September 2005

You ' re stepping out on your own. But are you approaching your future with confidence? We can help you cultivate and manage your God-given resources, and in the process set your feet on solid ground. Ask us about:

• Life and health insurance

• Values-based investing opportunities

• Stewardship education

• Savings plans

For more information, call (800) 348-7468, or visit www.mma-online.org.

All products may not be available in every state.

FEATURES

Anniversary

10 THE CAS E FOR SE MINAR Y by Jon Isaak

Why bother with a denominational seminary? The reasons given 50 years ago when MB Biblical Seminary was founded may very well be valid today. This seminary professor explains why.

13 A PER SO NAL TOUR by Elmer A. Ma r tens

Elmer A. Martens has walked the MB Biblical Seminary campus for a total of 34 years-as a student, faculty member and president He kn ows the seminary inside and out. Walk with him do wn memory lane on this insider's tour of our seminary's history.

EQUIPPED FOR MINISTRY

Prior to their graduation fro m MB Biblical Seminary last May four students talked with seminary staff member Brad Thiessen about their call to ministry and what they've learn ed at seminary.

> FiRST WORDS

(from the editorl

THIS MONTH TIIE LEADER AND TIIE MB HERALD, TIIE English-language publication of the Canadian Conference, are highlighting the 50th anniversary of MB Biblical Seminary.

Our two publications worked with MBBS faculty and staff to prepare this collection of articles exploring the role this seminary has played in our denomination's past, present and future.

As I review the history of MBBS through the eyes of Elmer Manens I am struck by the number of times Manens'life was influenced by MBBS leaders (see article page 13). Not all of us can point to a specific person who helped to direct our lives the way Manens does. People who played an imponant role in my own life include a high school journalism teacher, my first boss, one particular youth sponsor and a handful of college friends. There isn't anyone single thing that these people did that causes me to put them on my tOP-10 list. It was rather a series of ordinary actions, conversations and events that when taken together became something significant.

I pray for the men and women who will influence my children. Our kids are very interested in spons and naturally many of the people they admire are athletes, unfonunately a group of people not always known for their character enhancing actions and artitudes. So it wasn't surprising four years ago when our daughters began following the successful Kansas State University women's basketball team The team was comprised primarily of small town high school standouts from the Midwest including Laurie Koehn from nearby Moundridge, Kan. What an incentive that is to young girls like ours who also call home a one-stoplight town.

When we googled Koehn's name we discovered that in addition to being an outstanding basketball player and three-point shoorer, she is a com mined Christian who talks about her faith in an article posted on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Web site. The world got even smaller when our girls learned that her family anends Hesston (Kan.) MB Church.

Koehn, who just finished her rookie regular season as a professional player, recently talked with freelance writer Laura Campbell about her faith, family and basketball. In that interview (page 26) Koehn talks about the ways in which we unknowingly impact someone else's life for the cause of Christ. Isn't that what being a role model is often all about-the things we don't know about?

> QUOTABLE

'l\nthropologists said that (Paraguay's) Chaco, often called the Green Hell, would never suppon more than about 900 people. And then the Mennonites came. Today there are more than 100,000 people in the Chaco. I have often asked Mennonites how they explain that. Invariably they point up." - Peter Dyck, who helped settle Mennonite refugees in Paraguay after World War II, reflecting on his recent trip to Paraguay to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Fernheim Colony

> UP & COMING

• Sept. 17- 18

• Od.14-16

• Nov 3- 6

• Nov 4-5

Nonh Carolina District Conference convention, Lenoir, NC

National Youth Leaders' Summit, Anaheim, Calif

Central District Conference convention, Salem MB C hurch , Bridgewater, SD Pacific District Conference convention, Fresno Pacific University

Connie Faber EDITOR

Myra Holmes ASSISTANT EDITOR

Elaine Ewen GRAPHIC DESIGNER

MANDATE The Christian Leader (JSSN 0009 5149) is publ ished monthly by the U.S Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches The Christian Leader seeks to inform Mennonite Brethren members and churches of the events , activities decisions and issues of their denomination, and to instruct, inspire and initiate dialogue so members will aspire to be fa ithfu l disci ple s of Christ as understood in the evan · gelicaVAnabaptist theological tradition

ED ITOR IAL POLICY The views expressed in thi s publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Christian Leader, the U S Conference Leadership Board or the Mennonite Brethren Church Scripture references are from New Intemational Version unle ss otherwise noted The editors invite freelance article submissions A SASE must accompany arti· cles

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

COMMUNICATION AU correspondence, including change of address, should be addressed to the Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063 Phone: 620 947 5543 Fax: 620 947 3266 E mail! christianleader18usmb org

SUBSCRIPTIONS $18 for one year, $34 for two years and $50 for three years ($20, $38, $54 in C;lneda); $1 50 per copy

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

POSTMASTER Send address changes to the Christian Leader, Box 220, Hillsboro, KS 67063 Periodicals po stage paid at Hillsboro, Kansa s.

CONNIE FABER I

By Tim DavIs

I am not ashamed

I AM NOT ASHAMED OF BEING A MENNONITE.

I have discovered since joining the ranks of the peacemakers that many of my more historic Mennonite brothers and sisters in Christ are reticent about acknowledging their denominational background.

When I chose to join the Mennonite Brethren a little over two and a half years ago, I thought I was joining a denomination that stood for peace and reconciliation in following Christ as opposed to an often angry and violent expression of Christianity.

What surprised

me is that the Mennonites are struggling on a teeter-totter of Anabaptism/evangelicalism. This is that

the pagans love those who love me (Matt 5:46)?

Is nationalism my highest goal in living out this form of phileo love? Or do I choose the higher goal of agape, unconditional love? As Paul would say, "If I have not love (agape), then I am nothing."

Historically Mennonites have put an emphasis on the teachings of Jesus which follow this ethic. After all, which of us merited God's unfailing love? Isn't God

is ab so lutely not ..In act of hostilitv . But nonviolence , as commonly und e rstood, is not a lways g r"lC

theological quagmire where the Anabaptist distinctives that I see as both biblical and comforting are the very values which some are aftaid to voice. From a personal point of view there has never been a time in history in which a voice for peacemaking is more needed.

Let me state this another way. It isn't the pacifism issue that drives my thinking and which I think is the core concern. It is the issue of grace.

For example, if I am aboard an airplane that has been hijacked by terrorists shouldn't I try to stop the terrorists from killing all those on board as well as those who would die on the ground? Of course.

The key is not in the act itself but in the motivation for the act. If my aim is to subdue a terrorist in order to save lives, I, in good conscience as a Mennonite, can do this. This is why I can discipline in love. It is corrective, not punitive.

If my aim is to take revenge, however, I am forbidden. The difference is grace. The problem is not physical force but aggression. That's the reason God institutes the use of force, not violence, in order to subdue aggression (Rom. r3 :rff).

I wish we could focus more on inward grace than on the outward nonviolence Grace is absolutely not an act of hostility. But nonviolence as commonly understood is not always gracious. Many times I have witnessed nonviolent people protesting in a manner that conveys a judgmental and ungracious attitude rather than that of one beggar reaching other beggars with the message of God's love and kindness .

The real issue is Ephesians 5:r and other similar passages: " Be imitators of God, therefore, and live a life of love. " Are we to live a life imitating God in loving those who don't deserve love, namely my enemies and sometime my friends? Or do I choose the safe route and merely like

i(-)u s . '-'

simply asking us to treat others the way he treated us? We truly do '10ve (unconditionally) because He first loved us (unconditionally)."

The difficulty of following Jesus in this inspired replication is simple. It requires us to focus on a heavenly kingdom, which is difficult in an age of prosperity. Who longs for a better world when I pretty much have it all now?

And it requires us to willingly accept suffering as one of the costs of following Jesus When we live and teach love for our enemies, our more nationalistic friends sometimes think we become the enemy by not siding with them in hatred of peoples who are not one of "us."

Neither of these tenets fare well at the social box office. In a culture that values the shallow, the convenient, the easy, we would be offeting a gospel which has enormous and eternal demands. It begins to sound like the Christ of the gospels. We must take up our cross and imitate, or follow.

Are we perfect as a denomination? Of course not Are we better than other Christians? Again, no. But does our historic theology reflect the transcendent graciousness of God to a terribly conflicted world?

I am not ashamed.

Tim Davis is pastor of Garden Valley Church in Garden City, KQn . ;

Check us out at usmb.org

Redesigned Web site welcomes visitors

Weare pleased to announce the completion of our project to redesign the u.s . Conference Web site. Check us out at usmb.org.

Below you see the 'bome page " If you are not used to surfing the web, this is the page that links you to all of the pages and sites you might be interested in visiting that relate to the u.s. Conference as well as other Mennonite Brethren and inter-Mennonite ministries.

Special thanks to our new web master, Mike Donald. Should your church be in the process of creating or redesigning a Web site and be in need of some professional assistance, you can contact him at mike@3ampmedia.com.

We also want to thank those who were part of the previous Board of Communications who helped to create the original Web site. You made our work much easier. lIappysuding.Feelfreeto communicate with staff members and to send your questions or donations with the links made available for these purposes.

Southern Sudan receives aid to settle refugees

MCC calls for 13,000 school kits by September 30

Mennonite Central Committee is providing $800,000 in aid to help resettle refugees who are retuming to southern Sudan after a 21-year civil war. As part of this effort, the inter-Mennonite relief agency is appealing for donations of 13,000 school kits by September 30

The Sudanese war ended Jan. 9, 2005, with a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and former rebels in the south. An estimated 4 million southern Sudanese refugees live in northern Sudan or other countties and are expected to return .

The war left southern Sudan without schools, clinics, paved roads or an adequate food supply. Despite the devastation, an estimated 1,500 refugees are returning daily to southern Sudan, according to the United Nations. Aid organizations are assisting southern Sudanese communities in providing for the basic needs of returnees.

MCC is providing shipments of blankets, clothing, soap and school kits at a total

value of $370,000 for distribution by Norwegian Church Aid in the Eastern Equatoria and Bahr el Ghazal regions of southern Sudan. These supplies will be distributed to 5,000 households, or about 25,000 people.

MCC is also providing $430,000 to fund relief work through Church Ecumenical Action in Sudan and the New Sudan Council of Churches These organizations will distribute plastic sheeting, blankets, mosquito nets, water cans, fishing equipment and cookware to 5,500 households.

With MCC funding, the New Sudan Council of Churches will also train commu-

nity leaders in peacemaking to deal with potential conflicts during resettlement.

MCC will continue to provide humanitarian aid to Sudan's Darfur region, where violence against civilians has caused the displacement of more than 2 million people and hundreds of thousands of deaths. MCC is cutrently planning to ship 3,000 metric tons of wheat for distribution to displaced people in Darfur.-MCC

National youth leaders' summit announced

The u.s. Conference National Youth Committee is hosting the first-ever u.s.

Leaders' Summit, Oct. 14-16 at the Anaheim (Calif ) Hilton, the site of the 2007 national youth convention

one another," says committee member Tim Neufeld 'This will be a Mennonite Brethren chance for them to get to know people from each of the five districts . We believe strongly that the future of the national conference, at least in patt, lies in the hands of the youth pastors and leaders "

Anyone involved with youth ministry- full -time or part-time, paid or volunteer- is invited to the summit Organizers hope to have one youth leader attend from evety U S MB church

The purpose of this event is twofold, say organizers. "11lere is a growing desire among MB youth leaders to connect with

The summit will also prepare youth leaders for Anaheim 07, the upcoming national MB youth conference " Each leader will go home with a clear unde rs tanding of the philosophy and physical layout of Anaheim 07," says Neufeld .

Funds are available to help attendees with travel costs More information about the summit and Anaheim 07 is available by e-mailing Neufeld , timneuf@fresno.edu or downloading the registration form from www .nyc07. com . The registration deadline is Sept. 10.

The National Youth Committee is a U.S. Conference project team and is comprised of representatives of the three MB education institutions Neufeld represents Fresno Pacific University, Wendell Loewen represents Tabor College and Rick Bartlett represents MB Biblical Seminaty.-NYC

Vietnamese Mennonites hopeful, cautious

Recent reports from Viemam give some hope of lowering tensions between government authorities and Mennonite churches at various levels, while at the same time hostile actions continue elsewhere. Church leaders interpret the signs of the times differently as well, and tensions over these issues continue within the church.

A pastor on the central Viemam coast was called in to the local security police office in June and told that city and provincial officials now stand ready to respond in positive ways to lessen the difficulties the churches in that region have faced. Four groups in Ho Chi Minh City, including the Mennonite congregation, have been notified that their applications for national legal

status for the denominations have progressed to a new stage.

Meanwhile a building in Ho Chi Minh City which serves as a place of worship and an office for the Viemam Mennonite Church was partially demolished July 19 by local authorities.

Viemam has been under international scrutiny over its intrusive monitoring of religious groups. Since November 2004, the government has proclaimed several nationallevel changes intended to lessen criticism of its heavy hand in "managing" organized religion

Conversations with officials indicate that a major concern of the government is political insecurity over rapid growth in the number of evangelical believers among eth-

nic minority groups, who have long been at the margins of Viemamese culture. A majority of the Mennonites in Viemam are ethnic minority peoples.

Strong public advocacy for the plight of minority groups and minority Christians by Mennonite leaders in recent years may be a major underlying factor in government hostility toward some Mennonite churches.-MWC

APPOINTED:

Laura Kalmar has been appointed editor of the MB Herald, effective this month. Kalmar fills the vacancy left by Susan Brandt's retirement. Most recently Kalmar served as associate pastor in children's ministry at Bakerview MB Church, Abbotsford, BC The Herald is the publication of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.-CMBC

APPOINTED:

Skip (Terry) Nagelvoort has been named president of Mennonite Mutual Aid, replacing Howard L. Brenneman who retired July 31, 2005. Nagelvoort is a former Wall Street banker, entrepreneur and investment banker with a

strong commitment to church ministry. Mennonite Brethren representatives on the MMA board of directors are David Faber, Hillsboro, Kan., and Ken Enns, Dinuba, Calif.-MMA

PUBLISHED:

A Spanish language revision of Mark D. Baker's book Religious No More: Building Communities of Grace and Freedom, published in 1999, was released in May. Baker is associate professor of mission and theology at MB Biblical Seminary. Basta de religion: como construer communidades de gracia y libertad is Baker's fourth published book and second in Spanish. In adapting the book into Spanish, Baker replaced sections

focused on the North American context with material that is more applicable to a Latin American audience.MBBS

REPRESENTED:

The global General Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist churches welcomed Mennonite World Conference representatives Lynn and Donna Jost at its 58th session, June 29 to July 9 in St. Louis, Mo. Lynn Jost, MWC General Council member representing the U S. Conference of MB Churches and professor of biblical and religious studies at Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas, brought greetings to the international gathering on behalf of MWC.-MWC

One navigational resource that has guided North American Mennonite Brethren for the past 50 years is MB Biblical Seminary. Since its founding in 1955, MBBS is said to have been the most important event in setting our theological direction. As we find our way in a y MBBS will continue to playa key role in helping us find those elements in ), our diverse theological heritage that will serve us best. In this issue we say CCHappy Birthday" to our seminary and take a look at • MBBS past, present and . future.

The Case for Sentinary

MB Biblical Seminary was founded 50 years ago to provide seminary training that was uniquely Mennonite Brethren. Is our approach to theological training still needed?

Do WE NEED A SEMINARY? Fifty years ago. Mennonite Brethren answered by saying. ''Yes. we need our own seminary for pastoral training" and MB Biblical Seminary opened its doors Sept. 8. 1955, in Fresno. Calif.

The rationale for establishing MBBS was based on a survey showing that MB ministry students were studying at 15 seminaries of other denominations in North America. This was a problem, wrote J. B. Toews in The Seminary Story (1975) . Since Mennonite Brethren had "some theological premises distinct from mainstream Protestantism, the future leadership of the Mennonite Brethren church required the background of an Anabaptist theological orientation " These theological distinctives included conversionist mission practice. lifelong discipleship. community discernment. and nonviolent resistance.

"It became rather clear." Toews said. "that a decision to send our future leadership through the training programs of 'mainstream Protestant' institutions without a firm grounding in their historic faith would mean a systematic destruction of the theological disrinctives which brought the Mennonite Brethren fellowship into being." Some of his concern was fueled by the inroads being made within MB churches by pietism, fundamentalism. dispensationalism. individualism and militarism.

What is the consensus 50 years later? Having a seminary costs a million or so dollars each year. Do MBs still need a seminary?

I believe a strong case can be made for continuing to invest in an MB seminary. While times have changed since Toews' assessment, a seminary is still vital for the life of the MB church . Certainly the more than 1, 200 alumni who contribute in the church and in the world testify to the merits of this investment. In addition to their influence. however. there are three reasons why MBs should still bother with a seminary.

Clarifying our unique contribution

First, in an increasingly post-denominational world a seminary helps MBs clarify their contribution to the global church . Most indicators in the western world show a decreasing commitment to denominational structures. institutions and programs. While we may mourn the loss. this reality offers a new opportunity for MBs. Identity promotion can now be framed in more positive terms instead of trying to shore up MB distinctives as characterized by J. B. Toews ' assessment.

The global church is remarkably open and interested in the MB contribution to faith and life, and we have something very valuable to share with the larger communion of saints . I am always amazed at how interested my non-MB students are in hearing a clear articula -

tion of MB th eology.

Th e globa l chu rch needs people who think deeply about the fou r theme s typically associa ted with MB theology.

• Our conve rsion is t mission practice has much to offer a world inc reasi ngly immobili zed by the western fascination with tolerance, whe re tra nsformation or change is questioned

• Th e Anabapti st stress on lifelong discipleship is valued by those of other traditions who often struggle with articulating a link betwee n confe ssion an d ethics. between belief and daily practice.

• Th e M B emp hasis on community d iscernment and accountability b rings fresh air to ou r arid contemporaty context where people are sile nced by the stron g voices of a few or by the constant noise of indiv idual op inions.

• Th e ca ll to find creative solutions to conflict without the use of lethal violence is welcomed by many around the world.

In a post-denominational age, groups like the Willow Creek Association will likely play a larger role in linking churches across denominationa l li nes . This is a good th ing. Let's take our place at the table an d contrib ute the histori c val ues that have made MBs unique.

To do th is we need a seminary where people are thinking deeply about th ese iss ues . Pa stors. ch urch planters, counselors, theologians, and lea ders of all kinds need a place where the MB voice is nurtured, cu lti vated and ho ned.

Constru cti ng respo nses to culture

Second. in an increasingly post-Christian world a seminary helps M Bs engage our host cultures in constructive ways. Canada and the U S built societies rooted in the historic Judeo-Christian value system, but they are no longer so.

Again, we can mourn the loss or frame it as an opportunity for MBs . Th e leaders of the church in the next 50 years will still need formation in the skills of exegeting the biblical text, preaching sermons, leading worship experiences. assessing cultural movements, building commu nities. chairing meetings. walking alongside hurting people and mentorin g leaders. But they will need to do this in a world that does not presume a Judeo-Christian worldview regarding God. moral ity, fam ily and so on .

Negotiating within our post-Christian world is a high priority for church leaders and takes a special set of skills - careful listening, playful imagination , critical thinking. sensitive cultural engagement, biblical literacy and theological depth.

If these skills are not developed, churches will follow one of two classical trajectories Some will adopt an isolationist approach, pretending the post- Ch ri sti an wo rldview is a passing fad which will go away if we igno re it - some th ing like an ostrich. Others will adopt the concessionist ap proac h, conceding that the Judeo-Chri stian worldview is just one among many equally good scenarios representing God's way and not worth particular promotion - something li ke a chameleon

I wou ld argue for an approach that is neither ostrich nor ch ameleon Th e church in every age is clearly part of a particular cultural world view yet se eks to self-criticaliy transform and reform its

B Y o N S A A K

host culture. In our rapidly evolving post-Christian world, we need neither ostriches nor chameleons, but rather raccoons -those who instinctively wash and examine food before eating it-taking some things and leaving aside others.

A seminary remains devoted to helping leaders develop a set of raccoon skills Increasingly we will need to find creative ways to differentiate our theological allegiances from our political or nationalistic ones. This takes some thoughtful and careful cultural observation and construction. just the kinds of things a seminary does.

MBBS alumni reflection

Confidence to minister

What was the best thing you took away from seminary?

I have many positive memories of our two years studying at MB Biblical Seminaty in Fresno. I think the best thing I gained was confidence to pastor. I went to MBBS believing God was leading me, yet somewhat overwhelmed at the prospect of being a pastor I remember starting seminary with the thought that here are pastors missionaries Bible teachers and me.

Towards the end of seminary I said to my wife Heather, " If I will walk humbly, live faithfully and depend on God to empower me, he will use me to give effective pastoral leadership." It was not that I was then so educated that I could do this But I believed God had equipped me to pastor his church I have encountered many situations I was not specifically prepared for, but with the tools I received I have had confidence to minister pastorally and provide leadership

H you could pick the brains of seminary professors today what would you ask about?

I would enjoy another year or semester of study at some point As a pastor I am continually trying to lead and nurture others . I have been enriched along the way by seminars and short courses, but it would be great to have another extended tim e of receiving in the areas of Bible, theology and church leadership I'm sure I feel this way because MBBS was such a positive experience. Lome WiUms. pastor Coaldale (Alta.) MB Church

MBBS anniversary

Extending God's claims in our time

Third. a seminary in an increasingly postmodern world helps MBs with the philosophic:al challenges of embracing the biblic:al witness to God's purposes. The postmodern mantra we hear all around us goes. 'The only truth is that there is no truth outside of my truth." The postmodern assertion is that all understanding is tentative, personal, subjective and ad hoc.

The western phenomenon of turning in on itself is mirrored in the church's growing reluctance to say anything about social justice. personal behavior or moral responsibility to or for others. ConselVatives retreat to peddling a safe and narrow "Jesus and me" gospel. while liberals appeal to another version of the same 'Jesus and me" gospel to ward off any challenges to personal behavior.

It is precisely in such a foundationless postmodern context that an MB seminary makes a valuable contribution to church life. Courses in biblical interpretation. theology, history. and counseling all address in some way the root question of our time: Is it possible to make any claims about God, the Bible. or our life together in a postmodern context? If so. how would one go about this in a culturally sensitive way?

A seminary embodies the church's mandate of working within our postmodern social location to come up with new expressions of faithful biblical interpretation for our time. In the marketplace of ideas, competing interpretations clamor for acceptance and these need to be sorted out. Some advocate abandoning the ancient images of God and our life together preserved in the Bible in favor of something more "contemporary." Others want to freeze these same images for all times and cultures, virtually silencing any theologic:al reflection. Again, I would argue for neither approach. believing instead that faithful biblical interpretation is about discerning

together how to extend the biblical images in contextually appropriate ways.

The critical discerning criterion is as follows: Is there a "familial resemblance" between the biblical interpretation being proposed and the form emerging from the Bible, representing the testimony of the faithful "cloud of witnesses" (Heb. I2:z)? If the answer is yes, then the Christian community can be assured that the interpretation is an appropriate embrace of the biblical witness, one that continues giving testimony to God's living way. If no. the interpretation is set aside.

As our postmodern world continues on its trajectory further and further from the ancient world depicted in the Bible, the church will need more, not less, help in bridging the gap from the biblical world to our own. The challenges continue in our time. and so does our need of the vital service of our seminary in the tasks of interpretation and discernment, extending the biblical witness to our world. Jon Isaak is associate professor of New Testament at MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif He is a member of College Community Church, Mennonite Brethren, in Clovis, Calif

MBBS alumni reflection

The value of in 14' Biblical Seminary

What was the best thing you took away &om seminary?

Some of my best memories of seminary include the privilege of studying under people whose names have become synonymous with the seminary's foundational history. How blessed fve been to take a theology course from J B Toews, Old Testament theology from Elmer Martens, Romans from John E. Toews. preaching from J J Toews, Christian education from Loyal Martin, New Testament epistles from D Edmond Hiebert, and Revelation from David Ewert. There were other important inftueneers as weD. but I feel like I studied under the "MB Professors Hall of Fame " What an encouragement they were to me as I continued listening for God's confir-

mation for pastoral ministry during those demanding years of developing new disciplines for biblic:al study

In reflecting on my seminary experience one of the best things I took from those years was the capacity to do biblic:al study. We were schooled on the difference between a biblic:al seminary and a school of theology, and we learned that MBBS was a biblical seminary based on very deep convictions about the importance of approaching biblic:al studies from that vantage point While a course or two in systematic theology could have enhanced what I learned, the biblic:al studies approach gave me the resources to develop my own systems that I can express and pass on in the context of a preaching ministry as a pastor.

If you c:ould pick the brains of seminary professors today. what would you ask about?

If I could pick the brain of one of the professors today I would ask counsel and help in creating ways to draw more pe0ple into pastoral ministry. Why aren't we training more pastors and how can the seminary and church work more closely to meet this growing need?

Dennis Fast

, senior pastor Reedley (Calif.)

MBChurch

ELmer A. Martens has Lived the story of MB BiblicaL Seminary's growth and deveLopment as a student, facuLty member and president . Join on a guided historicaL tour of our seminary.

A per sonal T 0 U R

IN THE FALL OF 1955 I LEFT Saskatchewan in a 1950 Ford to enroll in MB Biblical Seminary, an upstart institution in Fresno, Calif. I was a public school teacher and I had made my decision to prepare for full-time Christian ministry reluctantly and only after meeting face-to-face with G. W Peters, the new seminary's academic dean. He assured me that I would not be getting the short end of the stick, as I feared. "Elmer," he said, "God is no man's debtor." He was so right.

I was in the first class to enroll in the three -year bachelor of divinity program and classes were held that first year at Pacific Bible Institute, today Fresno Pacific University. My co-graduates in 1958 were David Block, David Plett, Nick Rempel and Jacob Froese, each of whom served as lifelong pastors, and John Klassen, a missionary to Brazil, now deceased.

There were 18 students that first year, among them three women including my future wife Phyllis Hiebert. The student body 50 years later is no longer primarily male; 70 women - 40 percent of the student bodywere enrolled this past Nor are all students Mennonite Brethren as we were then ; now 27 denominations are represented. In my opinion, both are good

Elmer Martens, far left, came to MB Biblical Seminary the year it opened and graduated in 1958.

developments. Voices then in the minority have over the years become voices of the majority.

E. J Peters, a potato grower in Shafter, Calif., was chair of the MBBS Board of Directors for its first 17 years. At one public gathering I heard him articulate the vision of the founders: "God will accomplish his program. He will use men and women to do it. The question is whether you will be one of those he uses."

Thanks to the vision of such men a 53-acre cotton field in southeast Fresno was purchased. On it was a vintage 1916 "mansion" with a eucalyptus-lined driveway. B. J. Braun, pastor of Dinuba (Calif.) MB Church and noted conference leader, was the seminary's first president. He lived with his family on the ground floor of the mansion during my second year Aromas of Mrs. Braun's cooking wafted upward to our classrooms, distracting us .

In a chapel address Braun once declared matter-of-factly, "On matters of the virgin birth , the deity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement, the second coming of Christ and the divine inspiration of the Bible I am not dogmatic " With a characteristic smirk, he then raised his voice: "No, on these matters I am bull-dogmatic."

During our student years my wife and I worked at P. A. Enns' fruit packing shed Enns was on the board of directors and a driving force in establishing the school. These pioneers wanted the Canadian constituency to be a supporting partner of the seminary. So Enns repeatedly engaged me, a Canadian, in explaining the Canadian mentality and reluctance to join Finally in 1975, during H. H. Dick's tenure as president, b inational support of the school was secured. Ironically, confer-

BBS annIversary

ence divestiture came some 25 years later and again the is sue of the support base bubbles beneath the surface .

I n the beginning the curriculum had a theologically dispensational cast. That changed with the coming of J. B. Toews in 1964. He sought a mandate from the U.S. Conference to color the seminary program Anabaptist and hired A. J. Klassen as academic dean to see to the im plementation.

In te nt on highlighting biblical theology, President Toews phoned, wrote and personally visited me, then a docto ral student at Claremont University Graduate school, and eventually persuaded me (for I had other

were fewer, but I believe MBBS is largely to be credited for bringing about global denominational cohesion. As I now visit and minister in these countries I marvel what God has brought to pass.

An increased emphasis on mission and evangelism at the school was another high point. Hans Kasdorf and confe rence evangelist Henry J Schmidt joined the faculty and before long some 24 students were enrolled in a mission major. The Center for Training in Mission and Evangelism was established in 1985. Many of the current North American missionary force were trained at MBBS .

Times change. As president from 1977 to 1986 I proposed to the board that the seminary recruit students from the San Joaquin Valley We were the only accredited seminary between Los Angeles and San

"God will accompli s h his program He will use men and wo me n to do it. The question is whether you w i ll be one of those he uses. " -

E.J. Peters, MBBS board chair

aspirations ) that it was God 's will that I join the faculty. I did an d have remained with the school for more than 35 years. I was the first of several MBBS graduates to return to the institution to teach. A highlight of my early years on the seminary faculty was in 1969 when with great rejo icing we posed for pictures upon receiving accreditation .

I n the early 1970S students from India enriched the community One of these, R. S. Aseervaclam, has just retired after a lifelong ministry to the India conference as pas tor, teacher and head of the evangelism program. A considerable cadre of students in the mid and late 1980s came from Europe, among them Bernard Ott, now president of the European Mennonite Bible School at Biene nb erg , Switzerland, and Alexander Neufeld, recently chair of the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren. African and Japanese students

Francisco. After deliberating the board said no. Ours was to be a school supported by MB constituency to provide ministers for the MBs. Thirteen years later the board mandated that new President Henry Schmidt reach into the valley. In the class I taught last fall there were Anglicans, Presbyterians, Baptists and Catholics. In the last decade the seminary has entered into formal agreements with the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and is recognized as a training center for their ministers.

With the coming of professors Al Dueck and Delores Friesen to strengthen the counseling dimension of pastoral training, a fullfledged counseling program with appropriate degrees was introduced. This high-bar program has attracted numerous students and has altered the overall direction of the school.

John E. Toews, the longest-serving dean (1980-1992), urged the faculty to publish. I took great pleasure as president to highlight books published by faculty D. Edmond Hiebert, handicapped with deafness, was the most prolific. Among others who have assisted the church through their publications are David Ewert, Allen Guenther and Hans Kasdorf.

Over the past five decades faculty members have served MB and other churches with Bible conferences and seminars In the last five years faculty have taught at institutions in Germany, Congo, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Philippines, India and Japan The mission dimension , a hallmark of the denomination, has also been the hallmark of its training institution. For that I, for one, am most grateful. The campu s structures too

Left: MB Biblical Se minary staff members Top : J B. Toews, standing, was an influenti al seminary faculty member.

have changed. I chuckle as I recall builder A. N. Dick of Mountain Lake. Minn .• with his house trailer on campus for six winters. joining us faculty and students for coffee breaks . Thanks to a gift by the H. K. Warkentin family. the prayer chapel. the structural campus jewel. was built in honor of missionary Herman Warkentin who died in India. Between 1977-1985 vice president Henry Dueck oversaw major construction. At my suggestion classrooms were designated by the sources of contribution: California Room Oklahoma Room. Manitoba Room. B C. and Ontario lounges and Dakota Resource Room. Today MBBS has again expanded to include a presence in Langley. BC. as part of the ACTS consortium and to Winnipeg. Man .• at Canadian Mennonite University.

I can testify that administrators often agonized before God concerning funds both for operating and capital expenses. At one point. an anonymous donor plugged a significant financial hole with a $5.000 gift. A Canadian donor jump - started the early 1980s building program with $100.000. I was thrilled and almost in disbelief when Peter

Funk. fund-drive coordinator. burst into my office to announce that sufficient pledges and cash were on hand to dedicate the new structure debt free.

With such memories of answers to prayer. lively classroom discussions around the Word of God. faculty collegiality. intimate moments in student discernment meetings. and the awareness of some 1.300 alumni in the Lord's service. I walk about the campus. resonating with a visitor who said to me one day. "I feel that here I am walking on holy ground."

Elmer A. Martens is President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at MB Biblical Seminary.

MBBS alu mni reflection

A life-giving experience

Wh at was the best thi n g you took away from seminary?

In my last of three years at MB Biblical Seminary I experienced three crucial dynamics that have been part of my ongoing growth and commitment to life-giving spirituality. While my time at seminary was important in many ways. not least of which was equipping me for my profession. it was these three dynamics that set me on the road to self-awareness. freedom and an abundant life

The first was being in psychotherapy myself After almost a decade of struggling with a blank and empty feeling in my heart I began to sense the gentle, fearsome rising of aliveness within me .

The second life- giving dynamic was my clinical supervisor, Jan Ritchey, whose picture I have displayed in each of my profes sion al offices since graduating Jan was a mentor. guide and teacher. She taught me to

have the hea rt of a therapist She enveloped me in truthful acceptance and believed in what I could bring to the healing journeys of those who sought therapy with me

The th ird crucial dynamic occurred as I did the research for my thesis The material I read resonated strongly with my own experience . my own longings for validation and freedom as a woman in the church, and built on the foundation of community and mutuality I had known in my home congregation . Much of what I learned at MBBS was by persevering through the challenges of adversity In contrast, these three dynamics were enriching and growth -producing and set the direction for the subsequent years of my life

If you could pick the brains of seminary professors today, what would you ask about?

Most of the professors who taught me are no longer at the seminary but have

retired or moved to other academic institutions to continue their work During my time at MBBS most of my attention was focused on my own learning and character development. If I could "pic k their brains" now. I'd be much more curiou s about their own experiences as men and women in a church school. dealing with constituency expectations and confli cts wishing to understand what cau sed th em to teach in a denominational school and eventually to leave the school. I would be curi ous about the life and edu cational even ts that had an impact on them and sha ped th em . I would be curious to know how they experienced abundance in th eir lives

Joanne Klassen . director Recovery of Hope Winnip eg

1\1BBS annirersar 'V

Prior to their graduation from MB BiblicaL Seminary four students reflect on their caLL to ministry and what they've Learned at seminary.

This spring '9 individuals trained to be pastors, missionaries, counselors and ministry workers received degrees through MB Biblical Seminary's campuses in Fresno, Calif., and Langley, BC. Their passion for ministry is as varied as their individual personalities. Prior to their graduation, four students from the Fresno campus shared with MBBS staff member Brad Thiessen their passion for ministry, a key challenge of ministry and how their seminary experience helped inspire and equip them.

MBBS 2005 Gr aduates. I

for ministry

Mike Ayers:

Embracing Anabaptist theology

When I was a junior in high school, I brought a Mormon friend to an outreach event. At the end of the evening I shared Christ with her. She had said in the past that we worshipped the same God, but now she wouldn't pray to Jesus in case she'd miss out on the "blessings and promises" that are a part of Mormon beliefs. The next day I was having devotions and praying for her, and I began to cry. If the "blessings and promises" were more important to her than a relationship with Christ, we probably were not worshipping the same God. I felt a voice telling me that I have a heart for God and for seeing people come to him , and that he was calling me into fulltime ministry.

From there I went to Tabor College where I embraced Anabaptist theology. Previously I had studied apologetics, learning to defend and prove my faith. Anabaptism taught me that if you can tell the story of the Gospel and God's work in creation you don't have to argue it.

Seminary helped me refine my theology. The seminary's Supervised Ministry Experience also allowed me to work at Mountain View Church as small group intern. I grew a lot through working with the pastors and learning their vision.

To communicate the Gospel to people who do not have it we have to meet them where they are. The problem is that people who already have the Gospel are comfortable with the way things are in the church. If we can get people in the church onto the mission of reaching people outside the church, they will be willing to do the things that need to be done.

The second challenge is to get people to live authentic Christian lives in community. For me that really highlights some of the Anabaptist distinctives of community, service and daily discipleship. The outside world is hungering for that in their own lives, whether or not they know it.

Ayers graduated in May with a Master of Divinity degree. He and his wife Shana have two daughters, Londonne (8) and Basia (5). Ayers is joining Promontory Community Church in Chilliwack, B.C. as Greenhouse Pastor working with discipleship, equipping and small groups.

Shahna Duerksen:

Bringing others into the kingdom

When I was 18 I went to Guatemala with my church youth group. That's where I first felt a call to missions, a passion for working in other cultures and countries. The next years were spent in local missions in Georgia, still with people of other cultures. At 25 I went to England with Youth with a Mission. That's where God began stirring a passion within me to help people see the part they could play in God's kingdom and in tum be used to bring others into that kingdom.

When I was younger I had some painful experiences as a student. I went to Bible school but didn't graduate. After 10 years of field experience, I had deeper theological questions and I wanted to achieve this goal of getting a seminaty degree, as a better foundation for ministry and as a completion of a journey of healing. self-discovery and fulfillment.

At seminary, two of Mark Baker's classes-"Global Christian Theology" and "Missionary Anthropology"helped me gain an appreciation for being a leamer in a different culture, and we learned about contextualizing the Gospel for other cultures.

I am going to India where women typically have a submissive role in society and in the church. There will be challenges for me as a North American woman in ministry, but I also will be able to use my gifts, possibly in new ways of doing mission, possibly in business consultancy work.

Another challenge will be to discern what kind of church we as a team of North American and Indian missionaries are going to plant. Is it going to reflect my North American worldview, an Indian worldview, or integrate the two? Hopefully the larter.

Duerksen graduated in May with an MA in Intercultural Mission. This faR. Shahna, her husband Darren and their son Ethan will be moving to northern India as part of The Delhi Project, a team of Indian and North American Mennonite Brethren church planters.

1\-1 B BS . annrcersary

Jay Buhler:

Ministry in community

In 1991, the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and all the stories around it of black equality, the powerfu l and the powerless, and social justice impacted me in a significant way. I began reading about slavery, white supremacy and Martin Luther King Jr and identifying with the disenfranchised, the poor, the powerless.

When I came to seminary, for the first time these things were part of my theological reflection. The Gospel, the story of Christ, got down into the mu ck of humanity and I began to understand the social implications of the kingdom of God Christ has reconciled me to God and now I'm able to see myself and other people more through the eyes of Chri st- people who need reconciliation with God, with each other, and with themselves. In working with individuals , families and couples in therapy settings (while at seminary) , I have been able to integrate my passion for reconciliation with the people I work with Ministty is not a one-person show It has to be done with and within a community. Anytime people are being asked to consider parts of themselves and society that we'd prefer to ignore, it's hard to have a communal response. The Spirit of God has to move and we have to be willing to join God in what he wants to do.

This school has worked very hard to solidify the community aspect of ourselves and community responsibility. The professors have challenged my theological reflections, helped put words to them and challenged me to make ideas practical.

Buhler graduated in May with a Master of Arts in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling. He and his wife Marcia, who received the same degree, are planning to return to their home in Edmonton, Alta , to seek employment

Liz Gonzales:

A heart fo r the outcast

I was raised as a Christian and so servant min istty was modeled to me. I always had a heart for people whom others considered to be outcasts . As I grew up I rea li ze d if I was to be happy I needed to be involved in ministerin g to such people.

My passion is working for the lost, broken and forgotten : people with disabilities , the hom eless an d now specifically inmates and ex- inmate s. At Sa maritan Wo men we go into prisons and jails and let the women th ere know they can come to our center upon the ir rel ease. We offer them ho using, clothing, food, case ma nage ment and classes O ve r 600 women, as well as 600 chil d ren , com e thro ugh our cl as sroom doors every yea r We walk alongside every womanhelping them make wise choices and learni ng to walk as godly women .

At seminary two cl asses in part ic ular fueled my p assion . "The Gospel of Luke" taught by Ti m Geddert, emphasized the biblica l mand ate of Ch ri stians to meet the needs of others "Christi an Co mmuni ty Developm ent" taught by Jim Westgate gave practic al ways to do mi nist ry in a modem context.

Being a woman in ministty can be difficu lt. Tha t is not an excuse not to work hard-more of an obstacl e to overcome My age, being somewhat yo un ger, doe sn't help either Women don 't experience as ma ny open doors in ministty. Having a seminary degree is probably helpful in encouragi ng receptivity in those who would otherwise be hes itant to accept me in ministty. Gonzales is director of development for Samaritan Women , a ministry for women who are inmates or fonner inmates and their daughters She graduated in May with an MA in Christian Ministries.

Out of the Strange Silence: The Challenge of Being Christian in the 21st Century has been written by MB Biblical Seminary faculty members on the occasion of the sem inary's 50th anniversary. It will be available in October from Kindred Produ ctions at www .kindredproductions.com or by calling (800) 545-73 22 .

Your Mennonite Brethren W hat Where ' When Why How

Transformation stories characterize SDC July convention

"It's not about us; it's all about God" the unofficial theme

WHEN DELEGATES FROM THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT Conference gathered for their biennial convention July 29-31 in Denver, Colo., the unofficial theme was "It's not about us ; it's all about God " The 39 SDC congregations are located in Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, with one each in Arkansas and Texas.

Again and again as delegates shared stories of lives and communities transformed, they refused to take credit but pointed to the power and glory of God. As delegates planned for the future of the SDC, the sense of excitement for transforming communi ties was tempered only by questions about how to fund that vision.

Excitement for outreach was evident from the first minutes of the convention as Tony Cannon, pastor of worship at Pine Acres MB

Gary Janzen, SDC chair, offers a prayer of bless in g for New Hopedale Menn onite Church during the Friday night opening session as the church officially joined the conference.

Church, Weatherford , Okla , introduced the theme song for the weekend, "Church on Fire. "

"The Holy Spirit is here and his power is real," delegates sang. "Anything can happen and it probably will " During opening worship, Cannon cha ll enged delegates to name and pray for specific people in their daily lives whom the gospel might transform

Gary Janzen, district chair and pastor of Fairview (Okla ) MB Church , introduced the offi cial theme for the weekend, 'The Church and Community Transformation," in a keynote addre ss. Janzen said the ch urch is a community of aliens put in a partic ular loc ation for the purpose of transforming the community and giving glo ry to God.

" [The church ] is not abo ut us ; it's all about him ," he said

He challenged delegates to be gin thinkin g abo ut how

they can transfonn their communities-extending even to the hotel staff serving the convention for the weekend.

Jim Westgate, professor of practical ministries at MB Biblical Seminary, challenged delegates through a series of three messages to become churches that transfonn their communities.

'We need the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole community," Westgate said.

Westgate talked about the need for churches to intentionally commit to reaching their communities, becoming "community churches" rather than "commuter churches." He gave practical ideas for exploring and understanding both the needs and the assets of the community, as well as examples of how a church can embrace , its community and begin the process of transfonnation

Break-out sessions Saturday afternoon gave delegates from each church an opportunity to discuss how to implement these challenges in their own communities

Stories of transfonnation were sprinkled liberally throughout the convention

• Nate Gift. pastor of Ulysses (Kan ) MB Church. told how

Above: Jim Westgate, MB Bib lical Seminary faculty member, challenged delegates to be part of congregations that transform their communities. Right: Tony Cannon and the members of the Pine Acres Churc h worship tea m led delegates in singing.

the church's 40 Days of Purpose campaign, funded in part by the SDC's Church Extension and Evangelism Commission, led to new commitments to Christ and the start of a recovery ministry.

• When a video presentation failed, Brad Tremmel ftom Ulysses MB gave a live testimony of his new commitment to Christ.

• Delegates heard about a new English -language outreach of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church, Denver, Colo., funded in part by CEEC.

• Kristina Roble, an intern in children's ministry at Ethiopian Christian Fellowship, Olathe, Kan., said via video, 'There is no way the things that are happening in the church are happening in my strength."

• Wes Brown of United at the Cross Community Church in Wichita, Kan., described the church's growing ministry to inner-city children and told the story of "Fritter," a teen whose life has been transfonned through the ministry.

• Delegates heard how Faith Works, an employment and training program begun as an outreach of Ethiopian Evangelical Church, Denver, Colo., is transfonning their community by helping African immigrants in the Denver area become self-sufficient.

Many of the reports from conference ministries came in the fonn of stories as well. Representatives from MB Biblical Seminary, Tabor College, MBMS International and MB Foundation told delegates how lives had been transfonned through these ministries. Delegates also heard reports from the various SOC ministries and commissions.

A highlight of the convention was the welcome of New Hopedale Mennonite Church, Meno, Okla , into the district. New Hopedale entered into a fraternal affiliation with the district two years ago and was fonnally received into the district late last year by the Executive Council. The New Hopedale delegates, Pastor James Sudennan and members of SOC's Executive Council and Faith and Life Commission gathered on stage for a time of prayer for the church and Janzen presented the New Hopedale delegation with a plaque to mark their welcome into the SOC .

As the New Hopedale delegates left the stage, one spontaneously echoed the unofficial theme: "It's not about us; it's all about him."

The excitement for transfonning communities was held in check only by the reality of financial need. Ted Goertzen, Stewardship Commission chair, reminded delegates that funding played an important role in all the stories of transfonnation presented. Goertzen pointed out that expanding the church's vision through the SOC

would require expanding funding as well . For example, plans for a new church plant in the Oklahoma City area would be put on hold until the district could be certain of funding for a several-year commitment

During business sessions, delegates wrestled with dwindling reserves and ways to fund the vision into the future. District treasurer Jerry Hinerman reported that while receipts from churches had increased, operating expenses continued to outpace receipts. The district has tapped into reserves for several years to meet expenses.

At the 2003 SDC convention, delegates had approved an increase in the district's required church contribution from 3 percent to 4 percent of each church's rece ipts. Although giving fell short of the 4 percent goal, it did increase significantly over the last two years.

Concern over the continuing disparity between receipts and budgeted expenses and dwindling reserves prompted the Executive Council to recommend the budget include a $35,000 per year commitment to donor development efforts.

In their written report, the Executive Committee said, "It is the opinion of the Executive Committee that we have a window of three to four years to develop a strategy for financial stability and for ministry growth in our Southern District Conference. We believe that this recommendation is an important step in the development of that stability and growth ."

The proposed donor development effort was openended with specific strategy to be determined by the Executive Committee. The effort could include hiring a

part-time individual or consultant to strengthen communication with churches, encourage donations and build an endowment fund. It could also include a volunteer task force to support such an individual "to create communication tools and materials for developing donors within SDC churches," according to the written report.

Much of the budget discussion centered around this donor development proposal. Several delegates spoke from the floor to suggest that financial support from churches would be greater if congregations knew more about what God is doing in and through the district

Garvie Schmidt, pastor of Enid (Okla .)

MB Church, said, "Have we done a fair job of telling the story or a great job of telling the story?"

The proposed budget of $287,000 for 2006 and $306,200 for 2007, including the donor development recommendation, passed by a ballot vote.

In other business, delegates elected and commissioned individuals to fill district leadership positions.

The convention concluded with communion . Tim Davis, pastor of Garden Valley MB Church, Garden City, Kan., reiterated the unofficial theme and reminded delegates that while the work of the SDC is for God's glory alone, it is also about the SDC churches working together He challenged delegates to view communion as an expression of the unity of the district body.

Following communion, delegates ended as they had begun, by singing the weekend's theme song. "Something very good, something good is going on around here, " they sang. -by Myra Holmes

Sunnyside Racquet Club, Fresno, California

Tickets : $35

RSVP to Nancy Williams (800) 251-6227. extention 0 nwilliams@mbseminary.edu

Events celebrate missions

MBMSI hopes to connect w i th indiv i d u als and chu r c h es

Mennonite Brethren on the West Coast will gather to celebrate global missions Sept II at Reedley (Calif ) MB Church. The event is one of several "celebrate missions nights" organized by MBMS International, the cross-cultural mission agency of North American MBs. 'The purpose of the evening is to do church together with a MBMSI missions theme," says Carlin Weinhauer, team leader for mobilization and media at MBMSI.

A total of eight events have been schedu led throughout the U.S. and Canada in major centers of MB churches. The Reedley event will be the first in the U.S , with others planned in Freeman, S.D ., Hillsboro, Kan., and Fairview , Okla. The Reedley celebration begins at 6 p.m ; all other U.S. events begin at 7 p.m.

According to Weinhauer, the events are for "everyone who would normally attend one of our MB churches on a Sunday morning. Missions is for all of us."

Worship will be a major portion of each celebration event. In addition, each will include a challenge from MBMSI's general director Randy Friesen and a video update on Operation Rebuilding Lives, MBMSI's tsunami relief and church planting effort in Thailand. Attendees will have an opportunity to respond with a "thank you offering" for MBMSI's efforts at holistic church planting efforts in Thailand and Northern India.

At the Reedley event worship will be led by Randy Janzen, who leads worship and music at Neighborhood MB Church, Visalia, Calif Janzen is gathering singers from several area churches for a mass choir that will be accompanied by an orchestra assembled from the Visalia area. He says the music will range from praise chotuses to hymns, with several that "point our attention and hearts to the nations."

The first of eight mission celebrations was held in Abbotsford, BC and featured the Willingdon MB Church choir and orchestra Four MBM SI rallies will be held in the U S. , the fi r st in Reedley, Calif., this month

The Free man event will be hel d Nov. 3 at Sa lem MB C hurch Th e miss ions celeb rati on will be th e kick-off eve nt for th e Cen tral District Conference co nventio n Cen tral D ist rict chair Will Fade nrecht hopes the timing will enco urage mo re people to atte nd the missions nigh t M usic at the Central D istri ct celebration is not yet final but will likely include a musical tea m from Tabor College.

The H illsboro even t will take pla ce at Tabor Coll ege Nov . 6 with the colle ge choi r and sy mphonic band provid ing music. Worship at th e Fai rv iew event Nov 7, hosted by Fairview MB Church, will be led by the Fai rview MB wors hip tea m Speci al mu sic will be provided by mem bers fr om E nid (O kl a.) MB Ch urch , Corn (Okla.) MB C hurch and Pine Acres MB Ch urch of Weatherford, Okla

Weinhauer hopes that the mis sion celebrations will "provi de an opportunity for M BMSI leaders to connect with our MB constituency, rem inding our church family of God's missional ca ll upon us. "

In the past, binational General Conference conventions provided a natu ral opportunity for MBMS I to repo rt to its constituency With the dissolution of the General Con ference, MBMSI wa s left with fewer ways to con nect wi th ind ividuals and churches Weinhauer says, "1 fe lt in my heart th ere needs to be a place for MBMS I to show up an d update our chu rch family on the exciting thi ngs God has been doing and is doing through MBMS I."

Weinhauer says tha t if the fi rst event, held in Abbotsfo rd, BC in June, is any indication, "it will be a wonderful eve ning of gre at worship to our God, an inspiratio na l Bible message and testimonies and a place to say tha nk you to the Lo rd in a tang ible way by givi ng a generous offering to missions " - by My ra Holmes with MBMSI news releases

Committed for the long haul

Re m pe l honored fo r t en ur e

When N ick Rempel talks ab ou t his 35-year te nure at Buhler (Kan .) M B Church, he ta lks about commitmen t, fo rgiveness and self -sa crific ia l love - the kinds of thi ngs necessary to make an y relationship h ealth y for th e long ha ul.

Rempel served Bu hler fi rst as sen ior pastor th en as associate pastor from June 12 , 19 70, to June 12, 2005 . The congregat ion cel eb rated his retirement during th e mo rn in g se rvi ce July 24.

Th e celeb ration incl uded a PowerPoint presentation reviewi ng Re mpel's 35 yea rs of ministry at Buhler and comme nts fro m represe ntatives of the church, Rempel's family and So uthern District minister Tim Sullivan. The congrega ti on ho nored Rempel with an engraved gold watc h and sha red a meal.

Altho ugh Rempel says it felt good to hear the congregation 's affi rma tion , he quickly turns the spotl ight away from hi mself "I'm not Superman, " he says "It's to the credit of the congregatio n and the ir acceptan ce and gen eros ity that 1 could remain in one ch urch for as long as I have ."

Rempel's long tenure is notable simply for its length . One report by Christianity Today and Your Church indicates that the average pastoral tenu re for all denominations in th e U .S. is just under five ye ars.

Within the MB ch urch it's not much different. Roland Reimer, fortne r Southern Di stric t Co nference district minister, is studying pastoral tenure for the South ern Di strict Conference He says th e average te rm for all pastors in the district, including part-time and specialized positions, is 3.9 years. Re imer says that 24 pastors in the distric t have significantly longer tenu res, ranging from TO to 35 years with an average of 14 years.

Rempel says his commitment to staying at Buhler wasn't a one -time decis ion bu t a conti nual ser ies of choices Even duri ng times of difficulty, he decided that a me re change of geogra phy wouldn't help . "I'd rather face th e iss ue and work wi th it than le ave ," he says . He poi nts out that when a pasto r an d ch urch are committed to solvi ng confl icts , the chu rch's ministry is strengthened " If we confr ont the iss ues within the chu rch and resolve th em as the Bible teaches we ought to, the n the ene my is not ins ide," he says . Confront in g iss ues meant pe rsonal cha nge as well

"That doesn't mean that I had all the answers," Rempel says . "1 also had to change ." He ...-4 advises pastors to readily ack nowle dge mistakes and as k for forgiveness "Don't take yourself too se riously," he says. "We 're just hunks of cla y. "

Re mpel's commitment wasn 't a matter of duty, but of love for the chu rch. "What's un ique about Pastor N ick is that he has always loved the church more than he's loved his security as a pastor," says Buhler's senior pastor Bre nt Warkentin.

As an exam pl e of how Rempel put the needs of the church first, he intent ion ally groomed then associate pastor Warkentin to transition into a se nior role while he took a back seat as associate - a unique arrangement that req uired humility on Rempel's part. Warkentin says the congregation needed a "seamless transition " in leadership and is healthier because of Rempel's willingness to put the needs of the church before his own.

Because Warkentin has also moved to a new ministry, Rempel will continue to provide stability as the congregation searches for a senior pastor for the first time in 35 years. Church leadership has asked him to represe nt his generation on a pastoral search committee.

Bu hl er M B has reciprocated Rempel's love and affirtnation. Under Buhler's church policy, the senior pastor is reaffirtned by congregational vote eac h year. During his 25 years as senior pastor, Rempel's affirtnation vote never fell below a healthy 90 percent.

The church has expressed love for Rempel as pastor by encouraging and en abl ing him to visit missionaries and conferences around the world. They have supported Rempel through major life changes, such as health difficulties, the death of his first wife and subsequent remarriage Rempel says he has made friends and found a social network within the church. "I'm at home here," he says.

Rempel's faithfulness has made him influential beyond the Buhler MB congregation. He has served on various district, national. bi-national and inter-Mennonite boa rds and committees for 40 years. He has been active in the community and has become what one colleague calls "pastor of the community "

Retirement doesn't mea n Rempel's commitment to the church or community is ended. "1 want to stay here," he emphasizes. He plans to teach Su nday schoo\, give input as asked to the church council and participate in Ki wanis and the b oards of Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., and Buhler's Sun shine M eadows Retirement Community

Th e church's love for Rempel will continue as well. Atthe July 24 celeb rati on, they gave him the title of "pas tor emeritus," which carries no obligations but grants him "all the privileges of being our pastor forever," as Warken tin pu ts it. - by My ra Ho lm es

Holmes joins Leader staff

Search continues for West Coast newswriter

Myra Holmes of Denver, Colo., has been named the Christian Leader assistant editor. She assumed her new duties Aug . I and will work from her home.

Holmes has been working as the Leader newswriter since 1993. She fills the part-time staff vacancy created when Leader editorial assistant N adine Friesen resigned in late May.

"Myra has been an integral member of the Leader staff for the past several years," says Connie Faber, Leader editor. "She is an experienced writer who thoughtfully pursues assignments. I am so pleased that Myra is willing to take on the additional responsibilities of the assistant editor's position."

Holmes is a 1988 graduate of Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kan., where an internship at the Leader helped develop her interest in writing and editing. Holmes has published feature, news, poetry, fiction, devotionals and commentary pieces as a freelance writer in Focus on the Family, The Christian Reader, Standard, With, Rejoice!, and KNOW Denver.

Holmes and her husband Ed along with their twin daughters Crystal and Hannah are active at Belleview Community Church, an MB church in Littleton, Colo.

Holmes' move to the assistant editor's position leaves vacant the newswriter position, a position created in 2003 to accommodate a shift in hours among staff members. Tabor College 2005 graduates Malinda Just and Laura Campbell as well as returning student Debbie Miller are currently assisting with newswriting assignments. Faber says she will continue to work with freelance writers until the newswriter's position is filled, hopefully no later than January I, 2006.

One of Faber's goals as editor is to increase the magazine's coverage of denominational news. That means increasing staff hours, says Faber. The 2005-06 budget includes a modest increase in Leader staff hours of 10 hours per week, the first increase in magazine staff hours in at least 14 years.

The increase in staff hours prompted Faber to review where best to locate staff members.

" For the past two years, three of the four Leader staff members were loc ated in Hillsboro," says Faber. "While a centralized staff has ce rtain advantages, we also realized th e

challenges in adequately covering the many activities of our Pacific District Conference churches, specifically the greater Fresno, Calif , area where so many of our congregations are located."

Faber says her preference is to find a qualified individual living in the Fresno, Calif., area who would be interested in part-time work as the newswriter.

"'The u.S. Conference executive had originally planned to locate the assistant editor in the Fresno, Calif., area," says Faber. "Even though this shift did not come together as we had originally envisioned it, I continue to believe that we need a Leader staff member on the West Coast."

Faber says, 'The magazine benefits from having its staff members living in a variety of locations. Having a writer on our staff from the Fresno area will help us to better tell the stories of Mennonite Brethren congregations and individuals as well as our denominational agencies that are located in the Central Valley."

In addition to Faber and Holmes, the current Leader staff includes designer Elaine Ewert of Print Source Direct, a publishing firm in Hillsboro, Kan.

Individuals interested in the newswriter's position are encouraged to contact Faber at editor®usmb.org.

MCC distributes blankets in Zimbabwe Exhausted

church leaders struggle to cope

Distributions of blankets funded by Mennonite Central Committee to displaced people in Zimbabwe began in late July but were hampered by the government's eviction of displaced people from churches where they were being sheltered .

MCC has provided funds to purchase 5,000 blankets for some of the thousands of families left homeless by a "cleanup" operation the government describes as targeting illegal settlements and informal traders. United Nations officials say the operation has done a "catastrophic injustice" to up to 700,000 of Zimbabwe's poorest residents.

In early August at least 546 blankets had been distributed to families being assisted by Bulawayo churches. Additional distributions were di srupted when government officials raided churches to move displaced people to tran sit camps. Four Brethren in Christ

churches were affected, with displaced people removed from Lobhengula Brethren in Christ Church hours after they received blankets.

The displaced people have now been moved from transit camps and dispersed into rural areas, and Doris and Jethro Dube, MCC Zimbabwe representatives, report that church leaders are working to determine how to best trace people and meet their emergency needs as the situation changes.

"It's become very complicated," says Jethro Dube. "The dynamics of the situation on the ground have changed a great deal."

MCC is continuing to

gations did not know that just four days prior to the designated day of prayer citizens had been forcibly removed from the churches that were

"My wife and I are very tired . We have not had much rest for many days Ten young children including three -yearold babies were dumped at our place by the police At the time of the cleanup they got separated from thei r paren ts and there seems to be very little chance of tracing them . The children are grieving the loss of the people they know and we do not have staff to help care for the children, some of whom are sick The greatest challenge is giving them a sense of security since they have been so traumatized ." - David Ndoda of Emthunzini Wethemba [Shelter of HopeI, one of Mennonite Central Committee:S partners in Zimbabwe, commenting on recent events

monitor the situation to determine how to respond to the needs of the people who have lost their homes, and the Dubes report that some of the funding for blankets may

need to be used for food and agricultural items for families resettled into the countryside.

Zimbabwe is facing an impending drought, almost no harvest and a collapsed economy. Particularly in rural areas, many residents are already short on food, and the Dubes say church leaders fear the plight of displaced families moved to outlying areas will be dire.

Moreover, the country has been plagued for months by severe fuel shortages. People throughout the country are forced to walk to work, and travel is extremely difficult. Getting fuel to deliver aid of any sort to outlying areas will be a tremendous challenge, according to the Dubes.

In describing the situation and church leaders' exhaustion in trying to respond, Doris Dube asks for prayers from supporters in the church community worldwide. "Let your love flow to us. That's what we need the most," she says.

Pray is exactly what Anabaptistrelated churches around the world did July 24. Mennonite World Conference assisted leaders of the Zimbabwe Brethren in Christ Church in requesting a global day of prayer Participating congre -

sheltering the homeless.

"It was encouraging to know that people from all corners of the globe were praying for us," says Danisa Ndlovu, MWC vicepresident and BIC bishop of Zimbabwe, who had received many e-mails confirming plans for prayers of intercession. "We are very thankful to God to be a part of the global family of faith that has stood with us in this

hour of need." -compiled from reports by MWC and MCC Communications.

Celebration Missions Night

ABBOTSFORD, BC

Sunday, June 19, 7:00 PM Central Heights MB Church

REEDLEY, CA

Sunday, Sept. 11, 6:00 PM Reedley MB Church

WINNIPEG, MB

Sunday, October 2, 6:30 PM North Kildonan MB Church

ST. CATHARINES, ON

Saturday, Oct. 29, 7:00 PM Grantham MB Church

WATERLOO, ON

Sunday, October 30, 7:00 PM

Waterloo MB Church

FREEMAN, SO

Thursday, Nov. 3, 7:00 PM Salem MB Church

HILLSBORO, KS

Sunday, Nov. 6, 7:00 PM Tabor College Gym

FAIRVIEW, OK

Monday, Nov. 7, 7:00 PM Fairview MB Church

An evening of celebration, worShip, and missions with the new General Director of MBMSI, Randy Friesen A video report and testimonies from Operation Rebuilding Li ves in Thailand

Laurie Koehn for three

When Koe h n ranks her priorities God comes out on top

She shoots. She scores. The announcer booms, " L a u rie Koeh n fo r. .. " The crowd answers , "T-h-r-

e - e - e -e-! "

I t was an oft-repea ted ritua l on the ho me basketball court when Lauri e Koehn of H ess ton (Kan ) M B Church hit one of her famous th ree-po inte rs for Kansas State Univers ity.

Priorit ies - like points -also co me in th rees for the fo rmer W ildcat. God Fa mily and fri ends. Basketball.

And it's her unwaveri ng d ed ic ation to these three over the years that has led the 23-year -old to wh ere she is today- living her d rea m at the top level of her sport

Koe h n, the NCAA wo men's all -time record holder for 3-point shots (392 shots) , is now a guard for the Women's N ationa l Ba sketball Associ ation's Wash ington (D.C.) Mystics , and she couldn't be happier about it

"I've been so blessed, " says the 5' 8" shooter of the opportunity to play her sport professionally "It' s what I love to do "

Koe h n 's story beg ins with her parents, who shared with their c h il d ren a passion for playing sports, loving one another and living out a faith in Christ.

"I was fortunate to grow up in a Christian home," says Koehn of parents Perry and C yndi.

Involvement in chu rch activities like youth group and the AWANA program reinforced the biblical values Koehn and brothers Ryan and Clint learned from their parents

" 1 went to chu rch every Sunday and that was something tha t was very important to my family, " she says "Christ was the ce nter of everything. "

Sports were also centra l in the Koehn home, and it didn 't take long for b asketb all to be come Koe h n' s focus Both she and he r mo m ca n pinpoin t the exact agenine - and t he exact even t that wa s the catalyst for her passion

"I know that it was when I saw the movie called 'The Pistol' abo ut Pete M arovi ch, " says Koehn. " It showed his ded icatio n and commi t me nt to ba sketball and for some

reason when I saw that movie, it just totally got me into it. That's when 1 really got serious about basketball."

Koehn's mom vouches for her daughter's ensuing desire to be like the Pistol.

"He slept with his basketball and the next thing we know, she's sleeping with her basketball, " says Cyndi with a laugh. 'We'd hear it fall off the bed in the middle of the night. She knows that movie forwards and backwards "

Koehn also knows her sport backwards and forwards, thanks to years of daily practice that, contrary to the speculation of some, was completely voluntary.

'We did not make her practice," Cyndi says. 'That was something that was in her."

Koehn agrees that the desire has always come from within-and from above.

"It's ultimately something that God just gave me a passion for, " she says . "It's something 1 wanted to work hard at and wanted to pursue

"Growing up, I had a very single-minded focus," she continues. "Basketball was really everything 1 thought about, everything I wanted to do and something I wanted to completely focus on."

And focus she did From grades th ree through 12, the Moundridge (Kan.) High School all-state r went to the gym to shoot hoops every day.

"It was something that she had to do," says her mom. "Her day was not a good day until she went to the gym."

Laurie explains her all-out devotion as a matter of priorities.

"I remember thinking I wanted to have three main priorities," she says 'The first one was God, and the second was probably my family and my relationships with people, and the third one was basketball.

'&td 1 think 1 really just lived by that," Koehn continues. 'There wasn't anything else "

Koehn's passion for the sport and her goal of playing at the Division 1 level eventually led herto Kansas State University and coaches Deb Patterson and Stephanie White.

with high hopes, Koehn soon found herself instead with a serious foot injury that forced her to evaluate whether her trio of priorities were indeed as balanced and God-led as she thought

During the ensuing eight months out of basketball, Koehn says she discovered that somewhere along the way her relationship with the sport had moved from passion to obsession.

"I realized how much 1 had been putting my hopes in basketball, in something that is so temporary," she says. 'l\.t the same time it made me realize that God is the only thing we can put our hope in-hell never ever disappoint us."

The nearly career-ending injury helped Koehn realign her priorities, she says, and to make sure that God was first in her life.

"It was during that time I started to understand that there's nothing more important than knowing God," she says . 'The things that we think give us joy really are worthless in the whole eternal scheme. There's nothing we need more than God."

But Koehn's increased desire to glorify God with her life did nothing to dampen her enthusiasm for basketball.

"It's something that's still very important to me, and I believe I have a God-given passion for the sport," she says. "I don't think it's a bad thing to be committed and to try to be the best you can be with what he's given you. "

In fact, Koehn sees playing basketball and worshiping God as cooperative activities in her life.

''The most important thing is to do it as a form of worship, and as a form of glorifying God for everything he is," she says. 'We're here as Christians to worship him, and that's what I want to do ."

With renewed fervor for God and basketball, Koehn rejoined the Wildcats and thrived through the rest of her career, helping lead the Wildcats to a 104-27 record-the school's best four-year run ever.

With graduation time quickly approaching, the elementary education major had only one thing on her mind-to keep playing basketball. So when she had the opportunity to go to a three-week training camp and try out for the WNBA as a free agent, Koehn says the decision couldn't have been easier.

"It wasn't hard at all for me," she says. "I knew that I wanted to play

"I remember my first visit. I walked into Coach Patterson's office and there was an open Bible on her desk, " Koehn says. "I remember that totally blowing me away Come join us Saturday, Oct. 29, 2005 • 6 to 9 p.m.

"I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that I'd have had an opportunity to play for the kind of people 1 got to play for-in a program that was centered on God and run by a Christian woman," Koehn adds "I couldn't say enough about my coaches."

Arriving at K-State in the fall of 2001

For a celebration of 50 years of Seminary education

Sunnyside Racquet Club, Fresno, California T ickets : $35

RSVP to Nancy Will iams (800) 251 - 6227, extention 0 nWilliams@mbseminary edu

basketball as long as I possibly can. This was the fitSt opportunity to do that."

Making the cut and signing in May with the Washington Mystics is a dream come true that Koehn still seems to be pinching herself over.

"In the beginning. I was really a long shot," she says. "I went undrafted and got a chance to come to a camp.

"I can't even tell you how blessed I do feel and how fortunate I am to be in this spot," she adds. "I just hope I value the opportunity like I should and just keep working hard to get better."

While Koehn is "all business" on the coun, she definitely lets down with family and friends, says her mom.

"Off the basketball coun, she is a nut," says Cyndi. 'We get on the phone and we just laugh. I think her sense of humor is a gift."

Koehn has also been able to let down with a few women on her team who share her Christian faith. She says the fellowship she has found with these other believers has been invaluable, especially because Sunday games and practices can make it difficult to attend a church regularly during season.

'We've been able to have Bible studies here and there," she says. "It's so imponant to have the fellowship and to have those relationships with other believers who are going to hold you accountable and keep you strong."

Koehn sayS the four Christians on her team have also been able to share their faith with the other women on the team-sometimes with words and more often by their actions.

"'They11 see us with our Bibles and reading other Christian literature in airpons or on planes," says Koehn. "God uses everyone in different ways, but I think a big part of that is just being an example. I think that's probably the main way personally I am more of a witness."

She says it's often hard to know if her life is making a difference but it doesn't stop her from trying.

"I think sometimes we don't have any clue how God is using us," she says. 'We think that we need to do this or we need to do that to lead someone to Christ But I think ultimately he uses each and every one of us exactly how he wants to in his perfect will.

'That's something I just have to trust," she adds. "It might seem like I haven't 'done' anything or haven't seen anyone come to Christ-that doesn't mean God's not working."

Last month Koehn finished her rookie regular season. What's next for Koehn? Koehn isn't sure but has no problem leaving that in God's hands as well.

'1\11 I know at this point is that I just love basketball," she says. "I want to playas long as I can, and when I can't play anymore, I want to stay involved with it.

'We11 see what that means."-by LAura Campbell, free lance newswriter

The 2005 Rates* are in and our Homeowners insurance rates continue to be at least 50% less than the other leading companies serving our market areas. The reason is simple. NO MIDDLEMAN. Mennonite Insurance Services is the only agent for the Mennonite Aid Plan of the Pacific Coast.

Besides the huge savings, working direct also assures you fast, personal service and prompt settlements. Since you are already a member or regularly attend a Mennonite church, call us, Free, today for a Free, noobligation quote and a copy of the 2005 survey.*

Also ask about our auto insurance for even more savings. "Bear

by Rose Buschman

I'm definitely a muggle

Popular books with magical themes should be questioned

In my part of the world it was big news July IS when the sixth Harry Potter book was released. A local bookstore had a midnight party on that Friday and sold over 500 copies. The public library had a Harry Potter costume contest the next day that made the front page of our newspaper. 1V news reports of the latest happenings were treated as breath-taking events.

When our son asked for some of these books, I bought them for him. He spent a lot of time working through the activities they suggested. I was pleased that he was so involved and developing his mind. Pleased. that is. until I found out what was really going on.

We were on a four-hour trip back home after visiting relatives. Our son had taken some of his books along to keep from

D As h e d esc r ibed th e ch a rac ter he had desi g ned . what thi s chara c ter co uld do a nd how he operated , I was shocked.

Amazon.com announced it expected to sell 50.000 copies per hour in the first few days. According to news reports this book sold over 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release. A local newspaper headline screamed "Harry Hysteria" and so it was.

An editorial in this same newspaper described the books as "easy-to-read. whimsical stories featuring classic battles of good vs. evil. with twisting plots in a world of wizards and nonmagical 'muggles'." (For the uninitiated. 'muggles' are non-magical people.)

Further. it applauded the fact that the children were reading instead of playing Nintendo games or watching television. It even suggested that the books "have helped many adults rediscover the joy of reading."

Well. I'm not one of those adults. When the first book in the series came out I eventually bought a copy and read it. That is, I read the first half and then skimmed the rest. I am an avid reader, but I'm not into magic. witches and all that stuff. I'm definitely a muggle. As I read that book I became deeply concerned by the underlying theology it expressed.

AlI this mania has brought back memories of something that happened in our family a number of years ago. When our son was in junior high school the Dungeons and Dragons books and activities were all the rage . The gifted program in our school used them extensively. Other teachers talked about how wonderful they were for getting children to problem solve, be creative and develop thinking skills.

getting bored on the long ride. Shortly before we arrived home. I asked him to tell us what he was working on As he

described the character he had designed, what this character could do and how he operated. I was shocked. Living in the "underworld" this character's evil powers triumphed over good . His worldview was the opposite of our Christian view. I was horrified at the theology my son was expressing and sat in stunned silence the rest of the way home.

The next day. after discussing the problem with my husband, I sat down with our son and expressed our concerns. It was obvious he did not like what I had to say.

'Me you going to take the books away from me?" he demanded.

"No." I replied. "I won't. I gave them to you as a gift and I won't take them away now. But I want you to get rid of them . I didn't know what was in them when I bought them. Now I know that I made a huge mistake. They stand for the opposite of what we believe as Christians." It took a while but eventually he did get rid of them.

Parents, are your children reading the Harry Potter books? Does it matter to you what kind of theology and/or concepts of good and evil your children are developing? If so, then I recommend that you read and discuss these books with them. The development of a child's sololl is every bit as important, if not more so, than the physical and mental development for which we strive . Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who is now the new Pope, wrote in 2003 in response to a German critic of the Harry Potter books, "It is good that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and [can] deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly." That is exactly my point.

by Marvin Hein

Praying for rain

This month readers are asked for answer

QDoeS God want me to pray for rain in the midst of drought? (Califomia)

this column I am supposed to give answers to questions readers ask. It's time to switch. I'm oing to ask the question and I hope a hundred of you decide to answer.

One Sunday morning in May the preacher prayed for rain. We all knew the fanners needed it. No substantial rain had fallen for months-and this after a wet winter It was probably already too late to benefit the struggling wheat crop.

Two days later, during my 105 year-old mother's memorial service in the same sanctuary, God or nature or providence or someone answered that prayer. Twice the sanctuary was enveloped in total darkness when the lightning flashed and the thunder pealed. It rained so much that we had the committal service in the sanctuary rather than at the cemetery.

I believe in prayer. I believe God can do anything. including changing weather patterns But I have to be honest. I have often wondered if God wants us to pray for rain or whether he has simply-although maybe not so simply-arranged his world so that rain comes or doesn't come when natural causes line up in certain ways. I've provoked a few fellow believers with such doubts.

I wonder whether this preacher prayed the next Sunday for it to stop raining . During the next four days this farming community received at least three inches of

Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference po!tcy, or other spiritual issue? E-mail Marvin at marvinbetn@sbcglobalnet or send your question to "Inquir. ing Minds, " c/o Marvin Hein, 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA9371O

rain in addition to what came earlier that week. Thousands of acres of dead-ripe wheat stood in the field waiting to be harvested. Anxious fanners wondered if they would be able to pay their debts if it continued to rain and the wheat deteriorated Some resorted to harvesting on the Lord's Day.

Coming from the fann , I've often been aware that my monthly check came whether or not it rained . Most of my fellow city-dwellers are in the same position. But my farming relatives in the Midwest aren't sure of anything. except that Mother Nature is fickle. It rains when it shouldn't and doesn't rain when it should.

Should we pray for rain? For the cessation of moisture? It's complicated. One fanner prays for rain for his wheat while his neighbor has a couple hundred acres of mowed hay drying on the ground and it loses some of its value and nutrition if and when it rains. To satisfy everyone God would have to use his divine Global Positioning System to drop the rain at only the precisely needed spots.

How should we pray? Maybe I have the problem, not God. God seems to know what he's doing. Last winter my fanning relatives wished it would stop raining. The tender, young wheat plants were turning yellow Should they have prayed for God to stop the rains? Maybe he was just adding subsoil moisture in January and February so that in June the wheat would still produce a halfway decent crop in spite of no rains in March, April and May.

When it doesn't rain for months, large cracks and gaps appear in the ground. You could just about lose a grown rabbit in some of those ruptures But maybe God has a divine system of "chiseling" that benefits the ground more than it hurts. I've heard that long periods of extreme heat may well have benefits in replenishing the ingredients of the soil

I was thinking about all this today while weeding in my flower garden. A good friend supplies me with an the mulch I can use for my gardening hobby. But that mulch always has weed seeds in it

I'm not always in the best mood when I'm weeding. Today as I sat among the flowers and weeds I almost thought I heard God say, "Marvin, lighten up and get wise. Don't you understand that I'm trying to get your attention with these weeds? I'm not only showing you that it is I not your green thumb who causes things to grow but these weeds ought to remind you of the 'weeds and tares' nature of this world. There's good and bad!"

Yet I still wonder: Should we pray for rain? I need help. Let me hear from you . If at least 10 people answer, I promise to report the results.

Baptism/membership

Santa Clara, talif. (El Caminol-Matthew Diggs was baptized June 26. Anna McDevitt was welcomed as a new member Aug 6.

Freeman, SD (Salemi-Drew Letcher, Dustin Letcher, Carol Minor, Geoff Pollman, Greg Pullman, Heather Wollman and Jennifer Wollman were baptized in the James River July 10 and accepted into membership Aug 14.

Sioux Falls, SD (Ethiopian Christianl- The weekend of July 30 12 people were baptized.

Weatherford, Okla. (Pine Acresl-Wesley Javorsky was baptized and accepted into membership July 24. Josh and Wendi Foust and Brian and Stephanie Harris joined by testimony.

Fairview, Okla.-Beth Pembrook was received as a new member July 24

Enid, Okla.-Brooklyn Wiens, Evan Wiens, Desiree Highberger and Hunter McEachern were baptized June 26.

Broken Arrow, Okla. (The Heartl-Five adults and one child were baptized in July.

Manhattan, Kan. (Manhattan Mennonitel-Emma Denner was baptized and welcomed as a new member May 15. Sheri Bartel was welcomed as a new member.

Gettysburg, SD (Grace Biblel-Dan and Cindy Forgey, Bill and Sherri Witte , LaJean Hansen, James Langer, Phyllis Johnson, Julie Chilstrom and Cody Ritter were welcomed as new members April 3.

Omaha, Neb. (Millard Biblel-Jonathan Annin, Jenny McKee, Steve and Lola Puffer and Rick and Kris Will were recently welcomed as new members. Celebrations

Minot, ND (Bible Fellowshipl- The congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary July 16-17 Saturday evening there was a picnic and informal sharing time at the city park The Sunday morning worship service was followed by a catered noon meal. An afternoon program included music, reflections from former ministers and a challenge from Central District Conference Minister Roger Engbrecht and was followed by anniversary cake

Poftuplne, SD (Lakota Gospell- The congregation dedicated its new church building June 19 The morning worship service was followed by the installation of Pastor Howard Whiteface A noon meal preceded the afternoon dedication service The previous meeting place was destroyed by fire. Weatherford, Okla. (Pine Acresl - To celebrate the

completion of their facility renovation project, the congregation is planning a grand opening Sept. 25 that will include a Family Fun Fair for the community

CORRECTION: The August issue announced a Sept. 25 50th anniversary celebration for Garden Park Church of Denver. That celebration has been postponed until later this fall.

Ministry

Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowshipl, Henderson, Neb., and Gettysburg, SD (Grace Biblel-A construction team from these congregations is planning to go to Thailand in November to construct two churches in Chang Rai where MBMSI missionaries Russell and Elizabeth Schmidt are ministering.

New Hope, Minn.-The congregation is sharing its facilities on a trial basis with The Well Covenant Church. The MB congregation will hold its worship services first followed by a coffee break that members of both congregations will attend.

Ulysses, Kan.-A Spanish-language congregation, Templo Betania, led by Angel Martinez, has begun meeting in the church facility and the congregation is in the process of adopting this ministry as one of its own.

Harvey, ND-A "best ball" golf tournament was held Aug. 28 for fellowship and outreach.

Sioux Falls, SD (Uncoln Hlllsl-The congregation hosted a community carnival Aug 20 on their church grounds. Refreshments were served and an inflat-

able slide, bouncer, bungee run and speed pitch were among the activities offered free of charge.

Garden City, Kan.(Ganien Valleyl-A total of 37 high school and college students and sponsors were involved in a summer missions trip to Mexico. They reported to the congregation during the morning service July 31

Enid, Okla.-Twenty-five youth and sponsors went to Monterrey, Mexico with Youth for Christ/USA on a short-term mission experience The EMB group, teamed with another group of similar size, provided an evening vacation Bible school for children, participated in service activities at four work sites and visited churches and an orphanage.

Hillsboro, Kan.-The youth group spent July 14-24 in Mexico City working with Peace Christian Church, a Mennonite congregation They were comm issioned for ministry July 10.

Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl- Three mission teams departed the first week of August. A team of 10 traveled to Kenya to do teacher training, a group of 12 worked with children and youth in Romania and a team of eight went to Thailand to rebuild homes for those affected by the tsunami.

Hillsboro, Kan.(Parkviewl-A group of 21 youth and sponsors provided a one-week, full-day vacation Bible school for Ethiopian Christian Fellowship, an MB congregation in Olathe, Kan According to the pastor, this is the first VBS to be hosted by his church as well as any Ethiopian church with which he is familiar.

Senior adults invited to Midwest retreat

Adults 55 years and older are invited to 'Word Wise in zoos.» a retreat sponsored by the Southern District Conference to be held Nov. 18- 20 in Branson. Mo. Roland and Lois Reimer. retired district minister couple. are hosting the event

The weekend schedule includes two special Christmas season shows and four keynote addresses by Larry MartenS of Fresno. Calif Workshops will be offered early Saturdayafternoon with options presented by educator and author Katie Funk Wiebe. Jim Elliot of Tabor College and Jon Wiebe of MB Foundation. The Koerner Heights Quartet, an ensemble from the Newton. Kan • church revived for this occasion. will lead in singing and provide special music Free time is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

Retreat sponsors include the SOC Christian Education Commission. MB Foundation. Sunflower Tours and Believers' Anonymous.

Detailed informatiOn iricluding cost is available by calling the Reimers at 316-122-8680 or e-mailingdreimer@sbcglobal.net. .Bus transportation is available for an additional cost Reservations are requested for tile retreat by Sept. 15. .

Deaths

Bergman, Cecil Francis. Hayward. Calif • a member of Shafter ICalif.! MB Church. was born Nov 25. 1919. to Frank and Sarah Pankratz Bergman in Durham. Kan .• and died June 27. 2005. at the age of 84 On March 17.1947. he married Viola Penner who predeceased him in 1994. He is survived by two sons. Kenneth and wife Lynn of Kenne. NH. and Ronald and wife Susan of Fresno. Calif ; one daughter. Carol and husband David Bergman-Hill of Castro Valley. Calif.; one brother. Franklin and wife Marilyn of Shafter. and eight grandchildren

Born, Tabea EUie Goossen. Newton. Kan .• a member of Parkview MB Church of Hillsboro. Kan • was born Aug 20. 1908. in Marion. SO. to Diedrich D. and Elizabeth Unruh Goossen and died July 21. 2005. at the age of 96. On Sept. 26. 1929. she married Jacob H Born. who predeceased her in 2001 She is survived by her children. Myrtice and husband Roy Schultz of Hinsdale. Mont.. Floyd and wife Bertha of Newton. Norma and husband LeRoy Goentzel of Denver. Col.. William and wife Helena of Bakersfield. Calif ; two brothers Edwin Goossen and wife Laura of Billings. Mont.. and Elmer of Minneapolis Minn.; one sister. Irene Saair of Duluth. Minn.; four sisters -inlaw. Vema Goossen of Holland. Mich Ruth Goossen and Katie Enns. both of Bradenton Fla and Elizabeth Friesen of Glasgow. Mont.. 13 grandchildren. 37 great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren

KUngenberg, Oris Don. Shafter. Calif.• a member of Shafter MB Church. was born Jan 31. 1916. to August and Maria Klingenberg in Loveland. Colo • and died Aug. 1.2005. at the age of 89. On Nov 21. 1937. he married Rosella Heinrichs. who survives He is also survived by one son. Bob and wife Connie of Bakersfield. Calif ; two daughters. Janet of Santa Cruz. Calif.• and Unda and husband Gary of Los Osos. Calif. ; two brothers. Eldon and wife Edith of Fullerton. Calif.• and Dick and wife Marilyn of Oregon. and two grandchildren

Martens, Uncia Adina. Fairview. Okla .• a member of Fairview MB Church. was born Sept. 29. 1914 to David C. and Lena Bartel Peters near the Indiahoma Mission in Oklahoma and died July 15. 2005. at the age of 90. On Sept. 24. 1939 she was married to Walter Martens who predeceased her. She is survived by two daughters. Anna and husband Leo Regier of Hutchinson. Kan .• and Lois and husband Francesco Mauro of Rome. Italy; three sons. David and wife Pam Trent and wife Sheri and Erland and wife Susie. all of Fairview; two brothers. Henry Peters of Corn. Okla • and Don C Peters of Stillwater. Okla.; two sisters. Kathym Neufeld of Com and Mayra Harms of Stillwater. nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Richert, Reinalel Milford. Bakersfield. Calif.• a member of Laurelglen Bible Church of Bakersfield. was born June 16. 1921 in Buhler. Kan • and died May 27. 2005. at the age of 83. On Nov 21. 1942. he married

ClearingHOUSE ···

Wood Avenue. Eugene. OR. 97402 or email TMGL77Iilyahoo com.

The Christian Leader is looking for copies of its 1999 July. August. September. October. November and December issues If you are willing to donate your extra copies to the magazine 's archives. please mail the magazines to Leader Archives. Box 220. Hillsboro. KS 67063.

Senior Pastor. Community Bible Fellowship is seeking a senior pastor to join with the elders in leading our congregation . We are a caring and welcoming 14-year-old church with one contemporary Sunday morning service and a desire to grow Bellingham is located along the coast of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. 16 miles south of the Canadian border. Please direct inquiries and resumes to: CBF Pastor Search Committee. P.O Box 30260. Bellingham. WA 98228-2260 or email: infolilcbfpastorsearch.org. All communication will be kept strictly confidential. Senior Pastor. North Park Community Church. a small. established congregation. is seeking a pastor who will help us grow. Eugene Ore .• is in the beautiful Willamette Valley. one hour from the mountains and one hour from the coast. We are seeking a pastor who meets scriptural qualifications found in part in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and 1 Peter 5:1-4. The pastor should be a person who continually seeks to put God first in his life through prayer and study of the Word His primary responsibilities will include engaging and biblically based preaching and teaching shepherding encouraging church leaders and leading in outreach by example Send resume to : Mrs Maryn G1ender. Chair. Pastor Search Committ ee. 3492

Insurance/Financial Services Sales. Are you looking for a career that combines your professional skills and your Christian faith values? If so. Mennonite Mutual Aid wants to talk with you We are a churchrelated organization whose primary mission is to help people manage their God-given gifts MMA is seeking sales professionals to help provide insurance and financial solutions to individuals and businesses. primarily associated with Mennonite and other Anabaptist-related denominations. Openings in Pennsylvania. Virginia. Ohio. Indiana. Kansas. Oregon and other states Excellent compensation and benefits packages. To learn more. visit www.mma-online org/careers Fax or email resume to 15741537-6635 or hrlilmma-online.org 15/101

Furnishings: Church has available for sale in December: padded pews. pulpit. communion table. organ. piano. literature table. tables. chairs. etc. All in good condition Call 507 -678-2747 or email wkroekerlilfrontiernet.net.

Centennial Books: Reedley MB Church celebrated their 100th Anniversary in June Perhaps you have connections with RMBC or are interested in Mennonite Brethren history Simply send $10 per book with your name and U S shipping address to : Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church - Attention Sheila Penner - 1362 ''I..:' Street - Reedley CA 93654

Martha Jean Hiebert. who survives He is also survived by two sons. Bill and Jeff; three daughters-inlaw. Teddy. Coleen and Merrilyn; three brothers. Vic. Don and Ed; one sister. Cathy. nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren , Schmidt, Evelyn Lelia Pierce. Hillsboro. Kan.. a member of Hillsboro MB Church. was born Oct. 4. 1916. to Lester and Mary Ann Cakerice Pierce at Lawrence Kan .• and died Aug 1. 2005. at the age of 88 On Aug 26. 1937. she was married to Irvin Schmidt who predeceased her in 1968. She is survived by three sons. Phillip and wife Kathy of Wichita. Kan.. Don and wife Unda of Norfolk. Neb and James of Colorado Springs. Colo .• four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Suderman, Florence. Reedley. Calif,. of Reedley MB Church. was born Jan. 27. 1913. to Jacob and Mary Suderman at Gotebo. Okla .• and died July 18. 2005. at the age of 92 She is survived by two sisters. Helen Koop and Marianna Gaede and their families.

Wiens, Emma. Reedley. Calif.• of Reedley MB Church and Shafter ICalif 1 MB Church. was born Aug. 20. 1907. to Dietrich and Helena Siemens and died June 16. 2005. at the age of 97. On April 12. 1931. she was married to John E Wiens. who predeceased her in 2000. She is survived by one daughter. Barbara and husband Wilbur Nikkel of EI Cajon. Calif • two grandchildren and their spouses. and two great grandchildren,

•Semmary

Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary is seeking an

Academic Dean

MB Biblical Seminary is the only graduate theological school of the Mennonite Brethren in North America. The seminary's original campus is in Fresno, Calif. In addition to the Fresno campus, the seminary operates campuses in Langley, BC and Winnipeg, Man. The Academic Dean will serve all three locations, providing faculty and curricular leadership, along with other academic responsibilities . Resumes are requested by October 1, 2005. Resumes may be sent to:

Sharon Balint

Executive Assistant to the President 4824 E. Butler Ave Fresno, CA 93727

Wiebe

Passing the blame

Wiggling out of responsibilities is becoming too common

Athe parents of a 14- and a lo-year-old, my wife and I keep track of media trends to guide our kids regarding what movies nd video games mayor may not be appropriate to watch or play. Thus the proverbial red flags have long been posted on a video game called "Grand Theft Auto," which depicts such wonderful character building themes as carjacking and prostitution. Since the game has gotten a lot of press, it's well-known among concerned parents as something to avoid.

It was interesting to read, then, about a new version of "Grand Theft Auto" that has caused an uproar. Apparently some sexually explicit scenes were hidden in the game but not advertised as part of the package. This way the game could get a softer and more commercially viable rating.

The deception has resulted in a stonn of negative publicity And now a lawsuit has been filed by a woman who bought the game for her 14-year-old grandson. The lawsuit seeks "unspecified damages on behalf of herself and all consumers nationwide" for "false advertising, consumer deception and unfair business practices."

Now I have no sympathy for the makers and distributors of this game. They fully deserve all the bad press and damaging repercussions they can get. However the question that keeps coming back to me is, why was this grandmother buying the game for a young teen in the first place?

fronted Adam about it. "It was the woman's fault," he whined. God questioned Eve, and she echoed, "It was the serpent's fault." And so it has gone from there.

We all understand our human tendency to wiggle out of responsibility for our mistakes and bad choices. This seems more prevalent than ever as we see the lawsuit craze taking on institutions such as fast food outlets, video game producers and cigarette makers who apparently are to blame for making us fat, dumb and sick. As if we didn't have any choice in the matter.

In general I think Christians exhibit a strong sense of responsibility about discerning the kinds of bad cultural influences that can erode family and spiritual life. But there are other realms in the church where I wonder how responsible we really are. The current aversion to making longtenn commitments comes to mind. And lately Ive been pondering a couple of addirional areas where the responsibility crisis has become serious.

The first has to do with understanding and responding to sin. Coming from a childhood environment that overemphasized sin and underemphasized grace, I don't like talking about sin any more than anyone else. But now we've gone too far the opposite way. We tend to dismiss sin and think of everyone, including ourselves, as basically okay. All we need is a bit of tinkering in the faith to make us even better.

This is false. Every one of us stands in the place of the tax collector described in Luke 18:13, who took full responsibility for his fallen nature: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." I believe the reluctance to take this kind of ownership for our sin, and the resulting failure to surrender completely to the one who can heal and renew, are big reasons why so

In this case I'm not slIre false advcrtising is thc real tra gedy, hut mther the fact that "GranJ Theft Auto" rem,lins a top seller among video games .

It seems sttange that people are all upset about hidden sex scenes, when the game had pretty much topped out the immorality scale already. 'We don't mind the stealing and prostitution and copkilling, but this lewd stuff makes us mad!" In this case I'm not sure false advertising is the real tragedy, but rather the fact that "Grand Theft Auto" remains a top seller among video games.

One thing this story highlights is the crisis our culture is experiencing in the area of responsibility It is irresponsible for parents and authority figures to allow children unlimited access to media of dubious values and morality. No amount of suing is going to help if we continue giving over the raising of our kids to an increasingly corrupt pop culture.

But it's human nature to pass blame, of course. After Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden, God con-

many churches struggle with spiritual apathy and weakness. A second area of irresponsibility that plagues many churches is the failure to be progressive and purposeful in ministry. Rather than implementing fresh ways to impact our communities and circles of influence with the message and presence of Jesus, we often just sit back and hope the seekers will come to us.

Even worse, we might even pass the blame and say a general disinterest in church is entirely the fault of society, rather than owning up to our own lack of passion and enthusiasm for worshiping and serving our Lord.

What not to wear

When does casual become disrespectful?

It was a note in the national news. Not big enough for front-pag.e lines, but bIg enough to make a splash among commentators and opinIona ted mothers everywhere.

The Northwestern University national champion women's lacrosse team visited the White House July 12 to meet the president The president accepted their gift of two lacrosse sticks and posed for a picture with them . What created a stir was the attire of the young women. Many of the players wore flip-flops , the ubiquitous shoes worn by just about everyone for just about every occasion.

Soon after the photo hit papers and airwaves, a minor controversy ensued. A headline in the Chicago Tribune read, "You wore flip-flops to the White House?!" Two of the Northwestern players appeared on NBC's Today Show to defend their attire. They argued that they wore "dressy" flip-flops, not the beach variety. Critics said they crossed a line of propriety and respect In my local paper, for example, the style editor said the players went "too far," and a fashion director was quoted as saying. "People need to remember dressing up shows respect."

President Bush may be called the leader of the free world, but the one we meet in worship is the Lord of Hosts, the one who sustains all creation and commands obedience from angels. We come by special invitation to meet with the Creator, the Lord Almighty, the I AM. If the president deserves this small show of respect, how much more so God.

How then should we dress to meet our king?

One columnist on the flip-flop controversy said that etiquette guidelines dictate dressing according to what the host will be wearing . In the case of the Northwestern team, their host, the president, wore a conservative dark suit, tie and dress shoes.

In the case of our meeting with God, our "host" is "clothed with splendor and majesty," according to the psalmist. "He wraps himself in light as with a garment" (Ps. 1°4:1- 2) How do we dress accordingly?

It's not a question we can answer for each other. Differing income levels, church atmospheres, generational expectations and personalities all factor in. Part

of being the body of Christ means accepting each other regardless of outward appearance.

Clearly, our attire should not be so "dressy" as to draw attention to ourselves. The Bible is highly critical of those who put on exterior decoration in an attempt to impress or gain favor.

Nor should our church attire create barriers. A visitor should never feel unwelcome because of clothing. Those who cannot afford a special Sunday wardrobe should never feel ashamed.

That said, doesn't a meeting with the King of kings deserve at least a little effort on my part? I propose a few questions to consider when choosing what to wear this Sunday:

• Would I wear this to meet someone I respect? The president, for example. My boss or a respected teacher? When I dress up for someone it shows that I consider that person important and even submit to their authority. When I dress for church, I should keep in mind who I go to meet. What I wear to meet God should be at least on par with what I'd wear to meet a respected person.

• Is my clothing appropriate for this special occasion? What I wear to worship should be different than what I'd wear to clean the house or mow the lawn. While it is true that I "meet God" in a sense every time I pray, Sunday worship represents a special occasion. Just as I'd dress up for an anniversary date with my husband even though I see him every day, it's appropriate that I dress up at least a little bit for this special time with my King .

• Is my attitude right? What I wear influences how I feel and expresses what I think. One reason job seekers dress in suits for interviews is because wearing businesslike clothing inspires confidence and a business-like demeanor. Choosing the right clothing can help prepare my heart and express my readiness for worship.

Maybe that's the crux of the matter. In the end, wh at we wear is less important than our attitude about the one we go to meet. May this small thing - our clothing - reflect an attitude of worship and respect for the King - MH

New from GOOd.BOOkS

Passing on the Comfort: The War, The Quilts, and the Women Who Made a Difference

by An Keuning- Tichelaar and Lynn Kaplanian-Buller

Two women are brought together improbably by a set of worn quilts. And stories of courage and grit.

First there is An in Holland in the early 1940s, fighting to keep the War from taking over her young, promising life.

a Difference

Lynn comes 20-some years later, showing up in Amsterdam fresh from America in the early '70s, tired of another war. She didn't know An then, but one weekend, Lynn discovers the quilts that survived the War and goes searching for their owner and their stories. She found An and, ultimately, hersel£ $14.95, paperback

An Introduction to the Russian Mennonites

by Wally Kroeker

Mennonites in Russia? Kroeker tells it all with vibrancy-the overview and the memorable details.

Unbelievable prosperity for some; unspeakable terror for many; church tensions; struggles between the landed and the landless; exquisite clockmaking, storytelling, music-making, and food.

Himself a Russian Mennonite, Kroeker heads into the history, but also the later movements of these people to the U.s. and Canada. Are they at all distinctive today? What has drawn some to the cities and professions, and others to the rural prairies? What about those in Europe and those still in the former Soviet Union?

Includes dozens of historic and contemporary photographs. Kroeker is editor of The Marketplace. $7.95, paperback

At local bookstores. Or directly from the publisher.

Call ton-free 800n62-7171 • p.o. Box 419, Intercourse, PA 17534. Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and AmEx accepted. ShippinglHandling, add 10% ($3.00 minjmum). Visit our secure internet store: www.GoodBks.com

An InO"Oduction 10 the Russian Mennonites

Wally Kroeker

W£IL'L HELP YOU REVIEW YOUR WILL

Many estates are not distributed according to the individual's desires, simply because the estate plan was outdated.

Ask the following questions:

• Are witnesses to your will still living?

• Have you moved to another state since your will was drafted?

• Does your will appoint a personal representative who would be unable to serve today because of where he or she lives?

• Have minor children become financially independent, resulting in a change in your desires for estate distribution?

• Have tax laws changed since you last reviewed your estate plan?

• Do you need to explore the use of a trust?

• Have your charitable interests changed since your will was drafted?

• Has the size of your estate increased substantially, resulting in a need for tax planning?

• Does your present estate plan provide for management of property in case of disability prior to death?

• Are there additional methods you may employ to avoid probate at the time of death?

"I'm concerned

that my will might be out of date. But how do I know when it should be

Your answers to these and other questions may indicate that you need to update your estate plan.

We have prepared a special Guide To Planning Your Estate that will be of value to you as you review your estate plan, to make sure it is up-to-date and will carry out your current distribution desires.

Please write today for your free copy. There is no cost or obligation. We just want to help.

PLEASE SEND ME A FREE GUIDE TO PLANNING YOUR ESTATE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NO OBLIGATION. For additional information on estate tax and business p/snning, please indicate If: Q Your estate is over $1.5 million, or Q You own your own business.

Name Address City State Zip

Telephone: Home Work Email

Date of Birth

Spouse's Date of Birth

Q I have remembered MENNONITE BRETHREN FOUNDATlo..N in my estate plan