November 1995

INS IDE

VOLUME 58, NUMBER 11

FEATURES

4 To come home for the holidays

Make your Thanksgiving a true homecoming, not just another Turkey Day. Open your arms wide! BY KATIE FUNK WIEBE

7 The ministry myth

"Ministry" isn't just for pastors, evangelists and missionaries anymore. Actually, it never was. The Bible calls all believers to be ministers. BY

GARY MORSCH AND EDDY HALL

10 Breaking out of the Christian ghetto

Witnessing to non-Christians is tough when we're cuddling so cozily in our Christian cocoons. Break out and make an eternal difference. Here's how. BY

JAN JOHNSON

12 Mennonites & music: Footnotes on the way to four-part harmony

From disdain for music to singing in parts-Mennonite music continues to evolve. BY MARGARET LOEWEN REIMER

DEPARTMENTS

Forum by Edward Warkentin 14

• Giving in whose name? What readers say 15

Inquiring Minds by Marvin Hein 16

Ph'lip Side

• Naming names

by Philip Wiebe 17

Pilgrimage by Kathy Wiebe 18

• Mentored toward maturity

Musings by Jim Holm 19

• 1.B. 's daring diagnosis

Bodylife.

• HISP reaches out to international students 22

• Colleges, seminary show enrollment gains 24

• First SOAR trips draw 180+ youth 25

• Hundreds prepare relief kits for Bosnia 26

• Commentary writers want dialog with readers 26

• 'Mirror of the Martyrs' on display in Fresno 26

• Fairview observes its 100th anniversary 28

• MDS strains to keep up with hurricane damage 29

• Marching in step with Farrakhan?

ART CREDITS: Cover and page 4, Albert pages 7 and 10, Dynamic Graphics; page 18, Cleo Photography; page 20, MBM/S; page 25, YMI; page 26, MCC photo by Tony Siemens, page 28; Wilbur Reimer and Dick Shewey.

Don Ratzlaff

Connie Faber

BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Ron Braun (chair), Noelle Dickinson, Jeanie Klaassen, Herb Schroeder, Kathy Heinrichs Wiest

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THE CHRISTIAN

A family homecoming is important regardless of who is coming-husband, wife, son, daughter, grandparents, friends. Or when Homecomings are especially important to Americans at the two big celebrations in the near future: Thanksgiving and Christmas

One of the Bible's most famous homecomings involves the prodigal son. "Home" for this way-

%the whole family is focused in one direction . The members acknowledge they co-own certain experiences and are joint stewards of them.

• Celebration affirms a person's worth_ When we celebrate God, we attribute worth to our Creator When a family celebrates a child's birthday, the youngster's bright eyes speak loudly: "This is my day. My family thinks I'm special." ward boy stood for forgiveness, but also for celebration of the son's return The father brought out the fatted calf, the ancient equivalent of our turkey, a robe, ring-each symbolic of renewed relationships.

celebration is possible if the

The celebration followed the classic scriptural pattern : sin , forgiveness and successful family reconciliation. It celebrated the victory of grace over sin, a celebration that members sit at one began with dancing, merrymaking and rejoiCing.

I marvel at this father. He didn't table and the black worry that the son might return to his

former patterns of living . He celebrated h h at once. We tend to wait . "Let's see . If seep at anot er. _. Jerry shapes up, we'll celebrate, but not before."

Thanksgiving is the year' s great opportunity to celebrate family love and unity. It is recognized all over America as a day of homecoming. Instead, some families turn it into Turkey Day.

To pursue celebration

How can we keep it a homecoming?

I think back to my childhood. The day was special for me when all the relatives came to visit. Big meal. Roast beef was seven pounds for a dollar, hamburger five cents , liver almost free We had roast beef Dessert was chocolate cake with thick frosting Dad sometimes brought home special treats from the store. Sometimes even the photographer came . And always, lots of talking, talking, talking. Homecomings need celebration

• Celebration defines and identifies us. Our extended family said to one another that we belonged together Those who get drunk together say they belong together Those who celebrate a wedding say they have friends in common. College homecomings mean all the attendees identify with a place-the school. At church celebrations , it ' s identification with our common faith in Christ.

Those who celebrated the return of the prodigal son said, "We are a family." They told the young man, "You agaln a part of tills famlly . We considered you lost, but now you are returned to us." That was something he longed to hear.

Those who come together at Thanksgiving indicate that they cherish and hold in trust a shared family pilgrimage For a short time,

The elder son stood outside in the field and did not celebrate His actions said loudly, "Though you are my brother, you are not part of this family. " True homecomings are all-encompassing. There's nothing left over with which to hate, or to be afraid, or to feel guilty, or to be selfish about, says Frederich Buechner. The older son was still angry and jealous

A homecoming celebration is a great leveler of caste systems. No celebration is possible if the successful family members sit at one table and the black sheep at another, or the powerful and impor-

tant converse at the main table and the also-rans are stuck around the folding table with the children . At a thanksgiving homecoming each person affrrms anyone who seeks family warmth. And mourn those who stand outside with the older brother and refuse to join the family group.

• Celebration defInes responsibility_ The prodigal son was probably out working in the field the next day. Sonship has expectations. The gift of keys to a car at graduation tells the teenager: "You are old enough now to drive alone." Thankfully, Thanksgiving is not a commercialized gift-giving event, but the college son or daughter returning home for the fIrSt time since school started in fall is now accepted into the adult group and is not forced back into the former teenage role .

Yet the spirit of celebration, even at very informal celebrations such as Thanksgiving, can be lost . Why?

Celebration is something wonderful but fragile, like a delicate piece of crystal, shimmeringly beautiful, but easily broken. Celebration moves us into another dimension of life, one we may be afraid to enter because we don't know where it may lead us-the realm of the intangible, almost the mysterious.

Meaning at a celebration comes through the symbolicsongs, presents, food, dancing (children can't celebrate by sitting still, why do adults think they must?), special words, including the language of poetry This power of the symbolic is destroyed by too much practicality or a sense of oughtness Controlled or managed celebration is not really celebration

Celebration is not for busy people because it takes time It can't be squeezed into 50 minutes between seven and eight o'clock. Stolid, hard-working people don ' t have

BEYOND THE MINISTRY

by GARY MORSCH with EDDY HALL

The call to ministry isn't just for pastors. Reclaiming lay ministry could revitalize the church.

HEN I WAS 10 YEARS old, this business of ministry all seemed so simple. Listening to a sermon about God's call to ministry, I believed God was calling me. That morning I knelt and dedicated my life to ministry, then stood and announced, "God has called me to be a minister!"

In the months that followed I often testified, "God has called me to be a minister." Supportive church members encouraged me: "You'll make a fine preacher just like your daddy."

Then several months later, I felt that God was calling me to work in the field of science. I was confused Did God call people to be more than one thing?

I went to my dad "Dad, can a person be a minister and a scientist at the same time?"

My dad thought for a while, then said, "Sure."

"What do they call someone who is both a minister and a scientist?"

"Well, let's see, " my dad said. "I guess you

Though my call was as strong as ever, I had painfully learned that to mention my call

publicly was to invite pressure to enter "the ministry"-to be a professional pastor, evangelist or missionary.

would say God has called you to be a research minister."

I had no clue what that was, but it sounded good to me, so for months I testified in church that God had called me to be a research minister. Eventually an older Christian advised me that there really was no such thing as a research minister and pointed out that God surely intended for me to go into "the ministry."

Never again did I stand in church and say that God had called me to be a minister. Though my call was as strong as ever, I had painfully learned that to mention my call publicly was to invite pressure to enter "the ministry" -to be a professional pastor, evangelist or missionary. I didn't believe God was calling me to be any of those things, but I couldn't explain how that could be true if God had called me to be a minister. So, I just quit talking about my call.

I had long assumed that once I finished high school I would go on to a Christian college. But when graduation time came, I found that I couldn't do it. How could I go to college when I was confused about what God wanted me to do? How would I know what to study?

My turmoil led me to do something untypical for a good Christian kid who was supposed to be enrolling in a Christian college. I joined the Army.

It seemed an unlikely choice. It was 1969, the Vietnam War was going strong, thousands of soldiers were dying, and 17-year-olds had to have their parents' permission to go to war. But God used my time in the military to begin to clear up my confusion

Wherever I was stationed, I got involved in a church, teaching Sunday school or working with the youth group. For a while I even served as a supply pastor. God was beginning to show me that being a layperson didn't keep me from being

a minister. I came out of the Army ready to attend college and prepare for ministry-as a layperson.

I was beginning to understand that the confusion I had labored under for years was because I had believed what I now call the ministry myth:

"Ministry is just for ministers . " And "ministers," of course, meant only ministry professionals .

Once on campus, though, I found the ministry myth alive and well. I was often subtly reminded by well-meaning students and professors that a Christian serves God best as a ministry professional. Chapel speakers often challenged us to say yes to God's call to professional ministry. Rarely did any challenge us to say yes to God's call to minister as laypeople.

Then during my junior year, I sensed God leading me to change my major to pre-medicine. That surprised me. I had secretly longed to go into medicine, but had never seriously considered it because I didn't think that would be ministry. But God made clear to me that day that I was to minister through medicine. My pastor confirmed this when he told me, "As a doctor you will have opportunities to minister to all kinds of people in the community that I will never be able to reach as a pastor. "

And so I spent the rest of my schooling preparing for ministry as a medical doctor.

The high cost of the myth

My experience is not unique. The ministry myth has been so widely believed for so long that it has no doubt kept millions of Christians from seeing themselves as ministers and recognizing what God was calling them to do. And it has crippled the ministries of countless others by causing them to misinterpret God's call.

Although my friend Mark knew that laypeopie could minister, he bought into the version of the ministry myth that says, "God can best use those who are in professional ministry " Wanting to serve God as effectively as possible, he quit his job, spent three years in seminary, then joined a church staff

In his new position Mark was responsible to supervise the ministries of others. He quickly discovered, though, that administration was not his gift "I'm most effective in one-on-one ministry, " he says. "And rather than coordinating existing ministries, I'd much rather be bringing new people in I'd thought joining a church staff would give me more time to do that, but in reality it lim-

ited the time I could spend doing what I did best."

Mark resigned his church staff job and became an insurance agent. "Though I didn't realize it when I went into insurance," Mark says, "this is a perfect job for someone like me whose passion is to work with hurting people. Whenever an elderly client loses a spouse, I get a phone call When any of my clients divorce, they have to come to me to change their insurance papers. And, of course, whenever one of them has a car accident, a fire, or a serious illness covered by a policy I carry, the client comes to see me.

"I have lots of opportunities to talk with people in crisis. Most of them don't know Christ, and I can often share the source of my hope with them. Just a few weeks ago I told my wife, 'I've never before felt God using me in ministry like I have lately.'"

The ministry myth led Mark into a professional ministry position for which he was not gifted. It was only when he saw that God could use him more effectively as a layperson than as a ministry professional that God was able to put Mark's ministry gifts to fullest use.

An unbiblical division

For centuries much of the church has divided itself into two groups-the clergy, or "ministers," and the laity, the ones ministered to. Is this historic division rooted in Scripture?

Not at all . The New Testament teaches that God has given every Christian one or more spiritual gifts for ministry Paul wrote, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.... To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" (1 Cor. 12:4, 7, NlV).

Peter wrote, "Serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received" (1 Pet. 4:10, NRSV). Though in the Old Testament only a select group of God's people served as priests, in the New Testament church all believers are priests (1 Pet. 2 :5, 9, NIV).

God does call certain people to lead in the church and their leadership is critical to the church's effectiveness. But Scripture does not single them out as "the ministers." Rather, it emphasizes the ministry of all believers : "The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry" (Eph. 4:11-12, NRSV, emphasis added). The call of these church leaders, then, is not to do the work of ministry so we don't have to, but to equip us to do ministry

Gordon Cosby, pastor of the Church of the

\NIT'"'

Saviour in Washington, D.C., puts it this way: "The primary task of the professional minister [is] training nonprofessional ministers for their ministry."

Christ's hands in a broken world

Only as we recognize that each of us is called to minister, and as each of us says yes to that call, can the church fulfill its mission to be the hands of Christ in a hurting world.

During World War 2 a statue of Christ that stood in the center of a French village was shattered in the fighting Villagers carefully saved the pieces until the war was over, then rebuilt the statue. Once it had been reassembled, though, the people found that Christ's hands were missing They weren't sure what to do. Should they leave the incomplete statue standing, or should they take it down? Only after someone placed a small hand-painted sign at the statue's base were the villagers able to agree that the statue should remain standing. The sign read, "Christ has no hands but ours."

God has called you and me and every other believer to be his ministers. If we don't do it, no one will. Christ has no hands but ours. e!2

Gary Morsch, a PhYSician in Olathe, Kan., is founder and director of the Center for Lay Ministry. Eddy Hall is a full-time free-lance writer/editor from Goessel, Kan. This article is adapted from their new book The Lay Ministry Revolution: How You Can Join (Baker 1996). Designed for use in study/ action groups, the book is a tool for mobilizing the laity within a local church for ministry.

of the Christian ghetto

Jesus didn't submerge himself in a cloistered Christianity as we do. Like him, we need to be tolerating the undesirable portions of our culture

careful about tempting situations, we can't become so afraid the world will taint us that we never taint the world.

Linda felt uneasy about her new job until she discovered that one of the other clerks was also a Christian . They sat together during lunch and experienced that immediate camaraderie we often fmd with fellow believers. They felt so safe with each other that they stuck together and even played their Christian music to witness to their coworkers .

After a few weeks, the supervisor reprimanded them for their "offensive music" and cliquish attitudes. At first they complained about being "persecuted for righteousness' sake," but after thinking it over they saw the reprimand as a signal that they should branch out and include others more. They still did things together but they weren't so exclusive.

I, along with Linda and her friend, have been gUilty of being "rabbit hole" Christians In the morning we pop out of our safe Christian homes, hold our breath at work (thankful for the Christian at the next desk) , scurry home to our Christian families, and then run off to our Bible studies. We end the day by praying for the unbelievers we safely avoided all day We fear what Peter said to flaunt, with gentleness and respect: our Christlike behavior (1 Pet. 3:14-15). We're to show non-Christians how believers live and be prepared to tell them why .

How to break out

To climb out of the Christian ghetto, I've mapped out the following escape plans.

• Renew former acquaintances. When Susan decided to widen her circle of friends to include more non-Christians, she telephoned a woman who had been her coworker. The woman invited Susan and her children to the public library's story hour every Monday. Susan went not only to benefit her children but also to reestablish contact with her coworker. Eventually Susan got to talk with her friend about Christ .

• Befriend neighbors. When Dave and Carol moved, they vowed to make friends in the community, not only at church. Although they

were anxious to work on their dilapidated house, they took time to talk with everyone who stopped to welcome them. They eventually started a neighborhood watch club in their home, which laid the foundation for starting a neighborhood Bible study later.

• Join a community group. Consider joining municipal volleyball teams, community clubs , and local night school classes . When Denise quit her job at a parachurch organization to have a baby, she realized she had no friends outside her church. To make friends, she took classes at a local craft shop and joined a food cooperative. She enjoyed her new friends, and began praying about how to help them come to know God.

• Be hospitable. Sandy was so encouraged that she gave a jewelry party for the women on her street, dropping notes at their doors that read : "Hi, I'm Sandy from down at the comer. I'd like a chance to get to know the women on my street better. I'm having a jewelry party next Saturday. You don't have to buy anything! Please come to get acquainted. "

• Employ nonbelievers. When my husband, Greg, figured out that he needed a product that was sold only by an individual distributor, we listed all the people we knew that sold that product. Instead of buying it from a couple at church we knew, we bought it from a couple who used to go to our church. That way we maintained contact with them and they ended up coming to our home Bible study. Since then, we've started praying for our doctor, lawyer, even our dry cleaning clerk!

As I taught the personal evangelism class, I often thought, I'm too shy to do any of these things, and I am. But I'm learning that it doesn 't take an extrovert to make friends. I'm beginning to view new situations, such as a new job, neighborhood, or night class, as an opportunity to meet non-Christians, and ask God what part I'm to play in their lives. ef2

Jan Johnson is a retreat speaker from Simi, Calif. She is the author of the book, Healing Hurts That Sabotage the Soul (Victor)

Mennonites began singing the chorales of German Lutheranism, while Mennonites in the Palatinate adopted the hymns of the Reformed Church there. In Switzerland and France, Mennonites used the Ausbund until the 19th century, but also sang Reformed hymns.

What happened to all the Mennonite hymns? The reasons for their loss include the loss of the martyr spirit, migrations, and the personal (often mediocre) quality of the poetry.

By the mid-1700s, Mennonite settlers in Danzig and Prussia had completed the transition from Dutch to German. The first German Mennonite hymnal, published in Prussia in 1767, contained translations of popular Dutch hymns and 150 Psalms (dropped in later editions). This collection was the forerunner of the Gesangbuch printed in Russia in 1844 and carried to Canada in the 1870s migration.

All of these hymnals provided texts onlytunes were transmitted by rote from generation to generation.

The Mennonite Brethren, form e d in Russia in 1860, adopted the German Baptist hymnal and gospel song collectio ns. In North America, Mennonites of Swiss/South German background used various non-Mennonite German hymnals, while the most conservative groups stayed with the Ausbund.

The switch to English in American churches brought with it an increasing use of standard American hymns and gospel songs. The first English Mennonite hymnal was a small book published in Harrisonburg, Va., in 1847 called A Selection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. The General Confer ence Mennonite Church publishe d its first English hymnal in 1894; the Mennonite Brethre n published theirs in 1953.

Four-part singing

Four part singing is so central to most North American Mennonite churches that it is hard to believe it only entered Mennonite worship in the late 1800s-and with considerable opposition.

Beginning in the early 1800s, a few educators and church leaders attempted to improve congregational singing. Transmitting unwritten melodies through the generations had reduced singing to ponderously slow repetition of corrupted tunes They felt it was urgent to recover the original melodies and rhythms, as well as train people in singing

The introduction of organs into European Mennonite churches in the mid-1700s raised the need for written music as well. Mennonite music-

making was also influenced by the revivalist movements, which introduced faster tunes and livelier rhythms.

In 1832, Jakob Ellenberger, Mennonite pastor in the Palatinate, compiled a book of fourpart harmonies to go with the hymnal. He also initiated choirs and community groups to train singers. When South German Mennonites published a new Gesangbuch in 1854, the tunes were printed in four-part harmony in an accompanying book.

In Russia in the mid-1800s, a teacher named Heinrich Franz was writing down hymnal music for use in schools and by community choirs. His Choralbuch, with ciphers or numbers instead of notes, was published in Germany in 1860 and Four-part singing was widely influential in Russia and Canada is so central to

Choirs introduced four-part singing to congregations and were gradually most North accepted as part of worship, particularly among Russian Mennonites. American

In the United States, Mennonites of Swiss background began singing Mennonite schools in the early 1800s. One of the books they used was the Harmonia churches that it is Sacra, published originally with threepart harmonization in 1816 in German hard to believe it and later in English. The book was never used as a hymnal, however. only entered

The Gesangbuch from Russia was first published with music by the Gen· Mennonite eral Conference in North America around 1880. The first Mennonite Church hymnal with notes, c alled Hymns and Tunes for Public and Private Worship, was published in

worship in the late JBOOs-and Elkhart , Ind., in 1890. with considerable

So four-part singing became part of some Mennonite traditions, but not all. "In fact," a Dutch Mennonite said opposition. emphatically to me, "four-part singing is not even Mennonite" because it encourages individualism and pride instead of unity. Old Order Mennonites and Amish would agree

Today, as many Mennonite congregations opt for choruses and "off-the-wall singing," many fear the loss of traditional four-part singing Perhaps it would help all sides to realize that debating music styles is part of that tradition too.

62

Margaret Loewen Reimer is associate editor of Mennonite Reporter, a weekly inter-Mennonite newspaperpublished in Canada.

Congregations and pastors

The 15 contributions to the subject of longevity in the pastorate (September) are valuable. A second dimension to the subject is the voice of the congregations.

Five years ago, in preparation for my book, A Pilgrimage ofFaith: Mennonite Brethren 1860-1990, I visited 40 Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada and the United States. In all these churches, we arranged for interviews with various groups of people, including several age groups when possible. Following are some of the responses that emerged:

1. The average term of pastors at that time was 4.5 years. That has improved slightly since then.

2. A major factor in the short-term ministry of pastors is that the pastor comes with a set program rather than with a priority to nurture the congregation. He brings a ministry to the people, not a ministry with the people.

3. A longer tenure of pastors was related to a relational ministry of caring and nurturing in which the program emerged from the people. In a few cases, special gifts of the pastor brought about a longer tenure. (For instance, a pastor who was a good preacher, but weak in relational ministry.)

4. The majority of the 40 constitutions collected from the local churches defme the duties of the pastor as a chief executive officer (CEO) instead of the biblical aSSignment of being a shepherd caring for the spiritual needs of the flock.

5. Criteria upon which pastors are selected frequently are his gifts and education instead of spiritual qualities

JB.

Toews Fresno, Calif.

Getting to the root

As a regular reader of the Christian Leader who did not attend the General Conference, I was very interested in the August editorial ("Something's Got to Change"). I took particular note of the point about mass assembly versus small-group processing . I wish

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to disagree with your suggested connection between grassroots ownership and mass assemblies. This point of view assumes the grass roots are represented at mass assemblies.

This is not true. Most churches only send their pastors to such conferences. Sometimes other designated leaders may be chosen, especially if they take the initiative to pay their way and volunteer to attend.

Conference leaders have a unique need to hear what ordinary church members have to say. Getting these members to mass assemblies does not appear to be feasible. Nevertheless their voices and votes are important if they are to take ownership of and live up to conference decisions.

Perhaps modern technology can help us. Canadian political parties have experimented with telephone voting to encourage grassroots participation in leadership conventions. This process allows every member of a political party to vote on leadership ballots, not just the riding delegates who attend the political convention. I would suggest important Mennonite Brethren conference decisions be voted on in this manner.

You are right in suggesting that there is a trend for boards to spend more time promoting their work than reporting on it. Those who attend conferences are usually already "in the know" and "sold " on conference work This helps to explain Jim Holm's observations about delegates who spend time in the foyer rather than in sessions (Musings).

Perhaps local churches should be encouraged to host annual "Conference Ministry Information Fairs" simi-

lar to their missions conferences. This would enable ordinary church members to learn about conference work firsthand rather than hearing a secondhand report from a pastor or delegate.

Linda Matties Abbotsford, B. C.

Room for variety

I attend the Mennonite church in San Jose and receiving the Christian Leader gives me a better perspective on what the Mennonite Brethren Church is all about

I will never forget a statement made in one of the articles concerning the name of the denomination. The writer, tongue in cheek, said we should call ourselves "The Former Mennonite Brethren" (May editorial).

I believe God ordained variety in churches. Some people choose one place for their church home while a different denomination fits another. I don't always agree with the reasons given for joining a particular church. A person does not always study church teachings, the nuances of a congregation or the history of that denomination before joining a church. Many times the "ought to" has become "you must" on a topic about which the Bible does not speak.

One of the reasons I feel at home in the Mennonite church is because of its stand against killing on orders of any government. I cannot agree with some of the specific teachings of other churches. However, I see good people in every church and that Jesus will accept all those who are willing to believe him and love others.

Bill Gerrits SanJose, Calif.

BY PHILIP WIEBE

Naming names

UNTIT.. A FEW years ago, I never thought much about names. I experienced, I should admit, a couple of unfortunate name-related incidents in my youth. The fu-st happened soon after I discovered that girls weren't so creepy as I'd fIrSt imagined. One day an especially non-creepy girl said to me, "I like your name "

Since I'd never found "Philip" all that thrilling, I asked why. "Did you know," she replied, "that your name means 'lover of horses'? That's so neat. I love horses too."

At that point I had to rethink my liberalized position on the creepiness of girls, because I certainly did not love horses. I was convinced, in fact, that horses as a species were out to get me. It had something to do with a birthday party, a surly pony, and mud up to the eyeballs. Any girl who could find pleasure in the fact that my name was horse-friendly was simply too cruel to tolerate.

The other name-related incident happened a few years out of high school. Casting about for something to do with my life, I had already tried a couple of different colleges and an assortment of career objectives That's when a pastor, with whom I'd become acquainted on a ministry trip, pointed his ominous black Bible at me, flipped to John 14:9, and dispensed a "word from Jesus": "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been with you such a long time?"

Well hey, thank you very much. At that time, guilt was already a major motivator in my life.

Other than that, names never weighed heavilyon my mind until my wife was pregnant with our fu-st child. As a future parent, I felt I was realistic about forthcoming trials and challenges. But nothing prepared me for the ordeal of picking names. Aaron or Alex? Brandon or Blake? Christa or Celeste? How could a person choose? One way, I discovered, was to have the spouse bring up the subject every night for five straight months, until the very thOUght of picking names caused involuntary brain spasms.

So, what exactly is the moral of all this? Beats me. I've simply been thinking about names late· ly, due to a mailing I received from the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches The mailing merely sought updated information on the Rejoice! inter-Mennonite devotional mag· azine, but included was some interesting and entertaining reading: a roster of church denomi·

nations listed in the Yearbook. Apparently, some denominations had just as much trouble picking names as I did Maybe I'm unkind. On the plus side, some of these names are, er, highly descriptive The Fire Baptized Holiness Church, for instance I don't know, but I feel a little funny about "fire" as a denominational theme. It reminds me of the "Deliverance Tabernacle" here in town with the foreboding orange flames that grace their sign. Or perhaps "grace" isn't the right word. Anyway, flames appear more than once on this denomination list. I also found the Pentecostal Fire-Baptized Holiness Church and the Pillar of Fire. Parenthesis are also big. We have The Church of God (Which He Purchased With His Own Blood), The Duck River (and Kindred) Association of Baptists, and The (Original) Church of God, Inc. As opposed, I guess, to The (Unoriginal) Church of God, Inc.

Then we have some short yet puzzling denominational monikers, such as Christadelphians, Church of Daniel's Band, and General Six Principle Baptists. Maybe they split in half with the General Twelve Step Baptists.

For real description, though, you can't beat sheer length. Consider the Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ World Wide, Inc., the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., and the Holy Ukrainian Autocephalic Orthodox Church in Exile. Yet even these mouthfuls can't compete with this winner: the House of God, Which is the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Inc. Personally, I would have doubts about a church that might have more letters on its church sign than people in its pews.

Little doubt exists, however, about the least accurate name on this list: United Holy Church of America. After browsing through pages of widely ranging denominational titles, "united" wasn ' t the word that came to mind.

Maybe the long-title champs are on to something, though. We Mennonite Brethren have talked about changing our name to something less obscure. Here is a suggestion in the "highly descriptive" department: The (Don't Blame Us For Being) Evangelical But Not Socially Unconscious Would-Be Anabaptists If Anyone Knew What That Meant Formerly Mennonite Brethren But We Think Highly Of Sistren Too

Let me know what you think. In three words or less 62

Personally, I would have doubts about a church that might have more letters on its church

sign than people in the pews.

Philip Wiebe lives in Salem, Ore.

Mentored toward maturity

BY KATHY WIEBE

WHEN I WAS a senior in college, I embarked upon one of the most strenuous disciplines of my college days. For some reason, I decided to do an "honors project, " something akin to a master's thesis. I planned to begin the research phase of the project the summer before my senior year.

But at the end of the summer, I realized I did not want to spend the last year of my college career engulfed in this immense task. I approached my supervising professor about withdrawing, but the professor refused to release me The commitment had been made, and he required me to follow through.

At the time I had no idea of what impact this professor had made on my life . He supervised my work, making suggestions and helping me survive the review committee. I fInished the project and was glad I did. Although it

was a tremendous amount of work, I learned the importance of being a fInisher.

What would it mean to our spiritual life if each of us had someone like this professor to prod us and challenge our spiritual development?

The Bible is full of examples of pupil/teacher relationships where one who is more spiritually mature directs the spiritual development of another. One of the most familiar is the Paull Timothy relationship. Some people call this "discipling." Others would use the term "mentoring."

I have had many mentors during my spiritual journey, but one relationship stands above the rest . It gave me a foundation that I carry with me to this day. It was an intentional relationship-one where I placed myself under the direction of another who was more mature than I was.

This person did not seek to be God to me, but committed herself to walk alongside me and point the way. Her attitude was one that says, "Let's look at Jesus together. " The quality of her life was one of a pacesetter who challenged me to follow.

The relationship began more than 20 years ago, shortly after college I had decided to return to school for graduate work and chose a university with a campus ministry that emphasized disciple-making. It was a unique situation. Not only were the leaders committed to helping students live as disciples, they also wanted these disciples to be able to "disciple" others.

I was assigned to Judy's team; she was the women's director of the organization. A team assignment meant I would be in a Bible study led by my team leader. But the team commitment went far beyond Bible study. It meant being committed to a relationship between team leader and team member-a relationship of accountability.

Ihad been in Bible studies since I was at least a teenager, but I had never been challenged like this. We were expected to use commentaries and other Bible helps. Judy designed the studies herself, with probing questions that made me look deep into the Word. It usually took several hours to prepare for a team meeting. We met for breakfast . The time was stimulating as well as rewarding as I shared my insights and listened to the insights of others

The discipline of Bible study was not the only area of discipline modeled by the leaders. They exercised discipline in their personal devotional life, prayer and even physical aspects such as exercise and eating.

Another requirement of team members was to set personal goals. We set goals in the spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, relational and ministry areas of our lives. Judy encouraged us to take a block of time to pray and think through our goals. She checked on our progress, and we knew that she was praying for us. At first I was zealous and set goals beyond my reach; but in time, I became more realistic.

An important part of personal goals was to establish a life objective. Through this exercise I began to discover what God considered important and what would make a difference for eternity. Setting goals and a life objective was a practice I started more than 20 years ago. Today, those aspirations continue to give me purpose and direction that shape my decisions.

The highlight of the week was the personal time Judy and I spent together. At first she would share some practical suggestions, such as an easy way to share the gospel with someone, or how to have a personal quiet time. But as we got to know each other better, I began sharing the deep fears and anxieties of my heart, my questions about God, how to know God's willall the questions that plague young seekers.

Through her thoughtful questioning, I was able to open up my deepest hurts and fears . I began to understand myself and who I really was. From Judy I learned there is always more beneath the surface than what meets the eye, and that God is able to see deep in hearts and heal the hurts . This has served me immeasurably when I sense needs in people and seek to help, either directly or through prayer.

Judy certainly wasn't perfect. It took a while before I saw her own struggles and her limitations . But she became my friend; and as she kept her heart open to God, she also opened it to me.

Each team member was expected

For me, mentors have been essential in helping me to run this race we call the Christian life. They have helped make me who I am today.

to lead a Bible study on campus and, in turn, to spend one-on-one time with the participants This was an exciting opportunity for me, and Judy was always there afterward to share in the joys as several came to know the Lord . She shared the disappointment when the study didn't go well , and the responsibility as several of the women wanted to go deeper in their Christian walk . It seemed Judy always had an idea of what to ask, what to look for, and how to challenge others. She gave me direction in helping the precious lives of these women seeking after God.

Probably the most significant impact Judy had on my life was helping me to more fully know God as my Father and Jesus as my Savior. I had been a Christian from an early age I had a hunger for God that sought him in his Word and through prayer, but being around Judy let me know there was more She knew God in a way that only someone can who had spent much time with him She introduced me to extended time with God. Not just a few minutes a day reading the Bible and going over a prayer list, but the kind of time that allowed a relationship to develop-a relationship where I could enjoy God's presence and have confidence of his personal love for me.

I noticed that on occasion Judy would leave for a night or weekend for the purpose of spending time alone with God At first this seemed fanatical. But after a few misguided

attempts, I found this to be a priceless experience. Now, as a mom who seems much too busy, I long for that extended time with my Lord. How grateful I am that at one point in my life, I had the time. It carries me now.

After I had spent about two years with Judy, she gave me the biggest challenge of my life. She asked me to consider full-time ministry on a campus. I had not expressed a desire to do this, but she saw more in me than I saw in myself; and I took it as God's direction I spent two years on a college campus, being "Judy" to several women I had an example to follow.

Since my days with Judy, I have had other mentors. The relationships have been of varied nature and levels of commitment. The mentors have taken the form of roommates, church friends, respected pastors and my own husband. Some have mentored me from afar, such as an author, devotional writer or speaker These people make an important contribution to my personal spiritual growth and ministry. However, the foundation of how to learn, first from God and then from those he appoints to be in my life, was laid as Judy walked beside me.

The investment Judy made in my life has paid off in countless ways. It has helped me know how to better support my husband, how to help my children, and how to be a better manager in my career. It has given me a sense of direction in my church responsibilities and given me a vision, as well as the tools, for making my life count for eternity by investing in people.

For me, mentors have been essential in helping me to run this race we call the Christian life. They have helped make me who I am today. Some are like the professor who taught me the importance of finishing. But it is the ones like Judy, who walk beside me, yet far enough ahead to make me yearn for more, who set the pace.

Kathy Wiebe is a member ofFirst ME Church, Wichita, Kan. In addition to her role as Wife and mother, she works in thefield ofadvertising.

BY JIM HOLM

J.B. 's daring diagnosis

.NEW WEEKS AGO, conference patriarch J. B. Toews asked me to write a personal eview of his book, Pilgrimage ofFaith; The Mennonite Brethren Church, 1860-1990, from a pastor's point of view .

The book had sat on my shelf since shortly after its publication in 1993 without being read, So I read it. I urge you to read it too. The book is fascinating, hard to put down, well-written. I am a Mennonite Brethren by choice, not lineage, so the Mennonite Brethren heritage is not my personal history.

Even so, reading this book was a worthwhile experience. J.B. is generous in his evaluation of the people and movements about whom he writes, yet his own perspective comes through clearly. He loves the Mennonite Brethren Church, and is deeply concerned about some of the things he finds in it at the close of the 20th century.

Toews has one thesis: Mennonite Brethren have drifted from a clear emphasis on the Christian life as a life of discipleship, which means following Jesus with a lifestyle of holiness and nonconformity to the world. Instead, we have moved into "cheap" grace, a salvation message that doesn't call for a significant change in life. Toews says we have emphasized salvation over discipleship, adherence to propositional truth over a relationship of accountability with other believers, and an orthodoxy of belief over the practice of Christian ethics.

No area of our denominational life escapes his scrutiny. While he loves our educational institutions, he scores them for not promoting the "distinct theological identity that will enable the growth of a church community with a New Testament/Anabaptist orientation." (A quick definition of "Anabaptism," at risk of oversimplification, is "total discipleship"-bringing every area of life under Christ's lordship, emphasizing holiness of life and continuity of faith and practice.)

He also finds weaknesses in MB Missions/ Services, our foreign missions agency. Though our missionaries have given their lives sacrificially (the chapter detailing that story brought tears of pride to my eyes), the mission effort in recent years has not been effective enough in developing local leadership in those countries.

Our local churches have not encouraged discipleship either, he says. We've overemphasized democracy and majority rule. As a result,

we have voted against genuine spiritual change, preferrng the comfort zone. Toews suggests a modified presbyterian model as more biblical.

Toews is hardest on pastors. He says we pastors do pretty well at personal piety, individual devotional life, and leading worship, Bible studies, and prayer in our congregations. But he finds us weak in providing leadership that brings about consistency between what members say they believe and how they really live. In his words, "MB pastors are not leading us in being reconcilers in a broken world." Pastors have been afraid to speak out on personal ethical issues, and have not led the way in preaching holiness in conduct and character. We have succumbed to the desire to gain acceptance from a generation intent on self-fulfillment. He questions our reliance on the "lone-pastor" style of leadership, and faults us for not using a process of consensus in decision-making.

Ouch! That pinches. Still, I agree with much of his analysis_ I think pastors need to speak much more boldly on issues relating to holiness, and to challenge the shallow commitment of many believers.

But I struggle with his emphasis on the traditional model of consensus_ Many pastors feel they have waited a long time to see significant change in the church. We think we have paid our dues, worked within the system, been faithful to the local church, and we have not seen as much deepening of spiritual life, a greater evangelistic outreach, or holiness of life as we had hoped for.

We look at growing churches all across America, and it seems that all of them are led by strong pastors. We wonder if the time has come for a more aggressive style of pastoral leadership among Mennonite Brethren, for pastors to say, "This is how God has called us to lead this church, and we need to act with strength in order to respond to that call." We have found the consensus model has too often produced a consensus to stay in the status quo.

Is Toews advocating a model of leadership which is no longer effective? Should Mennonite Brethren pastors now be risk-takers, leading where they perceive the Lord wants the church to go? Or is Toews right after all? Is it time for pastors to focus on holiness, and let God take care of the growth of the church?

Tell you what. You read the book . Then you can decide.

When we expect or even think we deserve one thing from God, perhaps he is doing something else, far more gracious than ourpiddly expectations.

jim Holm is from Reedley, Calif.

Showing love to the foreigner

BY GARY HARDAWAY

• Fresno-area Mennonite Brethren reach out to international

students

HALF A MILLION students from overseas now attend colleges and universities in North America. Many find it difficult to integrate into communities and social circles, and some never meet a Christian But when newcomers sign up for a meal with the Hospitality to International Students Program (HISP) in Fresno, Calif., they are destined for friendship.

At least that ' s the intent of HISP leaders and host families.

HISP began in 1990 as a network of Mennonite Brethren engaged in international student ministry in Fresno . The group of volunteers has grown ; today foreign students from all over the world are welcomed into many Christian homes through the outreach of HISP_ Fresno-area HISP also sponsors two major outreach events each year attended by up to 100 students, plus involved Christians.

"When God does a mighty work, he moves people around ," says Patrick Wall, coordinator of HISP since June 1993 Wall caus the movement of college students across national boundaries during this generation "the single largest people movement in all of history ."

Wall noted in a HISP newsletter: "We who have a biblical sense of his-

tory must ask : Is God somehow behind this uprooting of the future leaders of the world? And if so, why?"

Destination uncertain

As HISP coordinator, Wall primarily arranges for host families to meet and provide hospitality to students at Fresno State University, Fresno City College, King 's River Community College (Reedley), American English Institute and Fresno Pacific College. More than 1,000 students from overseas attend these institutions

"They come here with the idea that this is a Christian country," says Wall. "They want to know what we believe, what we do." Too often, he adds, they conclude their studies disillusioned by what they've experienced.

"We as Mennonite Brethren should especially appreciate what it's like to be a stranger. . . ."

- PAT WALL

Wall cites a story from his own past. While a student at California Polytechnic in San Luis Obispo, he met a young man from Nigeria who was distraught because of an incident that had occurred shortly after he landed at Los Angeles International Airport. On the small California map the student carried, Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo had seemed almost next door to each other. When he asked a cab driver how to get to San Luis Obispo from the airport, the driver assured the student he could take him there.

The 220 mile ride wiped out the student's first month allowance wau befriended the young Nigerian and introduced him to a supportive Bible study group The Christian witness and fellowship helped to counter the man's initial trauma

Wall says the first 72 hours in

HISP students pose during a picnic stop along the "Blossom Trail" tour, one of two major outreach events planned by HISP each year_ The other is a Thanksgiving feast at Fresno Pacific College_In early March, a caravan of 40 to 50 cars, drives the students along the "Blossom Trail," a display of flowering orchards and groves in the Fresno area_

North America can be particularly confusing and overwhelming. Arriving at a new destination, getting situated and settled, dealing with school officials, landlords, banks and stores -all create extraordinary stress for newcomers.

Wall recommends that Christians welcome arriving internationals at the airport and become their guides, beginning with a relaxing meal in the host's home. The bonds forged in these crucial hours can greatly influence the quality of the student's experience of North American culture.

Once foreigners too

Wall believes Mennonite Brethren should understand the value of ministering to newcomers. "We as Mennonite Brethren should especially appreciate what it's like to be a stranger. We have a very recent international experience ourselves. We understand passages such as Deuteronomy 10:19 better than many Christians: 'Show love to the foreigner in your land, for you were once foreigners. '"

Wall enthusiastically ticks off other reasons why Mennonite Brethren can minister well to international students. "We're solidly evangelical, but not pushy in sharing our faith. This is particularly important in cross-cultural witness, where trust and credibility must precede verbal witness."

He adds: "We're in the same position as Philip, who saw the Ethiopian in the chariot in Acts 8. We just go alongside and ask if we can help the student figure out what's puzzling him."

Chester and Lois Cover, members of the Bethany MB Church, Fresno, began hosting students "almost by accident" a few years ago Chester, a retired teacher, offered to teach their first student to drive and qualify for a driver's license . That led to Bible study with the Chinese young man, who eventually committed his life to Christ. Since then, seven or eight other Chinese have not only professed faith, but have been baptized and become members at Bethany.

Unclaimed treasure

The reality of lost opportunities is sobering. Wall recalls a story about a student from China who was invited to dinner in a Christian home. When

the student arrived, he carried a suitcase into the room. During the meal the hosts learned he had almost fillished his studies and was ready to return to China.

After a fine evening, the student opened his suitcase, which was full of silks, carvings and other exquisite treasures Then he told his hosts: "My parents told me to give these to all those who showed kindness to me while I was in your country. You are the first and only ones who have shared your home and table with me. You must take them all. "

The flustered Americans tried to accept just one or two of the gifts, but the young man wouldn't hear of it. "My parents would be distressed if I brought back any of these things," he said. "They would feel I had been ungrateful and stingy toward my American friends. I cannot take them back. You must take them all."

The unclaimed treasures represent friendships never made, love and good news not shared, Wall says. Hospitality goes a long way toward redeeming those otherwise missed moments.

Ready to reproduce

Wall's ministry is partially underwritten by the local Mennonite Brethren churches in the Fresno-Reedley region; a little less than half comes through MB MiSSions/Services.

According to Harold Ens, MBM/S general director, "HISP is more than a ministry to Fresno students. It is a pilot program that can be adapted and reproduced in any center where there are a significant number of international students."

Ens encourages groups in other areas to utilize Wall as a consultant and resource in starting up their own hospitality program. "Pat is available to travel and meet with churches or individuals in the constituency who want to make something like this happen in their communities," Ens says. For information on how to start a Hospitality to Internationals Program, contact Wall at (209) 332-2621, or write him at MBM/S, 4867 E. Townsend, Fresno, CA 93727

Gary Hardaway is secretary for communications and public relations for MB Missions/Seroices in Fresno.

IN BRIEF

• The emerging Mennonite Brethren church plant in the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal, was bolstered by the baptism of eight people in May. "When one person publicly follows Jesus," says team leader Otto Ekk, "that's a victory in any context But here in Portuga l it's a major breakthrough." The work in Lisbon began in 1987 with conversational English classes led by MB Missions/Services missionaries Hans and Waltraud Kruger. Individuals recently baptized included their first student and members of his family. (MBM/S)

• The Ebola epidemic, which focused world attention on Kikwit, Zaire, earlier this year, has been officially declared over by the World Health Organization and the government of Zaire. The virus killed 233 of its victims; 60 are known to have survived. Despite the knowledge gained from the recent crisis, Pakisa Tshimika, MB Missions/Services regional secretary for Africa, warns, "The battle continues because the health care system has not changed. The hospitals and health centers continue to lack basic medical supplies. Doctors and nurses remain unpaid, and the political and economic situation in the country is not improving." North Americans contributed more than $100,000 in equipment and funds for hospitals and clinics operated by the Mennonite Brethren Church of Zaire. Two Kansas physicians, Jason Trego and Bill Loewen, collected $75,000 worth of syringes, needles, masks, gowns and gloves from colleagues in the medical field. (MBM/S)

• Seven MB Missions/Services global volunteers have assisted the Evangelical Mennonite Free Church in Dresden, Germany, with a variety of building projects during the past six months . The volunteers have helped refurbish the group's current facilities and assisted with construction of a new 180seat church building. Among those volunteers were several u .S. Mennonite Brethren : Don Thiesen, Kingsburg, Calif., Don and Marion Loewen and Ted and Marylene Thiesen, of Bakersfield, Calif., Glen Ewert of Fresno, Calif., and Harold Voshage of San Jose, Calif. (MBM/S)

First SOAR trips draw 180+ youth

• YMI outreach focuses on Mexico and u.s. sites

MORE THAN 180 "Sold Out And Radical" (SOAR) high school students, leaders and translators participated in the first Mennonite Brethren tri-national teen outreach, reports Randy Friesen, Youth Mission International director (YMI).

The three-week event in late July involved Mennonite Brethren from Canada, the United States and Mexico and was sponsored by YMI.

SOAR began with a five-day orientation at lmmanuel High School in Reedley, Calif., where participants were called to "intimacy with God, prayer and worship and equipped to creatively share the love of God with others," according to Friesen. Workshops on drama, puppetry, kids' ministry and sports camps complimented training on cross-cultural sensitivity, urban ministry and team dynamics.

The II-day outreach involved 13 teams, including a 32-person traveling group that performed "Toymaker and Son," a dramatic gospel allegory. Team sites included inner-city Fresno,

Calif.; Los Angeles; Tijuana, Mexico; and San Quintin in the Baja Peninsula. The teams were hosted by inner-city missions or churches and provided the teams with cooking facilities and often a place to sleep.

David Wiebe, director of Christian Education Ministries for the Canadian MB Conference, participated in SOAR. He says, "SOAR is an event for the leading kids in a youth group-those who are spiritually in tune with God.... Who says youth are the church of tomorrow? These kids were doing more personal ministry today than many adult leaders I know. They raised the bar for youth ministry in a way I wasn't sure was possible. "

Friesen says the SOAR program is committed to "serving the local church through providing hands-on training in creative evangelism and giving local youth ministries a quality discipling vehicle they can plug into."

SOAR dates for 1996 are July 14-31. In addition to sponsoring cross·cultural ministry trips for high school students in 1995, YMI continued its young-adult program. This past summer YMI teams worked in nine locations. Each team served six weeks in addition to times for orientation and wrap-up. YMI worked with U.S. Mennonite Brethren churches in Clovis, Calif., Sioux Falls, S.D., Denver, Colo., and Lee's Summit, Mo. Teams also worked with MB Missions/Services missionaries in Lithuania, Austria, Thailand, Morocco and Colombia. Two teams served Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada.

YMI has one-year teams in Calgary, Alta., Cali, Colombia and Siauliai, Lithuania. The focus of the one-year program is leadership training in a local church or ministry setting. YMI was founded in 1988 and is supported by the Canadian MB Conference Board of Evangelism, Mission USA of the U.S. Conference and MB Missions/ Services.

Information and application forms for SOAR and YMI summer outreach teams are available from YMI headquarters at 100 Lodge Street, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2J 2V6.-from MB Herald reports

IN BRIEF

• Mennonite Brethren orthopedic surgeon Frank Duerksen of Winnipeg, Man., recently collected 9,000 pounds of new and used medical supplies for a leprosy hospital in South America. The supplies are being shipped by Mennonite Central Committee Canada to a leprosy treatment hospital begun jointly by Mennonites in Paraguay and MCC in the 1950s This is the eighth time Duerksen, a member of Portage Avenue Church, has sent medica l supplies to Paraguay (MCC)

• At its September meeting, the Mennonite Central Committee executive committee reallocated $100,000 contributed for Somalia to MCC relief work in Sudan, where civil war is creating widespread hunger. Although MCC did not appeal for funds for Somalia, media coverage in 1992-1993 prompted an outpouring of contributions. MCC received more than $650,000 designated for Somalia; currently nearly half of the amount remains unspent. "It does not honor the donors' intent to hold funds," says Berry Friesen, MCC director of administration and finance. (MCC}

• Mennonite Centra l Committee associates John Paul Lederach and Mark Chupp have written a Spanish-language manual outlining an approach they developed to help groups work out their own indigenous styles of conflict resolution. Using children's games and activities, the approach is based on the premise that a group can seek and find creative alternatives to conflict and violence. The manual has been purchased by the U S. Department of Justice for use among Cuban refugees at Guantanamo Bay. (MCC)

• Mennonite Economic Development Associates has opened a small business "incubator" near Moscow. Designed to help fledgling Russian firms get up and running, the incubator offers a credit program and training. The project is organized within a newly created Russian nonprofit organization called Sozidaniye Foundation for Economic Development. The Sozidaniye facility in Zelenograd provides office and production space for local businesses. (MEDA)

Loving children was one of the ministry goals of SOAR participants.

COMPASSION

Hundreds prepare Bosnian relief kits

• MCC overwhelmed with show of project

support

HUNDREDS OF groups and individuals-from first graders to senior citizens-have prepared relief kits for Bosnian refugees since Mennonite Central Committee put out a call for them in August.

MCC's partner in Croatia, Duhovna Stvarnost, should have received the 1,000 refugee kits in late October and will truck them to Bosnian refugees.

MCC personnel have been overwhelmed with the speedy outpouring of support for this new project, especially considering the kits' cost. Cost of each kit's 17 sundry items range from $45 to $65. Contributors also provide $5 to cover ocean freight expenses.

The project was born in a coffeebreak conversation between Kevin King, MCC U.S. coordinator of material resources, and Aroe1a Puljek in early August. Puljek, a Bosnian refugee now working with European Mennonites, was visiting the United States as a respite from her high-stress work of

ministering to other refugees. She was interviewed by members of the media while she was in Lancaster County, Pa.

"During a break between TV interviews, Aroe1a told me her story as a Bosnian refugee start to ftnish," King said. "I asked her what items she had most needed as a new refugee, and she started rattling off a long list. I ran for a pencil. We worked and reworked the list."

Several hundred more kits are scheduled to be shipped to Bosnia from the U.S. in December along with school kits, soap, blankets and clothing. Instructions for assembling a refugee kit were printed in the October issue of the Christian Leader.

Believers

Church writers plan 'dialog' tour with readers

•

Discussion will focus on Anabaptist commentaries

READERS OF the Believers Church

Commentary Series will have the chance to speak with the series' writers this fall. The lectureship series came about, says Elmer Martens, professor emeritus at MB Biblical Seminary, because he and other commentary writers desired a "dialog" with readers. Dialog sessions have been scheduled in California, Arizona, Manitoba and British Columbia among the six Anabaptist church groups participating in the series: General Conference Mennonites, Mennonite Brethren, Mennonite Church, Brethren Church, Church of the Brethren and Brethren in Christ.

Jacob Elias, professor of New Testament at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind., visited MBBS Sept. 17-19 to lecture on 1 and 2 Thessalonians He also taught at three Mennonite churches in Reedley, Calif., including Reedley MB Church. Seven commentaries have now been completed in the series: Matthew, Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians in the New Testament; Genesis, Daniel and Jeremiah in the Old Testament (MBBS)

LEGACY

'Martyrs' exhibit to include reader's theater production

• Fresno-area viewing to include several events

Few stories of faith are more powerful than those of Martyr's Mirror, the medieval account of Anabaptists executed for their beliefs in the years following the Reformation. These stories have been brought to life in a traveling multimedia exhibit currently on display through Nov. 19 at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif.

The Fresno-area viewing of "The Mirror of the Martyrs Exhibit" has included a variety of events exploring themes related to the exhibit. The exhibit opened Oct. 22. The exhibit climaxes Nov. 14 with the presentation of "Ultimate Faith," a reader's theater production to be held at Butler Avenue MB Church.

"Ultimate Faith" was adapted for the stage by Douglas Leichty Caskey, professor of drama at Fresno Pacillc College. The drama, based on selected stories from Martyr's Mirror, features nine students portraying the martyrs and their inquiSitors.

Martyr's Mirror was written by Thieleman van Braght and illustrated with 104 etchings by Jan Luyken. Only 30 of the original 104 copper plates survive today. Eight of these provide the basis for the exhibit as well as the drama.

Mennonite Brethren across the United States have viewed "The Mirror of the Martyrs Exhibit." In addition to Fresno, the exhibit has traveled to Hillsboro, Kan., Henderson, Neb., Mountain Lake, Minn , Minneapolis, Minn., Freeman, S.D., and in early 1996 will be on display in Oregon.

During the past six years the exhibit has been viewed by 30,000 to 40,000 people in 32 locations, says Robert Kreider, exhibit curator. Kreider reports the exhibit will continue to tour Canada and the United States and may travel to some European locations. (MBBS)

Two first-graders at a Smoketown, Pa., Mennonite school pack personal hygiene products for Bosnian refugees. Their enthusiasm was matched by persons and groups of many ages across the MCC constituency.

Fairview caps

lO-month lOOth birthday 'party'

• Reconstruction of sod church highlights centennial

A CHURCH THAT decides to cele-

its centennial from through October might be described as "party animals » But for the Fairview (Okla.) MB Church, the 10-month commemoration means more than nonstop fun. It has been an occasion to reflect on God's blessings over the past 100 years and for one generation to share this story with the next.

Since January, one evening program a month has focused on a different aspect of their history, explains Viola Martens, centennial committee member.

The founding members of the Fairview congregation came to Oklahoma with the Cherokee Strip land rush of the 1890s. So the January program was devoted to the rugged existence of the first church members and included a one-man presentation by Mike Martens portraying his greatgrandfather, a homesteader.

In February, a Sunday morning service was conducted in the style of the early 1940s-including seating men on one side of the church and women on the other.

An old-fashioned Christian Endeavor (talent program) was organized for April. In June, an evening service highlighted courtship and wedding practices-complete with a display of wedding gowns. The service ended with a "reception" in the church dining hall.

Other program topics included music, education, farming, home life and special church events Several programs incorporated a time of sharing and reminiscing. The series was broadly outlined by the eight-member centennial committee and each event was then carried out by a committee or Sunday school class .

Martens says that while the special programs were entertaining, the congregation learned much of its history and were challenged spiritually

Centennial events culminated in a celebration weekend Oct. 21·22. The Sunday morning worship service included messages from two former members : Larry Martens, pastor at North Fresno MB Church, Fresno, Calif., and Marvin Hein, executive secretary of the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

The weekend also included two programs featuring a variety of musical groups, skits, and a multimedia presentation Several former pastoral staff members participated, including Garvie Schmidt, Steve Prieb, Don Roberts, Elmer Jantz, Charles Priddy and Ernie Friesen. Lyle Cunningham is the present pastor.

Exhibits, bus tours to historical sites, "games of yesteryear" and wagon rides helped bring history to life.

A tale of two buildings

The story of the past 100 years was illustrated dramatically by the two meetinghouses currently occupying the church parking lot. One of them , built 12 years ago, is the modem and

energy was the construction of the sod church. LEFT: Tractor power gave modern builders a distinct advantage over their forebears. ABOVE: The finished product.

expansive "home" for this congregation of 530

During the weekend celebration, though, it took a backseat to the simple sod structure built especially for the centennial. The sod church was a replica of one of the congregation's first places of worship Steve Kliewer oversaw construction of the sod church. "It was a lot of work," Kliewer told a local reporter, "but it's one of these things that come once in a lifetime. My Grandpa and Grandma Kliewer were married in that sod church and it was hard to tum down the opportunity (to assist in the construction). "

Dimensions written in a letter 50 years ago by Kliewer's grandfather, A.A Kliewer, gave Kliewer and Dick Shewey, centennial committee member, the information they needed to begin their project. In hopes of building an authentic structure, Kliewer and Shewey dug into historical records . Sticking to authentic sod building practices didn't always work. Kliewer discovered that wood from native locust trees is so hard that holes had to be drilled so nails could be driven into the logs. Rather than ask a farmer to give up nearly an acre of rich buffalo grass, the team turned to Bermuda grass because of its root system. And, since Kliewer couldn't find any documentation as to how the walls were reinforced, rods were driven through

The focal point of a lot of attention and

• Baptisms/membership

HARVEY, N.D.-Courtney Faul and Morey Faul were baptized in the Sheyenne River and received into membership Aug. 27

ONIDA, S.D. (Emmanuel)-Kurt and Gina Schiferl, Jeff, Brenda and Derek Todd and

First Steps for Kids

LORRAINE DICK

A fun , active four-week course designed to help children share their story of how they joined God's family and learn what it means to belong to this family. Written for children ages 7 - 11 LEADER'S GUIDE-SU5 STUDENT GUIDE- $2 95

Prayers of an Omega

Facing the Transitions of Aging AUD IOBOOK

KATIE FUNK WIEBE

Rosalie Loeppky, Narrator

Herb Hamm , Announcer

Rebecca Pederson were received as new members Sept 10.

TULSA, Okla. (Parkside)-William Franklin Wise was baptized and received into membership Sept 10.

REEDLEY, Calif.-Jeanette Calip , Jim and Benti Dueck, Wallace and Lavina Feil, Bridgette Isaac, Jerry Jackson, Beth McClatchey, Matt McClatchey and Michael Trostrud were

Bridging Troubled Waters

The Mennonite Brethren at Mid-Twentieth Century

PAUL TOEWS, EDITOR

The church was caught between tradition and transition An element of risk was often present. Follow these transitional changes in the 11 essays and 3 autobiographies chronicling the I church as it moved for- L.: ward often with a vitality that belied its inner struggles-$15.95

, '; " Listen as the author expresses the • thoughts, feelings and experiences of ---=... the fastest growing demographic group Order from : commonly known as senior citizens. These prayers that celebrate the growth of the inner life are meaningful to all, regardless of age.-$9.95

Kindred Productions

315 S. Lincoln Hillsboro KS 67063

Phone 316-947-3151 Fax 316-947-3266

welcomed into membership Sept 24 Joining by baptism were Julie Martin, Brandi Speer and Susan Speer

HESSTON, Kan.-Rusty and Debbie Allan were welcomed into membership by testimony Sept. 24.

WIClllTA, Kan (First)-Lauren Hanson, Jon and Marie Holcomb , Monica O'Rourke , Craig and Tammy Ratzlaff, Doug and Barbara Seibel, Rebecca Trego , Dan and Iris Valasek and Jesse Warkentin were received as new members Oct 1

• Ministry

CLOVIS, Calif (Mountain View)-"Fall KickOff Sunday" was celebrated Sept. 10. In preparation, 14 ,000 flyers were mailed to surrounding homes and 2,000 more were hand delivered. Of the 250 people in attendance, 12 households came because of the flyers. A free lunch followed the service Weekly group meetings in 14 homes were begun the next week.

FERNDALE, Wash (Good News)-The con· gregation recently received word that the two containers they shipped in December to Tadjikistan in the former Soviet Union had arrived safely. The containers induded emergency food and clothing collected from Slav· ic churches and English speaking churches The shipment was organized by Gordon Balisky of the Marshall Foundation in Seattle, Wash

FRESNO, Calif. Oapanese Chapel)-English and cooking classes were started in October as an outreach to Japanese·speaking people in the Fresno area

• Fellowship

CORN, Okla.-The Pine Acres MB Church of Weatherford, Okla., joined the congregation Sept 24 for a musical program presented by Jubilee Transfer, a gospel quartet from Garden City, Mo.

COLORADO

Healthy, stable, growth-focused suburban church seeks candidates for the position of senior pastor. Urban or suburban experience desirable Please send profile information or letters of interest to "Search Committee," Belleview Acres Church, 12472 West Belleview Avenue, littleton, CO 80127; phone: (303) 973 -0163; or fax: (303) 9737653 .

e • our o ars Din aces

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MMA Praxis avoids investments in enterprises that manufacture military weapons or are directly associated with the gambling industry and the production of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.

For mutual fund investments that correspond with your ethical values, you need to find out more about MMAPraxis.

Contact in MMA counselor or call 1·_·9·PRAXIS

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For more complete informalion including charges and expmses, see your investment represenflllive to receive a prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money

FREEMAN, S.D. (Salem)-Missionaries Maynard and Dorothy Seaman were harvest mission festival speakers Oct. 15.

FERNDALE, Wash. (Good News)-The congregation held its first harvest festival Oct 28 . Missionary Brian Born was the speaker.

• Nurture/Teaching

HESSTON, Kan.-Garvie Schmidt, pastor of the Henderson (Neb ) MB Church, and his family reported Sept 24 on their visit and ministry to Colombia, South America The Schmidts' trip was sponsored by MB Missions/Services

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Laurelglen)-Men of the church gathered Sept. 29-0ct. 1 for a three-day, two-night outing on The Rapture, a luxury yacht

nJLSA, Okla. (parkside)-An all-church family retreat was held Nov. 3-4 featuring Dave Froese, pastor of the Westport MB Church in Col1insville, Okla.

• Workers

NEW HOPE, Minn.-Jason Schott, a student at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., will serve in the area of youth ministries as well as other areas as time allows.

OLATHE, Kan. (Community Bible)Clarence Hiebert will serve as interim pastor during fall. He and his wife , Feme, were welcomed Oct . 1.

GRANTS PASS, Ore.-Jim Pike has resigned as pastor. He has not announced his plans

CLEARINGHOUSE

Have a pOSition to fil/? Looking for a new employment or ministry opportunity? Have a gathering or celebration to promote? Need to acquire or sell property? Reach the U.S Mennonite Brethren constituency through a Clearinghouse ad. The charge for Clearinghouse information is 25 cents per word, with a $10 minimum charge. Withhold payment for advertising until an invoice is received Clearinghouse copy must be received by the 15th of the month prior to the desired month of publication. The editors reserve the right to tum down inappropriate material For display (boxed) ad rates, please cal/ us.

POSITIONS AVA I LABLE

COLORADO-Healthy, stable, growth-focused suburban church seeks candidates for the pOSition of senior pastor Urban or suburban experience desirable. Please send profile information or letters of interest to "Search Committee," Belleview Acres Church, 12472 West Belleview Avenue, Littleton, CO 80127; phone: (303) 973-0163 ; or fax: (303) 9737653.

CAREGIVER NEEDED: Single person or adult couple with primary responsibilities of general household duties and caring for a legally blind person with other limitations. A live-in arrangement preferred Salary negotiable If interested, please cal/ (701) 475 -2203 for more details

MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMIITEE is accepting applications for co-secretary for Africa (programs based in Northern Sub-Sahara). This three-year position, based in Akron, Pa , is available April 1, 1996

Qualifications include a commitment to Christian faith, active church membership and nonviolent peacemaking Applicants must have a bachelor's degree, knowledge of the realities of Africa, previous work experience with MCC in the region, ability to manage diverse administrative workload, commitment to partiCipatory decision-making, working with local churches in the field, and international understanding, justice and peace. Fluency in French is strongly recommended. Travel required. Interested persons in the United States should contact Dwight McFadden, 21 South Street, P O Box 500, Akron, PA 17501 -0500, phone (71) 859-1151 In Canada, contact MCC Canada, Personnel, 134 Plaza Drive, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9 , phone (204) 261 - 6381. Applications due Feb. 1, 1996.

MAINTENANCE/CUSTODIAL POSITION-The trustees of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Shafter, Calif., are announcing a full- or part-time pOSition which can be combined or separated into three positions They are: repair/maintenance , gardening and custodial. Housing available. For further information on requirements and salary, contact Board of Trustees Chairman, Bob Wiebe (805) 746-5417

WANTED: Full-time church custodian This is a ful/time salaried position with health and vacation benefits. Responsibilities include proper maintenance of property and facilities. Job descriptions are available upon request. Interested parties should supply resumes to Pastor Mark Willems or Trustee Chair Mike Knoblauch , First MB Church, 8000 W. 21st Street, Wichita, KS 67205; phone (316) 722-5885.

FOR SALE

FEAST OF GOODNESS-New 530-recipe cookbook, including 150 main-dish recipes. Price : $12 plus $3.50 shipping. Order from Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church Women 's Ministries , 102 S. Washington, Hillsboro, KS 67063; phone (316) 947-3144.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION

Publication title : The Christian Leader Publication number: 0009-5419. Filing date: 10-2-95. Issue frequency: monthly Number of issues published annually: 12. Annual subscription price : $16 00 Complete mailing address of known office of publication : 315 S. Lincoln, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of publisher: 315 S Lincoln, Hillsboro, KS 67063. Full names and complete mailing address of publisher, editor and managing editor: Publisher-U.S. Mennonite Brethren Board of Communications, 315 S. Lincoln, Hillsboro, KS 67063; Editor-Don Ratzlaff, same address; Managing editor-none

Owner: U S Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 315 S. Lincoln Known bondholders mortgages and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: none The purpose, function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes has not changed during the preceding 12 months Extent and nature of circulation : the first number represents the average number of copies of each issue during the preceding 12 months (the number in parentheses is the actual number of copies of a single issue published nearest to filing date, the September 1995 issue).

a. Total number of copies: 10,404 (10,550)

b Paid andlor requested circulation: 1. Sales through dealers and carriers , and counter sales, 0 (0); 2. Paid or requested mail subscriptions, 9,870 (10,075)

c Total paid andlor requested circulation: 9,870 (10,075)

d. Free distribution by mail: 400 (434).

e. Free distribution outside the mail: 286 (211)

I. Total free distribution: 286 (211).

g. Total distribution: 10,156 (10,286).

h Copies not distributed: 1. Office use , leftovers, spoiled : 248 (475); 2 Retum from news agents, 0 (0).

i. Total: 10,404 (10,550).

Percent paid andlor requested circulation , 97 2 (98)

I certify that all information on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who fumishes false or misleading information on this form or who omns material or information on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) andlor civil sanctions (including multiple damages and civil penalties).-(signed) Don Ratzlaff , editor

CHURCH PARTNERSHIP EVANGELISM (CPE)

Manilla

NICARAGUA, Managua,

UKRAINE, Kirovograd

,500 6. PARAGUAY, Asuncion and Interior

8. PERU, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura or Talara Aug. 12-Sept. 5/96 $1,000

9. CANADA, Manitoba. Sept. 9-26 / 96 $

10. ZAIRE, AFRICA , Kikwit , . . . . . . . Oct. 13-31 /96

11. INDIA, Hyderabad & Jongoan .

NOTE: Dates may be subject to change.

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

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

• Similar campaigns have resulted in 200 to 400 conversions, Come and be part of an enriching spiritual experience, discover what GOD can do through you.

For more information, contact:

Evelyn Unruh, 604-852-5744 or CPE 604-864-3941

Peter Loewen, 604-853-3173 or FAX 604-853-6482

Maybe you are interested in one, two or more campaigns, Please let us know if you find this to be valuable work for the Lord. I would ask you to bring this information to your friends and churches. We will need many volunteers in 1996

Peter Huebert Missions Committee President

Peter Loewen Promoter

POliCY

Private opportunities

As the u.s. federal government begins to talk seriously about cutting back its commitment to social services, many are looking to private-sector organizations to meet the needs of Ameri· ca's poorest citizens. General Paul A. Rader, leader of the Salvation Army, the world's largest independent social service agency, sees opportunities ahead.

"There are many things government can do, things legislation can achieve and tax dollars accomplish, n Rader says, "but there are a lot of things that can't be done by government. n What makes the Salvation Army's social outreach effective, Rader says, is a spiritual dimension lacking

in government programs. "We have to have people who are motivated by the love of God, who are in touch with the dynamics of the saving gospel of Christ to change human lives, who are willing to make themselves available to God and to reach out and to touch others, who would be willing to inconvenience themselves, who would be willing to put themselves on the line and assert themselves into the situation, and be a representative of Christ to people . "

Rader would like the government to help the private sector by removing "obstacles that sometimes make it a little difficult to do the work." Rader sees those affected by Washington cutbacks as people, not statistics. Still, he's not

CONFESSION

Repenting the sin of war

V OJI HONDA, sometimes called the Billy Graham of released a public confession June 30 that asked Christians to forgive him for his failure as a pastor and for sin committed during World War 2.

"As a Christian and as a pastor, 1deeply regret and repent of my direct participation in the war," he wrote in his confession, which was printed in full in Japan's two leading Christian newspapers. He noted that other pastors spoke against the war, even though they were called traitors and their lives were put at risk.

Honda also confessed to complying with the government's dictate to "put an altar of the emperor and empress in the church sanctuary" and for enlisting in the military. He also confessed to regularly stealing supplies during his time in the military in order to avoid beatings, and for participating in thefts after the war. (Mennonite Reporter)

ready to con- Pontius' Puddle demn federal cutbacks. "Those are complex political decisions and I would be unwise to pass judgment on whether it's appropriate to cut back a program (But) throwing money at problems is not always the answer, and I acknowledge that." (EP)

MARKETING

Pope peddling

The day before Pope John Paul II's u S. tour last month, a IT WAS ONLY AFTER PHIL BLACKSTONE ACTUALLY SNORED THROUGH AN ENTIRE SERMON THAT THE REVEREND BEGAN HIS CONTROVERSIAL PRACTICE OF MARKING CHALK OUTLINES ON THE PEWS TO SINGLE OUT THE SPIRITUALLY DEAD.

new line of Vatican-authorized jewelry was introduced in New York. The Vatican Library Collection, unveiled Oct. 3 at Macy's Herald Square, included rings, earrings, necklaces, broaches and cuff links. Items in the collection, priced from $12 to $75, were less expensive versions of the flne jewelry sold in the Vatican gift shop in Rome. Replicas of Noah's ark, cruciflxes and the Virgin Mary were all included in the new collec· tion. (EP)

MEDIA

Hollywood humility?

The husband-and-wife writing team who wrote the screenplay for last summer's blockbuster, "Batman Forever," says Hollywood is listening to complaints about excessive violence, profanity and nUdity in

illms. Lee and Janet Scott Batchler, who are also deacons at Bel-Air Presbyterian Church near Hollywood, say their values helped them land the writing job for "Batman Forever. n "Warner Brothers asked us to work on 'Batman Forever' because they knew that we could write an exciting fllm without a lot of blood and gore," Lee Batchler told Charisma. (EP)

PSYCHOLOGY

Invalid memories

A psychiatrist from St Paul, Minn., whose work includes the recovery of "repressed memories" and who believes some of her patients were abused by satanic cults, must pay a former patient $2.6 million, a Ramsey County jury determined Aug. 31.

Marching in step with Farrakhan?

THE CHALLENGE was strikingly familiar: Men, grow up-accept responsibility for yourself, your family, your brother; stand up for what's right, be an example, make a positive difference in your home, community and country.

The specific vision was the same too: bring a million men to Washington, D.C., and thereby send a message to the nation that it's time for a change.

Despite the parallels with the Promise Keepers movement, the Christian community has been slow to endorse or even acknowledge last month's Million Man March. The latter event brought between 400,000 and

A spiritual 1.25 million African-American men to

that we would go home with that divine commission ringing in our hearts. "

Still, the question persists: How, then, is it that a man who embraces and embodies bigotry was able to rally a half-million men in a way that more moderate African-American leaders, the black church and even Promise Keepers have not?

The answer to that question is buried in a sociospiritual conundrum too complex for most of us, particularly white Americans, to understand. But the question is worth some serious soul-searching. For all the complexities involved, this much seems to be true: A spiritual awakening is the nation's capital for a peaceful-and awakening is many would say spiritual-day of celespreading among American men-of all races-and the direction of that awakening is not yet fully determined. bration and solidarity. But the event shreading among was not endorsed by the nation's '.l:'

Christian leaders-black or white.

The reason was clear and under- American men-of standable: Louis Farrakhan. This man who was largely responsible for mak- all races- and the ing the march happen is the same man who, according to Newsweek, "walks direction of that the walk of black separatism, tinged by outright bigotry toward Jews and gen- awakening is not era! suspicion of all white people." Farrakhan's banner is the Nation of Islam, yetfully not Christianity. His gospel is separation, not unity. His savior is Allah, not determined. Jesus.

And so religious leaders and national politicians alike were left profoundly perplexed: Can a bad man accomplish a good thing?

The question deserves an answer. Or at least careful thought. Simplistic condemnations of Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam do not do justice to what happened last month on the Mall.

First, let's move beyond race-based assumptions. Most observers agree the Million Man March was not so much a referendum on Farrakhan and his beliefs as an opportunity for African-American men to collectively express a heart-felt desire for change. Reports from many participants, including Christians, indicate the march fed a largely undefmed spiritual hunger.

"We thanked God for this glorious day of atonement, this day of forgiveness for our shortcomings," writes one participant in today's newspaper. "We prayed that the love and strength we all had received from each other that day would always be with us. Most of us men assembled on that bright and shining day knew this ingathering was divinely commissioned and

Because of Farrakhan and his Islamic agenda, the Christian community is leery about affirming the Million Man March. Spouting vague spiritual jargon is not enough, we say. A legitimate spiritual movement must have Jesus Christ as its core. Scripture warns us of wolves dressed in sheep's clothing and tells us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

All that is true and important. But as I consider the Million Man March and its aftermath, I am drawn instead to consider the meaning of a different scriptural paradigm. This one occurs when John, the beloved one, tells Jesus how the disciples tried to stop a man who was "driving out demons in your name." Why? Because "he is not one of us . " No doubt John expected Jesus to affIrm the disciples' spiritual discernment Instead, Jesus responds, "Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you" (Luke 9:49-50).

I wonder whether that was Jesus's way of saying God can and does operate beyond our definitions of spiritual correctness. To the extent that Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam have brought people together to confront the social demons that weaken America's social fabric and decimate the lives of its people, we Christians can and should affirm the Million Man March. But let us also be clear: While a bad man, in the sovereignty of God, can begin a good thing, he cannot ultimately complete it. Last month, God used Louis Farrakhan to reveal a spiritual hunger among African-American men The question for us is really this: Will Christians stand on the sidelines and miss an opportunity to be used by God to satisfy it?-DR