The Messenger a publication of the
Evangelical Mennonite Conference
Volume 59 No. 3 May 2021
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O R T N E I GUIDING EC EIV I N INSIDE:
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Mentoring and Moose Hunting: Why Relationships Matter page 6 From Generation to Generation: Understanding the Bible’s Use of Genealogies page 10 Learning to Receive: An Excerpt from Faithful in Small Things page 21 SBC Leadership Conference 2021 page 24
2021 Annual Report Inside!
pages 13-20
Editorial
A Pandemic Mother’s Day
A
s an informal practice, The Messenger has avoided publishing Mother’s Day articles as it’s a cultural occasion rather than a holiday according to the Christian calendar. However, as the day falls on a Sunday, most churches use Mother’s Day as a way to acknowledge the contributions of women (whether mothers or not). Over the course of the pandemic, studies have been conducted that show COVID’s disproportionate effects on women. For example, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s March 2021 study showed that 24.4 per cent of women indicated experiencing moderate to severe anxiety levels in the past week (as compared to 17.3 per cent of men). The numbers were similar (with a similar gender gap) for those reporting feeling lonely occasionally or most of the time in the past week. A CBC article by Shahroze Rauf published February 9, 2021, cited a report commissioned by the Association pour la Santé Publique du Québec and the Observatoire québécois des inégalités “that the impact of certain pandemic measures particularly hit mothers, ‘who already take on a larger share of domestic work and childcare at home.’ ” (As an aside, the comments on this article show there is still work to be done in elevating some people’s regard for women.) As someone who became a mother for the third time last spring, I can attest to the additional challenges the pandemic has placed on mothers with young children. Increased isolation with reduced support is a recipe for depression in anyone; and mothers, of course, are not alone in this experience. This has also been the experience of people in long-term care facilities and people who live alone, among others. While a lot of the increased pressures women are feeling come from external factors due to the pandemic, I believe at least some of it results from a false view of biblical womanhood. With its emphasis on being the helper, it can make women reluctant to ask for and receive help. The Proverbs 31 woman is often held up as the ultimate example of what biblical womanhood should look like. She gets up while
it’s still night to provide “food for her family and…female servants” (v. 15), she works “vigorously” (v. 17) and cares for the poor and needy (v. 20). She definitely doesn’t spend any amount of time doom-scrolling Twitter (v. 27). If this is the ideal picture of biblical womanhood, what about women who are unmarried, or who don’t have children? Or those who are too burned out to continually provide care for those around them? In her article “Three Traits of Biblical Womanhood” at unlockingthebible.org, Melissa Danisi points out that in the Hebrew Bible Proverbs 31 immediately follows the book of Ruth. “How,” she asks, “could a barren, widowed, single woman portray this Proverbs 31 woman of virtue? Because of her fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 31:30). She goes on to list three characteristics of biblical womanhood: 1. A biblical woman understands she is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13–16). 2. A biblical woman understands she is redeemed as a follower of Jesus, regardless of her roles (Galatians 3:28–29; Ephesians 1:7). 3. A biblical woman understands she is gifted and empowered by God (Ephesians 2:10). As we honour women in Mother’s Day celebrations and beyond, let’s focus on women who model a posture of openness to the moving of the Spirit, rather than some false picture of ideal womanhood. And, in case a commenter from the CBC article happens across this editorial, feel to substitute “biblical manhood” where this article reads “biblical womanhood.” I believe you’ll find the principles still apply. – Rebecca Roman
As someone who became a mother for the third time last spring, I can attest to the additional challenges the pandemic has placed on mothers with young children.
2 The Messenger • May 2021
Table of Contents Features
Columns
6
5
Mentoring and Moose Hunting: Why Relationships Matter
A Reader’s Viewpoint
page
In the Ocean of His Love – Stephanie Unger
– Joshua Dueck
6
page
5
10 From Generation to Generation: Understanding the Bible’s Use of Genealogies – August H. Konkel
13 Annual Report 2021 21 Learning to Receive: An Excerpt from Faithful in Small Things – Kevin Wiebe
24 SBC Leadership Conference 2021 – Emily Dyck
Departments 2
Editorial
4
Letters and Notices
27
With Our Missionaries
28
With Our Churches
30
News
31
In Memory
33
Shoulder Tapping
26 Writings Shared
Faithful in Small Things: How to Serve the Needy When You’re One of Them by Kevin Wiebe – Reviewed by Stephanie Unger
34 His Light to My Path Lists to Live By – Karla Hein
pages
35 Further In and Higher Up
Who Really Wants to See a Naked Anabaptist? – Layton Friesen
21 and 26
36 Kids’ Corner
‘And God Saw That It Was Good’ – Loreena Thiessen
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 3
The Messenger
Letters and Notices
Volume 59 No. 3 May 2021
We Need to Seek the Best Way to Address Climate Change
INTERIM EDITOR REBECCA ROMAN
ASSISTANT EDITOR ANDREW WALKER
PUBLICATION AND PURPOSE The Messenger is the publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference, 440 Main Street, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5. Its purpose is to inform concerning events and activities in the denomination, instruct in godliness and victorious living, inspire to earnestly content for the faith. Phone: 204-326-6401 messenger@emconference.ca www.emcmessenger.ca www.issuu.com/emcmessenger ISSN: 0701-3299 Publications Mail Agreement Number: 40017362 Second-class postage paid at Steinbach, MB
COPYRIGHT The articles printed in The Messenger are owned by The Messenger or by the author and may not be reprinted without permission. Unless noted, Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. TM
SUBMISSIONS Views and opinions of writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the position of the Conference or the editors. Advertising and inserts should not be considerence to carry editorial endorsement. Letters, articles, photos and poems are welcome. Submissions should be sent to messenger@emconference.ca.
Climate change is a topic we bump into regularly in the news that can lead us to fear and guilt. I applaud The Messenger (March 2021 issue) for taking on a relevant, controversial, political topic like this. I would like to recommend viewing Bjorn Lomborg’s video, “Don’t waste trillions on BAD Climate Policy” on YouTube. While I don’t totally agree with everything he says, he bases what he says on recorded scientific data, on climate data, quoting other qualified sources. He believes in climate change; Lomborg acknowledges that the earthly temperature is rising, causing adverse effects. He says that carbon and greenhouse gases impact the rise in earth’s temperature. From data, he points out there are less damaging floods, droughts and hurricanes than there were in the past, although they do occur at places they did not in the past. Different climate initiatives like the Paris Accord, while costly, do almost nothing to affect global temperatures. Innovation needs to continue so cleaner and cheaper fuels can be found. But windmills and solar panels are not always cost effective. In
India, for example, they want to shut down all coal plants, but many areas cannot afford solar panels. Lomborg says the best way to help the poor countries get ahead with climate change issues is to lift them out of poverty. Political climate change programs often make the poor poorer and the rich richer. While churches and para-church organizations are pushing the government to spend even more, they may be side-tracked from spreading the gospel message. I pray we will have good discernment and not give in to living in fear and guilt. Let’s rest in God who is in control of even the weather. We anticipate the new heaven and the new earth that God himself will provide (Revelation 21:1). This earth will grow old like a garment (Isaiah 51:6). It is not our job to stop this from happening—at least not from what I find in Scripture. His promise remains the same yesterday today and forever. This give us reason to be courageous in hard times and to be at peace. – Delmer Plett Arborg, Man.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Print subscriptions are free of charge to all members and adherents of EMC churches in Canada. For all others, print subscription rates are as follows: $20/year ($26 U.S.), Manitoba residents add 7% PST. To sign up for the email newsletter or submit an address change, email messenger@emconference.ca.
ADVERTISING The Messenger does not sell advertising, but provides free space (classified and display) to enhance our Conference, its churches, boards and ministries; inter-Mennonite agencies and educational institutions; and the wider church. Ads and inquiries can be sent to messenger@emconference.ca.
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Note on discussion within The Messenger Every community will have a diversity of views and opinions, which provides opportunities for us to learn from each other, being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19). Our discussions are inevitably impacted by our own experiences, and the
experiences of people in our lives. These discussions should also reflect the reality that some groups and individuals have not always felt welcome in Christian communities. We welcome your responses to articles and topics discussed in The Messenger. – Board of Church Ministries
Column • A Reader’s Viewpoint
In the Ocean of His Love
F
STEPHANIE UNGER
ifteen years after buying an 11-bedroom rooming house in Winnipeg’s beautiful but hurting Spence neighbourhood for the experiment of living out faith in community, Stephanie, her husband Travis and their kids, Shadrach and Rachel, embarked on a sabbatical. They had lived intensely, helping plant the house church network of Many Rooms Church Community, sharing their home and life with over 80 tenants and trying to be good neighbours; it was time to inhale with the same intensity. To “ ‘Come with me [Jesus] by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” (Mark 6:31–32). They left Winnipeg, towing their sailboat Schemma down south, and splashed her into the Gulf of Mexico to sail around Florida, across to the Bahamas and managed to return six months later. For details, check out www.ungersail.com. This is the first of a series of four articles. It was our second night passage on the ocean and this time I was prepared. (For the land-lubbers reading this, a night passage simply means sailing through the night and usually involves the captain and crew taking turns at the helm.) During one of my shifts on the first passage, I experienced an uncomfortable mix of anxiety and sleepiness so strong I could hardly keep my eyes open. It felt like morning would never come. This time, with my family sleeping close by, I had snacks and drinks within reach and was wide awake, my heart swelling to an inspirational soundtrack playing through my headphones. Songs of God’s amazing love and power filled me with awe. The multitude of stars above and over 2,000 feet of ocean below seemed to cradle the boat. Sure of this enfolding
presence, I piloted us through the darkness. It occurred to me that I might not feel so sure that this wide open ocean and endless sky was “enfolding me in God’s love” if I was suddenly swept overboard and left floating in the sea, while the boat sailed away without me! Why do I trust God more when it is obvious I am safe than when it is not so obvious? By now I know that God is always good and really does work all things together for good for those who love him and are following his call. Fact: I am not any closer to God when I feel his presence than when I feel alone—or when I see where he is leading me than when it seems like he’s made a mistake. The book of Acts tells us of Christians who were able to sing praises while in prison and face death with acceptance. They truly believed that they were safe in God’s hands and God knew what he was doing. Could this be the secret of the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7)? Without this peace, we can feel a panicky need to fight to change our situation (or the world). If we are honest with ourselves, this is because we are pretty sure that God must be wrong in allowing us to be where we are. This struggling to escape keeps us from experiencing the miracle of seeing what God can do. Living in the truth that God is always closer than our breath will enable us to face danger and evil with peace and joy. When we believe that God is right(eous) even when the situation is very wrong, we can let God guide us rather than freezing up or digging in our heels. The image of being left behind in the huge, dark ocean is still quite a frightening one to me. I guess I still have a ways to go before I am a true believer: confidently trusting God in all situations. How about you?
By Stephanie Unger
When we believe that God is right(eous) even when the situation is very wrong, we can let God guide us rather than freezing up or digging in our heels.
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 5
Mentoring and Moose Hunting: Why Relationships Matter
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By Joshua Dueck
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“W
e can go here because somebody has gone here before.” These were the words from my Cree friend and mentor as we made our way into the woods of northern Saskatchewan in search of moose. On both sides of the narrow “road” was a treacherous snowbank, one that easily would have consumed the front end of our truck and left us stranded many hours from any actual road. As we pushed further and further into the forest toward our base for hunting, I would occasionally feel the truck pull out of the tire grooves packed from the previous hunters. Again I would hear him say, “Stay on the path that others have made, we can go here because somebody has gone here before.” While we never ended up harvesting any moose that trip, I left with one of the most profound illustrations of Hebrews 12:1– 2a I ever heard. The text says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” The previous chapter lists what is sometimes called the “Hall of Faith.” These men and women of the Old Testament, despite their shortcomings and sinful nature, placed their faith exclusively in God, who revealed himself to them. The faithful saints of old are not witnesses of the audience to Hebrews, rather they bear witness to what happens when we place our faith in God. The saints of old had to rely on the law and on human prophets to know God. In contrast, the audience of Hebrews had the ultimate example of faith— God-in-flesh in the person of Jesus. He is the one perfect sinless prophet, the pioneer, author, and perfecter
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‘A Great Cloud of Witnesses’
of faith. They could fix their eyes on him who was able to keep them on the straight and narrow. They now had access to the Father in a new and powerful way, empowered by the Holy Spirit and redeemed by the Son who went before and made a way.
Relationship, Relationship and Relationship
Following that hunting trip I had the privilege of traveling just shy of 2,500 km in three days around Saskatchewan delivering radio towers. The Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is hoping to install towers in Indigenous communities to broadcast the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All the while I got to hear the heart of Indigenous Christian leaders as we tag-teamed driving. Relationship, relationship and relationship was the theme of nearly all our conversations. This theme and emphasis on relationship is echoed by many of my other Indigenous Christian mentors and
Relationships take time, require sacrifice and in cross cultural contexts often require being able to surrender control; all things that do not come naturally—at least for me.
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 7
JOSHUA DUECK
friends. Sadly, they also affirm this is the piece often missing when good meaning Jesus-following people have gone as “missionaries” to their people. Relationships take time, require sacrifice and in cross cultural contexts often require being able to surrender control; all things that do not come naturally—at least for me. When asked what the biggest challenge is for developing meaningful cross-cultural relationships, my Indigenous friends have said: “It is difficult to form meaningful relationships with people who only view us as projects and mission fields.” I was recently listening to a well-respected Oji-Cree Christian elder from Ontario say, “There are more Christians per capita amongst Indigenous people of Canada than there are Christians amongst the non-Indigenous people of Canada.” The census from ten years ago paints a similar picture, there they noted that there is only a four percent difference (67 percent non-Indigenous and 63 percent Indigenous) between
people who identify as Christian (all denominations). He went on to challenge listeners with this question: “Do you currently have a relationship with your neighbours and are you currently serving and being a blessing to them as a follower of Jesus? If not, then what makes you think you will be able to form meaningful relationships, serve and be a blessing to our people?”
Adopted as an Indigenous infant during the final years of the Sixties Scoop and growing up in nonIndigenous homes, schools and churches I understand the “saviour complex” mentality.
8 The Messenger • May 2021
Who Is the Saviour?
Adopted as an Indigenous infant during the final years of the Sixties Scoop and growing up in non-Indigenous homes, schools and churches I understand the “saviour complex” mentality. Basically, this is a need to solve other people’s problems, usually by having those needing to be “saved” become more like their “saviour.” Virtually my whole life I heard and experienced this one “truth”: I was better now that I could be a white Mennonite; I should be thankful that I was rescued from my people. I wish I was the only one with this story. However, in connecting with many Indigenous
JOSHUA DUECK
people who lived in similar contexts, I hear the same story. I continue to hear sentiments like this from well-meaning Jesus-following folks: “Well, are you not glad that you were chosen?” The implications are that because I was raised in a non-Indigenous context my life is better; because I can be like you, I can be saved. We are not the standard for what it means to be righteous, sinless, or holy; that role is reserved for Jesus. Our role is not to save people by making them become like us. Our role is to point people to the One who can save, the One whose image they bear. As many of my Christian Indigenous mentors testify, their acknowledgement of and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ came via faithful Jesus followers who lived in relationship with them. Not as better, not as saviours, not as rescuers, but as friends, as neighbours and as family.
Understanding the Value of Relationships To be in relationship with my people means to
do life together. The good times and the hard times, the fun times and the painful times. You will notice that all of this requires time. Lots of time. Meaningful relationships require time. There is a popular idiom that says, “Time is money,” however for those interested in being a blessing to my people, I would encourage you remember this phrase, “Time is relationship.” It would be inaccurate to imply that all those who have gone before us have failed in this regard, there are some from the EMC and other denominations who understood the value of relationships and invested their time and lives in meaningful relationships with my people. They modelled Jesus, pointing to him and away from themselves. Let us learn from their witness. Brothers and sisters, let us drop the temptation to think that we are the saviours, that others need to be like us in order to be saved. Let us throw off the saviour complex that prevents us from entering into meaningful relationships with Indigenous people. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of faith, the one who has gone on before us and made a way for us. As we live in the imitation of Christ perhaps the fragrance of our faithfulness will be attractive to those with whom we have relationships. And may God continue to expand his kingdom to include every nation and tribe and people and tongue. Joshua Dueck (BA Christian Ministries, Steinbach Bible College) lives in Kleefeld, Man., with his wife Helyn, their three elementary-age sons and preschool-age daughter. Their home church is Steinbach EMC. He studies at Providence Theological Seminary and works in student services at Steinbach Bible College. His home community is Fisher River Cree Nation, but due to the Sixties Scoop he was raised in non-Indigenous care.
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 9
From Generation to Generation Understanding the Bible’s Use of Genealogies By August H. Konkel
Beginning at the Beginning
The Bible story begins with the genealogy of Cain in Genesis 4:17–22, a critical statement against all other ancient writings in which humans begin as gods or at least partly divine.
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ne of the few books that is a family heritage in our Konkel family is entitled The Descendants of OHM Abraham Wiebe 1831–1991. It is a genealogy, names of people in chronological succession with pictures. It is frankly a boring book, unless the reader happens to know the story of someone in the book. The more the reader knows, the more interesting and informative the book becomes. It may well be the most consulted book in the family library. This book is typical of modern genealogies. It is a condensed family story of generations. Genealogies in the Bible are not family trees. They bear little relationship to the genre of a family genealogy. The Bible gives an account of human history that drives all humans willing to understand it to trust in Jesus Christ. Biblical genealogies are essential to understand the redemptive work of God. This story requires knowledge of the relationships of people and nations through millennia of time. Genealogy requires study, but it has great rewards. The Bible is a whole different book when it is read not only for devotions, but for the comprehensive message of God at work in the world. Every person relates to society and an understanding of the world through an interpretation of history. A coherent history requires a continuing genealogy. The human story can only be told from generation to generation.
Genesis 5:1 introduces a third account of creation beginning with Adam and names ten families before the flood. This list has its ancient parallel in the Sumerian king list as recorded by Berossus (third century) who similarly provides ten families, the last being the hero of the flood. The purpose of this history in the Bible is to identity Noah in the line of Seth, those who called upon the Lord (Genesis 4:25–26), as distinguished from Cain. The mixing of the line of Seth, the “sons of God,” with those of Cain, “the daughters of men,” led to the “fallen ones” (nephalim). This was the view of St. Augustine in City of God. Only Noah remained in the godly lineage of the Seth tradition. The “sons of God” may also refer to tyrants who married as they willed, which also explains the human race becoming “fallen.” The idea that they were not human is foreign to the context, though the book of Enoch is based on an angelic interpretation. Noah brings the reader a step closer to the world of today in Genesis 10. The sons of Noah divide into Africa (Ham), Greece (Japhet), and Mesopotamia (Shem). Shem provides the identity of Abraham, a Semite from Mesopotamia, a person central to Jews, Muslims, and Christians to this very day.
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A Christian Understanding of Human Society
Biblical theology would be impossible without genealogies. The reader does not need to know everything about them, but the more they are understood, the clearer is the message of the whole. The history of Edom in Genesis 36 is most valuable to understanding Israel’s complicated relationship with Edom from David (e.g. Psalm 52) to Obadiah to Herod the Idumean in the time of Jesus. For most readers, a general knowledge of these associations is sufficient. Reading the Bible for such theological content is the goal of a Christian understanding of human society in the present. One of the most significant genealogies to biblical history is the carefully calculated list of exactly 70 names in Genesis 46:8–27 identifying the sons of Israel. The names are selected according to Jacob’s wives and their concubines. An abbreviated form of the list is found in identifying the people redeemed from Egypt in Exodus 1:1–7. This is the fundamental description of Israel, the redeemed people of the covenant through whom the whole earth may receive a blessing (Genesis 12:3). These genealogies are expanded considerably in the enumeration of the sons of Israel in Numbers. The genealogies in Numbers show how God is preparing the sons of Israel to enter the promised land.
Israel and the Redemption Story
These names were carefully preserved. Stephen may say there were 75 descendants that went to Egypt in Acts 7:14, but that is no careless scribal mistake. The representative list of the texts in Genesis and Exodus used by Stephen
included two descendants of Manasseh and three of Ephraim (Genesis 46:20). However, the later Hebrew text of Deuteronomy 32:8 stated that God ordered the nations according to the number of the sons of Israel. The number of nations as given in Genesis 10 is precisely 70. Genealogical comparison with Numbers 26:28–37 shows that the number of the sons of Israel in Genesis 46 was reduced to 70 to conform to the number of the nations. This was done by omitting the later generations from the genealogy of Joseph. It was critical because the number of Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5 needed to conform to Genesis 10 to show Israel’s unique place among the nations according to Deuteronomy 32:8. This thorough kind of theological work is typical of all genealogies. A similar crucial genealogy is found in Ruth 4:18–22. This is essential to the genealogy of Jesus as given in Matthew 1:1–17. These passages identify Jesus and explain his mission. Matthew had very good reasons for beginning the gospel with Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham. But just to begin to understand Matthew 1:1–17 requires some knowledge of Genesis 46:8–27, Exodus 1:1–7, Ruth 4:18–22. These passages explain Israel and the story of redemption.
The Chronicler’s Purpose Is Theological
The earliest writings of history were called a chronikon in Latin, that is the story of a people beginning with the origin of humanity. Bible translator Jerome named the biblical book Chronicles because it is such a book. Chronicles begins with Adam, the very first man, then leads the reader to know who lived in the Persian state of Yehud and why they were important in the vast Persian empire. This small group of people “punched over their weight” because they influenced all human history far more than any other group despite their very small numbers. The first nine chapters of Chronicles are only names mined from the rest of the Old Testament. Chronicles is based on an interpretation of history as found in the Old Testament. It also incorporates many other sources preserved
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 11
More Than Descendancy
Genealogies in the Bible manifest various peculiarities. There are occasions in which the names of people and places seem to be interchangeable (1 Chronicles 2:42-45). Other lists are simply descriptive of occupational groupings and communities (1 Chronicles 4:19-23). The Chronicler is not concerned with providing complete lines of descendants. Only nine generations span the period from Judah to David, which includes 430 years in Egypt and 480 from the exodus to Solomon. Genealogies are sometimes contradictory to other lists; the genealogy of Zerubbabel in Chronicles is not the
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through the exile. The purpose of the Chronicler is completely theological. He must show how redemption is continuing in Yehud, he must tell these people how they should live, and most of all he must offer the hope of the coming kingdom of God. Chronicles defines Israel. Definition of Israel was the thorniest theological problem in the time of Jesus. Numerous groups claimed to be the true Israel. For the gospel writers and Paul, proper understanding of Israel was necessary to understand Jesus. Chronicles defines Israel as understood in the New Testament. Understanding its genealogies requires a complete knowledge of the Old Testament, something the Chronicler could assume his readers knew. Most biblical genealogies are what is called linear, they give only one representative member of sometimes several generations. That is how Matthew can get 14 names from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile, and 14 from the exile until Jesus (Matthew 1:17). The story of Israel from Adam to the times following Zerrubbabel in 1 Chronicles 1–9 is most instructive. Two groups are central: the family of David in chapters 2–4 and the tribe of Levi in chapter 6. The first is the centre of the hope of Israel that endures for all time, the main point of Chronicles. The second was central to worship, the one single activity that really mattered to Israel during all the turmoil of the Persian empire. The history of all the rest was no less vital. There could never be ten lost tribes. The Chronicler must name families from every tribe present in Jerusalem to wait for the kingdom of God, as he calls it (e.g. 2 Chronicles 13:8) and to worship the God of the temple who alone is holy.
same as the one in Matthew (1 Chronicles 3:19; Matthew1:12). This does not mean either are wrong because genealogies are very complex. Genealogy is not just descendancy. Samuel is a priest in the tribe of Levi in 1 Chronicles 6:25–28, but he belongs to the tribe of Ephraim (1 Samuel 1:1). Samuel possibly had Levitical connections as Levites lived in all the tribes of Israel. Similarly, a Konkel can suddenly pop up in the Wiebe family. Samuel was not only an Ephraimite; in the story of Israel his family had come to have an important place in the priesthood in the time of David. Genealogies in the Bible present the progress of redemption. Israel is not just those living in the land. Israel does not always occupy its land. An ideal Israel did not exist at any time, but Israel may yet become what it is. Genealogies lead the reader to the completion of redemption when all Israel will be saved through the church, as Paul triumphantly concludes in in Romans 11:25–36. The thought leads Paul to a spontaneous doxology praising the purposes of God. August Konkel was ordained in the Mennonite Church Canada (then General Conference of Mennonites) in 1972. Following twelve years of pastoral work he spent his career in seminary education. He is currently semi-retired, a part time professor at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton. Among his published commentaries is 1 & 2 Chronicles in the Believers Church Bible Commentary (Herald Press). He is close to celebrating 50 years with his wife Esther. They currently attend the Jerseyville Baptist Church.
Live: Annual Report 2021 We envision... influencing our culture as we dare to live our lives with Jesus Christ as Lord.
Moderator’s Message
T
he loss of human interaction. An increase in health risks. The loss of loved ones. Government restrictions that, at times, seem like over-reach and are often inconsistent. In the midst of dealing with these losses, I pray that we will not be distracted by the nostalgia of looking back at how preferable church and life patterns of the past were, or by the endless visioning and strategizing for the future of where we should be. There is a need for us to live in the moment, paying attention to the realities of this time and place, bringing the person and character of Jesus into all our present realities. Many of us are suffering fatigue from the changes to church life and human interaction. We are surprised by the secularization of our culture and the marginalization of the church. Some clamour to defend our spiritual right to worship rather than hold in tension the calls to care for one another, comply with government authority and the meeting together for corporate worship. Let the words of Paul to the Galatians encourage us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9–10). The “harvest” or benefit of doing the right thing day after day is often only realized a generation from now. May God help us to be faithful and not give up. –Barry Plett, Moderator
Pastor Barry Plett EMC Moderator
Nominations Moderator (1)
Board of Missions (4)
Vacancy
Carl Loewen, Steinbach EMC* Peter Rempel, LCCFC* Cheryl Giesbrecht, Heartland Anthony Reimer, Blumenort
Vice Moderator (1) Darren Plett, Pleasant Valley
Board of Church Ministries (3) Sarah Barkman, Blumenort* Gary Giesbrecht, Coaldale Dwight Plett, Mennville
Board of Leadership and Outreach (3) Andy Woodworth, Heartland* Andrea Dyck, Steinbach EMC Jared Schroeder, Westpointe * DENOTES AN INCUMBENT MEMBER
Board of Trustees (2) Andrew Kampen, Blumenort* Cheryl Friesen, Rosenort FC Abe Loewen, Morweena EMC
Nominating Committee (6) Anna Plett, Steinbach EMC* Leonard Plett, Treesbank* Josh Muehling, Fort Garry* Vacancy Vacancy Vacancy www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 13
Life Brought Loss Churches and EMCers How are you doing? This comes right after “hello” in most of our conversations. To know how deep to go in answering is a social skill. But how is the EMC doing after this past year? The first response is that Jesus has died for our sins, we have been freed from the devil, and the Spirit lives in our hearts to bring us to our home in heaven. So we are doing just fine, thank you. But really, how are we doing, you know with the pandemic and all? This has been a year of challenge, frustration, learning, surprising joy, and more challenge. Most of our churches have adapted well to the restrictions that we have lived under. Church ministries got creative, technology got upgraded and expectations were adjusted. This has been a year of grief in some of our churches: a number of our churches said goodbye to a significant group of members who died of COVID-19. This has been a year of conflict: some churches struggle long and hard with the politics of how to respond to government regulations. This has been a year of fatigue: pastors talk of an exhaustion they cannot quite put their finger on. It has been a year of surprising ministry: in all this turmoil, the Word has been proclaimed, the poor have been cared for and the good news of Jesus has been announced by EMCers in every part of the globe in spite of all that has happened—or maybe because of all that has happened.
Missions How do we adequately sum up 2020, other than “unknown?” This seemed to be our theme word for 2020 here in Spain. Will the boys get to go back to school to be with friends and teachers? Will they return to their futbol team? Will I, Rich, get to continue playing futbol and building on relationships that have formed over the past two years, will our church get to have a Sunday service again? How can we plan for any new ministries when we are not allowed to meet with anyone? Will we get to go on our planned home assignment this summer? All of these were left hanging in the balance. One giant loss here in Spain was during Easter week. Normally the streets are alive with people waiting to take in the Easter processions. With this cancelled, we as a family took the opportunity to paint a picture, with a theme word, on a different window each day of the week depicting the story of Easter and attributes of God. This helped us as a family develop a much stronger appreciation for Easter and its importance to our faith. We trust this helped to plant seeds in those who saw the paintings. While this time was difficult for various reasons, we were able to come out the other side stronger together as a family, with rejuvenated relationships and an excitement for what 2021 will bring. –Rich and Joyelle Sayer, EMC missionaries with ACTION in Spain
Conference Churches that continued online services after reopening averaged 30% increase in attendance than pre-COVID. Churches that did not hold online services after reopening averaged 15% decrease in attendance than pre-COVID. Overall church attendance (online and in-person) maintained levels similar to 2019 70% of EMC churches began online services for the first time in 2020 Sundays with in-person services 2019 52 2020 37 NOTE: ATTENDANCE NUMBERS COUNT ONE ONLINE VIEW AS TWO PEOPLE
But Connections Continued Matthew 19:26: “ ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ ”
Missions In October 2020 I arrived in Taber, Alta., for my very first home assignment. Just then more restrictions came into effect which totally threw off my advance scheduling. Church visits were not what I had expected. Masks, distancing, no handshakes or hugs made it hard to feel that I was connecting. A couple of visits were cancelled, but the churches I did visit were such a blessing. People were very receptive and interested in what was happening in Bolivia. I joined one church service via Zoom, shared at both morning services in several churches and the entire Sunday School hour in another. We had a great time. My home church planned an evening event and I could take as much time as I wanted to share and answer questions. I spent a lot of time trying to connect with people oneon-one. Even this was hard, but we improvised by meeting at a park or going for a walk. My time in Canada was not what I had planned, but it was a blessed time of meeting friends, old and new, and sharing about the wonderful work of the Lord in Bolivia. – Nancy Friesen, EMC Missionary in Bolivia
Churches and EMCers I didn’t want to be a day camp, but that was the only box they gave me so I made a new box. This is the story of how God grew a northern Alberta youth group from ten students on Zoom to over 100 attendees in less than a year. In the eyes of the government, day camp was the category closest to youth groups, and day camp restrictions limited us to 50 people including volunteers. Simultaneously the government was allowing faith gatherings to meet with 30 percent of their capacity—for our church that was 250. The hunger I saw in the eyes of the young people was not for more games; it was for the things of God, and I wanted to give life to that. I decided to reposition our youth program, not as a “day camp,” but as a “youth church.” I mirrored what we did to what was accepted for faith-based gatherings. It allowed for two things: 1. A more intentional environment. 2. Five times the capacity. Once it caught on in our community that there was a safe place for students to worship together, we went from ten people on Zoom in April 2020 to 120 youth between September 2020 and April 2021. Praise God for making a way! – Garth Vion, Youth Pastor, Westpointe Community Church
Global Pandemic Relief
EMC
MWC
Nicaragua
$40,000
$567,871
$16,334
Nicaragua Hurricane Relief
EMC
MCC
EMC
$5,000
$31,590
$25,000
USD TO CAD CONVERSIONS USED THE AVERAGE 2020 EXCHANGE RATE
Nicaragua $56,590
Conference Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Political instability and conflict both contribute and the country is vulnerable to hurricanes, volcanos and earthquakes. As in many countries, COVID highly affected the country in 2020 as schools and sports facilities remained open, and as government largely ignored the pandemic in the first few months. The Mennonite World Conference’s Global Church Sharing Fund supported 37 COVID relief projects around the world, one of which was in Nicaragua. The EMC contributed $40,000 to this fund. In November 2020, while the effects of COVID were still serious, hurricane Iota and Ita both hit landfall leaving major damage. MCC and three Anabaptist Conferences in Nicaragua spearheaded a project for those most affected, to which EMC contributed a total of $30,000. The Nicaraguan people and the FIEMN church conference say a sincere thank you for all of your generosity in 2020 and 2021. The donations were much needed and appreciated. – Ken Zacharias, Director of Global Missions
And We Still Saw Growth Conference
Churches and EMCers
Of the 12 church plants and ministry outreaches EMC currently supports in Canada, only three are primarily in English, and even those are a mixture of cultures and ethnicities. Our newest work is Kingdom Life Church in Winnipeg, Man. In July 2020 we hired Ibrahim and Phebe as the church planting pastors of this Arabic-speaking church, with a focus on recent Syrian and Kurdish refugees. The Lord has opened up many doors for this family to assist immigrants in practical ways, like finding a doctor, or give spiritual nourishment in an unsettling time when they have left behind family and friends. With the move to online ministry this past year, the “attendees” at their services have included people from around the Arabic-speaking world who are hungry for fellowship and new life in Christ. The end of 2020 also saw the beginning of a new relationship as the Spanish-speaking Iglesia Emanuel initiated a partnership with the English-speaking Abbeydale Christian Fellowship in Calgary, Alta. Uniting these two church bodies will take some adjustment, but there is mutual benefit and hope for spiritual and numerical growth ahead. We continue to support Antonio and Esther Pitta as part-time pastors throughout the transition. – Gerald Reimer, Director of Canadian Church Planting
How could our ministry have grown in the last year? Sometimes pruning is needed to grow a bigger, stronger, more fruitful tree. Many churches have discovered that people from around the globe were signing in to their worship services. Long-forgotten members suddenly showed up in church again. Family members joined each other’s services. People from the community found the online format allowed them to join from a safe place. Another delight in some churches was the discovery that genuine sharing, fellowship and caring could happen between members on a Zoom call! A Zoom meeting can be an excellent forum for a small group Bible study. Is there a down-side to all these? Of course. But let it not be said that the Holy Spirit faced COVID-related restrictions in the past year.
Missions Are missionaries super-Christians who never grieve when a family member back home dies? Are their marriages always happy and healthy? Are they ever disappointed with God? Do they experience friction with other strongminded workers? How do they cope when plans get altered month after month? And how do they manage when their support team and pastor live thousands of miles away? Providing pastoral care for missionaries and living among them in Central Asia gives us a unique opportunity to support these resilient workers. They live in challenging situations and sometimes need assistance when the challenges pile up. These workers are precious in God’s eyes and they are becoming precious to us as well as we get to know and work alongside them in their joys and struggles. – Brian and Tricia, EMC missionaries in Central Asia
👤
Newly Accepted Missionaries
Danny Plett – Germany, Ukraine, Belarus and Brazil
Antonio and Esther Pitta – TBD
👥
B – Central Asia
Brian and Tricia – Central Asia
Rudiments Grads
Gary Giesbrecht – Coaldale
Dan Cormie – Braeside Jesse Penner – Pleasant Valley
Abe Penner – Gospel Light Scott Dick – Rosenort
Learning New Things Conference
Missions
The EMC Ministerial recently adopted an extended period of study, reflection and mentoring for ministers being credentialled. Each year a cohort of ministers chosen by our churches go through seven months of study together. This past year we had 14 people in this class. Some of these were missionaries who want a deeper connection to our EMC heritage and theology, and who recognize that being ordained as a minister will give them access to ministry they did not have before. Our examination of these ministers happened over two weekends in April and May 2021. We are grateful for a year of stimulating study, conversation and determination on the part of these emerging ministers.
Learning has taken on an incredible breadth this year. Our three-month training began January 2020 and ended eight months later. The Latin American interns were unable to travel home and portions of their training had to be cancelled, but we saw God working in these unprecedented circumstances. They cultivated relationships with local people when restrictions allowed, and shared the story of Scripture. As online communication has become more normal, willingness to engage virtually has increased. From the Balkans we have been working with a new team from three different Latin American countries. We participated in a one-year celebration with our team in North Macedonia along with more than 70 churches and individuals. C has been able to teach an online English language course based on Bible studies to 50-plus missionaries, unbelievers and churchgoers from around the world. Thank you for your prayers—we are grateful for God’s faithfulness. – C&G, EMC Associate Missionaries in the Balkans
Churches and EMCers The EMC Ministerial enjoys sharpening each other in theology. We have long had a dilemma about whether the Scriptures teach that women can be called to pastoral ministry. We have spent the last year looking into the Bible and are now thinking about how churches that take different perspectives can work together in missions, church planting and pastoral support. We hope to make a decision soon, though the question will not go away in the near future. In this wrestling we are part of a wider evangelical debate. This past year we also had a wonderful theology conference called Desire: Pastoring, Same-Sex Attraction and the Church. We wanted to enter more deeply into the biblical teaching on sexuality in a way that would allow us to pastor from a foundation of truth and a posture of love. We were deeply impressed by the maturity, wisdom and honesty with which our ministers dialogued on these questions. We heard powerful stories of agony, pilgrimage and redemption that caused each of us to search our own lives, asking the Spirit to bring such transformation to us as well.
Online Communication Tips
🔇 🎦 ⏲
Know what’s around you: Mute before you holler at your dog and check what is in your background. It is hard to talk to a camera: How do TV people do it? Keep ’em short and keep ’em moving: Three hours online is twice as long as three in person.
🤐 🗣 🚕
Silence is awkward: We don’t have a great solution Relationship is still important: In one-on-one calls, take some time to chat Online meetings make for short commutes: And lets people attend from around the world.
👧🏽 ☕
Faces are important: Keep your video on and show expression, it’s so much more encouraging for the speaker. In person is still better: But online has its advantages, too. Virtual mustaches are great: They just are.
We Started New Things Growing Together
Youth Leaders Zoom
Communicating effectively about issues and events in real time needs to be a priority in the EMC. Growing Together is an email newsletter exploring topics that are relevant, test our faith and affect how we engage the culture around us. Sign up for the newsletter at www.emconference.ca/ growingtogether.
Strength in numbers. In a year of reduced contact, and postponed or cancelled events, the National Youth Committee has offered online Zoom gatherings with EMC youth leaders across the country, usually based on regions or time zones. For those who have needed a greater sense of community, these gatherings have provided opportunities for sharing personal and ministry realities, fellowship, and praying for one another. Keep your eyes open for ongoing gatherings in your area.
Prayer Update Email Videos Produced The past year plans were constantly adjusted and adapted, and The Messenger production time necessarily meant that the Prayer Calendars were often very generic or inaccurate by the time they were distributed. Because of this the calendar is no longer included in The Messenger, but is emailed in the EMC Missions Prayer Update. This monthly email includes the Prayer Calendar, Prayer Corps requests for Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua and Paraguay, and information on any upcoming prayer-related events or news. Printed calendars are still available through your EMC church office. Learn more or sign up for the email at www. emconference.ca/pray.
Board Reports
Discussions
Website Early in 2020 we launched a new EMC website! The redesign allows the site to be more easily navigated and simplifies the process of giving online and purchasing through our online store. New content was, and continues to be, added. Check it out at www.emconference.ca.
Sermons
EMC Today EMC Today is an email for churches, pastors, delegates and others who are interested in the happenings of the wider EMC. This email, sent every other week or so, highlights upcoming events, new publication releases, updates to ongoing discussions and more. Contact your church office to sign up.
Missionary Interviews
And Have More to Come Church Planting
Spiritual Renewal
Did you know that Meklit, the daughter of our Ethiopian Church Planting Coach Dr. Yemiru Tilahun and his wife Zway, just graduated from McPherson College in Kansas with a pre-medicine/biology bachelor’s degree with honours? The Church Planting Task Force wants to tell more stories like this of our church planters’ lives and their ministry endeavours. We look forward to producing short video stories in the coming months!
The Board of Leadership and Outreach will be leading the EMC through a dedicated year of spiritual renewal beginning with Advent this coming November. For those congregations who wish to participate, this will be a year in which we place a special emphasis on prayer, fasting, a fresh resolve to follow Christ in everyday life and congregational vitality. As we come out of the pandemic this will be an opportunity to ask, “Are we still tracking with Christ? Where to? What do we need to do now?”
Website Languages Prayer Meetings The Board of Missions has recently launched Missions Prayer Meetings! The first one, held at the beginning of March 2021, included three EMC missionaries involved in Bible translation. Each one shared a story and some prayer requests, and then was prayed for by breakout groups. We plan to continue these online meetings, and are planning for the next one on June 24, focusing on church planting.
Muslim Initiative Since Conference Council summer 2019 the Board of Missions has been exploring the start of a new EMC missions field among Muslims. They want to conduct an on-site visit to meet with OM Spain leadership to discuss a partnership relationship to reach Moroccans coming across the Gibraltar Strait into the city of Algeciras, Spain. This visit was postponed from Spring 2020 and they hope it can take place this fall.
With the help of several multilingual pastors, we have begun translating some of the resources found on our English website to Spanish, Amharic, Mandarin and Arabic. We believe this will be of value to our growing number of multicultural churches in the EMC. Links on the homepage will take people to this new content, which we plan to expand in coming years.
Abundant Springs Pre-Launch Our National Youth Committee excitedly prepared a bundle of ideas, swag and party food money, and sent it out to all our EMC youth groups this May! With Abundant Springs being postponed until 2022, we wanted to connect with and encourage all our groups in the meantime. We also let them in on the theme of next year’s retreat, which reminds us that no matter what happens, God’s got us. We are “Held.”
God’s Supply
God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. He is too wise a God to frustrate His purposes for lack of funds, and He can just as easily supply them ahead of time as afterwards, and He much prefers doing so.” – Hudson Taylor
Financial Report 2020 Expenditures by Board*
As stewards of God’s resources here on earth, we continually rely on him General Fund Designated Funds Total to provide and sustain us as we continue to build his kingdom, even in hard $869,572 $1,258,647 BOM $389,075 times. This is exactly what has happened $250,096 $2,948 $253,044 BCM in the 2020 fiscal year as overall giving has remained stable despite a global $232,771 BOT $4,898 $237,669 pandemic, expenses were decreased in GB $37,156 -$6,548 $30,608 almost all areas, and government proBLO $399,477 $57,059 $456,536 gram revenue provided an extra boost due to decreases in giving for certain $1,789,071 $447,433 $2,236,504 months. This resulted in an excess of rev*PENDING FINAL ADJUSTMENTS enues over expenses of approximately $315,000 for 2020 and we thank all churches and individupossible. The significance of this amount is not lost on the als who generously gave to EMC ministries to make this Board of Trustees as operating losses of $150,000 have been incurred over the last two years and our operating reserves were also depleted by the end of 2019 and require replenishing. $2,103,871 The chart above shows all expenses. The general fund expenses are in the first column. The additional funds raised and spent by boards are in the second column. The pie chart shows where general fund income came from to support EMC ministries including: directly from $251,745 churches (57%), individuals (21%), estate funds (9%), government programs (12%) and sources such as sales and interest income (1%). $18 0,74 Just short of $100,000 was dispersed in 2020 towards 7 EMC church building or renovation projects through the EMC Church Building Grant Fund which is still accepting applications. $1,203,814 The revised support model continues to be phased in with missionaries raising 10% of their support in 2020, $439,312 25% in 2021, and 40% in 2022. The goals are to strengthen relationships among missionaries and churches, further develop support networks and deal with financial realities. Our annual audit is once again being conducted by OnBusiness and the statements will be available upon request. Delegates will find a more complete financial report on the Conference Council page of the EMC website as this event draws nearer. The Sustainable Funding Strategy Committee has finished an initial assessment and presented their results. The Churches Estate Fund Other next phase will be translating these results into actionable items which can sustain the EMC into the future. Individuals Government Programs ~Board of Trustees
2020 General Fund Revenue $28,252
Learning to Receive
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By Kevin Wiebe
T
he familiar ding rang out from my computer notifying me of a new email. I went to check it and discovered an email money transfer, sent at an unexpected time from a very unexpected source. The sender’s name was Shelley, a single mother from our congregation who worked three jobs in order to take care of her son. She was always busy, always juggling her work schedules, and desperately trying to spend time with her child while also providing for him financially. It wasn’t easy to do both, and now she was sending me money that she said was specifically for me, not the church.
off work to drive me to and from these appointments in neighboring cities. During this time, our town had a major flood, which affected our home and caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage. We lost many of our belongings, including most of our children’s toys. To top things off, our four-year-old son was scheduled to have surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids. While I continued pastoring during this time, there was much uncertainty about my ability to continue. Had things gotten any worse, I would have had to resign from my position and apply for social assistance, or to use the more common but pejorative term, welfare. I know well the prejudice against people on welfare. Not only were doctors and social workers talking to me about the possibility of needing to stop working, but my denominational leaders were also having conversations with me and our church leadership about planning for this possibility. It was all very heavy, like a bad dream come to life. We were struggling. They say that we can taste a bit of heaven on earth, but during this season I thought that I had a small taste of hell. Yet it was during all of this that Shelley gave us
We were struggling. They say that we can taste a bit of heaven on earth, but during this season I thought that I had a small taste of hell.
‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’
Shelley was sending us this generous gift because our family had gone through “a series of unfortunate events” that indeed seemed like it was out of a Lemony Snicket novel. During 2018, I had serious medical struggles, suffering forty seizures over the course of five months. This meant countless specialist appointments and expensive medications, not to mention the pain and uncertainty that accompanied such a dramatic medical issue. My driver’s license was suspended, so my wife also needed to take time
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 21
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a financial gift. It didn’t solve all our problems, but it sure did help at a time when we needed it. We had countless gifts of food, time, and childcare from our congregation, but other than one anonymous contribution in the mail (thanks, whoever you are!), Shelley was the only person who helped by offering us a financial gift. And she did it more than once.
The Roots of Hesitancy
I must admit that I had a hard time accepting it. This was a person whom our congregation had aided several times financially in emergency situations. It felt somehow backward to accept help from her. The more I examined my hesitation, however, the more it became clear that its source could be summed up in one word: pride. There, I said it, pride—such a nasty little word, a sin of which I was indeed guilty. I’m a pastor after all, and my entire profession is largely geared around helping others. I am supposed to be the strong one, the one who has it all together. But I didn’t have it all together, and if I was honest, we really needed that kind of help. That incredible need was a large part of my reason for accepting it, even though doing so was a bit uncomfortable for me. This act of accepting
a gift—from someone in need herself—taught me more than I ever could have imagined. I knew rejecting the gift would be rude and disrespectful. I knew that Shelley felt that the Lord had asked her to make this sacrifice for us, and that in order for her to be obedient to what she felt God was asking her to do, she needed to give it. While her gift was an outflowing of love and care for us, it was also an outflowing of her love and care for God. She was, and is, our dear friend, and she helped us out as we had helped her in the past. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need” (NLT). Shelley was taking her call to be our spiritual family seriously, and had I refused her gift, I would have robbed her of the blessing of giving, and rejected the very relationship that connected us in the first place. Shelley was being a spiritual sister to us and wanted to help because that is simply what family does, even though the only blood that connects us is the blood of Jesus.
Mutuality Is Essential
It turns out that having difficulty receiving from others is a remarkably common but devastating problem. Healthy relationships cannot exist in the absence of a willingness to both give and receive. I have come to love the word mutuality. This word implies cooperation, mutual respect, and an acknowledgment of a shared dignity and common purpose. As we think about poverty, we should take time to ponder what kinds of relationships we have with those whom we seek to serve. Are they one-sided? Are we viewing ourselves as the ones with all the answers or all the resources and viewing others as helpless victims? Of course, there are times when tragedy strikes and people are truly helpless in that moment. When the floodwaters come, who is powerful enough to make them stop? Yet even then, there is a difference between offering emergency support in a time of crisis and an ongoing one-sided relationship.
It turns out that having difficulty receiving from others is a remarkably common but devastating problem.
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In When Helping Hurts, a helpful distinction is made between emergency aid and development. When disaster strikes, such as a hurricane or tsunami, long-term development issues are largely ignored for the moment, as there is simply a need for emergency medical attention and basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing, and thus aid organizations rush in as fast as they can. When it comes to long-term development, however, there is a helpful rule of thumb: “Do not do things for people that they can do for themselves.” The basic concept of this rule is that doing things for people when they are perfectly capable of doing them for themselves is patronizing. Not following this rule has resulted in untold amounts of damage all over the world. This is a very useful general principle, even though there are definite exceptions.
Showing Love by Receiving
In my tight-knit church community, one way that love and care is expressed is through food. For Emily and me, the births of our children were relatively easy ones, and in the weeks afterward we were still capable of making food for ourselves, but it certainly was nice when someone brought us a casserole. When one of the
men in our community had a knee replacement surgery, his wife was also still capable of cooking, but we arranged for people to bring food. Why? Because we love each other and want to show that care in a tangible way. While everyone has at one time or another been the recipient of such hospitality, everyone is also expected to participate as they are able and as needs arise. There is a give-and-take, there is the blessing of giving and the blessing of receiving. It isn’t done in a way that makes the recipient feel inadequate or undignified. It is simply a spiritual family showing love to one another. If you do something for others that they can do for themselves, just be sure that it is done in the context of mutuality and not in a way that makes them feel inferior. When there is an unwillingness to receive, relationships break down. This kind of pride can even destroy relationships that were once very close. We cannot have a proper relationship with someone if we only give to them and never receive. That isn’t much of a relationship at all. While giving to others shows them that we care enough to sacrifice something for their sake, it is in receiving from others that we demonstrate that they are more than a project and that they have something of value to offer this world as well. In giving, we participate in the mission of God for the benefit of others. In receiving, others take part in the mission of God for the benefit of us. And in all things, whether giving or receiving, we can together work for the glory to God. Kevin Wiebe is senior pastor of New Life Christian Fellowship in Stevenson, Ont., as well as the creator of Pov.ology, a small-group curriculum on poverty and the church. This article is excerpted from his book Faithful in Small Things: How to Serve the Needy When You’re One of Them (Herald Press, 2021). All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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SBC Leadership Conference 2021
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By Emily Dyck
A
n ever-increasing topic of conversation in the church is “How do we lead the church into an age that is increasingly secular?” Historically, it seemed a given that Christianity had a place at the table in society. But now, Christians find themselves in a minority, no longer at the front of the line. On March 19–20, Steinbach Bible College held its annual Leadership Conference where speaker Dr. Gordon T. Smith addressed the topic: “The Soul Care of Christian Leaders in the Secular Age.” Throughout the conference he wisely challenged us to see this secular age in a different light. In the first session Dr. Smith addressed the question, “A secular age: problem or opportunity?” He explained that many historians and sociologists point to the 1960s as the crucial turning point for our culture in terms of secularity. Smith defines secularity in his book Wisdom from Babylon Dr. Gordon T. Smith
24 The Messenger • May 2021
as “not so much the decline of religion as that religious faith no longer has a privileged voice within a society.” According to Smith, we need not fear this rise in secularity; rather, we need to consider how we as leaders are to respond in this time and in this place. Smith stated the rise of secularity may be providential; asking, could it be that secularity is part of God’s plan? One approach to secularity is to seek a “faithful presence.” We can learn what this looks like by looking back at the exilic and postexilic prophets, the early and pre-Christendom church, historic minority churches, and the witness of central and western Europe. The prophet Jeremiah calls the exiles in chapter 29 to this “faithful presence” while they were living in Babylon. They were called to “build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage” (Jeremiah 29:5–6). They were called to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city” and “pray to the Lord for it” (v. 7). In the same way, as we live in a secular society, we must seek to be faithful in this time and in this place. In Smith’s second session, the opening question was, “In what way am I being called to participate in what God is doing in the world?” Our work in the world is in participation with the work of God. This is clear in Acts 13 where it
says that the early church of Antioch laid hands on Paul and Barnabas and sent them on their way. The same passage also says that the Holy Spirit sent them on their way. We observe the Spirit’s work while also participating in it. One of the ways we participate in God’s work is by embracing the ordinary and mundane of life. So much of how God has called us to work in the world is not about doing heroic grandiose things, but being faithful in the everyday. We partner with God when we volunteer in church or when we listen to someone’s broken heart. It doesn’t have to be heroic, but it does need to be done. In his third session Smith talked about “Care of Soul is Care of Mind.” Christians care for their souls when they care for their minds. Heart and mind work in tandem with one another; they are integrated. To neglect mind care is to neglect an aspect of our soul care. Smith named sentimentalism as a threat against thoughtful Christian leadership. We come up against the idea that if it feels good, it must be right. Unfortunately, this is where many of us have turned to affirm our actions. But sentimentalism does not engage the mind, only the feelings of the heart.
We come up against the idea that if it feels good, it must be right. To combat the threat against mind care we need to seek thoughtful and engaging voices outside our own group, and in humility seek to understand the wisdom they carry from their time and their place. We need to read widely, not just from Christian writers but gleaning truth from authors in different historical, socio-economic and cultural contexts. It means we seek to understand the world and God from a position unlike our own, helping us to cultivate empathy, wisdom and care for others. The last session focused on “Cultivating Resilient Hopefulness.” Smith presented some considerations as to what it looks like to be people of hope in the midst of a secular age. One of the most crucial, in my understanding, was that hope is always offered against the backdrop of lament. The only way we can truly understand biblical hope is by realizing that our hope came from the other side of death. There was a darkness, a lament and a discontentment; but when Jesus rose on the third day, we were given reason to continue throughout our Christian lives to live as a hopeful people, even through the ups and downs of life. We cannot truly know how to hope if we have not known how to lament. We continue to live in this age as a religious minority but let us not be discouraged by this. Let us instead be hopeful and encouraged that God is always present no matter the age, and that we have an opportunity to become leaders who make the most of the time and the place we are in today. Emily Dyck graduated in April from Steinbach Bible College with a BA Ministry Leadership. Emily lives in Gretna, Man., and attends Altona EMM Church.
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Column • Writings Shared Faithful in Small Things: How to Serve the Needy When You’re One of Them, Kevin Wiebe (Herald Press, 2021). 224 pp. $22.09. (paperback) ISBN 9781513807744. Reviewed by Stephanie Unger, a resource pastor at Many Rooms Community Church in Winnipeg Man.
I Wiebe touches on how important it is to understand the big picture when considering how to address poverty.
n Faithful in Small Things, author and pastor Kevin Wiebe explains that he is “writing this book to ordinary people who may not be able to afford to take trips overseas but who read the words of the Bible and feel compelled by God to do something to make this world a better place.” His goal is to add to the conversation about this important topic rather than to present a final word on the subject. I believe that Wiebe has accomplished exactly what he set out to do; I highly recommend this book to the ordinary people in our ordinary churches. Wiebe gifts the reader by gathering wisdom from many experts in one very readable book. In this way, we “ordinary people” don’t have to read 20 books or travel the world to learn from others’ invaluable experiences. He includes wellknown role models such as Mother Theresa, Shane Claiborne, Ron Sider, Henri Nouwen and John Perkins (to name a few), but also wisdom gleaned from conversations with lesser-known leaders and the examples of his own parents and church family. We hear from experts in varied global, urban and rural settings. Wiebe has curated a valuable resource to help individuals and groups ponder key issues surrounding our Christian calling to care for the poor. This might be the first book I have read on the topic of helping the poor that makes self-examination the focus. Wiebe does not define poverty in terms of socio-economic status, but says, “When any of us stray from the truth of our identities, which are rooted in who God created us to be, we enter into a state of poverty.” He encourages every reader to recognize our own poverty, caused by breakdowns in relationship, but also to acknowledge our value and worthiness. Through a self-examination that cultivates humility, compassion and mutuality, we can avoid a lifetime of making mistakes
26 The Messenger • May 2021
and hurting others in our attempts to help. It excites me to picture groups of hopeful (naïve?), passionate (prideful?) followers of Jesus in our churches reading and discussing this book together, preparing each other to not only serve and share their gifts but to humbly accept the help they need from others. Wiebe touches on how important it is to understand the big picture when considering how to address poverty. Global disparity, systemic injustice, societal polarization and disunity in the church’s approach can lead to the real possibility of causing more harm than good in our attempts to help. Even the mention of some of these issues can be paralyzing and prevent us from getting involved. However, Wiebe presents this complexity and risk along with practical advice that empowers the reader to believe we still have a contribution worth making. As his title suggests, pursuing faithfulness in small things is the goal. He says, “If we can’t serve others in small, everyday ordinary ways, then I wonder if the big picture we are so obsessed with is really the same as the one at which God is looking.”
With Our Missionaries Discerning God’s Call to Missions
God’s Call to Mission When a Door Closes
MEXICO
While this news was neither expected nor desired at the time, we were faced with the question of whether our call to missions was limited to a specific location or whether this call was broader than that. Was God asking us to trust him and to serve him with our whole hearts, no matter where that was? Dallas Wiebe works outside while on a misThe answer we sions trip to Paraguay in 2005. came to was yes. Our prayer was that God would give us complete peace in the place that he wanted us to be and that he would be our place of “home.” And he has done just that. Since arriving in Mexico almost 12 years ago, God has given us a love for the culture and the people. We desire to see the people deeply know Christ. God’s peace has guarded our hearts and minds, proving his faithfulness in both the good times and the difficult ones. – Dallas Wiebe
Our call to missions as a couple is the same call every disciple of Jesus has received to be a witness of his love (2 Corinthians 5:17–21, Matthew 28:18–20, Acts 1:8). The differences are the locations where we live that out and the specific ways God asks us to serve him. That being said, our personal story began before my wife and I met. My mission exposure experience through SBC was my first cross-cultural experience. Through it, my interest was piqued toward cross-cultural missions. Almost immediately after this, my interest was also piqued in a certain female student who had similar passions. Tara had been a missionary kid in Paraguay, and this left an indelible impression and pull toward ministering to Hispanic people. Our conversations about missions began before I asked her to marry me and continued after she said yes. Tara was still studying after we married, and we went on another MissionX trip, this time to Paraguay. This experience was another opportunity to develop a love for Hispanic people and see the culture and people that played a significant role in the formation of my wife, Tara. Shortly after, we moved to Brandon, Man., to help in a Spanish church plant. This experience allowed us to learn about church planting and more about the Hispanic culture. This experience, while Evangelical Mennonite Conference at times difficult and stretching, continued to Year to Date Financial Report be another factor towards confirming this call January-April 2021 to cross-cultural mission. Through these years and experiences, we continued to pray and talk, General General always with the idea of possibly returning to Fund 2021 Fund 2020 Paraguay to serve in church planting. Our oldest Income* 407,040 439,465 son, Carter, was born and a year later we applied Expenses 480,983 541,038 to the EMC as church planters. Excess/Shortfall -73,943 -101,573 The next steps were selling our house and moving to Edinburgh, Texas, for language trainWe give thanks to God for the continued strong support of ing. During our time there, we had two significant EMC ministries, and we acknowledge the contributions of EMC events occur. The first was that our second son, churches and individuals who give so generously. Logan, was born. The second was that the door - The Board of Trustees was closed on moving to Paraguay. However, *Income includes donations and transfers from other funds (e.g., estate funds). another door opened to move to Mexico.
DALLAS WIEBE
Editor’s Note: This article is the third of a six-part series on God’s call and discernment. The first two articles were published in the January and March 2021 issues. The first article by Nancy Friesen (January 2021) was not labelled as part of the series.
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 27
With Our Churches Abbeydale Christian Fellowship
Creative Communications 1-2-3 CALGARY, Alta.—Some of ACF’s most dedicated people have found creative ways of facilitating communication and connection amongst members and adherents since gathering restrictions began in March 2020. Communication 1: Within a week of the lockdown, a church family WhatsApp group was initiated; messages continue to be sent daily. Links to music, devotionals, discussion relating to the sermon and encouraging content is shared, as well as humorous and congratulatory messages. The bulletin in the form of a multi-page emailed newsletter has become a highly anticipated weekly download. Contributions are encouraged and consist of an innumerable variety of informational and entertainment items such as contests, recipes, upcoming birthdays and anniversaries, photos, bloopers, want ads, giveaways and family videos. After acquiring the necessary equipment, the tech team has spent an unbelievable amount of time ensuring that the online Sunday service is communicated with quality and ease. They have embraced a steep learning curve. Every person desiring participation in the Sunday morning service (including communion services) is able to either livestream or watch the service at a later time at home through the Abbeydale Christian Fellowship YouTube channel. Online foyer communication after the Sunday service, a virtual home base for scavenger hunts, a book study club or any one of many other creative ventures can be accessed via one of several online platforms—Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp or Facebook. These communication
Picture Butte Mennonite Church
avenues are, of course, in addition to the prayer chain email group and the church email list through which important news is sent. Communication 2: As the pandemic continued, communication with believers in other churches with the intent of growing the kingdom of God together also became a greater challenge. In fall, an EMC Spanishspeaking church plant begun approximately ten years ago in Calgary indicated a desire to join ACF. Beginning in 2021, Spanish services, Spanish translations of scripture/sermon notes and attempts of Spanish phrases coming from English speakers have become more commonplace at ACF. On March 14, a special membership transfer/acceptance took place at which 36 Spanish-speaking believers (representing several countries) from the former Iglesia Emanuel (many initially from other EMC church plants) became part of the ACF family. Some have already become involved in various church ministries. Communication 3: Free weekly in-person EAL (English as an Additional Language) classes began in mid-March to help people in the church and community with the English language. It is expected that there will an increased need for teachers as more people become aware of these classes. Besides the assistance these classes offer to insecure English speakers, they also provide an opportunity to improve and increase communication among the volunteer members of the recently expanded ACF family as they work together in this ministry. – Ivy Plett
••
PICTURE BUTTE, Alta.—Pastor couple Ben and Maria Dyck and pastor couple Craig and Laura Cornelsen pray a blessing over new lay minister Peter Goertzen and his wife Annie at their installation on January 31, 2021, at the Picture Butte Mennonite Church. Standing are Ben Dyck, Craig Cornelsen, Maria Dyck and Laura Cornelsen, while Peter and Annie Goertzen kneel to receive prayer. – Maria Neufeld 28 The Messenger • May 2021
MARIA NEUFELD
New Lay Minister Installed
With Our Churches Aberdeen EMC
WINNIPEG, Man.—“Mom, you’re the only one I know who likes having church on Zoom!” This comment, made by an adult son to his mother, was shared after a recent Aberdeen prayer meeting on Zoom and started a discussion about our experience of church by Zoom. As the discussion continued, another parent was heard to have commented, “My children are much more engaged in the service on Zoom.” A senior whose eyesight is diminishing said, “This is the first time I have really seen the newer faces in the congregation.” Many reported feeling more connected—perhaps because we are looking at each other’s faces instead of at the backs of heads of those seated in front of us? We are also thrilled that in a Zoom service this connection extends to members of our Aberdeen community from North Carolina, Minnesota, Ontario and Mexico. When meeting in person, the coffee time after the service was always valued highly, as it gave us a chance to connect with one another. Now, at the end of the Zoom service, we invite all who wish to stay online for a virtual “coffee time.” On Zoom we all hear what each other shares rather than connecting with only a few people, as would happen during in-person services. Some aspects of worshipping together in person are not replicated as well on Zoom. Singing is one of those things, but we have learned how to enhance it. For instance, for congregational singing, the words are shared on the screen. While we hear the musician(s) and song leader, the rest of us listen or sing along
RUTH PENNER
Experiencing the Church on Zoom
At Aberdeen, worship over Zoom brings the pleasure of seeing each other’s faces.
while on mute, as technology can’t correct the difference in timing if we all sing at the same time unmuted. While most of us really enjoy worshipping by Zoom, it is only fair to acknowledge that for a few congregants who spend much of their work time on Zoom meetings or who are less comfortable with technology, the experience may not be as consistently positive. In reflecting on why worship over Zoom has been such a positive experience for Aberdeen, it seems that being a small congregation is what makes it possible for it to work so well. With about 20 to 24 households on the screen on any Sunday, we see each other’s faces up close as we sing, share, listen to the children’s story and sermon, and more. It seems many of us are a little reluctant to begin meeting in person. Some are hesitant due to the COVID-19 risks, some are reluctant to make the effort to get out and drive again, while others enjoy the intimacy we have developed as a church community through worshipping virtually. We are looking forward to the time we can be together in person again. However, worshipping in a different way has brought much richness to us. We are grateful! – Ruth Penner and Marilyn Funk
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 29
News
WINNIPEG, Man.—One month after its launch on February 1, the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada Spirit of MDS Fund approved $54,900 in grants for 24 Canadian congregations and church-related organizations. Ten of the recipients are part of Mennonite Church Canada, seven are Mennonite Brethren churches, and there is one each from the Evangelical Mennonite Conference, Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference and Be In Christ Canada. Four other organizations or ministries also received funding. The Living Word Temple, a Mennonite Brethren congregation that serves mostly First Nations people Community Cupboard evening team volunteers: John Kraus, Laurie Alder, in Winnipeg, will use its grant to meet emergency food Pastor Chris Hughes, Pastor Larry Nutbrown, Thomas Young, Thomas Attrell. needs, winter clothing, toiletries and bus tickets. “The funds will be put to use to help our daily distribution of these items,” said senior ministry director Steve Community Cupboard has been operating for about Klassen. 12 years. We wouldn’t be able to continue this program “We have many people come to the church and ask for without dedicated volunteers. They come week after food, lunches, clothing and toiletries each day we are open. week extending compassion and love to the community We also offer prayer and provide it whenever possible.” clients, blessing them over and over again. The people In Alberta, the Abbeydale Christian Fellowship, an who attend see us as a family, and some people attend Evangelical Mennonite Conference church in Calgary, our church in response to the loving fellowship they see will use money from the Fund to provide food for local demonstrated. families. Our numbers for the past year have risen from Because stores and restaurants are not able to donate approximately 25 families to up to 45 families. Due to as much food as before the pandemic, “we have had to COVID-19 restrictions, we have changed the way we cut back on the amount of food given out each week,” said provide the service. Pre-COVID, clients were able to sit Community Cupboard Outreach Coordinator Geraldine upstairs and have coffee and desserts while visiting with Fair. She notes they will use the money to buy eggs, tuna volunteers. They came through our basement area where and other protein items. tables were set up with products and “shopped” for what For Ross Penner, Director of Canadian Operations for they needed. MDS, hearing how the Fund is helping local churches and Since the pandemic we’ve adjusted to new rules; we church-related organizations shows its importance at this eliminated the coffee and dessert service. The morntime. ing team prepares boxes each Tuesday with produce, “Although we can’t do our regular service through volbread, canned goods, and takes them upstairs, which unteers due to COVID-19, we can serve those who need means heavy lifting. Our afternoon team logs clients assistance through congregations and other groups on the who attend, adding frozen meat, yogurt, milk and any front-lines of the pandemic, especially as needs continue to refrigerated items to the boxes. Clients go through a line, rise,” he said. practicing physical distancing, and pick up their box; or, For more information about the Fund, or if needed, they receive help from volunteers to carry the to apply, visit https://mds.mennonite.net/ box out. mds-canada-offering-spirit-of-mds-fund-again/ – Geraldine Fair – MDS Canada Abbeydale Christian Fellowship Community Cupboard Coordinator
30 The Messenger • May 2021
GERALDINE FAIR
Spirit of MDS Fund Approves 24 Grants worth $54,900 in First Month
In Memory
Clara Koop 1933–2021
Clara Fast was born on January 3, 1933, to John and Maria Fast. Mom married John Koop on September 12, 1954. They had nine children, Marvin, Elaine, Audrey, Karen, Darrel, Lucille, Waldon, Sylvia, Reynold. Mom and Dad resided in Kleefeld, Man., where their first seven children were born. Dad attended Steinbach Bible College; it was during this time that their infant Karen passed away. After graduation Mom and Dad moved to Canora, Sask., to assist with a New Mission Church, then moved their growing family to Kamsack. It was here that Dad was ordained into the ministry and the youngest two children were born. We then moved to MacGregor, Man. Mom and Dad enjoyed the community and felt very positive about raising their children there. MacGregor was our home. A big garden was always part of Mom’s life and she taught us to share in the work and also enjoy the fruits and vegetables it brought. Mom’s hospitality was well known by our friends who came by for fresh baked snacks. This was her gift in supporting Dad in the ministry. We moved to Vanderhoof, B.C., in 1978. It was a difficult move leaving Marvin and Evelyn, Elaine and Harold and her two granddaughters. Mom
and Dad stayed in B.C. until 1985 then moved to Winnipeg for Dad to continue his studies. Mom was very supportive of Dad and worked to supplement their income. Jan 8, 1995, was a very dark day when we lost our dear Elaine. This was very difficult for our family and continues to be a pivotal event in our lives. In 2001, Mom and Dad moved to Oasis, Mexico, to help with an EMC church plant. In January of 2003, Mom collapsed due to a brain aneurysm and was hospitalized in Mexico. Following a nine-hour surgery she was flown to Winnipeg for her recovery. With Mom’s determination, encouragement, love and support she made a full recovery. Mom and Dad retired in Kleefeld. Alzheimer’s continued to rob Dad of his memory and Mom became his caregiver. They moved to Woodhaven, and Mom took care of Dad until his move to Rest Haven. Mom spent many hours with him until his passing in January 2019. He was the love of her life. When COVID threatened to close facilities Mom went to be with her children. We were given the opportunity to spend this time with Mom that might otherwise not have been. For this we are grateful. Mom and Dad’s shared faith in God was abundantly evident. Our home was a safe place to grow, filled with love, laughter and a deep respect for the Christian faith. Mom passed away Febuary 28, 2021. She leaves to mourn her children Marvin and Evelyn, Harold and Mary, Audrey and David, Darrel and Margi, Lucille and Thomas, Waldon and Carol, Sylvia and Michael, Reynold and Dawn; 27 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren, four sisters, 15 sisters-in-law, 12 brothers-in-law and a large extended family. – Her Family
Allan Friesen 1944–2021
Allan Friesen passed away suddenly and peacefully in his home in Winnipeg, Man., on March 11, 2021. He leaves his loving wife, Laura; son Elroy (Keira and Nick Wychnenka, Alistair and Nicole, Yuri, Isabel); daughter Lynelle and Jeff Thiessen (T.J. and Jess, Brynae and Levi Wiebe, Hailey, Delainey, Madelyn); son Donavan and Kendra (Makayla, Ryker, Talia, Zeya); daughter Terrilee and Darryl Friesen (Tyrsa, Mila, Caedmon, Declan); daughter Suman Sharma (Shreya); and many adopted “spiritual” children. He also leaves behind many siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews and extended family. Dad was born on September 12, 1944, in Steinbach, Man., as the third of 14 children. At age 14, Dad’s family relocated to Riverton, Manitoba. Dad was an active and mischievous boy, who often instigated great adventures (wholesome trouble). He was known around the area as an “expert veterinarian,” ball-player and athlete, and a capable farmhand. In 1966, he married his sweetheart, Laura Kroeker, and they moved to Steinbach where he enrolled at Steinbach Bible Institute for two years of biblical studies. He then surprised many by finishing his Grade 12 in one year and going on to university to earn his Bachelor of Education and, later, his Master of Education. CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 31
In Memory ALLAN FRIESEN CONTINUED
Dad spent the greater part of his teaching years at Inkster and Harrow schools in the Winnipeg School Division, where he always had two classrooms—one for students and one for animals. His passion for students led him to use care of animals to connect with students, especially those with the most difficult behavioural issues. His creative teaching strategies were recognized with the prestigious national Hilroy Fellowship for Innovative Teaching. His love for people and his desire for them to know Jesus was also the motivation for his 50-plus years of vocation as a pastor and church planter. This volunteer work happened while he was still a full-time
teacher, giving up most of his Saturday days and nights to write his sermons. “Pastor Al’s” philosophy in planting churches was what he called “foyer-ministry”—being purposeful in meeting all new-comers personally and connecting with as many people at church as possible. Many people remember his particularly firm handshake, with an easy smile and of course, a few stories. His genuine care of people naturally led to the forming of ENRICH Ministries, a family-centered nonprofit that supported his counselling, parenting seminars, guest speaking, camp ministry and publications. Who hasn’t heard his teachings on how to build “firm, fair, friendly fences, giving
freedom to the one who gives them and gets them!” Dad was invited to minister both locally and abroad. We are grateful to Dad for his example of selfless living. He enthusiastically brought us alongside him in so many of his teaching and ministry endeavors. Dad supported us in our many musical and athletic interests, attending myriad games and concerts. His many grandchildren have also had his support in all of their activities— he loved attending events, games and concerts. He was a proud dad and grandfather! Dad, we love you and will miss you! – His Family
••
Sara Loeppky 1931–2021
Sara Loeppky was born on May 3, 1931, to Gerhard and Sara Loeppky, one of a family of eight girls. Sara has four surviving sisters and three deceased sisters. Sara was raised on a farm in New Bothwell, Man. She accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour and Lord and was baptized at the age of sixteen. In 1953 she graduated from an LPN nursing course and worked at Steinbach (Man.) Bethesda Hospital. In 1955 she attended Steinbach Bible
32 The Messenger • May 2021
Institute for two years. She taught Sunday School and Daily Vacation Bible School and led a youth ministry in the Niverville Chortizer Church. Later she accepted a call from God to become involved in the EMC Board of Missions for medical work in Chaco, Paraguay. Four years later she went to Thicket Portage to permit teach grades one and two in preparation for work back in Paraguay. She had to learn to speak the Guaraní language and then taught school for thirteen years. She continued to trust God to direct her paths (Proverbs 3:5–6). She became involved in church planting in Caaguazu, Paraguay, and later worked in the Christian book store. In 1995 she retired from her work in Paraguay and became involved in
her home church, Steinbach EMC, where she ministered in the Sunday School, Mission Sisters and as a deaconess to the seniors. Her next years were spent at Woodhaven Manor where she hosted a ladies Bible study. Her last weeks were in Bethesda Hospital from where she went to her heavenly home on March 29, 2021. The funeral service was held on Thursday, April 8, 2021, at Birchwood Funeral Chapel in Steinbach, Man. To view the livestream recording please click the link posted below her obituary on Birchwood’s website. If friends so desire, donations in memory of Sara may be made to EMC Missions in Paraguay. – Her Family
Shoulder Tapping With any applications for EMC church pastoral positions, candidates are expected to also register a Ministry Information Profile with the EMC Board of Leadership and Outreach, which can be obtained through Erica Fehr, Church Leadership Assistant, at efehr@emconference.ca or 204-326-6401.
Additional EMC Openings Often there are more churches looking for senior, associate, youth, and interim pastors than are identified on this page. For information on additional openings, contact Conference Pastor Layton Friesen (lfriesen@emconference.ca) and Director of Youth and Discipleship Gerald D. Reimer (greimer@emconference.ca). The national office phone number is 204326-6401. Speak with Erica Fehr, Church leadership assistant to the BLO, to request a cell number for a particular person.
EMC Positions* Rosenort Fellowship Chapel (RFC) in Rosenort, Man., is seeking a lead pastor. We desire a spiritual leader who sets an example of commitment to Christ in his private prayer and devotional time. He will preach the Word of God and serve the RFC congregation and the community, promoting spiritual vision as described in 2 Timothy 4:1–2. He will provide the preaching/teaching ministry, challenging us to become more like Christ. He will conduct communion, baptisms, weddings and funerals. He will coordinate Sunday morning worship services and other services as needed. He will be involved in visitation ministry. He will be a resource to all the committees of RFC. He will be responsible for office management. He will represent RFC at the regional and conference levels. He will report to the leadership council and ultimately to the church congregants. For information about this position, contact Brent Friesen at rfcsearchcommittee@gmail.com or 204-712-7254. Prairie Grove Fellowship Chapel, serving Lorette, Man., and the surrounding area, is seeking a fulltime senior pastor for a congregation of approximately 80. We are a friendly, welcoming church where all ages are well represented and respected. Our mission is “To Love God and To Love People.” We are looking for a pastor who is a shepherd at heart and is gifted at preaching and teaching. He must have a deep, personal relationship with God and be able to hear, discern, and follow God’s leading. We are looking for someone who is humble and compassionate, who listens well and tries to relate to others, and is approachable by all ages. He must be able to preach strong, biblical messages that promote personal growth and not be afraid of difficult subjects. The ability to work with others on our ministerial team is a must. For more information, contact Chris at pgfcbusiness@gmail.com.
Other Positions Beauty Out of Ashes is a mission agency serving abused and abandoned girls in Haiti. We are looking for a couple, one or both with teacher training. Instruction will be done in English. Besides teaching, the couple would work in providing supervision and oversight of the home in areas such as shopping, administrative duties, and supervision as needed. Candidates must have a deep commitment to serving Christ, be members in good standing and with the recommendation of their local church. Strong relational skills are required. Basic accommodations are provided however additional financial support would be raised by the candidates. Visit boahaiti.org for an overview of the ministry. Heartland Community Church is helping to sponsor this ministry. For more information contact lfbarkman@gmail.com or mkubanek@mymts.net. Mitchell Gospel Church (Manitoba) is looking for a full-time lead pastor. We need someone to help reach our community, care for our members, and disciple us. Our potential for growth in Mitchell is very exciting considering the number of young families in the area. Specifically, we want to grow our Sunday School, senior and junior youth program. We are interested in someone with a clear personal calling to leading and feeding the body of Christ in his church at Mitchell. He will encourage and cast fresh vision to our deacons as well as our congregation members. This man will have a healthy family life and a growing relationship with God. If you would like to know more about the position, please contact mitchellgospelchurch@gmail.com. Steinbach Bible College invites applications for the position of Fundraising Events Coordinator (30 hrs/ wk, flexible days). The position requires flexibility in regards to hours, as some evenings and weekends are involved. Please submit your resume with cover letter via email to Eileen Krueger, Human Resources Consultant, EBMinds@gmail.com. We thank all applicants who apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted. At Inner City Youth Alive (ICYA) our mission is to bring hope through Christ, and we’re seeking to fill ministry positions serving kids, youth and families in Winnipeg’s inner city neighbourhood. Available positions include ministry and administrative roles. Our diverse team members are both local leaders and from outside our neighbourhood. As a faith-based ministry we hold all staff to our lifestyle and morality commitments, and core values. ICYA and our staff are supported by generous individuals and churches from across Canada. To view full job descriptions, visit: www.icya.ca/careers or message Karen Jolly, director of programs, at karen@icya.ca.
Community Fellowship Church (Newton, MB) invites applications for the fulltime position of Associate Pastor. We are an intergenerational Mennonite Brethren congregation. We are looking for someone capable of developing and implementing an integrated ministry plan which supports youth in the overall vision and mission of the church. Previous experience in youth work is essential. Send resume to cfcnewton.pastor.search@gmail.com. Manitou Christian Fellowship, a multi-generational, rural church in south-central Manitoba, seeks to glorify God by helping people find and follow Jesus. We are looking for a full-time lead pastor who is a gifted teacher and has a heart for evangelism and discipleship. It is important for us to be biblically centred in all we do. We welcome people from all backgrounds to join us in learning and growing together in our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Recognizing that our work extends beyond the walls of our building, we aim to have a positive impact on people’s lives and advance the cause of Christ. Our people are generally involved in local community events and in developing relationships outside of the church family. In the last year, we have focused on loving our neighbours and doing community outreach, while also discipling those around us. This is currently an open position and we wish to hire ASAP. For more information and to apply, please contact Traci Johnston at 204-8764617 or by e-mail at 24johnston@gmail.com. See our website at www.manitouchristianfellowship.com. Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church is hiring for the role of worship director. This is a two-year term position at 0.75 FTE. FGMB is a healthy, diverse intergenerational congregation of 400-plus located in the suburbs of southwest Winnipeg, Man. We believe that worship is an essential part of equipping the body for fellowship and belonging, faith formation and mission engagement. The worship director needs to be a creative and engaging person who is passionate and growing in faith. The applicant should also be gifted in leading and inviting others into meaningful worship, work well in a collaborative team environment and connect well with people across generations, and should be familiar with the video editing and digital media skills needed for production of livestreamed services. For a longer job description see fgmb.ca/jobopportunities. Email cover letter and resume to info@fgmb.ca by May 30, 2021.
Where are position ads to be sent? Please send all position ads, including pastoral search ads, to messenger@emconference.ca. All ads are to be 150 words or less. All ads can be edited. Please advise us when it is no longer needed.
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 33
Column • His Light to My Path
Lists to Live By
By Karla Hein
Not only do we rejoice in tribulation, but “we boast in the hope of the glory of God” (5:2).
34 The Messenger • May 2021
ISTOCK
I
’ll admit that I have blissfully floated through life catching rides on other people’s checklists. Leaving for college? I received my family’s handme-down list of dorm room essentials. Unfortunately, the list didn’t suggest a packing order. My Cheerios had a floral taste suspiciously similar to the fabric softener sheets squished next to them in my suitcase. Planning a wedding? Microscopic details were outlined on the lists provided by an aunt and the mothers of the bride and groom. Moments before my wedding, a needle and thread quickly emerged from the emergency kit to divert a potential dress mishap. Giving birth to my first child? My sister sent hospital packing lists for the mother and baby; even the father had a list to ease the trauma of the birthing ordeal. I realize not everyone has the luxury of their family’s copious list-making abilities. Thankfully, a quick internet search results in every list under the sun and a few reaching into galactic travel. While it can be easy to borrow lists of cyber man and biological family, Scripture also contains plenty of lists. Studying these lists equips us far better than any other list ever could (2 Timothy 3:16–17)! The other day, I sat down with my Bible determined to list some of the spiritual blessings God has given. The negativity and hostility of our culture had left me feeling discouraged, and I wanted to refresh my mind with God’s promises. My list included: God’s presence with me always (Hebrews 13:5); hope for the future (Philippians 3:20); joy in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18); the fellowship of believers (Hebrews 10:25); peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7); his Word to guide my way (Psalm 119:105); the Holy Spirit’s indwelling
and power (John 14:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19); forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9); his love inseparable (Romans 8:38); examples of those who have gone before (1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 12:1); the testimony of creation proclaiming his glory (Psalm 19:1). While my list focused on what trials cannot take from me, Apostle Paul’s list reminds of the benefits that result because of trials: “we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts…” (Romans 5:3–5). Not only do we rejoice in tribulation, but “we boast in the hope of the glory of God” (5:2). Then finally, verse 11, “we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Remember the list of Romans 8? Terrible tragedies, fears, and enemies are listed, but “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (v. 37). My giant list of fears and doubts are taken captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) as I echo with the psalmist, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11; 43:5).
Column • Further In and Higher Up
Who Really Wants to See a Naked Anabaptist?
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By Layton Friesen Conference Pastor ISTOCK
omething happened in Mennonite churches in the last one hundred years. As Mennonites embraced global missions, as they moved to cities and planted churches beyond traditional Mennonite communities, they began having identity issues. What is a Mennonite now? One answer became the answer: a true Mennonite is a naked Anabaptist. An Anabaptist, it was argued, is a Mennonite minus Mennonite culture, and this pure Anabaptism is portable, you can take it to the city, to Africa, to Japan. All the faith with none of the culture. We then began to extract Anabaptist distinctives, which were the portrait of the Mennonite soul without the body, stripped of all its cultural trappings. We began to focus on Anabaptist history, but only of the 16th century, when “the Brethren” apparently lived this pure, un-encultured Anabaptist life. The cultural part of being a Low German Mennonite in the 20th century was relegated to a guilty pleasure, a side-show indulged in by visiting museums, Low German comedy evenings and eating decadent food like schmauntfat. The manifesto for this bare Anabaptism was Harold Bender’s 1945 essay The Anabaptist Vision in which he sought to give urban Mennonites a “useable past.” He boiled Mennonite coffee down to an Anabaptist stain at the bottom of the pot: discipleship, church as community and pacifism. John Howard Yoder, Mennonites’ hero-theologian of the 20th century, could barely hide his disdain for actual Mennonite life lived in the centuries since 1525. The title of his essay, Anabaptist Vision, Mennonite Reality, said it all. The irony of this has been that, as EMC Mennonites shed their Mennonite overalls and bonnets, they quickly dove into Anglo-Evangelical pants, as though that were somehow a faith relieved of all the problems of culture. AngloEvangelical Christianity seemed less cultural, we thought, but only because the people we wanted to imitate appeared in public that way. But this was no more a pure faith than the old Kleine Gemeinde. It’s interesting how “evangelical” is now becoming a culture people want to get rid of.
This whole project has not always been helpful. Our soul is always embodied, and no faith exists “out there,” floating free of culture. My faith is finally indistinguishable from all the ways I act, dress, talk and think. Culture is not a barrier to the gospel, but should rather be that particular way we have, among our folks, of caring for each other across generations and being hospitable. We should seek for more culture, not less. Within the increasingly secular culture of North America, Christians need to get serious about creating culture. Our commitment to the gospel should result in peculiar art, food, music and ways of dressing, that give expression to how we know Jesus. Especially we need to be serious about creating institutions. We need schools, websites, clubs, and associations for this or that venture—this is how we build and sustain Christian culture over time. Christian culture does not exist in isolation from mainstream culture, but by its very distinctness has an alternative to offer the world. There is no culture-free Christianity. There is only Agueda bringing tamales to shut-ins. There is Spencer playing guitar in a worship band singing The Blessing. There is Sophia inviting her neighbours for pyrizhky and halupki over Ukrainian Christmas. There is Isaak who loves pluma moos, rebuilding his neighbor’s barn. All of these are Mennonites, properly dressed. What culture are you making and sharing?
Christian culture does not exist in isolation from mainstream culture, but by its very distinctness has an alternative to offer the world.
www.emcmessenger.ca • The Messenger 35
Column • Kids’ Corner
‘And God Saw That It Was Good’
First, he created them because they please him. He looked at them and “saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:25). God made animals in all colours, By Loreena shapes and sizes. Thiessen Some are beautiful and cuddly. Others are strange and unusual; some are downright scary. The parts we find strange are exactly what they need to survive. Like the ray of feelers on the star-nosed mole. Every animal has a purpose. God created them for us to enjoy and to learn from. Scientists study animals to see how they live and interact with each other, and how they fit into their environment. He created them to help us live successfully in our environment. For example, bees are necessary for plants to reproduce. As they buzz from plant to plant, they carry the pollen each plant requires to produce seeds. Squirrels help trees to grow. They forage, collect and stash their nuts and seeds, and often forget to dig them up again. Instead of being eaten the nuts and seeds develop roots and grow to be new trees. Birds create balance in nature. They drop seeds as they fly, eat pests like bugs and mosquitoes, and they Activity: A quiz about animals in the Bible. fertilize the soil with Need: Bible and a pencil their droppings. Do: Read the Bible reference. Match the correct answer to the reference. God cares about animals. He created them 1. Psalm 104:14 — God helps cattle a sparrow falls for us and to help us. We 2. 1 Kings 17:4–6 — God sends food to Elijah many animals help them by treating 3. Matthew 10:29–31 — God cares when by giving them an ark to go into them well. 4. Jonah 4:11 — God saved by a raven Read Proverbs 12:10. 5. Genesis 6:9–21 — God saved the animals by growing grass
Why did God create so many different animals?
36 The Messenger • May 2021
ISTOCK
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o you have a favourite animal? If you could be an animal, which would you choose? Would it be the graceful giraffe gliding across the grasslands munching the tops of trees? The lumbering elephant who gulps down 150 litres of water per day? Or the “super” gecko? It can climb straight up a wall at a metre per second, hang upside down from the ceiling and skim across water faster than a duck can swim. It can glide through air, turn itself around in midflight, and swing under a branch headfirst and cling to it to hide. And it can change color. Those are super skills! Some animals look weird. Consider the star-nosed mole. Around its snout is a ray of twenty-two fleshy feelers. These feelers wiggle constantly as the mole digs through wet soil. The mole is blind. He hunts with his star nose bopping against the soil as fast as possible. When he feels an insect or a worm, he gobbles it down faster than you can say “one.” The blue footed booby is a bird about the size of a duck. It lives on the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. And it has blue feet. The booby uses its blue feet to attract a mate. The bluer its feet the more attractive it is. Because the sun on the islands can be harsh, the booby has to cool itself down so it won’t get overheated. It opens its mouth and makes the skin on its neck vibrate. It looks like it’s laughing, but it’s just trying to stay cool. Why did God create so many different animals?
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