MB Herald Digest | October 2020

OCTOBER 2020 MBHERALD.COM

Digest

A Jesus bigger than Sunday morning

Sharing the life & story of the Mennonite Brethren in Canada

COVID-19, discipleship and the practice of gathered worship

VOLU M E 59, NO. 3

1 0 0 Y E A R S O F M C C GET TO KNOW RON P E N N E R CCMBC FINA N CIA L DAS H BOA RD

After several years in process, the transition of the long-standing “deposit program� of MB Stewardship Ministries from the Meet CCMBC Investments Ltd. This new Canadian Conference of MB Churches to the new organization continues the long-standing investment program of CCMBC Investments Ltd. Stewardship Ministries of the Canadian (a wholly owned subsidiary of CCMBC Legacy MB Conference.

Fund Inc.) is anticipated to be finalized on Sept. 1, 2019. Current investors have been CCMBC Investments is open to accepting advised of the changes. new funds from existing or new investors

Interested investors can contact who shouldnew contact Capstone Assetus now at legacy@mbchurches.ca or 1-888-669-6575 Management (1-855-437-7103) out the more information. to find initiate process.

1-855-437-7103

Mennonite Brethren Herald Digest is digitally published monthly 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.

Digest

OC TO B ER 2020 | VO LU M E 59, N O. 3 EDITORIAL OFFICE 1310 Taylor Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3M 3Z6 Phone: 204-669-6575 Toll-free in Canada: 888-669-6575 MBHERALD@MBCHURCHES.CA W W W. M B H ER ALD.CO M

ISSN: 0025-9349 The Mennonite Brethren Herald is a publication of

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MCC IN THE NEXT CENTURY

14

A JESUS BIGGER THAN SUNDAY MORNING

18

Rick Cober Bauman

9

Rev. Philip A Gunther

11

WALKING CLOSELY WITH GOD

John Longhurst

AN OVERVIEW OF THE COLLABORATIVE MODEL

Elton DaSilva

AUGUST 2020 FINANCIAL DASHBOARD

Connect Sharing the life and story of Mennonite Brethren in Canada

Arno and Lena Fast. Arno pastored at Salem Community Bible Church for 50 years. Full story on page 14

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

MBHERALD.COM

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

OCTOBER 2020

Q: How do you speak well about marriage with your neighbours, knowing that marriage can be difficult?

A: Check out the Faith and Life online pamphlets about marriage and family. www.mennonitebrethren.ca/ nflt-resources

From the editor sit by the picture window of my living room as I write, watching the leaves quickly fall from the trees.

The frost on the grass confirms my suspicions that winter will soon be arriving in Winnipeg. Fall is our shortest season and a reminder that some seasons don’t last long enough.

Still, some seasons plod on far past our expectations. We are six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, with no reprieve in sight. Many assumed we would be back to normal by now: enjoying the company of loved ones, heading back to work or school, worshiping together on Sundays. But instead, we continue to live in limbo, awaiting an end to this season.

Some of us have adapted to this new reality. We get by with little trouble, while others, like seniors, are having a challenging time coping with the changes brought on by COVID-19. They may be isolated from their family caregivers or in assisted living communities or care homes, where the risk of infection is higher. Some elderly are without access to technology, cut off from their church families. As churches return to in-person services, the elderly, who are more susceptible to becoming sick, are cautious about returning.

Last week I spoke with Linda (not her real name), who lives in an assisted living centre in Ontario. She received our subscription drive mailing and had questions about how to sign up. Not having a computer or a church to attend, Linda expressed her disappointment for missing out on her MB brothers and sisters’ stories. We came up with a plan where one of her friends from the complex would subscribe, and they could read MB Herald Digest together. A workaround at best, but until Linda can safely return to her church home, it’ll have to do.

Has your church returned to in-person gatherings? If so, how do you include the elderly as part of your community? Perhaps your services are still being broadcasted online. The same question applies: how are you making your worship services

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accessible to seniors? Please answer by email to carson.samson@mbchurches.ca. We will include your responses in an future issue so that we can learn from one another.

In this issue, Saskatchewan Conference director of ministry Phil Gunther ponders if we have placed our love for Sunday morning worship gatherings above our love for Christ. A Jesus bigger than Sunday morning is on page nine.

On page 14, John Longhurst pays tribute to Salem Community Bible Church pastor, Arno Fast. Mr. Fast, who pastored at Salem for 50 years, passed away in June. In his ministry’s twilight, Fast worked alongside his grandson, Andy Rapko, mentoring and preparing Randy to take up his mantle.

Seasons change. Some change faster than we like. Some seasons drag on, darkening our outlook and chipping away at our resolve. Our station is to remain strong in our faith in Christ Jesus, God eternal and unchanging.

AS LONG AS THE E ARTH ENDURES , S E E D T I M E A N D H A R V E S T, C O L D A N D H E AT, S U M M E R A N D W I N T E R , D AY A N D N I G H T WILL NEVER CEASE. GENESIS 8:22

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who sent positive and constructive feedback on our first issue. MB Herald Digest is your family magazine, and we want to be certain it meeds the MB family’s needs. How can we improve? How can we reach those like Linda, who do not have the means to read online? Please contact us at mbherald@mbchurches.ca.

With respect,

Carson

CARSON SAMSON

Communications director

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

OCTOBER 2020

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Dr. Pierre Gilbert pens new book

#WORSHIPWEDNESDAY HOMEPAGE

Let's worship together!

Every second Wednesday, MB Herald shares worship music from our in-house band on social media. We want to include our MB churches in this outreach.

Worship teams, please tag your posts with #WorshipWednesday, email us at mbherald@ mbchurches.ca or private message us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and worship with us.

Can you help us?

MB churches can help those without computers or other Internetconnected devices receive the online digest.

Please consider printing copies of MB Herald Digest to display at your welcome centres and placing them in the mailboxes of those who request a printed copy.

Thanks for your ongoing support.

Need help subscribing to the online digest?

Email us at mbherald@ mbchurches.ca, or call 1-888-669-6575 and ask for Carson or Bomba.

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OCTOBER 2020

M B H E R A L D.C O M

The most incisive indictment against Christianity resides in the notion of a God who created a world in which there is untold suffering and death. Is this the best God could do?

In response, most Christians will mutter something about free will or the necessity of evil to bring about God’s plan for humanity.

Theologians often reply by challenging the very legitimacy of the question; God only requires that we persevere. Biblical scholars, who might otherwise be expected to offer a scriptural perspective, nervously denounce any suggestion that the presence of evil may have had something to do with a primordial couple and a fruit tree.

Is it any wonder that most people believe that evil must surely be an intractable component of human existence introduced, perhaps, by the very God Jews and Christians worship?

God Never Meant for Us to Die is a response to the problem of evil that unconditionally affirms the goodness and power of God. Based on a new assessment of the Genesis creation story, one of the greatest texts ever to have emerged in human history, the author contends that God never intended for humanity to experience suffering and death.

“The provocative title, God Never Meant for Us to Die, invites readers to a creative and engaging biblical theological study of theodicy. This is one of the finest works on the subject I have read.”

–Daniel I. Block, Gunther H. Knoedler Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Wheaton College

›› Purchase God Never Meant for Us to Die and Pierre Gilbert’s first book, Demons, Lies and Shadows at KindredProductions.com

#MBSEMINARY #ICOMB #CONFESSION OF FAITH

DO U G H EI D EB RECHT REFLEC TS O N TH E ICOMB CONFESSION O F FA I T H In 2004, the International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) approved an international Confession of Faith as an attempt to express shared global MB convictions that define MB theological identity. For each MB

conference, the ICOMB Confession serves as a succinct summary of MB convictions, since each member conference has affirmed this global confession. Some national conferences, like Canada and the United States, hold both to their own confessional statement and to the shared ICOMB confession. The ICOMB Confession also represents MB convictions within the larger Mennonite World Conference (MWC), where the ICOMB family makes up about 30 percent of its membership. Read more.

As a Mennonite Brethren organization, we have the essential values of relationship and connection. For many, 2020 reminds us that there are many things we can live without, but our relationships are not one of them. We are viewing this season as an opportunity.

The pace of 2020 has caused us to turn inward. It has slowed us down enough to look into the warehouse and take stock. What are our strengths? Where are our weaknesses? What will our future look like and in what ways do we want to shape it? We have identified some of these things, but we are not rushing the process of assessing and shoring up our foundation.

All of this work has you, our supporters and our customers, at the forefront. We are so grateful every time you choose us, and we want that appreciation to show. We recognize that we have not always expressed our gratitude for you, and we are genuinely sorry where this has been true.

This note is to tell you that we are changing.

So thank you for your support, whether you are a subscriber to our Rejoice! Devotional, an avid reader of the Direction Journal or anything in between. We remain committed to our calling of providing you with Mennonite Brethren resources.

Sincerely, All (two) of us at Kindred.

Carson and Amanda

#MENNONITEWORLDCONFERENCE #ANABAPTISTWORLDFELLOWSHIP

Following Jesus together across barriers is the theme for the 2021 Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday.

Mennonite World Conference (MWC) churches around the world will recognize this event on January 24, 2021. MWC member churches are encouraged to participate in Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday at any convenient date for their congregations. A worship resource package (testimonies, sermon notes, prayers, visuals) for celebrating Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday is available on the MWC website along with more teaching materials and stories about Anabaptist churches around the world.

HOMEPAGE

Hello from Kindred Productions!

YO U N G PE ACEMAKERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST Manuel Bohm serves with the Peace and Reconciliation Network of the World Evangelical Alliance. He is from Germany but lives in Canada with his wife, Valerie. This past summer, Manuel participated in a peace camp in one of the most war-torn regions of the Middle East. At the weeklong event, he was joined by forty other international volunteers and fifty-two local participants who came from a wide variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds. They lived together, shared their lives and stories, and walked through a curriculum focused on practical peacemaking. In this interview with Mark JH Klassen, Manuel tells about his experience and shares his heart about this unique model of mission.

Read more here.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

OCTOBER 2020

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

Issa Ebombolo, MCC’s peacebuilding coordinator for Zambia and Malawi, unloads cooking oil in the village of Tomali as part of

PRESSING FOR THE PEACE OF JESUS MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE IN THE NEX T CENTURY ne hundred years ago, 1920.

MCC began in response to drought, hunger and violence. Canadians were quick to answer the pleas of global neighbours, although they themselves were recovering from a deadly flu pandemic.

Now we are marking our centennial at a time when the globe is on the brink of a food shortage, induced by COVID-19, and facing another pandemic.

I say “marking” because to say celebrate would ring rather hollow in a year where “postponed due to COVID-19” is a more common refrain in the MCC lexicon than “centennial party.” Who could have known that our centenary celebrations would be squelched by quarantine and cancellations brought about by the world’s worst pandemic since the one at MCC’s founding?

As we examine the similarities between these two centuries, I’m struck by the fact that the world continues to be haunted by grotesque disparity. Certain groups are more vulnerable to disease and hunger than others. And yet, thanks be to God, there are generous, compassionate Canadians who care. MCC’s vital, Jesus-following ministry continues into another century.

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OCTOBER 2020

M B H E R A L D.C O M

Sharing God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ.

When the COVID-19 shutdown began in Canada, we were within days of approving a multi-year strategic plan. At first there were chuckles and smiles at the sheer audacity of believing we could see so far and around so many corners as to plan five years into the unknown future.

But as the weeks passed and we dug deeper into our plan, we found it stood up rather well even under the test of COVID-19. Our daring plan calls for us to: our spiritual grounding ˚ deepen as Jesus-following communi-

˚ ˚ ˚

ties, sharing our maker’s love with the world; strengthen the capacity of partners, especially Anabaptist church partners, with emphasis on those working with displaced and uprooted people; improve communication with churches and constituents; respond to the impact of climate change on vulnerable people. And address our own operations and the ways we contribute to the harming of a good creation.

And then there is peace. Our plans call us to do more peacebuilding, and we will integrate peace into more and more of our work. It has

MCC’s Cyclone Idai flood relief project in Malawi in 2019.

MCC PHOTO/ A M A N D A TA L S T R A

MCC relief kitchen in southern Russia (present-day Ukraine), who was forced to cook gophers and bake with thistles before MCC’s help arrived?

In some ways, the MCC of the next century may look unfamiliar to her. MCC will be found online and on multiple platforms as we embrace new ways of truly being with partners and supporters – even when we need to do it from a distance.

And she probably wouldn’t recognize many of the names or faces of MCC. There are Reimers and Martens, to be sure. However, there are increasing numbers of Ciptadis and Ebombolos and Mayasandras who provide leadership and vision.

Yet I believe Anna would still recognize the heart of the MCC she knew. She would recognize us as a person-centered ministry, a thin membrane through which supporters can touch and be touched by the needs in the world. Anna would recognize an MCC rooted in the ever-changing, radical Anabaptist Christian community, even with arms wide and welcoming to other compassionate Canadians who share the values of MCC. And I know she would recognize you. Heirs of the faithful, generous Jesus followers a century ago who said “yes” when asked to share with their cousins and aunts and uncles starving in Ukraine.

We are grateful for your generous support over the last century!

And we hope you will feel invited into a second century of MCC ministry, rooted in the peace Jesus gave us.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

not always been so clear, but in recent decades we have learned how core biblical peace is to MCC’s work.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) Following Jesus leads on paths of peace. There is no need to choose b e t ween f a it hAnna Janzen Funk, pictured here in 1920 grounded peace, on just before her wedding, was the director one hand, and rigof the first MCC relief kitchen in southern Russia (present-day Ukraine). orous standards of professional peacePHOTO COURTESY OF CENTRE building on the FOR MENNONITE BRETHREN ot her. We can STUDIES; WINNIPEG; CANADA embrace both. In the many forms it takes, we know peacebuilding will be the foundation of what we do. For MCC, peace isn’t just a wish for a better future.

It’s our work.

This is the MCC I see moving into our next century. Deepening our gospel roots. Strengthening Anabaptist communities. Communicating with supporters with excellence and transparency. Helping the uprooted. Combatting climate change. Pressing for the peace of Jesus Christ.

Would this MCC be recognizable to its founders? To Anna Janzen Funk, director of the first

RICK COBER BAUMAN

is executive director of MCC Canada.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

OCTOBER 2020

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

HELPING PEOPLE BECOME THEIR BEST RO N PEN N ER S EEKS TO S ERVE TH E CH U RCH F A M I LY T H AT N U R T U R E D H I M

orn in Manitoba and raised on a farm in Black Creek, Vancouver Island, Ron Penner has worked in the Christian Education field for most of his life. Stops included youth work at Killarney Park in Vancouver, five years on CCMBC Christian Education staff, followed by teaching at MB Seminary in Fresno and Columbia Bible College. Both assignments also included administration, and after retiring in 2012, he now “works for free.”

Ron & Linda live in Abbotsford, BC, on the same site as their children and three grandchildren. “Those little ones bring immense joy, and it is a great blessing to be in their lives,” says Ron. Until March of this year, the Penners were very active in leading a greeter team weekly at Northview Community Church. Now, they worship online using FaceTime to reach out beyond the bubble. Like many others, they hope to soon return to regular gatherings.

For many years, Ron's mission has been “to help people and teams become their best.” This past June, he completed eight years on the MB Seminary Board and has now shifted to serve on the CCMBC Executive Board in the role of Moderator. “I love working on a team and feel privileged to serve the church family, which has nurtured me throughout my life,” he says. “There has been much to learn in a short while, and I'm grateful for the Board members and staff who provide history and context to the issues we face.”

In addition to coping with the massive “COVID earthquake” that has changed so much in our lives, the denomination and its Executive Board is reshaping itself to ensure that the local churches and provinces' voice has priority in national projects. CCMBC is redesigning their Bylaws, planning and decision-making practices to protect those priorities. “We look forward to bringing those to our churches and conferences for feedback and input through the fall,” Ron says. “I have participated in several meetings and have hope that when we hold our Town halls

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OCTOBER 2020

M B H E R A L D.C O M

(October 14 and 15. Register here), it will create the opportunity for many people to be informed and engaged—An upside of the COVID19 pandemic.”

A third challenge for the Executive Board is to help key partner agencies rebound well. The redesign work of Legacy has progressed well, and the Board is now in search of a new CEO who will lead toward a solid and expanded ministry. MB Seminary is working to adjust its services to be more accessible across Canada, yet living within limited means. Multiply is working to Executive Board Moderator, rebound from its recent demerger Ron Penner: “We will listen and regain its momentum for misto God and you as we do sion. These will take focussed effort our work and balance our over several years and call on our larger family’s needs with wisdom and support. those of our regions and the The first meeting of the current resources available.”

Executive Board was August 27, 2020.

The Board plans to meet almost monthly via Zoom over this year.

They seek to do work based on good health practices and good stewardship of time and money.

Ron encourages the MB family to stay informed: “I hope you will scan the CCMBC website and review the news and names of your Board members. Almost all have significant responsibilities aside from their Board duties and so appreciate your prayers and suggestions.”

“We will listen to God and you as we do our work and balance our larger family's needs with those of our regions and the resources available,” says Ron. One of the scriptures that has helped Ron keep perspective over the years is a paraphrase of Romans 8:28: “No matter what happens, good or bad, of my doing or others, God is always alongside, helping us do the next best good thing.”

God is with us!

DEVELOPING LEADERS

A Jesus bigger than Sunday morning

COVID-19, discipleship and the practice of gathered worship

am a strong advocate for Sunday morning gathered worship in harmony with Hebrews 10:25. It is an essential element of healthy discipleship and gospel witness. That being said, I am increasingly contemplative about it in this pandemic season.

Historically, as Mennonite Brethren, we have always confessed that Christ is our foundation, cornerstone and capstone (1 Corinthians 3:11; 1 Peter 2:6-7). We have testified that our purpose is to live this life as disciples in response to His love for us and His salvific work on our behalf (Galatians 2:20). We have declared that Jesus is greater, bigger and better than anything and everything. Amen. However, is our historical confession being lived out in our convictions about gathered worship?

My observation is that COVID19 is pushing us to rethink what lies at the core of being a genuine follower of Jesus – what are the non-negotiable elements of being Nachfolge Christi (Christ-followers)?

Are we in this space of inquiry, in large part, because our long-held practices around Sunday morning

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C OV I D -19 I S PU S H I N G US TO R ETHINK WHAT LIES AT THE COR E OF BEING A GENUINE FOLLOWER OF JESUS.

ARE WE IN THIS S PAC E O F I N Q U I R Y, I N L A R G E PA R T, BEC AU SE OU R L ONG HEL D PR ACTICE S A ROU N D SU N DAY MOR NING WORSHIP SERVICES A R E BEING RESTRICTED AND R ESHA PED?

worship services are being restricted and reshaped? Due to the pandemic, our Sunday worship gatherings were initially halted altogether to stop its spread. We responded by instituting creative fixes through various media platforms. We gathered Sunday morning, virtually. This has had a wide range of outcomes both positive and negative (this is a discussion for another time). Now, we have limited liberty to gather with the proviso of adhering to strict statues around social distancing, the wearing of masks and disinfecting protocols. I support these temporary limitations on Charter freedoms for the sake of health and a positive civic witness.

Overall, however, how have we fared under them?

There is a large evangelical church (600 plus attendees) in my city that re-opened for Sunday morning worship in mid-summer and with full implementation of the provincial health safety guidelines. Almost no one attended.

However, the remnant that attended were so thankful to gather in person. A pastor in a rural

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

OCTOBER 2020

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DEVELOPING LEADERS

setting shared with me that his church was healthy, vibrant and growing pre-COVID, now the numbers are consistently declining with each passing Sunday. I listened to another pastor who shared that a congregant approached him declaring that she would not return until things were back to normal (I’m assuming pre-COVID practices).

Within the wider church community, a handful of congregants are claiming that their pastor’s or church leadership’s adherence to COVID-19 protocols is a form of assault on their religious freedom and by some logic, an affront to God. This pontification assumes that if one can’t worship on Sunday morning a spiritual trespass has been committed and God is gravely offended. The sentiment follows that without Sunday morning worship, in a church, with other believers, how can one call themselves a devout Christian?

It appears that this great shake-up to our Sunday morning worship gatherings is too often resulting in either disengagement or self-serving indignation from those in the pew. The longer the church is in this pandemic season and unable to gather in community, as it did pre-COVID, the more we may see believers go rogue or go home.

One could surmise that I am being persnickety, that there is nothing troubling here just a combination of people away for the summer, people turning to the simplicity of virtual church and people adjusting to the fear of becoming

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OCTOBER 2020

M B H E R A L D.C O M

COULD IT BE THAT T H E SU N DAY MOR NING WORSHIP CELEBR ATION EVENT HAS BECOME BIGGER IN THE AV E R A G E B E L I E V E R ’ S DISCIPLESHIP EXPERIENCE THAN THE ONE FOR WHOM IT EXISTS IN THE FIR ST PL ACE?

INSTEAD OF FIXING THEIR EYES ON JESUS AS THE OBJECT OF T H E I R W O R S H I P, S O M E H O W, T H E Y A R E FIXING THEIR EYES ON THE FORUM USED TO WORSHIP HIM.

infected. I agree that these are likely significant factors. And yet, I still have this hard to define inkling that there is a deeper disturbance within the church?

Could it be that the Sunday morning worship celebration event has become bigger in the average believer’s discipleship experience than the One for whom it exists in the first place? Instead of fixing their eyes on Jesus as the object of their worship, somehow, they are fixing their eyes on the forum used to worship Him. Realizing that, is it possible, amongst those in the pew, that their first love was Sunday morning fellowship and worship, not Jesus? There are countless stories of believers fighting for the right to worship Jesus Sunday mornings, how many accounts are there about believers striving to worship Jesus the rest of the week?

To be clear, I am not on any soapbox except the one for healthy discipleship. As such, perhaps our Anabaptist fore-parents and persecuted MB churches have something to teach us here about Jesus truly being greater than everything, including a specific gathering of the saints on a specific time of the week.

I wonder what they would see in our growing discomfort and rumblings. I ponder about what they would counsel us on being genuine pandemic Nachfolge Christi?

R E V. P H I L I P A G U N T H E R

is director of ministry for the Saskatchewan Conference of MB Churches

Note: This report compares actual numbers to a forecast that has been approved by the Executive Board. Due to the current expectation of reduced revenue, expenses have been adjusted to align with the forecasted revenue for 2020.

AUGUST 2020

Y E A R -T O - D AT E I N C O M E

5%

CCMBC is currently $46,121 under year-todate forecasted revenue of $1,001,731

Notes: 1. One-stream funding from provincial conferences is at 78% of the year-todate forecast.

2. Provincial Conference Support is $142,237 below YTD forecast and Other Revenue is $96,116 above forecast.

3. 3. Other Revenue includes $81,138 of Canada Government Funding for Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).

AUGUST 2020 $1,250,000

$1,000,000

$750,000

$500,000

$250,000

$0

- $250,000

Y E A R -T O - D AT E E X P E N S E S

15%

CCMBC is currently $134,593 above yearto-date forecasted expenses. Cuts have been made to budgeted expenses for the balance of the year.

Notes: 1. Collaborative Model (National Director, National Faith and Life Team, National Ministry Team, National Assembly, National Assembly Executive, and the Centre for MB Studies) Staff costs, including travel have been reduced for the balance of the year but include contract staff hired to help rewrite the bylaws.

2. MB Church Planting: Expense is reported net of $133,845 of unbudgeted, designated donations.

3. MB Family Partner Support (ICOMB, MB Seminary, ETEQ, MB Historical Commission, and the Leadership Training Matching Grant): Reported net of $205,555 of flow through donations.

CCMBC FINANCIAL DASHBOARD

CCMBC FINANCIAL DASHBOARD

2020 Monthly Expenses

Monthly Expenses Forecast

37% MB church plants

13% MB family partner support

7% Administration

Monthly Expenses Actual

31% Collaborative Model

10% Communications

2% Events

8 8 8 . 6 69. 6 5 76 I I N F O @ M B C H U R C H E S .C A | M E N N O N I T E B R E T H R E N .C A | 1 3 1 0 TAY LO R AV E N U E , W I N N I P EG , M A N I TO B A R 3 M 3Z6

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AUGUST 2020 CCMBC FINANCIAL DASHBOARD

SINGLE STREAM FUNDING

PROVINCIAL B RE AKDOWN

A L B E R TA ( A B M B )

BRITISH COLUMBIA (BCMB) 400000

59110

2020 Annual

2020 Annual

Forecast $400,000

Forecast $59,110

YTD Forecast

YTD Forecast

$ 266,667

$39,406

YTD Actual

YTD Actual

$198,537

$29,246

0

0

S A S K AT C H E WA N ( S K M B )

M A N I TO B A ( M B C M )

270400

2020 Projected Giving

2020 Annual

$116,000

Forecast $270,400

YTD Projected Giving $77,333

YTD Forecast

YTD Actual

$180,267

$65,746

YTD Actual $151,367 0

O N TA R I O ( O N M B )

QUEBEC (AÉFMQ)

2020 Annual Forecast 6160

2020 Annual Forecast $6,160 YTD Forecast $4,107

$132,000

YTD Actual $0

YTD Forecast $88,000 YTD Actual $66,000

0

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Send questions and comments to FAQ@mbchurches.ca.

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AUGUST 2020

2020 ANNUAL BUDGET

2020 FO REC A S T

ADJ USTMENT

REVENUE CMSF

CMSF - ABMB one-stream funding

$

CMSF - AÉFMQ one-stream funding

–

80,000

$

7,941

59,110

$

7,941

(20,890)

7,700

6,160

(1,540)

CMSF - BCMB one-stream funding

469,300

400,000

(69,300)

CMSF - MBCM one-stream funding

338,000

270,400

(67,600)

CMSF - ONMB one-stream funding

132,000

132,000

–

CMSF - SKMB one-stream funding

145,000

116,000

(29,000)

1,172,000

991,611

(180,389)

411,241

510,986

99,745

Other Revenue Total Revenue

CCMBC FINANCIAL DASHBOARD

CCMBC FINANCIAL FORECAST

1,583,241

1,502,597

(80,644)

71,000

70,260

(740)

20,000

15,000

(5,000)

533,100

386,476

(146,624)

215,020

191,476

(23,544)

79,400

40,744

(38,656)

378,885

400,106

21,221

274,836

228,608

(46,228)

1,572,241

1,332,670

(239,571)

11,000

11,000

-

–

$158,927

$158,927

EXPENSES Administration Affiliation Support Collaborative Model Communications Events MB Church planting net of unbudgeted, designated fundraising MB Family Partner Support net of flowthrough donations Total Expenses

TRANSFERS Transfer to Reserve Net Income/(Loss)

$

8 8 8 . 6 69. 6 5 76 I I N F O @ M B C H U R C H E S .C A | M E N N O N I T E B R E T H R E N .C A | 1 3 1 0 TAY LO R AV E N U E , W I N N I P EG , M A N I TO B A R 3 M 3Z6

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Walking closely with God Long-time Winnipeg pastor Arno Fast remembered for faithful service

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KIND. GENTLE. DEDICATED. FAITHFUL. Those are some of the

words used to describe Arno Fast, former pastor of Salem Community Bible Church in Winnipeg.

Fast, who served as pastor at that church for 50 years, passed away June 18. He was 91.

For Harold Jantz, former editor of the Mennonite Brethren Herald, Fast was “very kind and sympathetic. He had a gentle way about him. He was the kind of person people easily felt close to.”

Reflecting on Fast’s long tenure at the church, “I doubt anyone in the Mennonite Brethren Conference has ever pastored at one church as long as he did,” he says. “It must be a record.”

For 15 of those years, Fast shared ministry at the church with his grandson, Andy Rapko.

Now senior pastor at Salem, Rapko remembers his grandfather as a man who “walked closely with God for many years. He taught me the centrality of the Word of God.” Rapko, 37, recalled asking him once what part of pastoral ministry meant the most to him.

“I expected him to say evangelism or preaching, but he said his devotional time with God,” Rapko says. “He would often say ‘Jesus is so precious to me.’”

While Fast was a quiet and unassuming man, reflecting his rural Saskatchewan farm roots, he was highly educated, Rapko notes.

“He always kept things simple, even though he had many years of higher education,” he says, noting he graduated from Mennonite Brethren Bible

College (now Canadian Mennonite University). “And yet he was always learning. He never thought he had it all figured out.”

Together, they made a good team, he says.

“I had more energy, and he had more experience,” Rapko says. “He gave me space to try things. He was always happy when I succeeded and did well.”

After he died, many people in the low-income neighbourhood where the church is located offered their condolences, Rapko says.

This including a local man who Fast had befriended, but who had never accepted his invitation to come to church or accept Christ.

“He pulled up in his truck, rolled down the window and express his condolences,” Rapko says. “He told me my grandfather ‘never gave up on me. He had a greater impact on me than he ever realized.’”

Also offering a kind word was a drug dealer at a house near the church.

“My grandfather used to visit him,” says Rapko, marvelling that a man in his 80s would be welcome at the home of someone dealing drugs.

“No one was beneath him because he didn’t have his life together,” Rapko says, noting Fast regularly walked the streets to visit people. “There are people in our church today who first met him on those walks.”

One person who experienced Fast’s ministry first-hand is Agnes Friesen.

“He was soft spoken, and very warm,” she says. “He had a personal touch.”

Friesen, who has attended Salem

“I DOUBT ANYONE IN THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CONFERENCE HAS EVER PASTORED AT ONE CHURCH AS LONG AS HE DID. IT MUST BE A RECORD.” – Harold Jantz

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Left: Arno and Lena Fast.

Right: Arno and his grandson Andy Rapko shared in Ministry for 15 years. “We made a good team,” Rapko says. “I had more energy, and he had more experience. He gave me space to try things. He was always happy when I succeeded and did well.”

since 1980, adds “he was deeply appreciated by the church. He is missed so much.”

Another person who knew him through his ministry at Salem is Linda Robertson.

“He was a faithful servant, a shepherd, humble,” she says.

For Robertson, who has attended Salem since 1996, the phrase that comes to mind about Fast is “he had a Bible in one hand and broom in the other.”

It was not unusual, she says, “to find him doing humble tasks like wiping spills in the church, emptying the dehumidifier or cleaning up garbage that had blown into the churchyard. He didn’t see anything as being beneath him . . . he was a true and faithful servant of Jesus Christ.”

Cam Priebe, who directs the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba, only met Fast once, after starting in his position.

“He spoke words of blessing, letting me know that he was praying for me.

It was one short interaction, but I will always remember his kind and gentle spirit and words of blessing and affirmation. It meant a great deal to me having

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it come from this experienced leader.”

Elton DaSilva, executive director of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, interacted with Fast for a number of years.

“I came to appreciate his continued dependence on God and his family-like approach to ministry,” he says. “He knew the people he served by name, he knew their life stories, and he was a source of support to a community with diverse backgrounds. He took very seriously the sense of calling he received from God to shepherd his people.”

Fast is survived by his wife, Lena, son James (wife Beth) and his daughter Joan Rapko (husband Pat) 12 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

JOHN LONGHURST

is a freelance writer, religion reporter and columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press.

JOHN NIEBUHR KLASSEN

When John heard the diagnosis of his terminal cancer in June 2020, one of the first things he said was, “I always wanted Mary to go first so that I could be with her to the end.” Those who knew him knew that reaction was very much in character: his love for his wife of 67 years was strong and enduring, and evident to all.

After the war, John and Mary met in Germany, having fled their homes in Ukraine with their mothers and siblings.

The Soviets had arrested both their fathers. John only learned decades later that his father had been executed ten days after his arrest.

Both families emigrated to Canada. John lost no time catching up with his frequently interrupted basic education and embarked on a life-long continuing education journey, starting with Bible school in Winkler, Manitoba, where his family had settled. In 1953 John joined Mary in Vancouver, where they married and started their family – John Jr. was born in 1954, Ruth, in 1956. Timothy joined them eight years later.

Post-war Germany was not only significant in terms of meeting his future wife. It was also where John found Jesus as his Saviour, or, as he liked to say, Jesus found him.

His diaries from the time show his love of the Bible, and his commitment to serving the Lord emerged early in his Christian journey. In 1957 he moved his young family to Winnipeg to attend MB Bible College. Over the years, stints at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Fresno Pacific University and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena followed.

Numerous degrees culminated in a Ph.D. from the University of South Africa at the age of 74.

It was not only John’s thirst for knowledge that motivated his academic endeavours but his desire to be better equipped to follow his calling as a missionary, church builder and teacher. For 50 years, John and Mary served with MB Missions in Germany, pastoring churches, teaching in various bible schools and other institutions and giving leadership in various roles within the MB community in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

When an influx of Mennonites from the Soviet Union arrived in Germany in the 1970s and 80s, the focus of John and Mary’s work shifted to serving and supporting these ‘Aussiedler’ in the often difficult process of integration into a new culture, both socially and spiritually. John was known and respected as a bridge between people and churches with different perspectives and practices. He was instrumental in creating the Bibelseminar Bonn in 1991 with—and for—the Aussiedler communities and taught here until the end of their time in Germany.

Throughout his life, John was a researcher and writer – of diaries, sermons, articles and books. Through his literary legacy, he will continue to contribute to the work he loved for years to come.

John and Mary moved to Abbotsford in 2008, some 15 years after their official retirement. From afar—and to the end—John was actively involved in ministry to which he dedicated his life in Germany. He passed away peacefully with his family by his sideBirth: April 7, 1929 Birthplace: Steinfeld, Ukraine Death: August 4, 2020 Parents: Johann J. & Elizabeth (Niebuhr) Klassen Married: Mary Goerzen, Oct. 18, 1953 Family: Mary; children John (Maria), Ruth (Tony), Tim (Kiersten); 6 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren Church: Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C.

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Finish lines

PETER PENNER At 19, Peter moved with his family to Brazil. He immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, to marry Helena in 1955.

The year following her death, he married Helene, with whom he raised 3 children. She died in 1981.

A year later, he married Hilda. Peter and Hilda enjoyed 34 years together before her death in 2016. Peter built many custom homes in the Vancouver area. For recreation, he loved the outdoors: camping, skiing, and canoeing. He was instrumental in starting a boys’ club in his church and remained engaged in this for many years. After retiring at 59, Peter spent much of his time with Mennonite Disaster Service, helping homeowners rebuild after natural disasters.

He worked in Fortuna, Cal., after the 1992 earthquake; in Hannibal, Missouri, after the 1993 flood; in San Fernando, Cal., after the 1994 earthquake; and on St. Thomas in the Caribbean, after the 1996 hurricane. He also helped with maintenance on a school in Paraguay in 1995 and 1996. Peter was committed to his faith in God. He spoke 5 languages, with which he communicated the gospel both locally and overseas.

Birth: August 14, 1931 Birthplace: Filadelfia, Paraguay Death: January 2, 2020 Parents: Jakob & Katharina (Thiessen) Penner Married: Helena Nickel, 1955 [d. 1956]; Helene Goossen, 1959 [d. Apr. 15, 1981]; Hilda Willms, 1982 [d. 2016] Family: children Rudolf, Karl (Cynthia), Lili (Ray); 4 grandchildren; 3 sisters Church: Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C.

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OCTOBER 2020

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

An overview of the Collaborative Model y now, you are aware that at our 2019 AGM in Waterloo, Ontario, MB delegates voted to implement the Collaborative Model of governance. Since then, the Executive Board and staff have worked diligently to draft several documents to give structure and legal foundation for this governance model.

To offer as much relevant information as possible and update you on the latest modifications and additions to the Collaborative Model, I present this abbreviated introduction.

B

What is the Collaborative Model?

The MB denomination in Canada has a unique polity that can challenge unity and coordination. Most of our ministries can legally and logistically move independently of each other, leading to duplication of plans, indirectly competing and occasionally silos. Further, the growing regional divide found in the Canadian political world can permeate our ministry.

The Collaborative Model is a new form of governance best suited to coordinate multiple independent organizations serving a similar constituency. We have six separate provincial conferences, two national agencies, a national financial organization and a national conference, all who can operate independently in our denomination. Still, we serve and respond to the same constituency. These same churches are telling us what they want to be done on their behalf.

This new Collaborative Model helps us to coordinate our efforts to minimize redundancies and maximize results. The Collaborative Model calls us to bring the best that we have for the benefit of the whole. In other words, together, we are thinking about what is best for the MB family of churches in Canada and its called mission.

The Collaborative Model also creates a

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better accountability system than what we have at present, inviting not only church delegates but also provincial and agency boards to speak and vote into relevant matters. Together with church delegates, a board of boards will have greater influence and voice in what we do together. The Collaborative Model also invites all parts of the MB family into the designing and executing phases of our collective plans. The Collaborative Model also acknowledges that there are nuances and contextualization in the different regions of Canada. Thus the importance in the provincial conferences being the coordinators of ministry for their region. The sum of all of us will be known as our collective impact.

What is new with this new system of governance?

The Collaborative Model is in full compliance with our national constitution in all areas, including member churches’ rights to vote on all relevant matters. In addition to churches as voting members, the Collaborative Model introduces a new member class (not in terms of special privilege, but a legal term to identify a membership category), the National Assembly. Elected boards of provincial conferences, MB Seminary, Multiply, and Legacy are now members of the Collaborative Model and can speak and vote as members of the National Assembly. The National Assembly will gather annually to coordinate efforts and propose unified plans for approval at the General Assembly.

The General Assembly replaces the national AGM and is the gathering of both member classes in Canada. All voting will occur through the General Assembly either in real-time or by referenda at provincial conventions. These decisions are important because when we make them

What are the necessary components of the Collaborative Model?

Joint mission and agenda: In designing together, we find agreement on our mission and how it will be carried out. We need to define what we will do, how it will be done, who will do it, and how it will be funded.

Common measuring system: Different organizations measure different things in different ways. We must define a standard measuring system to give an accurate accounting of what we are doing. We will know then if our efforts are effective and what changes or adjustments to make. In creating this system, we will determine how the metrics get reported to the various stakeholders.

Clear relational structures: Another component of the collaborative model that is crucial is our relationship structure. Clearly defining authority and accountability structures is a necessary part of this Collaborative Model.

Principal organization: The principal organization is not the most important, but it carries the principal responsibility for maintaining the relationships and systems needed for the Collaborative Model’s functioning.

The following documents will serve as the legal foundation of the Collaborative Model:

BUILDING COMMUNITY

together, we will own them. When we hold these decisions, we will work, fund and measure results collectively.

To achieve a coordinated approach to ministry and mission, the Collaborative Model creates new intersecting points where all parts of our ministry collaborate towards achieving common goals.

One such intersecting point is the National Ministry Team: a collection of the senior staff from agencies and provincial conferences, the national conference and the National Faith and Life Team. This body combines the represented ministries’ collective knowledge to form an idea or plan for how we should behave as a whole family. What is our mission? Who is going to do it, how it needs to be done? How can it be funded?

All of these questions begin their process at the National Ministry Team table.

direction: Our Confession of Faith ˚ Spiritual and any General Assembly approved position papers will guide us.

Our national constitution, ˚ Governing: bylaws, a governance library containing policy and procedures, Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPA) and Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) The Collective Unified Strategic ˚ Strategy: Plan (CUSP) will keep us on track to fulfilling our mission together.

Members will be provided with drafts of these documents and are invited to attend virtual town hall meetings on October 14, 15 and November 10, 12, 2020, to speak into and help us complete these documents. You can register for the first two town hall meetings—focusing on changes to our by-laws—here. Check mennonitebrethren.ca and MB Herald’s social media platforms for more information.

We look forward to connecting with you as we develop the next steps of this Collaborative Model.

E LT O N D A S I LVA

is the national director of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

Elton and Ana live in Winnipeg and have three children.

Additional information: >> Elton DaSilva’s abbreviated overview [video] >> J.P. Hayashida’s overview of the bylaw revisions [video] >> Register for one of two town hall meetings on recommended bylaw changes – October 14 and 15, 2020

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD

OCTOBER 2020

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A moment in time

WINNIPEG , MANITOBA C. 1945

A group of Mennonite domestic workers stands in the Mary-Martha Home’s front yard in Winnipeg. Mary-Martha Home, a social and spiritual center for women, was established in 1925 as an offshoot of the Winnipeg City Mission of the Mennonite Brethren Northern District Conference. City missionary Anna Thiessen and Matron of the house is second from right. >> Learn more about Mary-Martha Home here >> Learn more about Anna Thiessen here

Image courtesy of the Mennonite Archival Image Database

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FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE

BUILDING COMMUNITY

A Culture of Anger

THE COVID CRISIS HAS BEEN INTERRUPTED BY AN ANGER CRISIS.

daily news was all about COVID. Then it was about police brutality.

Then it was about protests. Then violent protests and burning buildings. The world is angry. The world is gone mad.

The culture declares that you ought to be angry. There is so much injustice. If you are not angry, you don’t care, you’re a bad person.

Good people are angry people. Angry people are the only good people. They care.

And everyone is being drawn in. If you aren’t angry at the police, then you should be angry at the people who are angry. If you aren’t protesting police brutality or racism, you should be protesting protesters who protest. Or protest COVID church closures. But protest something! You should be angry!

Don’t you care?!

Whom else can we be angry at? People are bad.

They have always been bad. Let’s be angry at people who have long been dead. How dare they not have lived by 2020 standards? Let’s tear down some statues. Am I the only righteous person left on this earth?

THE

Take a deep breath.

There is plenty of injustice. There are plenty of things to be angry about. But while anger might drive us to address issues, anger doesn’t solve issues. Are there solutions?

It seems to me that the world has finally come to the realization that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Everyone except me of course.)

Everyone should be apologizing because they are sinners. So far, so good.

But realization and acknowledgement of sin does not remove the problem. For that we will need another step.

Forgiveness.

It sounds far too simple. And it sounds like we’re letting those sinners get away with sin.

But there is no other way to “remove” the sin or the guilt or the offense. You can pay me back the $10

you stole from me, but I still feel violated and careful about trusting you again. I could still tear down your statue. Unless I forgive.

Our current culture of blame and guilt will lead to one of two responses. Either we will become angry and be led into a downward cycle of vengeance – an eye for an eye until we are all blind. Or we will forgive and give an opportunity for a reset, a fresh start – to those sinners, to our culture, and to ourselves.

It starts with honesty. If all have sinned, then I have sinned. And I know I have sinned. I think others have sinned, but I know that I have sinned. (Let him without sin cast the first stone.) If I were not forgiven, then I would be doomed in a cycle of judgment and condemnation. My statue should be torn down. (There is no statue of me.) There would be no statue of anyone. I depend on forgiveness.

The good news is that God, in Christ, has forgiven me. For me there is hope. Not because I haven’t sinned, but because God decided to forgive me. That changes everything. For eternity.

Forgiven people should be generous forgivers.

Christians should be leading our angry society to a place of grace. In every angry, judgmental face I see the sadness of an unforgiven, guilty sinner, trying to deflect guilt onto someone even worse. I don’t see hope in an angry face.

Christian, you have the hope that this angry world is looking for – forgiveness.

I’ll give the last word here to the apostle Paul. If he were able to preach a sermon in Seattle in the summer of 2020, I’m thinking he might preach Ephesians 4:31-32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

B I S H O P DAV E R E I M E R

is the managing editor of The Chronicle, a publication of the Christian Mennonite Conference

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S U B S C R I B E TO M B H E R A L D D I G E S T W W W. M B H E R A L D . C O M / S U B S C R I B E - V I A - E M A I L