MB Herald Quarterly – Fall 2019

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MBHERALD.COM

Quarterly

VOLUME 58 , NO. 4

NO BORN ME N N ON I T E S A MON G U S B R E A K I N G T H E S O U N D B A R R I E R INV ITATION TO F U LLY E N GAGE F I N A N C I A L R E O R G A N I Z AT I O N C O M P L E T E

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Mennonite Brethren Herald is published quarterly by the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, primarily for the use of its members, to build a Canadian MB community of faith. We seek to 1) share the life and story of the church by nurturing relationships among members and engaging in dialogue and reflection; 2) teach and equip for ministry by reflecting MB theology, values, and heritage, and by sharing the good news; 3) enable communication by serving conference ministries and informing our members about the church and the world. However, the opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the church as a whole. Advertising and inserts should not be considered to carry editorial endorsement.

Contents

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VIEWPOINT: ON BEING AN EVANGELICAL

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ISSN: 0025-9349 COPYRIGHT The articles printed in the Herald are owned by the Herald or by the author and may not be reprinted without permission. Unless noted, Scriptural quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Doug Heidebrecht

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S TA F F Managing Editor C O L T O N F L O R I S Designer + Illustrator H E L G A K A S D O R F Advertising A N G E L I N E S C H E L L E N B E R G Copy Editor E T H E L G O E R T Z E N Circulation C A R S O N S A M S O N Communications Director R E B E C C A W A T S O N Communications Assistant KARLA BRAUN

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“NO BORN MENNONITES AMONG US”

Paul Schrag for Meetinghouse EVANGELICAL ANABAPTIST IN A CONTEXTUAL WAY

ARTICLE 18: CHRIST’S FINAL TRIUMPH / LE TRIOMPHE ULTIME DE JÉSUS-CHRIST

Philip A. Gunther

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Copy run: 3,500 | e-subscribers 1,500 Printed at CP Printing Solutions, Winnipeg, with energy-efficient equipment and chemical-free technologies on paper from sustainable forests.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE EVANGELICALANABAPTIST?

César García

HELGA.KASDORF@MBCHURCHES.CA M B H E R A L D.C O M /C O N TAC T- U S /A DV E R T I S E

LIVING OUR IDENTITY: MENNONITE BRETHREN AS EVANGELICAL AND ANABAPTIST

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Isaiah Ritzmann VIEWPOINT: IT HINGES ON A HYPHEN

Paul Cumin NEWS

HOW AN IMPULSE CLICK SURPRISED ME WITH COMMUNITY

Megan Stobbe

Departments 2 3 4 24

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EDITORIAL READER RESPONSE HOMEPAGE FAMILY NEWS: TRANSITIONS, BIRTHS, WEDDINGS FINISH LINES

INVITATION TO FULLY ENGAGE

Connect

Elton DaSilva

FACEBOOK.COM/MBHERALD TWITTER.COM/MB_HERALD SOUNDCLOUD.COM/MBHERALD MBHERALD.COM

WHO IS THE NMT? WHY COME TO EQUIP

The Mennonite Brethren Herald is a publication of

ON THE COVER Who are we as Mennonite Brethren? These words drawn from Winner of Canadian Church Press and Evangelical Press Association awards for Writing, Design, and Illustration: 1996–2018.

Doug Heidebrecht's feature article point to our identity. Calligraphy

by Becky Spahr, short-term mission apprentice at Multiply

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

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Two sides of being Mennonite Brethren hen we’re young, we’re often identified in relation to our parents (“so-and-so’s kid”). At some point, our parents become known by us (“so-and-so’s mom/dad”). Throughout our life, we take on identities – or have them applied to us.

As Mennonite Brethren, we have a dual identity – in fact, two of them.

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1. We’re both Anabaptist and evangelical.

Those two traditions – separate in their histories but overlapping in their priorities – influenced the 18 households who gathered in 1860 to do church together according to their understanding of God’s call.

Both movements are concerned with following Jesus and with studying Scripture as a guide to wisdom.

The Anabaptist aspect of our Mennonite Brethren identity sometimes seems neglected.

We’re embarrassed of bonnets-and-buggies stereotypes even as we pride ourselves on our frugality, humility – and ability to find a cousin connection in any social setting. But those are tied to our other dual identity (more below).

Eager to shed stereotypes, congregations name themselves “community churches.” Pastors from other denominations take MB pulpits without full awareness of our history and the theological emphases that go along with our weird name.

On the other hand, the evangelical part of our identity has received much attention lately – much of it not good.

We want to distance ourselves from the unChristlike behaviour of others who share the name.

In two Viewpoint articles, Isaiah Ritzmann and Paul Cumin explore their reasons for feeling uncertain about identifying as evangelical at all. Taking perspectives that will not be shared by all readers, these authors challenge us to consider what is useful and what is destructive within the evangelical part of our hyphenated tradition.

There is no subscription fee for the MB Herald. Please take a moment to show your appreciation at mbherald.com/donate.

Thank you to all who have donated to our ♥ the Herald campaign already.

2. There’s another possible dual identity lodged inside the name Mennonite, as was highlighted recently by member of Parliament Ed Fast who introduced a private member’s bill to celebrate Mennonite Heritage Week.

For those whose ancestors came from Ukraine, the word Mennonite is a name for a subculture including foods (much of it adapted from Ukrainian cuisine), a language (once the lingua franca of the Hanseatic league), and a stable of surnames (Toews, Giesbrecht, Penner).

Taking “be in the world but not of it” perhaps a bit too seriously, generations of Mennonites kept together, seeking economic opportunity as much as fleeing persecution as they settled several regions of continental Europe and eventually forming colonies as far away as the Holy Land and Latin America.

The characteristics this group developed inform the Mennonite “heritage” claimed by a Toews who hasn’t darkened the door of a church for decades.

In Canada, Mennonite “heritage” offers the opportunity to explain the complexities of our identity. But in the context of our worshipping communities, let us agree that when we say Mennonite [Brethren], we mean people who commit to following Jesus as the centre of our faith, community as the centre of our life, and reconciliation as the centre of our work. In church, let us agree that “Mennonite” refers to how we live this faith, not to the sociocultural peculiarities of the groups that moved to North America from Russia or Switzerland.

After all, the Mennonite/Anabaptist movement began as a voluntary faith, chosen with adult reasoning and lived out in deliberate actions – the very antithesis of a received culture and family names.

Our brothers and sisters in ICOMB and Mennonite World Conference remind us that European-origin Mennonites no longer make up the majority. Instead, a typical Mennonite/Anabaptist may be a dancing worshipper in DR Congo or courageous peacemaker in Colombia.

A model of this identity who inspires me isn’t a Schmidt but a Suárez. In Colombia where the 60-year civil war has called an uneasy truce, Mennonite Oscar Suárez is a conscientious objector to compulsory military service. Transformed by Jesus and supported by his church community, he chooses nonviolence – even though it hurts.

Oscar can’t follow a conventional path to teach and shape young people because the government won’t hire teachers who don’t have a military ID. This is what it looks like to be Mennonite by choice.

Our identity is complicated. But it shapes us whether we recognize its influence or not. As you read this issue – and continue the conversation by attending the EQUIP study conference (see page 17) – consider how we are formed by these streams and how it shapes the way we read Scripture.

Karla

K ARLA BRAUN

Managing Editor 2

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Reader response – Fall 2019 MB Herald welcomes your letters of 150–200 words on issues relevant to the Mennonite Brethren church, especially in response to material published in the Herald. The reader response column is a free forum for discussion; letters represent the position of the respondent, not necessarily the position of the Herald or the Mennonite Brethren church.

Jesus is the only way?

Re “Article 17: Christianity and other Faiths” (Summer 2019)

Paul Doerksen made a courageous and good will attempt to explain how Mennonite Brethren and Christians generally do or should relate to other faiths. But this is hard when a fundamental doctrine is “Jesus is the only way to God” – implying other faiths do not have a way to God. Doerksen tries to ameliorate that with another component of Article 17 in the MB Confession of Faith; namely, that God has not left anyone without God’s witness. However, this is almost a complete antithesis of “Jesus is the only way.”

It almost seems like an affront to God for any religion (others do it as well) to put its own doctrinal parameters around access to God and even defend it, as history testifies, with cruel holy wars as if “the first shall be last” (Matthew 19:30) could not apply.

Doerksen goes on to emphasize important aspects of Jesus’ teaching in ministry, to which might be added Jesus’ declaration, “to see the kingdom of God you must be born again” (John 3:3), meaning you must be born into loving God and neighbours and into embracing the fruits of the Spirit. That kingdom is where people make a practice of dying to self in order to have life more abundantly and where enemies become friends as Jesus demonstrated on the cross.

Does being born again not include faith in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Does it not include seeing Jesus’ manifestation of God’s grace in the context of God? Or has faith in God been pre-empted by faith in fait accompli doctrine exclusive to accessing God? Could “Jesus is the only way” not be just as enticing without the word “only”?

JAKE JANZEN ABBOTSFORD, B.C.

Time to leave the classroom

Imagine a school that kept its students from ever graduating but instead constantly working toward no particular goal. Unfortunately, that seems like a common tactic in the church. Even though Jesus told the disciples to go out into all the world (Matthew 28:19), many of us prefer to stay in our churches, hoping that people want to join us.

Church activities, in my experience, seem to be geared mainly toward insiders. Bible studies, for example, often take place by invitation at someone’s home. Newcomers from outreach programs like Alpha or vacation Bible school can be left adrift unless they already know people in the congregation.

Part of the problem, I think, is that many Christians show little active interest in outside concerns.

We need to get out of the churches to participate in projects beyond our walls. Promoting affordable housing and living wages or advocating for green spaces in the city, for example, are matters that many Christians could easily support.

The early church achieved its success in part because of its concern for the stranger, the sick, and the hungry.

If we take an interest in what people care about, we might be surprised at the results.

SUSAN HUEBERT WINNIPEG

Is it possible?

I have some questions – in no order of importance.

May we take cautious encouragement that MBs are on the verge of a new day?

Is it possible that in old and in necessarily new ways, we can re-embrace deep relational, social, and theological

values that will allow us to effectively and invitingly relate to our neighbours about the Good News of Jesus with equanimity, openness, warmth, collegiality, and respect?

Could we rediscover God’s Spirit through listening and discerning together, remembering that we value the biblical notion of the priesthood of all believers and recalling the merit of a community hermeneutic?

Is it possible that our conference and congregational leaders would function as servant leaders rather than CEOs or apostles?

Might the MB Herald become where we share our family stories, our community discussions, and a safe place to wonder together?

Is it possible that our seminary is where our pastors and leaders are mentored and trained, where our Anabaptist theology is studied, shaped, and sharpened for us?

Can our conventions become family gatherings where we share good news and bad, where lay persons are as prominent as professional ministers as we build one another up and call each other out – without any risk of losing dignity and relationship?

Could we move toward those we don’t agree with or understand with curiosity rather than criticism?

I believe we have an opportunity and if we don’t take it we risk writing our denominational obituary, with no place to post it, with no one to read it. Yet, I am confident we can get back to just loving God and our neighbour.

DANNY UNR AU R I C H M O N D/C H I L L IWAC K , B C .

READER RESPONSE CO N T I N U ED O N PAG E 2 5

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

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HOMEPAGE

People in community B E A M ENTO R

| DEVELOPING LEADERS

reated after the divestiture of the binational Mennonite Brethren conference ministries in 2002, Can-Am is the name for a meeting of executive leadership from the U.S. and Canada (elected and staff chairs of national conferences, Multiply, Historical Commission, and national boards of faith and life). The informal meetings are intended as a day to report, share, pray, and support one another, and to test ideas with each other.

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In July 2019, directors invited a young leader to participate with them. Here are two who reflected on their experience for MB Herald:

ANDREE ABRAHAMS

Home church Yarrow MB, Chilliwack, B.C. Leadership role(s) in home church pastoral intern (Immerse MDiv student); Sunday school director On the MB family To be a part of the MB family is to recognize that we come before God as people in community. We listen to God together. We worship and work together.

As young and old, male and female, from diverse contexts and backgrounds, we have so much to share with one another as we journey to the Centre. It is a blessing that we can be such an integral part of each other’s stories.

On being invited Leadership development is an active value in our conference of churches. Our national leaders are willing to invest not only time and resources into discipleship, but also their personal lives and ministry experience.

Take-home impressions I observed team leadership that valued active listening, a willingness to be vulnerable, and sincere relationship.

I learned about the sacrifices and joys of the calling to ministry, and about discerning God’s lead through times of intense work, great impact, changes of course, and challenges.

D RY D EN B LOCK

Home church Christian Fellowship Church, Lanigan, Sask.

Leadership role(s) in home church moderator of executive team On the MB family It was encouraging to hear not only about the successes across Canada and the United States, but also the challenges we all face.

I found it very unifying to see that across both countries we are all on a journey to discover how we activate our local churches for local, national, and global mission and intentional discipleship.

I was impressed by the other younger leaders.

Take-home impressions The message that I left with after the meetings is that the local church matters. Growth can come out of healthy local churches on mission and focusing on discipleship. There have been plenty of changes recently, but I sense that MB leaders are actively listening for God’s direction through all of it.

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Songs that shape us HOMEPAGE

We asked worship pastors what music inspires them on their discipleship path.

“All I Want is You” Songs of Valley Christian Fellowship, B.C. Freedom Songwriter: Norm Strauss An album from my childhood, it goes through a list of the ideas of happiness (high paying jobs, money, materialism, etc.) as utterly void of any substance next to Jesus. “Nothing else really matters at all...”

“Krwlng” Reanimation Linkin Park Combining full-bodied, cinematic, yet deceivingly simple music with pop-y, easy-to-sing melodies, this music is just a few screams away from being sing-able worship songs.

A great band to study from a song-writing perspective.

#MBThrowback

Spiritual balance “Individual Christians tend to develop blind spots in understanding and interpreting Scripture.... The total of spiritual insight and understanding of a united Christian body exceeds anyone’s individual understanding. We need to be tied to other believers for spiritual balance.”—James Nikkel, MB Herald, September 2000

RESOURCING MINISTRY

“I’m growing fond of broken people, as I see that I am one of them.” We often think in terms of “us and them,” but the more we break down our self-made pedestals and realize we are just as undeserving of God’s love and grace as anyone else, the more we can connect with the world we’ve been sent into.

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“Pins and Needles” Mutemath Armistice Songwriters: Paul Meany, Dennis Herring and Tedd Tjornhom

Nikkel (left) answers questions at the 1980 MB study conference in Clearbrook MB Church, Abbotsford, B.C. Topics in 1980 included ordination (Victor Adrian), leadership (John E. Toews), church-pastor relations (Herb Brandt), divorce care (Marvin Hein), and women in ministry (David Ewert).

Do you know the names of the other faces in the photo? Help CMBS identify them by emailing information to archives@mbchurches.ca.

This photo from the Centre for MB Studies (NP149-11668) is available to the public in collaboration with MAID: the Mennonite Archival Image Database.

Research or purchase images from Mennonite churches and organizations at archives.mhsc.ca.

ADAM SMITH

director of worship ministries, South Langley (B.C.) Church

Feeding long-term disaster recovery Zachary Bartel wants to be a communicator one day — he wants to tell stories. But first, there are some potatoes to peel for hungry Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers in Grand Forks, B.C. With support from a scholarship through MDS, Bartel, a student at Canadian Mennonite University and member of Winnipeg’s FaithWorks church, spent eight weeks in Grand Forks helping people recover from the 2018 spring floods.

MDS Canada’s unique role is long-term recovery – coming in after the disaster to do restoration work.

“A year from now, there’s a good chance we will be responding to Hurricane Dorian,” says Ross Penner, executive director of MDS Canada.

JOHN LONGHURST communications coordinator, Mennonite Disaster Service Canada Read more: mbherald.com/faces-mds-grand-forks & mbherald.com/mds-ready-to-respond

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

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Living our identity Mennonite Brethren as evangelical and Anabaptist DO U G H EI D EB RECHT

ave you ever found it difficult to describe yourself when someone asks, “Who are you?” Yet, if that person were to ask your family or friends, there would likely be a very quick response highlighting aspects of your character, the things you value, and what you love to do. Our identity is most clearly revealed in how we live in relationship with those around us.

Over the last 50 years, Mennonite Brethren (MB) in North America have been increasingly identifying ourselves as both evangelical and Anabaptist. 1 In 1990, the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, which included both Canada and the United States, introduced their Vision Statement by recognizing that “the unity of confession and mission we seek can only be realized as Mennonite Brethren leaders agree with one another on the essentials of a faith and practice that is both Evangelical and Anabaptist.” 2 A decade later, the Canadian Conference Board of Faith and Life affirmed, “both Anabaptism and evangelicalism have had strong roles in shaping who we are. Together they provide a rich mine to nurture our life and witness in Christ…We want to resolve to be both Anabaptist and evangelical in the best sense of those terms.” 3 There have been numerous attempts to describe in more detail what a dual evangelical-Anabaptist identity might look like. For example, the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary’s 2007 Theological Witness Statement highlighted how the positive emphases of both movements are centred around

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conversion, believers baptism, the Bible, church, discipleship, mission, and a peace witness. 4 These few examples illustrate how Mennonite Brethren have typically attempted to integrate Anabaptism and evangelicalism into a meaningful and unifying sense of community identity.

Conference leaders have sought agreement around the central theological beliefs that reflect the best of both movements.

Nevertheless, while Mennonite Brethren leaders continue to encourage the adoption of a dual evangelical-Anabaptist identity, there has been little reflection regarding how these labels function in practically describing the lived identity of Mennonite Brethren congregations.

Challenges

Attempts to form a shared Mennonite Brethren identity face several significant challenges.

First, Mennonite Brethren congregations often live with a level of ambiguity, even apathy, about the perceived value and need for a shared identity as Mennonite Brethren.

The relative independence of churches tends to focus ministry and relationships around local needs and missional opportunities.

At a personal level, we are aware of how our own identity has been shaped by the larger families and communities of which we are a part. The formation of our identity reflects the dynamic intersection of where we have been (our journey and experiences), who we are (our character and convictions), what we do (our practices and work), and where we are going (our vision for how things should be).

In a similar way, the identity of local congregations is also both embedded in and formed by the larger family of churches of which we are a part. Even if a church ignores or disavows the larger faith family’s influence, its shaping power (or that of some other unacknowledged community), nevertheless, remains under the surface.

WE WANT TO RESOLVE TO BE BOTH ANABAPTIST AND EVANGELICAL IN THE BEST SENSE OF THOSE TERMS.

RELATIONSHIP WITH A LARGER FAMILY CALLS LOCAL CHURCHES TO SHARE A COLLECTIVE MISSIONAL VISION

BUILDING COMMUNITY

BEING IN

A second challenge is the increasing theological and cultural diversity among Mennonite Brethren in Canada.

Local congregations live and witness within diverse contexts and thus their identities are often shaped in different, sometimes conflicting, ways. The appeal to agree around a core list of “essential” theological emphases does not address how we assess the powerful influence of the multiple larger communities that continue to shape Mennonite Brethren.

A simple affirmation of the Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith has not necessarily enabled churches to come to consensus around very real convictional differences about a variety of issues. In the face of deep-felt disagreements, Mennonite Brethren congregations have often simply tolerated conflicting differences.

A third challenge is the weakening of the relational “glue” that enables individual churches to feel like we belong to a larger group.

We know from our own immediate family relationships that regular communication is important. Visiting together builds relational bonds that strengthen a sense of a shared identity.

When congregations are disconnected from other churches, we may not recognize the significance of sharing in common experiences that provide opportunities for mutual ministry and care, which in turn builds relational trust. Being in relationship with a larger family calls local churches to share a collective missional vision that is built around a commitment to walk together.

THAT IS BUILT AROUND A COMMITMENT TO WALK TOGETHER.

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

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Identity markers

These challenges suggest that the formation of a dual evangelical and Anabaptist identity must not only address the theological content of what these labels mean, but also how they function as identity markers within a diverse and dynamic Mennonite Brethren community. The challenge is not to reduce “Anabaptist” and “evangelical” to mere slogans we use to caricature the nature and complexity of these two movements.

The term “evangelical” is derived from the New Testament language for “gospel” or “good news.”

The label has had a long history of use by certain Protestant groups. More recently, it has been used to describe a contemporary movement of Christians defined by a constellation of theological convictions about the Bible, salvation in Jesus Christ alone, the necessity of a personal conversion experience, and living out this experience in daily life and witness.

The range of individuals, churches, denominations, institutions, and agencies that identify as evangelical makes it very difficult to use the term – defined by the lowest common denominators that hold them together – as a robust and holistic description of Mennonite Brethren identity. It is also important to recognize that some of the concerns of North American evangelicalism often carry little significance for many in the global Mennonite Brethren family who do not encounter the same theological issues or denominational divisions.

Despite the many differences among evangelical groups, our shared convictions regarding the Bible, salvation in Jesus Christ, and conversion provide Mennonite Brethren with a sense of assurance that these groups are seeking to be faithful disciples and true witnesses of Jesus as revealed in Scripture. This provides a foundation that enables Mennonite Brethren congregations to partner in mission with other evangelicals.

Although the term “Anabaptist” was initially used by opponents to portray the Radical wing of the 16th-century

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THE CHALLENGE IS NOT TO REDUCE “ANABAPTIST” AND “EVANGELICAL” TO MERE SLOGANS WE USE TO CARICATURE THE NATURE AND COMPLEXITY OF THESE TWO MOVEMENTS.

Reformation, it has also proven difficult to define the central convictions of this diverse movement with a succinct list of beliefs or practices.

The early Anabaptists’ deep conviction that Jesus is central to all of faith and life, their openness to the work of the Holy Spirit, and their desire to model themselves after the New Testament church led many of them, although not all, to emphasize the separation of church and state, discipleship, believers baptism, congregational discernment, rejection of violence, and active evangelism.

Since this movement arose within the cultural, religious, and political context of Christendom Europe, the significance of Anabaptism for contemporary Mennonite Brethren has at times also been questioned.

In a similar way, the early Anabaptists offer today’s Mennonite Brethren an example of those who faithfully sought to follow Jesus in their time – a stepping stone, if you will – that intentionally points back to the New Testament church. Although it is impossible to replicate these early Anabaptists, their life and thought can function as an interpretive lens that focuses attention on how to faithfully follow the life and teachings of Jesus, how to read Scripture, and how best to reflect the nature of the early church. 5 When either Anabaptism or evangelicalism is appealed to as a label for Mennonite Brethren identity, we need to recognize that in doing so, we make choices regarding what is deemed to be “central” or “the best” theological emphases of either movement. The value of these choices must ultimately be judged by their faithfulness to the teaching of Scripture.

Identifying with the people of God

While Mennonite Brethren proclaim that our fundamental identity is first as Christians – followers of Jesus, “in Christ” – our discipleship must always be lived out in the context of the local congregation, the concrete expression of the body of Christ.

Central to Mennonite Brethren identity, as our name implies, is the understanding that members are brothers and sisters who are part of a global family of churches.

Being part of a specific family does not inherently create barriers or exclude other Christians; rather, it reflects a shared journey of those who live in community and participate in God’s mission together.

For the Mennonite Brethren family, the label “evangelical” is helpful for locating ourselves within the contemporary people of God who share a core set of convictions that enables us to partner together in mission. This experience of belonging to the larger body of Christ offers both encouragement and support to be faithful followers of Jesus.

The label “Anabaptist” is also helpful for connecting Mennonite Brethren within a particular people’s story that can be traced back to its roots in the Radical Reformation, through experiences of Mennonite renewal and migration, and continues to expand through global mission. God’s leading and provision in the midst of this family’s struggles and failures as well as through their faithfulness and growth contributes to shaping Mennonite Brethren identity today and provides a vision for what God can do in the future.

WHILE MENNONITE BRETHREN PROCLAIM THAT OUR FUNDAMENTAL IDENTITY IS FIRST AS CHRISTIANS, OUR DISCIPLESHIP MUST ALWAYS BE LIVED OUT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LOCAL CONGREGATION, THE CONCRETE EXPRESSION OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

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Living our convictions BUILDING COMMUNITY

Mennonite Brethren’s identification with contemporary evangelicalism and historic Anabaptism calls for ongoing consideration of how the theological emphases of both movements are integrated into a shared set of convictions. However, because a community’s convictions (reflecting their core commitments) are expressed in how it lives, its identity is formed by much more than what it believes to be true.

The Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith is central to defining our collective identity because it expresses our shared convictions regarding what the Bible teaches.

The Confession did not emerge out of an intentional attempt to represent the theological emphases of either evangelicalism or Anabaptism. Rather the Confession reflects Mennonite Brethren’s direct engagement with Scripture through study and discernment as a community.

Although both evangelicalism and Anabaptism provide an interpretive lens for how Mennonite Brethren read the Scriptures, it is the inspired Word of God that is authoritative and normative. The theological emphases of evangelicalism or Anabaptism must also be submitted under the teaching of Scripture.

As a profession of Mennonite Brethren’s core convictions, the Confession of Faith is not just a statement of what we believe or hold to be true, but it is also a vision for faithful discipleship and worship, and a witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 6 The Confession has the capacity to shape a collective Mennonite Brethren identity as we seek to live out our convictions. Nevertheless, the transforming power is the Spirit of God through the Scriptures, to which the Confession points.

The affirmation of the Confession of Faith by local congregations needs to be expressed within the context of our relationships within the Mennonite Brethren family.

The theological and cultural diversity of the Mennonite Brethren in Canada is not just a challenge, but it is also a profound opportunity for this family to be enriched by the variety of gifts and perspectives God has brought together.

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FOR THE MENNONITE BRETHREN FAMILY, THE LABEL “EVANGELICAL” IS HELPFUL FOR LOCATING OURSELVES WITHIN THE CONTEMPORARY PEOPLE OF GOD WHO SHARE A CORE SET OF CONVICTIONS THAT ENABLES US TO PARTNER TOGETHER IN MISSION.

This calls for Mennonite Brethren to walk toward each other, to intentionally build relationships, to engage in study and conversation around Scripture, and to pursue peace and reconciliation when needed. The Mennonite Brethren embrace of both evangelicalism and Anabaptism has already set us on a pathway that values the integration of various perspectives and relationships into a unified sense of identity.

Finally, Mennonite Brethren’s shared convictions and healthy relationships create the foundation for participating in God’s mission together, which requires the involvement of the whole body of Christ working together. The proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ, through what we say and what we do, must also be expressed through who we are as God’s people. As Mennonite Brethren live as witnesses of God’s love, reconciliation through Christ, and new life by the Spirit, we also live out the vision of our evangelical-Anabaptist identity.

DOUG HEIDEBRECHT

is engaged in global training on behalf of Multiply and MB Seminary.

Historian Bruce Guenther provides an excellent overview of both the foundation and influence Anabaptism and evangelicalism have had in

shaping Mennonite Brethren identity. See “Reflections on Mennonite Brethren Evangelical Anabaptist Identity,” in Renewing Identity and Mission: Mennonite Brethren Reflections after 150 Years, edited by Abe J. Dueck, Bruce L. Guenther, and Doug Heidebrecht (Winnipeg: Kindred Productions, 2011), 47-82.

2

“Vision Statement,” Yearbook: General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 58th Session, (Winnipeg: Christian Press, 1990), 21.

3

“An Exhortation of the Board of Faith and Life,” Yearbook: The Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 85th Convention (Winnipeg:

Christian Press, 2000), 103.

4

“Theological Witness Statement,” In Touch Magazine (Fall/Winter 2008), 4-5.

5

For example, see Doug Heidebrecht, “Toward a Mennonite Brethren Peace Theology: Reading the Bible through an Anabaptist Lens,” Direction 43,

no. 2 (Fall 2014): 228-242.

6

“Nature and Function of the Confession,” Confession of Faith of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (Winnipeg: Kindred

Productions, 2018).

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We asked you:

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE EVANGELICAL-ANABAPTIST?

What initially attracted me to consider partnering with the CCMBC was pastors and leaders I was meeting. There was a sense that they were firstly followers of Jesus, were serious about Christian community, and seemed to practice accountability well at the leadership level.

What I didn’t know at the time was that Anabaptists had a history of putting Jesus at the center of their faith and practice, as well as a strong community hermeneutic.

I so appreciated the christocentric lens, the focus on living out the teachings of Jesus as a primary focus of Christian practice, and more.

We don’t say often, “we’re an Anabaptist church” or even an “evangelical church.” Without using the labels too much, I try my best to teach and live the values associated with Anabaptist evangelicalism rather than labelling them.

The world needs a gospel that is immersed in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Millennials are looking more to being Christ followers than denominational affiliations. A new revival of an old way of trusting is taking root. Spirituality under the leadership of the Spirit is brewing. We do not know where the wind comes from or where it goes – but wind there is.

— DAV I D M A N A F O

pastor, Thompson (Man.) Christian Centre Fellowship

pastor, Westside Gathering, Montreal

—MARIO BUSCIO

Responses from social media It speaks to the tension between the centripetal force of the alternative kingdom mentality of Mennonite Anabaptism and the centrifugal force of the expansionist mentality of North American Evangelicalism. A difficult tension to manage. One that we haven’t always gotten right.

—MICHAEL KRAUSE

To me it reflects a general history that when the MBs (steeped in Anabaptist history and Wuest’s Lutheran Pietism convictions) came over to North America, the closest connection to LP was the evangelical’s quadrilateral of Bible/cross/conversion/activism. Beyond that: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ — GREG HARRIS

It has almost become a meaningless term. So many definitions…. hard to summarize when not in a face to face conversation. Evangelical Anabaptist might communicate accurately my perspective of MBs. It could also mean very different things to the hearer. Both terms include growing diversity and connotation.

I would need to discuss the person and work of Jesus, scripture and hermeneutics, and salvation, sanctification and transformation.

A brief summary would be MBs seek to live yielded to God who has revealed himself in the written and living Word.

—GARY BURKE

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

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ASSOCIATION OF MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCHES OF UKRAINE

Ivan Kapelushniy, pastor of Nikolaipolye Mennonite Church, greets Mary Raber, who serves in Ukraine with Mennonite Mission Network. PHOTO: Paul Schrag/MWR

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No born Mennonites among us

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elcoming visitors from North America, Ivan Kapelushniy, pastor of Nikolaipolye Mennonite Church, led his congregation of about 15 people in singing “For God So Loved Us” in Russian.

“There are no born Mennonites among us,” Kapelushniy said on June 16, 2019, as mission worker Mary Raber translated. “We became Mennonites.”

Kapelushniy counts himself among the converts.

“I became a believer in 2006,” he said. “When I began to go to church, my co-workers laughed at me. They wondered what I had to do with those people. But now they understand.”

Through the influence of Canadian mission workers, the congregation has revived a Mennonite presence in the town of about 1,000 people surrounded by wheat fields.

They worship in a simple, bare-walled room, with an open window letting in a breeze on a summer morning. The 19th-century building is a former Mennonite school, restored in the 21st century by Canadian Mennonites.

It is a member of the Association of Mennonite Brethren Churches of Ukraine.

The village was founded by Mennonites 150 years ago as Nikolaifeld.

The original Mennonite presence continued until World War II, when the Mennonites fled with the retreating German army or were exiled as the Red Army retook the region from German occupation.

Today the congregation serves its neighbours by helping the elderly and running a summer day camp for children.

“We do what we can to bring the Word of God to the village,” Kapelushniy said.

But he described the villagers as “cautious toward us.”

Raber explained: “The culture is Orthodox, so Mennonites and Baptists would be regarded with a certain amount of suspicion no matter what you do.”

Canadian visitors Peter Wolfe and Walter Thiessen, Mennonite Central Committee board members on a learning tour, spoke to the group. Wolfe told of his mother-in-law’s family being exiled from Ukraine to Tajikistan after World War II and eventually migrating to Canada in 1972.

He said the family arrived in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, with nothing.

Without food, they searched on the ground for bits of grain.

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When asked later how they kept their faith through such hard times, he said their faith was all they had left.

“They saw the hand of God with them,” Wolfe said. “Keep trusting in God. Jesus said, In this world you will have trouble, but I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”

PAU L S C H R AG

is editor of Mennonite World Review. In June 2019, Mennonite Central Committee took board members and Schrag (as Meetinghouse representative of Mennonite magazines in North America) to visit sites of historical interest and current ministry in Ukraine.

Read more mbherald.com/mcc-where-work-began mbherald.com/mcc-partner-serves-people

Pastor shares love at war front Pastor Sergey Panasovich has seen God’s mysterious ways unfold over the past decade, beginning with the life-changing ministry of John Wiens, a Canadian Mennonite Brethren mission worker.

“John Wiens showed us how to do good deeds, not as propaganda, but because you love others,” Panasovich said. “That changed us.”

It was like discovering a “new Christian world,” he said, to learn that sharing the gospel meant ministering to the whole person, physically and spiritually. Today, that means he drives four hours twice a week to Avdiivka, a city on the front lines of war in eastern Ukraine, to coordinate peacebuilding and material aid. mbherald.com/pastor-love-war-front

Lydia Grigoryevna, second from left, gets a birthday hug after worship at Nikolaipolye Mennonite Church on June 16. PHOTO: Paul Schrag/MWR 12

However, I think what we mean by “evangelical” has to be defined by the context in which it is used. It is not the same to speak about “evangelical” in the 19th-century as it is today. And it is not the same to say “evangelical” in Switzerland, for example, as it is in Colombia, my home country.

For many years, I spoke about myself as an evangelical Anabaptist in Colombia. It was a way of facing religious persecution and finding unity with other churches that shared the same evangelical values.

However, several years ago, when our local congregation was planting a new Mennonite Brethren church in Bogotá, the word “evangelical” had changed its meaning slightly. From my perspective, it was used to identify churches that promoted an individualistic spirituality, a kind of faith that was over-focused on

MWC

Words for changing contexts

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vangelical Anabaptist. Catholic Anabaptist.

Pentecostal Anabaptist. I have used all these phrases in different contexts to explain my identity as a follower of Christ.

In those sentences, the first word serves as an adjective – it names an attribute of the noun, in this case “Anabaptist.”

The main word – the noun – is what is most important and what defines my theological identity: Anabaptist. The other words (evangelical, catholic, pentecostal) only highlight attributes or ways of being anabaptist.

Some attributes highlighted when we use the word “evangelical” today have been present in the Anabaptism movement since it originated in the 16th-century.

These attributes include: • Authority of the Bible.

• Personal commitment to Christ.

• Proclamation of the gospel.

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

Evangelical Anabaptist in a contextual way right doctrine, and that were generally averse to social concerns.

Therefore, although many Mennonite Brethren and Mennonites in Colombia kept using “evangelical” as an adjective, I decided to stop doing so as a church planting strategy. My new local congregation, Torre Fuerte Iglesia Cristiana Hermanos Menonitas (strong tower Christian MB church), did not use “evangelical” as an adjective and I did not encourage its use with the new members.

Today, the religious context in Colombia has changed again.

Some Mennonites and MBs who used the adjective “evangelical” in the past have decided to avoid it because of the way in which our Colombian society currently defines this word. In Colombia, “evangelical” is often used to refer to non-Catholic churches that identify themselves with the extreme political right. Many of these churches explicitly support political parties or political leaders, creating some form of Constantinianism. Evangelical churches in Colombia – generally – are interested in imposing their ethics on other citizens, regardless of the faith (or lack of faith) of those citizens, and are known for their opposition to the peace agreement between the former Colombian government and the revolutionary army of Las FARC. This new characterization of evangelicalism makes it problematic for many Anabaptists to call themselves evangelicals even though their commitment to the three principles above remains.

That is a picture from my global south context. Of course, such examples are limited and always open to several different interpretations – which, in effect, is a great Anabaptist way of perceiving a given reality.

CÉSAR GARCÍA

is general secretary of Mennonite World Conference – a communion of Anabaptist-related churches.

Originally from Colombia, he is a graduate of MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Cal. He currently lives in Kitchener, Ont., with his wife Sandra Báez, and they have two adult daughters.

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ARTICLE

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CHRIST’S FINAL TRIUMPH What does Mennonite Brethren theology have in common with that of other Christian denominations? And what are the distinctive emphases of Mennonite Brethren theology? Informed by Scripture, our Confession of Faith names the perspectives through which we read God’s Word in order to live as Christ’s followers. This series by the National Faith and Life Team explores the 18 articles of this formative document.

s I reflect on my 25 years of preaching, I wish I would have shared more sermons on the end times.

I surmise that saints could use ongoing reminders that all of creation is heading somewhere and that we need to take stock of how we are living in light of that reality. Indeed, without the call to heed the prophetic revelation of Christ’s return, we can become complacent, if not indifferent, about living holy lives and proclaiming the gospel.

Article 18 of the MB Confession of Faith looks at Christ’s final triumph.

This article bears witness to both hope and warning: hope for the believer looking forward to being with Jesus in glory and warning for all others that life apart from Jesus awaits.

My first significant encounter with anything about the end times occurred in 1988 when my wife and I were literally on the road to seminary in Virginia.

At that time, Edgar C. Whisenant, a former NASA engineer turned prophet, published the booklet 88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988. The 4.5 million copies that circulated the U.S. at the time profoundly stirred up the evangelical Christian community. It was reported that some people quit their jobs while others started to faithfully attend church after reading the booklet.

Unsubstantiated accounts of 100,000 conversions became part of the pulpit commentary.

Whisenant’s work was quite thought provoking, though obviously flawed.

He created a detailed timeline from creation (4005 B.C.) to the birth of Jesus (September 29, 4 B.C.) to the rapture

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(between September 11 and 13, 1988).

Interestingly, he also predicted WWIII on October 3, 1988!

Trinity Broadcast Network (California), the world’s largest evangelical religious radio platform at the time, counselled Christians to prepare.

Suffice it to say, September 1988 came and went without any supernatural event.

Whisenant then reconfigured his prophecy for 1989, then 1993, and finally 1994. All his eschatological calculations proved false.

When challenged about his prophecies, Whisenant retorted, “Only if the Bible is in error am I wrong.”

The pastoral application of Article 18 counsels us on the pitfalls of excessive rumination about the end times. It says such thinking can result in believers who are “so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good.” I have met several people so steeped in wrestling with eschatological notions that they are paralyzed from doing much else.

Over the years of my pastoral ministry, I have heard heartfelt convictions about the end times and how the subject should be articulated to my congregants.

However, the best wisdom given to me about Christ’s final triumph came from my father: Believe it (2 Corinthians 5:7; 2 Peter 1:19–21) Behave like you believe it (1 Peter 1:13; 2 Peter 3:10–12; 1 John 2:28) What I absolutely need to know about eschatology is that Jesus will return at a time no one can predict. I need to be ready every day to meet him.

My father’s “stick to the basics” counsel helped me navigate well the real

tensions within the church over endtimes theology.

Consider the Apostles’ Creed: when referring to the end times, it only declares: “...thence [Christ Jesus] shall come to judge the living and the dead.”

Or my seminary professor, Dr. Paul Spilsbury, whose reader’s guide on the book of Revelation summarized the end times using two words: Christ wins!

I appreciate simplicity on matters of faith. Article 18, in my view, sticks to the basics as revealed in Scripture and has a good balance of good news and warning without leading us down the Whisenant trail.

I thank my dad for his wisdom. My supplement to his advice is to be discerning about someone’s well-crafted end times blueprint.

Jesus gave a similar warning: “Watch out that no one deceives you” (Matthew 24:4).

That said, if engaging in eschatological deliberations moves you to be more passionate about the gospel and its proclamation, it has value.

If it deepens your love for Jesus and others, it has value.

If it inspires you to great works of grace, it has value.

Short of that, perhaps sticking to the basics is the best path to travel.

Article 18 is a good guide.

PHILIP A. GUNTHER

is director of ministry for the Saskatchewan Conference of MB Churches.

He previously served in a lead pastor role for 25 years.

ARTICLE

Quels aspects de la théologie des frères mennonites rejoignent la théologie d’autres familles d’Église ? Quels sont les points saillants de la théologie des frères mennonites ? Éclairée par les Écritures, notre Confession de foi énumère les perspectives à travers desquelles nous lisons la Parole de Dieu afin de vivre en tant que disciples de Christ. Cette série présentée par le Comité foi et vie examine les 18 articles de ce document formateur.

orsque je repense à mes 25 années de prédication, j’aurais bien aimé prêcher davantage sur la fin des temps.

J’estime que des rappels périodiques que la création va vers un aboutissement auraient été utiles aux saints et les auraient amenés à dresser un bilan sur la manière dont nous vivons à la lumière de cette réalité. En effet, sans l’appel à prêter attention à la révélation prophétique du retour de Christ, nous risquons de relâcher notre vigilance, et même de devenir indifférents face au besoin de mener des vies saintes et de proclamer l’Évangile.

L’article 18 de la Confession de foi des frères mennonites examine le triomphe ultime de Jésus-Christ. Cet article témoigne à la fois d’espoir et de mise en garde : espoir pour le croyant qui se réjouit d’être réuni avec Jésus dans la gloire et mise en garde pour tous les autres qu’une vie loin de Jésus les attend.

La première fois que j’ai eu affaire avec la fin des temps de manière marquante était en 1988 lorsque mon épouse et moi nous nous dirigeâmes littéralement vers le séminaire en Virginie. À cette époque, Edgar C. Whisenant, ancien ingénieur de la NASA devenu prophète, a publié le livre « 88 raisons pour lesquelles l’enlèvement aura lieu en 1988 » . Les 4,5 millions d’exemplaires diffusés dans les É.-U. ont profondément secoué la communauté chrétienne évangélique. D’après les informations reçues, un certain nombre de personnes ont quitté leurs emplois tandis que d’autres ont commencé à fréquenter l’Église fidèlement à la suite de la lecture du livre.

Des récits non corroborés de 100 000 conversions ont alimenté les exhortations des prédicateurs.

L’ouvrage de Whisenant, bien que manifestement erroné, a suscité la réflexion. Il créa un calendrier détaillé allant de la création (4005 av. J.-C.) à la

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naissance de Jésus (le 29 septembre, 4 av. J.-C.) à l’enlèvement (entre le 11 et le 13 septembre 1988). Curieusement, il prédit également la troisième guerre mondiale le 3 octobre 1988 !

Le réseau de radiodiffusion Trinity (Trinity Broadcast Network) en Californie, la plus grande plateforme radio évangélique religieuse au monde à l’époque, conseilla les chrétiens à se préparer.

Bref, il suffit de dire que septembre 1988 passa sans le moindre événement surnaturel.

Whisenant reconfigura alors sa prophétie pour 1989, puis 1993 et finalement pour 1994. Tous ses calculs eschatologiques se révélèrent faux.

Lorsqu’on contesta ses prophéties, Whisenant riposta : « Si je me trompe, c’est que la Bible est erronée » .

L’application pastorale de l’article 18 nous avertit des pièges d’une rumination excessive à propos de la fin des temps.

Une telle réflexion peut avoir pour effet des croyants qui sont « tellement portés sur les questions célestes [qu’ils manquent] d’équilibre dans [leur] vie de tous les jours ». J’ai rencontré des personnes si absorbées à démêler des questions eschatologiques qu’ils étaient immobilisés et incapables de faire grandchose d’autre.

Au fil des années de mon ministère pastoral, j’ai entendu des partages sincères à propos de la fin des temps et de la manière dont je devrais l’articuler à mes paroissiens. Toutefois, le meilleur conseil que j’ai pu recevoir au sujet du triomphe ultime de Jésus-Christ vient de mon père : Croyez que cela arrivera (2 Corinthiens 5.7; 2 Pierre 1.19–21) Agissez comme si vous le croyez (1 Pierre 1.13 ; 2 Pierre 3.10–12 ; 1 Jean 2.28) Ce que je dois absolument savoir au sujet de l’eschatologie est que Jésus reviendra à une heure que personne ne peut prédire. Chaque jour, j’ai besoin d’être

prêt à le rencontrer.

Le conseil de mon père de me « concentrer sur l’essentiel » m’a aidé à bien naviguer les tensions réelles au sein de l’Église à propos de la théologie de la fin des temps.

Considérez le Symbole des apôtres : par rapport à la fin des temps, il déclare seulement « … d’où [Jésus-Christ] viendra juger les vivants et les morts. » Ou encore mon professeur de séminaire, Dr Paul Spilsbury, dont le guide de lecteur sur le livre d’Apocalypse résume la fin des temps en deux mots : Christ gagne !

J’apprécie la simplicité en ce qui concerne les questions de foi. À mon sens, l’article 18 se limite à l’essentiel révélé dans les Écritures et présente un bon équilibre entre la bonne nouvelle et l’avertissement sans nous amener dans des spéculations futiles du style de Whisenant.

Je remercie mon père pour sa sagesse.

J’ajouterai à ses conseils qu’il faudrait examiner avec discernement tout schéma bien détaillé de la fin des temps.

Jésus a donné un avertissement similaire (Matthieu 24.4).

Cela étant, si le fait de débattre de questions eschatologiques vous pousse à être passionnés à l’égard de l’Évangile et de son annonce, cela a de la valeur.

Si cela intensifie votre amour pour Jésus et pour les autres, cela a de la valeur.

Si cela vous inspire à de grandes œuvres de grâce, cela a de la valeur.

Sinon, il vaut peut-être mieux s’en tenir à l’essentiel. Pour cela, l’article 18 est un excellent guide.

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LE TRIOMPHE ULTIME DE JÉSUS-CHRIST

PHILIP A. GUNTHER

est directeur pastoral de la Conférence des Églises des frères mennonites en Saskatchewan. Précédemment, il était pasteur principal durant 25 ans.

Traduit par Suzanne Dunant Brown.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

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RESOURCING MINISTRY

INVITATION TO FULLY ENGAGE et’s be upfront. Most people don’t deal very well with change.

We are programmed for predictability. We develop routines and establish comfort zones for our lives.

The prospect of things changing around us can cause a great deal of anxiety and a feeling of loss of control.

As Canadians, we seem to have an extra aversion to change. From politics to church leadership, Canadians tend to stay away from aggressive leaders who run on platforms of extreme change. We like our predictability.

The Canadian Conference of MB Churches has been buffeted on all sides by multiple changes in the last few years. Our “Spidey senses” are tingling and our level of nervousness is through the roof.

One of the side effects of rapid change is the erosion of trust. We stop trusting leaders who are taking us too quickly to places we’ve never been before. Lack of trust leads to apathy, apathy leads to disconnection and all we are left with is a sense of loss.

If we, as a family of churches, believe that we have been called by God for a specific mission and purpose in Canada, then we also must rally together in times of change.

If part of our theological understanding is that God is sovereign, then we know that the changes we are experiencing are not outside of God’s control or knowledge.

It is imperative, however, that we remain true to our pursuit of God; that we stay firm on the biblical foundations that have cemented us as a denomination; and that we operate from the convictions that are part of our DNA as a family of churches.

At our AGM on Oct. 23, 2019, we will be voting on the implementation of the Collaborative Model. This model calls for changes – changes in behaviour, attitude, funding practices, structure, and reporting systems. You may be feeling apprehensive and uncertain. I am asking you to disregard the natural tendency to apathy and isolation and instead to fully engage.

The goal of the Collaborative Model is to see healthy churches on mission together – locally, nationally, and globally. We hope the changes we are experiencing will lead to the following:

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1. Healthy churches To fulfill the mission to which God has called us, we must walk in a constant dependency of God’s Spirit. Spiritual vitality and biblical foundations are key to producing healthy churches.

2. Churches on mission We join Christ on his mission of reconciling the world to himself. The call to make disciples continues to fuel the existence of the church.

3. Churches together The Collaborative Model will endeavour to create partnerships for the sake of mission. These partnerships will facilitate greater growth in the body of Christ and in our family of churches.

Local, national, 4. and global mission

God continues to call us to reach our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the world (Acts 1:8).

Together we will humbly walk out the mission we have received.

As changes occur, we will trust that he who has begun a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

E LT O N D A S I LVA

is the national director of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. He and Ana live in Winnipeg.

They have three children.

Who is the NMT?

DENIS FEDERAU

Director of Resource Ministries, BC Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

On the local church: I am engaged in our church by serving on the pastoral committee, mentoring the next generation of leaders, and occasional preaching.

Recommended resource: The Day the Revolution Began by N.T. Wright.

“The point of trying to understand the cross better is not so that we can congratulate ourselves for having solved an intellectual crossword puzzle, but so that God’s power and wisdom may work in us, through us, and out into the world that still regards Jesus’s crucifixion as weakness and folly.”

The National Ministry Team exists to inspire, equip, and encourage the church for effective ministry and mission in Canada and beyond.

It consists of the following people, introduced in pervious issues: Alain Després (AEFMQ ), Ed Willms (ONMB), Cam Priebe (MBCM), Philip A. Gunther (SKMB), Paul J. Loewen (ABMB), Randy Friesen (Multiply), Mark Wessner (MB Seminary), Ingrid Reichard (national faith and life director), and Elton DaSilva (CCMBC).

There’s still time!

National faith and life team leader Ingrid Reichard’s 5 reasons to come to the Equip study conference in Waterloo, Ont., Oct. 23–25, 2019.

1. Have a front row seat and a voice in the definition of the MB hermeneutical model 2. Sharpen your own biblical interpretation skills 3. Fellowship in a community of your peers 4. Learn from one another, including our MB speakers such as Gil Dueck and Kristal Toews 5. Have a book signed by Craig Keener

RESOURCING MINISTRY

The National Ministry Team is a strategic group of senior staff who work collaboratively to accomplish national vision within the Mennonite Brethren family in Canada. It is comprised of provincial conference leaders, the seminary president, church planting and global mission directors from Multiply, the national faith and life director, and the national director of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The NMT casts vision for Canadian MB churches, and prepares a budget and strategic plan for presentation at provincial assemblies.

VIEWPOINT

BUILDING COMMUNITY

ON BEING AN EVANGELICAL ecently I was involved in a group reading through The Activist Impulse: Essays on the Intersections of Anabaptism and Evangelicalism. It seemed the right time for me to reflect more deeply on what this means to be part of both communities.

Personally identifying with Anabaptism was and is easy.

When it came to evangelicalism, however, I feel like Nathaniel: “Can anything good come from there?”

(John 1:46).

For many, “evangelical” has been weighed down with the connotations of extreme beliefs and politics. To publicly identify as evangelical, you might as well be wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

This book club inspired me to recognize that ‘evangelical’ is bigger than these connotations. Evangelicalism means more than that, has more history than that, and includes more people than that.

I have come to believe that there are gifts within evangelicalism to share with the rest of the world.

To me, that primary gift is the calling and responsibility to share and care for the gospel.

However, to recognize one’s own gift is not the same as assuming nobody else has gifts. Instead, it is an invitation to know who we are, what we have to share, and be excited and humbled by what others generously offer to us.

The apostle Paul, when writing about the church, talked about how each member had a different gift meant to be shared for the good of the whole community (1 Corinthians 12:14–21). Although Paul was talking about individual members of the church community, analogy can be made between the collective members (different movements, etc.) within church history. 1 In relationship with other traditions, each has unique gifts to share and receive in turn.

No tradition is the “be all and end all,” but each still has a gift to offer. “If all were a single member, where would the body be?” (1 Corinthians 12:14-21).

I myself have received from evangelicalism: I came to know the story of Jesus, the value of the Bible, and a relationship with God through the ministry of evangelicalism.

This is no small thing.

Still I can’t talk about the gifts of evangelicalism without a serious engagement with the sins of our community – for example, imperialistic mission or oppression of LGBTQ people. Furthermore, it seems to me our sins are not an aberration or accident, but a deep misuse of our greatest gift.

When evangelicalism began, it had a simple mission: to introduce people to a personal relationship with Jesus.

Instead of a head with doctrines filled, it focused on a heart strangely warmed.

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At the same time, scholars in universities, in resistance to church control, began to critique orthodoxy. Is the Bible reliable? Do old doctrines still make sense? Are miracles real?

Evangelicalism became deeply afraid that scholarly skepticism would lead to a loss of belief, that a head full of questions would mean a heart cooled down.

Out of this fear, evangelicalism chose to withdraw from “the world” – culture, politics, scholarship, science.

Evangelicals across denominations adopted deep strategies of control, for the most part, to care for the gospel. Their dogmatism appeared like faithfulness, but deep down was fearful authoritarianism.

As I puzzled to understand this history, Scripture helped me see it spiritually.

After leaving Egypt, the people of Israel are asked to trust the Lord to lead and protect them. Over time, external threats intensify until Israel caves under the weight of their fears and ask for a king.

God is clear that such a request is not only a rejection of him but is counterproductive: the security they seek will become insecurity; the liberation they want will become a new oppression.

It seemed to me that dogmatism is to evangelicalism what choosing a king was to ancient Israel. Just as Israel’s choice came to be a source of suffering, so too, evangelicalism’s adoption of dogmatism has arguably done more harm than good.

The impulse to conserve your tradition is good. However, like many things, through excessive fear, you may destroy what you were trying to protect.

All of this has affected our ability to steward our gift in two ways.

First, this dogmatism has led us to believe that we have a gift to give, but nothing to receive; a belief that closes down our community to humble self-correction.

On the other hand, people who have deep sorrow over the harm our arrogance has caused are in danger of denying evangelicalism has any gifts at all.

Neither of these options are helpful.

Rather, what we need as evangelicals is an invitation to appropriate self-confidence: we have gifts to share, we have gifts to receive! Let us gladly recognize and steward the gifts of our traditions while simultaneously being open to receiving God’s manifold gifts from whatever neighbours they come.

ISAIAH RITZMANN

is a member of WMB Church, Waterloo, Ont.

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I want to recognize this extension of Paul’s analogy from the individual to the

group is itself a gift from Roman Catholicism, in particular Pope John Paul II.

VIEWPOINT

et me be honest with you: I don’t want my kids to be evangelical Christians when they grow up.

It was only recently, in one of those rare moments of fatherly self-awareness, that I realized this. My teens are clearly not following my route into the Christian faith. Shouldn’t I be concerned about this?

I decided to be honest with myself: I wasn’t.

Being a parent means seeing our most closely held beliefs – even ones we’re not entirely aware we hold – played-out in front of us in our day-to-day decisions while taking care of those we love most.

Then this dad-epiphany blew open a second time: Shouldn’t I be concerned about the fact that I’m not concerned about this?

If I didn’t especially want my children to become evangelical Christians, what did this say about my own faith? Again, being honest with myself, evangelicalism had become not only something I couldn’t give to the people I love, but something I myself no longer loved.

This realization was shocking.

It wasn’t that I had arrived at a change of mind after careful, systematic analysis. It wasn’t that I’d emerged from the archives after discovering a commonly accepted error. It was just some instinct-level part of my being finally letting my brain in on a little secret: You don’t want that for your kids because you know it isn’t good.

Of course, I would like them to experience the love of God through Christ.

Christian faith is the source of everything that’s best and meaningful about my life, so, naturally, I’d like the same for them. Simple.

But, I don’t wonder if they’ve said the sinner’s prayer; I don’t worry they’ll go to hell; and I don’t maneuver their social lives so their friends will hear an altar call.

Let me be even more honest.

I also don’t want them to head into the world thinking the people they meet are wrong to the degree those people are different from them.

I don’t want them to feel at odds with their bodies or someday be ashamed of sex.

Nor do I want them to feel like they can do whatever they want with the earth because God doesn’t really care about it.

I don’t want them to think the best they can do about people who are suffering is a passing prayer and an extra gush of gratitude for their own comforts.

And I don’t want them to stay in line with religious ideas just because a preacher is earnest and admired.

None of these feelings are unique to me. Outside of megachurches, the statistics for North America are pretty clear – for my generation and younger, there’s a rush at evangelicalism’s exit doors.

But there’s a second level to my epiphany.

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This dad also happens to be an evangelical pastor.

Suddenly, things are not so simple. Because if I’m to be wholesouled myself, I can’t love my church in one direction and my family in another. I can’t coddle a status quo religion at work and hope at home my kids won’t fall for it. If loving my family means there’ll be none of that cozy banality so common in generic evangelicalism, what’s an honest evangelical pastor to do?

I don’t really have an answer for this, but I do, at the moment, have a way of holding myself together.

It hinges on a hyphen.

As Mennonite Brethren, we do indeed identify as evangelical, but that recently tattered adjective usually comes with a hyphenated second part – Anabaptist.

For me, this means we should follow Jesus in steady, practical ways, even when it’s unpopular or difficult or dangerous.

I’m not sure why Mennonite Brethren seem to have let this second half of our identity fade.

Maybe it’s just that Anabaptism is so relatively unimpressive, so seemingly less important, so, you know, simple.

Or – and now this is going to sound like a dad rant – maybe we’ve let ourselves get lazy, too caught-up with what our friends think is cool, too shy about just getting out there and being ourselves.

There’s hardly a more predictable evangelical manoeuvre than leaving when we disagree, so just finding another spiritual home feels counter-effective.

Maybe, to really come of age as Mennonite Brethren we don’t need to become less evangelical; we need to become better at it.

If we looked through Anabaptist eyes, we might just see again what’s most redeemable about the evangelical instinct.

That God can interrupt a backward life.

That we can’t just be born into discipleship – neither in 16th-century central Europe, nor in 19th-century Russia, nor even in a pastor’s home today.

These are things I continue to find compelling.

And that there’s something real, something – for lack of a less clichéd way of putting it – personal about the way God loves us, and that our faith is therefore life-giving and not just dry rule-mongering; well, that’s about as near the centre of the good news as I can try to express.

But without the hyphen joining it to Anabaptist, “evangelical” today has come to mean something entirely different, something more like the opposite of what I can honestly hope for anyone I love – either for my family, or for my church, or, come to think of it, for my neighbour.

That puts a lot of pressure on a little piece of punctuation, but, if I’m to be honest and whole, that hyphen needs to keep holding my faith, and me, together.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

IT HINGES ON A HYPHEN

PAU L C U M I N

is senior pastor at Lendrum Mennonite Church, Edmonton.

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M U LT I P LY I N G C H U R C H E S

Breaking the Sound Barrier ewer musicians, lower sound levels – not recommendations you find in most church growth books. But for Coast Hills Community Church, Surrey, B.C., turning down the volume was just what the doctor ordered.

In spring 2019, the church was discerning what they were looking for in their next worship pastor.

They formed a listening committee that attended every care group to gather feedback on worship.

What they learned surprised them: in their little congregation of 150, many experienced the volume of a regular church service as painful due to concussions, inner ear damage, or autism.

The church members began a conversation: “What can we do that’s different from what other bigger churches offer?” The result was Accessible Sunday.

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“This is the love Paul is praying for in Philippians 1:9–11,” she said: a love “abounding in knowledge and depth of insight.”

“In all relationships, what we’re aiming to do is understand, ‘Who is that person, or who is that community, and how do I love them well?’”

Snyder himself was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome at 31.

“Amazingly, by God’s grace, I don’t ever tic while I preach,” he says.

But, he laughs, “When I’m not preaching, I’m the distraction.”

“Jesus calls misfits; that’s the kingdom of God.” Music to their ears

Snyder reports that a local counsellor who heard about Accessible Sundays told Coast Hills kids life director Dani Boehm that she works with many families with autism who no longer feel comfortable in church. The counsellor then asked, “Can I send them to your church?”

“So Accessible Sunday might make children’s ministry look differently too,” says Snyder, “with more volunteers to offer one-on-one care for children.”

Posture speaks volumes

Starting in March, on the first Sunday of each month, Coast Hills turns down the volume and sings to just one or two instruments.

“Think acoustic coffeehouse,” says worship director Julia McDougall. The sound team sought feedback from those with sensory sensitivities to find appropriate levels.

“The cool thing is that we’re hearing each other in the community,” says lead pastor Kevin Snyder. With the mics turned down, “we can hear each other sing, and we have to sit on the edge of our seats to hear the speaker.”

For members who don’t need reduced volume, Accessible Sunday is “a good lesson in ‘This isn’t just about me,’” says Snyder. “I can love my neighbour by coming to a church that might not have the loud songs I want, knowing that this person beside me is able to be here today because of that.’”

Coast Hills intentionally chose to hold Assessible Sundays on communion days: when they celebrate that they are all one.

Misfits in the kingdom

“We can talk about these things now,” says Snyder. Our weakness or disability is “not a black label; it’s who we are, so let’s talk about how to love each other best.”

“One of my children was diagnosed with autism last fall,” lay preacher and listening committee member Erin Julihn told Coast Hills in her Accessible Sunday sermon July 7, 2019. “My husband and I are having to reorient how we understand our child.”

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Worth a thousand words Worship director Julia McDougall recognized that many people don’t learn best by sitting still and listening, and particularly those with ADHD may need to fidget to maintain focus throughout the service. This inspired her to use the gifts of Coast Hills artist Sidsel Richmond.

Snyder began sending Richmond his sermon outlines in advance. Reflecting on each Sunday’s theme, Richmond creates doodle sheets for children and adults alike to colour, make notes on, and take home as a visual reminder of the message. Church members Tony Ekkert and Gareth Brumburger repurposed discarded wood into clipboards. Not only are worshippers engaged with the artwork, but for Richmond, these doodles have become a new way to connect with God throughout the week; she senses the Spirit as she draws.

ANGELINE SCHELLENBERG

We’ve got more to share than room to spare.

Visit mbherald.com for exclusive stories, updates from agency partners and churches – and more.

O U T O F H O R RO R, K A S A I S U RV I VO R S REBUILDING THEIR LIVES Samuel Kimenga became reconnected to the church because of the kindness of Communauté des Eglises de Frères Mennonites au Congo in Kikwit.

mbherald.com/kasai-survivors-rebuilding-lives

M U LT I P LY I N G C H U R C H E S

“We’re wondering what God is up to.

Is Accessible Sunday something we need to do more often?” It’s a work in progress. And the beautiful thing, says Snyder, is that the conversation continues to be “What is Spirit saying in community?”

Recently, Snyder heard one older woman, upon entering church, exclaim almost in tears, “It’s accessible Sunday: I don’t have to wear my earplugs!”

“What she was really saying,” says Snyder, “is ‘We have a voice here. We’re accepted.’”

According to an Angus Ried study released Jan. 22, 2019, one-quarter of Canadians identify as having a hearing, vision, or mobility disability. Some 28 percent of 35–54-year-olds say they anticipate mobility, vision, or hearing challenges arising in the next 5–10 years.

This rises to 32 percent among those 55+.

Visit mbherald.com for more stories on making church accessible to all.

SO M E T H I NG B I G G E R T HA N A D D I C T I O N With parishioners who may be drunk or high, One88 pastor Dave Ens often has a different sort of pastoral visit.

mbherald.com/bigger-than-addiction W H Y D I D T H E V E G E TA R I A N C R O S S T H E R OA D? As the new pastor of Scott Street MB Church, St. Catharines, I looked forward volunteering at the MCC mobile meat canning outreach. The irony is that I am a vegetarian.

mbherald.com/vegetarian-cross-road F O R T Y Y E A R S O F FA I T H F U L W I T N E S S Nov. 1–2, 2019, will be a time for celebration at the three campuses of the Bethlehem Bible College, located in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and the Gaza Study Centre. Over the last forty years, the Bethlehem Bible College has given students in the Occupied Territories the chance to study theology and peace in their home country.

mbherald.com/BBC-40-years

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RESOURCING MINISTRY

FINANCIAL R E O R G A N I Z AT I O N COMPLETE Jim Davidson only planned to make a short stop on his way to retirement when he accepted the role of interim CFO of CCMBC in 2015, but the transformation of the investment program into a new legal entity took longer than expected.

Reorganization of the CCMBC deposit program and transfer of lending and borrowing into the newly created CCMBC Investments Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of CCMBC Legacy Fund Inc.) was formally completed Aug. 30, 2019. “I naively thought this process would only take six months,” says Davidson. “Four and half years later, I am pleased to present the current solution.”

The process began in 2012 when the third-party legal and accounting consultants engaged to review the denomination’s unique RRSP and mortgage lending program flagged the need to make regulatory changes to bring the program into compliance with securities law.

This led to the creation of a separate entity, CCMBC Legacy Fund Inc. (Legacy).

Legacy performs administrative functions transferred from CCMBC including the employees working in finance, payroll, and accounting services. The for-profit entity CCMBC Investments Ltd. now carries out the lending and investment activities. Legacy is the only voting shareholder of CCMBC Investments Ltd. Unique in Canada, CCMBC Investments was developed through discussions with legal and financial consultants to meet the needs of CCMBC’s investors, continued ministry, and comply with Canadian tax and securities law.

“The ministry remains the same,” says Legacy CFO Bertha Dyck. “We continue to offer cash accounts, TFSA, and RRSP/RRIF accounts. The funds you invest with us continue to provide mortgages for MB churches, camps, schools, and pastors. Excess funds not currently needed for mortgages are invested in order to earn a return and remain liquid enough to provide mortgages when needed.”

Amid structural changes behind the scenes, Davidson wanted investors to see as little disruption to their experience as possible. “This structure most closely resembles the program we have been running for the past four decades,” says Davidson.

One new aspect is the involvement of Capstone Asset Management, a faith-based private wealth management

School of Music

Arts Dialogue Faith Science Community Music Mentorship Business Character Vocation Practica Peace-Justice Social Enterprise CANADIAN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY

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Jim Davidson

Bertha Dyck

RESOURCING MINISTRY

firm based in Langley, B.C., who functions as the exempt market dealer. They are registered with the securities commission, capable of facilitating the selling of securities between CCMBC Investments and the investor.

“It’s a privilege for Capstone to have been selected by the CCMBC board to partner with them as they walk out their ministry and mission,” says Glenn Murray, president of Capstone. “It’s also an opportunity for Capstone to serve the investors as they steward their wealth and leverage that through their investment in CCMBC ministry.”

“After Sept. 1, 2019, all new or additional money added to investments in CCMBC Investments will require a conversation with Capstone to complete the paperwork for the transaction,” says Stephen Smith, chief compliance officer of Capstone. “To comply with securities regulations, our obligations are to ensure investors are aware of the nature of the investment they are making, determine that it is suitable for their circumstances, verify their receipt of the Offering Memorandum, and confirm that they are eligible to make the investment under a prospectus exemption.”

Once Capstone has completed the necessary paperwork, an investor will send their investment proceeds directly to CCMBC Investments.

After a temporary restriction on accepting new funds, as of Sept. 1, 2019, CCMBC Investments is open to accepting new funds from existing or new investors who should

contact Capstone (1-855-437-7103) to initiate the process.

Those in the Lower Mainland can visit Capstone’s Langley office or see Capstone staff in Abbotsford (32025 George Ferguson Way, next to the BCMB office) on Friday mornings from 8:00–11:00 a.m.

Davidson, whose role shifted to CEO of Legacy when Dyck was appointed CFO in 2018, continues on a contract basis to provide consultation and support over the next few months as outstanding items need to be completed. “It has been a joy working with CCMBC,” he says.

For more information please visit: ccmbclegacyfund.com www.capstoneassets.ca

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Hellos FA M I LY N E W S

Jonathan Simpson Title & congregation: pastor of youth and young adults, Bakerview Church, Abbotsford, B.C Start: Aug. 1, 2019 Education: BA in biblical studies, Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford Previous ministry: youth ministry intern, Broadway Church, Chilliwack, B.C. (2014–2015); part-time youth pastor, New Hope Christian Church, Delta, B.C. (2017–2018) Family: Brittany On the church: We have an incredible mission as followers of Jesus to join in reconciling all things back to Jesus. The church is a place where people can see who they are and discover a deep and purposeful life because God created us and loves us. To see this unfold in the lives of youth and young adults gives me hope for the future and motivates me to continue.

Mike Engbers Title & congregation: lead pastor, Parliament Community Church, Regina Start: Mar. 4, 2019 Education: BA in philosophy, The King’s University, Edmonton; MDiv, Taylor Seminary, Edmonton; DMin, Carey Theological College, Vancouver Previous ministry: associate pastor, children and family, Trinity Baptist Church, Sherwood Park, Alta.; lead pastor, First Baptist Church, Prince Albert, Sask.; pulpit supply in several denominations Family: Christina, 4 children: Caralyn, Rachel, Madison, Brooklyn

On the church: My call to ministry came in the middle of a conflict in the church I attended. I sensed God calling me to love the church – “all of them!” I am passionate about people growing in faith, and also growing in community – in the church and in the world. I believe the church is stronger together than individually. I love seeing God at work through the church.

Phil Wagler Title & congregation: lead pastor, Kelowna (B.C.) Gospel Fellowship Start: Sept. 1, 2019 Education: BRE, Emmanuel Bible College, Kitchener, Ont.; MCS, Tyndale Seminary, Toronto; Arrow Leadership Program Previous ministry: training and mobilization lead, Multiply; lead pastor, Gracepoint Community Church, Surrey, B.C. Family: Jen; 6 children On the church: I love seeing a people, rooted and united in Jesus as Lord, engaging the world as the missionaries of the King.

Mark Burch Title & congregation: executive pastor for multiplication, Northview Start: July 1, 2019 Education: BRE, Briercrest, Caronport, Sask.; masters studies, Bakke Graduate University, Dallas, Tex., and ACTS Seminaries, Langley, B.C. Previous ministry: senior pastor, Arnold Community Church, Abbotsford, B.C., Willow Park Church, Kelowna, B.C., Maple Ridge (B.C.) Baptist Church; and 8 years with church planting (Church Planting B.C./the C2C Network/Multiply) Family: Karolyn; 3 adult children; 6 grandchildren

Save the date!

PCO 2020: May 26–28 Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C.

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On the church: Everyone has a story.

God orchestrated mine to give me a deep love for the Word of God and the local church. I love watching people grow in their hunger for the Word and seeing the growth of the church that results from faithful exposition of the Word and the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives!

Goodbyes Randy Chase, associate pastor of adult discipleship, Parliament Community Church, Regina (2014–2019).

Sabrina Wiens, director of family & community services, Scott Street Church (May 2008–June 2019).

Norm Funk, lead pastor, Westside Church, Vancouver (2007–2019).

Russ Toews, lead pastor, Westwood Community Church, Winnipeg (2013– 2019).

City Life Church, Abbotsford, B.C., closed in 2019. The church plant began Sept.

11, 2016, under the leadership of Jon Wiebe, and was accepted into the BC conference May 2017. Co-pastored by Jon Wiebe and Adam Wiggins, City Life Church had an average attendance of 60 in 2019.

Discovery Church of Ridge Meadows, Maple Ridge, B.C., closed Feb. 28, 2019.

Begun under the BCMB board of church extension in 1997 with Dan Warkentin as pastor, Discovery Church had an average attendance of 80–90 in the first year.

Trevor Stearns became pastor in 2003.

In 2019, the church had 25 members with an average attendance of 60.

Aug. 2, 2019. Planted in 2012 by Eastview Community Church in conjunction with MBCM, One88 is led by pastor Dave Ens and chaplain Greg Armstrong. Located at the edge of Winnipeg’s downtown, the mission of One88 is “to be present with those who live at the margins of society, creating space for people to meet Jesus.”

Carin Van Den Berg joined the Multiply team in February 2019 as director of human resources. Carin is also serving on an interim basis on the executive team, along with current members Randy Friesen, Larry Neufeld, Doug Penner, and Selwyn Uittenbosch.

Birth Wiebe – to Peter & Melanie of Steinbach, Man., a son, Marco Philip, June 28, 2019.

FA M I LY N E W S

Main Centre (Sask.) MB Church closed with a celebration service and lunch June 9, 2019. This 115-year-old church “sent a significant number of missionaries worldwide, sent countless leaders to serve, and continues to send out transformative ripples of ministry,” says SKMB director of ministry Philip Gunther. Benjamin Janz and 15 charter members from Steinbach, Man., began the congregation in 1904. Membership peaked in 1937 at 239. In 2019, the lay-led congregation discerned that their numbers did not warrant ongoing formal Sunday services. Members of the church continue to impact their community and beyond.

Wedding David Anderst of Hilda, Alta., & Rosalyn Pauls of Glenbush, Sask., June 1, 2019.

See mbherald.com/transitions-fall-2019

Community News

Transitions in your ministry? Let us know. mbherald@mbchurches.ca.

Seeking a name that declares to the community where they find hope and to whom the church belongs, Port Rowan (Ont.) MB Church changed their name to Living Hope Bible Church Sept 8, 2019. The new name reminds them of who they come to worship each Sunday, pointing to the source of hope, the living God (1 Peter 1:3–5), and to the Bible as their source for truth.

After transitioning out of Eastview Community Church for a year and a half, One88 Community Church became an independent congregation

Anniversary

Reader Response cont.

Nick and Diny van Veen of Chilliwack, B.C., celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Jan. 30, 2019, in Mexico with their 4 children. The van Veens were married Jan. 30, 1959, in the Netherlands, shortly before immigrating to Vineland, Ont. Their wedding text was Psalm 32:8.

Global and local realities

I want to commend you for the appropriate and critical focus in the editorial “Just Worship” (Summer 2019). It merits a reading for all serious-minded worshipers, especially by leadership with responsibility for worship in churches! It also invites attention to global and local realities.

BILL THIESSEN ABBOTSFORD, B.C.

FOR YOUR NEXT MOVE Tedd Epp

306.221.1614 | teddepp.com Saskatoon

Ministry-related job postings and volunteer opportunities in the North American evangelical Anabaptist community jobs.mbherald.com

www.unruhteam.ca

204-453-7653 WINNIPEG

Helping You Find Your Way Home...

CHRIS AND DAVID UNRUH

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

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FA M I LY N E W S

rawing on her teaching background, lay leader Heather Epp took a different approach to worship leading one Sunday morning at Blaine Lake (Sask.) Gospel Chapel.

She handed out two fill-in-theblanks forms to each person in the congregation.

She asked them to complete the sentences “I praise you for ...” and “God, you are ...”

After a few minutes, she collected the papers and read out the statements.

Heather had planned to organize

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the lines into a psalm as a prayer for and by the small congregation. But life got busy: she got married, had kids, moved away. The psalm fell by the wayside.

In 2016, another lay leader Terry Rapsey undertook to complete what Heather had started. After several drafts with input from others in the church, the psalm was complete. (Read the full psalm on page 32.)

The first time it was read in public was at the church’s community Thanksgiving service at the local senior’s centre in 2016. It recently appeared in the SKMB e-newsletter.

Sometimes you need someone else’s help to form a prayer.

Every Monday, the MB Herald website posts a prayer drawn from our community.

As you reflect on Scripture and on God’s inbreaking into the challenges we face in the world, if you are inspired to jot down a prayer in the form of a poem, we invite you to send it along to share with the MB family across Canada.

See bit.ly/Monday_prayer Write to mbherald@mbchurches.ca for more information.

YOU’RE INVIT ED T O. . .

THE

25 TH A NN I VERSA RY C EL EB R AT I O N

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019 • 6:00pm NORTH KILDONAN M.B. CHURCH, WINNIPEG The evening is open seating. You may reserve a table of 8 upon request.

Please RSVP by October 15 at 204-667-9576 or nicole@s1wm.com

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Featuring stories from Ernesto & Marina Pinto from 25 years of ministry and the Spanish music of Central American recording artist “Zulmaely”

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Finish Lines FA M I LY N E W S

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Abram Gerhard Konrad Mar. 26, 1932–Nov. 7, 2019 Birthplace: Gnadenthal, Man. Parents: Gerhard & Maria (Lepp) Konrad Marriage: Lydia Rempel, Aug. 19, 1961 Baptism: Matsqui (B.C.) MB Church: Lendrum Mennonite, Edmonton Family: Lydia; children Heather Prior (Dean), Rosanne, Jonathan (Lynda); 8 grandchildren; 5 siblings Abe had a strong faith in God and desire to lead his family and church in serving Jesus. He grew up on a dairy farm in Matsqui, B.C. Abe served as teacher and administrator from elementary through post-secondary levels. Academic dean at Tabor College, Kansas, and professor in educational administration at University of Alberta, he passionately advocated for and guided many students. He also travelled to build up colleges and universities in England, China, Paraguay, and Thailand. Abe dedicated his talents and resources to supporting Christian education, finding joy in serving the boards of MB Bible College, Canadian Mennonite University, MB Biblical Seminary, and Prairie Bible Institute.

Abe deeply loved the church, and often preached and led at Lendrum Mennonite Church and in the wider church, as Canadian MB conference moderator and Alberta MB conference minister. His ministry of visitation encouraged countless congregations and individuals. Abe’s bass voice and hearty “Amen” blessed all who heard them. Abe was a loving provider and an example of prayer and faithfulness for his family. He loved travelling with them, especially to mountains and oceans, creating many special memories. In his final years, Abe’s life drew his family closer to each other and to God. His deep faith enabled him to endure Alzheimer’s disease with grace and fortitude, sure of his hope of heaven and his Saviour’s nearness. Abe’s life was a testimony to God’s mercy and love; his memory as a man of faith, family, and service will be cherished.

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Magdalena Berg Aug. 3, 1928–Dec. 19, 2018 Birthplace: Neu-Pasua, Yugoslavia Parents: Adam & Magdalena Lang Marriage: John Berg, Oct. 25, 1947 [d. Jan. 1, 2019]

Church: Coaldale (Alta.) MB Family: children John (Rolly), Velma Clark [d.], Edmund, Esther (Allan) Friesen, Ruth (Ray) Braun, Wanda (Arno) Doerksen, Clemence; sons-in-law Ronald (Linda) Clark, David Quapp [d.]; 17 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren, including Madison Doerksen [d.]; 2 greatgreat-grandchildren Magdalena had a happy childhood, but in 1944, her family was forced to flee along with the rest of the German inhabitants of Neu-Pasua. Magdalena’s father and older brother Adam were killed, but Magdalena, her mother, and brother Herbert continued from Austria to Hungary, and eventually to safety in Germany, where they were reunited with her brother Tony. They arrived in Karlsruhe, Germany, in March 1946, and for the first time in years, Magdalena felt safe and free. On her second day in a refugee camp near Karlsruhe, Magdalena met John. They married and immigrated to Canada with their infant son John in 1949, settling in Coaldale, Alta. Together, they rebuilt their lives and added 6 more children to their family. Magdalena served and worshipped faithfully at Coaldale MB Church for years. She was a warm, kind, loving, prayerful, and strong woman of deep faith.

Frank Voth Klassen VI June 2, 1930–Feb. 8, 2019 Birthplace: Steinbach, Man. Parents: Franz & Katharina (Voth) Klassen Marriage: Ruth Rempel, Oct. 31, 1953 [d. Jan. 21, 2011]; Sally (Isaaks) Peters, June 14, 2014 Baptism: North End (now Elmwood) MB, Winnipeg Church: Richmond (B.C.) Bethel (now Church on Five); Cedar Park, Delta, B.C.

Family: Sally; children Frank VII (Karen), Cynthia [d. Feb. 10, 2012], Lorne (Rose), Jeff (Kate); Sally’s children Tammy (Harry) Harms, Randy (Lois) Peters; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; 3 sisters Frank dedicated his life to Christ at 15 and was baptized at in the gravel pit near Bird’s Hill, Man. He grew up in Winnipeg and Pemukan, Alta., before moving to B.C. in 1950.

He met his first love Ruth while picking cherries in Yarrow, B.C. They married 3 years later and welcomed 4 children on the Prairies before returning to B.C. in 1974. In Richmond, B.C., Frank started Sonrise Duplication, enabling many local musicians (including many then-unknowns like Michael Bublé, Sarah McLachlan, Raffi, and Charlotte Diamond) to distribute their music affordably on cassette and CD. He sold the company and retired in 2000.

After Ruth died in 2011, Frank met the final love of his life, Sally, who had also recently been widowed. They married and enjoyed their remaining years together in Ladner, B.C. Frank’s passions included fishing, photography, and cooking. He died peacefully, surrounded by family at Delta (B.C.) Hospital. During challenging times, Frank found great comfort in the promises of his Saviour.

He was a prayer warrior, interceding daily for every member of his family.

Verses that had special meaning for him were Romans 5:1–5 and John 3:16, and he lived by them.

Anne Fast May 2, 1920–Nov. 27, 2018 Birthplace: Steinbach, Man. Parents: Peter B. & Elizabeth Kroeker Marriage: Arnold Fast, May 2, 1943 [d. October 2015]

Church: Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. Family: children Carol Unger, Emily (John) Voth, Wesley, Gary (Valerie); 6 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren One of Anne’s favourite childhood memories was of the white horse that brought her to school every day, then turned around and went back home on its own. Anne and Arnold married

well and made many friends. She loved meeting others for coffee. She enjoyed doing puzzles and playing games like Skip-Bo and Scrabble – and usually won. Anne’s favourite verses were “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 100:1) and “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5). A prayer warrior, Anne is sadly missed.

John Henry Peters July 5, 1937–Dec. 21, 2018 Birthplace: Tofield, Alta.

Parents: Abram & Maria Suderman Peters Marriage: Margaret Stevens, 1982 [d. 2003]; Erna Poor, June 13, 2018 [d.]

Baptism: Matsqui (B.C.) MB, 1956 Church: Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. Family: stepchildren Rebecca, Karen, Maureen, Randy (Grace); sister Margaret Epp When John was 2, a specialist in Edmonton determined prenatal injuries affecting his right side were irreversible. They caused hardship, but also produced a determined, prayerful man who placed his hope in God. His parents bought him a piano and lessons; despite difficulties with his right hand, his aptitude was evident. On hour-long horseback rides to school, he and his sister Margaret amused themselves by singing in harmony. John experienced learning difficulties; through persistence and his Aunt Justina’s patient coaching,

he grew in reading and math. In 1946, the family moved to Matsqui, B.C. As a teen, John asked his brother how to follow Christ and they prayed together.

In 1957, the family moved to a smaller farm in Yarrow, B.C., where John shared in the milking duties. He enjoyed driving tractor. John’s parents helped him build a home in 1977. He was married to Margaret for 21 years. After a year and a half of widowhood, he married Erna, becoming a stepfather. John loved Bible reading and his prayer times with Erna. He joined choirs, including the Abbotsford Male Choir. In a matter of days, John lost Erna, his home, car, and church family. Despite this, he remained grateful to God. John moved to a care home in Delta, B.C., where he regularly encouraged and prayed with his grieving stepson Randy. In 2018, John transferred to MSA Manor, Abbotsford, B.C., near his sister and church. After a fall, he succumbed to complications.

John shared the Apostle Paul’s desire for all to trust in Christ.

Katherina (Kay) Isaak Feb. 7, 1921–Feb. 14, 2019 Birthplace: Marinovka, Russia Parents: Peter Jacob & Marie (Wiebe) Fote Marriage: John Isaak, Oct. 12, 1940 [d. 2007] Baptism: North Kildonan MB, Winnipeg Church: Broadway MB, Chilliwack, B.C.; Willingdon MB, Burnaby, B.C.; East Aldergrove (B.C.) MB (now Ross Road); Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. Family: sons Bob (Julia), Ron [d. 2005] (Bonnie), Ken [d. 2010] (Esther KlassenIsaak); 3 grandchildren; 1 great-grandson Kay’s family immigrated to Canada Oct. 20, 1926. In Winnipeg, Kay became a devoted church attender: at church, she sensed unity, peace, and love.

She joined the church choir at 13 and enjoyed singing in choirs and duets throughout her life. Kay felt privileged to earn a stenography diploma at Dominion Business College. Kay and John began married life on his family’s farm in Manitou, Man., where she learned to drive a car, milk cows, and churn butter. She also worked parttime in a farm equipment dealership

office. In fall 1949, Kay and John visited his parents in Yarrow, B.C., and the beauty of the colours led them to move nearby. They settled in Chilliwack, B.C., with 2 acres of raspberries, which Kay managed. She said these years as a stay-at-home mother were the best years of her life. Wherever they attended church, Kay displayed a servant heart. She marked children’s Sunday School lesson books and wrote encouraging notes in the margins.

She faithfully wrote to her family and missionaries. She also quilted MCC blankets, knit bandages for leprosy patients, did handcrafts, volunteered on committees, and together with John, served as kitchen stewards. With John’s massive heart attack in 1986, Kay felt that everything changed, except the love of their heavenly Father. Living next to Clearbrook MB Church, they felt blessed to hear the German language and beloved hymns.

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in 1943 and enjoyed 72 years together.

After Arnold was called to pastor in Kleefeld, Man., they ministered 6 years in Wymark, Sask., where Anne had fond memories of the people and a great revival. The parishioners’ kindness often overwhelmed them. During their 10 years of ministry in Steinbach, Man., Anne was a cook at Steinbach Bible College. She worked at the Braeside Care Home as a nurses’ aide while they served at Braeside Church, Winnipeg.

When they moved to Abbotsford, B.C., to pastor Peardonville Evangelical Mennonite Church and Eben-Ezer Mennonite, she worked 8 years at Menno Home. At 89, Anne and Arnold moved into Tabor Court for one year before he was transferred to Tabor Home for more care. Anne adjusted

Esther Balzer Mar. 13, 1934–Feb. 15, 2019 Birthplace: Borden, Sask.

Parents: Jacob & Maria Sukkau Marriage: Jake Balzer, Aug. 20, 1965 Church: Central Heights, Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. Family: Jake; daughters Roxanne, Renee, Ramona; grandchildren Esther grew up on a farm and studied nursing. It had been on her heart to marry a pastor. At Prairie Bible College, Three Hills, Alta., she met Jake.

They married and together pastored MB churches in Winnipeg; Fresno, California; Kamloops, Armstrong, and Mission, B.C. She worked 9 months as a nurse at Woodlands Institution, New Westminster, B.C., then stayed home to care for their daughters. When the girls were teens, Esther did childcare for 3 families, spending hours on the floor, playing. A great cook and baker, she filled her home with the smell of bread and cinnamon buns.

She sewed many clothes for herself and her daughters, including for their weddings. Esther poured out her love on her grandchildren. She and Jake had devotions together, praying daily

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for family, friends, and missionaries.

Esther joined the women’s ministry at Central Heights Church and assisted in the library at Clearbrook MB Church.

She answered calls at Telecare Crisis Line, assembled blankets for MCC, and worked at the MCC Thrift Shop. In her 70s, Esther helped her sisters-in-law with shopping, transportation, and personal care. In her 80s, she continued driving others to appointments. She declined chemotherapy and radiation for multiple myeloma. Though the pain in the end was excruciating, Esther continued to care for Jake and be strong for her children. She was an example of love, generosity, thankfulness, perseverance, and faith in Jesus.

with her grandparents. Emilie also worked in a wire factory and hospital.

By 1955, she saved enough for a house in Vancouver, where Trudy joined her.

When Trudy moved to Kitimat, B.C., in 1970, Emilie was alone again. Life took a turn in 1971 when a widower contacted her; months later, they married. Emilie and John lived in Arnold until 1974, then in Abbotsford, where Emilie loved gardening and entertaining. They served as deacons. During John’s last 16 months, Emilie visited him at Menno Hospital almost daily. She enjoyed reading biographies, sewing for Helping Hands, and knitting. Emilie entered Tabor Court in 2009. She met challenges with grace and courage.

Emilie Martens Apr. 24, 1922–Mar. 8, 2019 Birthplace: Wymyschle, Poland Parents: David & Martha Bartel Marriage: Friedrich Sommerfeld, October 1945 [d. July 1947]; John Martens, Sept. 11, 1971 [d. June 30, 2003] Baptism: Wymyschle, Poland Church: Vancouver MB; Arnold (B.C.) MB; Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. Family: daughters Trudy (Gerald) Janzen, Vi (Ken) Klassen, Bev (Jake) Schroeder, Mary [d.] (Kenton [d.]) Simpson; 9 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; sister Martha (Herb) Ratzlaff At 2, Emilie lost her birth mother Mathilda (Kliewer) Bartel. Emilie accepted Jesus as Saviour in her youth.

During WWII, she spent a year at agricultural training school and working on a farm and in a supply kitchen. With the Russian army’s advance, she fled to Hamburg, Germany, losing contact with family. She corresponded with Friedrich, whom she had met in Wymyschle before he was sent to the Russian front.

Reuniting in Hamburg, they married and welcomed daughter Trudy. Wartime conditions ruined Friedrich’s health; he died in 1947. Having received word her family was leaving for Canada, Emilie and Trudy sailed to Halifax, arriving in Mission, B.C., Dec. 2, 1948. Emilie worked as a domestic and studied English at night school, while Trudy lived in Arnold

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Heintz Erwin Sommer July 30, 1931–Mar. 28, 2019 Birthplace: New Sarepta, Alta.

Parents: Albert & Katarina Sommer Marriage: Elvira Toews, Apr. 30, 1953 [d. Oct. 6, 2018]

Baptism: Broadway MB, Chilliwack, B.C., 1964 Church: Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. Family: daughters Cheryl, Adeline, Pearl; 9 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; 3 siblings Heintz’s family moved from Alberta to Chilliwack, B.C., in 1948 to farm.

Heintz finished Grade 8 and then worked on the farm. At 12, he accepted Jesus as Saviour at Bible camp. After Heintz and Elvira married, they moved onto Heintz’s family farm to farm with his dad. After 3 years, they bought a farm in Rosedale, B.C. Heintz worked at Dueck Building Supplies while raising cows, pigs, chickens, and growing raspberries. The early years with 3 young girls brought them great joy.

They moved in 1967 to Chilliwack, where Heintz continued working for Dueck Building Supplies (and Lumberland Building Material after they purchased the business), hauling lumber and meeting people on his deliveries, something he greatly enjoyed. At Broadway MB Church, Heintz served as usher, member-at-large on the church council, and representative for

the Canadian Bible Society. He was on the MCC planning committee and enjoyed auctioning for the MCC sales for 28 years. Heintz retired at 58 due to knee surgeries. He and Elvira moved to Abbotsford, B.C., enjoying condo living and a slower pace. In 2010, after Heintz’s mini strokes, they moved into assisted living at Tabor Court. Dementia started to take greater control and Heintz moved into Tabor Home for full care. Although these last years were difficult with living apart, Elvira visited as often as possible until she died.

Although Heintz couldn’t comprehend Elvira’s absence, his family believes his heart knew where she was. Less than 6 months later, Heintz met his Lord and rejoined his beloved wife.

Helen Stobbe Nov. 20, 1936–May 27, 2019 Birthplace: Morden, Man. Parents: Peter C. & Agnes Penner Marriage: Victor Stobbe, May 31, 1956 Church: Greendale MB, Chilliwack, B.C.; Arnold (B.C.) MB; Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C. Family: Victor; 4 children; 17 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; 7 siblings Helen’s most vivid childhood memory was of her brother Johnny teaching her to drive tractor: as she struggled to reach the brake, she inadvertently turned the wheel, mowing down a fence, a wheelbarrow, and 2 acres of grape cuttings. Helen accepted Jesus as Saviour at 9. She met Victor at Bible School, where they challenged each other in Bible memory competitions. They dated while she was working at a Vancouver bakery. After marriage, Helen worked at Valley Maid Bakery, Abbotsford, B.C. The family began ranching.

Victor pastored South Otter Church.

Helen loved being a mother. While Victor pursued pastoral studies, they lived in Fresno and Big Creek, Cal. Helen embraced life as pastor’s wife, finding fulfillment in singing, teaching, practising hospitality, planning events, and counselling. She was a constant source of encouragement

Martin Doerksen Nov. 16, 1941–June 1, 2019 Birthplace: Langton, Ont. Parents: David & Marie Doerksen Marriage: Selma Baese, 1964 Baptism: Port Rowan MB, age 19 Family: Selma; children Rick (Lynda), Annette (Marv) Klassen, Mike, Bryan (Charlotte); 12 grandchildren; 2 greatgranddaughters Martin attended a one-room schoolhouse, followed by 2 years of high school in Delhi, Ont. From early on, Martin loved farming with his father. He eagerly helped with milking, drawing hay, and cultivating corn and beans.

As he grew, he began tractor work, then at 16, he started trucking for his uncles Jake and Abe. At church, Martin loved to sing in the choir or octet, and serve as an usher and trustee. In 1963, he purchased 30 acres in Houghton Township and began his own mixed farming operation with grain, animals, and vegetables. An entrepreneur, he sold potatoes out of his trunk in Port Rowan. Here, he met Selma and a relationship blossomed. Martin was a gifted athlete. He played pickup hockey in Simcoe, Ont., and joined a bowling team. Martin also enjoyed going to

auction sales to buy and sell livestock or meet his farmer friends for lively banter.

His nieces and nephews were pleased to help him plant tomatoes and peppers. In 2004, Martin’s lower leg was amputated after a farming accident. He prayed only that the Lord would allow him to continue farming. He told his therapists that his recuperation would need to be hastened in time for spring planting and his wedding anniversary. He walked out of Parkwood Rehabilitation Institute and onto a tractor the day before his deadline. A hemorrhagic stroke on May 9, 2017, later complicated by multiple health issues, was the beginning of a slow decline in health.

Arnold Dyck Aug. 22, 1936–June 27, 2019 Birthplace: Turnhill, Sask.

Parents: Peter & Anna Dyck; stepmother Nettie Dyck Marriage: Lory Peters, June 14, 1958 Baptism: Bethania MB, Beaver Flats, Sask., 1957 Church: Parliament, Regina Family: Lory; children Ron (Marilyn), Dave (Coralea), Ken (Bonnie); 8 grandchildren;16 great-grandchildren; 6 siblings Arnold was raised on the farm, completing Grade 11 at the small district school. He enjoyed baseball, hockey, and camping. He accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour at an early age, and throughout his life, he was bold in proclaiming his faith. At Herbert (Sask.)

Bible School, Arnold met and fell in love with Lory. They married and lived 6 years in Swift Current, Sask. When he secured a job at Lakeside Chrysler in 1964, they moved to Regina. He started a sales career at DeFehr Furniture in 1969, transferred to Saskatoon in 1975, and returned to Regina in 1986. He completed his career in Winnipeg with Palliser Furniture in 2000. Arnold viewed his job as a calling. Some of his fondest memories included the relationships he built with furniture store owners in Manitoba. In midlife, snowmobiling was a passion, and it became a family sport, later replaced by golfing and fishing.

He loved playing with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Arnold served

many years with the Saskatchewan branch of the Gideons; however, he found greatest pleasure leading in Christian Service Brigade, where he invested countless hours mentoring his sons and other young men of the church. Arnold was admitted June 21 for injuries from a fall and died in hospital following a heart attack.

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for Victor. After returning to B.C., Helen continued investing in people everywhere they ministered: Mission, Chilliwack, Castlegar, and Miocene, B.C.; Hays, Alta.; and Forest Grove, Saskatoon. A lifelong learner, Helen took art and college courses, became an EAL instructor, and read avidly on childrearing, theology, psychology, health, and history. She was fond of sewing, knitting, painting, decorating, and gardening. She read to her grandchildren and made them costumes. Despite frail health, she made an effort to do as much as she could, such as going on mission trips and hosting gatherings at Rose Lake. Helen and Victor ministered to Cambodian refugees in Long Beach, Cal., with YWAM and taught English in Russia.

Gentle, organized, and flexible, with a good sense of humour, Helen valued people and lived her faith.

Werner Isaac Boldt Nov. 27, 1926–June 30, 2019 Birthplace: Waldheim, Sask.

Parents: Isaac & Anna (Dick) Boldt; stepmother Agnes (Stobbe) Boldt Marriage: Martha Harder, Oct. 15, 1950 Baptism: Glenbush (Sask.) MB, Aug. 1, 1943 Family: Martha; children Ray (Trudy), Burt, Barrie (Dian), Leona (Don) Baerg, Dorie [d.]; 10 grandchildren; 15 greatgrandchildren; 2 siblings Werner’s family moved to Glenbush, Sask., in 1928 to begin farming. At Avery School, Werner’s favourite subject was recess. He spent countless hours walking behind horse-drawn harrows.

Glenbush MB Church was a weekly part of growing up. As a teen, Werner accepted Jesus as Saviour. When the church had no pastor, Werner attended Belbutte Full Gospel Church, where pastor Floyd Berg became his friend. On a cold, wet, snowy day, Werner and Martha began married life. Their children brought him joy.

Horses were always an important part of his life. He enjoyed participating in parades with show wagon and harness, volunteering at the Battleford’s Western Museum and on a few wagon treks. Werner was involved in several serious accidents, but the Lord restored him. Werner believed you needed the Lord’s blessings on the labour of your hands (Psalm 127:1). When the present Glenbush MB Church building was built, Werner was a part of the construction crew., shoveling gravel for the basement and sawing lumber by hand. Werner enjoyed the new life the grandchildren brought into the family.

They will remember the whisker rubs they received after he caught them.

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P R AY E R S O F T H E P E O P L E David Dick RESOURCING MINISTRY

Aug. 3, 1931–July 23, 2019 Birthplace: Coaldale, Alta.

Parents: Johann & Liese Dick Marriage: Elfrieda Pauls, Sept. 2, 1956 Church: Coaldale MB; Linden (Alta.)

MB; Highland MB, Calgary Family: Elfrieda; children Harold (Donna Parry), Marion Dick Davey (Earl), Stan Dueck (Gail), Valorie Block (Neil) and Vernon Ward (Calista); 13 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; 4 siblings David grew up on a farm in Readymade, Alta. The family was poor, even by Great Depression standards, but David recalled a household permeated by love for God, family, and friends. He became a Christian around age 6. Grappling with the legalism he saw in church, he grew to understand a relationship with God built on grace. David married fellow teacher Elfrieda and enjoyed a 40-year career as a teacher and education administrator in Sunnyside, Coaldale, Linden, and Calgary, Alta. He served the Camp Evergreen board and many MB conference committees. David and Elfrieda moved to Winnipeg to be closer to family after his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2017. David was committed to learning, becoming proficient with computers and formatting digital photographs in retirement. Visits with relatives were a standard feature of vacations.

He preserved his family’s legacy by writing his own and his extended family history. From his teens until age 85, his deep bass voice was always part of a small group or choir. Quiet and reflective, David was a wealth of knowledge and advice for his children and grandchildren. He had a funny story for every situation and person he met, including the wonderful staff at Riverview Health Centre, Winnipeg.

Despite a congenital tremor, David enjoyed working with his hands and had a talent for woodworking. He will be remembered for his integrity, commitment, and gentle spirit.

Grace Mariann Rosaline Engbrecht Mar. 12, 1946–Jan. 21, 2019 Birthplace: Winkler, Man. Parents: George & Nettie Groening Marriage: Peter Engbrecht, June 1, 1968 Church: Fort Garry MB, Winnipeg Family: Peter; children Jonathan (Catherine), Timothy (Esther); 2 grandchildren Grace attended a one-room school with her dad as teacher. She graduated from University of Manitoba with a BA in English in 1967 and an education degree in 1968. At InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, she met Peter and they married. She taught Grades 5–7 for 3.5 years. Grace was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1972. She remained an involved mother and homemaker with creative hobbies and a busy social life. She was an active member of her church and community, welcoming newcomers to Winnipeg with Welcome Wagon and studying accounting at Red River Community College. Grace worked 9 years at Hull’s Family Bookstore. She never lost her contagious passion for learning and literature, even after she could no longer read independently.

Grace took what life handed her without complaining. While she didn’t allow MS to define her, she inspired many to support MS research: her Intrepid Walkers team was one of the top 10 MS Walk fundraisers. A loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother, she expressed pride in every family member and welcomed in-laws with open arms.

After her parents and sisters moved away, she wrote letters, sent care packages, and kept family connections strong. Few entered her orbit without receiving the offer of friendship: hairdressers, university students, homecare workers, bus drivers, children, refugees, co-workers. Until her final breath, she continued bringing people together in her hospital room.

A feisty, passionate, curious woman of integrity, she loved sharing a joke or mischievous moment, such as adding salt to her parents’ sugar bowl or throwing pyrotechnic potatoes from a speeding car.

Grace and Peter were a tremendous team.

Blaine Lake Gospel Chapel Psalm God, you are our strength, our comfort and our sustenance.

We praise You because You have given us life and breath.

You, Lord, are sovereign, the Creator of the universe.

You are amazing! You are everything.

O God, You are the beginning and the end and everything in between.

You make us joyful in all circumstances.

You make us fruitful in spite of our inabilities and imperfections.

You make us awed, grateful, and wanting to be and do more to serve You. We praise You because of Your grace and Your unconditional love.

You make us cry tears of joy for who You are, and tears of sorrow for what we are.

We praise You because You let Your Son take our sins to the cross with him that we may have eternal life.

Lord, You alone are worthy.

We praise You because You never give up on us, never get tired of us, and never refuse to listen to us.

We praise You because You are speaking even when we don’t hear You and working even when we don’t perceive it.

We praise You because You give us what we don’t ask for, what we don’t deserve, but what is best for us.

O God, You have faithfully been there for us through the joyful and the very trying times in our lives.

You are present even when we don’t recognize it.

You have given us blessings of family and all the basic necessities of life.

We love You Lord.

This psalm was compiled from the written submissions of all members of the Blaine Lake (Sask.) Gospel Chapel (See page 26.)

See bit.ly/Monday_prayer

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“GOI N G TO CH U RCH ” WITH THE MB HERALD BOOK CLUB

ever been catching up on your newsfeed and impulsively clicked something that caught your eye?

Just a momentary spark of interest and suddenly you’re down a rabbit hole.

That’s sort of how I ended up joining the MB Herald book club this year.

chat. My hope of quiet background listening evaporated. We would all see each other face-to-face and converse in real time. No way to be an anonymous spectator.

At this point, I had a choice: back out quietly or face my discomfort and press on. For reasons I’m still not sure I can explain, I decided to push aside my considerable doubts and try it out.

I’m glad I did.

A sinking feeling

For 15 weeks, we met every Friday afternoon for an hour to talk through each essay in the book. The essays were sometimes dry, often dealing with points in the history of the Anabaptist or Evangelical movements – usually people and places I had not heard of before. While reading, I needed my phone handy to look up theology terms.

At the same time, the essays almost always parallelled or resonated strongly with current topics and tensions within the church in some way.

And, fortunately, the conversations were rich. I thoroughly enjoyed the perspectives, interests, and questions each person brought to the meetings. Though the book was one I would not have tackled on my own, reading it together with this group of mostly strangers spread across the country was a joy.

In a strange way, it began to feel like we were doing church. Here we were meeting together, asking questions together, learning together, trying together to figure out what it means to be part of a denomination today that is both evangelical and Anabaptist. Though we weren’t studying the Bible, worshipping together, or breaking bread, we were all interested in discerning how best to be faithful in our lives, home churches, and ministries. We could listen and learn from one another.

Over the course of our conversations, I felt a community forming. These strangers became people I looked forward to hearing from each week – people who have contributed to my spiritual growth and understanding.

What began for me as an impulse click over social media became a meaningful opportunity for connection, community, and learning. An opportunity for which I am very grateful.

E

A friend posted on Twitter about this online book study and something in the topic – a promise to explore evangelicalism and Anabaptism – resonated with me. I clicked. Within a few short minutes I had fired off an email to join the reading and discussion.

It seemed a great plan at first. Then, I took a closer look at the book title and description: The Activist Impulse: Essays on the Intersection of Evangelicalism and Anabaptism. This sounded a bit more academic than I’d bargained for.

Next, I checked out the others who had similarly responded to my friend’s tweet. A slow, sinking feeling settled over me – they were predominantly men with pastoral or academic vocations. “One of these things is not like the others” played in my mind.

A learning opportunity

I am an Edmonton mother of three with a passion for language and literature working part-time in government communications.

Although I love my church community and am very interested in exploring topics of faith, I’m no theologian and have no academic background in church history.

Maybe, I thought, I can be a silent participant. I’ll passively soak up some knowledge as if taking in a lecture.

With this plan firmly in mind, I next learned the book club would meet via video

BUILDING COMMUNITY

How an impulse click surprised me with community A community of online friends

MEGAN STOBBE

is a member of Lendrum Mennonite Church, Edmonton.

The fall book club on The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone begins in November.

See mbherald.com/book-club for more information.

For more virtual study opportunities, visit equip.mennonitebrethren.ca to view interactive webinars.

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After several years in process, the transition of the long-standing “deposit program� of MB Stewardship Ministries from the Canadian Conference of MB Churches to the new investment program of CCMBC Investments Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of CCMBC Legacy Fund Inc.) is anticipated to be finalized on Sept. 1, 2019. Current investors have been advised of the changes.

Interested new investors can contact us now at legacy@mbchurches.ca or 1-888-669-6575 to find out more information.

1-855-437-7103