May 1997

C H R 1ST I A N

ALSO INSIDE:

Studies in futility / p8

Mothers are vulnerable / p10 lobal media: A world of focus? / p22

The new Mennonite Brethren immigrants: Can we help them make the transition?

FIRST WORDS

I••• from the editor

T'S HARD enough to come to a new country and not be able to read or understand the native language. It's a challenge of another sort to try to understand the nuances of the culture and to discover that even small things like table manners and hand gestures don't mean the same thing in the new land as they did at home. Then try to imagine the difficulty of discovering that the boundaries of Christian propriety are drawn differently in the newland

That's what the original Mennonite Brethren immigrants discovered 120 years ago when they began arriving in the United States. They had the option of settling in clusters in wide-open rural areas, where they could interact with or avoid the new culture according to their own choosing.

Today, a new wave of immigrants in this country is joining our church family. Some are deciding en masse to affiliate with the Mennonite Brethren; others are joining one by one through outreach efforts.

Today's immigrants don't have the luxury of isolation. They often settle in ethnic communities of sorts, but usually within an urban environment. They must encounter and absorb the surrounding culture much more quickly and more often Their economic survival depends on it.

In our cover story, Marci Winans suggests that our ethnic past may be an asset for us as we welcome these newcomers into our midst (page 4). Many among us can still recall the difficulty of making cultural adjustments ; others remember stories from previous generations. Marci encourages all of us to do what we can to provide help and friendship to these new brothers and sisters.

In our BodyLife section, you can read that you don't have to live in a metropolis to find opportunities to reach new people groups Connie Faber's stories about the efforts of Mennonite Brethren in western Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle to reach out to German-speaking immigrants from Mexico is an inspiring one (page 12).

Could it be that God has positioned and equipped the Mennonite Brethren Church for unprecedented multicultural growth? It's an exciting thought.-DR

COMING

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

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

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

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

Pontius' Puddle

FEATURES

4 Home away from home

The new immigrant families joining our ranks face challenging adjustments as they confront a new culture. Could it be that our denomination, with its rich ethnic past, is specially equipped to help with the transition? BY MARCI WINANS

DEPARTMENTS

Ph'lip Side.

• Studies in futility

by Philip Wiebe 8

Inquiring Minds . ___ by Marvin Hein 9

• Wearing caps during prayer

• Formation of the conscience

On the Journey .

• Mothers are vulnerable

by Rose Buschman 10

• Reaching out to German -speaking immigrants 12

• Zaire MBs face rebel movement 15

• Enid MB Church celebrates centennial 16

• Church notes 17

• Deaths 19

Media Matters . by Burton Buller 22

• A world out of focus

Let's Talk About It ..

Editorial

• Reaching today's USA

ART CREDITS: Cover: historical file photo and MCC photos by John Leckie (Latin Americans, Southeast Asians) and Harold Otto (Slavic); page 4 by Skjold Photographs; page 15, Fresno Pacific University; page 16, Enid MB Church.

BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS : Noelle Dickinson, chair; Phil Neufeld , Dalton Reimer , Herb Schroeder, Kathy Heinrichs Wiest

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AWAY FROM HOME

As a denomination with a rich ethnic past, Mennonite Brethren can help the new wave of immigrants among us adjust to their new environment.

BURRITOS, BORSCHT, verenika, beans, pirozhki and rice. What do these foods have in common? They're all favorite dishes of the new immigrants coming to America and finding a home in the Mennonite Brethren Church. A couple of those ethnic foods- borscht and verenika-were the favorite foods of the first Mennonite Brethren. They began immigrating to the United States in large numbers from Russia and Eastern Europe in the 1870s. Now, more than 120 years later, the immigrant story-and the immigrant struggle-is being repeated.

Today's connoisseurs of borscht and verenika (and pirozhki) speak Russian, not Low German They come from across the former Soviet Union seeking spiritual nurture and economic opportunity. Currently, about 14 Slavic congregations, representing a community of some 5,000 believers, have officially affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren through the Integrated Ministries program of the U.S. Conference. Though Slavics represent the largest single immigrant group, other groups are joining too, including Korean, hispanic, Japanese, Ethiopian, Indian, Hmong, and Khmu believers. In fact, on any given Sunday, Mennonite Brethren in the United States worship in at least 13 languages or dialects.

What can immigrants in our Mennonite Brethren churches today learn from those who have similar experiences in a denomination with such a rich ethnic tradition? The first wave of

immigrants from Eastern Europe tell stories of being embarrassed when they had to take homemade bread to school for lunch. The bread identified them as "different." Hispanic children sometimes hid their homemade burritos or tacos because they didn't want to be "different."

But food is only one "fitting in" challenge. Immigrant families today face many of the same issues the original Mennonite Brethren immigrants faced a century ago: language barriers, cultural differences, misunderstandings, and differing generational expectations. All these things combine to strain family relationships. Can Mennonite Brethren with a common ethnic past help new immigrants make the transition to American culture today?

Slavics: A similar story

Of the new immigrants, our Slavic brothers and sisters have the most similar circumstances to the original Mennonite immigrants. They tend to immigrate in groups of families and they come in part due to religious reasons. Faith is a primary component of life as an individual and as a group. When they immigrate to America, they fear their spiritual faith will be lost. The Slavic people are a literate people. Older immigrants do not learn the new language as easily as young people and as the immigrant experience shows us, language barriers create large problems in any cultural assimilation.

Slavic families experience stress as their young people begin to speak the language and engage the culture of this country. Religious traditions may lose their Significance and seem to take on a legalism to the young people. Meanwhile, parents fear these changes are a rejection of the parents' faith. For some older adults, wearing a head covering and not wearing jewelry are signs of obedience, submission to God and spirituality. For young people, these practices may have little significance.

These immigrant parents greatly fear their children will lose faith. Often they will look to outward appearances for assurance that the child is spiritually safe. How one expresses his or her relationship to God is important; when the expression changes, it brings pain to those who were trained in the old way.

For example, in many Slavic churches, sitting while praying shows great disrespect to God. But young immigrant students in a Christian school may learn to pray while sitting down and still be as serious about their faith as those who stand or kneel. But the appearance of disrespect can

cause discomfort. Putting a Bible on the floor is also considered inappropriate. The Word of God is holy and should be treated with respect. For some, seeing the seemingly casual approach some Americans take to Scripture creates a fear of a more shallow faith when young immigrants experience the American influence.

For many Slavic immigrants, being a Christian is a costly endeavor. The Pentecostal Christians suffered for their faith because it was illegal to be a Pentecostal in the former Soviet Union. Theirs is a tested faith; to change the traditions that set it apart from the world can seem to change faith itself.

Faith of the fathers and mothers came at a great cost and is a precious story. But young people do not have the same experiences and do not live under the same influences. While they might appreciate and respect the story of

Slavic parents ... greatly fear their children will lose faith. Often they will look to outward appearances for assurance that the child is spiritually safe.

the older generation, their own experience informs their faith-in addition to the experience of their parents. Navigating these waters takes wisdom and patience on the part of all parties. Mennonite Brethren who have experienced the pressures of being first-generation believers in a new culture, or those of us who have heard the stories, can share insights with these new immigrants.

Hispanics and Hmong: SeekIng opportunity

Hispanic and Hmong immigrants also struggle as they immigrate to America. Unlike the Slavic people, these immigrants do not usually come with a faith agenda. Economics and politics are a more primary motivation for coming to America. They want a better life and are told they can find it in the United States.

Christianity is often new to them, as is most of the culture. Hispanic people may have a nominal background in Catholicism, but a relationship with Christ is something they might choose if introduced to him once they are here. Economic survival is the main priority for this ethnic group. They are often illiterate when they come to America. To feed and clothe and house a family requires the energy of all members

Young hispanic immigrants want to look like

Discipline is a trial for cullures In transition. Spankings or child abuse questions become problematic for persons wfth language barriers.

their American counterparts . Assimilation into the culture in these ways does not cause the parents much concern. Their greater fear is the loss of control that parents feel as the children take on "American" characteristics. Young immigrants often experience a loss of respect for the older people. They learn early that they have certain rights and sometimes demand them from their parents. As young hispanic children come to understand this, they may choose to solve family conflicts the new American way, causing parents confusion and despair. Discipline is a trial for cultures in transition. Spankings or child abuse questions become problematic for persons with language barriers. When a child learns at school that hitting or being hit can be considered abuse, a spanking can escalate to an accusation of abuse by a child speaking English against a parent with no English. Traditional methods of discipline need to be adjusted

Traditions are not lost in the same way for hispanic or other groups These cultures tend to retain special celebrations which focus on ethnic dress and cultural history . Children look forward to those times and traditions which tend to tie them to their ethnic roots.

But it is in the routine of daily life that the stresses and strains of immigration appear Children who can speak two languages feel superior to parents who know only their first language. The convenience of communicating with the new and seemingly more interesting culture is a draw that seems to create a disrespect for parents and other older persons.

Voices of experience

An ethnic church with new immigrants can help parents understand the culture It can help members identify which cultural norms are dangerous to the young people and which are not . It is important to keep focused on the need people have to be in relationship with God. Those things which are nonnegotiable need to be clearly articulated, and those areas where preference or opinion is the guide need to be recognized.

Charity and grace toward each other must be the rule.

In cultures where economic survival is a primary need, churches might offer tutoring by older students for the younger. Parents must be encouraged to learn the new language in spite of their desire to continue in the language and culture that is easier, more familiar and feels safer.

Immigrant parents need to be ready to learn and to keep lines of communication open. Instead of disapproving of what is seen and feared in American influence on their children, a parent can learn English, encourage the young person to be involved in school activities, visit teachers and participate in the cultural adaptation. They need to be helped to realize that change is going to happen with or without parental support

Classes or sermons in ethnic churches need to share faith and Scripture as well as help the listener to apply it to life issues. A strong education program for youth and children can positively influence matters of faith and life. Children learn and adapt more easily. As in any culture, time spent with them pays big dividends . They often accept more easily the things that seem foreign or distasteful to an adult. So the burden to work productively at cultural transitions falls on the parents more than on young people and it is harder for the parents than it is for the young people.

Churches can assist parents in knowing what things are dangerous and what things are not signillcant enough to worry about. Helping parents entrust their children to God, and trusting God personally, can go a long way toward making cultural transitions easier . The church needs to be a safe place for people to bring worries and concerns and to talk about issues. If persons are trying to find a balance between the way they have always done things and a way that allows the young person to feel accepted and loved even when diSCiplined, there is hope for growth and relationship. Immigrant or not, these are areas with which all families, all people, need to work

For example, the Slavic Church must recog· nize that spiritual growth is not necessarily measured by clothing styles For all of us, faith in God should be measured by how we love God and each other.

Education is one way these issues can be addressed For the Slavic church, coming from a literate background, learning and education are priorities . But to spend money on school that could be used for the family does not make sense In the Hmong and hispanic culture , where

literacy in a first language often does not exist, education has often been a low priority for many immigrants. This changes as assimilation takes place and persons come to realize that education is one way lives can be enhanced .

What can we do?

Are there those in our churches who have experience and wisdom to share with our immi· grant brothers and sisters? With the increase in gangs and the legal overtones in many family dynamiCS, we can provide support and assistance to those who are new to our culture. Here are a few ways to start:

• We need to pray for our families. Regardless of ethnicity or place along the jour· ney, God gives wisdom to those who ask, whether immigrant, citizen or alien. God will show us how to live together as we interact with each other.

• We need to be learners. Immigrant or not, we need to learn more about God and our world Language, culture and faith are not magi· cally acquired. We must be willing to try to understand what differences exist and then learn how to live with them

• We need to be willing to change. We must allow ourselves to be changed by God and by each other. We should accept each other as we are, accept each other's relationship to God, trusting that we are all on the journey toward

With the increase in gangs and the legal overtones in many family dynamics, we can provide support and assistance to those who are new to our culture.

knowing God. We can be involved with each other at different levels, but judging and separat· ing are not options Parent, child, hispanic, Slav· ic, European-American, Hmong, Korean or African American-if these differences divide believers, we do not honor God How is God working in the midst of all of us?

Le arning to be friends

North American citizens who have immigration in their history have knowledge and understanding on this issue. We can all learn to be friends with persons culturally different from ourselves; not in an effort to bestow wisdom, but in order to walk along the journey together. listening and sharing experiences aids in understanding .

We can fill the cultural gap in several ways :

• Address immigrants by name-even though the names are often difficult to pronounce. Find out the correct pronunciation, and then practice saying it.

• Determine to be brothers and sisters, not "us" and "them "

• Visit ethnic churches. Decide to be comfortable even though their traditions may be different from yours After all, they are worshiping God too.

• Don't generalize when speaking of another ethnic group. No one likes to be stereotyped.

• Read Scripture or sing songs in another language in your church.

• Invite ethnic speakers to your church; use a translator or learn a second language.

• Befriend a family from another country. Families are more alike than different in their interaction. Rather than focusing on differences, what do we have in common?

• Pray. We will be known as Christians by our love.

Family stresses are inherent in life together ; tension between parents and children has generat· ed books of advice and counsel. As we learn and live, let's remember the additional struggle those new to our country experience. Let's pray for each other and share our experiences in an effort to make the journey a little easier for all of us. •

Marci Winans is associate pastor of the Fig Garden Bible Church in Fresno, Calif. She is also a member of the Pacific District Board of Christian Education, which is attempting to meet the needs of the many new immigrant believers affiliating with the conference.

BY PHILIP WIEBE

Studies in futility

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

IHAVE YET TO FATHOM the resounding implications of a profound piece of knowledge I came across in my newspaper: it takes exactly 2,893 licks to reach the stick in the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop. Really.

A couple of things amaze me about this statistic. First is that someone actually invested the time and expense to learn it. Second is that my newspaper actually invested the time and expense to print it.

At times I find myself astonished at today's deluge of statistics, studies and info bites that come from whoknows-where to tell us who-knowswhat. Not long ago, for instance, I learned of an important study concluding that cruise-ship passengers who ate chocolate desserts went to bed an average of two hours later than passengers who ate fruit desserts. Why anyone would need to know this, I'm not sure.

Nor am I clear on the purpose of another pair of statistics I saw: (1) The percentage of women airline passengers who are afraid to sleep on flights is 27 percent; (2) Of the 27 percent of women who are afraid to sleep on airplanes, 32 percent are fearful of sleeping on airplanes because they're afraid of drooling.

It's hard not to ponder the origin of such information The National Phobia Network? The Drool Prevention League? In other cases I simply wonder why. Why, for example, did my newspaper devote a full page a few years ago to a study of TV marriages? I don't mean TV stars who are married, I mean 1V marriages such as Ricky and Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet, Cliff and Clair Huxtable, Dan

and Rosanne Conner. Prominent marriage COWlselors were interviewed regarding the health of these "relationships." It seemed to me that someone could have been

arrested for abuse of innocent newsprint

In that vein, I also have a full-page clipping which lists statistics sketching out the hypothetical" Average American " Along with height, weight, occupation, marital status, and so on, the study also shares vital information such as the fact the average American drinks low-fat milk, buys bananas more than any other fruit, and takes 5.1 days of sick leave per year. He or she also has two phones, spends 1.5 hours a day driving, and lives in a house heated with natural gas . Astounding information, wouldn't you say? Now I can approach perfect strangers and inquire, "Did you know that the average American has gas?"

Icould go on, but anyone who pays even the slightest attention to modern media knows there is a trend these days to study things to death . Depending on the study du jour, we may learn that crime is down. Unless it's up. Overall our education system isn't working well, according to recent studies, which show that our education system is working well overall. Moms are leaving home to join the work force to stay at home at a higher rate than ever before Coffee is bad for you so you should be drinking decaf, which is bad for you so you should be

drinking regular coffee which isn't bad for you after all, at least as of 3 p.m. Tuesday.

These are the kinds of information mazes you can get lost in merely by opening the paper or clicking on the late news .

Now, I've always been one of the first to defend the merits of studies and studying Much good comes out of mundane number crunching and plain old research . Contrary to the cliche, ignorance isn't bliss. It only seems that way sometimes in our information-glutted culture.

In the church we can also get caught up in studies and statistics. Churchgoing, for example, is down. Except when it's up. Fewer people are reading the Bible than ever, while more people are buying Bibles than ever. A decreasing interest in faith and spirituality is being demonstrated by younger generations, who are demonstrating an increasing interest in faith and spirituality. And so it goes It can get a bit confusing.

I don't question the value of trend-watching-it's hard to minister to our culture if we have no idea where it's going. But studies, statistics and strategies will never replace the Spirit. Not that we haven't tried.

As one who often thinks too much, I appreciate the occasional reminder not to think so much. A few days ago I welcomed such a reminder after a number of information bites goaded me into a statistical fervor. Later I came across another piece of information that put things back in perspective: "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom" Games. 3:13).

Studies, statistics and strategies have their place in life, but not as a substitute for living it.

In the same way, studying the Christian walk won't have nearly the impact of simply walking with Christ.

INQUIRING MINDS

BY MARVIN HEIN

QYou once answered a question about wearing baseball caps in church, restaurants, etc What about people removing their hats for prayer, particularly on an outing for youth? (CAUFORNIA)

AI'm still intrigued, and a bit miffed, by the manner in which baseball caps seem to be glued on the heads of some people.

I cannot find much biblical evidence to suggest that praying with head covered by a cap is inappropriate. The New Testament does discuss propriety in worship, but scholars debate the essential meaning of this passage in 1 Corinthians 11:4: "Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head." The first "head" no doubt speaks of a man's physical head and the second refers to Christ. So a literal reading of the text suggests that males should bare their heads in worship or prayer. Likewise, the passage goes on to say that the opposite is true for women-they should pray with heads covered

What is clear is that in Paul's day men uncovered their heads in worship to signify their respect for and submission to deity. When a man prayed or prophesied with his head covered, he failed to show the proper attitude toward Christ. It is interesting that almost all of the discussion surrou.tiding this text focuses on whether a woman should wear a covering while at worship. Seldom is the matter of men baring their heads questioned

Was this simply a cultural practice of Paul's day, not necessarily applicable to our time? I wouldn't want to be too rigid on this point, but it seems to me that in an age when reverence and respect generally are so disregarded, it would be profitable for males to worship and pray bareheaded. I'm aware that raises questions about the proper attire

for women in worship

The inquiry came from a youth leader who always asks his youth to doff their caps for prayer, but wondered about continuing that practice when on a biking expedition with participants wearing helmets and ready to begin their journey. Again I hesitate being legalistic, but I wonder: If the same people were wearing their helmets and it came time to salute the American flag, would there be any question about the proper way to respond? I doubt it . I think almost all would remove their hats or helmets . If that is true, then surely we can expect at least that same-hopefully more-respect and reverence for God when we approach him in prayer.

The problem really is not hats, caps and helmets. The critical issue is reverence before God. We probably could profit from considering seriously how that respect can be enhanced among both old and young

QWhy do people differ so vigorously in what they say their consciences tell them? How are our consciences formed? (CALIFORNIA)

AI recall how surprised I was my flrst year in college when I was taught that conscience was learned While I had not given much thOUght to this question, I had always assumed that conscience was something given by God and everyone got the same dose. I still wish that were true. Then we would not vary so markedly in what our consciences tell us.

From where does our sense of right and wrong originate? Most of us would agree there is something inside us that governs our lives and gives us personality Something somewhere whispers: "Should I do this?" From where does that quiet

Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference poitcy, or other spiritual issue? Send It to "Inquiring Minds, " c/ o Marvin Heln, 4812 E Butler, Fresno, CA 93 72 7

inner voice come? Is it strictly learned or does it come from a source or power outside ourselves?

Perhaps it is both. Many sociologists and educators have insisted that we can educate ourselves so that we will be able to live in keeping with moral precepts accepted by most societies. In other words, they suggest that if enough of us know enough, we will do the right things. But added to the fact that we are born in sin and consequently do wrong, where is the moral code of right and wrong that everyone will agree upon if they only know?

Even the most degraded specimens of humanity have inner voice of conscience . Who or what caused it to be there? It can hardly be the accidental coming together of atoms billions of years ago. If that were true, I could understand the increased blurring of moral absolutes in our world . That kind of idea leads people like Jean Paul Sartre, the French playwright, to say: "It makes little difference whether you help an old lady cross the road or run her over with your car."

The Bible leaves us a clue. A sense of right and wrong is not the result of an accidental collision of atoms aeons ago. It's something a personal Being has given as a foundation for laws and morality God's Ten Commandments provide the moral standards and the basis for ethics in most societies. These commandments are not simply for Christian believers. They are a gift to creation. They apply to all people. They do not come to us by accident but by the deliberate act of a God who knows what is best for us and all of society. No doubt our consciences are influenced by culture and training But whether we realize it or not, our highest values come not so much from our education and background as they do from within us A source outside of ourselves provides the basis for morality. Something of that has been deeply implanted within human beings.

BY ROSE BUSCHMAN

Mothers are vulnerable

Even though a mother may hold a variety ofprofessional positions, who she is can change in an instant when her child is involved.

BECOMING A MOTHER changes a woman's life forever. While most women know to expect temporary

changes in their bodies, schedules and lifestyles, some aspects of motherhood occur without warning and extend way beyond the child-rearing years They are lifelong To be a mother is to be vulnerable

I was listening to a radio newscast while driving home from work this past winter, when I heard about a huge accidental pileup of more than 20 cars and trucks on a major inter· state in the Denver area. Icy road conditions were to blame for mangled vehicles, several serious injuries and at least one death. My son, David, lives in Denver. As I listened, my motherhood took over From more than a million drivers, could my child be in that accident? Could he be hurt? Was his car damaged? I was immediately vulnerable

Quickly my thoughts jumped to a phone call I received when David was in the 7th grade It was a Satur· day morning and he had left a few minutes earlier on his bike for base· ball practice .

"Mrs. Buschman, there's been an accident, but your son is OK. We need you to come to Campus Drive, but your son is OK. " The police dis· patcher continued to give me the details she had, but ended every sen· tence with "but your son is OK. "

As I drove to the accident scene, trying to remain calm, a million thoughts swirled through my mindnone of them, "but your son is OK." The flashing lights of an ambulance and two police cars did nothing to allay my fears. Neither did the police·

man running toward my car as I approached. As it turned out, David was shako en and bruised, but basi· cally OK . The bike frame had broken and sent him tumbling over the bike and underneath a parked truck. The accident had ftrst been reported as a bike·truck

collision-that's why the ambulance and patrol cars were immediately dispatched We were fortunate that day, but for days I con· tinued to struggle with "what if.. .. " Now I was back to that again . Is my child hurt?

Not only is a mother vulnerable when she hears of accidents or other tragic events, there is also the vul· nerability that leads to excruciating pain when a mother sees her child emotionally hurt or rejected as a result of the child's own actions or the actions of others . Mothers shed a lot of tears for their children . I remember my mother saying to me at a time when I was deeply hurt, "I wish I could bear that pain for you." She cried for me and I have cried for my child-many times .

Vulnerability in motherhood leads to changes in priorities As a young mother, I was teaching high school to provide ftnancial support for our family while my husband pursued a doctoral program in grad· uate school. During that time I also began work on my own doctoral program on a part·time basis How· ever, the summer that our son was 5 years old, it became apparent that he needed me as a full ·time mom . So I made a conscious decision to drop out of graduate school in order to

spend more time with him. The next fall, I was able to get a part-time teaching appointment so I could be at home when he came home from kindergarten. The reduced income placed a serious strain on our ftnances, but we made it It was not a smart career move, but for me it was the right choice. I have never regret· ted it, even though at times I have wondered what would have happened to my career had I not chosen to become a mother

Even though a mother may hold a variety of professional pOSitions , who she is can change in an instant when her child is involved. One evening I was called out of a meeting to take a phone call. My husband's voice said, "Rose, you need to go to the emergency room David 's had an accident and is asking for you. I think his ann is broken. "

I walked back to the meeting, announced that my son had been in an aCCident, arranged for someone else to continue taking minutes of the meeting and left In an instant, I was no longer secretary of the board but the mother of a high school senior who needed me.

Recently my daughter·in·law shared with me an article given to her titled, "What Motherhood Really Means, " by Dale Hanson Bourke. The author writes of a conversation she had with a friend who was thinking of becoming a mother: "I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes: that the physical wounds of childbearing heal , but that becoming a mother will leave an emotional wound so raw that she will be forever vulnerable . I consider warning her that she will never read a newspaper again without asking : 'What if that had been my child?' That every plane crash, every ftre will haunt her That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die. "

A mother's middle name is "vul· nerable " I am a mother and it is mine .

We've a Storv to Tell

To Our Nationl

Although our nation has had many opportunities to hear the Good News proclaimed in God's Word, the loud clamor of sin and rebellion has closed many ears to its truth and purpose.

Scoffers and the proud have changed the story from beginning to end. To deny God's power and sovereignty they have tried to remove Him from creation. Stories of Bible heroes, events and miracles have been labeled as myths and legends. Even the ending has been altered to suggest that there are many roads which lead to God. The belief that Jesus is the one and only way is considered narrow, prejudicial and no longer politically correct.

Our nation desperately waits to hear from committed Christians who will:

• Teilihe Siorv

Our nation must hear the story again. We must tell it over and over until America knows it is a story of truth, mercy, peace and light.

• Givelhe Messaue

The future of all people in our nation rests on the message that God, who is sovereign over all, sent His Son to save us and show us His true character. God is a God of love who gave His most precious possession to reconcile people to Himself.

• Show Ihe Savior

Be a living witness to the message. Show those around you that you have died to sin and now embrace and serve the one true and living God. Radiate the life Jesus, lived with the hope and expectancy of His return.

Join with Mission USA and together, let's reach our nation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Contact Mission USA at 12630 N. 103rd Ave., Sun City, AZ 85351, Phone (602) 972-1604. There are many ways you can help in this national thrust of the U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren to renew existing churches and plant new churches that will reach the unsaved in their neighborhoods and in this nation.

MISSIDN USA BDIRD:

Ed Boschmm, Phoenix, AI.

Executive Diedor

Chuck Buller, V"1SIJ1ia, CA

Mie Schud, Reedey, CA

Fred LeononI, Oovis, CA

Phil Glanzer, New Hope, MN

LoreHo Jost, Aurora, NE

Clarke Rempel, Buhler, KS

Randy SteiIert, Bakeliield, CA

Clint Seibel, HiIsboro, KS

Ernie Friesen, WKhilo, KS

Howard Loewen, Fresno, CA

nm Geddert, Fresno, CA

Rick EsdIbaugh, Topeka, KS

nm Sullivan, Hillsboro, KS

Ex Offido Members:

Henry Dick, Fresno, CA

Clinton Grenz, Bismark, ND

Rokni Reimer, WKhilo, KS

New friends with the Old Colony

BY CONNIE FABER

• Kansas church reaches out to German-speaking immigrants from Mexico

THIS SPRING when the Five-State Multi-Cultural Convention was held in Garden City, Kan_, organizers looked to people from Garden Valley Church to educate participants about a new major immigrant group in the region-German-speaking Old Colony Mennonites from Mexico_

Garden Valley members are colony "experts " not so much because of their shared German heritage but because of their ministry to these young families _ Pastor Steve Prieb knows of no group other than his congregation serving the needs of Colony Mennonites in this southwest Kansas city of 30,000_

"People think of Garden City as a little farm town," Prieb says, "but it's a very multiethnic growing community _" Signs in the local high school and hospital, for example, are posted in at least three languages_

Prieb and Linda Berg, coordinator of Garden Valley's Old Colony Mennonite program, gave the 42 multicultural workshop participants a brief

Old Colony Mennonite history lesson (see side bar) and told of Garden Valley's efforts to help them. Three colony women made and served cookies and Rose Buschman organized a German ethnic meal for the participants. Mennonite Central Committee school bags and health kits were displayed and workshop participants were told any profits from the meal would benefit MCC.

Old Colony battles economics, 'legalistic and lifeless' tradition

While small pockets of Old Colony Mennonites have lived in the United States for the past 20 years, some 10,000 colonists may be living here now. Most enter the United States at Seminole, Texas, and a large community exists there. From Texas they move on to Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Colorado and California

Most Old Colony Mennonite immigrants are in their

early 20s and 30s and come to the United States from Mexico because of employment opportunities, climate and close proximity to their colony homes.

Old Colony Mennonites, like other immigrants, face many hurdles. One of the biggest is language-Low-German speaking people from a Spanish -speaking country now living in an English-speaking land . Another is economic.

After hearing about the church's work with Old Colony Mennonites, "people were amazed that our church was doing all this with no government funding, " says Prieb. Prieb describes the multicultural workshop itself as a significant outreach opportunity for the congregation. "People left feeling good about our church as a group that cared about the community."

Because of their agricultural background and lack of education, most Colony Mennonites in the United States work on farms and feedlots; some are employed as mechanics.

They are leaving a life in Mexico often described as economically desperate Population growth and the resulting lack of farmland, coupled with outside forces such as NAFTA and cuts in government subsidy, endanger traditional farm life Farmers have suffered recent crop failures and must fight erosion and decreasing water supplies for irrigation

An estimated nine out of

10 adult Old Colony Mennonites in Mexico are illiterate. Mennonite Central Committee works in Mexico to help them improve their life-physically and spiritually .

All of colony life is under the control of the church-marriage, birth control, leisure activities, clothing and farming methods. Old Colony Mennonites believe salvation is achieved only through the colony. Bible reading and study are almost nonexistent. Colonists are sincere in their belief, but they have been taught a tradition often described as legalistic

Rose Wedel (back row. left) poses with her English students: (back row. left to right) Justina Giesbrecht. Tina Reimer. Tina Guenther. Maria Martins. Susana Banman; (front row) Margaret Loewen. Helena Braun. Sara Froese and Agatha Loepky. The two children are Ricky Loewen and Jessica Loepky.

Two years ago, Mennonite Brethren pastors in southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle began noticing an increasing number of Old Colony Mennonite immigrants in their communities. Most are young adults, age 20 to 30, with young children. Southwest Kansas is now home to an estimated 250 colony Mennonites.

When Prieb brought the Germanspeaking immigrants to the attention of his congregation , parishioner Linda Berg knew first-hand of the difficulties these young families were experiencing. For more than 10 years, she has been frequently called to translate for Colony families at the hospital and schools and knows the immigrants are young, poor and semiliterate.

But it was the women's isolation that tugged at Berg, so she decided to organize a social event for the women. She invited the young women to bring their handwork and join her at the church for coffee and conversation. Berg was disappointed when only four women came.

"I'm sure it was a new idea to many," she says. "Meeting in our church could have been a drawback since they have promised their home church to attend only their denominational meetings "

Rose Wedel was "burdened to be involved with non-Christian people" and asked to join the group Wedel, a former schoolteacher, suggested to

and lifeless rather than a belief system.

Steve Prieb, pastor of Garden Valley Church, sees a spiritual dynamic at work in the recent migration of young colony Mennonites.

"God is dispersing the colonies to expose them to the gospel," Prieb says. "Being Mennonite is cultural for them-it has nothing to do with Jesus Christ."

Resistance to change has been a hallmark of Old Colony life since they immigrated from Russia to Canada in the 1870s. They settled in Manitoba, where they were able to secure both the land needed

the colony women that they each bring a friend the next week for English lessons. The young mothersstruggling to work with their children's schools, to explain symptoms of illness to the doctor and to handle business transactions-eagerly agreed.

Wedel and Prieb prepared materials for eight women. "What a shock when 18 showed up with many children and then 25 the next time," Berg says.

"We really scrambled for workers and child care for 30 children," Wedel adds .

The women were divided into groups according to their abilities with English and Wedel was joined by three other volunteer teachers. None of the teachers speaks German or has formal training in English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction. Berg circulates among the classes interpreting as needed. Three more women, assisted by older colony children, volunteered to help with child care.

"It was a surprise to us all," Prieb says. "We didn't set out to do this. People had a vision to see this happen and they ran with it "

The congregation supports the ministry financially, supplies classrooms, and encourages the volunteers. A matching grant from Mennonite Mutual Aid helped with start-up costs. Garden Valley families have helped provide furniture and other basic necessities for the immigrants

to maintain the agrarian colony lifestyle and privileges such as having their own schools and exemption from military service.

But when the Canadian government began requiring the Old Colony to adhere to education standards, including teaching English and having certified teachers, much of the church moved to Mexico. The first three colonies were established in 1922 when 5,300 people-about half the church -arrived in Mexico - CF

(Background information from Men· nonite Weekly Review, Nov 2, 1995, Dec. 1 & 8, 1994)

who arrive in the community with nothing but their clothes.

Classes have been conducted for a year now. This past school year, one class was held on Wednesday night so colony children could attend Garden Valley 's AWANA program. This winter the number of participants dropped significantly when families visited

Linda Berg: Standing in the gap

LINDA BERG describes her Old Colony Mennonite friends as humble people who shy from publicity. The same can be said for Berg as she coordinates the Garden Valley Church ministry to colony immigrants in Garden City, Kan.

Berg learned Low German as a child but didn't use the language on a regular basis for more than 50 years. Then 10 years ago she began translating for Old Colony Mennonites living in the Garden City area. The hospital needed a Low-German translator and telephoned Ken and Lil Gardner, then the Garden Valley pastor couple, hoping for help.

"Lil urged me to try (translating) and said she wou ld come along and pray for me," Berg says. "To my great surprise, after about two hours of conversing, I was actually able to carry on a conversation and be of service."

"God is dispersing the colonies to expose them to the gospel."

-STEVE PRIEB

Word spread and Old Colony Mennonite immigrants have continued coming to Berg. She's helped them fill out various forms, accompanied them for medical treatments, called for te lephone and utility installation, and helped them find housing and emp loyment

This fall Berg was hired by the Garden City school district to translate for the families of 32 German-speaking colony children enrolled in an elementary school. She helped with parentteacher conferences, testing, registration and home visits After Christmas, only 15 children returned Some families had chosen to return to Mexico, having earned an amount in the U.S. that made survival in Mexico feasibleothers just couldn't come back. - CF

Mexico. In early April,12 women were registered but Wedel expects the number to increase as families return to begin their spring farming duties. Wedel anticipates the group will meet on Tuesday mornings this summer and that activities for schoolage children will be organized.

Wedel uses a beginning English textbook as well as the New International Version Reader's Bible. It's written at a third-grade reading level using an S50-word vocabulary . Each week Wedel presents a Bible story and the women answer study questions in writing at home. A prayer time is included English lessons focus on conversation, phonics, grammar, listening, comprehension and writing. Wedel encourages the women to write in English about their children and has had them write about their family's migration history .

In addition to traditional class sessions, the women visited a grocery store, discount department store, and the public library . A nurse has spoken with the women about health services.

Colony men have also benefited from Garden Valley's ministry This winter, Prieb taught "survival reading" for men who could speak some English Sessions focused on reading industrial warning signs, writing bank checks and reading the newspaper as well as the NW Reader's Bible. Three

men from the congregation assisted Prieb in an attempt to offer individual instruction.

Since a number of women were driving about 50 miles to attend English classes, Wedel now teaches a class at Valley View Bible Church in Cimarron . She is assisted by Ann Penner. The eight women in Cimarron have been assigned a pen pal from the Garden City class and Wedel hopes to organize a meeting between the two groups.

Learning is difficult for Old Colony Mennonites, Berg says . In Mexico, boys attend school for six years, girls for seven. Low German is the common language but education and most religious services are in High German. Schools in Mexico use three books-a primer, the Bible, and the catechism, plus the hymnal. Learning is usually done by rote.

Most people are unable to read or understand their Low German Bibles, according to Berg. The immigrants realize they are at a disadvantage because they don't read and compre · hend either Low or High German. "They feel reading English will be a great asset-to finally have a language they can read, write and understand," says Berg.

The English classes have opened other ministry avenues . Two medical emergencies last summer gave Prieb

and other volunteers the opportunity to assist and visit with the colony families involved.

To help the colony families socialize and become less isolated from one another, ESL volunteers organized a picnic attended by about 100 people. The distinctive colony clothing made it obvious who was enjoying the park that day, jokes Prieb The only Garden Valley families who participated were the ESL volunteers and their families along with Garden Valley pastoral staff.

About 45 people attended a special Low German showing of the "Jesus" film. Prieb says the film's clear portrayal of the gospel sparked much interest and helped clarify where some of the colony Mennonites are spiritually.

Southwest Kansas has two Old Colony Mennonite churches but since both require the Garden City families to travel, they attend church services only monthly The Mennonite Evangelical Church at Montezuma, Kan., has been holding weekly Bible studies in Garden City but became too large to meet in homes.

Now the group meets at the Garden Valley church. Prieb is comfortable partnering with this group for outreach efforts and is informally exploring the idea of organizing a colony Mennonite church in Garden City.

Ministry to Colony Mennonites a 'perfect fit' for Adams church

EAC H WEEK between four and 20 Old Colony Mennonites participate in Sunday worship services at the Adams (Okla.) MB Church, which is unusual since colonists are taught life outside the colony is evil.

One explanation is that the first immigrant family five years ago willingly participated, prompting others to do the same. But pastor Steve Unruh gives most of the credit to Harold and Ann Fast, a couple called out by the Adams congregation 18 months ago to work with Old

Colony Mennonites

"They've made the difference here for us," Unruh says. " Harold and Ann take seriously the call of the church to do this " The Fasts share meals with Old Colony families regularly and are teaching English classes. Establishing friendships is aided by Harold and Ann's ability to speak Low-German.

Ministering to Old Colony Mennonites has been a perfect fit for the Adams congregation, says Unruh, since the majority of the congregation speaks Low-Ge rman .

Because most of the Old Colony Mennonites enter the country illegally, Unruh and his congregation work with a sense of urgency. "We have known all along they could be deported," Unruh says. "Our purpose has been to present them with the gospel so that they can go home with a fuller understanding of what it means to be a Christian."

Unruh's prediction may be coming true . New immigration laws to be enforced by Sept. 1 subject the Old Colony Mennonites to depor-

tation Unruh is talking to senators and immigration officia l s trying to convince them to help the Old Co lony Mennonites stay in Adams "So far, we're running into some brick walls," he says Unruh says Old Colony Mennonites living in Adams are vital to the economy, filling jobs that others are unwilling to ho ld, and are not abusing social service privileges. Ann Fast says Old Colony immigrants quickly find jobs in the community and are not willing to depend on others financially.-CF

Upheavel in Zaire threatens MB area; local

leaders look for divine intervention

• Rebels begin offensive on Kinshasa on April 13 "ZAIRE

NEEDS the intervention of the Holy Spirit at this critical time," says Nzash Lumeya, a leader in the Zairian Mennonite Brethren Church. Zaire has been embroiled in civil war since October 1996

ka and Youth Mission International workers Sam Dick and Doug Hiebert. Pakisa Tshimika, MBM/S regional secretary for Africa, is also based in Kinshasa.

In early April, Linda Tshimika said,

their offensive on Kinshasa, Zaire's capital. As the rebels, known as Alliance troops, advance toward Kinshasa they are passing through areas where many of the 73,000 Zairian Mennonite Brethren live, in a closed room with a half-awake lion ..... Will it wake up, roar a bit and then walk away from us? Will it

including Kikwit.

On April 13, Zairian rebels officially began "We feel like we're "At this point in time, we are all feeling safe. However, there is a certain amount of tension related to the total unpredictability of the situation. We feel like we're in a closed room with a half· awake lion. We don't know what the lion will do next. Will it wake up, roar a bit and then walk away from us? Will it wake and go on a devouring rampage? Will it go back to sleep again? Or is

IN BRIEF

• APPOINTED: Wendell Loewen has accepted the position of assistant professor of biblical and religious studies at Tabor College beginning this fall. He will teach in the area of youth ministry and oversee student practicums. Loewen comes to his new assignment with 1°years of experience as a youth pastor. He is currently youth pastor at Fairview (Okla .) MB Church. Loewen is a graduate of MB Biblical Seminary and Fresno Pacific University. (TC)

Alliance sources say their troops are within 90 miles of Kinshasa. wake and go on a devouring rampage?"

-LINDA TSHIMIKA

Terry Sawatzky, codirector of Mennonite Central Committee Africa , speculates the Alliance will meet with minimal resistance-since they have captured the city of Kisangani several weeks earlier-until they are within striking distance of Kinshasa. MB Missions/Services workers in Zaire all live in Kinshasa. Team members include team leader Linda Tshimi-

ESENGO UPDATE: Ministry continues despite concern for families

ESENGO MEMBERS may be hundreds of miles away from their home country, but Zaire's civil war continues to touch their lives Esengo is a musical ensemble of 12 young adults currently touring the United States and Canada it dying?"

The atmosphere in Kinshasa was tense in March, says Bruce Janz, codirector of Mennonite Central Committee programs in Zaire, who also lives in Kinshasa. Since Zairian government troops often serve unpaid, most people were not nearly as afraid of the rebels as they were of potential looting by Zairian soldiers, Janz said.

Zaire has been ruled by President

• NATIONALS: For the first time in the school's history, the Tabor College men's basketball team advanced to the final four in a national tournament. The Bluejays defeated Taylor University of Indiana, top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas of New York and host school Northwest Nazarene College of Idaho, before falling to Siena Heights College of Michigan in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division II tournament held March 12-18 in Nampa, Idaho. Senior Hiram Finney was named to the all -tournament team (TC)

• SHOOTING: Fresno Pacific University senior Billy Caldwell was killed in a drive -by shooting in Pomona, Calif , March 28 while visiting family during Easter break His uncle was also killed in the incident. Police say they have no suspects and no motive. The university held a memorial service for Caldwell April 1 "We have lost a cheerful friend and a fine athlete, but we also lost the special kind of leadership that he seemed destined to give our society," said president Richard Kriegbaum. Caldwell was scheduled to graduate this May. He had applied for a position with the Fresno Police Department and had plans to marry. (FPU)

"The group is getting much more familiar with the culture and language of North America , but are still road weary," says Craig Hallman, MB Missions/Services secretary for communications and media "Naturally, they are concerned for their country and the families they have left behind " Hallman requests prayer on behalf of Esengo members, that they will be "comforted as they fear for their country and families "

Plans for Esengo's June tour of France, Germany and Austria are in question MBM/S recently received word that Esengo ' s visas were denied by the German consulate "No reason was given," Hallman says, "but most likely the war in Zaire raised concerns " Hallman says this denial blo cks the European wing of the tour. MBM/S is appealing the decision.

• RETREAT: Tabor College is inviting retirees age 60 and above to attend Harvest Time, an annual on-campus retreat for older adults scheduled for June 9-14. Activities include field trips and tours, seminars, daily devotions, worship times, and special meals. Registration information is available from coordinator Connie Isaac at Tabor College. (TC)

Mobutu Sese Seko since 1965 and many people are looking for a change, according to Janz. Zaire, a resourcerich nation, is now impoverished and many Zairians say nothing will improve until Mobutu leaves.

"If you listen to aU the rumors, you can end up doing nothing for weeks on end," observes Janz. In March Janz reported people were trying to hide their valuables and stores once open 24 hours were closing overnight

By early April, the atmosphere in Kinshasa was less tense . Although

people are still nervous, according to MCC workers, the current head of the military has so far been a deterrent; in the past, he has ordered looting soldiers shot on sight.

"It is also the case that a lot of prayers were answered," writes MCC workers Ann and Bruce CampbellJanz in an April e-mail message to MCC headquarters. "People are praying now more than ever. "

At this point no MBMjS or MCC workers plan to leave the country; u.S. troops are ready to evacuate u.S.

citizens MCC currently has five workers in Zaire, including Mennonite Brethren volunteers Krista Rigalo and Fidele Lumeya. The Zairian couple is working with peace and forestry projects in rebel-controlled Bukavu and in late February distributed seeds and tools to help people reestablish themselves.

Zaire's civil war began last faU after the government issued a ruling that ethnic Tutsis who had been living in Zaire for several generations had to leave. The Tutsis, known as Banyamu-

Enid MB Church celebrates 100 years of God's faithfulness

• Oklahoma congregation reflects on past and future

THE ENID (Okla .) MB Church celebrated God's faithfulness through 100 years of good times and hard times April 12-13. Henry Schmidt, president of the MB Seminary, Fresno, Calif., was the featured speaker for the weekend.

"It was a particular desire of the church to reflect and reminisce about the past , but also to caU on someone to challenge us to think about the future," says Garvie Schmidt, pastor "Henry did a good job of that ."

The festivities began Saturday afternoon with a reception for former pastors and wives, foUowed by a historical review and personal reflections by the ministers. Former pastors in attendance included Clarence Hiebert, John Block, Lynford Becker and AI McVety, as well as former associate and interim pastors Daryle Baltzer,

Rick Eshbaugh and Don Smith.

That evening, boards and committes met for a banquet in the Golden Oaks Retirement Village dining haU. Henry Schmidt spoke on "Leading into the Next Century."

The next morning, members of the Builders and senior-age Sunday school classes met with Schmidt, who spoke on " Bridging the Generations and Managing Transitions." Schmidt also gave the morning message titled, "Memorials from the Past, Signposts for the Future. "

The church and senior choirs provided music. About 400 people attended the service. Afterward, the congregation was invited to a celebration meal.

The church board met with Schmidt in the afternoon, and the entire congregation gathered once

again in the evening. Schmidt spoke on "A Cutting Edge Church for a New Century ." The Young Adult Singers provided music, and an offering was taken to help cover the expenses of the celebration.

Time was spent on reflecting on the past Many church members compiled artifacts and memorabilia for display during the celebration, and a history of the church was written in booklet form by Vic Froese.

The first Mennonite Brethren settled in Garfield County in 1894.· In 1897 a congregation of about 30 people formed and became known as the North Enid MB Church with Peter Regier as pastor. A sister church was established in 1925 in the city. The two congregations merged in 1960.

The congregation reported a membership high of 407 in 1989; in 1996, the official number of active members stood at 261.-jessica Penner

A mass choir was part of the Sunday morning worship service at the Enid MB Church centennial celebration. Abe Heinrichs (back to camera). now from California. was the guest director.

lenge, took up arms and were soon joined by others opposed to Mobutu's government.

"We're either going to see a bloodbath-or negotiation and some semblance of a peace process," says an unidentified U.S . official in the April 21 issue of Newsweek magazine. (From MeC and MBMj S reports)

Pray for Zaire ...

MB Missions/Services requests prayer for Zaire.

• The uncertainty of the situation in Zaire makes it difficult for MBM/S workers to decide if they should travel. Pray for wisdom in travel and planning.

• The minimal resources of Zairians have eroded even further during the civil war. "Pray for the churches as they live through the economic repercussions of this crisis," says Linda Tshimika, MBM/S worker. "Pray for their needs to be met and for them to have peace of mind."

• Tshimika requests prayer " t ha t the enemy will be defeated." She sees a satanic element in the conflict and believes Satan is using various leaders in the Zairian government to destroy the country.

CHURCH NOTES

• Baptism/Membership

LODI, Calif. (Vinewood)-Mahlon and Lori Lott, Scott Keithley, Amber Hoover, Noah Suess, Kimberly Cooper and Kristen Kingsley were baptized and received into church membership Jan. 26. Kathy Dufour also was received as a new member.

VISALIA, Calif. (Neighborhood)-Ronda Brandt, Brandon Dorman, Daryll Dorman , Danette German, Tammy Hone, Ben Jeffery, Sara Knudsen, Megan Miller, Sarah Miller, Crissy Patterson, Michael Rinaldi, Susan Sakka, Jeff SchuH, Katherine Warketin, Marcy Walters and Keith Woodward were baptized and received into membership Feb. 23. Eric Brandt, Jim Coughlin, Allan Dodge, Carolyn Harlander, and Kath· leen Castaneda were also welcomed into membership .

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Rosedale Bible)Lisa Driskill, Angel Sanchez, Maria Sanchez and Tony Sanchez were accepted into membership March 2. Angelina Sanchez was accepted as a new member March 16.

HIll.SBORO, Kan. (Parkview)-Tim and Ruth Seibel, Daryle and Jon Friesen and Kevin and Angy Jost were welcomed as members March 9.

SHAFTER, Calif.-Jeff Skalisky, Julie Skalisky, Johnathon Smith and Christie Unruh were baptized and received into

Duties:

• Managing editor for Witness magazine

• Writer

• Oversee media productions, both print and electronic, in support of other staff and overseas workers

• Direct media strategy for MBM/S (i.e. budget, reporting, planning)

Qualifications desired:

• Excellent writing and editing skills

• Master's Degree or equivalent or experience

• A comprehensive understanding of print and electronic media

• Managerial skills

• Christian commitment and lifestyle consistent with the Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith

• Membership In a Mennonite Brethren church

membership March 23 . Patrick Toews was also welcomed into membership

MOUNTAIN LAKE, Minn. - Lita Soungsouvandy, Phitsith Panemalaythong, Sisavanh Panemalaythong, and Phayvanh Arnone were baptized and received into membership March 30. Gene and Dorothy Peterson, Saykham Panemalaythong, and Deanne Suderman were also received as members _

TULSA, Okla. (Parkside)-Ron and Jennifer Hicks were baptized March 30 and received into membership along with Michael T Martin

DINUBA, Calif.-Julianne Walls, Kelsey Zimmerman, Craig Wohlgemuth, Sara Strand, Heather Doerksen, and Joshua Reiswig were baptized and received into membership March 30

• Celebrations

HENDERSON, Neb. - The congregation dedicated the education wing April 13 during the morning worship service.

MARSHALL, Ark. (Martin Box)-The congregation will celebrate their 50th anniversary July 26-27 with a men's prayer breakfast, afternoon games and a cookout on

Saturday and a worship service, potluck meal and youth presentation on Sunday.

CORN, Okla. - Flowers in the sanctuary March 16 were in honor of Pete and Elizabeth Sawatzky's 60th wedding anniversary

• Fellowship

CLOVIS, Calif. (Mountain View)-The congregation hosted a Good Friday service for the community and members of area Mennonite Brethren congregations over the noon hour.

• Ministry

HAYS, Kan. (North Oak)-The youth group is working at Deer Creek Camp in Colorado May 25-30. The camp was recently purchased by World Impact, an inner-city mission organization based in Los Angeles . The youth will be involved in a variety of work projects preparing the camp for its ministry to inner-city youth .. .. Members of the congregation will participate in a mission trip to Cary, Mississippi, May 23-31.

OMAHA, Neb. (Faith Bible)-In May, three training sessions are being held to prepare the congregation for June outreach activities. All doors to the church will be locked

for the benefit of

June 8 and 22 in an effort to "get God ' s people off of their seats and onto the streets,» says pastor Peter John Thomas. The congregation will meet on the front lawn for a brief worship time and then do neighborhood outreach in place of Sunday worship services

• Proclamation

ENID, Okla.-Ben and Fran Wedel, retiring MBM/S missionaries to Mexico, participated in March 16 services , including an allchurch traditional Mexican dinner.

ULYSSES, Kan.-Ron and Dena Braun, with their children, and Vernon and Mildred Vogt, all from Koerner Heights MB Church in Newton, Kan , reported on mission work in India and Thailand April 27. The two families participated in Mennonite World Conference activities in January.

• Teaching/nurture

INMAN, Kan. (Zoar)-Missions conference events April 13-16 included presentations from Harold Ens, MB Missions/Services general director, Rick Eshbaugh, pastor of the Topeka (Kan.) MB Church, Jeff Anshutz from Buhler (Kan.) MB Church, and Fred Stoesz, pastor of United at the Cross Community Church in Wichita, Kan.

HILLSBORO, Kan.-The three Hillsboro congregations (Hillsboro, Parkview and Ebenfeld) participated in a joint mission festival April 20. The morning service included a mass choir, a mission testimony and speaker Don Davis, director of World Impact's Urban Institute in Wichita, Kan An international food bazaar, offering samples of Asian, Latin and African dishes, was served prior to an evening concert by Esengo, the Mennonite Brethren choir from Zaire

FRESNO, Calif. (North)-Three Christian Life and Service Seminars (C.L.A.S.S.) are being offered in April for the purpose of training and equipping men and women in Bible knowledge, leadership and life skills . Seminar topics are small group leadership , marriage enrichment, and living with divorce and are taught by members of the church staff.

FAIRVIEW, Okla.-The spring Bible conference speaker April 11-13 was James Borror, a former pastor and seminary professor and currently executive director of Golden Minutes Ministry. Borror spoke on the subject "Help Over the Hurdles . »

• Workers

DINUBA, CaUf.-Randy Reiswig was ordained into the ministry April 13. He and his family will be moving to Eugene, Ore., where he will pastor the North Park Community Church

. DEATHS

CORNEISEN, JONAS, Bellingham, Wash., a member of the Good News Fellowship Church, was born April 9, 1917 , to Jacob and Minnie Cornelsen at Collinsville, Okla , and died Jan 4, 1997, at the age of 79 On April 11 , 1946, he was married to Martha Wiens, who survives He is also survived by one daughter, Karen Walker of Ferndale, Wash .; two sons, Dan of Ferndale and Dick of Salinas, Wash ; one brother, Herb of Bellingham; two sisters, Eva Regier of San Jose, Calif. and Lorene Thiesen of Dinuba, Calif.; and nine grandchildren

EDIGER, WILLIE D., Reedley, Calif , a member of the Butler MB Church, Fresno, Calif., was born Aug. 29, 1912, near Henderson, Neb. , and died Dec 22, 1996, at the age of 84 On Aug. 15, 1940, he was married to Mildred Wiebe, who survives He is also survived by two daughters, Beverly Nikkel of Reedley and Carolyn Christain of Visalia, Calif.; one son, Calvin and wife Fritz of Madera, Calif. ; two brothers, Pete of Hillsboro, Kan., and Daniel and wife Maureen of Hawthorne, Calif ; one sister, Esther and husband Allen Mays of Enid, Okla.; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

FAST, JACOB, Reedley, Calif., a member of the Reedley MB Church, was born April 28, 1921, to Jacob and Anna Fast, at Inman, Kan , and died March 29, 1997, at the age of 75. On Feb . 6, 1942, he was married to Louise Braun, who predeceased him. He is survived by one daughter, Marian and husband Don Block ; two sons, Dennis and wife Carol and Thomas and wife Suzette ; two brothers, Ernest and Harry; four sisters, Esther Kagley, Ruth Kliewer, Ann Enns and Helen Panttaja .

FOTH, TENA LEE DAHLKE, Hillsboro,

Kan . , a member of the Ebenfeld MB Church, Hillsboro, was born Sept. 28, 1908, to Peter J. and Sarah Voth Dahlke at Fairview, Okla., and died AprilS , 1997, at the age of 88. On Nov. 27, 1932, she was married to Dan J. Foth, who survives. She is also survived by two daughters , Faith and husband Rod Komelsen of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Sylvia Kornelsen of Denver, Colo ; one son, Ken and wife Pat of Broken Arrow, Okla. ; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren

HANNEMAN, ELMER, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Ebenfeld MB Church, Hillsboro, was born Feb. 26, 1909, to Peter J. and Mary Penner Hanneman, near Peabody, Kan , and died March 27, 1997, at the age of 88. On April 9, 1944, he was married to Betty Jane Delk, who survives He is also survived by one son, Steve of Peabody ; two brothers, Harry and wife Helen of Peabody and Joel and wife Dorothy of Peabody.

KLEIN, CLAYTON A., Hillsboro, Kan., was born March 21, 1930, to George and Anna Fadenrecht Klein near Munich, N.D . , and died March 23, 1997, at the age of 67. On June 15, 1951, he was married to Danelda Goertzen, who survives. He is also survived by five sons, Tim and wife Linda of Dinuba, Calif., Terry of Wichita, Kan , Tom and wife Kim of Wichita, Todd and wife Kim of Wichita, Tracy and wife Shawna of Kansas City; four daughters, Rhoda and husband Bryan Toews of Reedley, Calif., DeVona and husband Craig Roble of Grand Forks, N.D , Connie and husband David Suderman of Hillsboro, and Amy Klein of McPherson, Kan.; JoAnn Briles-Klein of Wichita; two sisters, Arvelda and husband Elmer Wiens of Grand Forks and Dorothy Ewert of Langdon, N D.; one brother, Clinton and wife Joyce of Munich; and 18 grandchildren

KROEKER, GERALD E., Reedley, Calif., a

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For full activity details contact: Harvest Time, Tabor College, Hillsboro, KS 67063 or call Connie Isaac, 316-947-5964.

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In 1889 a single missionary couple arrived from Russia. Today the India conference has 75,000 members. How did this work began?

Who was involved?

This detailed account, based on primary sources, complete with two pictorial sections, affords you a glimpse into the work of God and his people in this great country.

member of the Reedley MB Church, was born July 17,1908, to Jacob G . and Pauline Glaesman Kroeker at Fairview, Okla., and died March 20, 1997, at the age of 88. In 1933, he was married to Alice Patzkowsky . In 1959, he was married to Susanna Friesen, who survives. He is also survived by one son, Timothy and wife Joan of Klamath Falls, Ore ; one daughter, Nancy and husband Jerry Flaming of Parlier, Calif.; one sister, Clara Braun of Reedley; seven grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren.

MACK, HARRY JAMES, Reedley, Calif., was born Nov. 11, 1922, at Jansen, Neb., and died March 15, 1997, at the age of 74 His wife, Wilma, predeceased him in 1996. He is survived by one son, Ron of Reedley; two daughters, Fritz Ediger of Madera, Calif , and Jean Mack of Fresno; one brother, Erwin of Reedley; and one sister, Marie Ratzlaff of Reedley

REIMCHE, EMMA HOFFER FANDRICH, Lodi, Calif , a member of the Vinewood Community Church, was born July 16, 1917, to Theo and Katie Hoffer at Lincoln Valley, N.D., and died Nov. 18, 1996, at the age of 79 In 1939, she was married to Gust Fandrich, who predeceased her. In June 1981, she was married to Mervyn Reimche. She is survived by three sons, Darrel Fandrich, Milton and wife Sharon Fandrich and Bernie and wife Joanne Fandrich, all of Lodi; and three grandchildren.

SCHROEDER, HARRY, Bellingham, Wash , was born March 9, 1902, to Henry

R and Eva Schmidt Schroeder near Goessel, Kan., and died March 9, 1997, hours shy of his 95th birthday On Sept. 17 , 1925, he was married to Linda Epp, who predeceased him in 1992 He is survived by two daughters, Joyce and husband Leonard Warkentin of Kingsburg, Calif , and Mary and husband Bob Eytzen of Ferndale, Wash.; one daughter-in-law, Susan Schroeder-Baker of Ferndale; one brother, Edward and wife Mary Jane of Bellingham; one sister, Margaret of Bellingham; 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren

WEGERMANN, ANI BERTA, Reedley, Calif , was born in 1913 at Emden, Germany, and died March 17, 1997 In 1939, she was married to Emil Wegermann, who predeceased her in 1974. She is survived by five children, a brother and sister, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

WENGER, NORMAN EDSON, Hillsboro, Kan., a member of the Hillsboro MB Church, was born March 15, 1912, to Jonas and Anna Loucks Wenger near Canton, Kan , and died April 10, 1997, at the age of 85. On Sept. 18, 1938, he was married to Ruth Warkentin, who survives He is also survived by one son, Cecil of McPherson, Kan.; two daughters, Jeannene Koslowsky of Mesa, Ariz., and Beverly Pack of Athens, Ala ; two sisters, Thelma Egliof Denver, Colo., and Bertha Miller of LaJunta, Colo ; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

WIEBE, MARIE, Reedley, Calif., was born

Mennonite Disaster Service invites applications for the position of:

Executive Coordinator

Starting date: May 1998 • Location: Akron, Pennsylvania Resumes will be accepted through June 30, 1997

The MDS Executive Coordinator provides leadership to board and staff, oversees responses to major disasters in cooperation with regional and unit MDS leaders, and administers the binational MDS office and budget, among other duties. Qualifications include strong administrative skills, experience with MDS program and constituency, willingness to travel, and experience working with volunteer groups. College degree and/or church organization experience preferable.

Direct inquiries to: Norman Shenk, Chair, Search Committee P.O. Box 628, Salunga, PA 17538 • e-mail: nnjshenk@aol.com

Oct. 29, 1902, to Henry and Anna Friesen Bartsch in Carson Township, Minn . , and died May 23, 1996, at the age of 93 On July 17, 1924, she was married to Henry S. Wiebe, who predeceased her in 1966. She is survived by one son, Louis and wife Wilma; one daughter, Rosella and husband Henry Isaak; one sister, Susan Coxe of Hemet, Calif., eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. •

POSITION OPENING

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

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

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

MARTIN BOX CHURCH 50TH CELEBRATION INVITATION

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

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

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

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

11-5 p.m., fun and games at the Beuford TuelV Bill Beavers backyards.

1 5-6:30 p m a cookout followed by an informal program of songs and sharing of times

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

1 10-noon, Sunday service (present) at the church

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

11-2 p.m., youth presentation (future) at the church

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

CLEARINGHOUSE

Have a position to fill? Looking for a new employment or ministry opportunity? Have a gathering or celebration to promote? Need to sell or acquire property? Reach U.S. Mennonite Brethren through a Clearinghouse classified ad. The charge is 40 cents per word, with a $15 minimum Withhold payment until an invoice is received The editors reseNe the right to tum down inappropriate material. For display (boxed) ad rates , please call us.

POS ITI ONS AVAILABLE

MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITIEE is seeking applicants for the position of assistant director of community ministries with MCC U S in Akron, Pa This is a three-year, full-time, salaried pOSition. Qualifications include a commitment to Christian faith , active church membership and nonviolent peacemaking. For more infonnation, or to receive a copy of the job description , please contact Dwight McFadden or Sandra at MCC Personnel Department, 21 South

DINUBA MB CHURCH

has started a search for a full -time

YOUTH PASTOR

Send resume to:

Dinuba MB Search Committee 110 Nichols Ave Dinuba, CA 93618

E-mail: dmbc@mobeynet.com

Phone : Bob Vogt 209-591-1176

MENTORING & RETENTION

Fresno Pacific University seeks a coordinator of mentoring and retention. The coordinator of mentoring and retention works under the direction of the dean of the undergraduate college and is responsible to manage the undergraduate program mentoring program, to develop and manage a comprehensive retention program for the traditional undergraduate student body, and to work with the dean in recognizing academic honors students.

Successful candidate will hold a master's degree and possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. The individual will possess demonstrated administrative and organizational skills and be able to work independently and as part of a team. There should be an understanding and commitment to Christian higher education . Contact Sue Kliewer, Director of Human Resources, Fresno Pacific University, 1717 S. Chestnut , Fresno, CA 93702; phone 209-453-2245; fax 209-453-2007 ; e-mail skliewer@fresno.edu.

12th St. Akron , PA 17501, phone 717-859- 1151 or email : SLF@mcc org Applications due April 30, 1997

RESOURCES

DEVOTIONAL RESOURCE-Looking for a dynamic daily devotional resource written from an evangelical Anabaptist perspective? Try Rejoice!, the inter-Mennonite devotional booklet. Rejoice! mines the riches

of God's wisdom throughout the Old and New testaments. Each day features a 300-word devotional message, complete with Bible reading, key verse and meditational prayer. Writers for Rejoice! are from the Mennonite Brethren Church, General Conference Mennonite Church and Mennonite Church. For more infonnation or to order Rejoice!, contact your local church office, or call toll-free Kindred Productions, 1800-545-7322.

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Invitation: TO: Born-again Christians

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

1. PERU - Sullana 2 . INDIA - Jama Ganur

3. ZAIRE - Kikwlt

4. UKRAINE - Tchernivtsi-Odessa

5. NICARAGUA - Managua

6. PARAGUAY - Asuncion

7_ PERU - Chiclayo-Talara

8. FIJI ISLAND

9. RUSSIA - Orenburg

10. ARGENTINA - Cordoba

11. INDIA - Shamshabad

April 5-21, '97

April 18 - May 13, '97 . . . . . . $1,000

May 1-28, '97 $2,000

May 3-29, '97. $1,600

July 5-21, '97 . . . .

July 5-21, '97 $1,500

Aug 2-26, '97 .

Aug. 2-19, '97

Sept. 6-24, '97

Oct. 4-21, '97 .

Nov 8-25, '97 $1,600

Note: Dates may be subject to change , pending further confirmation of some campaigns 'Canadian dollars

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

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

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

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

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

Peter Loewen CPE Promoter

Harold W. Ens MBMIS General Director

MEDIA MATTERS

BY BURTON BULLER

A world out of focus

Do our current global communications opportunities work to move people to increase trust of each other? Or do they foster distrust?

How"MANY people have you kiUed?" The voice was young . Male. Accented. I looked around.

Who was the voice addressing? "What kind of gun do you use? "

Nigeria . 1971. I had just arrived for my ftrst visit to Mrica. The voice was closer now A preteen feUow emerged from the crowd He was looking at my lace boots and blue jeans.

"Where's your horse?" he asked, addressing me directly. He seemed to want to approach me. Yet he hesitated, seeming to distrust my quizzical expression. I was mystifted. Whatever was this kid talking about?

A few more sentences and I discovered something I would encounter again and again in many parts of the world. This young man had been to the American movies . Here he had learned what Americans do . Make love. Ride horses. And shoot their enemies. I was expected to conform to the image. After aU, I wore boots and blue jeans. I was halfway there.

It came as a shock to me that this was how Americans were perceived by young Mricans .

In 1971, Ted Turner had likely not yet even conceived of CNN as a global communications network. Foreign access to American culture was more limited then than is now the case I often wonder if the increase in media messages that CNN and other networks have unleashed has been accompanied by an increase in cultural understanding Or has the opposite been true? Has the flood of images of Madonna, MichaelJordan and O.} Simpson given an even more distorted view of North Americans to those peering in through the blinking win-

dows of television and movie screens?

What about the messages that reach us from other lands? Are they messages that fairly and accu-

rately represent the people who live there? When you hear the word" Mrica, " what comes to mind? Bustling, car-choked cities and weUgroomed yards? Or do you think of refugee camps and emaciated children? Certainly I've seen both. But the later is rare, the former common Some observers express deep concern that today's means of delivering information has faUen into the hands of a few giant enterprises with global ambitions. These businesses see information primarily as a commodity to be packaged and sold. Their primary audience is those of us who live in North America and western Europe, because we have the money to pay for this information We, as a market, determine with a certain predictability what stories get told and how they are packaged.

The end result is that the majority of the people in this world, even though we live in an age of unlimited communication possibilities, never get to tell their story . We seldom hear their point of view.

Newly emerging television networks and video outlets outside North America often buy this western-produced information for sale in their own markets because they can buy it for less money than it costs them to produce their own

So, in Moscow one can watch the distant American television show "Dallas " with all speaking parts read by the same brusque male reader.

"Baywatch" is reported to be the most widely distributed television show in the world. Do these programs represent the values and information others need to come to a fuller understanding of us? What do we receive in return that will help us gather a more rounded understanding of them?

In "Milestones of Mass Communication Research, " authors Lowery and Defleur note that society in a previous time was organized around themes of kinship and common understanding Essentially, society operated on trust and handshakes. The industrial revolution and the accompanying move toward urbanization, these authors say, destroyed the links forged by kinship and common understanding. Special interest groups arose that clustered around ethnic and corporate identities that saw themselves "over against " rather than "with" others. The legal contract become essential to establish order and boundaries Society moved to organize around themes of distrust

Do our current global communications opportunities work to move people to increase their trust of each other? Or do they foster distrust?

Here the church can playa role in making sure that a diversity of viewpoints finds voice in communications systems they influence. With more Mennonite Brethren in both India and Zaire than in all of North America, one hopes we will eventuaUy begin to see and hear their stories. This may go a long way to promote greater understanding.

Who knows? Maybe future young Mricans will encounter a western TV program where North Americans are not characterized as Ewings or Dirty Harrys or John Waynes. And maybe we will discover stories told by them that represent their people in honest, well-rounded ways

I hope the church gets behind telling these stories. The church may be the last best hope for pressing communications to promote trust rather than distrust.

LET'S TALK ABOUT IT

A GUIDE FOR GROUP INTERACTION

SESSION 1 Imml glant families

Based on "Home Away From Home, " page 4

GET READY - Getting started

• Of the foods listed at the beginning of the article, which is your favorite?

GET SET - Examining the issues

1. Review the facts about the new immigrants.

2. What people groups or events in Scripture are similar to those of the immigrants in Mennonite Brethren churches? In what ways did they face the same challenges?

3. In what ways is faith a "primary component of life" for an immigrant?

4. How do the challenges differ between the Slavic and hispanic and Hmong peoples?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. How can ethnic churches help new immigrants meet the challenges?

2. To which immigrant group is your congregation most closely located? Do you have a relationship with that group at this time?

3. Of the suggestions given, which are the most probable for your congregation? What would need to happen to get something started?

4. What is necessary in order to break down the misunderstanding and lack of openness to those of different ethnic backgrounds that exist within some of our churches?

SESSION 2 Mattei's of conscience

Based on question #2, Inquiring Minds, page 9.

GET READY - Getting started

• When is your conscience most likely to bother you?

GET SET - Examining the issues

1. How would you define "conscience"?

2. Name some Scriptures that guide the discernment between right and wrong.

3. Do you find it encouraging or defeating to think that conscience is both learned and given by a source or power outside ourselves?

4. Do you agree that the Ten Commandments are for all people? Which commandments have become most optional in our society? In our churches?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. What can we do to "feed" our God-given consciences?

2. In what ways can brothers and sisters work together to determine right and wrong?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your thinking as you evaluate areas of your conscience that have become dulled.

SESSION 3 The vulnel ability of motherhooci

Based on On the Journey, page 10.

GET READY - Getting started

• Share a favorite memory involving your mother

GET SET - Examining the issues

1. Review the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2. In what ways was she vulnerable?

2. What examples of a mother's vulnerability does Buschman suggest?

3. What is it that motivates a person to sacrifice one's own privileges for those of another person?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. How are mothers and other caregivers given support in your congregation?

2. What is your present greatest challenge with being a mom or a support person in any relationship?

3. In what ways is the vulnerability of motherhood similar to the Christ-like qualities to which God calls all of us?

SESSION 4 Global mecila messages

Based on Media Matters, page 22.

GET READY - Getting started

• Share an example of what might be a distorted message regarding another country that you have seen on TV or read in a newspaper this week.

GET SET - Examining the issues

1. What are the goals and methods of giant enterprises that dispense information to us and to other parts of the world?

2. How is our awareness and understanding of reality distorted through that representation of values and information?

3. According to the article, what has led society to organize around themes of distrust?

GO - Applying ideas to the way we live

1. How does your congregation encourage stories that "represent people in honest, well-rounded ways"?

2. What biblical principles must we emphasize in our homes and churches in order to foster greater understanding and trust of each other?

3. What would you include on a list of prayer concerns based on this article? What are two specific steps that would move toward the answer to those prayers?

Nadine Friesen

Reaching today's USA

FOR YEARS, we've identified our ethnic background as an obstacle to reaching our neighbors. Now, Marci Winans (page 4) and others suggest the residual benefits of that history might be a great resource after all.

So what's changed?

Well, the "neighborhood," for one. We Mennonite Brethren still struggle to grow what we've come to call "anglo" congregations-the traditional WASP church. Or "English" church, as our German-speaking forebears would say. But some exciting things have been happening in recent years as people from myriad cultures and countries have arrived on our shores or moved into our communities.

Numerically, the biggest impact has been made by Slavics from the former Soviet Union, as whole congregations of 300500 believers have joined us. A similar development may be brewing among Korean congregations along the West Coast.

Though smaller in number, a variety of other groups are joining too. In fact, U.S. Mennonite Brethren worship in as many as 13 languages on any given Sunday.

Loyal Funk, director of U.S. Integrated Ministries, tells us that most of these groups come to us in large part because of our Confession of Faith. That's how it should be. Ultimately, shared beliefs must be the thread that binds us together. But

some 20 years! How long does it take to be accepted as a full brother or sister in Christ? And when the newcomers are of a distinctively different cultural or racial group, will they ever be fully accepted?

• The present generation of young adults who have ties to the original ethnic history are increasingly detached from it by the passage of time. Rather than retain sympathies for new immigrants or persons of other cultural backgrounds, I fear we are vulnerable to the same "us vs. them" mindset that much of white America feels toward the growth of immigrant and nonwhite groups.

• Even within conference structures I sense some ambivalence about growing a culturally diverse church. It emerges whenever public attention is focused almost exclusively on anglo church-planting projects at the expense of cross-cultural works .

I think our constituency, generally speaking, is

not as excited about reaching across cultures as we'd like to think. Mennonite Brethren are also developing a reputation for generosity and acceptance Groups like what we believe, but they also feel welcomed and valued.

I hope that continues. Few things about our corporate life energize me more these days than the idea of being part of a growing multicultural, multiracial church. I'd like to think that few things are more pleasing to our Lord, too.

I'd also like to think that Mennonite Brethren have been especially prepared to develop into this kind of church. But I don't think we can assume that's true simply because of our history. Some factors work against that notion:

• The original Low German ethnic component of our church is decreasing as more people from other backgrounds join our congregations. This, too, is a positive trend as shared beliefs become our primary connection. We can't assume the "ethnic" past pervades our conference anymore.

• Where the historical ethnicity is a viable presence, it still tends to be exclusive rather than inclusive Recently, someone from the Low German background complimented a "new" Mennonite Brethren for "fitting in so well" -even though this person had been part of the congregation for

Even Mission USA has sent-inadvertently, I believe-a mixed message about what it thinks it means to reach our nation for Christ . Soon after forming, the new board transferred Integrated Ministries to the oversight of another board. The rationale: the initial work of developing new strategy was so overwhelming that the board would like a year or two to get their act together and not worry about overseeing an existing program. They also noted that Integrated Ministries

has mostly involved the adoption of existing congregations rather than growth through renewal and church planting, which MUSA sees as its mandate.

MUSA makes a logical case But it's also interesting that MUSA has since focused its initial efforts on anglos. This suggests one of two things : (1) since we're growing in cross-cultural situations already, MUSA wants to focus on the population group we historically have had the most trouble reaching-our anglo neighbors; or (2) "real" church planting-the kind that generates the support of more constituents-necessarily involves anglos; other groups are secondary

I don't mean to criticize Mission USA or assume I know their intentions . But I think both of the aforementioned suggestions are mostly accurate. We do need help to reach our anglo neighbors . And, more to the point, I think our constituency, collectively speaking, is not as excited about reaching across cultures as we'd like to think

Fortunately, God is using individuals and churches to show us the way. We hope to tell more oftheir stories in the months ahead, believing that we can and must embrace all peoples of our nation as the Lord leads us to them.-DR

61 ST Convention of

The General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

July 10-12, 1997

Waterloo Mennonite Brethren Church

Waterloo, Ontario Canada

e would be pleased if Y elU j oi ned us in Waterloo, Ontario for the celebrati.on for path s or a twisting world." Waterloo '97 -;: , take the high roads of worship and inspiration. It will be a thoroughfare of chall enging info rmation and offer tributaries of networking and suppo rt .

The bu sine ss lo ops, requiring c areful navigation, will be anY!h!ng but boring. We are praying for God's wisdom an d a heart full of His lo ve for all of us.

Won't yuu join us?

The registration form appearing in the March issue of The Christian Leader is also available in this insert on pages 25 and 26. As well, a copy has been sent to every MB church in Canada and the U.S. If you haven't already registered, do so soon!

am

Council Listening Forum (Optional session, includes continental breakfast)

" How-to Seminars" (Ministry Repeats of#lOI-A skills/personal impro vement) and " interests/networking" seminars

Seminars

Who·s Driving? (Pastor-associate relations)

Trusting in the Map When the Road Looks Different (The Bible and post-modem society)

Roadwork (Staying spiritually fit in ministry)

New Vision for Road-weary Leaders (Developing an effective leadership team)

From the Interstate to the Internet (Learning to cruise the Internet)

Singing on the Road (The role of music in worship and introducing new worship songs written by our own composers)

Finding Ourselves on The Map (Introducing the new Faith Family Focus curriculum)

The Giving Project (An idea for a biblically-based stewardship revival)

Managing Your Travel Funds (Family budget-planning)

On the Road with Missions (New opportunities for volunteer mission service by youth, career persons and seniors)

Navigating Mission Byways into the 10-40 Window (Focusing on unreached peoples)

Travelling the Russian Highways into Mission (Opportunities for ministry plus a visit with Nicolai Dueckman, Siberia)

Confession of Faith: A look at the Sanctity of Life, Article 14; Other Faiths, Article 17

Children & Youth Activities

KID'S PATH (Ages 5-11)

Thursday • Getting acquainted

Friday

• Puppets and crafts

Nature study

• Hike • Wiener roast lunch

• Swimming

Saturday • Children's Play Centre

• McDonald's lunch

• Water activities

Bring play clothes, grubby shoes and swim wear. Children will be the responsibility of their parents during the Friday and Saturday evening sessions

YOUTH TRACK (Ages 12-17)

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

• Evening - Get-acquainted games and activities

• With YMI in ministry activities

• Random Acts of Kindness, etc.

• Evening - Debriefing/evaluation or convention evening session

• Canada's Wonderland or Sports World

• Evening - Closing sessions at the convention

Executive Council

COUNCIL MEMBERS

Ed Boschman, Moderator (Peoria, Ariz.) Canada, 1997

Larry Martens, Assistant Moderator (Fresno, Calif.) U.S., 1997

Valerie Rempel, Secretary (Fresno, Calif .) 1997

Lorlie Barkman (Winnipeg, Man.) Board of Resource Ministries

Jim Enns (Fresno, Calif.) Board of Trustees

Neil Fast (Winnipeg, Man .) Board of Missions/Services

Herb Kopp (Winnipeg, Man.) Board of Faith and Life

Ron Toews (Calgary, Alta.)

Board of Directors, MB Biblical Seminary

Dennis Fast ( Hillsboro, Kan ) US Conference Moderator

Ike Bergen (Abbotsford, B.C.)

Canadian Conference Moderator

Marvin Hein (Fresno, Calif.) Executive Secretary

ED BOSCHMAN, MODERATOR

hen the newly fonned Executive Council met in the fall of 1995, it was clear to us that the winds of change were blowing. In addition to both infonnal and fonnal discussions at the 1995 convention itself, we received various communiques from district, provincial and/or national leaders and leadership boards. The voices were strong and at times passionate. Our two national periodicals had several times addressed the need for change. Our General Conference Boards were already restructuring in significant ways how they were doing God's work. Though the Council consists of the executive officers of the bi-national conference, the moderators of the national conferences and the chairs of the General Conference ministry boards, we invited the Seminary president, the MB Missions/Services General Director and the Executive Secretary of the Board of Resource Ministries to join us in our meetings It was important that we work together to address the mandate for change that we had been given. In our earliest discussions, hard questions surfaced. Do we still need a bi-national conference? What is the impact of movement towards nationalization and internationalization as illustrated in ICOMB? How do we address the perennial comments that we have too many conventions and they cost us too much money? What of the reality of declining interest and attendance at conventions? How can we retain and strengthen the valuable ministries of leadership training and world evangelization? How will we guard the biblical theology to which we are committed?

StrategiC Evaluation

ECCO in California in September, 1996. The meeting of the Council of Boards which immediately followed the SEM, reviewed the brainstorming which had occurred, and went on record to work toward changing the management of the current binational ministries in such a way as to eliminate the need for the bi-national conference. We will recommend that we begin that process.

Articles of Incorporation, Constitution, By-laws

We have brought the by-laws into compliance with convention decisions, and approved Board and Committee policies and procedures.

In light of the possibility of imminent changes, we have set aside notices of motion to "rewrite the Conference Charter" and to "extend the tenn of the Charter from '99 years' to 'perpetual' ".

If, at Convention '97, we decide to move ahead with the realignment of our General Conference ministries, we will need to approve recommendations that will permit us to do so. It is important to understand that these recommendations will hinge on the convention vote regarding the recommendation to move toward discontinuing our bi-national conference.

Board Appoinbnents

The Executive Council has the responsibility to appoint members to Conference boards as it becomes necessary between conventions . Since 1995, we have appointed Bob Wick and John Redekop to the Board of MB Missions/Services; Malinda Nikkel, Scott Leonard, Marvin Dyck and Dan Ratzlaff to the Board of Directors of Our discussions led us to call an adviso- MB Biblical Seminary; Elvera Froese to ry Strategic Evaluation Meeting at Camp the Board of Faith and Life; and Gordon

Janzen to the Board of Resource Ministries.

Nominating Committee

The formation of a nominating committee was overlooked at Fresno '95, and so the Council appointed Jascha Boge, Elizabeth Esau and Jim Gaede to join continuing members Phil Glanzer and Salome Hiebert. Gaede replaces Arnie Prieb, who resigned.

Name Change

The motion to call the bi-national conference "North American Conference of

sembly in January, 1997 in India by our Executive Secretary, Marvin Hein, and by Harry Heidebrecht (Canada) and Larry Martens (U.S.). They had an effective ministry and also collaborated with other MB leaders to contribute to our ongoing relationship with the India Conference.

Service/Ministry Recognition

Previous conventions made it clear that it would be appropriate to develop some guidelines for the recognition of faithful board and committee service. We have deMennonite Brethren Churches" will not be veloped such a policy in collaboration with brought to the convention. The uncertainty MBMIS and MBBS. of the future led us to "back burner" this matter.

India Relationship

The nature of our interaction with the India MB Church is complex and strained. We have continued contact with Indian leaders, primarily through Werner Kroeker, who represents us in India; Harold Ens, representing MBMlS; and Larry Martens, representing the Executive Council. Progress seems at times encouraging but mostly laborious and slow. It is encouraging to know that at the grassroots churches are essentially healthy and that evangelism and church planting are carrying on. We still need to consider how we will work together in future years, and to develop a mutual understanding of what it means for us to be sister conventions within the larger MB family.

ICOMB

MB·BIC Conversations

We are continuing our fraternal meetings with Brethren in Christ leaders. The purposes of these meetings are to provide mutual encouragement and counsel, and to explore avenues for working together.

Shared Ministry

Questions continue to be raised about our current position on the involvement of women in the various ministries of the church. We therefore wish to state that our understanding of the present denominational position is that we encourage our sisters to be involved in all ministries of the church as they are gifted by God and called by the church, with the exception of the senior pastor position. We understand this to be the clear consensus at the Winnipeg '93, convention.

Executive Secretary

Next Convention

Recommendations

aIn response to the mandate for change, in consideration of the processing of the past biennium, and in anticipation of the dissolution of the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, we recommend:

A. That we adjust the Amendment by-law to allow us to suspend or waive any by-law provision by a two-thirds vote of the delegates.

B. That the Executive Council inititate the process of realigning and restructuring the management of the ministries of our bi-national conference.

Ib That we suspend elections for the next term except to fill vacant positions.

L That we adjust the by-law which governs the Amendment of the Charter and the Confession of Faith to allow us to accept the completed and properly processed revision of the Confession of Faith at the next convention. (This would eliminate the "Notice of Motion" requirement.)

n We recommend that the compOSition U of the Board of Trustees be reduced from nine members to five members. (This is the result of eliminating the two representatives from the Canadian Conference Board of Management and the two representatives from the U.S. Conference Board of Trustees.)

IIWe recommend that the revised bylaws be adopted.

IIWe recommend that the Service and Recognition Policy be adopted.

Our next convention is scheduled for Wichita, Kansas, July 9-11, 1999. It should be noted that ICOMB will convene there as well. Their meeting will be a global consultation that focuses on the renewal and mission of the church for the 21 st century. The fact that all our sister national conferences will meet at that time promises a strong international flavor for Wichita '99! •

The International Committee of Men- Marvin Hein continues to serve us well. nonite Brethren continues to meet in order We will recommend that he be appointed to link the 17 national MB Conferences for an additional two years. throughout the world. We have been represented there by former General Conference Moderator Edmund Janzen, whom we appointed for the sake of continuity. In the future, there will be appointees from the Canadian and U.S. Conferences, thus eliminating the need for General Conference representation. [COMB may weU be the wave of the future. Other national conferences want to relate to North America by way of national representatives and to work and minister alongside us as equal partners in world evangelization.

Mennonite World Conference

The General Conference was represented at the Mennonite World Conference As-

n We recommend the continuance of U Marvin Hein as Executive Secretary for the next biennium

... We recommend the budget for this Y next biennium. Given present realities, the proposed budget is decreased byapproximately 10% from the previous year

Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ron Toews, Chair (Calgary, Alta.) Canada, 1999

Harold Enns, Vice -Chair (Reedley, Calif.) U.S. 1997

Irma Epp, Academic Chair (Winnipeg, Man.) Canada, 1997

Ken Neufeld, Property/Finance Chair (Fresno, Calif ) U S., 1999

Dan Unrau, Student Life Chair (Richmond, B.C ) Canada, 1997

Arthur Block (White Rock, B.C.) Canada, 1999

Jason Trego (Wichita, Kan.) U.S ., 1997

Leland Kleinsasser (Huron, S.D.) U S , 1999

Marvin Dyck (Winnipeg, Man.) Appointed, 1997

Millie Dyck (Winnipeg, Man.) At large, 1997

Bill Fast (Winnipeg, Man.) Appointed, 1997

George A. Klassen (Freeman, S.D.) Alumni Representative

Scott Leonard (Clovis, Calif.) Appointed, 1997

Malinda Nikkei (Hillsboro, Kan.) Appointed, 1997

Dan Ratzlaff (Abbotsford, B.C.) Appointed, 1997

Ed Boschman (Peoria, Ariz.) Executive Committee

Harold Ens (Fresno, Calif.) Board of Missions/Services

AI Dueck (Clovis, Calif ) Faculty Representative

Murray Schmidt (Fresno, Calif.) Student Representative

Lyndon Vix (Wichita, Kan.) Board ofTrustees

Henry J. Schmidt (Clovis, Calif.) President

M ennm,;te Brethren Biblical Seminary could utilize the "road" theme of the upcoming General Conference convention by taking a leisurely look at "the road behind" or the "road ahead"

But perhaps this is not a time for a Sunday drive; let us rather "cut to the chase"does MBBS make a difference? Is the Seminary worthy of conference support?

How does one even decide? Usually opinions on the value of an institution are based on contact with its people. Ask a friend his opinion of MBBS or any other

Our Mission:

seminary. He draws a blank, unless he has some experience with the school's faculty and alumni.

But when the ministry of dedicated Christian leaders touches the hearts of people, leads them to salvation and growth or brings them through a crisis, they naturally give some of the credit to the institutions that trained those leaders . Conversely, when one feels betrayed by a pastor or counselor, or finds himself at odds with a Christian leader, the wounded party often thinks, "If that's the kind of person coming

1. To Inspire and equip men and women for kingdom mission and ministry In the church and the world, through:

• The study of the Scriptures ,

• Intentional character formation , and

• Experiential learning , and

2. To be a Christian community of disciples:

• 8 11bllcal Semloar!

• Growing in the knowledge and image of Jesus Christ , and

• Seeking to understand the meaning of Christ and the Scriptures for the church and the world

MBBS maintains an evangelical/Anabaptist theological orientation, focusing on:

1. Christ-Centered Education : Jesus Christ is the Lord of creation and redemption , and the only foundation for the faith and life of the church.

2. Church-Centered Education : The church is composed of people called by God and serves as His agent for proclaiming the message of salvation through Christ. Theological training is centered in commitment to Christ and the church worldwide .

3. Bible-Centered Education: All Scripture is in spired by God . The Old and New Te staments are accepted as the infallible Word of God and the authoritative guide for the faith and life of Christian discipleship.

4. Ministry-Centered Education: The purpose of ministry is to disciple and equip all believers for their unique ministries in the church and the world The Seminary fosters and exercises the leadership qualities modeled by Jesus and taught in the New Testament.

out of that seminary, I don't want anything to do with it."

Character Formation: Traveling Side by Side with Students

So the question is, "What kind of people are coming out of MBBS?" This is precisely what makes MB Biblical Seminary stand out---our commitment to character formation. The past two years have seen a new emphasis on mentoring, good professor-to-student ratios, practical "on-thejob" training, first-name relationships with faculty, careful placement and long-term availability to our alumni after graduation.

Character is built through close relationships, and the depth of faculty-student relationships at MBBS can be seen each May at graduation. Students repeatedly express their appreciation for faculty, from long-time emeritus professors such as Hans Kasdorf and Elmer Martens to newer faculty members such as Valerie Rempel and Pierre Gilbert, who represent the Boomer generation and bring new energy to faculty/student relationships.

Gratitude toward MBBS comes not only from students, but also from the larger Mennonite Brethren constituency.

"It's always gratifying to read the many notes and letters that people send along with their donations," President Henry Schmidt says. ''I'm invigorated each time I travel in the constituency, because I meet

so many people whose lives are touched by our graduates and who consequently are thankful to the Seminary. When such supporters express thanks, they are generally thinking about the heart and character of their pastor, asso- ,--------y-ciate or counselor who was trained at MBBS. They aren't looking merely at ministry skills."

"We're so thankful for the support we receive," Schmidt adds In 1995-96, MBBS received from U S. donors

$271,004 in guaranteed church subsidy and $260,500 in unrestricted gifts. Canadian donors contributed a $347,000 (U.S.) church subsidy plus $223,309 in unrestricted gifts. If student aid donations are included, nearly $1.4 million was donated toMBBS.

Other organizations besides seminaries are emphasizing character development. Dave Ulrich, in The Leader of the Future published by the Drucker Foundation, points to "credibility" as one of the primary marks of a good leader.

While leaders should exhibit knowledge, charisma, vision and skill, these qualities must be accompanied by honesty, integrity and humility Our new Master of Divinity program addresses the integrity issue by dedicating 28 of the 90 units to personal formation.

New "Drivers" at the Seminary

"One of the developments for which I'm most thankful is the way that God has raised up a new administrative team," Schmidt says. (Academic Dean Pierre Gilbert and Dean of Students Jim Holm join Schmidt and Executive Administrator Linda Bowman.) "They exhibit the kind of qualities God is building in our studentscharacter, communication skills, clear thinking and ability to read the culture and

interpret God's Word."

Schmidt says great strides have been made in the past two years under the leadership of Interim Dean Ron Penner, who will assume the Academic Dean post at

Columbia Bible College this summer. "Ron's absence will be felt," Schmidt says. Under Penner's leadership, MBBS has reshaped the curriculum, adding:

• A new Master of Divinity major in Christian Community Development. This joins M.Div majors in Pastoral Leadership, Missions, Pastoral Care and Counseling, Church and Family Ministries, Church Planting, Bible, New Testament, and Old Testament. Students may still also create individualized majors

• New courses such as Principles of Biblical Interpretation, Computers in Ministry, Personal Finance and Stewardship, Equipping God's People for Ministry in Daily Life, Music and the Arts in Worship, Keeping in Shape Spiritually, Pastoring the Multicultural Church, Breaking the Barriers: Working with Plateaued Churches, Church Revitalization, The Church and the Ministry of Reconciliation, and Models of Christian Community Development.

• A Diploma (27 units) in Integration of Psychology and Theology.

• Certificate (/5 units) programs in Youth Ministry, Christian Leadership, Church Planting, Worship, Small Group Ministries, Christian Community Development, and Urban Ministry. These join the existing Certificate program in Peacemaking and Conflict Management.

In another leadership transition , Al Dueck has returned to the role of Director of the Marriage, Family and Child Counseling program. The MFCC program, like the other degree programs at MBBS, emphasizes theoretical training plus practical ministry. Much of that ministry takes place

ADMINISTRATION

Henry J. Schmidt

President, Professor of World Mission

Pierre Gilbert

Academic Dean,

Associate Professor of Old Testament

Jim Holm

Dean of Students, Director of Constituency Relations

Linda Bowman

Executive Administrator

Ron Geddert

Director, B.C. Centre

FACULTY

Ray Bystrom

Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministries

AI Dueck

Professor of Pastoral Counseling, Director of Marriage, Family and Child Counseling Program

Delores Friesen

Associate Professor of Pastoral Counseling

Tim Geddert

Associate Professor of New Testament

Allen Guenther

Professor of Old Testament

Hans Kasdorf

Professor Emeritus of World Mission

Elmer Martens

Professor Emeritus of Old Testament

Valerie Rempel

Assistant Professor of Theology/History

James Westgate

Associate Professor of Practical Studies

Geddert, T. Guenther

in the cutting-edge On-Site Counseling Program, which places MBBS counseling students in Fresno area public schools to help emotionally at-risk children. The OnSite program is growing rapidly. It not only helps the children and their families, but also provides real-life practical counseling opportunities for students. Dueck points out that the MFCC program is unique because of its combination of real counseling practicums, a very reasonable price and high quality. Every MFCC graduate from MBBS who has sought counseling licensing has achieved it.

Flexibility: Changing Road Maps

"When Henry Schmidt accepted the presidency of MBBS in 1993, he saw the need for transition, but he probably thought that negotiating the Seminary through a few sharp curves would result in another long, straight, easy drive," says Board Chair Ron Toews.

As it turns out, transition is a permanent state of affairs in most institutions. The challenge is retaining our core values-the training of men and women in kingdom mission and ministry-while teaching those values through evolving "delivery systems".

Perhaps one of the best examples is the British Columbia Centre, which was just on the verge of being launched the last time the General Conference gathered in 1995. The Centre brings Seminary education even closer to the church, emphasizing the same MBBS commitment to character formation, community and academic

Rempel Westgate

excellence, but making them more readily available to British Columbia residents. Enrollment in B.C. has increased from 10 (8 credit, 2 aUdit) last spring to 26 (17 credit, 9 audit) this spring. The Centre has helped increase MBBS's total enrollment of Canadian students from 21 in 1994 to 32 this year. One of these is Johnny Thiessen, youth pastor at Fraserview MB Church, who spent a semester sabbatical in Fresno and continues his studies in B.C. Thiessen says, "I am so glad that we have the B.C. Centre so that I can continue studying at MBBS, while being involved in ministry here. I would highly recommend our Seminary in Fresno to anyone who wants to prepare or refresh for ministry, especially as we look forward to the 21st century."

B.C. Centre Director Ron Geddert says the Centre has some of the characteristics of a 42-year-old, since it is part of MBBS, but also some characteristics of a twoyear-old, since it was founded in 1995: "Like the two-year-old, we are small and there is some vulnerability. But there is also much strength upon which we are building. We are doing our best to bring the strengths of the 42-year-old into the life-forming character of the two-year-old. Could this be a 'best of both worlds' situation? We hope so."

The longer-range vision for MBBS is to see similar centers operating in other areas of Canada and the United States.

In addition, more "world MBs" are coming to Fresno and Abbotsford. About 31 percent of the current student body is non-Anglo in ethnicity, and nine MB Mis-

sions/Services Leadership Scholars are studying at MBBS this year from such places as Brazil, Lithuania, Zaire, Russia, Paraguay and Germany.

Flexibility has been added to the Fresno curriculum in the form of "block classes" and "modular weeks". Earlier in MBBS's history, when most students attended full time, it was more convenient for classes to meet in one-hour blocks, three days a week. Today, classes generally meet for longer sessions, but only one or two days per week, so that part-time students can make fewer trip to campus.

In addition, modular weeks have been added to the schedule. Generally, MBBS classes meet for three weeks and then take a week off. The modular week gives students time for reading and writing, provides opportunities for lectureships and microcourses, and allows the faculty and administration more opportunities to travel to constituency churches for ministry.

Value: A Low "Cost per Mile" at MBBS

Christians are generally more skittish about "money talk" than our Lord Jesus was when He walked this earth. But it is wise to ask ourselves what kind of value a student finds at MBBS.

'There were options for me in British Columbia, but one of the things that drew me was the value," said James Bergen of White Rock, B.C. ''The price, financial aid, discount for MBs and acceptance of the Canadian dollar on par all combined to make MBBS an attractive place to come. There may be 'bigger' names among the faculty of other schools, but Fresno has a unique combination of community and cross-cultural ministry opportunities. Our faculty are committed to me as a student; they want to see me succeed, and they participate with me in Christian community."

Financial aid makes MBBS a remarkable value for Canadian and U.S. students. A 1996 survey of the graduating class showed that the average Canadian MB student paid only $2,108 plus living expenses for his or her education over two or three years, depending upon which degree was received. U.S. students paid even less, the survey revealed.

One recent prospect discovered that tuition alone for a Master of Divinity at another U.S seminary would cost $23,625 over three years.

The Future: Is the Engine Running?

It's one thing to talk about goals, flexibility and value, but it's another to ask, "Is it working?"

One measure is enrollment. While the total number of students at MBBS has increased significantly in recent years, more of them attend part time, so our full-time equivalent, or FTE (number of students divided by 12 credit hours), has decreased. For example, in the fall semester of 1996, ISO credit students generated an FTE of 90. Ten years ago, 122 total students translated to an FTE of 105. However, while traditional fall and spring semester enrollments are down, summer and interterm enrollments are up, creating an annual average FTE of 103 this year.

Even with a slightly lower FTE, MBBS has seen God impact more lives through its ministry. When both credit and non-credit students are counted, a total of 451 different students have attended classes, lectureships and seminars at MBBS this year, compared to 347 last year and 250 the year before. The majority of those are not in degree programs, and perhaps never will be, but nonetheless God is using the Seminary to equip people of more than 30 denominations from all over the world.

As word gets out about MBBS's value, commitment to community, character development and practical ministry, we believe we will see even more credit students and auditors in Fresno and B.C. One current student, Brent Deffenbacher, came to MBBS after taking classes at two other seminaries. He says he appreciates the combination of theory and practical experience he has found in Fresno.

Another measure for the future is stability in the midst of change "We are deeply grateful for Henry Schmidt's leadership at the Seminary," says Ron Toews. "He has helped us hold fast to our core values and goals while leading us through some necessary changes." Schmidt was recently reappointed for a second four-year term, which will run until the year 200 1.

The expectation of MBBS is that the road ahead involves more twists and turns, but that is only bad news if we fear change or lose sight of our core mission. In two years, at the time of the next biennial report, we expect that:

• The Seminary will have seen a significantly greater number of Canadian and

U.S. Mennonite Brethren and non-Mennonite Brethren students studying in both California and British Columbia.

• Constituency churches will feel a closer connection to MBBS because of increased contact with faculty in their regionsthrough Bible conferences, specialized seminars and leadership workshops.

• Additional faculty will join MBBS in New TestamentlMission. We will retain a half-time "floating faculty" position to bring in high-profile faculty in the area of mission and other specialists in the areas of leadership, youth and family ministries.

• The trend toward more part-time students at the Fresno campus will continue, and students who come from a distance will discover an invigorating marriage between multicultural ministry opportunities and regular course work.

• A greater number of MBBS graduates will enter assignments as church planters, missionary pastors and Christian counselors.

• Students graduating from MBBS will be better equipped to lead churches because of an integration of spiritual formation, character development, biblical/theological grounding and supervised ministry. The vastly-expanded "field education" hours in all programs have put MBBS on the cutting edge in the integration of theory and practice.

Our conviction is that this will result in churches who fmd it easy to say, "If that's the kind of person being trained at MBBS, that's our Seminary."

Faith and Life

BOARD MEMBERS

Herb Kopp, Chair (Winnipeg , Man ) Canada, 1997

Lynn Jost, Vice-Chair (Hillsboro, Kan ) U S., 1999

John Warkentin, Secretary (Wichita, Kan .) U.S., 1999

Roland Reimer (Wichita, Kan.) U.S., 1997

Pierre Gilbert (Fresno, Calif.) Canada , 1999

Herb Neufeld (Abbotsford, B.C .) Canada, 1999

Abe Klassen (Winnipeg, Man.) At large, 1997

Elvera Froese (Kitchener, Ont.) Appointed , 1999

David Reimer (Reedley, Calif.)

U S. Conference Board of Church Ministries

David Ewert (Abbotsford, B.C.)

Canadian Conference Board of Faith and Life

Valerie Rempel (Fresno, Calif ) Executive Committee

Marvin Heln (Fresno, Calif.) Executive Secretary

HERB KOPP, CHAIR

he Board of Faith and Life, in ences, BFL has issued a call to these rethis biennium, has worked hard to bring to gions to harmonize procedures so more completion many projects which were ini- consistency in practice will be maintained. tiated in the past. Adding considerable pressure to our work is the larger issue of Christo logy statement the continued existence of the umbrella or- The Christology statement presented to ganization, the General MB Conference, the Fresno '95 convention was referred under which this board works. We have back to BFL for additional work. At the worked with unity and with the blessing of God

Keeping in touch with the pulse of the larger church

As part of the BFL mandate, the board meets once a year in the constituency and once a year in Fresno, Calif. in conjunction with all other General Conference boards. During the past biennium, the board met in Montreal, Que in April, 1996, and Lynn lost, vice-chair, visited with the pastors and leaders of the North Carolina Conference in February, 1996. While the Mennonite Brethren Church is healthy and continues its witness faithfully, problems and difficulties are part of its life. We were able to minister to our church leaders, listen to their joys and pain, pray with them and over them, and enjoy a fellowship meal with them. The proposed meeting with the Saskatchewan pastors and leaders in April, 1997 was cancelled due to scheduling problems.

Ordination

The Ordination document presented to the Fresno '95 convention was edited and fine-tuned and is ready for inclusion in the Leadership Manual which is now in its final preparation stage. Ordination is a district/provincial conference matter After reviewing the wide-ranging differences in practice in districts and provincial confer-

time of this writing, the final draft has not been reviewed by BFL; however, a fmal draft will be presented to the delegation at Waterloo '97

Leadership Manual

This project has been part of the BFL agenda for a number of years , is now in the fmal editing stage and will be at press in the next year. Each congregation will receive a copy of this manual upon completion. A big thanks to Roland Reimer and Marvin Hein for bringing this massive project to completion

Women in ministry

Following Fresno '95, the BFL task force visited with the River East Mennonite Brethren Church and the Manitoba Committee of Reference and Counsel. The resolution passed at Fresno '95 regarding pastoral leadership at this church was communicated to both parties . The discussions were amiable, and the matter was closed. BFL, in keeping with precedence , reaffirmed that all local congregational matters should be directed to the jurisdiction in which the local congregation is a participant. Only under exceptional circumstances will BFL enter a dispute between a local congregation and provinciaVdistrict conferences. All congregations " will be encouraged to process faith and life issues along established lines of jurisdic-

tion" (BFL Minutes, April 25-27, 1996). time-line has put enormous pressure on the (Please note: The Executive Council report Task Force. We call on all congregations to includes a statement regarding the present be in prayer for this work • understanding of women in ministry.)

Confession of Faith

The delegation at the Winnipeg '93 convention commissioned BFL to revise the Confession of Faith. A Task Force was appointed, and an orderly schedule of revision, beginning at Winnipeg '93 and concluding in 2005, was planned. This way, each convention would review two or three articles, with final approval to be given in 2005. However, it soon became evident that a ten-year process was too long a time period to work on this project. The process was tightened, and the time-line was shortened. The present discussion regarding the continued existence of the General Conference has added pressure to BFL to complete this work.

During this past biennium, an enormous amount of work has been done, and BFL plans to present to the Waterloo '97 convention a completed draft of the revised Confession of Faith. This draft will include five new articles: "Creation and Humanity" and "Evil and Sin" (to replace the old article titled "Man and Sin"); "Sanctity of Life"; "Stewardship"; and "Other Faiths".

In addition, a companion booklet will be produced in which a biblical "Commentary" and a "Pastoral Application" article will be published on each article of the Confession. These two documents will help pastors and teachers in the local church to study the Scriptures which are the backbone of our confessional position. Further, a popular edition of the Confession of Faith, which we have dubbed "The Sidewalk Version", will also be completed during the next biennium for presentation at convention '99

After Waterloo '97, each local congregation will be sent a Confession of Faith workbook with the proposed revised Confession, in order to gain the widest possible input into the revision process. At the time of this writing, the booklet is not yet complete . The Confession of Faith revision Task Force members are: Lynn Jost, chair, Pierre Gilbert, Valerie Rempel and Herb Kopp.

A call to prayer

The deci sion to fast -track the revision of the Confession of Faith by shortening the

Resource Ministries

BOARD MEMBERS

Lorlie Barkman, Chair (Winnipeg, Man.) Canada, 1997

Loretta Jost, Vice-Chair (Aurora, Neb.) U S., 1997

Gareth Goossen, Secretary (Kitchener, Ont.) At large, 1997

Wilma Derksen (Winnipeg, Man.) Canada, 1999

Bob Rempel (resigned) (Kitchener, Ont.) Canada, 1999

Loren Kroeker (San Jose, Calif.) U.S., 1999

John Warkentin (Dinuba, Calif.) U.S., 1999

David Wiebe (Winnipeg, Man.)

Canadian Conference Board of Christian Education Ministries

Kathy Heinrichs Wiest (Kingsburg, Calif.)

U.S. Conference Board of Communications

Gordon Janzen (North Vancouver, B.C.) Appointed, 1997

Ron Martens (St. Catharines, Ont.) Board of Trustees

Michael Dick (Abbotsford, B.C.) Executive Secretary

STAFF

Michael Dick Executive Secretary

Marilyn Hudson Manager, Kindred Productions

That Marilyn Hudson be reappointed for a four-year tenn as Manager of Kindred Productions, effective August 1, 1997.

• General Conference Brochure

• Planner Directory

• Confession of Faith

CANADIAN BFL

HISTORICAL COMMISSION

• Russians, North Americans and Telugus by Peter Penner

• Comanche and Mennonites on the Oklahoma Plains: A.J. & Magdalena Becker and the Post Oak Mission by Marvin Kroeker

• Only the Sword of the Spirit by Jacob A . Loewen and Wesley J. Prieb

• The MB Conference in Russia by Abe Dueck

MISSION

1. To produce, promote, and distribl

· that challenge people to a sus Christ;

· that will enhance the varie

· that uniquely reflect our C

2. To functio n as a coordinating link iou s level s of our conference in II nication

3. To encourage and enable individ gifts in developing resources for '

• All Are Witnesses

A Collection of Sermons by Mennonite Breth

• Saints, Sinners & Angels

Stories of People, Images of God by Dan Un

• More Than MusiC--CD, Cassette and SODl A Collection of Worship Songs by Mennonite

PROJECTED PUBLICATIONS 1997-1998

CHILDREN'S BOOK

• Topper's Very Best Hat by Pat Verbal

A BOOK ON MEN'S ISSUES

• Title to be announced by Philip Wiebe

LUMINAIRE STUDIES

• Studies in the Book of John by Ray Bystror

"YEMENT

mrces discipleship under the Lordship of Jestries of our churches; and ion of Faith. :!n the boards and agencies of the varof resource development and commuthe MB community to express their :>ur churches.

'1 songwriters/composers

Youth Membership Manual by Wes Dahl

Church Leadership Handbook

Spanish Confession of Faith

\ITH FAMILY FOCUS CURRICULUM

'outh and Adult Tracks)

The Nature of the Church

Spiritual Renewal

FAITH FAMILY FOCUS CURRICULUM

MB Core Value Studies Four lessons per unit

ADULT UNITS

• On the Shoulders of Giants A Group Study of our Faith Heritage by Marvin Hein

• With the Arms of the Father A Group Study in Restoring Relationships by Robert Rempel

• A Heart for the World A Group Study in God's Mission by Phyllis Martens

YOUTH UNITS

• Rocking the World

An Interactive Study of our Faith Heritage By Gayle Goossen

• Cross Walkers

An Interactive Study in Restoring Relationships Philip Wiebe

• For Christ's Sake

An Interactive Study in God's Mission by Edith Granholm

CHILDREN'S CURRICULUM

• Jubilee: God's Good News

Cooperative user and distributor 69 churches currently using Jubilee

• Salvation Story

A tool to introduce children to salvation in Jesus

QUARTERLY PUBLICATIONS

• MB Bible Study Guide Adult Sunday School Curriculum

• Rejoice! Daily Devotional Readings and Prayer Guide

LUMINAIRE STUDIES

Lay level commmentary series

Latest Release:

• Authentic Living: Bringing Belief and Lifestyle Together Studies in James by Herb Kopp

Mennonite Brethren MissionS/Services

BOARD MEMBERS

Neil Fast, Chair (Winnipeg, Man.) Canada, 1999

Dennis Fast, Vice-Chair (Hillsboro, Kan.) U S. , 1997

Elmer Martens, Secretary (Fresno, Calif.) U.S , 1997

Delores Friesen (Fresno, Calif.) U.S., 1999

David Poon (Vancouver, B.C.) Canada, 1997

Loretta Snider (Kitchener, Dnt.) Canada, 1999

Marlene Wan (Wichita, Kan.) At large, 1997

Rudie Willms (St. Catharines, Dnt.) Canada, 1997

Hugo ZOrilia (resigned) (Fresno, Calif ) U S , 1999

Ernie Friesen (Wichita, Kan.) Mission U S.A

John H. Redekop (Abbotsford, B C.) Appointed, 1997

Bob Wick (Maple Ridge, B.C.) Canadian Conference Board of Evangelism

Jim Enns (Fresno , Calif.) Board of Trustees

Larry Martens (Fresno , Calif.) Executive Committee

Henry Schmidt (Clovis, Calif.) MB Biblical Seminary

Harold Ens (Fresno, Calif.) General Director

Missio n Statement:

The mission of Mennonite Brethren Mi ssions/Services is to participate in making disciples of all people groups , sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ cro ss-culturally and globally, in Spirit-empowered obedience to Christ's Commi ssion and in partnership with local Mennonite Brethren Churches

IN OUR SECOND CENTURY AND

I. A Vision For Things To Come

C ountries split up and join together. Political leaders rise and come crashing down . People groups move, modernize and sometimes radicalize . The Mennonite Brethren Church is certainly not immune from change: National conferences mature and grow; some struggle, and others reach out in mission. Even the Holy Spirit can be like the wind-opening and closing doors in surprising ways.

In the context of unending, unpredictable change, MB Missions/Services continues its efforts in global mission. Yet, some things never change. The Bible is our unwavering guide. When change brings insecurity, we can rest in the unchanging God.

Global Trends and MBMJS Priorities

Reaching the Unreached. Jet travel, telephones, television and the internet make this big world seem like a very small

place Waves of short-term missionaries, mass evangelism and media projects like the Jesus film have rapidly spread the gospel to even some very remote places. Yet many people groups remain very difficult to reach, and approximately 2,000 are without a significant Christian witness MBM/S is committed to reaching its share of these unreached peoples . These include the Nanerige (Burkina Faso), Khmu (Thailand, Laos and the U.S.A.), Baluch (pakistan) and Kyrgyz (Kyrgyzstan) Currently MBM/S is shifting some of its resources from work with older, existing conferences to these groups who have little witness and no sustainable church presence . New Opportunities. The fall of the Soviet Union , the rise of Islam, the flood of people to the cities and the increasing prominence of Asian countries are profound new global realities that create op-

Geographical Perspectives and Priorities

Budget

Perspectives

and Priorities

portunities for gospel witness. MBMIS is adjusting to these new realities, including fonning a Muslim Ministry Team to strategize on how to reach this challenging and growing religious group.

While many groups have brought new start-up ministries to the fonner Soviet Union, MBMiS has taken a long-tenn, strategic approach by partnering with indigenous educational and church planting

as important as ever for North Americans to assist them financially. Our partners have much to contribute to mission in the form of workers, guidance, zeal and spiritual insight.

The World Comes to Our Doorstep

Our churches are increasingly multicultural-a trend which mirrors the movement of new immigrants to North America. As

American Mennonite Brethren, we are accountable to the MB churches and rely almost solely on MBs for financial support.

Changing International Relationships

In the past, MBMIS has served as the "mother of all MBs ," coordinating relationships between North American MBs and the other national MB conferences. Seven years ago, the establishment of the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren began to change that formula. Now, the Canadian and U.S. Conferences relate directly to the other conferences. The role of MBMIS is to administer the global and cross-cultural mission efforts of the North American MB Conference and, when appropriate, cooperate with the mission efforts of the other MB conferences.

Regional Mission Advocates

In an effort to strengthen our partnership with the churches, MBMIS has commissioned several "Regional Mission Advocates" who will contact each North American MB church every year. The RMAs are hearing from pastors and leaders about better ways for MBM/S to serve the ministries. These r----------------------------------------., partners understand the culture and language, and many were doing ministry before the walls came down.

MBM/S Priorities. MBMiS remains focused on evangelism, leadership training and church planting. It has recently expanded its team in Thailand while continuing to support North Amer-

$5,000,000

$4,500,000

$3,500,000

$2,500,000

$1,500,000

$500,000

MBM/S Financial History

ican church planting missionaries in Aus- While donations have been gradually declining in the '90s, MBMJS has attempted to balance Its budget by cuUing programs or delaying expenses. Even so, 1991-1994 were deficit years. Donations have covered expenses the last two years. Thank you! tria, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Peru, Portugal and Uruguay. It also partners with Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission in Burltina Faso and Botswana.

MBMIS also supports outreach and training programs of the Indian, Indonesian, Paraguayan and Zairian conferences. While our relationship with these mature conferences has changed from parent to partner, scarce material resources make it

the world comes to us, it redefines what it means to "go into all the world." For many, this is just a short drive across town. In response to this opportunity, MBMIS is partnering with North American ministries to new immigrants and international students .

MBM/S and the MB Church

churches as they reach out cross-culturally. It is also our hope that the churches will acquire a better understanding of how MBMIS is already serving them. Please welcome your RMA and work creatively with him or her on ways to better energize the global mission vision of your church

We are your world mission. As the de- Adoption Options nominational mission agency of the North While many churches enjoy giving un-

Long-term Workers

• Short-term Workers

Mission Associates

• ,Global Volunteers

• Partner Workers

growth in the participant. Funds for these efforts are usually self-raised.

MBMiS also has short-term service opportunities lasting for a year or two, including teaching English in Japan and China MBMiS also affirms and facilitates Mission Associate service with several other mission efforts. MBMiS also facilitates the service of retiree volunteers, teachers, vocational workers and other

"tentmaker" mis-

A major trend in the '90s is towards more short-term workers and fewer career (multiple-term) missionaries. Global Volunteers are self- sionaries. supported workers usually under para-denominational organizations such as Youth Mission International and Church Partnership Evangelism. They are an important aspect of MBMJS's ministry. (Note: Statistics for these began to be gathered in 1993.) The MBM/S

restricted funds to support MBMlS, others want a more direct role in global missions. The Adoption Options program is designed for these churches. Typically, churches adopt a specific missionary, city or people group. In every case, they commit to provide a specific amount of support for a set period of time. The adopted workers are encouraged to develop a special relationship with the adopting church, and the church is encouraged to work hard at meeting the emotional and spiritual needs of the workers. Overseas visits to the missionaries are encouraged, as well as local promotional events to raise awareness of their adoption. If practical, the church may send short-term mission teams to the area

it has adopted.

More Choices for Doing Mission

Long gone is the era when missionary service always meant five-year terms and a lifetime commitment. Now, MBMiS offers a wide variety of opportunities from just a few weeks to many years

The shortest terms of service are mostly available through MB para-denominational organizations such as Youth Mission international and Church Partnership Evangelism. These are great opportunities for those who have only a few weeks to give, and they provide a good opportunity to taste and see what missions is about. These programs have a strong focus on spiritual

MBM/S Retirees 1995·1997

MBM/S expresses its deep appreciation for the following workers who have dedicated their lives to fulfilling the Great Commission through service with Mennonite Brethren missions (the date of retirement is in brackets):

Eva and Peter Loewen (OCTOBER, 1995)

Lawrence and Selma Warkentin ............................................ (JUNE, 1966)

Herb and Ruth Friesen ..................................................(SEPTEMBER, 1996)

John N. and Mary Klassen ............................................ (NOVEMBER,1996)

John J. and Pat Klassen (DECEMBER, 1996)

Maureen and Paul Friesen ...... .............................. .......... (FEBRUARY, 1997)

Ben and Fran Wedel .............................................................. (JUNE,1997)

"Pastors Overseas Program" provides MB pastors with an opportunity to minister to our missionaries while gaining a better understanding of a particular mission effort. The result of this program has been blessed missionaries, excited pastors, and churches with a renewed vision for missions. If you are a pastor, we strongly encourage you to par-

Recommendation

IIThat the Conference affirm the board decision of September 28, 1996 to adopt the document "Global Mission Guidelines: Vision, Priorities, and Strategies for Century 21" and thus support it as the official global mission policy of the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

Rationale: MBMIS is the agency charged with carrying on those church ministries which cross cultural boundaries, and is the only instrument for doing so which is solely responsible to the Mennonite Brethren churches of the U.S.A. and Canada. This report incorporates the primary thrust of the document. A full-length copy can be requested from our offices and will be available at the Waterloo convention. An abbreviated brochure version will be published and distributed to all churches prior to the convention.

ticipate in the POP program; it will change your life

Summing Up

Ninety-seven years ago, the American Mennonite Brethren Mission Union was founded to facilitate global mission out- resources, but our calling remains the reach. Many things have changed since same: "Repentance and forgiveness of sins then, but we hope that our Mennonite are to be proclaimed in His name to all naBrethren passion for mission will continue tions" (Luke 24:47) more vibrant than ever Changing times mean a change in strategy and a shifting of

II. Your Ministries Around The World

MBMJS IN ASIA

Asia is the continent where most of the world's "unreached people groups" live. Thus, MBMIS is moving toward a greater investment of both financial and personnel resources in this region Our goal is to have up to 30% of our program there by the year 2005. Some current efforts include:

China: As partners in the China Educational Exchange, we are placing English teachers in Chinese universities that train teachers. We are currently looking for new candidates to place in locations near to where we formerly had missionaries.

India: In spite of the leadership tensions of recent years, many of the MB churches in India are vibrant and growing We are focusing financial support on over 130 village evangelists, on leadership training efforts and on outreach to tribal, urban and Muslim people groups.

Indonesia: We continue to support the work of the Indonesian mission board, PIPKA, in church planting and discipleship ministries.

Japan: Our partnership with the Japan MB Conference is maturing. While we continue to provide them with some church planting workers from North America, they have sent two church planting couples to California, and this year sent a worker, Hiromi Takeda, to join our MBMIS team in Thailand.

Pakistan: Our commitment to be part of the team that is seeking to reach the Baluch people group has been tested. Due to family needs and visa problems, we have not had workers in Pakistan since January, 1996. However, we continue to support the Baluch radio broadcast and hope to again place workers there this year

Thailand: Our " "".01...0II". team in Thailand is

growing as we continue in our longterm commitment to see a strong group of indigenous churches planted among the Khmu people group. Since many more of h Khm I·

MBMJS Is

t e u lve m Laos, we are also exploring ways of supporting ministry there.

Central Asia: Through our Muslim Ministry Team approach, we are also seeking to reach out to people groups such as the Kyrgyz and Kazaks in the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union.

MBM/S IN AFRICA

Africa also has many of the world's "unreached people groups." Thus , MBMIS is also seeking to increase its efforts there, in partnership with the mature MB conference in Zaire and with Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission (AIMM).

Angola: The MB church in Angola emerged without North American missionary presence during a time of civil war in that nation. Now that the country is at peace, the MB conference there has requested help particularly in the training of pastors, church planters and other leaders. There is also a great need for post-war reconstruction. We hope to send short-term Bible teachers yet this year and perhaps have a longer term missionary presence in

the future.

Botswana: As partners in AIMM , we provide a missionary couple for leadership training and social ministries among the African Independent Churches in this nation of southern Africa

Burkina Faso: Also through AIMM, we co-sponsor the Bergen family in linguistic and evangelism ministries among the Nanerige people group of this West African nation.

Great Lakes Region: In partnership with the Zaire MB Conference and AIMM , we are supporting an effort to plant churches among the peoples of the Great Lakes region, which includes eastern Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi. This effort grew out of the relief and reconciliation efforts following the Rwandan massacres. While this work has been slowed by the

Missionaries are our most valuable resource! Although we can't list them all in this report, please watch for the MBM/S People Book which will be inserted in the July issues of The Christian Leader and MB Herald. It's a valuable tool to help you effectively pray for your missionaries

Laurence Hiebert assists a student In learning English.

expanding Its outreach to Muslims.

Colombia: The maturing Colombian MB Conference is developing a growing vision for church planting in this nation and also a vision to send out crosscultural missionaries to other lands. MBMIS is seeking to be a supportive partner in this vision, in-

cluding the provision of some missionaries involved with training.

heart of Montevideo under the leadership of missionaries, with hopes that it can serve to strengthen the small Uruguayan MB Conference.

Venezuela: Through our seven-year effort at church planting among Chinese immigrants in Venezuela, a growing MB church has emerged in Caracas and another small group in Puerto La Cruz. Several congregations have emerged in other cities with other denominational ties. We are seeking to provide a resource missionary to serve this cluster of Chinese congregations in Venezuela. civil war of recent months, a congregation of about 80 is meeting in Bukuvu as a result of this effort.

Zaire: In partnership with the Zaire MB Conference, we are helping to train pastors and other leaders, and also, through Church Partnership Evangelism and Youth Mission International, to evangelize in Kinshasa and the interior. A mission training school in Kinshasa is preparing Zairian missionaries for unreached people groups within Zaire and beyond.

MBM/S IN LATIN AMERICA

Our 50 years of work in Latin America have helped to develop mature MB conferences in several countries with which MBMIS can now partner in church planting and leadership training. In several others, we continue more direct involvement with North American workers. We anticipate a decreasing investment there, from 46% to under 30% by the year 2005.

Brazil: The merger of ethnic German MB churches with Portuguese-speaking MB churches into a single conference has resulted in a stronger partner for MBMIS

Mexico: MBM/S partners with the Christian Church of Peace, based in Guadalajara, in church planting efforts in four Mexican states. We also are partners in a coalition of Anabaptist agencies that are seeking to plant a multiplying cluster of Anabaptist churches in Mexico City.

Panama: MBMIS continues to provide some resources for evangelism and leadership training to the indigenous United Evangelical Church in Panama. Recent societal pressures have resulted in a decline in membership, and we are currently seeking ways to provide greater support to this partner conference.

Paraguay: We continue to provide financial resources to two partner conferences in Paraguay, one consisting of ethnic German churches and the other of Spanishspeaking churches. Current discussions include consideration of a broader re-

MBM/S IN EUROPE

Austria. We continue our involvement in church planting through one missionary couple and the partial support of one Austrian conference leader.

Germany: MBMIS continues to provide church-planting missionaries in Bavaria, Munich and Dresden. We also provide teachers for theological training in Bonn and Brake. In partnership with the two German conferences, we are supporting German church planters and providing scholarships for advanced theological training.

Lithuania: We are partners with the

efforts in Brazil. This partnership is now focused on support for Brazilian church planters and on the training of leaders, including the presence of missionaries in Sao Paulo.

gional training role for the Asuncion MBMJS has been church planting in Lithuania for four years.

Bible Institute.

Lithuania Christian Fund in seeking to Peru: Our 30-year involvement with the plant a multiplying cluster of congregaAshaninca people has been scaled back, as tions known as the Lithuania Free ChristMennonite Central Committee has taken ian Church. This includes the provision of responsibility for development work there. missionary church planters, leadership Our efforts continue to plant clusters of training resources and financial support for churches in the Piura and Trujillo regions Lithuanian workers. of coastal Peru. The membership has dou - Portugal: The effort to plant a multiplybled in the past two years. Our missionar- ing cluster of congregations in Portugal ies are involved in both direct church has been slow, but we are encouraged by planting and leadership training programs . recent growth in the first Lisbon congregaUruguay: We continue our efforts to tion and the partnership with a second conplant a "professional class" church in the gregation emerging among African imrni -

MBMJS Is working among the African Independent Churches In Botswana.

John J. Klassen (recent MBMJS retiree) and Wal· demar Kroker (Brazilian church leader).

Russia: We are a partner in training at St. Petersburg Christian University by providing both long-term and short-term missionary personnel. We hope to provide a director for the Moscow Mennonite Center this year, and provide financial support L-- ___..l for the Leadership TrainThe Khmu congregation meets at Butler Ave. MB Church In Fresno, Cam. grants. We anticipate that missionary church planters will be needed for some years to come in order for a viable partner conference to emerge.

III. Mission Voices

Nzuzi Mukawa Zairian pastor and MBMiS scholarship recipient

Nzuzi is the son of one of the first Zairian pastors in Kinshasa and thus represents a third generation fruit of MBMIS missions. Currently he is studying in North America aided by an MBMIS leadership scholarship. He and his wife Chantel have two children. Hosanna, 3. and Giri, 2 After studies. he will return to Zaire for continued pastoral ministries.

We are on the edge of a new century with cultural and societal change, not just here in North America but also in Africa. We need new ways of understanding cultures and Scripture so that we can teach God's Word.

I have been led by God to have a global vision beyond ministering in one geography and culture I have a dream that one day I will get to share the gospel with people very different from me but all part of the same global village

In my studies, I am focusing on world mission with an emphasis on cross-cultural studies and church planting. Kinshasa is a big city with all kinds of people and much opportunity for cross-cultural work . Perhaps the greatest threat against Christianity is Islam. I want to know how we can respond to the aggressive evangelizing of the Muslims.

ing Institute at Anapa operated by Kingdom Ventures. We are a partner with the Omsk Bruderschaft, a cluster of 52 congregations in Siberia with MB roots, in their evangelistic outreach to

many parts of Siberia and beyond.

MBM/S IN CANADAJU.S.A.

In light of the great increase in immigration to North America from the two-thirds world, we have sought since 1990 to provide partial financial support to Canadian and U.S conferences in their church planting efforts among recent immigrant groups. This has resulted in emerging clusters of MB churches among Slavics, Ethiopians, Indians, Arabs, Chinese, Koreans, Hispanics and other groups. We also support a ministry that promotes the hosting of international students in MB homes.

In North America, the great resources can give a sense of power and control. Africans, who have so few resources, have no illusions about power and must rely on God. I believe in sharing resources, but resources are much more than finances. We Africans have something to share from our spiritual resources

weekly services.

Christine always felt attracted to God and wanted to pray to Him but says she always felt empty after the daily Muslim prayers and wanted something more. One day, she heard her brother praying behind his closed bedroom door. After talking with him, she found out that he had been a Christian for more than a year. The next Sunday, she went to an underground church with him and gave her heart to Christ. "It was the happiest day of my life," she says. ''The second happiest was being baptized along with my mother, sister and brother."

Andrew and Julie Hershey-Bergen MBMlS Missionaries in St. Petersburg, Russia

Andrew and Julie are first-term MBMIS missionaries who have just begun classroom teaching at St. Petersburg Christian University. The Hershey-Bergens are a bi-national couple (Andrew: Canada and Julie: U.S.A.). SPCU trains church leaders for service throughout the former Soviet Union.

We'd like to share with you the story of Christine (not her real name). Christine comes from a republic in the south of the former Soviet Union, and is part of the Muslim majority Her father, a police chief. disappeared when she was just a girl. Her family, which was devoutly Muslim, continued to go to the mosque for

It was due to Christine's bold witness that others in the family came to know Christ. It is exciting to hear her tell of confrontations she has had with Muslim clerics. They have tried to tell her that she is Muslim and needs to return to the mosque. With a broad smile on her face, she says she stands before them and boldly declares, "No, I am a Christian now."

Her heart is burdened for her relatives living in Iran, an area closed to the gospel. She feels God calling her to minister in Iran by bringing in translations of the Bible in the native language. She has been working with a Bible Society, learning some of their work, and is currently studying in SPCU to gain the necessary theological education for her work.

We feel privileged to have the chance to impact her life through our classes and contacts in the hallway We trust that God will use the education she is receiving here to further His kingdom in areas we could never reach .

Ray Harms-Wiebe

MBMIS

Church

Planter in Brazil

Ray and Judy are focusing their efforts among the middle class in the mega-city of Sao Paulo. In addition to evangelism and discipleship, they do leadership training and oversee a variety of outreach projects. They have three daughters: Ashley, 8; Alanna, 6; and Alyssa, 4.

,'Ifanyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (II Corinthians 5: 17).

Rafael came to me desperate for spiritual guidance. He was a draftsman by trade, but unemployed, drinking heavily and suffering from insomnia. His second wife had left him, and he was certain that God had long abandoned him. A descendant of 18thcentury German immigrants, he had been baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church, but the actual family religion had been Kardecism, a French form of spiritism As a teenager, he had participated briefly in a Lutheran renewal movement, but soon found himself leaving the church behind.

Between marriages, he developed an intimate relationship with a young woman. When she realized that Rafael would not marry her, she went to Umbanda (an AfroBrazilian form of spiritism) to put a curse on him. He suffered a series of familial and professional failures. To relieve himself of the curse, Rafael consulted a highly recommended spiritist medium in Sao Paulo. The recommended ceremonial baths did not bring the desired alleviation

During the past five years, I have spent long hours listening to Rafael's story, reading the Manual of Life together with him, praying through his past experiences. Rafael prayed to have his spirit eternally tied to the Spirit of God about a year ago. He began to pray for transformation. God relieved him of his bondage to alcoholism, and he became conscious of his destructive behavioral patterns. He was reconciled with his wife and children On November 24, 1996, Rafael and his wife were baptized together. It was not a cleansing ritual, but a proclamation of their new life in the Spirit. They continue to take steps toward complete healing •

Historical Commissio

nCOMMISSION MEMBERS

Abraham Friesen, Chair (Santa Barbara, Calif.)

Valerie Rempel (Fresno, Calif.)

John H. Redekop (Abbotsford, B.C.)

Marlyce Friesen (Abbotsford, B.C.)

John B. Toews (Vancouver, B.C.)

Paul Toews (Fresno, Calif.)

Executive Secretary

Mandate:

To collect and preserve the archives of the Conference and to nurture our historical consciousness.

atthew 13:52 says, ''The kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." The 20th century has been enamored by things new. Dress fashions, automobile styles and popular culture are faddish and have little staying power. Religious fads, programs and movements also come and go. In some of them we find new treasures. But many are only shimmering mirages that tum out to be dry watering holes. Amid the glamor of the new, we more than ever need the proven and the trusted. That need drives us back to the Scriptures and to the stories of God's dealing with His people in times past. In those stories we fmd the counterweight to the fleeting, we fmd the old treasure.

The Historical Commission seeks to preserve those treasures that come out of the nearly five centuries of Anabaptist-Mennonite Brethren history. Those treasures which we think of as old are being discovered by many as new insights. History has a way of playing tricks on us. The old and discarded becomes fashionable again. The marginal comes to be embraced by people at the center. So it is with our tradition. Many thoughtful Christians around the world are turning to the distinctives of our tradition and finding in them the real meaning of Christian faith for our time. Our commitment to authentic conversion offers freedom from the seductions of the world; our vision of the authority of the Scriptures offers a standard of judgment amid the pluralism and relativism of our age; our understanding of the church as community, a family with expectations and discipline, stands in contrast to the disorientation of the larger culture; our vision of discipleship that includes peacemaking and justice speaks powerfully to a world growing ever

more violent. May we continue to witness to these old treasures so that others can fmd them as new treasures

THE PAST (1995-1997)

Our work in the past biennium focused our mandate: to collect and preserve the archives of the conference and nurture our historical consciousness

Archival Collection

Mennonite Brethren archival collection is carried out by four centers: the Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies in Fresno, Calif., collects the materials of the General Conference and the Pacific District Conference; the Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies in Hillsboro, Kan., collects the materials of the U S. Conference and the Central, Southern, Latin American and North Carolina district conferences ; the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies in Winnipeg , Man., collects the records of the Canadian Conference and the Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec provincial conferences; the Mennonite Archival Centre in Abbotsford, B C., is responsible for the British Columbia provincial conference. The collections of these Centers are increasingly large and complete. The relationship between these centers is cooperative and complementary.

The centers rely on conference offices, congregations and individuals holding conference positions to tum over materials to the appropriate center once their term of office has been completed. It is the faithfulness of many donors that makes possible the preservation of the record of God's work among us.

The centers also collect the papers of individuals. Individuals and families wishing to preserve important papers (diaries, correspondence , photographs, unpublished writings, etc.) are encouraged to enter into conversation with the appropriate center about depositing such materials.

In all of these centers, the records are preserved according to the highest professional standards. Furthermore, they are inventoried and arranged so as to be of maximum use both to the donor of the materials and to researchers.

International Activity

The Center for MB Studies in Fresno, because it holds the archives of MB Missions/Services, also holds the materials nec-

essary for understanding the history of many Productions, we are releasing, in 1997, four of our sister conferences around the world. volumes in our "Perspectives on MennonMany of those conferences are also develop- ite Life and Thought" series: ing archival centers, and we are actively en- • Jacob A. Loewen and Wesley J Prieb, gaged in assisting them During the past bi- Only the Sword of ennium, we have sent published materials to the Spirit Zaire, India, Germany and Paraguay. We • Peter Penner, have also sent archival materials to some of Russians, North these centers and are in conversation with Americans and Telothers The recent Mennonite World Confer- ugus : The Amerience in India provided an opportunity for can Mission to Inconversation with various national confer- dia ence representatives about working together • Marvin Kroeker, on the exchange of materials. Comanches and

The Commission has also been involved Mennonites on the with the Aussiedler seminary in Bonn, Ger- Oklahoma Plains: A.J and Magdalena many Abraham Friesen, the Commission Becker and the Post Oak Mission chair, has lectured there annually for the • Abe J Dueck, editor, The Mennonite past four years. Peter Klassen, former mem- Brethren Conference in Russia, 1872-1922: ber of the Commission, has also lectured Documents of Identity and Mission. there during the past biennium These lec- All four make significant contributions to ture series have been important in the our understanding of our history. Loewen Aussiedler search for a historical and theo- and Prieb trace the development of Analogical identity. baptist-Mennonite Brethren peace theology

The demise of the Soviet Union and the from the 16th century to the present. Peter new openness of many of the successor Penner and Marvin Kroeker narrate differstates has made available vast archives that ing mission stories: The Mennonite will improve our understanding of Russian Brethren mission to India was the first Mennonites and the early years of the Men- overseas mission work, but the mission to nonite Brethren Church. We are working the Comanches was the first " foreign miswith other archival and historical agencies sion" of the North American conference. in North America, Germany and South The availability of new archival materials America to procure those materials that are from the former Soviet Union has permitmost relevant to our past. ted Abe Dueck to collect

Congregational Heritage Preservation Project

The 1993 General Conference convention unanisome important documents that fill gaps in the Russian Mennonite Brethren story.

mously endorsed the • H E RITA GE

In 1991 the Commission issued its first Basic Mennon ite Library for Mennonite Brethren Congregations pamphlet. The intent was to assist church libraries in PR ESERVATION : " Congregational Heritage Preservation Project"

Since then, we have published Heritage Preserva- "

tion : A Resource Book for Congregations , conducted workshops at all but one provincial/district conference and distributed the publication to virtually all congregations in North America This has aided many congregations in becoming more conscious of the need for systematic preservation

Print Materials

This biennium has been an unusually busy one for the production of books on Mennonite Brethren history Through our cooperative arrangement with Kindred

building a collection of Mennonite materials; it is the "indispensable" list that we think should be in every church library. A second edition (1997) is being mailed to all congregations in North America and selectively distributed overseas

Another project is the P M Friesen History Essay Contest. We encourage MB students to write and submit papers on any aspect of Anabaptist-Mennonite Brethren history. This annual contest offers prizes in three categories: high school, college and graduate (including seminary). This is one of the small ways that we can follow the in-

junction of Psalm 78 to pass on to the next generation "the glorious deeds of the Lord and His might and the wonders that He has done". This year, we distributed posters announcing the contest to all of the larger congregations.

Menno Simons SOOth Anniversary Lectures

1996 was the 500th anniversary of the birth of Menno Simons. The Commission brought that anniversary to our attention by sending Abraham Friesen, the Commission chair and an Anabaptist Reformation scholar, to 11 communities to deliver lectures on Menno and his continuing significance. Included were lectures at Columbia Bible College, Bethany Bible Institute, Concord College, Tabor College, Fresno Pacific College, MB Biblical Seminary and numerous congregations

THE FUTURE (1997-1999)

Our continuing focus is to ensure that the treasures given to us are remembered and preserved. We will continue to remind conferences and congregations of the need to maintain records and to ensure that they are transferred to the appropriate archives

We will also continue to work internationally to help other conferences better understand their own history and to help all of us in the international Mennonite Brethren community become more aware of our distinctive, yet shared stories.

Several publications are in process for publication during the next biennium. Among them is a book of memories of Mennonite survivors from Stalin's Russia.

A special focus of the Commission in the next biennium will be reaching out toward new people groups that are joining the Mennonite Brethren Conference . Many of these peoples bring interesting stories that flavor their understanding of Christian faith and that can give us broader conceptions of what it means to be the people of God. During the past biennium, we began a joint oral history project with some of the MB Slavic congregations on the U.S. West Coast. As our peoplehood becomes more diverse, we want to nurture the historical consciousness of all of our people.

Matthew 13 concludes with the haunting words: "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." May it not be said that our "old treasures" are without honor in our midst. •

THE GENERAL MB CONFERENCE

100 Years Ago

One hundred years ago, on October 11 and 12, 1897, the Mennonite Brethren Church of North America met in Minnesota The Year Book simply indicates that the delegates met in the north congregation, which was at Bingham Lake and was built in 1885. Soon after- l" ward another church was built south of Mountain Lake and these two churches functioned as one congregation for many years.

The Year Book is a 16-page pamphlet and lists the names of 43 delegates. 6 of these were from Canada, all from Manitoba. Abraham Schellenberg was elected chairman of the convention and Heinrich Voth as vice-chairman.

The total budget (revenue?) of the Conference was $1162.15. This

amount is listed in terms of contributions by the various states and provinces, including $100 00 from Manitoba and $10.00 from Saskatchewan.

The main agenda focused on the work in the various districts and the work in foreign (or heathen) missions This included the Indianer Mission North America

As usual, the Conference responded to specific questions that had been submitted by delegates. Some of these are very interesting and give some indication of how much we have changed in the past century.

The first question dealt with the issue of purchasing life insurance . The Conference decided unanimously that members should not purchase life insurance. This resolution was reaffirmed in 1927 and never rescinded

Another question dealt with whether conferences should be open to all members or only to delegates. The delegates felt that many of the sessions were inspirational in nature and should be open to all , but that when specific issues were dealt with the sessions should be closed.

The delegates received two invitations for the next convention, one from Nebraska and the other from Manitoba. They decided to meet in Manitoba in 1898. On October 31 and November 1, 1898, the Conference convened in Winkler, Manitoba.

Abe Dueck, Director Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies

Registration Form(USA)

General Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches July 10 - 13, 1997

Name: o Delegate o Guest

Accompanying Spouse: o Delegate o Guest

Accompanying Youth & Children: Name: Age: Name: Age: Name: Age: Name: Age: Street Address:

City: Province: Phone:

Postal Code: Home Church:

Emergency Contact: Phone:

Please list any special transportation or accommodation needs:

I. ADULTS

II. CHILDREN AGES 0 -4 YEARS - Child Care will be provided during the sessions only. (All meals are to be taken with parents at no cost.)

III. KIDS'PATH AGES 5 - 11 YEARS - Activity-Oriented Programs (Lunch included; dinners to be taken with parents.) For more infonnation contact Erna Durksen (519) 648-3564.

- Thursday Session (2:00 - 5:00 pm - no lunch)

- Thursday dinner

- Friday Session (9:00 am - 5:00 pm)

- Saturday Session (9:00 am - 5:00 pm)

IV. YOUTH TRACK AGES 12 - 17 YEARS

3 00 x

6.00 x

- An exhilarating combination of recreational events and ministry opportunities led by Youth Mission International. (Lunch included; dinners to be taken with adults.) For more infonnation call Eldon Loewen (905) 646-1623.

- Thursday Session (2:00 - 5:00 pm and 7:00 - 9:00 pm - no lunch) No Charge N/A

- Thursday dinner

- Friday Session (9:00 am - 5:00 pm)

- Friday dinner

- Saturday Session (9 :00 am - 5:00 pm)

- Saturday dinner

9.00 x

20.00 x

9.00 x

Preliminary Selection of Seminars Friday ( 1:130 p m .) Saturday (1 :30 p.m.)

Enter one seminar number in each timeslot (see pg. 5 of this issue for more infonnation):

HISTORICAL TOUR (Thursday lO:oo a.m . - 2:00 p m .)

A bus tour of the scenic farms, villages and other interesting sites of Waterloo County, settled by the Swiss & Old Order Mennonites. (Lunch included) Prepayment is required. $ 9.00 x $

TOTAL P lease make cheques payable to " Waterloo ' 9 7" $

TRANSPORTATION o I will need transportation to and from Toronto (Pearson International) Airport Arrival Date:

Airline & Flight Number:

Free Daily Shuttle from Convention Hotels to Convention Site .

LODGING

& Flight Number:

o I prefer lodging in a home, for __ persons for the following night(s): o Thursday o Friday o Saturday o Sunday

o I prefer to book my own lodging: (All rates are in Canadian funds; add 15% tax to all prices listed below.)

Inn - 190

Laurier University

- 2960 King St. E., Kitchener

Inn - 2899 King St. E., Kitchener

(519) 894-9500

66.00 (519) 894-3500 Holiday Inn - 30 Fairway Rd., Kitchener

110.00 (519) 893-1211 RV Park - Bingeman Park (30 amp service)

26.00 (519) 744-1555 1380 Victoria St. N., Kitchener (Hwy #7) ** Please be advised that another major conference is taking place in our area during the same week-reservations should be made early.

Make cheques payable to: "WATERLOO '97"

Please send this registration form with cheque to:

Trustees

BOARD MEMBERS

Jim Enns, Chair (Fresno, Calif ) U.S., 1997

Ron Martens, Vice-Chair (St. Catharines, Ont.) Canada, 1999

Lyndon Vix, Secretary (Wichita, Kan.) At large , 1997

Ken Neufeld (Fresno, Calif.)

U S. Conference Board of Trustees

Randy Long (Reedley, Calif.)

U.S. Conference Board of Trustees

Randy Schellenberg (Hepburn, Sask.)

Canadian Conference Board of Management

Werner Dick (St. Catharines, Ont.)

Canadian Conference Board of Management

Dale Regier (Hillsboro , Kan )

U S Conference Treasurer

Jake Neufeld (Winnipeg, Man.)

Canadian Conference Treasurer

JIM ENNS, CHAIR

TBoani of Trust"", is ch"'llod with financial oversight of the Conference. Although our role has been significantly reduced over the last seven years with the transfer of assets and stewardship ministries to the national Conferences, this reduced role continues to be important to the constitutency. With our agenda reduced, we have opted, with the consent of our national Board representatives, to meet during this past biennium as an executive (chair, vice-chair, secretary, all elected by the General Conference) plus our two national treasurers. This has enabled us to complete our agenda expeditiously and at reduced cost to the Conference. We are recommending a by-law change to reflect this reduced size for our Board.

In addition to our sessions as trustees, we have continued to maintain liaison with the other Conference boards and agencies. Our vice-chair, Ron Martens, has served as liaison to the Board of Resource Ministries. Our secretary, Lyndon VlX, serves as liaison to the Seminary Board. Both of these brothers, practising attorneys, also participated in the Strategic Evaluation Meetings last September. Our chair, Jim Enns, has served as liaison to the Board of Mennonite Brethren Missions/Services

Our Canadian treasurer, Jake Neufeld, has served as liaison to the Kindred Productions management committee, which meets regularly in Winnipeg. Jake recently returned to his assignment following a well-deserved sabbatical leave. Our U.S. treasurer, Dale Regier, is responsible for most of the day-to-day accounting for the General Conference done in our U.S. office in Hillsboro, Kan.

With the potential dissolution of the General Conference and the realignment of its ministries, the Board of Trustees anticipates an active biennium, sorting out the legal ramifications of such a venture.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our treasurers and their staffs for their dedicated service to our Conference . •