10 WORTH THE RIDE : PARENTING IN THE COLLEGE YEARS by Steve Wiest and Kathy Heinrichs Wiest
How do you parent a college student? You start long before they leave home. You realize it won't be easy. And you relish the ride.
13 STRENGTHENING THE STAKES by Larry Martens
When our Mennonite Brethren colleges expand their vision to better serve their communities are they in danger of becoming less connected to the denomination? Not if we pay attention to four core issues.
16 THAT'S WHY WE DO IT an interview with D. Merrill Ewert and Larry Nikkel
These are challenging days in higher education and Christian institutions face their own unique set of challenges. So why do presidents D. Merrill Ewert and Larry Nikkel talk with such enthusiasm in this interview about the two Mennonite Brethren colleges they lead?
> FiRST WORDS
(trom the editorl
THIS MONTH WE ARE DEVOTING OUR NEWS SECTION to coverage of the historic 2006 Pastors' Conference and U.S. Conference convention hosted so graciously by the North Carolina District Conference July 26-30 in Boone, NC. The Leader editors traditionally team up to cover large national events and we did so again this summer. Working together on a project like this has the added benefit of letting assistant editor Myra Holmes and I do our work at the same time and in the same place. Myra works from her home in Denver, Colo., while I work from an office in Hillsboro, Kan. So the opportunity to both be in Boone was a rare treat.
In the process of writing the articles and selecting the photos you will find in our report, Myra and I wrestled with two issues. Since we can't fit everything we want to say and all the photos we'd like to share into the space available, what do we include and what do we leave out? We've whittled our notes and photos down to what you will read on pages 19 through 27. We hope the material we have chosen gives you a taste of what happened, and that hope leads to the second issue. We're done our best to recreate the Pastors' Conference and convention, but words and pictures cannot capture the entire experience of an event like this. We've taken a stab at it but in the end I decided that this is one of those times when the old adage is true: You just had to be there.
While our coverage has limitations we are pleased to announce that our reporting is enhanced this year by the opportunity to publish online as well as in print. Thanks to the help of Ryan Henneberg, the U.S. Conference Web master, we are offering additional information at www.usmb.org. By clicking on the homepage convention link you can access photos, reflections on Sunday worship services at local Mennonite Brethren churches and information about the history of the North Carolina District. All of the articles about the convention and Pastors' Conference are available online, some in a longer version than we were able to publish. If all goes according to plan, video highlights of the convention and Pastors' Conference will also be available on our Web site. This is our first venture into supplementing Leader coverage online, and we welcome your feedback. So while only a few of us were fortunate enough to experience the 2006 convention firsthand, we hope our print and electronic reports will extend that experience to the rest of the conference.
Myra
MANDATE The Christian Leader (l5SN 0009 -51491 is published monthly by the U S Conferen ce of Mennonite Brethren Churches The Christian Leader seeks to infor m Mennonite Brethren members and chu rc he s of th e events activities deci sions and iss ue s of thei r denomination and to instruct inspire and initiate dialogue so members will aspire to be fa ithful disciple s of Christ as understoOd in the evangelicaVAnabapti st theological tradition
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E-mail may be the sign that we are living near the end of time
There recently appeared on my Blackberry an e-mail from a person I don't know . It appears that he works for a well-known Christian organization and by mistake had sent the draft of a letter criticizing his CEO and employer to a rather large mailing list Following this e-mail
"speaking the truth in love" generally assumes a face-to-face conversation, and conftonting a brother in sin with another witness was not intended to mean that you copied someone else with your concerns .
5. It feeds the personality type of every preacher, teacher, and business executive who really believe in their hearts that the only real probwas another asking those of us who had received the first to delete the errant
E-m ail is the worst possible way to co mmnni cate imponant inf o rmati o n . E-·mai l conta in s al1 the elements o f co mmunk ;.1t ion dis aster. , missive. I must admit that the request only heightened my interest in the first message, which I re-read with new curiosity. And just in case you are wondering, I deleted both, as an act of mercy and in sympathy for a fellow who made a mistake that most of us would now list as one of the top five fears in life.
I am pretty sure that the main sign that we are living near the end of time is e-mail. This relatively new way to communicate is a great asset for passing along short messages, setting up meetings and confirming times, dates and places. It is also the worst possible way to communicate important information. E-mail contains all the elements of communication disaster Here are 10 reasons why e-mail is sure to lead to Armageddon.
I. E-mail has eliminated any time lapse between the thoughts of the writer and the transmission of the data to the reader. This is especially true if you have the bad habit of hitting the "send" icon immediately.
z. E-mail creates an opportunity for the receiver to save a hard copy of all those thoughts he or she didn't know you, the sender, were thinking prior to receiving the important message.
3. It allows you to artach files that you should have thrown away in the first place.
4. E-mail allows you to break every biblical norm for communication with very Iirtle accountability For example,
lem they have is people. Imagine just how much more effective Jesus could have been without those pesky disciples!
6. E-mail has all but killed real conversation. I'm always intrigued when in the midst of a heated debate or conflicted conversation someone says, 'Well, I sent you an e-mail." I generally feel like responding, 'Thank you for that warm and thoughtful touch. I'll be sure to add you to my Christmas card list...."
7. It was the seminal invention for "passive aggressives" who somehow were created by God in abundance on the plains of the Ukraine where all of my ancestors come from! Can you imagine a better day for people who hate conflict and refuse to deal directly with critics and concerns? Who needs a second coming and a I,ooo-year millennial reign when you can send messages to people you never intend to talk to directly? Stteets of gold sound interesting, but will they have Internet cafes?
8. Having the latest communication from someone else's brain that passed through cyberspace without any spoken words just sounds like eschatological material. Where was this idea in the 1960s when Larry Norman was singing, "I wish we'd all been ready"? Guns and war may be a part of the biblical text and a sure"sign" of the end of the world but what about the World Wide Web? WWW as a cover for 666? You decide.
9 Columns like this used to be hand written with a great deal of thought and then sent one week ahead of time. Today I'm writing this column from an airport security lounge where I am required to give up my toothpaste, cologne and deodorant. Need I say more?
10. AI Gore invented it! I believe I have stated my-case. You will need to do your own investigation. Please send me an e-mail with your attachments, especially if you intend to criticize your boss, malign your pastor or challenge my heritage.
One final thought. To every CEO. president or chair of a Mennonite institution and anyone else who might chair a meeting I am required to attend: I sincerely apologize for reading my e-mail during your board meetings. I do find board work stimulating, engaging and even inspiring. I just can't figure out how to tum off my Blackberry. Please send your love to chuckusmb@hottnail.com!
MBBS adds four staff members
Appointments enhance seminary development office
MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif., has announced the addition of four new staff members. "I am very pleased by all of these appointments," says Jim Holm, MBBS president. "Each person brings strong gifts and a wealth of experience to their position."
Cam Priebe, a 2006 graduate of MBBS's Fresno campus, became the new director for Ministry Quest in July. He replaces Rick Bartlett. Ministry Quest is a program aimed at encouraging high school students to consider full-time Christian ministry. Bartlett took on the assignment of director of constituency relations for the seminary system June I. He adds this new responsibility to his current roles as student dean and patt-time faculty member for the Fresno campus. As director of constituency relations Bartlett will over-
see recruitment, public relations, alumni relations and Ministry Quest. MBBS graduate Mark Isaac has been appointed development officer for the West Coast and Central California. He will begin his assignment Oct. I and is responsible for church relations and donor development among California MBs and also among the non- MB constituencies in the Central Valley. Isaac has resigned from his pastoral role at Koerner Heights Church, Newton, Kan., and completed his service there last month.
Steve Prieb, also a graduate of MBBS, has been appointed to represent the seminary system in the Central, Southern and LAMB districts. His duties, which began Aug. 15, will include recruitment, church relations and donor development. Prieb is the outgoing chair of the U.S. Conference and will continue to live in Topeka, Kan., where he recently served as pastor of Cornerstone Community Church.-MBBS
MCC increases Middle East aid
In response to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and Gaza, Mennonite Central Committee is increasing its financial assistance to people displaced by the war between Israel and Hezbollah MCC's emergency response has been increased by $100,000 to $166.000 says Rick Janzen. a director of MCC 's programs in Middle East and Europe.
About 2 50.000 Lebanese have found refuge in other countries. says Janzen More than 750.000 displaced people are living in parks. churches and schools A repott issued Aug 2 by the Lebanese Higher Relief Committee. a government agency coordinating response to the crisis. repotts 887 deaths and 2.890 injured . Deaths injuries and destruction are also continuing in Gaza The Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem repotts that 141 people including 30 children were killed in Gaza during the first three weeks of the conflict and 76 homes were demolished "The implications are long -term and far -reaching. " says Janzen . "Even if the shootings and bombings stopped today the effects will last for years ."
MCC works closely with other organizations to support displaced people in Lebanon One of these organizations is the Development for People and Nature Association. an organization that suppotts children. adolescents. youth. women and people with special needs DPNA has distributed food. milk. diapers
mattresses. cleaning supplies and practical assistance such as wheelchairs, canes and hearing equipment. for people with special needs .
In Gaza, MCC provided $26 , 000 to a partner organization that works with children and teenagers . Damage to the electrical grid made it difficult for the organization to provide regular programming to ease the trauma experienced by the children and their families . Volunteers help make food for disFunds were used to purchase placed people in Sidon. a generator, fuel for the generator and increase staffing support
MCC has been working in partnership with local organizations in Lebanon since 1977 In recent years MCC has been working with local partners to strengthen projects that support peacemaking and justice programs . - MCC
Gift expands victimoffender program
Longtime efforts to make Fresno County, Calif., a national model of fair and effective criminal justice got a boost thanks to an anonymous $100,000 pledge. The donation is a matching gifr to Fresno Pacific University's Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies and the Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program of the Central Valley, Inc. The agencies must raise a like amount to fully qualify and had received $20,000 by July.
'This is very exciting for me," says Ron Claassen, CPACS director and founding director of Central Valley VORP. "I am hopeful that as we work on legislation that will enable Fresno County to become a model of restorative justice, the resources will become available to do it well."
The donor is a VORP supporter. "He has a passion for seeing our state be more fair and just for everyone. He wants our communities to be more peaceful and much less driven by fear. He
wants people to experience shalom, the kind of peace where people are living in the right relations with each other and with God," Claassen says.
Restorative justice is a key to moving in those directions, says Claassen. The system brings together those who suffer from crimes and those who commit them so the offender can understand the victim's loss and make financial or other restitution. Fresno County has long been a leader in restorative justiceVORP of the Central Valley was the first VORP in California, and county courts have used the system in a limited way since 1982.-FPU
Mennonite immigrants united by homesickness
The 'i\ussiedler," who comprise several disrinct enclaves of immigrants to Germany from former Soviet republics, recently joined together for the first time to hold evangelistic services in the Low German language. The theme for the services, "Finding a homeland," addressed the homesickness they feel for Russia and offered hope of a permanent home in heaven.
Jacob Funk, German radio producer at Family Life Network in Winnipeg. Man., was invited to preach at these services held in Detmold, June 16-25. Because of theological differences among the churches, the meetings were held in a neutral place: a Mennonite school auditorium in Detmold. About 600 to 850 people attended each evening with some families driving 400 km to attend.
It's been estimated that about 200,000 Low German speakers reside in Germany. Church leaders told Funk that many of these are nominal Christians or nonchurchgoers. "But," says Funk, "God is at work in how the Aussiedler churches are growing Many of the people we were with had become Christians just five or six years ago, even seniors in their 80S."
Funk and wife Helen were invited by Viktor Sawatzki, who broadcasts Funk's radio programs in Germany, and by Low German Friends, an Aussiedler society dedicated to publishing and promoting the language.-FLN
SOC 55-PLUS GATHERING SLATED
Back by popular demand is the 2006 55-Plus Gathering planned for senior adults in the Southern District Conference. This event, similar to last year's gathering attended by about 150 seniors, will convene Oct. 27-29 in Oklahoma City, Okla., at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The gathering will include Leader columnist Marvin Hein as keynote speaker, workshops, music by the "Personal Touch" men's qL!artet of Topeka, Kan., and songs led by Jim Bartel of Hesston, Kan. Roland and Lois Reimer are again serving as hosts and coordinators of this event. Registration material has been sent to all SOC churches. Questions can be directed to the Reimers at 316-722-8583.-SDC
WIEBE TO LEAD SEMINAR
Jon Wiebe, president of MB Foundation, will be leading four seminars this fall on behalf of Good Sense Ministry, a stewardship initiative of Willow Creek Association. The Good $ense Solution Seminar is being offered 49 times throughout the Midwest from Sept. 16 through Nov. 4. Wiebe will be leading seminars Oct. 3 in Lawrence and Olathe, Kan., and Oct. 4 in Liberty and Blue Springs, Mo. The two-hour Good $ense Solution Seminar will explain how the local church can deal with the topic of money in a biblically based, culturally relevant, easily understood and grace-filled manner. For more information, go to www.goodsenseministry.com.-MBF
BOGE AUTHORS BOOK
Mennonite Brethren author Paul H. Boge has written his third book, The Cities of Fortune, released in May. The novel is a sequel to a previous book. The Chicago Healer, whose main character possesses the gift of supernatural healing. In Cities of Fortune the character contends with a pharmaceutical giant who is enraged over loss of sales. Boge attends North Kildonan MB Church, Winnipeg, Man For more information, see his Web site, www.paulboge.com.
TC artist honors 9/11 victims
Piece by piece New York City's World Trade Center towers fell Sept. II, 2001. Five years later, Tabor College faculty member Shin-Hee Chin creatively finished putting the pieces back together in remembrance of all the lives lost.
Chin, assistant professor of art and design, created two quilts-each measuring 2.6 x I30 inches-to symbolize the Twin Towers. In the "windows" appear drawings of each of the approximate I,900 victims' faces.
When the attacks occurred, Chin and her family lived in Columbia, Md. She remembers watching the planes hit the buildings on television that morning, seeing "chaotic things" happen and welcoming her children when they were dismissed early from school, a mere 40 minutes from the Pentagon where another attack took place.
Describing her initial feelings as "miserable and wlnerable," Chin "didn't know what to do as a mom and as an artist. I thought of how sad it must have been for moms to see their children die."
She wanted to create a piece of artwork that would serve as a voice for the victims. Using the book Portraits of Grief published by the New York Times Chin studied each victim's portrait and read their families ' interviews.
"It made me feel close to them as a human being," she says.
Chin used a ballpoint pen to sketch the victims' profiles. She then ironed each one-inch square to permanently adhere the ink to the fabric. The name of each person was written underneath the sketch. A piece of blue ribbon separates the drawing from the name.
Eight hours a day for six consecutive months, Chin drew the faces The actual design process took three years. Twine, one of her favorite materials, is sewn onto the fabric. The light ash hue at the top reminds Chin of Ash Wednesday and 'bow we come from ash and go to ash. " Eventually the color blends into gray and then black.
' These quilts are in memory of the victims. I want everyone to think of the value of people's lives. We need to calm down, look at people and think about and appreciate life "
Chin is unsure of her quilts' final resting place, but she is planning to contact galleries and peace organizations across the country so her artwork can be shared with others.
Tabor College is a four-year, Christian liberal arts institution founded in I908 and located in Hillsboro, Kan., with a second location, Tabor College Wichita, in west Wichita, Kan -Sara Cook, TC Public Relations
BOOK EXPLORES SIBERIAN MENNONITE HISTORY
A new book illuminates a little- known chapter of the Mennonite story. Ethno Confessions in a Soviet State: Mennonites in Siberia, 1920-1980, Annotated Archival Listing of Archival Documents and Materials, Select Documents is a joint publication of the Fresno (Calif.) Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies, operated by Fresno Pacific University and MB Biblical Seminary, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. The book, published in March, is the first fruit of the Siberian Mennonite Research Project, begun in 2002 to explore the history of Mennonites in Siberia Some of these individuals and families were exiled to the region by the Soviet Union. Others migrated voluntarily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. An English edition of the book is scheduled for release in mid2007.-CMBS
INDONESIAN MENNONITES ASSESS TSUNAMI DAMAGE
A July 17 tsunami struck the Indonesian island of Java causing more than 300 deaths and destroying more than 600 homes, according to local media reports. The director of Mennonite Central Committee partner organization Mennonite Diaconial Services traveled to the affected area July 19 to prepare for a possible relief response. "We are in touch with Indonesian partners who are assessing the situation and may be responding," says Ed Martin, MCC's director for central and southern Asia. "If they do we will likely be supporting them." Martin notes that MCC is continuing to support the disaster recovery work of Mennonite Diaconial Services in communities affected by the May 27 earthquake in Java -MCC
Tabor College artist
next to the large quilt$ she created honoring the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.
Shin-Hee Chin stands
ennonite Brethren higher education has never been stronger. Record enrollment and fund - raising, growing programs and campus facilities characterize both Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University. While the two schools are thriving in quite different educational climates these sister colleges .share a strong connection to th e .' denomination that founded the m and a commitment to their students with a quality cation grounded in an cal Anabaptist world They also wrestle with of the same issues . . ' month we invite c;c;back to schogr' about these and to two
In
the college years
It"s not always easy to parent a child who is moving into adulthood-but it's worth the rid e.
Trying our best not to be hovering parents, we attended the Fresno Pacific University freshman orientation with Stephanie, our firstborn Tearful goodbyes followed the closing dinner S3turday night and we drove the 20 miles back to our home in Kingsburg content that Stephanie was off to a good start on her ooIlege experience. Until the call came Sunday afternoon.
' 'Mom,'' Stephanie's voice was tight, "they're making me get a permission slip to go on the retreat tomorrow." Stephanie's 18th birthday was just three weeks away, but until she turned 18 she had to get our signatures for an off-campus . activity. So much for independence and a clean break.
A family life speaker once said that the goal of parenting is to prepare children for responsible adulthood. With that as our goal. the process of preparing our daughters Stephanie and J¥tAnne for the transition to college began many years earlier. Learning to manage money began with a monthly aDow.lnce in junior high . Using up two months of altowante for that pair of Gap pants meant they had to dip into babysitting money for those cute bargain T-shirts at ,Target. It was all part of leaming how to keep a balance between the jnflow and outgo of money And, amazthey never had to go to school in rags.
Alarm clocks for their bedrooms - purchased when they were in high school - were one of our best investtnents Mom was the one who needed the discipline, though, to let them take responsibility for their own morning timetable.
The tempta-
tion was great to holler upstairs to make sure they were getting ready. But who would be there to do that in college?
Just like their skills in money and time management, the track to where our children would go to college began long before their junior year of high school. Our daughters' choices-Fresno Pacific University for Stephanie and Tabor College for LynAnne-have roots in their childhood.
While attending summer camp at Hartland Christian Camp they met other children from Mennonite Brethren churches and began to see that they are part of a bigger family of faith. They learned about our spiritual heritage and the value of service as our family volunteered a summer doing home repairs with Mennonite Central Committee in Appalachia.
As high schoolers they were part of the youth track for the 2000 U.S. Conference convention in Colorado. Together with fellow MB youth from across the country they shared their bread with the homeless on the streets of Denver and shared communion on a hilltop overlooking the city, creating new bonds of friendship with fellow MBs across the country. They dubbed themselves "Conference Kids" and made a pact to come back together for the 2002 conference in British Columbia. (Photo right: "Conference Kids" at the BC conference.)
We encouraged our daughters to have at least one year of their college education at one of our Mennonite schools. Looking back, we can see how these previous relationships helped make Tabor and Fresno Pacific a natural choice.
Even with strong life management skills and schools that provide a nurturing and healthy environment, college students and their parents have adjustments to make. No amount of preparation and forethought can completely smooth out the bumps.
Consider, for example, staying in touch. At Tabor's orientation they gave clear instructions to the parents: once you say goodbye, let your student take the first step to communicate. That seemed like good advice, so we waited and waited. We kept our cell phones handy as we took a leisurely road trip through Colorado on our way back to California.
Four days passed and we hadn't heard from LynAnne-not even a voice-mail message! Finally on the evening of the fourth day Stephanie called us from Fresno Pacific Please call LynAnne right away, she said. She misses you and she doesn't have a long distance plan yet so she can't call. Here we were waiting to hear from her and she was wondering if we had forgotten her already. We were all relieved to be back in touch again.
As parents we always try to be there when our children need us. Dad comes to the rescue when something breaks
down. Mom tries to patch things up when relationships or the pressures of life become overwhelming. But when the call comes from Fresno, "Dad, my computer crashed," he can't always say, "111 be right there." As hard as it might be, Mr. Fix-it Dad may have to admit that he can't get to it for a few days and advise his daughter to find someone on pus who knows how to take care of the problem.
Or when the phone rings and a shaky voice on the other end of the line in Kansas says, "Mom, 111 never get this paper finished by tomorrow morning." Mom can't put her arms around her little girl to reassure her that things will work out. In times like this Mom learns that a phone
Educational essentials
Stephanie and LynAnne did not enroll at Fresno Pacific and Tabor by chance. We felt that education at one of our conference schools was essential to their academic and spiritual development.
Our own lives were strongly influenced by Clarence Hiebert, Cal Redekop, John E. Toews, Larry Martens and others as we studied at Tabor in the 1970s. These godly teachers believed in the Bible as the authority for life and thought. They showed us what Scripture says about following Jesus as disciples in a church community. They modeled and taught a lifestyle of simpliCity and service and a spirit of compassion for the lost and hurting.
We see few MB churches systematically teaching their youth these core values from our heritage. We thank God that Tabor and Fresno Pacific are here to guide our daughters and others of their generation to find ways these core values can be lived out in their postmodern world. - KHW!SJW
connection is for more than conversation. Even through 10 minutes of silence on the line because both of us are overcome with tears, it's still worth the six cents a minute. It's not a phone call, it's a long-distance hug.
College students, and their parents, face new fears as they approach full adulthood. How will I support myself? Will I enjoy the work my education has prepared me for? Or worse yet, will my major even translate into a real job?
Stephanie's math major raises those kinds of questions. People naturally assume that she will become a math
from faith about their future to doubt and back to faith again. It can feel like a roller coaster. One day you're at the top with a clear view of where life is headed, but the next day you're at the bottom where things aren't quite so clear. Then a new opportunity comes through that puts you at the crest of the next hill for an even longer view. It's quite a ride, but, as Dad likes to tell his girls, 'lf roller coasters weren't a little scary they wouldn't be any fun."
The long views from the crest are key to keeping perspective in the ups and downs of watching our children grow into adults. Sometimes we as parents are at the top, shouting down to
It ca n feel like a roller coa ste r One day you're at the top with a clea r view of where life is headed, but the next day you're at the bottom where thing s aren ' t quite so clea r
teacher, and when they hear that she doesn't plan to teach they want to know what she will do. Frankly, she doesn't know yet.
Being in that place of uncertainty is hard for her-and hard for us as parents. It would be so much simpler if her career path were clear. But, together with her, we walk a path of faith, knowing that she is pursuing the field of study that God has created her for and trusting him to weave all the training and experiences of her college years into a meaningful life's work.
Students and their parents both move up and down-
our children that even though they can't see very far, we envision for them a bright future , full of meaningful opportunity.
Other times the children themselves see the long view. LynAnne's vision of her future came through in her recent application for our church's college matching scholarship: "I am part of the next generation of church leaders. By contnbuting to my Christian college education you are helping me to gain biblical knowledge and valuable life experiences that I can bring back and contribute to the church "
To see that come true for our daughters will make this process well worth the ride.
The WIeSt family connection to Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University predates the recent enrollment of Stephanie and LynAnne at the two schook Steve WIeSt graduatedfrom Tabor College in 1978 and Kathy Heinrichs WIeSt attended Tabor for the 1975-76 academic year. Steve and Kathy both worked for Fresno Pacific during the early 1980s-Steve in the maintenance department and Kathy in the advancement department Since 1990 Steve has been a remodeling contractor, specializing in historic homes. In 2001 Kathy began working as a staff associate for education at West Coast Mennonite Central Committee. This fall Stephanie (right), a math major. began her senior year at FPU while LynAnne (left) is a sophomore at Tabor majoring in graphic arts. The Wiest family attends Kingsburg (Calif.) MB Church.
Strengthening the stakes
Are our two U.S. Mennonite Brethren colleges in danger of losing their way as they expand their vision and enjoy continued growth? Not if we strengthen the stakes.
Are Christian colleges perched atop a slippery slope ready to slide into the "tar pits of apostasy" as Michael Hamilton put it a year ago in Christianity Today? Are Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University vulnerable to such danger as they continue to expand their educational programs?
Both schools are in a season of unprecedented growth. Both have growing enrollments. Both are in reasonably good financial health with balanced budgets and modest endowments. Both have plans for major campus developments Both have expanded their programs to include off-campus centers. As the programs of the respective schools expand, are they in danger of becoming disconnected from their roots and losing their theological moorings?
There are those in our constituency who have posed such questions from time to time. Last year the Fresno Pacific Board of Trustees proposed a change in the Articles of Incorporation to provide for more non-Mennonite board members. The issue received vigorous debate at the Pacific District Conference convention and passed by only a narrow margin . The delegate debate, which used "slippery slope" language, illustrates the fear that exists.
Both schools have expanded their vision to serve the surrounding communities Indeed, their survival has required su ch expansion. Under the leadership of former president Edmund Janzen, Fresno Pacific initiated a "Broadening the Base" program. It was designed to expand the focus of the school to include! its evangelical neighbors on the West Coast. The program increased non-Mennonite Brethren membership to the Board, targeted students and donations from non -Mennonite Brethren sources and developed a strOfig mat;keting program in the San Joaquin valley Drastic measures necessary; the survival of the school was at stake
Of course the danger of broadening the base is real James Burtchaell, in his book
The Dying of the Light, describes how colleges that are founded by their denominations can become disengaged from the church and in some cases become secularized. Burtchaell studied 17 colleges and universities birthed by seven denominations. Today these schools are totally disengaged from their founding denominations.
In another study George Marsden, in his book The Soul of the American University, recounts how America's most influential universities-Harvard, Yale, John Hopkins and Chicago to name a few-have lost their Christian soul. Are Tabor and Fresno Pacific in such danger as they expand the scope and influence of their educational programs?
than students and money.
Enrollments and finances must not so dominate their energy so as to neglect the strengthening of their stakes. Indeed, the larter must precede the former. Strengthening the stakes focuses on core issues. I would identify the following.
Keep the identity of the schools sharply focused. Who are we? Why do we exist? What are the biblical and theological principles that should guide the development of our schools? These are the essential questions we must continually ask of ourselves. Confusion in answering these questions leads to confusion in one's mission and core values.
Each of our schools has a mission statement that provides clarity to
Education that is Christian seeks to guide m e n and women to be Chr ist i an and to think Christianly about life and how it is to be lived in our complex w orld It s eeks to integrate faith, learning and action into a worldview that is cente re d in Ch r ist.
Both schools were founded by MB leaders who were passionate about the importance of Christian higher education and who viewed Christian education as integral to the mission and ministry of the church. These schools, while very different in many respects, were formed with identical motivations and purposes.
The founders envisioned a program of education that had at its center the mission of the church, the teaching of biblical truth and the shaping of godly leaders for service in the church and world. The histories of Tabor and Pacific reflect a visionary and ambitious effort. Hardship, uncertainty and even tragedy never dampened the spirit of those early leaders. From the outset to the present there has always been a «can do" spirit that has fueled the vision for the development of the schools even when advisors or circumstances suggested it was impossible.
As the schools continue to expand and develop vibrant programs they face a significant challenge. It is the challenge reflected in the apt image from the prophet Isaiah who calls on Israel to lengthen the cords and strengthen the stakes (lsa. 54:2-3) God's plan is to gather a people to himself from all the tribes and nations of the world, so Israel is to vigorously extend and spread out its borders. While they are expanding their influence they must also drive the stakes down firmly. They are to be resolute and give strength to the foundations. Their identity and purposes must not be shaken by their expansive developments.
Throughout the development of Tabor and Fresno Pacific, the Boards of Trustees and the school's administrations have been concerned, at times consumed, with two issues: enrollments and finances. These issues are often used to define the central challenges the schools face. Certainly they continue to be critical matters. Lengthening the cords requires the expansion of the student and financial bases, but the challenges for our schools go much deeper
identity and purpose Fresno Pacific developed The Fresno Pacific Idea to interpret more extensively the mission, vision and core values of the school. Paul Toews suggests that the "Idea" has been used to both protect the institution's center and extend its boundaries (see Mennonite Idealism and Higher Education). Each school strengthens its stakes by maintaining clarity about who it is and why it exists.
Keep central what is central. We say that our schools are Christian. For some that means that the administration and faculty are to be Christians. We, of course, expect that to be the case, but being Christian as a college or university is much more. It is more than the attnosphere of the place, the historical roots, the founding principles or a connection to a denomination. It is more than chapels, codes of behavior or even Bible and theology courses.
The objective of education is to influence human lives. Education that is Christian seeks to guide men and women to be Christian and to think Christianly about life and how it is to be lived in our complex world. It seeks to integrate faith, learning and action into a worldview that is centered in Christ Christ is more than the name on the marquee or a word in the mission statement. Courses of study are rooted in and permeated by a worldview that is centered on Christ. He stands at the core of all our pursuits and we seek to understand all things from his perspective.
Appoint board and faculty members who are devoted followers of Christ. The task in avoiding the slippery slope toward secularism must begin with the Board of Trustees. Boards are the guardians of the mission and vision of the schools. Occasionally one hears that the most important task of the board is to hire and fire the president The appointtnent of the president is an important decision, but the board has as an even more important task: to assure that the mission and purpose of the school is carried out. It follows, therefore, that those who serve our schools as trustees must be Christian. Being Christian, however, is more than membership in a church It is embracing the claims of Christ, following him and living with a worldview that is Christian.
The faculty must also be Christian. Faculty members carry the primary responsibility for the integration of faith and learning, so it is crit-
ical that faculty are appointed who are followers of Christ. We always ask what the academic qualifications for a prospective professor may be. We must also be concerned what his or her Christian commitment is. Moreover it is not enough for a professor to be a Christian. He or she must also be a good teacher, a godly colleague and an excellent scholar who works hard at integrating faith and learning in the classroom.
Since our schools are Mennonite Brethren, board members and faculty members should also give assent to the MB Confession of Faith. Recently the Fresno Pacific Board of Trustees approved board policies that ask all board members to provide a summary of their spiritual journey as a follower of Christ and to give assent to the MB Confession of Faith.
Both schools require faculty members to give assent to the Confession of Faith. Tabor College President Larry Nikkel says that beginning this fall Tabor plans to require new faculty members, whether Mennonite or not, to complete an online course in Mennonite history. These are important steps our schools are taking to strengthening the stakes.
Strengthen the ties between church and school. In preparation for this article, I surveyed the presidents of our schools plus several current and past educational and denominational leaders. I asked, 'rue the ties between the schools and the denomination being loosened?" All spoke of such a tendency and all were
concerned about strengthening the relationship between the schools and denomination.
Several suggested that the tendency to loosen the ties rests with both. Indeed, Burtchaell, (cited above) says we often assume that the shift from theological roots and denominational ties is something initiated and achieved by the schools alone. He suggests that loosening the ties is always two-sided. His study shows that a change often occurs first within the church as it adjusts to the changing cultural environment and influences. One leader who responded to my survey observed that today very little denominational energy is invested in the colleges and that denominational leaders do not see the schools as critical to the identity of the church.
Several leaders also expressed concern over the growing loss of denominational loyalty in our churches. Few today would disagree that there has been a shift from denominational allegiance to more local autonomy. Today's church member often wonders about the value of the denomination. One leader observed, "In any given church, the views of Pat Robertson and James Dobson are probably more respected than those of Menno Simons."
The commitment to our schools has also changed. Churches and parents are less likely to promote our schools looking instead to higher profile institutions such as John Brown, Biola, Azusa Pacific, etc., or to state universities. The options for higher education are many, and the importance of a distinctively Christian education has diminished.
I suppose the schools and the denomination could go their separate ways and could thrive and even remain Christian, but it would be a significant loss. Indeed the schools and the denomination need each other. They should not exist as silos that have no connection. The denomination needs the schools to carry out its mission for leadership training and to develop a generation of people who serve the church and the world. The schools need the church to understand in what cultures and segments of the society the church is moving so they can prepare leaders for that mission.
Certainly we must continue to strengthen our evangelism and church planting ventures as a denomination, but we also need to view our educational programs as an important part of that mission. Education is not evangelism and evangelism is not education, but we ought not to see the two as incompanble or in tension. Both are essential to carry out the mission God has given the church.
The legacy of Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University has been significant, evidence of the faithfulness of God and the faithfulness of past and present leaders. As the schools lengthen the cords, we must not leave the future to chance. The vitality and effectiveness of our schools for future generations depends on giving faithful and close attention to the stakes that are distinctively Christian and faithful to our biblical and theological foundations.
Larry Martens is chair of the Fresno Pacific University Board of Trustees, aposition he has held since 2004. His desire to serve God and the church led him to serve for the past 42 years as a minister of music, pastor and a professor training others for ministry. Martens was president of MB Biblical Seminary from 1985 to 1992 and was pastor of North Fresno Church from 1992 until his retirement in 2004. He is a Tabor College graduate.
That's why we do it
These are challenging days in higher education. So why do presidents D. Merrill Ewert and Larry Nikkel talk with such enthusiasm about the two Mennonite Brethren colleges they lead?
Leader editor Connie Faber recently interviewed the presidents of our two Mennonite Brethren colleges-D. Merrill Ewert, president of Fresno Pacific University, and Larry Nikkel, president of Tabor College. With just an occasional question to prompt the discussion, the two presidents spent an hour visiting about the challenges that come with being involved in Christian higher education. A portion of their conversation, marked by humor and an easy give-andtake as well as pride in the schools they serve, is printed here
CL: While Fresno Pacific University and Tabor College are both currently healthy, growing enterprises, I have heard both of you say that this is a difficult time to be involved in Christian higher education.
LN: It's hard to know how to talk with integrity about
the full picture. You don't want to sing the blues nor paint too rosy a picture. On the one hand you don't want to paint a picture that is too bleak, although it is true that our needs continue to be great On the other hand, you don't want to imply that things are going so great that we discourage people's faithful, even sacrificial giving.
ME: Based on my own experience, other presidents I talk with and from what I read, I think these are the toughest days in higher education in a century.
LN: So how did we get into this thing when we did, Merrill?
ME: Maybe we weren't thinking straight.
There are a couple of reasons why I think things are this way. There was once the expectation that colleges and universities would serve their communities. In tum, that society would support its institutions . This understanding is unraveling from both sides.
There is also uncertainty in the political environment related to state grants, loans and other programs. For example, President Bush recently proposed eliminating the Perkins loan program but fortunately Congress put it back.
LN: Taking away the Perkins program would have been huge in terms of a student's ability to attend a private school.
ME: We are enrollment driven. We don't have large endowments. We don't have big donor bases. We depend on student numbers to make our budgets. That is true of all the private colleges like ours.
We are also all in competition for the same students.
LN: That's a good point, Merrill. Many of our prospective students would not differentiate from among the 18
church related schools in Kansas. They would say all 18 are Christian schools and not differentiate beyond that. But for those who try to sort out the evangelical schools from among the rest, the group narrows to just a handful.
It comes back to the issue of being distinctly Mennonite Brethren. We intend through our teaching. the people we hire and our core values to be Mennonite Brethren, to operate with one foot in the Anabaptist stream and one in the Evangelical stream. But if Tabor is going to grow, we are not
going to grow with all of our eggs in the basket of MB students. That day is gone. I think, Merrill, when we were at Tabor the overwhelming majority of students were MB. Now we are at 25 or 30 percent
ME: We're at 16 percent.
LN: There is a real opportunity to grow if we market ourselves to the evangelical community. But there is also a problem. When students come to Tabor they may hot know very much about Anabaptist theology or if they do, they come with their guard up and don't want us cramming our beliefs down their throats. One of the challenges we have is to clothe our theology in such an attractive way that students will be drawn to it and embrace it. Does Fresno Pacific struggle with this?
ME: Many families wouldn't fully understand that we're a Mennonite institution. They would see us as a regional Christian university - though perhaps located in the Central Valley, perhaps with Mennonite roots. Many would not clearly know what this means. Even in our own denomination, there is a lack of understanding and differentiation of what it means to be a Mennonite Brethren as an institution. When I go into a Mennonite Brethren church I am greeted warmly and respectfully but Fresno Pacific is treated in the same way as Azuza Pacific or Biola University or The Masters College would be.
LN: Another challenge is that some alumni and
Opposite: Larry Nikkel visits with a student. Above: D. Merrill Ewert greets alumni at a recent gathering.
AND
donors start with the assumption that nothing has changed at Tabor since they were here. They think that when they left town time stopped and nothing has changed at Tabor. From what I know about Fresno Pacific, both schools have changed, say in terms of being tech-nologica11y relevant and having a diverse faculty and quality facilities.
ME: As a follow-up, Larry I assume that we share the challenge to show what has not changed. If our programs and organizational structures have changed, some assume that our values must have changed as well. I spend a fair amount of my time explaining that the core values on which this institution was founded are unchanged; that the commitments that were made when Pacific Bible Institute was established are still being held. The university just looks different.
LN: There's another challenge that we have. Call it sticker shock or affordability. When the first question people ask is, 'What's your tuition?" you almost can't get beyond that We have to be able to have enough conversations with people to tell them what the cost will be for them. For some students Tabor is as affordable as a state university.
The Kansas Independent College Association just completed an analysis of debt upon graduation. Graduates of private liberal arts colleges in Kansas have, on average, less than $1,000 more debt than those graduating from public universities. I think the bottom line is that we cannot allow our constituency to see this only as a price issue. Given that fact that our cost is surprisingly close to a public education, the value added in our MB institutions easily tips the scale in our favor.
ME: I trY to remind people that it is all about the net. It's not the sticker price that matters but what people actually pay after scholarships, grants, work study, etc. The other thing is the issue of opportunity costs. If students tend to business, they will graduate ftom Fresno
Pacific in four years. Studies show that the average time from start to completion at a public university today is 5.9 years and growing. It's not just what your education costs for six years instead of four at a public university, it's what you could be earning if you spent those two extra years in the work force instead of in school.
LN: There is another aspect to the price/value issue. Students on a campus like ours have multiple opportunities for learning experiences outside of the classroom. This kind of leadership development may happen at public schools but I guarantee it doesn't happen to the degree it does at smaller schools. How do you put a dollar value on that?
ME: The other part of that is the relationship students develop with professors and what happens when professors know students. This not only translates into a reference for graduate school or a job but mentoring relationships that last a lifetime . When I go to an alumni event I love to watch our faculty collect hugs from their graduates. That's another difference at a Tabor or an FPU.
LN: Or you go to weddings and you see these profs there. This sense of community could hardly be expected in other institutions.
ME: Our students invite faculty members into their lives; and for faculty members that's the best part of being a professor at schools like ours.
I've taught at an Ivy League university. The students are smart and most will have a great experience. But did I ever hear an undergraduate student say being at an Ivy League school really transformed his or her life? Never. At Fresno Pacific I hear that from students once or twice a week. You aren't going to hear stories like that at UCLA or Berkeley or the University of Minnesota where nobody knows your name.
LN: That's why we do it.
ME: That's why I say to the church, "We expect you to partner in this enterprise. We're contributing to the kingdom."
CL: So why should Mennonite Brethren families consider sending their children to a denominational college? And, how do the colleges serve the church?
ME: Parents should send their students because they are going to get a first-rate education. They will be well mentored by cating professors who will help them crah an adult Christian worldviews. They should come to one of our institutions because they will be connected to a cohort of people who share their values and beliefs, who are on the same quest that they are. They should come to Tabor and Fresno Pacific because they will develop relationships that will last a lifetime. That's why I have the audacity to stand in front of a group of parents and say, send your students our way.
Now in terms of what it means for the denomination: We're in the leadership development business. We are developing church leaders for the future.
LN: Three years ago I did some simple research and was frankly surprised at the percentage of pastoral leaders that Tabor College is supplying to the Southern District Conference. There are 35 churches in the district and at that time 22 had Tabor alumni on the pastoral care staff and numerous had more than one That doesn't include what our alumni contribute as Sunday school superintendent, choir directors, church moderators or treasurers.
Sometimes I have wondered what holds our denomination together I think in some ways higher education may be part of the glue An investment in Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University is an investment in the local congregation and the broader church
Report from the mountaintop
Historic 2006 convention marked by passion
Organizers of the 2006 biennial U.S. Conference convention promised a "mountaintop experience " Delegates and guests who met July 28-30 in Boone, NC, found that promise fulfilled in a convention marked by passion, transformational business decisions and warm fellowship.
The mountaintop setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains didn't hurt. But the setting was more than a beautiful backdrop; it was both historic and inspiring. "Being in North Carolina provided enthusiasm, excitement and expectancy that gave a positive lift," says USC chair Steve Prieb in an interview after the convention.
The convention was hosted by a cluster of six, primarily AfricanAmerican MB churches with over 100 years of history in North Carolina: Boone MB Church in Boone, Darby MB Church in Ferguson, Bushtown MB, Laytown MB and West End, all in Lenoir, and Beechbottom in Newland. (For more on the history of the North Carolina District Conference, visit the U.S Conference Web site at www.usmb.org.) The North Carolina District Conference also includes a newer, Slavic congregation in Matthews, NC.
The larger U.S. MB family had never gathered in North Carolina-until now. A total of 278 registrants, including 157 delegates representing all five USC districts, met in Boone For many it was their first visit to the district and many traveled a great distance for the event. These delegates and registered guests were joined by members of the local MB churches for evening worship sessions, filling the sanctuary of the Boone United Methodist Church, where sessions were held.
NCDC moderator Terry Hunt calls the gathering "historic" in a post-convention interview, important both for the local churches and for relationships within the larger conference. He admits that these small churches-the largest has only about 75 members-at first felt inadequate to host an event of this magnitude, but accomplishing a big task with God's help was "a shot in the arm." Also encouraging for the local church members was the opportunity to interact with the larger MB family and to get a sense of the "big picture" of the conference, says Hunt.
As for the relationships within the larger conference, Hunt says, 'This convention has brought the entire U.S . Conference together." Although the district is geographically isolated from the other USC churches, Hunt says the unity and warm fellowship at this convention
paved the way for a new era of working together. 'Tm hoping that we can become more of a partner in the ministry of building the kingdom of God," he says.
That new sense of partnership was made formal in a brief but significant celebration Friday evening as the USC transferred titles for six NCDC properties to the district, a move that several leaders say was long overdue. Now, like the other USC districts, the NCDC has been established as a 50I( ch tax exempt organization and owns its properties, giving the district the legal right to make decisions about its future.
Hunt says the transfer symbolically moves the district from a sense of being "stepchildren" to a sense of full ownership. "It takes us to another level," he says. The significance of the move was not
For the first time in its history, the North Carolina MB Conference hosted the b ie nnial national convention. Guests were welcomed at the opening d inner with cakes celebrating the historic event.
Will they come?
U S. Conference leaders were excited about holding the biennial convention in North Carolina. a first In U.S. Mennonite Brethren history. But would pastors and delegates. the bulk of which come from the West Coast and Midwest, travel to a convention hosted by the only district east of the Mississippi? A look at statistics for the past four conventions shows that the 2006 convention did not bring a halt to the decline in attendance Convention planners, however, were pleased with attendance at the 2006 event.
Boone 2006
Delegates: 157
Guests: 92
Children: 29
Total Registered: 278
District representation:
Central: 23
Pacific: 83
Southern: 87
LAMB: 9
NC:25
A youth group of 15 individuals from Scott Street Church in St. Catharines, Ont., and 10 students from the Tabor College i268 ministry team also participated in the convention at varioustimes.
Delegates: 212
Guests: 40
Children: 42
Total Registered: 293
Abbotsford 2002
Delegates: 195
Guests: 67
Children: 40
Total Registered: 302
Denver 2000
Delegates: 253
Guests: 32
Children: 54
Total Registered: 338
lost on delegates, who erupted in a spontaneous standing ovation as USC executive director Chuck Buller presented Hunt with a plaque commemorating the transfer.
That sense of unity and partnership was evident in informal ways throughout the convention. Evident as delegates of mixed race, likely strangers before the convention, huddled in spontaneous prayer and as a member of the NCDC gospel choir demonstrated to Caucasian delegates how to move to the rhythm of the lively worship music. Evident as delegates from a Hispanic congregation in California enjoyed the noon meal, provided by members of the North Carolina churches, with delegates from rural Kansas.
Passion emerged as the unofficial theme of the convention during the opening worship service Friday evening. A mass choir from the local churches, led by Morris Hatton, pastor of Laytown MB Church, led the energetic, gospel-style music. Delegates responded eagerly by standing, raising their hands or clapping.
While introducing speaker Terry Hunt, Buller encouraged delegates to keep the passion flowing by responding verbally throughout Hunt's message: "Say, 'Come on now,'" he prodded. And they did.
Hunt challenged delegates to allow the passion of this mountaintop experience to continue as they "boldly go where no man has gone before."
'We need some excitement in what we do for the Lord," Hunt said. He referred to the early history of the NCDC churches, a time when racially and culturally diverse people worked together-to edu-
Top: As part of a special ceremony during which deeds to the properties of North Carolina MB churches were transferred to the district, U.S. Conference chair Steve Prieb (right) and USC executive director Chuck Buller (center) present NC district minister Terry Hunt with a plaque commemorating the event. Right: Break times gave convention goers the opportunity to spend time outside visiting and enjoying their surroundings in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
cate African-American orphans in an era of racial segregation, for example-and challenged those in attendance to allow passionate unity to guide their service for God.
"God, if youll ignite us, we're willing to serve you," he prayed in closing.
Passion remained an underlying theme on Saturday as attention turned to business. The Leadership Board brought four recommendations to the delegates, all of which passed unanimously. Most of the discussion centered on the new USC bylaws, although no major controversy emerged. In a post-convention interview, USC chair Prieb notes a spirit of unity and a desire to move forward marked the business sessions. After several years of attending to the "roots" of the denomination, he says, delegates were ready to
tum attention again to "where the fruit is." (See story this page.)
One noteworthy exception to the celebratory artnosphere present throughout the convention was during a presentation on the DR Congo led by Mennonite World Conference representative Pakisa Tshimika. When the sound feed to a multimedia presentation failed, delegates watched the visual portion of the presentation in sober silence. Tshimika requested that delegates pray earnestly for the country as elections were held July 30.
The convention closed on a passionate note with Saturday evening worship, with music again led by local church members. Outgoing members of the Leadership Board served communion. Executive Director Buller used I Corinthians 3 and a personal story from his high school football days to challenge delegates to serve without expecting applause. "When you don't care who gets the credit, God can get a lot done," he said.
In a convention themed ''Transformed by mountaintop experiences," the extent of transformation that delegates will carty down from the mountain remains to be seen. Buller points to organizational transformations from new bylaws and a positive convention experience and to relational transformation with the NCDC churches, but says spiritual transformation is up to God. 'We certainly believe that when people meet God in fresh ways, it's part of their transformation," says Buller.-Myra Holmes
Taking care of business
Bylaws, budget and appointments approved with ease
Business was a significant piece of the 2006 U.S. Conference convention "mountaintop experience." The decisions, while important, were made quietly and with little discussion. Delegates approved bylaws for the U.S. Conference, MBMS International and MB Biblical Seminary, a USC budget for the coming year and a slate of leaders.
USC bylaws
When the Leadership Board brought new bylaws to the delegation, they fulfilled a mandate given them at the 2004 USC convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. At that convention delegates provisionally approved a new governance structure with a single Leadership Board and charged that board with the task of developing bylaws for the USC.
Conference chair Steve Prieb pointed out that since divestiture of the General Conference in 2000, the USC has been "a conference in transition," asking questions and reevaluating traditional ways of doing business. The new bylaws describe a streamlined, more efficient governance structure and identify the purpose of the USC as the "glue" that binds together local churches and denominational functions such as stewardship, education and global missions. That's important, Prieb says in an interview after the convention, because it shows "we still believe in the denomination."
Of the four recommendations the delegates approved, the recommendation regarding USC bylaws generated the most discussion. Perhaps because the process involved gathering input from many denominational leaders, discussion from the floor centered on questions of detail rather than philosophy.
Many delegates asked for more information about a national Board of Faith and Life, which was re-introduced in the new bylaws after having been consolidated in the work of the Leadership Board two years ago. Prieb said it became apparent quickly that a single governing board could not give adequate attention to theological matters. ''The one function that is too important to consolidate is theology," he said. The BFL slate and structure will be formed out of a yet-to-bescheduled summit of all district Boards of Faith and Life.
Delegate Joyce Warkentin proposes new language to the article regarding responsibilities of the national Board of Faith and Life.
Delegates also discussed new language in the bylaws that mandates equal representation on the Leadership Board from east and west of the Rocky Mountains rather than according to districts as in the past. USC executive director Chuck Buller explained that this wording not only better reflects the church populations but also allows flexibility to include board members from groups not adequately represented under district language.
Delegates publicly affirmed the bylaw formation process, which included hiring consultant Les Stahlke, two Leadership Summirs with MB leaders and a meeting with district ministers. Gary Wall, district minister of the Pacific District Conference, said the MB values of brotherhood were 'lived out in this process" that chose to involve the community
Other bylaws and a budget
Bylaws revisions from MBMS International and MB Biblical Seminary were approved without discussion. In an interview after the convention, Buller describes the changes for both as primarily housekeeping matters, brought about in part because the divestiture of the General Conference in 2002 meant a change in ownership of both agencies. Both are now owned jointly by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches and the USC, a change that must be adequately reflected in their bylaws. Buller notes that with the approval of bylaws at this convention, the USC, the Canadian Conference, the seminary and the mission agency are all functioning "from the same playbook."
Delegates also approved with little discussion an increased budget for the ,2006-2007 fiscal year. USC treasurer Greg Quiring reported that giving from churches is at an all-time high. 'We are really in good financial shape," he said.
The $723,340 budget represents about a 10 percent increase, most of which will be funneled to Mission USA for church planting and renewal projects . Even
so, MUSA director Don Morris pointed out that the denomination has more opportunities that could be pursued if budget allowed.
Ministry reports
In his report Morris highlighted four church planting projects and one renewal project by asking the lead pastoral couple for each project to speak briefly.
• Rod and Donna Anderson told of their vision to begin a new church plant, Christ Community Church, in Sioux Falls, SO, saying, "We want to take Sioux Falls for Christ."
• Jason Gilbow who with his wife Beth is leading Providence Fellowship in Edmond, Okla., told how he became involved with Mennonite Brethren church planting.
• Jeff and Lianne Nikkel, who began work on a church plant in Centennial, Colo., Aug. I, pointed out that God is "fired up" about redeeming lost people.
• Joshua and EunJi Kim spoke on behalf of a ministry to second-generation Korean young people in the Los Angeles area.
• Terry Hunt, pastor of the Bushtown MB Church, Lenoir, NC, talked about the church's vision for outreach to its primarily Caucasian community.
One way in which the new streamlined USC governance structure was evident to veteran convention goers was the reduced number of USC reports. Members of the
Above: A mass choir from the North Carolina MB churches led the audience in an energetic time of singing during the opening and closing worship sessions. Right: Leaders of five congregations involved with Mission USA in church planting and growth projects shared their goals during the MUSA report. USC chair Steve Prieb says a prayer of dedication for their ministry to conclude the MUSA presentation.
body LIFE m m m
Leadership Board presented the recommendations concerning USC bylaws and the budget while staff members Morris and Christian Leader editor Connie Faber reported on the USC ministries they lead. Two USC commissions also reported - the M B Historical Commission, which is a ministry shared with the Canadian MB Conference, and the National Youth Convention.
In her report, Faber announced that Rod Anderson, Sioux Falls church planter and former pastor of Millard Bible Church in Omaha, Neb., had been awarded third place in the devotional category of the 2006 Evangelical Press Association Awards Contest. Anderson's article ''The Boomerang Effect" was published in the October 2005 issue of the Leader. Faber presented Anderson with an Evangelical Press Association Higher Goals in Christian Journalism Award certificate of award.
Reports
In other business, delegates heard reports from conference-related ministries. In his report for MB Foundation and MB Loan Fund, Jon Wiebe updated delegates on the financial holdings of the foundation and talked about ways the foundation and loan fund have helped churches.
MBMS International provided a lengthy report of its mission work around the world, including a report on the growing church in Thailand by missionary Andy Owen, to which delegates responded with applause. MBMSI's general director Randy Friesen told delegates, "Fishing is exciting; fishing for people is life-changing."
MB Biblical Seminary president Jim Holm introduced several staff members who talked about the importance of calling out and training leaders for the church. MBBS alum Carey Gossen talked about his personal journey into ministry and asked delegates to encourage those in their congregations who may be struggling with a call to ministry.
The presidents of Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University led in brief reports from the two colleges and Victor Wall of the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren told of his goals for the global fellowship. Pakisa Tshimika brought greetings from Mennonite World Conference and presented a multimedia report on the DR Congo. Representatives of a number of partner agencies brought greetings, including the Canadian MB Conference, Kindred Productions, Mennonite Central Committee, Mutual Aid Exchange (MAX), Mennonite Health Services Alliance, Mennonite Mutual Aid and AdNet.
Elections
Delegates also affirmed a new Leadership Board, chaired by Joe Johns, Weatherford, Okla., as well as representatives to boards of ministries and partner agencies. Buller notes that the new Leadership Board represents an exciting cross section of the diversity in the USC. Members not only represent equal representation from east and west of the Rockies, but also a balan,ce of lay leaders and pastors, districts, genders and ethnic groups. "That feels satisfying," Buller says in a post-convention interview
Serving with Johns on the new board are: Greg Quiring, Sue Kliewer, Valerie Rempel and Vyacheslav Tsvirinko, all of Fresno, Calif , Kathy Isaac of Garden City, Kan., Brian Classen of Papillion, Neb , Rolando Mireles, Jr. of Rio Grande City, Texas, and Terry Hunt of Lenoir, NC. -Myra Holmes
Youth tour attractions
Wile parents attended the Pastors' Conference and the u.s. Conference convention, Chris and Rebecca Eides, youth pastoral couple for the North Carolina District Conference, and other volunteers cared for their children, primarily middle school through high school kids , and introduced them to the attractions of the Boone, NC area
All 29 kids visited the popular tourist town of Blowing Rock Thursday morning where they played in the city park, visited one of the area's famous Mast General Stores and had ice cream. That evening the younger kids did activities at Boone United Methodist Church and the older kids went to Magic Mountain Miniature Golf Course
Friday morning the group headed down the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped near Linville where part of the group learned about the local wildlife from a park ranger while the rest did some hiking. The kids joined their parents for the Friday evening worship service and for all but one meal.
The Eideses saved the best for last as Saturday was devoted to whitewater rafting for the older kids and Tweetsie Railroad for the younger ones. Tweetsie Railroad, located in Blowing Rock, is North Carolina's original family theme park and offers amusement rides for all ages, entertainment throughout the entire park and rides through the scenic mountains on the historic train.
The whitewater rafting crew left Boone early Saturday morning and rafted II miles of the Nolichucky River with High Mountain Expeditions . Students from the NCDC churches joined the visiting youth for the rafting trip. That evening local kids, convention youth as well as members of a Canadian Mennonite Brethren church youth group that was in the area on a service trip met together at Cornerstone Summit Church. A concert by the Tabor College ministry team i268 as well as a testimony from an Appalachian State University football player made up the evening program.
Many of the older students had been together two years ago when the U S Conference Pastors' Conference and convention was held in Salt Lake City, so a highlight of the 2 006 event was seeing friends again.-CF
Side trip finds historic treasure
Several U.S. Conference convention attendees participated in a treasure hunt of sorts Friday afternoon, seeking out sites of historic significance to the North Carolina District Conference. Of special interest to the group was the site of the Elk Park orphanage and school, where Mennonite Brethren mIssIonaries taught AfricanAmerican children-a cross-cultural and counter-cultural undertaking a century ago. Out of that effort the North Carolina district was birthed.
The treasure hunters included Ruth Siemens Dunn, who spent her childhood in North Carolina while her parents served at the Elk Park orphanage and school, Rod Jost and Sharon Plett, who each had grandparents who served there, Virgil Greer, local historian, Peggy Goertzen, director of the Center for MB Studies, Terry Hunt, NCDC moderator, Myra Holmes, the Leader's assistant editor, and several spouses.
Relying on memories, stories and a sense of adventure, the group took a number of wrong turns, including one into neighboring Tennessee, before finding the sought-for treasure. They found the site of Dunn's childhood homestead as well as the site of the Elk Park orphanage, although the buildings were long gone. They searched for, but did not find, the grave of one of the MB missionary children buried near the orphanage.
As these treasure hunters stood on the crumbling steps of the orphanage, they recognized a connection to something bigger. "I thought of these remarkable people working together for a common goal 100 years ago and how we have the opportunity to work together as an ethnically diverse conference today," says participant Myra Holmes. "It was magical."
For a more detailed retelling by historian Peggy Goertzen, visit the U.S. Conference Web site at www.usmb.org.-MH
Top left: Scott and Mark Isaac were one of at least two duos that made the U S Conference convention a father-son event. Below: Rod Jost, Terry Hu nt, Sharon Plett, Ruth Dunn, Peggy Goertzen and Phil Plett were am ong the group that located the Elk Park orphanage and school site.
Sunday worship ends convention on positive note
business ended Saturday, officially the 2006 convention ended with orship at five of the six host churches Sunday morning, July 30. Darby MB Church in Ferguson did not hold services
All of the six churches are small, with memberships ranging from 12 to 75. The buildings are likewise small but historic, '1ike something out of a Norman Rockwell painting," one delegate was overheard saying. Only one pastor, conference moderator Terry Hunt is paid a full-time salary; the others are bi-vocational, like Michael Mathes, who drives truck as well as pastoring the Beechbottom congregation in Newland.
The famous "Southern hospitality" of these small churches overflowed as they opened their doors to conference guests. At the West End MB Church in Lenoir, the homecoming of Ruth Siemens Dunn, a conference guest who grew up in the area, brought guests not only from the conference but also from the community. Mary Anne Isaak, Clovis, Calif. , says an extended sharing time added to the warmth and "feeling of a reunion ."
Hospitality extended to the pulpit as conference guests served in a variety of capacities. Dennis Fast, Reedley, Calif., who spoke at Bushtown MB Church in Lenoir, says he "felt very embraced by the church." At Boone MB Church Tim Davis, pastor of Garden Valley Church in Garden City, Kan. , served as impromptu pianist in the absence of the church's regular musicians.
In many cases the host churches extended their hospitality by serving lunch Guests at Beechbottom MB Church in
Newland were invited to a generous dinner to celebrate the dedication of the church's new fellowship hall.
Guests use words like "spontaneous," "alive" and "dynamic" to describe the worship style they experienced. Bryant
Corpening, pastor at Darby and associate pastor at Bushtown, says, "We probably do things a bit differently, but it's all for the same purpose; Christ is the main attraction."
For more about Sunday worship at the various churches, visit www.usmb org.-MH
Eric Lipford, past or of Boone MB Church, invites convention guests to a lunch provided by t he cong r egation. Conven t ion attendees filled the churches of the five congregations in the Boone area, i n so me cases nearly doubling normal attendance.
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2006 Pastors' Conference a success
McNeal calls pastors to lead "missional" churches
What is the most important thing to include in a conference intended to refresh pastors and their spouses? Time for worship, a dynamic speaker, afternoon free time, group-building activities and plenty of good food? Gracious hosts, a comfortable meeting facility and the opportunity to visit with old friends and to make new ones? Input sessions-but should they be informational, challenging or inspirational?
A review of events at the 2006 Pastors' Conference reveals that this conference provided a mixture of all of the above. And it seems the approach worked since"great" was the word most often used to describe the event in the wrirten evaluations. The July 26-28 conference drew 158 participants and was held prior to the U.S. Conference biennial convention in Boone, NC.
The 2006 pastors' gathering was part of a larger historic event. This was the first time
that this district, a cluster of six predominantly African-American congregations and the only district east of the Mississippi River, hosted a national gathering. When district minister Terty Hunt introduced the local pastors who also acted as the local leadership team, the crowd responded with extended applause.
Hunt also thanked the Boone United Methodist Church for their hospitality in sharing their spacious facility with the Mennonite Brethren. A contingent of some 50 volunteers from ·the Methodist church served as· .parking attendants, cooks and servers and the staff provided technical, administrative and maintenance assistance.
The conference began Wednesday evening with a worship service that gave attendees a taste of worship North Carolina-style. Local pastor Reggie Hunt took on the task of preaching to an audience that was not only dominated by fellow pastors but was also unfamiliar with what
Hunt called "interactive services." Prior to planting Cornerstone Summit Church in Boone, Hunt was pastor of Boone MB Church and served on the U.S. Conference Board of Communication and Board of Faith and Life. A team of Cornerstone musicians energetically led the congregation in singing a selection of new and familiar gospel-style songs.
Hunt's message, based on I Corinthians 12, challenged and affirmed those in local church ministry. He encouraged his audience to remember that while one's ministty is based on God-given gifts, an assignment is not "our destiny." Hunt encouraged pastors to use their gifts "for the common good to reach a generation that still needs to know the Lord" and to remember that sometimes "God switches our assignment."
Referring to several biblical examples-both positive and negative-Hunt emphasized the importance of leaders "joining ourselves together" in mentoring relationships. When pastors experience secure and stable relationships themselves, they can better serve their congregations, said Hunt, and help their congregations become "embassies of heaven."
"Your uniqueness is so needed in the body of believers," Hunt said in closing. Reminding his audience that each person's fingerprint is unique and that researchers have discovered that each person also has an exclusive tongue print, Hunt said, "No one can touch people like you can No one can speak into the life of another person the words you can speak."
Events Thursday centered on three presentations by keynote speaker Reggie McNeal, director of leadership development for the South Carolina Baptist Convention and a consultant serving church leaders and congregations. His presentations were humorous and fast-paced. In fact, McNeal joked about the number of sentences he did not finish.
Sessions opened with singing led by a U.S. Conference worship team coordinated by Rod Jost, previously of Hillsboro, Kan., and now Salt Lake City, and led by Mike and Joani Bell of South Mountain
Community Church in Draper, Utah. The morning included a special session for pastors' wives and local pastor Terry Hunt hosted a golf scramble during the afternoon free time. Comedian Kenn Kington tickled the funny bone of more than one person during dinner that evening.
McNeal began by saying that while Christianity is the fastest growing religious body in the world today, North American Christians are not experiencing this same harvest. "How do we get in on what God is doing?" asked McNeal.
His answer, and the focus of his first two addresses, is to become what McNeal calls a "rnissional" church. He repeatedly compared the growing church in 30 A.D. to the current rapid spread of Christianity and the shift to thinking in terms of being a missional church. McNeal challenged pastors to shift their thinking in two ways: from being internally focused to externally focused and from being program centered to people centered. Thursday evening, McNeal challenged pastors to "go for greatness because
people need to be blessed by you." He gave a list of seven habits that characterize leaders who are great in God's terms.
Friday morning the focus shifted as speaker Les Stahlke introduced the biblical basis for the relationship governance model incorporated into the new U.S. Conference bylaws. Following Stahlke's presentation, the group boarded buses for a tour of Samaritan's Purse, a world relief and evangelism ministry led by Franklin Graham and headquartered in Boone. The staff graciously hosted the group and highlighted various ministries, including Operation Christmas Child.
A highlight of the closing lunch was the drawing for the winner of a weekend at Canada's Lake Louise provided by Ken of Calgary, Alta. All pastors attending the conference were eligible and the recipient was Bill Braun of College Community Church, Clovis, Calif.-Connie Faber VISit usmb.orgfor a longer report of the 2006 Pastors' Conference as well as a collection of photos.
worship.
Ministering to those who minister
Pastors' wives had their own time for encouragement during the 2006 National Pastors' Conference
While pastors heard from speaker Reggie McNeal Thursday morning, wives were invited to a session designed to "make them feel special," says organizer and USC administrative secretary Donna Sullivan, who was a pastor's wife for 14 years and currently serves with her husband Tim as the Southern District Conference district minister couple . Jennifer Greer, from the Boone (NC) MB Church, handled local details
The need for a women-onIy session was suggested in 2004 at the first Pastors' Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah Sullivan says that the role of pastor's wife can be difficult. "Ministry is very stressful," she says. '"You're giving. giving, giving all the time." Pastors' wives have as many hurts as anyone else and so, says Sullivan, <We need to be ministered to ourselves " Women who attended were pampered with gifts and door prizes. Because one of the goals was to give women an opportunity to meet others, women were seated in small clusters and given time to get acquainted.
Speaker Anita McMillan. co-director of a counseling and retreat center for those in public ministry. encouraged women to see themselves as God does and challenged them to include self-care in their priorities.
Informal feedback indicates that women appreciated the session, and Sullivan is already looking forward to planning something similar in the future "If one woman was encouraged- and I know they were because they talked to me- then it was worth it," she says. - MH
Left: How funny was Kenn Kington, the comedian who entertained the pastors' and their spouses Thursday night? Judging from the reaction of Richard Nickel and others, he was very, very funny. Below: Each session opened with a time of
MISSION
U S A
We welcome and appreciate your generous support of Mission USA. Please send your donation to:
Mission USA U.S. Conference PO Box 220 Hillsboro, KS 67063 Note USA" on the memo line
To see more... • come to know HIM.
A Nikkel's worth
Jeff and Lianne Nikkel are the lead pastoral couple for a new Mennonite Brethren church plant in the Denver metroplex. The Nikkels began working Aug. 1 with this Southern District . Conference I Mission USA partnership church plant in Centennial, Colo. Jeff, who has served as pastor of youth and adult disCipleship at Belleview Community Church for the past , years, is, very gifted in evangelism, teaching and group bUilding. Jeff and gUanne have a desire to launch a new church that Is'biblicaf!y authentic and allows people to use their 'spjritual gifts in the life of the church. They have three children, Garrett OI),AlisoA '(9) and Ashley (6).
Jeff says, "God cares deeply for lost people and has commissioned us-the church-to be his agents of reconciliation. Because God cares so deepJy about reaching lost people so must we:' "
Gary and Melanie Aronhalt <'at& 'also working part-time on the pastoral staff of this plant. Gary, a gifted worship leader, provides a wealth of worship leading experience. Mission USA is asking for your , help in making this church plant happen. It's all about getting people to Jesus. Whether or not you live in the SOC, please help support this project by giving to Mission USA. It's an investment in eternity!
The only ticket out
Getting 90 children ready for school is a big project
Can you imagine getting 90 children ready for school? Can you imagine making sure that each child has a pair of shoes, a school unifonn, a backpack and the necessary school supplies? Can you imagine how much time it takes to travel and reach these children since they live in hovels scattered throughout four different shantytown areas? Can you imagine how much it costs to do all this?
Dale and Wendy, who live in the Mexican border city of Reynosa, recendy faced such a challenge. They
are missionaries reaching out to poverty-stricken children.
A group of teachers from my church spent a week in Mexico in July working with Dale and Wendy in an effort to help get poor children
filling the orders. Wendy organized all the information, making sure she knew the exact color and size of each item that each child needed. Dale spent hours checking out merchants looking for the best buys and making the needed cash withdrawals from his ATM. Together they went shopping, labeled each item with the child's name and made arrangements to distribute them. They had to buy fabric and find a seamstress that
=\Ve had almost twice th e n umb er of chil d ren had planned for. Even so, we had to tu rn man v children away. 'r
hat hurts. r::du catio n is the child 's onl y tlc ket ou t of poverty_
into school. We brought a program of activities called "Upward Bound Kids" designed to improve a child's ability to visualize, to think in new ways and to problem solve-all while having fun. These activities enhance a child's ability to read and do mathematics.
In exchange for attending our classes the children were given coupons which they could use on the last day to "buy" what they needed for school. Each child shopped from our tables of school supplies: markers, scissors, glue, rulers, pencils, pens, crayons, dictionaries, calculators, etc. We also had backpacks, blankets, stuffed animals, T-shirts and other items for them.
At a separate table the children could sign up for school shoes, uniforms, backpacks and the special notebooks they needed. Fifty-five children signed up for shoes and another 60some for uniforms We had 35 backpacks in our school supplies and needed another 50. The number of special notebooks requested came to 241.
In Reynosa the schools are very strict in their requirements. The school uniforms and shoes must be the correct color and design. Even the notebooks have to be a certain kind. The spiral ones we use in the U.S. are not acceptable. It costs approximately $300 per child per year to attend school. The most a parent in the colonia can earn is around $200 per month. This makes sending a child or several children to school out of reach of many parents unless they get some help.
We helped the children sign up for what they needed and then we left to come home. So Dale and Wendy took over the gigantic task of
could sew the uniform skirts the girls needed. My job was to make sure there was enough money in their ministry bank account so that Dale could get the cash he needed.
As I write this all the uniforms, backpacks and notebooks have been purchased. They still have the shoes to buy. Can you imagine walking into a shoe store with 20 children looking for the correct shoes for school? Can you imagine making two or more trips over as many days to get that done?
This turned out to be a much bigger project that any of us had anticipated. We had almost twice the number of children we had planned for. Even so, we had to tum many children away. That hurts. Education is the child's only ticket out of poverty. We consoled ourselves with the fact that while we can't help them all we can help some-one child at a time.
I am impressed by the dedication of the Christians we met on this mission trip. Dale and Wendy have a weekly "feeding ministry" to reach children for Christ. Every Saturday morning they invite children into their home where the kids sing, are taught a Bible lesson and learn to pray. Then they are fed. The children also receive chewable vitamins that we provide for them. After this first session, Dale and Wendy pack up and go to another location and do the same thing again with another group of children. During the week they have two more feeding programs to reach more children living in poverty. These were the children in our program .
During the week we were there, each morning our sessions began with a time of singing choruses and a word of prayer Then we provided the academic training. In this way we partnered with local missionaries to help the children be upward bound both spiritually and educationally.
Jews in God's kingdom
How do we understand the role of Israel and Jews in God's kingdom?
QDoes the Mennonite Brethren church believe in "replacement theology?"
Aour denomination has never taken a position on this issue just as we have never taken a detailed stance on eschatology. Most readers will be thinking, 'What is replacement theology?" Simply stated, replacement theology says that the church (universal) replaces Israel in God's plan.
Stated too simplistically, this idea holds that because Christ's coming, death and resurrection fulfilled the Law, his messianic Judaism replaced all other Judaism. Jesus restored and set up the Davidic kingdom as the New Testament
converted en masse All this obviously rubs many Mennonite Brethren the wrong way.
I find replacement theology quite compatible with my theology and I received my theological education primarily from dispensationalist teachers. Am I a rebel? While I surmise that a strong threefourths of all MBs do not believe as I do on this point and while I have many good friends who do not agree with me, I also know that some of our best and leading theologians believe in some form of replacement theology.
How can I take this position? In Romans 11:17-24 Paul says we "wild" Gentiles were grafred into the Jewish olive tree and have noth-
church Racism was replaced by gracism ·1 {.. 1 J The church replaced the temple. . . .. In( rep ..lccment t.heology quite with my moved the throne of David from old nation- thcology and I recclved my theologICal prj·· alisticIsraelinto the New Testament church marily hom disp e n<.;atl0nali st Am 1 a rebel ? and now reigns as Lord. The Lord's Supperreplaces the old Passover. Those Jews who did not believe were cut off the olive tree (Judaism) and believing Genriles were grafted into the tree and now the biblical promises to Israel transfer to the church.
To say it another way, only those Jews who accept Christ as Savior will be saved. Jews like Gentiles must come by way of the new birth. Natural birth cannot save. All Gentiles and Jews who profess the name of Jesus with faith in his finished work on the cross are the seed of Abraham . .
The conflict among evangelicals arises because replacement theology conflicts with dispensational theology. Dispensationalists insist that after the rapture (I Thess. 4:13-18) God will restore Israel as the primary focus of his plan. The Great Tribulation will come (Rev. 6-19) when the world will be judged for rejecting Christ, while Israel is prepared through trials for the second coming of the Messiah. The remnant of Israel will be saved and the Lord will establish his earthly kingdom in Jerusalem. With Christ reigning, Israel will be the leading nation and representatives from all other nations will come to Jerusalem to honor the king. The church will then return and reign with Christ for a thousand years
Replacement theology does not insist on Israel being restored as a narion. It does not need a rebuilding of the temple. It does not insist on literal land coming back to Israeli ownership. It does not necessarily accept the plan dispensationalists offer whereby Jews are
Have a question about a Bible passage, doctrine, conference policy or other spiritual issue? Send your question to "Inquiring Minds," c/o Marvin Hein , 3036 East Magill Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710 or e-mail Marvin at marvinhein@sbcglobal net.
ing about which we can boast. The Jews and Gentiles were two separate peoples with two different sets of rules and law and destinies. But Paul makes the point that after the graft takes hold there are not two trees but one The root is still Israel and the church includes Jews, but in Christ there is only one root and one body regardless of race. 'l\nd if you are Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise," says Galatians 3:29. I'm aware that it is possible to over-spiritualize Israelite identity and I admit there may be a larger place for Israel in the future (see Romans II).
If the church has become the true Israel, I see no need for Jews to return to the land. The kingdom is not a matter of real estate. I see no need for an earthquake to swallow up the mosque of Omar in Jerusalem so that a temple can be built with stones already prepared and stored. I see little in modem day Zionism that leads me to believe they are the seed for a new Christian nation. Some Jewish religious leaders consign Jesus to hell; others do not. They believe God will revisit those of Talmudic Pharisee heritage and restore the nation and temple and Law. But their belief denies that Jesus is the Messiah who will accomplish this.
Am I anti-Semitic? Not at all! Those Jews who trust Christ as Savior-and I have such friends-are my brothers and sisters . With Paul, I long that all of them would be saved. I will not fight for my belief in this regard. I won't even argue very long. I will ask that those who disagree with me will love me as a brother and I shall attempt to reciprocate.
BAPTISM/MEMBERSHIP
Cordell, Okla. (Biblel-John Hall was baptized July 16.
Lustre, Mont.-The following people were baptized July 16 and accepted as members July 23: Amy Erickson , Nicholas Herrin, Timothy A. Lenihan, Tiffany Neufeld, Jocie Ortmann and Joy L. Reddig
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-Justin Eppley, Jason Cater and Sarah Franz were baptized the weekend of July 22-23. Olivia Charles was baptized the weekend of July 15-16
Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowshipl-Katie Emberton, Candi Fender, Ron and Natalie Mark, and Dave, Kaylene, Steven and Kristin Lichius were baptized July 2 Katie Emberton, Candi Fender, Megan Kinney, Kyle Goings, Ron and Natalie Mark, and Dave, Kaylene, Kristin and Steve Lichius were received as members July 9.
FEL LOWSH IP
Wichita, Kan. (Firstl-Church seniors hosted an outdoor watermelon social and sing-a-long for all adults in the congregation Aug. 13.
Lustre, Mont.-The annual All Men's Campout took place July 15-16. This is a chance for fathers and sons to enjoy a weekend getaway filled with food, fun and biblical teaching
Fairvi ew, Okla.-Families enjoyed a June 25 all-church luau, complete with smoked hog, at a local farm
Gettysburg, SD (Grace Biblel-An all-church campout was held June 23-25. Missionaries Jim and Marilou Nightingale and family provided a puppet show and led in singing, drama and testimonies throughout the weekend. The campout ended with a worship service and noon meal on Sunday MINISTRY
Fresno, Calif. (Mountain Viewl- The church plans to host a classic car show Sept. 16, including a barbecue lunch, live music and a raffle. Funds raised will benefit church planting ministries.
Fresno, Calif. (The Grove/-Church members served their community by hand ing out chilled water bottles at several intersections Aug. 26 A team is also serving the community by cleaning the bathrooms of local businesses, picking up trash and cleaning graffiti. Phoenix, Ariz. (The Bridge/-Pastor Tracy Estes spoke at evangelistic crusades in three Mexican cities during a mission trip Aug. 4- 13.
Hillsboro, Kan. (Parkview/- Two teams of volunteers worked July 17-23 in the area of the Gulf Coast still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. One team did mold remediation in Gretna, La., while the other team pulled electrical wires and helped with construction in Kiln, Miss
Bakersfield, Calif. (Laurelglenl-Church volunteers helped install new landscaping at a local elementary
school during two Saturdays in August as a way to show the school's families that the church cares about their kids Volunteers also prepared lunches, provided equipment or plants and gave monetary donations.
Enid, Okla.-A team of 12 youth and leaders worked in inner city Denver, Colo., as part of a mission trip July 23-29. Another team traveled to Wichita, Kan., Aug. 3-6 to help with a work project and evening ministries at World Impact, an inner-city ministry.
Inman, Kan.(ZoarJ-A team of high school students went to Indiahoma, Okla., to help with the vacation Bible school program of Post Oak MB Church July 22-29. The youth also used donations from the church to purchase school supplies for the children.
Reedley, Calif.-A short -term missions team of nine people served in Thailand July 11-20
Bakersfield, Calif. (Heritage Bible/-The church 's Filipino Ministry hosted a concert July 15 to benefit a fund to help deaf student from urban poor communities to attend college in the Philippines. The concert featured a praise singer from the Philippines and musicians from a local congregat ion.
Fresno, Calif. (North Fresno/-The church provided food and volunteers helped serve at a block party for a local neighborhood July 15.
PROCLAMATION
Gettysburg, SD (Grace Bible/-Majahid-El-Masih , a representative of Vo ice of the Martyrs, an organization that aids persecuted Christians worldwide, was the guest speaker Aug. 13
Rapid City, SD (Bible Fellowship/-Maynard Seaman , veteran missionary doctor, was the guest speaker July 30.
Freeman, SD (SalemI-Craig Jost, Midwest regional mobilizer for MBMS Internationa l , was the guest speaker for a mission emphasis day July 16
Minot, ND (Bible Fellowship/-Craig Jost, returning missionary from Portugal, was the guest speaker for evening services July 9 and for vacation Bible school July 10.
Enid, Okla.-July 9 was a mission emphasis Sunday and included the commissioning of Jason Edwards, newly-appointed MBMS International missionary to Brazil.
TEACHING/NURTURE
Clovis, Calif. (College Community/-Artists of all kinds and ages-actors, vocalists, musicians, magicians, performing artists, photographers, painters, sculptors, dancers, writers, poets, and playwrightswere invited to share their talent with the congregation during the education hour Sept. 3
Bakersfield, Calif. (The Bridge/-Small groups and individuals prayed and fasted for 24 hours Aug. 26-
27 The fast began with worship Saturday morning and ended with communion Sunday morning. Prayers focused on individuals, the church, the church property and the community.
Fresno, Calif. (Bethanyl-A "Burden Box" was recently made available in the back of the church lor written prayer requests. The box was prayed over by the pastoral staff, then destroyed before anyone read the requests
WORKERS
Cimarron, Kan. (Valleyview/-Darren Rempel has accepted a call to serve as pastor. Darren and wife Sherry were the pastoral couple at Community Bible Church, Mountain Lake, Minn.
Capitola, Calif. (Shorelife Community/-Tim Anderson began work as children and student ministries pastor Aug 1.
Sanger, Calif. (Grace Community/-Lynn Kauffman has resigned as pastor. Aug 27 will be his and wife Mary's last Sunday
WORSHIP
Enid, Okla.-Worship July 2 had a patriotiC theme. The morning included guest musicians The Franz Family and guest speaker Phil Templin who talked about how people all around the world experience freedom in Christ. A sloppy joe lunch followed the service.
YOUTH
Bakersfield, Calif. (The Bridgel-Over 220 kids attended a Bible camp this summer, and 20 kids made a firsttime commitment to Christ.
San Jose, Calif. (Lincoln Glenl- The church hosted a fine arts summer camp July 10- 16 for youth ages four through 12. The theme for the week was "Joseph and his technicolor coat."
DEATHS
HEINRICHS, ROBERT EARL, Kingsburg, Calif., a member of Kingsburg MB Church, was born Dec 5, 1927, to Frank and Sara Heinrichs in Canton, Kan., and died May 18, 2006, at the age of 78. On Aug. 12, 1949, he married Lenora Bartell, who survives He is also survived by two sons, Jim and wife Carole of Clovis, Calif., and Ron and wife Michelle of Visalia, Calif.; two daughters, Norma and husband Stuart Claassen of Santa Clara, Calif., and Janet and husband Jon Nachtigal of Harvard, Neb ; one brother, Franklin; three sisters, Geneva Inman, Eunice Senner and Rachel Harder, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
KLIEWER, RUEBEN WES LEY, Bakersfield, Calif., a member of Rosedale Bible Church, Bakersfield, was born Sept. 3, 1927, to Aaron and Flora Kliewer in rural Bakersfield and died July 3, 2006, at the age of 78. On March 18, 1949, he married Clara Wall, who survives. He is also survived by three daughters, Diana, Carolyn and Susan; one brother, James Kliewer, and two sisters, Doris Nikkel and Arlene Nikkel.
KUSCH. LUCILLE MAE, Fairview, Okla., a member of Fairview MB Church, was born Nov. 30,1917, to Fred L. and Sarah Bergthold Wichert in Fairview, Okla., and died July 3, 2006, at the age of 88. On Oct. 12, 1940, she married Fred V. Kusch, Jr., who predeceased her in 1985. She is survived by one son, Dennis and wife Francy of Fairview; one daughter, Linda Paulsen of Ponca City, Okla , four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
WALL, LYDIA H. SEIBEL, Reedley, Calif., a member of Reedley MB Church, was born Nov. 21, 1913, near Hillsboro, Kan., and died July 21,2006, at the age of 92. On Nov. 21, 1937, she married Isaac Wall, who predeceased her. She is survived by two sons, Ken and wife Marilyn, and Tim and wife Lydia; two daughters, Lydia and husband Manfred Schnitzler, and Kathy and husband Ernie Holman; one sister, Adena and husband Johnnie Goertzen, 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
WALL, SARAH, Henderson, Neb., a member of Henderson MB Church, was born Dec. 8, 1914, to Klaas and Suzana Fast Wiens near Stockham, Neb., and died July 17, 2006, at the age of 91. On June 7, 1936, she married Ben F. Wall, who predeceased her. She is also survived by one son, Gerald and wife Marilyn of Lincoln, Neb.; one daughter, Elaine and husband Bud Case of Visalia, Calif.; one sister, Mary
Cl ear i ngHOUSE
Lead Pastor: The Buhler MB Church in Buhler, Kan., is looking for a lead pastor to be part of our four person pastoral team. We are an active, healthy 500-member small town church that believes Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives. Buhler MB is committed to being a sending church to the pastorate and missions and feels called to fulfill our Christ-centered purpose in the world Applicants should have an understanding and belief in Anabaptist theology, preferably with five years experience in a lead or associate pastor position in a multiple staff setting. We are looking for a man with demonstrated gifts for leading, preaching, teaching , caring, communicating, developing strong staff, and vision for the future. Resumes may be sent to the Search Committee at Buhler M.B. Church, 415 N. West Street, Buhler, KS 67522 or e-mailed to infolilbuhlermb.org [10/121
Associate Pastor: Vinewood Community Church is a purpose-driven Mennonite Brethren-affiliated church of 300 plus in the California Central Valley community of Lodi. We are seeking a full-time Associate Pastor who is comfortable serving in a multi-generational setting, while creatively reaching out to 21st century parents and their children-emphasizing biblical instruction through family friendly worship services and activities. The ideal candidate will be a strong team player who is able to lead, recruit, and train volunteers and oversee a number of different ministries and initiatives. If you are interested in further exploring this ministry opportunity, please send your resume to Lead Pastor Rod Suess rsuesslilvinewoodchurch.com or call Pastor Rod iii [2091 369-1069.
Franz of Hillsboro, Kan , four grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
WARKENTIN, RUTH EPP, Fairview, Okla., a member of Fairview MB Church, was born Aug. 25, 1912, to Pete J. and Katherine Funk Epp at Homestead, Okla., and died July 21, 2006, at the age of 93. On Jan. 24, 1931, she married Arthur H Warkentin, who predeceased her. She is survived by one son, James and wife Linda of Fairview; one sister, Pauline Smart
of Fairview; one granddaughter, four great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
VIDT, JOHN [JACK), San Jose, Calif., a member of Lincoln Glen Church, San Jose, was born Aug. 27, 1923, in Pittsburgh, Penn., and died July 12, 2006, at the age of 82. He married Lois, who survives. He is also survived by one son, Karl of San Jose; one daughter-in-law, Laurie Vidt of Vacaville, Calif., and one granddaughter.
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Park Bible Church is seeking to begin a new ministry position of a family Ute Pastor.
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The times, they keep changing
We can learn something about communication from young people who share so openly about lots of things.
This past summer a young relative of mine and a couple of his college buddies came through during a trip up and down the West Coast. On their way up from California, they stopped at our house for lunch. I was impressed with the fine character and sharp wit these young men displayed. But what wowed me more was that the guys were setting up an internet blog to post their thoughts and feelings about the trip
Fill up a blog with daily observations and impressions? Sheesh, I
can barely dredge up enough thoughts to write one measly column a month. [ J
Maybe it's just that my mind is going. Back in my own college days, somewhere around the Middle Ages, I kept a journal in which I probably wrote a page or two a day.
· icism. That seems to be changing with younger generations. Granted there are times in our current cultural attnosphere when I want to cover my ears and exclaim, "Too much information!" In many ways, however, the increased openness is a good thing.
But the cultural divide in this area can be an obstacle to
· seeing more from the younger generations come and stay in our churches. In the church setting there is still too much formality and not enough feeling. I realize many of us long-
· timers in the church are wary of trusting our feelings, which is not a bad thing. But lack of expression and emotion will surely give younger folks the idea that faith is just a thing we've always done rather than the true passion of our hearts. If that's ·the case the kids won't want to go there. Come to think of it, me neither.
But la ck of ex press ion an d emotion will surely give youn ge r folks th e idea tlut t a ithi s
a thing- \;e 've always don e rather than the true of our h earts .
For you kids out there, this was done back then with ancient implements called pen and paper. My journal was in no way intended for blog-like public consumption. I didn't even want to read it myself. After college I peeked in there a couple of times and saw a bunch of ruminating about Plato and Shakespeare and the meaning of existence. It hurt my eyes.
I've always considered myself to be more on the open and communicative end of the generational spectrum. But lately I've been feeling rather private and guarded compared to many students and young adults They blog and fext and e-mail and call and talk about everything from music and media to culture and politics to feelings and dreams. I think that's great. I've been realizing I have a lot to learn from them.
I've ofren been critical of those who mask their true feelings and struggles. Everything is fine, they say, even when it's not. Yet lately I've been noticing the same tendency in myself. At times I'm not sure I really want people to know me that well.
This is an issue that remains problematic in many churches. There is a subtle pressure to be fine and dandy and strong in the Lord. If you're not, we don't want to hear about it too much. I don't think churchgoers do this on purpose but are still influenced by the long Northern European/Western culture traditions of self-reliance and sto-
On a related theme, I was recently involved in a discussion regarding a person's "actual" values versus their "aspirational" values. For a philosophical-type person like me, that's an interesting thing to ponder. My first impression was that most of my values are actual, meaning I live them out, and a few are aspirational. meaning I'm not there yet.
Thinking about it further, though, I was disappointed to realize that some of the values I initially checked off as actual were really more in the aspirational category. For example, I claim to believe that prayer is critical for spiritual strength and God's working in the world, yet I go through periods when I don't pray much at all. I also would assert that Bible reading is indispensable for guidance and discovering the mind of God, yet for days on end my Bible can sit there unopened. Apparently those values aren't as real in me as I'd assumed. This brings me back to the witness of we who are supposedly more seasoned and mature in the Lord. What kind of exampl€ are we giving to younger generations and the unchurched culture around us? If we say we believe things but don't really practice them, that's a major blow to our credibility. If we claim to love God but seem kind of expressionless and dour about it, I don't have to tell you that young people are going to be looking elsewhere for meaning and purpose in life
Convention reflections
The 2006 convention demonstrated the power of family visits
Ask anyone who attended the 2006 U S. Conference convention to tell you about the event and I have no doubt that the first thing you will hear about is the district that so graciously hosted the convention-its people and its churches. The congregations that comptise the North Carolina District Conference host-
brought about a new sense of identity for the U S. Conference and the subsequent renewed interest in having our U.S. Conference family visit each other.
Two years ago we were hosted by one of the newest and fastest growing U.S. Mennonite Brethren churches.
H istOlY co uld prove me wron g. but I thin k th at th e 20 0 6 con ve nti o n wi1l he re memb e red as th e vea r we rea li ze d th e trans fo rming powe r of famil ); vi s its.
ed us Wednesday through Saturday at the Boone (NC) United Methodist Church and Sunday morning we chose from among worship services at five of the congregations.
Ask us about the convention and you will hear more about the place and its people than about the business that delegates conducted. It isn't that the business was unimportant. The three sets of bylaws delegates passed-for the U.S. Conference, MB Biblical Seminary and MBMS International-set the framework for how these ministries will function. Ten years from now we could find ourselves remembering the 2006 convention as the year we approved bylaws that over time have significantly impacted who we are as a denomination.
History could prove me wrong. but I think that the 2006 convention will be remembered as the year we realized the transforming power of family visits. We often describe the U.S. Conference as a family. Lynn Jost, in his introduction to Family Matters: Discovering the Mennonite Brethren, writes, the heart of the Mennonite Brethren name is this simple core: we are family. We are, or we aim to be, God's family This notion, 'Church is family' is the Mennonite Brethren gift for postmodern North American Christian identity." I think this summer we re-learned some things about being family-lessons we got a head start on two years ago at the Salt Lake City convention.
We learned that family members visit one another. For 10 years (1986-1996) U S Conference conventions were held in Colorado Springs on the Colorado College campus and shifted from being business-dominated conferences to faith-building events for the entire family. Initially attendance figures jumped but by the 1998 convention, organizers realized it was time to try something else. The move to a hotel-based convention has slowly evolved into the opportunity to visit different members of the family A key event in that evolution was the divestiture of the General Conference that has
Meeting at South Mountain Community Church, a church plant in Draper, Utah, that in the past eight years has spawned two more churches, gave delegates the opportunity to hear from members of the congregation with family or past connec-
tions to the Church of Latter Day Saints and who have found Jesus thanks to South Mountain. We had met pastor Paul Robie and members of his church before when they flew to the 2000 convention held in Denver to share with us. But spending time in their city and meeting in their church building made a difference.
South Mountain had been part of the MB family for just over five years when we visited them By comparison, our visit to the North Carolina District Conference, a cluster of six predominantly African-American churches located in and between Boone and Lenoir, was long. long overdue. Krimmer Mennonite Brethren missionaries planted these churches in the early 1900S as part of their ministry to African-American residents of these predominantly Caucasian communities It was a historic convention this summer because we held our biennial family gathering at the "home" of these family members.
We were also reminded that family members work together. Alluding to the South's troubled racial history, North Carolina District Conference minister Terry Hunt, in his opening convention address, recalled the occasions in his district's history when "we were called names together" and when "we worked side by side and hand in hand" as times when the MB family demonstrated genuine passion for the churches in the North Carolina District Conference Because of racism, being God's family in the South has not always been easy. I'd like to think that racism is a thing of the past, but I know that's probably not true Transformed relationships can't be done at a distance. We need to be in the presence of the other person. When we are in the presence of God he transforms us. When we are in the presence of one another, our relationships can be transformed and our bonds can be strengthened.-CF
Clearing HOUSE
Senior Pastor: Kingsburg MB Church in Kingsburg , Calif , is searching for a Senior Pastor. Resumes may be sent to : Virgil Goossen, Search Committee Chair, at 38951 Road 56, Dinuba, CA. 93618 or emailedto : nanlaclearskye net
Director of Youth Ministry: First MB Church in Wichita, Kan ., a suburban congregation of 750 plus people, is seeking a dynamic and creative individual as a full-time Youth Pastor We are seeking an individual who is committed to Jesus Christ and ministry to youth The primary responsibility will be to lead a 100 plus student smallgroup - based senior high ministry The Youth Pastor will also work with the junior high coordinator to oversee a 50 plus student junior high ministry Please send your resume to : Youth Pastor Search Committee , Bill Henneberg, 8000 W. 21st Street, Wichita , KS 67205.
Director of Kids Ministry: First Mennonite Brethren Church in Wichita, KS, a suburban congregation of 750 plus people, is seeking a dynamic and creative individual as a full-time Children 's Pastor. If you are interested in directing a ministry to children from birth through 6th grade 1200 plus childrenl and have a vision for developing expanded family ministries, please submit a letter of introduction which presents your ministry passions and a resume to : Search Committee, Jim Means, 8000 W. 21st Street, Wichita, KS 67205.
Family Life Pastor: The Fairview MB Church in Fairview, Okla. , is seeking to begin a new ministry to families by hiring a Family Life Minister. Th is person should possess the following skills : ability to build traditional values and the family unit both in and outside the church; be an individual who enjoys interacting with young adults and middle aged families and who has a passion and compassion fo r families; be able to work in a team oriented setting and demonstrate self-initiative For more information email fairviewmblafairviewmb com Resume can be sent to : Search Committee, Fairview MB Church , 1600 E State Road , Fairview, OK 73737
Youth Pastor: The Fairview MB Church in Fairview, OK, is seeking a Youth Pastor Th is person should possess the following qualifications: a strong leader who is passionate about working with youth , an individual who works well in a team setting Ithis person will be a part of a pastoral team and will also work with youth leaders in both high school and junior highl. a college graduate with youth ministry training or comparable exper ience For more information, please e-mail fairviewmblafairviewmb com Resumes can be sent to : Search Committee at fairviewmblafairv iewmb com or fa xed to 580-227- 4347 or mailed to Fairview MB Church , 1600 E State Rd , Fairview, OK 73737
Lead Pastor: An established country church in a growing community is looking for a lead pastor. Country Bible Church has a diverse membership with a heart for mission and children's ministry, including an Awana program If you are interested in joining our Bible-based family contact us at 5000 3rd Ave , Orland, CA 95963 or call Roger Penner at 530-865-7260
EMPLOYMENT: AGENCY
Director of Alumni Relations : Tabor College seeks a Director of Alumni Relations to serve its nearly 10,000 alumni and be a liaison between the college and its constituency. Alumni encouraged to apply Please send letter of application and resume to : Jim Elliott, Vice President for Advancement, Tabor College, 400 S Jefferson St., Hillsboro, KS 67063, e- mail : j imelatabor edu
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