by Kindred Productions, the publishing ministry of the Canadian MB Conference
Author Herb Kopp looks at the various topics in the sermon for "Grdinary wome n and men, young people and children who know they are part of something larger than themselves " The study encourage s careful reading of the text of Jesus ' se rmon along with faithful discipleship and obedience to life as Jesus lived and taught. Kopp, a pastor and longtime MB conference leader, currently serves as Manitoba MB Conference minister
Luminaire Studies are designed for the careful reader and student of the SCriptures . It is written in narrative style and is suitable for personal or group study.
This year Kindred also released in the Luminaire Studies series God Among Us: Studies in the Gospel ofJohn by Raymond Bystrom The release of the Sermon on the Mount and John books brings the total of Luminaire Stud ies t itles to seven . - KP
MORE NEWS
estate gifts
-,
r MBMS International and two Oklahoma \ ' Christian high schools, Com Bible Academy and Oklahoma Bible Academy, are the I grateful recipients of a large gift from the estate of Martha Esther Bartel of Enid, Okla. Due to earlier charitable gifts and estate planning through MB Foundation, $800,000 was made available to these ministries. "Esther had a great Interest In her family of nieces and nephews, and expressed her love for her family through her estate plan," says MBF president Jon Wiebe. "Yet her strong interest in education and missions prompted her to place a higher priority on making significant charItable gifts. The combination of a gift annuity and bequests made a sizable contribution to her favorite mlnlstrles."MBF
MCC U.S. director named
r Rolando Santiago, a member of I Hyattsville (Md.) Mennonite Church, has i been named the new executive director of I Mennonite Central Committee U.S. and I will assume his position In August. He will succeed Jose Ortiz, who has served five I I years In the position and plans to retire I ' this summer. Santiago has a long history ' I of using administrative and educational skills to assist families struggling with I I poverty and InJustice. His current position as a public health analyst under the U.S. I Department of Health and Human SerI vices Involves developing services for ! children with serious emotional disorders I and their families. Born In Albonlto, Puerto Rico, Santiago graduated from Eastern
Thiesenremembered formissionwork
Ted Thiesen of Bakersfield described I his philosophy this way: "I make an effort I to witness of God's love and forgiveness I and live a lifestyle that's in alignment with the Word both on the job and before I my family and friends." I
Thiesen, known among Mennonite i Brethren as a missions supporter who 'II gave his resources and for more than three decades his service to boards, died I Jan. 11, 2004, at the age of 68 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.
Most recently Thiesen served as coordinator of the u.s. Conference USERY program, a ministry that paired skilled individuals with local congregations in need of such resources. Through USERV teams, he helped build and restore many church buildings, particularly for the Slavic, Korean and Hispanic
churches in the Pacific District Conference His latest effort this past October was to help put a roof on the El Faro church in Reedley, Calif.
Thiesen served on the board of MBMS International from 1975 to 1984 and on various boards of Fresno Pacific University since 1983. "Ted was a true friend, with a passion to help those who most needed it," says Ron Penner, MBMSI director for personnel services. "He was a leader and a motivator, getting others to join him as he served the Lord."
Thiesen was born May 13, 1935, in Fresno to Herman and Elizabeth Thiesen. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Marylenej two sons, David and wife Brenda and Daryl and wife Conniej one daughter, Janet and husband Garth Ediger and seven grandchildren.-MBMSI
Mennonitessharepeace themeonGermanTV
The Jan . 18 worship service of a German Mennonite congregation was telecast across the country for the first time in 20 years The WeierhofMennonite Church ' s service focused on the theme "Peaceovercoming violence worldwide ." The public channel televises a worship service live every Sunday morning from a Catholic or a Protestant church This is th e first time that a Mennonite congregation was asked to prepare a service for television which was watched by an estimated I, Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Va., , and has a doctoral degree from the Unl- I verslty of Albany, N.Y. As executive dlreci tor, Santiago will coordinate four regional 1.28 million people .
IoffiCes, which now administer most servIce programs, as well as the Washington
The service included a brief historical introduction of Mennonites and the Weierhof congregation, reports on bridge-building programs and a Mennonite trainee from the U S shared his experiences at school after the 9/ 11 attack
on the World Trade Ce nter in New York and the difficulty he had then in standing for his b e liefs Andrea Lange, Weierhof pastor, based her sermon on Ephesians 2 and referred to experiences and stories froql Mennonite World Conference in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in August 2003 . She also mentioned the World Council of Churches ' "Decade to Overcome Violence " which was proposed in 1998 by the German Mennonite theologian Fernando Enns . The offering was designated for an AIDS project in Zimbabwe The large "Koinonia Quilt, " made in Bulawayo during the world assembly to raise HIV/AIDS awareness worldwide and funds for projects to address the pandemic, was displayed at the church for that purpose .-MWC
CHURCH NEWS
CHURCH
Baptism/membership
Hessto n Kan.-Taylor King, Jared Redding, Aubrey Gibson, leah Rose and Matt Yost were baptized June 22.
Bakersfield. Calif. (Laurelglen)Courtney Chasin, Joshua Ray, Whitney Slaughter and lainey Walker were baptized the weekend of Jan. 24-25.
Reedley, Calif.-Mikala Frueh, Melissa Fujioka, Micah Hiett, Melody Huebert, Jared Hughes, Michelle Klassen, Sandra Klassen, Jadyn Kliewer, Nathan Panttaja , laura Schellenberg and Jaleen Toews were baptized and received into membership Feb 1 Judy Berger, liz Friesen, Bart and Suzi Grunau, Keith and Virgie Panttaja, Christa Scott and Irene Wiest were also welcomed into membership.
Worke rs
Papillion. Neb. (Rolling Hills Church)- Rod Anderson has resigned as senior pastor.
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglen}-Ken McDuff has resigned as pastor of growth ministries.
Hillsboro. Kan. (Parkview}-B.J livingston is working as the interim youth pastor January through May He is on the admissions staff at Tabor College and is pursuing a masters in New Testament studies from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. His wife Jenn is the athletic trainer at Tabor.
Martin Box. Ark -Jerry Crain was installed Feb. 29 as pastor. Crain, his wife Debra and son Jerry moved to Martin Box in February.
Olathe, Kan. (Community Bible)Rob Reimer resigned as pastor effective May 16.
Adams. Okla.-Odie Nunely is serving as interim pastor.
UttIeton. Colo. (Belleview Community}-Tamara Glessner is serving as pastor of children's ministry as of Jan 19.
Cong regations celebrate Valent ine's Da y
last month Mennonite Brethren congregations celebrated positive relationships, encouraged outreach and raised funds for other ministries through events related to
Valentine 's Day.
A traditional Valentine banquet was hosted Saturday, Feb. 7, by the Ulysses (Kan ) MB Church youth group Childcare was offered during the event. Good News Fellowship of Ferndale, Wash., held a Valentine's dinner Feb. 14 publicized as "not just for couples" that featured guest speakers, music and a meal. "An Evening to Remember" Valentine dinner at Reedley (Calif.) MB Church offered "relaxation and beauty, laughter and enjoyment and an exquisite five-course candlelight dinner " Joe and Michelle Williams, authors of Reconciling God's Way, shared their life experiences. The Fairview (Okla.) MB Church youth group hosted a "Dinner and a Show" Valentine's noon meal Sunday, Feb. 15. An elegant meal was served and for a humorous twist guests who also wanted a show were invited to watch the youth dean up after the meal Funds raised will be used for a summer mission trip Shafter (Calif ) MB Church also held a Valentine's dinner. Called "New Orleans Jazz Cate," the Feb 20 dinner featured jambalaya and all the trimmings, Cajun, jazz and contemporary Christian music and "Renewal," a group from Bakersfield.
Deaths
BATHAUE R, AGNE S RUBY, Reedley, Ca li f , was born April 3, 1909, in lehigh, Kan., and died Jan 10, 2004, at the age of 94. On April 20, 1930, she was married to Andrew Bathauer, who predeceased her. She is survived by four daughters, lavada and husband Walter Wall , Vera Presley, Alvina and husband Wayne Martin and Margie and husband Griff Wrench; one son, Orlando and wife Marilynn, 15 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.
ENNS, KATHLEEN ELIZABETH , Shafter, Calif., a member of the Shafter MB Church, was born Dec 21, 1923, to Edward and Elizabeth Eidsen in Bakersfield, Calif , and died Jan. 6, 2004, at the age of 80. On Oct 24, 1943, she married Eugene P. Enns who survives She is also survived by four sons, Bruce and wife Marian, Russel and wife Shirley, Michael and wife Kathy and Rob and wife leeAnn; one brother, Edward II and wife Esther; one sis -
NEWS FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
ter, Sharon and husband Jerry McBee, and n i ne grandchildren.
JOHNSON. WALTER FRANK, Shafter, Cal if., a member of the Shafter MB Church, was born June 16, 1916, to Peter and Katherina Johnson in Nolan, Mich , and died Jan. 3, 2004, at the age of 87. On Sept. 18, 1938, he married Winona Schmidt who predeceased him. He is survived by one son, Ken and wife Rita of Bakersfield, Calif. ; three daughters, Nona Johnson of Fresno, Calif., Sue Johnson of Bakersfield, Calif , and Julia and husband Mike Glick of Hudson, Wis ; one brother, William Johnson of Hillsboro, Kan.; one sister, luella and husband A.W Northam of Tulare, Calif., and six grandchildren.
KAUFFMAN, MABEL UNRUH, Enid, Okla., a member of Enid MB Church, was born Nov. 10, 1916, to Cornelious B. and Katie Koehn Unruh in Pla i ns, Kan , and died Jan. 21, 2004, at the age of 87. On April 21, 1946, she married Daniel Koehn who predeceased her. On Sept. 27, 1980, she married Samuel Kauffman, who predeceased her in 2001. She is survived by two daughters, Virginia Meade of Enid and Erma and husband Darrell of Greeley, Colo ; one son, Franklin and wife Cindy of Towanda, Kan ; one step daughter Carolyn and husband Curt Warren of Canadian , Tex ; three sisters, lizzie Becker of American Falls, Idaho, Susie Neufeld of Enid and Tillie Ekland of Newton, Kan.; four brothers, Dan Unruh and Paul Unruh, both of Enid, leo Unruh of lahoma, Okla , and Walter Unruh of Park Hill, Okla , five grandchildren, two great grandchildren, two step grandchildren and five step great grandchildren.
MARTENS. HARRY ALLEN, Fairview, Okla., a member of Fairview MB Church, was born Dec. 2, 1924, to Daniel A. and Anna Just Martens, between Balko and Boyd , Okla., and died Jan. 24, 2004, at the age of 79. On Aug. 24, 1948, he married Viola May Kliewer who survives He is also survived by two sons, Mike and his wife Ann of Fairview and Max of los Angeles, Calif ; two daughters, Arlene and husband Brent Gale of long Beach, Calif , and Dawnette and husband Steve Bell of Fairview; three sisters, twin sister Mary Helen and husband Marvin Hein of Fresno, Inez and husband Herb Kliewer of Fairview and Alice Wiebe of Enid,
Okla., and six grandchildren. NACHTIGAL ELEREECA. of Bethany MB Church, Fresno, Calif., was born, Aug. 28,1922, to Herman C. and Justina Heinrichs Neufeld on a farm south of Fairview, Okla , and died Jan. 12, 2004, at the age of 81. On Aug 11, 1940, she was marred to David H. Toews who predeceased her On Aug. 7, 1993, she was married to Henry Nachtigal, who predeceased her She is survived by four daughters, Janice and husband leonard Wichert, Virginia and husband Stan Bean, leanna and husband Joe Yoder and Dorthy and husband Jim Calvert; three sons, Herman and wife Erlene Toews, Marlin and wife Ruth Nachtigal and Richard and wife Alice Nachtigal, 16 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren PENNER, SARAH, Castro Valley, Calif., was born April 24, 1912, in Coy, Okla., to Frank and Sarah Zielke Penner and died Jan. 6, 2004, at the age of 91. On Aug. 27, 1933, she was married to Penner who predeceased her She is survived by two daughters, Betty and husband Thomas Seuis of Castro Valley and Shirley and husband Raymond Wiest of Winnipeg, Man., six sisters, Mary Entz, Susie Kruger, Helen Neufeld, Martha Peters, all of California, Minnie Hayley of Tennessee and Evelyn Wall of Colorado; two brothers, Jake Penner of Kansas and Cornelius Penner of California, six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren
REGIER. PAULI NE, Fresno, Calif ., a member of Bethany MB Church, Fresno, was born Aug. 31, 1911 , to Klaas and Suzanna Wiens and died Jan. 18.2004, at the age of 92. On Aug. 5, 1933, she was married to Henry Regier who predeceased her She is survived by two daughters, Frances and husband Glen Ewert and Audrey and husband Jim Sager; three grandchildren and one great grandchild
SCHMIDT. ELMER, If.• Inman, Kan., a member of Zoar MB Church. was born May 19, 1922, east of Inman to Nicholas and Elizabeth Schmidt and died Jan . 11 , 2004, at the age of 81. On Dec 12, 1943, he married Edna Marie lohrentz who predeceased him. On March 7, 1981, he married Nora Jane lohrentzGoering-Graber who survives. He is also survived by four sons, Melvin and wife Donna Paducah of
Kentucky, Norman and wife Myrna, David and wife Elaine, all of Inman, and Pete and wife Debbie of Newton, Kan ; two daughters, Doris and husband Don Wiens of Kensington , Kan , and Kathy Franz of Overland Park, Kan; two brothers, Nick E of Inman and Robert and wife Vionetta of Denver, Colo.; five sisters, Lila Willems of Enid, Okla , Elda and husband Lawrence Yoder of Newton, Helen Ediger of Inman, Irene and husband Bill Clarkston of Washington and Velma Jean Whittle of St. Marys, Kan , 13 grandchildren a'1d two great grandchildren
What
SCHWALK, MINNIE SC HROEDER, Fairview, Okla., a member of Fairview MB Church, was born Oct. 29, 1910, to Peter K. and Anna Nickel Schroeder, in Lehigh, Kan., and died Jan. 27, 2004, at the age of 93 On Nov. 10, 1931, she was married to Herb Schwalk who predeceased her. She is survived by four daughters, Bonnie and husband Ed Nachtigall of Fresno, Calif , Shirley and husband Phil Terronez of Houston, Tex , Norma and husband Ray Woods of Cleo Springs, Okla., and Judi and husband Dennis Dans of Shreveport, La.; one sister, M ary
Readers Say, continued from page 21
its advocates, while not doing tine" and it occurs in Joel 3:4 so is seen as an ongoing where it specifically refers to "debate" (I.e . a problem) . the land of the Philistines . It is Could it be, however, that the interesting that God never complementarian position is in called the Promised Land fact a resolution? But to the Palestine nor did Jesus ever task. The Congolese have refer to the land of Israel as made a proposal to North Palestine . The word Palestine American MBs to accept female means "The land of the ordination We should respond Philistines, " a pagan people and state our reasons for hav- who were enemies of Israel ing rejected it based on Scrip- and Judah . The term Palestine ture Let the debate begin was first used in reference to Jeff Prather the land of Israel in AD 135 by Diamond Springs, CA the Roman emperor Hadrian The land of Israel in an attempt to shame the In his January 2004 col- Jewish people and to secularumn Marvin Hein speaks ize the land of Israel. It is hisabout ownership of the land torically and theologically disof Israel. His article makes sev- honest to use the term Paleseral statements that are offen- tine to refer to the land of sive and theologically and his- Judea and Samaria, the land torically inaccurate that Jesus knew and loved .
Where is "Palestine"? You Hein says, "Zionism in no will find only one reference in way resembles Christianity. " the Bible to the word "Pales- Zionism simply means that the
C L FA R IN Gil () U SF
Employment-MCC
NEEDED: An MCC East Asia Director in Akron, Penn This person is responsible for programs and workers in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand , Vietnam, China, Japan, North and South Korea and Taiwan. Experience in East Asia required, preferably at primary and management levels. Demonstrated administrative, supervisory and relational skills needed, along with a Christian faith, active church membership and commitment to nonviolent peacemaking. Contact Charmayne Brubaker, (717) 859-1151, cdb@mcc.org, or your nearest MCC office for a job description.
Application review begins immediately. Position available June I, 2004.
Mires of Liberal, Kan.; four sistersin-law, Mary Helen Wilcox, Wandora Schroeder, Opal Schroeder and Ruth Schwalk; 12 grandchildren and several great grandchildren.
THIESEN, MARVIN, Madera, Calif , was born March 9, 1920, at Corn, Okla., to John W. and Agnes Thiesen and died Nov 19,2003, at the age of 82. He is survived by twin brother, Milton J and wife Gloria of Reedley, Calif.
WARKEN TI N, ERVIN JO HN, Fresno, Calif , a member of Reedley (Calif.) MB Chu rch was born Dec 14, 1919,
land of Israel belongs to the Jews . This is a very Christian prindple . From Scripture (Gen . 12:7; 17:8 ; 26 :3-4; Jer 31:3, 3626) we see that the land of Israel is an eternal inheritance to the Jewish people Abraham bought the field of Ephron (Hebron in the "disputed West Bank"), King David bought the threshing floor of Araunah and Joshua conquered the land as commanded by God
In his article , Hein shares a story from an Arab Christian who was "concerned" about the land of Israel being a Jewish inheritance. However, Hein fails to acknowledge that "aliens" are to be treated well and that they will partake in inheriting the land of promise (Lev. 19:33, Deut. 24 :17, Ezek. 47: 22 -23) . Hein also fails to mention that the controversial "wall" being built by Israel is being built
near Corn, Okla , to Dietrich and Anna Warkentin and died Jan. 17, 2004, at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife June Esther Heinze; three sons, Don and wife Janet, John and wife Geri and Tim and wife Janet; one brother, Ralph and wife Margie; one sister, Dorothy and husband Lavean; three sisters- in - law, Mildred Friesen, Barbara Heinze and Norma Goetz; five brothers-in-law, Roland Heinze, Paul and wife Margaret Heinze, Leo Heinze, Bob and w ife Vivian Heinze and Larry Jost, 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
because the Palestinians consider it their religious and moral duty to d estroy the Jewish peapIe and the state of Israel. This has never been spoken of in the Leader.
I have just returned from Israel and I can tell you firsthand that Jews living in the land of Israel see Mennonites and espedally Mennonite Ce ntral Committee as anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. You may not agree with what I have written but I feel you need to hear my voice on this sensitive issue I suggest the Leader do a better job examining the statements of its writers to see that their facts are historically and theologically sound Furthernlore, I suggest that the Leader print articles that are in harmony with the teachings of Scripture. Frank R. Lenthan Lustre, Mont
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Violence,toleranceorlove
The United States has experienced some significant changes in its religious landscape over the last several decades. A country that was once considered by many to be a "Christian nation" with at least cultural Christianity being the norm moved significantly toward being a secular nation, with overall church attendance on the decline It seemed that in mainstream America religion was no longer an important aspect of our culture. But then religion began to show itself more visibly as new immigrants from Asia and the Middle East who were devout Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims became our neighbors and colleagues at work. We saw their distinct religious practices and their distinct places of worship being built in our cities. Many of us knew little about their faith, but since most of them were friendly and had a strong work ethic, the attitude of most other Americans tended to be one of tolerance
Then came the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001. The violent attacks on Washington D.C. and New York City were portrayed as having radical religious roots . Suddenly many 'of us became suspicious of anyone who wore a turban, spoke Arabic or went to a mosque In the months that followed, some even participated in violent counterattacks on those in the U S. associated with Islam. Our government launched a new "war on terrorism" which included a violent initial attack and continuing war in Mghanistan and Iraq Some leaders in those countries portrayed this war on terrorism as a religious war, still seeing the U.S. as a Christian nation which was now on a crusade to obliterate Islam . In response, some leaders in our country declared that all religions are peace loving and urged a return to religious tolerance.
So what should be our personal response as Mennonite Brethren b(!lievers to these new realities? Do we applaud a violent response when the practice of "Holy War" threatens our way of life? Our evangelical Anabaptist understandings of the Scriptures as expressed in Article 13 of our Confession of Faith would certainly not support a personal violent response. Rather, we are called upon to be agents of reconciliation in all relationships and "to be peacemakers in all situations. Jesus taught us to love not only our neighbors but also our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:43) .
How should we view the devout followers of other religions who live here in the U.S as well as those who live overseas? Do we simply learn to tolerate them? The dictionary says that tolerance implies recognition and respect of others ' beliefs and practices without neceSSarily agreeing or sympathizing. Respect for others is certainly a biblical value and thus an appropriate
response. But a currently popular definition of tolerance in Western societies includes a belief that all religions are roughly equal in their content and value. That definition implies that there is no single absolute truth and thus has led some to feel that sharing Christ with people of other religions is a sign of arrogance . But we believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It isn't arrogant nor rude to tell people of other faiths about Jesus if it is done in a peaceable and loving way and if our words are consistent with our actions.
Thus I would suggest that our response to religious pluralism in the U.S. and overseas must go much further than avoiding violence and encouraging tolerance While we deplore the loss of life that results from violence and we encourage respect for all people, we must move beyond mere tolerance of people of other faiths and actually love them . God so loved the world that he sent Jesus here to live among us and to show us the Father's love. The death of Jesus on the cross is the supreme of God 's enduring love for all the people he created Jesus said that as the Father had sent him , so he was sending us Oohn 20:21)
Yes, as Paul expresses in 2 Corinthians 5, Christ is sending us to be ambassadors of reconciliation to all people That includes people of other faiths and people with no faith . By word and deed, we are to be witnesses of God's desire to transform them and us through Jesus Christ Religious fervor is not the answer to the sin that separates all humans from their creator Rather the answer is found in the sinless one who became sin for us so that we could be reconciled with the Father.
So genuine love is our most appropriate response to people of other faiths, whether they live next door or in another part of the world. It is a love that has its roots in the nature of God himself It is the love that compelled Paul to take the gospel to his known world, and the love that has motivated thousands of Mennonite Brethren to go overseas as missionaries over the past century. If we truly love people of other faiths, we will want them to know the blessings and peace we enjoy as followers of Jesus. As we interact with our new neighbors and colleagues, let us seek to promote peace instead of violence, respect instead of hatred and to show love in all situations.-HE
Harold Ens is the general director for MBMSI, the cross-cultural mission agency of MB churches in Canada and the u.s. He and his wife Helen live in Fresno, Calif, and are members of Butler Ave. MB Church.
