32 minute read
Further In and Higher Up
A Cornered Cat or Hungry for Honey?
Christians have a complicated relationship with the law of Moses.
As far as we can tell, Jesus and Paul kept Moses’ law faithfully all their lives. For them this was part of how they lived their Christian lives. But in passages like 1 Cor. 15:56 and Rom. 7:5 the law is described as arousing sinfulness, goading it in almost demonic fashion.
How is it possible to reconcile this fact of law arousing sin in the flesh with the loving delight we see for the law ISTOCK in Psalm 19:7-10 where it’s sweeter than honey, This culminates on the cross when the God refreshing the soul? of Israel comes so near that we literally plunge a
We cannot grasp the demonic effect of the spear into his heart. law if we see it as merely human rules and regSomething entirely different arises after Penulations. The law is an apocalypse, the actual tecost. When our hearts are set aflame by the entrance of God himself into the world. The Spirit of Christ our appetites are changed to law of God is not something external to God. It long for the presence of God in his revealed will is God coming to his people, being vulnerable for our lives. Christ’s teachings in the Sermon then, showing them his inner life and will, and on the Mount, for example, become something sharing with them the thoughts and intentions refreshing to us. We cherish this law, meditate he has for creation. God’s law is God. upon it, and bend our lives to be united to the
But here’s the thing: As God comes near, God who is it. Through this law God enters our unredeemed humans are given a better way life and we enter his. to hurt God. Now their rebellion against him There are no neutral bystanders or observmoves from being a vague ignorance to someers when God draws near. The more openly God thing calculated and pointed, a knife driven shows himself in his will, the more humans are knowingly into the very heart of God. goaded into two opposite reactions: worship and
Here’s an analogy. Who in your life is most revolt. We either desperately fight like a corcapable of hurting you? A stranger or your nered cat or we crave his law (God!) as a sweet mother and father? The people to whom we have tooth craves a spoon of honey. opened ourselves, revealed the inner thoughts of To be filled with the Spirit of Christ and to our heart, with whom we are in covenant, these walk by this Spirit is to fulfill the law of Moses. people have a deadly ability to wound us in a It’s to become someone who finds a deep resoway that no stranger can. nance between our own being and the being of
Likewise, without the transforming renovaGod. God’s presence in our being makes us long tion of the heart that comes from baptism by for union with the will of God. the Spirit of Christ, God revealing himself in the I beg you to receive the Holy Spirit of Christ. law only goads sin into action. It gives the sinful As your appetite turns, God’s law becomes heart a deadly entry into the affections and love “more to be desired . . . than gold. . . sweeter and will of God, a temptation the rebel human also than honey and the drippings of the honeyheart will never resist. comb” (Ps. 19:10).
by Layton Friesen Conference Pastor
There are no neutral bystanders or observers when God draws near.
Ministerial Looks at ‘Pentecost, Pandemic, and Possibility’
WORLD—The EMC’s ministerial on June 26, 2020, held its national meeting by Zoom, spending an afternoon where it listened to opening thoughts by the BLO chair and learned of coming events, heard five challenges based on Acts 2, met in small groups for discussion and prayer, and shared thoughts as an entire group.
Opening Richard Klassen, BLO chair, welcomed ministerial members to its first national meeting by Zoom. He invited the ministerial to dream big and be open to the Spirit in doing new things, setting our thoughts above (Col. 3) and pressing on (Phil. 3). Church renewal, he said, hinges on the life of Christ.
Coming Events In Acts 2, said Layton Friesen, conference pastor, the church was all in one place and we are today. James Driedger invited ministerial members to a theology conference, hosted by Blumenort and the BLO, on Nov. 26-27 in Blumenort that will focus on how to minister to people dealing with same-sex attraction.
A teaching letter on Gracious Judge, Holy Saviour has been released and feedback is welcomed; the topic might be carried into an issue of Theodidaktos. The issue of men and women in ministry is being pursued with readings from two books assigned [chapters three to 11 of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Piper and Grudem, eds.; and Men and Women in Christ, Andrew Bartlett] and monthly videos of leaders interacting with the materials. In the fall, the EMC will grapple with how to apply this to us.
Acts 2 The main portion of the afternoon was spent on asking, “What is the Holy Spirit saying to the churches through Acts 2:1- 21?” Layton said the EMC is in a crisis—originally a term to describe a stage in medical care where a patient begins to recovers
or not. Which will be defeated, the Good News or the disease? Stephanie Unger read Acts 2:1-21 and Layton led in prayer.
Five speakers presented (a sixth person, Venus Cote, had technical difficulties, yet her thoughts might be shared in the future). After a pair of speakers, groups met to discuss or pray.
The Integrity of the Net
Dan Comrie (Braeside) said he had served as a Pentecostal pastor for 30 years and during that time he has observed healings and been healed himself; and while he has observed abuses, he is not a cessationist in spiritual gifts. In Acts 2 we see an event that people did not orchestrate and where God was at work. He said that the Dan Comrie early disciples were not line fishers; they fished by nets. The Church is not to be concerned about attracting people, like line fishers, but to be concerned, as net fishers, about the integrity of the net. The Church is to be concerned about the integrity of its message.
All the Gifts are Needed Terry Smith (Steinbach EFC), who was in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada for about three years 40 years ago, said all of the Spirit’s gifts are to be used by all of the Church because they are given to strengthen and protect it, and to help it carry out the mission given by our Lord. To dismiss or ignore some gifts is as bad as to misuse them. Pentecostalism is a huge movement, and while some pastors go “off the rails” in healing and exorcisms, “name and claim it,” and “health and wealth,” and misuse some gifts, the EMC can learn from Pentecostals and is to use the gifts.
Humbles and Enables Michael Vanderzwaag (Mennville) said that the Holy Spirit throws people into confusion and is moving still. The humbling thing in ministry is to know that we rely on Someone greater and can’t fix everything. The Holy Spirit humbles and enables us, yet we have
Michael Vanderzwaag to be careful not to get ahead of Him. In the midst of the pandemic (fear not; this too shall pass), God is still on the throne and his Holy Spirit is still working to draw people to Himself. He still moves and enables.
Pandemic of False Worship A missionary (Blumenort) said that Acts 2 and Pentecost (the Feast of Weeks) fit into God’s larger work. The Early Church existed in a more difficult time than we do today; it lived during a worse pandemic of false worship amid the Roman Empire. Yet the Church survived and turned the known world upside down. She spoke of being assisted by the Spirit during a ladies’ discussion in Germany: two conservative ladies had raised their hands to comment or ask a question, and she had wondered how difficult the questions would be. However, the comment was about Janice’s “personal” relationship with God, and the question was how Janice became a Christian. She was concerned about ministering to a large under-reached people group in the 10/40 window.
A Break-Out Thought In one small group, a pastor asked: How many EMC churches celebrate the Day of Pentecost? Another replied that his church does not. The first pastor said that the EMC celebrates the coming Jesus at Christmas, yet tends not to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Build Up Each Other After coffee break, Stephen Warthe (Portage) said Acts 2 speaks of prayer, the anointing, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and for fellowship. These items flow into each other and we can’t have one without the other. Prayer is the foundation for the Book of Acts. We need a fresh awakening and passion for prayer. They were united, focused, bold, and persistent in prayer. The anointing is needed to share Christ’s message. What is fellowship? Fellowship is more than talking together after a church meeting; it is more the intentional investing in the lives of one another, building each other up in truth and love. Portage has divided the church into small groups so they can share and pray with each other.
General Discussion There is a need for anointed, not just gifted, teaching.
We don’t have to go to have an impact on people; people are coming to Canada. Churches need to be more intentional to attract people and require the Holy Spirit to reach out.
Pentecost is the reversal of the Tower of Babel.
A posture of listening and learning is needed.
Listening is needed as we move into First Nations circles (Koreans are reached out).
The Spirit rested on each one of them. It’s exciting to see God moving in the EMC and our coming together to celebrate God’s message and work in a mighty way.
People gathered for ritual and God interrupted them.
Peter spoke boldly for Jesus. We need to be bold that Jesus is the only Saviour. Maybe there are things we need to address. Maybe
What is God birthing through COVID? we’re restricting the Spirit by not repenting and being
God is the great neutralizer. There are no distinctions lukewarm. between classes of people. God comes down to His creation. It is his work.
Why not hold regular services outside? The Salvation Numbers 11 speaks of Moses’ hunger that all would be Army used to hold them on street corners. prophets. We need to be hungry for the Spirit.
We don’t have to rely on our skills, but on God’s Spirit Notice “the” prayers [set, not spontaneous]. Fellowship and the Church will grow. is partnership.
Acts 2 shows how to interpret the Old Testament (Joel): through the lens of Jesus. Closing Summary
The disciples were excited to realize that they could Layton Friesen said it had been a “rich time” and encourhave Jesus with them all day [through the Spirit] not just in aged leaders to take seriously the medicine given: Dan the flesh. reminded us of God’s sovereignty; Terry of how we need to think about our Pentecostal brothers and sisters; Michael of the pace of God; Janice of what it means to personally surrender to the Holy Spirit; and Steven of how prayer, anointing, gifts, and fellowship work together.
Location: Blumenort Community Church or Online Pastors are finding that the reopening of churches is harder than to close them. 15 lessons, meeting every Sunday evening. Starting Oct. 18, This is a time for spiritual depth, so focus 2020 and ending Feb 14, 2021. on what the Holy Spirit is doing rather
Perspectives is a dynamic 15-week discipleship course than on logistics and politics, he said. designed to help students explore some of the big questions of life. What is your spiritual identity in Prayer Richard Klassen thanked Layton, the
Christ? What purpose, what work, what mission does speakers, and tech support. He then led
God have for you? How can you be a part of what God in prayer in gratitude for God’s “wonderis doing, locally or globally? ful grace to us”—that we are of different cultures, countries, and languages, yet we
Check out https://bit.ly/3jq9v9C to sign up. are one.
Don’t forget to check out the early bird and member discounts. – Terry M. Smith
Council Discusses Boards’ Questions
WORLD—Conference council delegates on June 27, 2020, met by Zoom, heard updates on boards’ activities, and discussed questions proposed by the boards.
Welcome and Devotional Moderator Barry Plett welcomed delegates to the Zoom meeting and encouraged them to view any video reports previously posted to avoid “redundant” questions. Tim Dyck, executive director, outlined the electronic process.
In his devotional Ward Parkinson, vice moderator, said “the Bible is more than words on a page.” God wants to communicate his own life and Jesus came to reveal his heart, partly captured in Rembrandt’s painting of the return of the prodigal son. Eugene Peterson said the Book of Revelation does not say more than the Bible’s other books, but is to fire our imagination. Revelation 21:3-4 says what it means to be home.
Elections With committee chair Leonard Plett guiding, delegates affirmed the slate of candidates.
General Board Coaldale has asked for more time to decide its relationship with the EMC, though from the EMC perspective it is a member church, said the moderator. Grace Community Church has closed and delegates were welcome to comment. None were offered.
The moderator said that four years ago when the EMC faced the need for budget cuts, an equal percentage was removed across the boards. With a desire to do it differently amid the COVID crisis, a quick poll of values and priorities was taken of pastors and regional representatives (see sidebar for results).
Among the delegates’ comments on the results:
The list reflects short-term cuts, but likely not the longterm priorities of the conference.
Some surprises. Youth and theological resources were up and convention and The Messenger were down.
These reflect leadership, not necessarily congregational priorities. The list could be a guide in cutting.
The list has overlapping categories better reduced to five or six.
Youth is high and The Messenger is down, reflecting the priority to engage the next generation for the EMC to survive.
Communications is distressingly down. Convention and The Messenger are two main ways to reach seniors.
Tough to know where to place priorities without background. There’s a need to analyze the effectiveness of ministries.
Zoom saves money, which could help in finances.
Board of Missions Brad Brandt, chair, and Ken Zacharias, Director of Global Outreach, reported; and a video report was shared from Chris Kroeker with Travis and Rosey Zacharias.
The EMC is part of a unified response to the COVID crisis among Anabaptists worldwide and EMC Missions designated a special projects fund of $10,000; surpassed, it is now set at $20,000. In Paraguay workers respond to needs for food, medicine, and rides for medical care; a benevolence fund was raised to $5,000. What binds together evangelism, food, medicine, radio? The Church, Brandt said.
God called the EMC to expand its presence in Paraguay. Seeking a smaller, growing city (reflecting the rural to urban shift), 10 years ago a team moved into Minga Guazú, which had only one evangelical church. Many needs exist within family life, and people need the freedom and salvation that Jesus gives.
There is a vision to plant churches nearby because people do not travel far to attend a church. More workers are needed and the BOM has approved workers to serve in
general church planting and planting with special attention to youth and children. Attitude, character, and being a team player are important traits for workers.
When asked to speak to expansion plans, Zacharias said that a ministry in Spain to Muslims is being explored, though a needed field visit was postponed by travel restrictions. In First Nations’ ministry, conversations have been held and a committee formed. Please pray as Prayer Teams are on hold, he said, and Bolivia is affected by COVID where the EMC works. The breakout time was for prayer for EMC Missions.
Board of Leadership and Outreach Richard Klassen, chair, said that he was stepping down after 25 years of serving on EMC boards. Major BLO projects have been completed or are underway: The Statement of Faith review, women in ministry, and the minister’s manual. The board’s work is Richard Klassen assisted by the conference pastor’s being a gifted writer and the BLO is dealing with some tough issues. Layton Friesen said the BLO wants to assist churches in renewal. The breakout question: how might the EMC empower its congregations to spiritual renewal?
Among the responses:
The EMC has a history of renewal, yet needs to see sister churches as part of it.
Appreciated the videos sent during the COVID crisis. Need videos with stories of church renewal.
In travelling and training by national staff, focus on more people, not just pastors.
Two groups asked what is meant by renewal. What are we talking about?
How do we get it to the grassroots? Ideas are needed on how to help the congregation share the vision.
We need non-EMC churches to push our thinking toward renewal.
The next generation is key to renewal. Give them role models in gender and ethnicity. Encourage pastors to enroll in a church renewal program.
In rural areas, renewal can follow visits from national staff.
Good conversation. Glad the EMC is doing this. Church Planting Task Force Travis Unger, chair, and Gerald Reimer, Director of Canadian Church Planting, reported. As we plant churches and expand within more cultures, the declining subsidy model is being revisited. The CPTF is involved in discussions with the BOM on Muslim and First Nations expansion. Travis Unger
The issue for the breakout was: In what kind of faithfilled creative ways, beyond our 10-year declining subsidy program and while seeking to connect churches, can we support our church planting ministry in Canada, particularly in cross-cultural urban settings?
Responses Visits from national staff are helpful. Local churches could develop daughter churches. Prayer teams could support local churches.
Wealthier churches could support poorer churches.
In one model, churches focus on community development (for instance, a doctor’s office) and a church develops from this.
Intentionally send in a team (teachers, construction workers) to a reserve. As it lives there for years, learns the culture, and is involved in the community, this can easily lead to a church.
People want to give to people, not projects. Churches could sacrifice to help church plants and plants could tell of needs.
One experienced pastor said he had chosen to be selfsupporting. It was a way to gain credibility and expand contact in the community.
Board of Church Ministries Kim Muehling, chair, said that a Communications Plan was approved and an Implementation Committee was formed. The National Youth Committee is encouraging youth leaders to attend an alternative event instead of TRU. Youth leaders are connecting by Zoom chat, which will continue post-COVID. Ruth Block is now involved in the administration of Abundant Springs.
New resources are available: Doris Penner’s EMC history book, Layton Friesen’s study of early Anabaptism, and Darryl Klassen’s deacons’ training videos. The national
office has new computer equipment and a video studio, and the EMC has a new website. The issue for the breakout session: how are you and your churches teaching the faith to young people? What’s working, or not, or dreamed of? Kim Muehling How can the EMC help? Responses We need VBS materials based on the EMC Statement of Faith. (Are recommendations needed on Anabaptist curriculum?)
Need to visualize the holistic education of youth from very young to adulthood and see how they move through them.
Good job, BCM, for what you are doing. Biblical literacy needs to speak to parents first, not just youth.
Need to highlight the parent-child relationship. The youth who stay in the church are those who see their parents involved.
Board of Trustees
Gord Reimer, chair, said the June update is that receipts were strong ($839,553) because of the timing of a yearly large donation, one-time donations, and government funding. Disbursements were lower ($788,255) because of COVID-related shutdowns. Gord Reimer The board knows a strong response is needed to break even at year’s end and, amid uncertain times, wants to prepare for a reduced budget in 2021. The 2019 financial audit was completed and Tim Dyck was thanked for doing so under COVID conditions. Delegates approved the audited financial statement.
The moderator said that we are grateful for how things look now financially, but the BOT has warned of COVID’s “lag effect” and a need to be “leaner” in 2021.
Trends The moderator said delegates were previously asked to identify trends later categorized as church and culture, role of leadership, the next generation, the culture of the church, church and conference relationship, and the need for spiritual renewal.
In leadership, the BLO is exploring the role of women, he said. For the next generation, the GB neglected to fill the gap created by Gerald Reimer’s new role and this will in future require more money or changed expectations. National staff are studying and pursuing church and conference connections, and church renewal is being worked on. A theology conference will be held on Nov. 26-27 on pastoring people with same-sex attraction.
The break-out session had three discussion choices: how to approach government with concerns about COVID meeting restrictions [a letter/petition was received by the national office], social justice (Black Lives Matter and other issues), and how we are nurtured spiritually amid COVID. Among the responses:
Government and Restrictions What is a more Anabaptist approach? An active peacemaking role is needed in the community prior to a pandemic.
Consider what has been prevented from happening by the lockdown. We need to be involved with silent issues such as intimate partner violence, which would help us to be more salt and light.
This letter is largely a charter grievance, yet more than churches were affected and asking for special treatment is not a good witness.
Soclal Justice Tensions in relations with First Nations are more common than with Blacks in Canada and there is concern that FN not be overlooked. There is a need to address racism in congregations.
Need for honest reflection on what we carry wittingly or unwittingly that perpetuate the problem.
COVID It takes specialized, elite people to do ministry now because it is electronic. Others feel useless. This is negative.
The moderator said that more responses can be forwarded.
Closing The moderator said the technology had worked better than thought, and he thanked the technical support staff for their work. He closed in prayer. – Terry M. Smith
What? An EMC Ministerial theology conference. No, I mean what? A theology conference on sexuality called Desire: Pastoring, Same Sex Attraction and the Church. Wait . . . What!?! Yes, we are pastors getting together to discuss sex. Why? Because we want to understand better how to preach, teach and pastor in a world that desperately needs the good news of Jesus when it comes to sexuality. When? November 26-27, 2020 Where? Blumenort Community Church, Man.
The Church, as followers of Jesus and readers of the Bible, has a wonderful set of convictions about sexual desire—these bodily attractions that push, pull, inspire, and sometimes defeat us, but then also draw us into beautiful union with each other.
On the matter of our bodies and its desires our society seems to go off in all directions. We vacillate wildly between indulgence in every conceivable desire and a merciless shaming and punishment for those who transgress our standards. We both worship bodies and dispose of them if they fail our standards. Our world has trouble with bodies and this leads to confusion about sexuality.
This turmoil has involved the Church. In our time, we cannot help but be much more conscious of what we believe, how we live it, and where the gaps are in our understanding. The question about same sex attraction especially has compelled us to think deeper about what the Bible actually teaches. The Church is also very aware of how hard it is to direct the powerful energy that sexuality presents within us. Many of us have been overwhelmed by this power and defeated by lust, broken marriages, pornography, and desires that seem untameable. What’s to be done?
So the EMC Ministerial needs to discuss sexuality. The planners of this theology conference (James Driedger, Barry Plett, Jennifer Kornelsen, Dallas Kornelsen, and Layton Friesen) see two aspects of how we want to address this.
First, we believe we have a lot to learn about what the Bible teaches about sexuality. There is no better time than now to dig deeper into the Scriptures and be more fully grasped by its vision of sexuality as a God-imaging part of our lives. The Church has ancient convictions drawn from the Bible about the mystery of marriage between a man and a woman. We need to learn how single men and
Desire
Pastoring, Same Sex Attraction & The Church
An EMC Ministerial Theology Conference
Blumenort Community Church Thursday November 26 - Friday November 27, 2020
Faithful, Gracious & Informed in the church & in the world women living in single-hearted celibacy offer the Church a picture of how all of us will all one day be wed to our Lord. Our bodily desires are not to be squelched or stuffed in a box, but are to be directed towards the end to which God has called us—the resurrection of the body into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Secondly, we have much to learn about how Jesus effortlessly gathered broken people around him. They liked him and he liked them. How can those ancient biblical convictions be practiced so that they actually, really do feel like good news to the folks in our midst who walk in brokenness? Especially, we want to talk about how the Church lives the good news with those who experience same sex attraction. They are not the only ones who sometimes experience the Church as a condemning place, but their case gives us a good place to start thinking about ways Jesus brings transformation, Spirit-empowerment, community—in short, salvation to people with hidden brokenness.
Our hope is that this study conference will equip our leaders to engage our congregations in interesting and faithful conversations about how thirsty creatures like us will one day find what we all truly desire. – Layton Friesen, EMC Conference Pastor
STEINBACH, Man.—Is your congregation seeking deacons, looking at their role, or does it want to help them succeed? This free resource, produced by Dr. Darryl G. Klassen with EMC support, can help.
The four-part video series looks at deacons: their role, qualifications, visitation and active listening skills. The teaching times are brief and a short leader’s guide assists with questions for discussion. The free video series and discussion guide are available on the Church Resources section of the EMC website.
When Darryl served as a pastor in Crestview and then Kleefeld, he observed deacons. While studying at Providence Theological Seminary, he wrote a Doctor of Ministry dissertation (2015): The Calling, Giftedness, and Ministry of Deacons in the Evangelical Mennonite Conference: Developing a Biblical Understanding for Conference Practice.
Klassen, an EMC minister, is engaged in a ministry of preaching, teaching, and writing. He lives in Blumenort, Man., with his wife Sharon. He has studied at SBC (BRS) and PTS (MACS, DMin).
The series was produced through the BLO and BCM. Sister conferences and independent churches are welcome to use it. The Church Planting Task Force is pleased to announce our newest church planter couple serving in Winnipeg. Ibrahim and Phebe Zabaneh have been living there for seven years and have already planted one church among Arabic-speaking people.
They began working in partnership with the EMC on July 1. Their ministry includes assisting newcomers with adjustments into our communities and sharing the Gospel as they build friendships. They are thrilled to share their lives. Please pray for them as they have many opportunities to do outreach, discipleship, and caregiving.
The series can be found at https://www.emconference. ca/deacon-training
AN INTRODUCTION TO DEACONS MINISTRY (Free)
The Role of a Deacon (17:03)
The Qualifications of a Deacon (20:38)
The Art of Visitation (15:27)
The Ministry of Listening (17:38)
– EMC
Darryl G. Klassen
• •
New Church Planters Appointed in Winnipeg
Leader’s Guide available (free)
– Gerald D. Reimer, Director of Canadian Church Planting
CPTF
Ibrahim and Phebe Zabaneh
MCC Today — Bread in Many Forms
One hundred years ago, bread was the beginning of MCC’s work. Relief kitchens in Ukraine (then southern Russia) fed families who had been displaced and were starving. Neighbours from around the world provided loaves of dark, wholesome bread.
Now a century later, MCC still works to meet the needs of people who are hungry and sometimes cannot afford even one meal a day. But where 100 years ago you would find bread, today you might see rice, beans, cooking oil, or even a paper voucher. While MCC’s mission remains more important than ever, our work has adapted with increased focus on different forms of relief for different contexts, more robust program monitoring, and even gender analysis. MCC PHOTO/MATTHEW LESTER. Nsimire Mugoli and her husband Chubaka Birhonoka in Mubimbi camp in DR Congo cook beans and porridge made with ingredients from their emergency food distribution in early Local Innovation February 2020. The war in Syria has now entered its ninth year, displacing millions of people. There are more takes place in their community. It’s also an opportunity than 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, where MCC for people to see results and celebrate what was achieved and our local partners are providing vouchers than can be together. redeemed for food in shops. When people receive vouchOf course, evaluation also helps us learn and improve ers rather than food packages, they can choose what when a project doesn’t go as expected. In one agriculture works best for them, providing dignity and a small sense of project where I worked in Zimbabwe, smallholder farmnormalcy. ers were struggling with a pest—the maize stalk borer. The
However, inside Syria, MCC partners are providing project was set up to help farmers intercrop corn with packages of food that include items such as pasta, cooking a new kind of grass called desmodium to help repel the oil and chickpeas. In the midst of conflict, sometimes food pests. just isn’t available, or it isn’t safe to go out to shop. MCC This worked well for those farmers, until we learned partners are able to secure food locally in bulk, which the pests had been forced into neighbouring fields, eathelps strengthen the local economy and provide foods that ing those crops instead. So, we adapted to include a special people are used to eating. There isn’t one right way to offer sticky grass, planted around the edge of the plots, called relief. It’s important to understand the context and choose napier grass. This grass attracts pests; but because it’s the right method. sticky, when a stem borer moth lands on the grass it can’t Monitoring and Evaluation Thanks to monitoring, the project now reduces pests Over a century of work, MCC has also increased our focus using a system that is affordable, accessible and easy to on monitoring and evaluation. Program monitoring proreplicate, while maintaining relationships between neighvides accountability to donors and, equally important, bours. We are now applying this pest control practice in provides accountability to local communities. The evaluother projects across sub-Saharan Africa. ation process allows people to provide feedback on what move and gets trapped.
Gender Dynamics Over the years, MCC has increasingly recognized the need to understand gender dynamics, and how women and men access and control resources. When we consider the impact of gender dynamics before distributing resources, we can challenge systemic inequalities and build efficient and equitable solutions.
For example, during a relief project in the refugee camps of Shasha and Mubimbi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MCC did a gender analysis before deciding what food to include. Corn is an important resource, and women are usually responsible for preparing it as a thick porridge. But since the camps didn’t have grinding mills, we realized that if we provided whole corn, the women and girls would have to walk through forest, 10–15 km each way, to find a mill in a nearby community where the corn could be ground.
The journey could expose women and girls to warring parties and sexual exploitation. Or their food could be stolen along the way. The trip would also be physically tiring, and the increased pressure on the mill could lead to conflict between the host community and the refugees.
Hearing that feedback from the community during the gender analysis, MCC decided to provide ground corn meal for the first two months of the project, and then supply a grinding mill that would be co-owned and operated by the refugee and host community groups.
This reduced the burden and risk for women and girls, while also strengthening relationships between the host and refugee communities because people in the surrounding area could also use the new mill. It also minimized the harm that could have come from the good intentions of relief work.
Vurayayi Pugeni
One hundred years have given us countless opportunities to learn and improve. In these uncertain times, the core work of MCC—providing relief, development and peace—is more important than ever. And the MCC of today is constantly evaluating and learning to serve in the best way we can.
We’re so thankful for your faithful support that allows us to continue to provide bread, in all its forms, in the name of Christ. – Vurayayi Pugeni
Vurayayi Pugeni is MCC’s Area Director for Southern Africa together with his spouse Thelma Sadzamari.
Note: This is the second of three articles on MCC’s Centenary.
Together we’re celebrating 100 years of relief, development and peace in the name of Christ.
Thank you for your support of MCC. Join the centennial celebrations!
mcccanada.ca/centennial
SBC Virtually Finishes Semester
SBC has held many classes and events online.
In the 2006-07, I wrote optimistically about making SBC courses accessible to working students. “SBC continues to look for more ways to make courses accessible to working students. This fall Dr. Arden Thiessen’s Pastoral Ministries course is being delivered to a pastor in Ontario via webcam…If the test is successful, more courses may be delivered online.” The test worked fabulously. Now in 2020 SBC is fully online. And we are living happily ever after! Not quite.
That’s not the way change happens in a Bible college, even in one considered tech friendly. SBC has been teaching online since 2012 with a fully online BA degree in 2017. Our online program has quietly grown to over 60 courses taken this year. But then COVID-19 changed everything.
Very Different Worlds Faculty and students discovered what many churches are also discovering, that live and online classes or churches belong in very different worlds. This digital divide is like crossing the ocean to minister in a foreign culture. Classes of 75 minutes or even sermons of 30 minutes become difficult to endure in a digital world with shifting images and attention spans of six to eight minutes.
Realizing that college life would change radically in a short time, SBC shifted to online in just a few days. On March 16 the Introduction to New Testament class was taught in a live class with Microsoft Teams connecting to students in self-isolation. Teams gave students and faculty a common space to collaborate using chat, video, and more. By the end of the week the technical issues were mostly solved, and all students and staff were fully online. Although Teams was limited to only four videos per screen, we still taught between one to two and a half hours per course looking for discussion, chats, small groups, and presentations to keep classes engaged.
Connected by Meetings Since March 23, video classes, chapels, announcements, meetings, and events like Social Butterfly, Hootenany, and Worship Night have connected the SBC community during this pandemic. Since Manitoba limited gatherings to 10 people, in-person end of the year celebrations including graduation were no longer a possibility.
So, we compressed seven hours of weekend activities, including celebration chapel, spring concert, graduation ceremonies, and grad banquet into one hour of Livestream on April 23. The virtual graduation event anticipated a live graduation sometime in fall of 2020. We sang, announced the graduates by name, presented a video tribute to each degree grad, and gave awards. Instead of a banquet, the faculty had a Zoom meeting to reflect on the end of the year and pray for each other and our students. Will we celebrate the live graduation with these students next year? We can only hope.
Challenging Transition Our transition online, like many of yours, has been challenging. While the commute to class has improved (a few steps!), working and studying from home was isolating, watching screens all day was fatiguing, and motivation to finish the year needed strong encouragement and prayer.
Still a highlight of my week was Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. when several students and I gathered online to talk about our week, focus on God’s presence in our lives, laugh together, and pray for each other. If we had been on campus this meeting would have ended at 12 for lunch. But online, the gathering continued until 12:30 p.m. or more because we had no place to go. This small gathering is the closest thing we had to being at home with our SBC family doing what we do well. Community.
Check out SBC chapel talks and year-end Celebration Chapel on the Steinbach Bible College YouTube site. – Dr. Terry Hiebert
Dr. Terry Hiebert is academic dean at SBC. This article was submitted on May 21.
