Q&R corner

Q&R corner provides responses to questions that readers may have about CCMBC and its work collaborating with provincial MB conferences in areas of spiritual health and theology, leadership development, mission, and organizational health in order to achieve the overall mission: “To cultivate a community and culture of healthy disciple-making churches and ministries, faithfully joining Jesus in his mission.” If you would like to contribute a question, please send it to questions@mbchurches.ca

Please note that we will not be using your name in the MB Herald Digest in order to respect those who prefer anonymity. There may not be space to respond to every question—and sometimes we might not really have the ability or authority to respond to some questions (for example, those that relate more directly to one of our provincial MB conferences or to a local church leadership). We apologize in advance if we are unable to publish a response to your specific question.

The Q&R Corner began as a way for MB Herald Digest readers to ask questions about CCMBC and its ministries. The June 2023 column available here responded to questions about the Fall 2022 issue of Direction which highlighted the Rich Janzen and Brad Sumner “Using the Confession of Faith” study.

In my June 2023 column I expressed that my first response to the study was both “thankfulness” and “curiosity” with the hope that we can learn more about what it means to be increasingly faithful to Jesus and healthy in how we and our churches use the gift that we have in our MB Confession of Faith. It is for that reason that I am pleased that Rich Janzen has put in significant effort to provide a response to the June 2023 column.

In my column, I took issue with two statements that were in Rich and Brad’s concluding paragraph describing what appeared to be the key takeaways from the study. I questioned the validity and meaningfulness of the first statement—"The range of pastoral perspectives demonstrates that congregations have no uniform way of thinking about or acting out the Confession of Faith” (157). It sounded to me like an overarching “diagnosis” of our Canadian MB reality. I also questioned another concluding statement that described how the study might help

MB denominational leaders “learn to live with diversity and difference” (157). I referred to this as a suggested “treatment plan” in light of the diagnosis—and wondered whether learning to live with diversity and difference might not always be the best response since it depended on the level of diversity present. My concerns were primarily in reference to these two concluding statements.

I did not mean to imply anything about the study’s purpose or intention (neither word shows up in my article in reference to the study or the researchers). I was not questioning the integrity of the researchers or the methodological integrity of the study (although I still have some questions about sample size and such). I am very sorry to Rich and Brad if they experienced my comments as questioning their integrity. I am glad that Rich has responded with the article to clear up any misunderstandings and to let readers hear responses to the concerns I raised.

Thank you to the MB Herald Digest for sharing Rich’s response. I hope that the publication of both columns will nurture more conversation among us about how the MB Confession of Faith can and should function to help us become “healthy disciple-making churches…, faithfully joining Jesus in his mission” (CCMBC Mission statement).

Ken Esau, National Faith & Life Director