MB Herald October/November 2015

COMMUNICATION beyond the iPhone

PASTORAL TRENDS: survey results

Volume 54, No. 8 Publications mail registration number: 09648; Agreement number: 40009297

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circ. Dept., MB Herald, 1310 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3M 3Z6

LEGACY FUND

update

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 20 15 W W W. M B H E R A L D . C O M

New beginnings JEAN BERGEN

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he ad on the radio makes me smile: a daughter anticipates Mom’s annual pep talk on the potential for new beginnings.

As a mother of four sons, I can relate.

Those first days of school can be filled with excitement mixed with anxiety. Words of inspiration are sometimes needed.

I know this because I am the one going back to school.

When I turned 40, my youngest son entered Grade 1 and a window opened for me to begin anew.

I had a growing desire to follow Jesus more closely, to develop a better understanding of what it means to be his disciple, so I decided to go to Bible school.

The ups…

For the last 10 years, I have been taking one class per semester at Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C. Building on the 16 credits I earned at 19, I am working toward a degree in biblical studies. The pace is slow and it’s not the most economical way of earning a degree, but it’s among the best decisions I have made.

Bible college has been integral to my spiritual formation. Through the discipline of study, I have learned the joy of discovery and the frustration of coming up with more questions than answers. Each class challenges me to articulate my beliefs. Interaction with professors and students provides such positive stimulation that I miss it during the summer break.

A highlight of my studies at CBC was taking a trip to Israel in 2010. A few weeks after my class on Joshua and Judges ended, I was in the places I had just spent a semester exploring through books – incredible! Additionally, my husband Harvey joined the three-week trip and took the course accredited with Jerusalem University College as well.

And downs…

One difficult college experience was participating in Urban Mission Dynamics. This weekend adventure is a prerequisite for students to graduate with a two-year diploma or bachelor’s degree.

For the four-day urban plunge, my group stayed at Hotel Ivanhoe, a backpacker’s hostel in the heart of Vancouver. Added to the trials of keeping bedbugs and cockroaches at bay, I faced the hazards of navigating social dynamics with college students for whom I was same age as their parents.

On the last night before a prayer walk, I shared with two members of my group: I was afraid to go down Hastings, a street notorious for its high incidence of drug use, sex trade, crime and violence. Rather than taking a different way around, my teammate suggested we face it together, walking alongside one another.

That evening gave me a picture of the strength and encouragement found in the community of Christ.

Each semester as I embark on another class, I look for another mature student. Parents, we value Bible college for the discipleship training and biblical literacy it teaches our young adults – why not consider it for ourselves as well?

I hope my story of going back may inspire someone else to a new beginning.

Jean Bergen lives in Abbotsford, B.C. A member of Arnold Community Church, she works at the MARK Centre in Abbotsford and is a “third-year” student at Columbia Bible College. She and her husband Harvey own Life Cycles Bike Shop.

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October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW

FEATURES 8 Beyond the next iPhone The communication challenge and opportunity of our era –David Balzer

10 The future of our pastors Results of the 2015 CCMBC pastoral survey –Dieter J. Schönwetter

CONFERENCE NEWS 13 Executive Director

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

What does it mean to honour God? –Willy Reimer

14 MB Mission God’s witnesses to the ends of the earth: Answering the call to mission

CONNECT WITH US ONLINE

–John Best

DIGITAL EDITION issuu.com

15 Finance Legacy Fund Inc. update

FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/MBHerald

–Jim Davidson

TWITTER twitter.com/MB_Herald

COLUMNS

WEBSITE mbherald.com

4 Editorial A journey through the land of communication

JOBS jobs.mbherald.com

–Laura Kalmar

16 ICOMB – Wiebe’s witness

PDF SUBSCRIPTION Email karla.braun@mbchurches.ca to subscribe via email

Naked Anabaptists: Vulnerable faith-sharing in Japan –David Wiebe

18 Testimony A journey toward wholeness: How I learned to let God untangle twisted desires

DEPARTMENTS

–Mark Friesen

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Letters

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Homepage

19 Text Message Micah 6:8 Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly –Nikki White

20 Viewpoint

21 News 31 Transitions, family news, church anniversary

Seismic shift in Pennsylvania: How MWC’s GYS changed me

32 Finish lines [Obituaries]

–Rianna Isaak

34 Crosscurrents

35 Intersection of faith and life The nonviolent parent –Andrea Heinrichs

CORRECTION: In August’s obituaries, Florence Katharine Heier’s date of death should have read Feb. 14, 2015.

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October/November 2015

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EDITORIAL A journey through the land of communication Laura Kalmar I harbour a secret love for the railway.

Back in my seminary days, I travelled from B.C. to California via rail several times. It’s a journey that awakens all the senses – the sight of majestic, rugged terrain; the acrid smell of oil and diesel; the sound of hissing, screeching, and rhythmic clackety-clacks; the feeling of constant motion and soothing vibration.

You can imagine my excitement when our family stumbled upon the Lake of the Woods Railroad Museum this past summer.

others unassuming, and a few barren), leading to the discovery of amazing stories of faith and transformation, and always in constant motion.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve witnessed many changes in the field of communications. The speed of communication has accelerated exponentially, providing almost unlimited access to information.

Consider, for example: There are 5.9 billion searches on Google every day – 100 times more than in 2000.

One of the most exciting discoveries I made at the museum was the story of Father Albert Lacombe, a Roman Catholic priest and missionary revered by railroaders. Father Lacombe’s journey is nothing short of amazing!

Known as “Man with a Heart” among the Aboriginal Peoples, Father Lacombe was first and foremost an evangelist. He began his journey with a clear call from God and, along the way, witnessed Holy Spirit transformation – not only in the lives of individuals (“the conversion that delighted Father Lacombe most was that of his friend, Sweet-Grass, the bravest and most esteemed among the Cree warriors – the Head-Chief of the whole nation of Crees”) but also in larger Canadian society.

In 1885, thanks to the trust he had built within the aboriginal community, Father Lacombe was able to step into a politically tense situation and negotiate a deal with the Blackfoot First Nation, allowing the Canadian Pacific Railway to lay track through aboriginal territory and continue across Alberta. Had Lacombe not stepped in as a peacemaker and witness to the gospel, Canada may never have seen the completion of the railroad.

Father Lacombe’s story is part of CPR history – but also a signpost of Christian faith and faithfulness.

The speed of travel increases My journey with the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren churches has taken me through various terrains across Canada (some rocky and some majestic, 4

The number of text messages sent every day is double the population of the planet.

It took Instagram just 2 years to reach a market audience of 50 million, whereas it took radio 38 years to reach that many people.

In 2014, there were 10 billion internet devices on planet Earth.

(Compare that with 1,000 in 1984.)

The platforms on which we communicate have also changed.

Social media has given rise to “manyto-many” communication, where multiple users can both receive and contribute information. Rather than being primarily consumers of information, users now share their ideas and perspectives with multiple other users – instantaneously.

How “tweet” it is This two-way conversation changed the face of CCMBC communications when, in October 2011, the MB Herald flew into the world of Twitter.

In those four years, we’ve posted nearly 2,000 tweets to more than 900 followers.

Twitter allows us to highlight special events as they happen, share news from our churches and conferences, and engage with people who may not regularly read our paper magazine. We receive immediate feedback about what people like and what they don’t like, and are able to answer questions quickly.

We also follow some 700 other Twitter

October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

users, tracking with our churches, ministry partners and the broader Canadian culture.

Rocky or smooth terrain?

We’ve discovered that Twitter, like all other social media platforms, has benefits and pitfalls.

As Mennonite Brethren, we value community and believe spiritual discernment is best done with the whole body of Christ.

Social media provides a wonderful opportunity to interact with a wide variety of people on multiple issues – both the mundane and the controversial. It’s crucial to listen well to all the voices within the Mennonite Brethren in order to strengthen our faith and invigorate our gospel witness.

On the flip side, the immediacy and transience of social media can result in people responding out of pure emotion (fear, anger, sadness) rather than prayerful consideration of their words.

As Christians, we must always seek to use the tools God has given us with wisdom and love, in order to edify the body of Christ.

As communication continues to change, the journey also continues. What kind of terrain is ahead? What new platforms will become available for our use? Which forms of communication are useful, and which ones should we ignore? What type of content will land in the paper magazine, and what type of content is better shared via social media?

How will we use these communication tools in order to foster community, bring clarity to denominational issues, and further our mission of multiplying churches to see Canada transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ?

In the midst of these challenging questions, I’m encouraged by the fact there will always be stories to tell – stories like Father Lacombe’s – discovered along the journey, told as enduring signposts of faith and faithfulness.

Reader responses Ask better questions Like many, my wife and I read the announcement about the MB Herald’s pending “death” with sadness. It was the only remaining communication link keeping us somewhat informed about the larger family of MB churches.

The subsequent open letter by conference leadership (“Executive board continues Herald, plans survey,” August) expressing their apology and plans to review their decision is therefore encouraging.

Though I have always been a proponent of strong leadership, I am disappointed in my observation that many of our governance models in the local church and in the conference appear to ignore the role of “members in Christ’s body” in providing counsel and ownership in fulfilling Christ’s mission.

In the same issue, “How to ask better questions to gain clarity” suggests four questions.

Using a similar grid could do much to enhance communication between leaders and their congregation, as well as between conference leaders and our churches. Good communication of our vision and positive reporting on God’s amazing blessings are both more important than ever in regaining ownership and support for our growing ministries.

HERB NEUFELD LANGLEY, B.C.

A forum, not propaganda Re “Executive board continues Herald, plans survey” (August). The administrators are concerned that reading the MB Herald will cause people to be

confused about theology. But what is wrong with that? Are there any five MBs who agree on every point of doctrine? Isn’t that part of the fun of being Christian – discussing our differences?

MB churches have their own websites where they outline their faith stance. The MB Herald is one place where we hear what MBs (and others) in other churches are thinking. Do we really need administrators to clarify conference thinking and to dictate what the MB Herald can and cannot publish? That would turn the magazine into a propaganda tool rather than a forum for discussion and interconnection. How sad that would be.

DOROTHY SIEBERT PENDER ISLAND, B.C.

War objectors During World War II, they were referred to as conscious objectors. Now, the term is simplified to “objectors to war.”

For me, it meant two and a half years where I never had access to a calendar, saw a magazine or listened to a radio. Went to church twice. Never saw a store. Wore the same two sets of clothing – never a tie or white shirt but three different kinds of shoes: big rubber boots, logger shoes and one pair of ordinary leather shoes.

Dared death twice and received a few warning letters from fellow Canadians. I was looked upon as a second-rate Canadian citizen.

Yet, I know I did my part to keep the winter fire burning in Victoria and helped put food on the table for soldiers.

Through it all, the Lord has kept me already for 97 years.

NORMAN H. FEHR KELOWNA, B.C.

Comment online: join the conversation at mbherald.com.

Letters to the editor Mennonite Brethren 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. Please include name, address and phone number, and keep your letters courteous and about one subject only. We will edit letters for length and clarity. We will not publish letters sent anonymously, although we may withhold names from publication at the request of the letter writer and at our discretion. Publication is subject to space limitations. Letters also appear online. Because the Letters column is a free forum for discussion, it should be understood that letters represent the position of the letter writer, not necessarily the position of the Herald or the Mennonite Brethren church. Send letters to: Letters, MB Herald, 1310 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3M 3Z6, or by email to mbherald@mbchurches.ca.

about this issue Over summer’s altered pace, you may not have noticed a switch

in your MB Herald delivery. In June 2015, the Herald started a bimonthly publishing schedule. As announced in our August issue, the Canadian conference board and executive’s decision to close the Herald in December 2015 and launch a new publication was reversed in response to constituent feedback. You will find a Herald in your mailbox (or inbox, for our digital subscribers) in January when we switch to publishing on odd months.

In this issue, we explore changes coming in the future. Former editor Laura Kalmar offers her last musings on driving the CCMBC communications train before she switched tracks to work for Mennonite Central Committee (see page 23). CMU professor David Balzer challenges readers to be conscious consumers of technological communication (pages 8–9). Sociologist Dieter Schönwetter summarizes the findings of his second survey of MB pastors (pages 10–12).

In preparation for the annual general meeting and special meeting attached to the October study conference, CCMBC executive director Willy Reimer urges readers to prepare in prayer (page 13), Willingdon pastor John Best calls all church members to use their gifts for mission (page 14) and CCMBC CFO Jim Davidson presents an update on the Legacy Fund (page 15). Those not attending the study conference in Winnipeg can watch the plenaries on gmmitv.com, read the study conference blog (studyconference.mennonitebrethren.ca) and follow the hashtag #ccmbcevents.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 Mennonite Brethren Herald is published bimonthly 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.

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We hope you will find inspiration and encouragement in this issue.—KB

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October/November 2015

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homepage Transformation on track The results from our first Transformation Survey are in!

CCMBC emailed out our first Transformation Survey to all MB churches in June/July of this year. The survey’s purpose is to measure – over time – the transformation of our churches in three areas: life, church and world.

We feel this is critical because it allows us to track the impact and use of CCMBC initiatives toward our goal of multiplying Christ-centred churches to see Canada transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ.

It is the mandate of the measurement committee of the executive board to evaluate the effectiveness of CCMBC initiatives, and we see this survey as an invaluable tool to help us do that. The purpose is not to evaluate individual churches but conference initiatives. The national board and provincial leaders will use survey results to assess the effectiveness of our programs.

For example, we were thrilled to discover that the vast majority of MB churches (87 percent) are involved in global missions in some way. We hope to see that percentage grow over time.

We received completed surveys from 144 (57 percent) of our churches. Our sincere thanks to all the pastors and church leaders who filled it out.

Based on your helpful comments, we will make changes to future versions of the survey. In order to measure change over time, it is important that churches participate every year and that we have a high response rate. Of course, the results of this survey will be made available to you on our website (www.mennonitebrethren.ca/news/mb-churchtransformation-survey/) and in future articles in the Herald.

Stay tuned!

Sam Reimer Measurement Committee chair, Executive Board

PCO gives leaders roots and seeds Pastors Credentialing Orientation (PCO) “affirmed and strengthened my connection and commitment to the MB family,” says pastor Greg Bright of Gateway Community, Canora, Sask.

Bright was one of 31 leaders who dug into their Mennonite Brethren roots at the latest annual PCO, June 8–10, 2015, in Winnipeg. Participants represented 22 churches from B.C. to Nova Scotia.

“I was encouraged by the other women going into ministry,” says Carla Thiessen, youth pastor at Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, B.C. She’s grateful for new friends experiencing the same joys and challenges.

“Being exposed to the broader sweep of 6

Anabaptist and MB thought in a concentrated way was encouraging,” says pastor Kerry Dyck of River West Christian, Edmonton. “Even though I have been serving for nearly 18 years in the same church, it was very good to be refreshed as a Jesus follower within the MB story.”

The intensive overview of MB history, theology and mission featured teaching by MB Biblical Seminary professors Bruce Guenther and Brian Cooper, Westwood (Prince George, B.C.) pastor Mark Wessner and The Meeting Place’s John Neufeld.

“God has led the MB family over the decades and centuries,” says Dyck, “and he will continue to lead as the next chapters are written.”—Angeline Schellenberg

October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

C2C firsts in Montreal T

he eyes of Michael and Angelica Touchton welled up in humble appreciation as assessors specifically affirmed both of them in their call to lead the Living Room, a Mennonite Brethren church in Montreal. They returned home from the June 15–18, 2015, C2C Network Assessment Centre with a better understanding of their skills and personality and with a network of support. C2C mentors will shepherd them to make an impact on Quebeckers in need of an evangelical church.

Largest Assessment Centre Eleven couples went through this assessment – double the usual five or six. Team consistency over the last 18 months equipped us to serve this group with excellence.

First 100% recommendation The Assessment Centre recommended all eleven couples for church planting – a C2C first.

We credit persistent prayer for planters who will answer the call to work in the harvest, and better pre-assessment procedures for this unusual outcome.

First bilingual Assessment Centre and the most Québécois candidates Five of the eleven couples seek to plant Frenchspeaking churches in Quebec to serve what Outreach Canada has called “the most unreached people group in North America”: Québécois.

The Centre provided both Anglophone and Francophone assessors. Planters spoke in their language of choice. Most of the exercises were separated by language to allow couples to interact with others most naturally. The assessment affirmed, challenged and informed participants about planting a gospel-centred, Spirit-led, mission-focused church.

The C2C Network Assessment Centre is held four times a year in four major cities across Canada.

—Scott Thomas, national associate director, C2C Network

Toolkit

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coming events

God, we thank you for your harvest which feeds us so many times each day….

We thank you too for filling us with the water of life. May we drink deeply…”

From Harvest to Hope, Canadian Foodgrains Bank Foodgrainsbank.ca/product/ from-hope-to-harvest-world-food-day-resource-2015/

CONFERENCE EVENTS: Oct. 2: C2C Network day of prayer.

Oct. 4–6: ABMB pastor and spouse retreat.

Oct. 4–6: SKMB pastor and spouse retreat.

Oct. 6: C2C Network banquet, Montreal.

Oct. 15: C2C Network banquet, Winnipeg.

Oct. 16–18: AWAKE Edmonton.

Oct. 21–23: “God, Sex and Church” study conference, Winnipeg.

Nov. 5: C2C Network banquet, Winkler, Man. Nov. 6–8: AWAKE Winnipeg.

Nov. 13: Disciple Making International (DMI) Global Mission Banquet, King Road MB Church, Abbotsford, B.C. Nov. 5: C2C Network banquet, Toronto.

Nov. 19: C2C Network banquet, Calgary.

Nov. 20–23: AWAKE Fraser Valley, B.C. Nov. 23–26: C2C Network retreat.

Nov. 30–Dec. 3: C2C Network assessment centre, Toronto.

The commitment not to fear expresses deep confidence in our foundation and source of ultimate truth…. Regardless of the extent of the earthquake in our lives (personal or national)… ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’” [Psalm 46] Crossing to the other side: Living as people of peace in a time of fear and terror, Mennonite Central Committee mcccanada.ca/stories/peace-sunday-2015

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Hope is similar to a seed in that it contains more than we can ever imagine. Thirteen times in 2 Samuel 7:9–17, the LORD says He will act on the hope of David to do more than the king envisioned…. Advent is a time to celebrate with anticipation this expansive, explosive hope that has been revealed to us in and through Jesus Christ.”

Hear the story, MB Biblical Seminary www.mbseminary.ca

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He has told you, mortals, what is good in His sight. What else does the Eternal ask of you but to live justly and to love kindness and to walk with your True God in all humility?” [Micah 6:8] Week of prayer, Canadian Conference of MB Churches mennonitebrethren.ca/week-of-prayer-2016 See mbherald.com for links and more information.

Camp Crossroads celebrates 35 years at its current location in Muskoka, Ont.

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PHOTO: COURTESY CAMP CROSSROADS

Fun facts: Ontario MB Churches (ONMB) began running children’s camps in 1953.

In the mid-1950s, Eden High School built a gym in part so it could be used for summer camps.

Children tented on campus and were trucked to Niagara River to swim.

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“Camp Crossroads” was Wendy Boldt’s suggestion to the 1975 contest (to name ONMB’s newly rented facilities in Bracebridge), winning the Kitchener resident free camping for the summer of ’75.

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When the current location became available in 1979, a fundraising drive raised $481,031 of the needed $495,000 by the end of 1981.

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Each year Camp Crossroads attempts to raise $10,000 in support of Kingdom Ventures camps in Russia.

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In the past 35 years, more than 40,000 campers have attended Camp Crossroads’ summer camps.

Overheard: I get to be on the frontlines of God’s work as he brings people into his family. It is also encouraging to see how young people develop as leaders at camp.—Ed Heinrichs, current executive director The camp has grown from a 2-week summer program to a year-round ministry that continues to expand in camper numbers, discipleship and leadership development.— Gord Hiebert, founding board member

PARTNER EVENTS: Oct. 2–3: Camp Evergreen Rise Up high school retreat, Sundre, Alta.

Oct. 8: Camp Crossroads 35th anniversary celebration, Crossroads Centre, Burlington, Ont. Oct. 10, 12: MinistryLift workshop: Nurturing the New Generation of Chinese Youth.

Oct. 23, 24: Mennonites, Medicine and the Body, academic conference, University of Winnipeg.

Oct. 23–25: Peace It Together: Hearing God in indigenous voices, CMU, Winnipeg.

Oct. 24: Columbia Bible College annual fundraising dinner, Columbia Place, Abbotsford, B.C. Nov. 5–8: MEDA convention, Richmond, Va. View more events from churches, schools and agencies at mbherald.com/calendar.

I have tried, failed and learned to lead in this safe place.—Joshua Klassen, summer team member, 2014–2015 I love camp because I get to see friends and learn about God.— Cameron, camper, 2015

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Beyond the next iPhone The communication challenge and opportunity of our era David Balzer

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very now and then, the shape of my summer weekend aligns just right so that at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday morning, I find myself heading down a neighbourhood street in search of a garage sale sign and the next true find.

One of my ongoing curiosities during these adventures is the technology bins, offerings of tube TVs and 1980s boombox stereos. There’s a kind of nostalgia I enjoy in rummaging through boxes of corded phones and cables.

The other effect of these excursions up people’s driveways is the pronounced reminder that society is changing; evolving technology has a keen way of signalling that. As yesterday’s most sophisticated and cutting-edge devices become today’s junk, we have opportunity to make a decision how we will navigate this ever-shifting realm of communication possibilities.

When we begin making choices about communication tools and strategies in our personal lives, in our local church and beyond, understanding our era matters.

Many to many In 2006, Henry Jenkins articulated well both the complexity and opportunity of the emerging internet and digital age in his Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. Almost a decade later, we are experiencing some of the challenges and promises he foresaw of this era’s technological advances.

One key characteristic of this age is the shift from a broadcast (e.g., TV) to a network (e.g., social media) model of communication. Until recently, content has been produced in a centralized location and distributed via predetermined channel to a mass audience. This is a one-to-many model.

Now we’re moving into a many-to-many model where content production is not centralized and people can interact with the content and each other across a multitude of digital platforms.

The challenge of this new era is that all communication between people becomes more complex. Not knowing who is where, when and on which platform means that 8

October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

we cannot be as confident in believing that our messages are getting to the people with whom we want to connect.

Better future?

Coupled with this complexity is the ongoing irony of technology’s promises for a better future. I always smirk when I see the billboards of a large telecommunications company whose slogan reads, “The future is friendly.”

The ad implies a glorious and sublime future if only we take on the contract for one of their latest devices. Remarkably, my future continues to be hampered by the mind-numbing intricacy of the sign-up process and asterisked features.

Technological advances have always tempted us with a kind of eschatological hope that suggests “old is passé and ineffective” and “new will save you.” They tempt us to uncritically adopt whatever is deemed as the latest and greatest. They offer a false sense of confidence in technology to address profoundly relational needs.

While there is complexity and challenge in the new era, there are also favourable, fascinating possibilities.

Cognitive surplus The reCAPTCHA project of Luis von Ahn illustrates ingenious implementation of a many-to-many opportunity. He is a Guatemalan entrepreneur and an associate professor in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University (the other CMU). He and his team asked the marvellous question: what kind of good could I create if I had access to just a tiny slice of millions of people’s untapped mental capacity?

This untapped capacity is what New York University’s Clay Shirky calls the “cognitive surplus” available to us for the first time in world history as a result of the digital age.

Luis von Ahn noted that every day about 200 million CAPTCHAs (authentication systems) are typed on websites as people confirm that they are humans and not an automated, malicious robot. These systems often present the user with two out-of-focus words that you are asked to retype in a box – something the brain can decipher but computer robots cannot.

Rather than letting these thousands of collective moments of mundane but sophisticated human

discernment go to waste, von Ahn developed reCAPTCHA. It presents the user with two words to type but links your puzzle-solving skills to a book digitization project.

Now when you visit Ticketmaster and prove you’re a human buying a ticket, you’re also helping to solve the riddle about a word a computer couldn’t read in a book that is in the process of being digitized. People’s momentary but highly sophisticated genius is now harnessed millions of times over each day for good, and society benefits from the sharing of knowledge in digital form.

Creative potential Why am I telling stories about billboards and Ticketmaster logins? It’s because of Genesis 2:19–20, one of the most delightful and compelling moments in the creation story: “Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.”

This is a remarkable scene, to say the least, where God invites humankind to co-create reality by naming the world. Through our use of symbols, we participate in shaping our very existence. What a creative potential to steward well for the sake of God’s good purposes!

As the people of God invited into this Genesis 2 privilege, are we holding lightly technology’s promise to take us to the Promised Land?

At the same time, do we have the will to carefully discern opportunities for good offered to us by the past and present models of communication?

We do well to think carefully about the promises of our digital age.

David Balzer is assistant professor of communications and media at Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, and a member at North Kildonan MB Church.

To explore his research project, visit omgthedoc.com.

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The future Results of the 2015 CCMBC pastoral survey

Dieter J. SchĂśnwetter

It seems like only yesterday when the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches initiated a nationwide pastoral trends survey (see MB Herald Vol. 45, No. 15) to identify who is choosing and sticking with church ministry. Those findings established a benchmark. Now, nearly a decade later, L2L undertook a second survey of several hundred pastors. The second set of data provides the beginning of trend lines. The results, compiled by researcher Dieter SchĂśnwetter, will help the stakeholders better support pastors and congregations as they plan for the future.

Significant differences between 2006 and 2014 1. There was an 11.39 percent increase in the response rate, a 3.1 percent increase in women who responded, a younger overall age representation (M = 46.9 years vs. 51.8 years) and a larger percentage without children.

2. The average duration of ministry assignments has increased (2006 M = 5.9 years vs. 2014 M = 7.0 years).

3. The significance of a supportive congregation increased to become one of the top three factors for continuing ministry.

4. The retention rate has increased by 9.3% since 2006 (71.1% 2014 vs. 61.8% in 2006).

Systemic issues replicated between studies There are a number of systemic issues that continue from the 2006 study. For each identified, participants provided meaningful solutions which are summarized as recommendations below.

1. Ongoing development of new and experienced pastors.

Training must include mentoring and coaching, best practices, specialization, networking and lifelong 10

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of our pastors learning through various training modalities. Experts with experience and passion should teach pastors to deal with stress and crises and to develop resilience, healthy marriage and family relationships.

Furthermore, pastors, both new and experienced, need authentic learning opportunities that include not only the theoretical grounding, but also the practical application through apprenticeships, internships and field education. Opportunities to try and even fail in a safe environment with timely encouragement, mentoring and coaching are key to helping the next generation of leaders identify their gifts and develop further in the context of local congregations.

2. Unclear expectations regarding the role of the pastor.

Participants acknowledged a discrepancy between perceived and expressed expectations around the role of the pastor in relationships among pastors, congregations and church leadership. Recommendations include proactively working with the congregation and church leadership to provide written clarification of a more manageable set of ministry expectations for the pastor, the congregation and church leadership. This should be documented, reviewed and updated annually.

3. Transparent assessment of pastor’s and congregation’s strengths and weaknesses.

As part of the candidating and hiring process, pastors are often required to be transparent with regards to their gifts and liabilities from previous ministries. Suggestions include that the pastoral candidate also receive a profile of the congregation and church leadership that provides a transparent look at the congregation’s history along with any assessments that give a glimpse into the congregation’s strengths, weaknesses, culture and relationship with previous pastors.

4. Active congregational participation supports pastors.

During the pastor’s tenure, congregational members are less likely to volunteer in church positions. It is

important that the pastor be provided with accommodating congregational leadership and willing members who actively participate and volunteer at all levels of ministry.

5. Transitional ministry requires special care. The transitional period is often fraught with regret, disappointment and hurt to all parties involved. It is critical to develop and implement processes, resources and personnel to resource leaders and churches with confidentiality and excellence during times of pastoral transitions. It is also important to find ways to equip pastors, congregations and church leadership on the nature and benefits of intentional transitional ministry.

6. The pastor’s spouse needs support.

The pastor’s spouse often feels “second in line” when it comes to the congregation’s and church leadership’s unrelenting expectations of the pastor.

A solution would be to provide a meaningful support structure for the pastor’s spouse through mentoring, coaching, retreats and professional development opportunities.

7. The pastor’s time with family needs to be valued.

Supporting and protecting the pastor’s time with his/her family is critical as the spouse and/or children often struggle as second-class citizens to the demanding expectations of the church and church leadership on their parent/spouse. Congregations should value, respect and encourage the pastor’s personal and family time by providing times of rest and regular sabbaticals.

As seen above, systemic issues are best resolved by the stakeholders’ (e.g., pastors, congregations, church leadership, area ministers, provincial and national denomiational offices, mentors and coaches, and the schools) investment in the pastoral ministry, whether directly or indirectly supporting the pastor. continued on page 12 MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October/November 2015

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Resources and resource people being utilized Another important difference between the two studies is that the 2014 cohort of pastors (in comparison to the 2006 cohort) are beginning to use more of the current resources and resource people available to them through the provincial and national conference offices to address many of the systemic issues identified above.

Of most value are the care, listening, support and encouragement that pastors receive from their conference ministers.

Resources also include the pastor and spouse retreats; opportunities to connect and network with colleagues; L2L’s church leadership experts, program and coaching; and access to the rich online resources and training available through the conference offices.

While many are maximizing these resources, some are unaware of these resources or how to best access them.

The way forward in helping pastors, congregations and church leadership take steps toward greater health and effectiveness that will positively impact pastoral retention among Mennonite Brethren congregations involves addressing the recommendations above and utilizing the resources and resource people from the provincial and national conference offices.

For full details of the study, download the Pastoral Trends Report, the CCMBC Pastoral Trends Executive Summary, or view the Pastoral Trends Report Video here: www.globalmissionmedia.tv/en/programming/ pastoral-trends-report#.VbvljreeDZc Dieter J. Schönwetter is a social psychologist who works in the faculty of health sciences at the University of Manitoba. He also conducted the 2006 pastoral trends survey of Canadian Mennonite Brethren pastors.

Conference response to survey As a ministry of CCMBC, L2L is committed to walking with existing and potential pastors through times of discernment, tenure and transition in taking steps toward fruitful and fulfilling ministry that will positively impact pastoral retention among CCMBC congregations. In partnership with others, here are some of the steps we’re taking:

During the discernment phase

V Develop and implement processes and tools to help discern and encourage pastoral gifts and strengths.

V Develop and offer resources and best practices in equipping pastoral search teams and discernment processes.

V Develop and implement a seamless, national credentialing process that spans provincial boundaries and practices that will make the tracking of pastoral impact and challenges possible while safeguarding privacy of pastors and congregations.

During the pastor’s tenure

V Equip and train the pastor, congregation and church leadership on church systems and how to lead in their particular structure.

V Equip and empower the congregation and church leadership on

building and sustaining a supportive environment for the pastor and his/her family to thrive.

V Provide templates and processes for monitoring written ministry descriptions that clearly spell out the expectations of the pastoral staff, congregation and church leadership, including regular written evaluations of all involved.

V Equip and train pastors, congregations and church leadership in

dealing with conflicts productively and be available to provide conflict resolution and mediation where needed.

During the pastor’s transition

V Develop and provide resources to pastors, congregations and church leadership on a clear transition process.

V Equip pastors, congregations and church leadership on the nature and benefits of intentional succession and transitional ministry.

V Provide equipping opportunities for pastors in intentional transitional ministry.

V Develop ways of tracking the needs of churches for transitional

ministry and supply pastors equipped in transitional ministry for the purpose of helping to discern potential connections.

V Develop and implement processes, personnel and resources to assist leaders and churches during times of pastor transition.

Future research

V We also recognize that future research needs to include focus on

the pastor’s spouse. We must discern how best to support him/her and gain his/her perspective on how to enhance the pastor’s ministry experiences.

L2L is the leadership development arm of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches. Visit l2lnet.org to access their library of resources and learn how to contact staff.

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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP What does it mean to honour God? Willy Reimer

A

s fall blows into the calendar, the Canadian economy is officially in recession. ISIS continues to traumatize hundreds of thousands of people in the Middle East, rape is used as revenge in India, Myanmar experienced the worst flooding in decades this summer. These are only a few of the human crises around the world.

So what’s my point? Any given month, we can list off human tragedies that fill our screens with the realities of a fallen world.

It is all too easy to withdraw and feel hopeless. But we serve a hopeful God who is sovereign and is working out his plan for humanity.

This month, Canadian Mennonite Brethren delegates will gather in Winnipeg to discuss several significant ministry issues.

Given the struggles, discouragement, fear and confusion in the world, what is the reason for our meeting? If it’s simply tending to administrative details, having inhouse conversations, or pursuing personal or regional agendas, there is little point in gathering.

But, if we are meeting to celebrate God’s grace, truth and sovereign rule; if we are gathering to seek his face and follow his will; if we are gathering to align our ministry with his mission and calling on the church, then we should not only meet but also do so with passion, full engagement and a sense of urgency about the needs we see in our world.

Breakouts in Winnipeg Our time together will serve multiple purposes as we engage in conversations on mission, communication, finance and the theology of human sexuality. Though the topics are diverse, a common thread runs through all: what does it mean to honour God and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit? How can we bring glory to God? How will each conversation enhance the mission of God to reconcile all people to himself? How will each conversation help our churches become increasingly Christcentred? How will we strengthen our

capacity and passion to communicate the counter-cultural narrative of Jesus Christ?

Financial conversations will provide information on the CCMBC Legacy Fund. (See page 15.) There will be a budget report on how well we have stewarded resources.

For me, the important question is whether we as a family of churches are focusing our national budgets on the mission God has called us to.

Our mission partnership conversation addresses the growing global reality that mission is “from everywhere to everywhere.” Canadian Mennonite Brethren need to consider how we engage in mission locally, nationally and globally. (See page 14.) How do we best position ourselves to share our MB church planting ministry (the C2C Network) and partnerships with MB Mission that God has entrusted to us?

The Spirit continues to open doors across Canada and around the world.

While I was attending the Mennonite World Conference Assembly and ICOMB meetings this summer, three MB conferences and three national MWC members approached me for help with church planting.

As modes of sharing information and building relationships change rapidly, our conversation regarding the MB Herald and communication is critical. We will report survey data collected this fall.

Given that current communication moves from “many to many” (see pages 8–9), we need a strategy and vehicles that maximize the flow of communication to draw us together in mission as a faith family.

Human sexuality Finally, the issue that draws us to this study conference – the theology of human sexuality – is growing in significance daily. The controversial sex education curriculum the Ontario government is implementing seeks to shape children’s sexual identity. Quebec has also rolled out a pilot sex education curriculum that has many concerned.

“Culture is a map and a mirror,” writes Walt Mueller of the Center for Parent/ Youth Understanding. “As a map, it guides us through life...telling us what to believe and how to live in the world. As a mirror, it reflects back to us things that we might pass over, ignore or otherwise miss....

Youth culture in its most basic sense maps out life for our kids. For those of us who are adults, it helps us see the maps our kids are following so that we can offer biblical affirmation or correctives where needed.”

Theological and pastoral conversations regarding human sexuality are critical to ministry in the 21st century. It is imperative that the church, led by God’s Spirit, studies God’s Word so that we may minister in ways that communicate God’s created intent for us and point people to him.

How can you prepare for these critical days?

1. Whether or not you are attending the study conference: pray! Pray for leaders, presenters, delegates. Pray for the Spirit to pour out on the gathering. Pray for God to be honoured through our interaction. Pray that we will apply Scripture faithfully and courageously. Pray for hope and healing for attendees’ personal stories.

2. If you cannot attend, watch the plenary sessions on the live webcast.

(See gmmitv.com) 3. Read the materials in the suggested reading list. (See studyconference.mennonitebrethren.ca/ prep-materials/) 4. Commit to speaking with and listening respectfully to those we may not agree with.

Willy Reimer is executive director of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. He lives in Calgary.

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MB MISSION

Upcoming AWAKE weekends fall 2015: Kitchener-Waterloo, September Edmonton, October Winnipeg, October Fraser Valley, November

God’s witnesses to the ends of the earth Answering the call to mission John Best

The call to engage in God’s mission is clear in Scripture.

Sometimes our understanding of how to step into mission engagement, either as a church or as an individual, seems confusing and daunting. How do faith, obedience, our gifts and skills, our life circumstances and our relationships all congeal into some sort of useful kingdom purpose? Do we really have something to offer that God will use?

Here a few principles and questions I have found helpful in defogging this conversation:

1) Each individual has something unique to offer In my role at Willingdon Church, my goal is that every person at Willingdon be inspired, equipped and positioned to engage passionately and effectively in God’s mission. Each one of us is invited, called and commanded to participate in God’s global mission in some way.

Of course, not every believer is called to be a long-term missionary in some other part of the world. But, I’m convinced that each follower of Christ is called to a few specific tasks: • Foster a relationship with Jesus. A relationship that is growing in vibrancy and obedience will pour out uncontainable joy, grace and wonder.

• Be ready with answers to faith questions. Not all of us are gifted apologists or evangelists, but we all need to heed Peter’s instruction to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).

• Pray faithfully and fervently. For neighbours. For missionaries. For nations. For world leaders. For the persecuted church.

• Give. All that we have and are is a gift from God to glorify him.

• Be willing to take a risk for God. Ask God what is the next step to take.

• Engage eagerly with church family. Each believer is called to join in God’s mission. I’m convinced that this call can best be discerned, supported and implemented within the context of a church family also on a journey of mission engagement.

2) Each church has something unique to offer Each local church needs to discern the specifics of how they are called to participate in God’s mission. Helping churches work at clarifying this was one of the privileges I had in my role as a mission mobilizer with MB Mission.

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• Who are the people that make up this church family?

We might be surprised by the ways that God can use our skills for his glory. South Abbotsford (B.C.) Church has a crew of ESL teachers. They built on relational connections to the Czech Republic.

Since 2001, they have sent 13 teams to help missionaries run English camps.

PHOTO: MB MISSION

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

• What natural points of affinity or calling does this church already have? How might God be inviting you to use the unique relationships, history, cultural or linguistic assets your congregation already has? Killarney Park MB Church, Vancouver, intentionally serves its neighbours, impacting families through preschool and VBS. A few years ago, to be able to continue offering VBS in the summer (at the request of community parents), Killarney Park partnered with MB Mission’s SOAR Vancouver program (pictured above).

• What is this church doing locally that could be leveraged to advance God’s kingdom elsewhere? One of Willingdon Church’s unique gifts is its School of the Bible. Since 2003, it has been helping people in the Vancouver area grow in their knowledge of Scripture. To our unexpected delight, we have been able to offer School of the Bible content to pastoral leaders in settings around the world.

• What is the next step the Holy Spirit is inviting this church to take? Pastor Charlie Chun asked that question about South Vancouver Pacific Grace MB Church. The result was a number of teams from that church going to serve with Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters in Thailand, offering their unique skills and gifts to see God’s kingdom advanced.

The promise of being empowered by the Holy Spirit for mission is attractive and exciting. But the pathway to our engagement isn’t always as clear. As we work together to discern how the Lord is asking us to move, the principles and questions above may be helpful in demystifying the call to engage in mission.

Let us move forward, as individuals, local churches and together as a denominational family, to step into all that God has for us as partners on his mission.

John Best serves as missions pastor at Willingdon Church, Burnaby, B.C. He previously served as MB Mission’s mobilizer in B.C. He is married to Christy. They have three children.

LEGACY Legacy Fund Inc. update Jim Davidson, Interim Chief Financial Officer CCMBC Legacy Fund Inc. (Legacy) is now underway. This report will provide you with an update of the status of the project and the introductory project plan and timeline.

Delegates at Gathering 2014 provided direction for management to move forward to investigate the alternatives of how the deposit funds and the investment portfolio could be managed in order to provide security to our depositors and be in compliance with regulatory agencies.

Our journey started at Gathering 2012 when we committed to review the stewardship department with a focus on compliance, governance and risk management. We engaged third-party support from legal and accounting firms to assist in reviewing and drafting a proposal for a new entity.

The board’s recommendation to form Legacy (presented at Gathering 2014) took all three focus areas into consideration.

Incorporation CCMBC has filed the incorporation documents for Legacy, and is in the process of completing our filing with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) for Not for Profit – Charity status.

The Finance and Governance Committees have been working on the governance (board of directors and committee) and management (officers, management and staff) structure alternatives.

It is our hope that these activities will be completed before CCMBC’s study conference, AGM and special meeting in October.

We are also planning more intensive and detailed work in conjunction

with our financial and legal consultants and industry advisors. We will define the details of the products, processes, controls and reporting we need to have in place to ensure that we are compliant from a CRA and regulatory perspective.

It is the current plan to have all of the documentation in place (subject to approval at the AGM) by the end of December 2015 and that Legacy will be fully functioning as a separate entity sometime in mid-2016.

AGM and special meeting Our staff is developing a Legacy budget to present at the AGM as a subset of the total conference budget. This will provide our current perspective on what Legacy and the CCMBC budget will look like in the future.

At the AGM and special meeting in October, we will provide a breakout session to address delegates’ questions, comments and concerns. We will also provide regular updates to depositors, informing them of our progress.

This is a fairly complex undertaking and will result in a stable funding platform to ensure a stable deposit fund that will provide a trustworthy investment opportunity and funding for ministry (church and pastor residence mortgages) for our MB churches in Canada in the years to come.

NOTICE CCMBC special meeting OCTOBER 21, 2015 The Annual General Meeting in Winnipeg, Oct. 21, 2015, is declared a special meeting for the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in order to conduct additional business regarding changes to the stewardship division.

Prayer and worship will take place at 1:30 pm before the AGM at 3:30 pm.

Detailed materials are available at www.mennonitebrethren.ca/news/agmspecial-meeting-documents/ Morning breakout sessions will begin at 9:00 am and include conversations around CCMBC Legacy Fund Inc., C2C missional partnerships and a Canadian MB communications strategy.

Please consider arriving on the evening of Oct. 20 if you wish to attend these sessions.

Meeting location: Westwood Community Church, 401 Westwood Drive, Winnipeg, Man. Breakout options: • CCMBC Legacy Fund Inc. plan and purpose • MB Herald and Canadian MB communications strategy • C2C missional partnerships Agenda: 9:00 – 9:30 am

Plenary session & prayer

9:30 – 10:30 am

Breakout sessions

10:30 – 11:00 am

Break (on-site)

We continue to pray over and discern the process that we may understand the project and have the wisdom to make appropriate decisions at the right stages.

11:00 – 12:00 pm

Breakout sessions

12:00 – 1:30 pm

Lunch (on-site)

1:30 – 3:00 pm

Concert of prayer

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Break (on-site)

3:30 – 5:00 pm

AGM

Jim Davidson is interim chief financial officer for the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

5:00 pm

Supper (on your own)

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ICOMB: International Community of W i eb e ’s Witn es s

Drawing from his travels to visit MB churches around the world, ICOMB executive director David Wiebe offers insights on faith.

Naked Anabaptists: Vulnerable faith-sharing in Japan David Wiebe

I typically trust my host to be the discerning one with such questions. So I put the ball in Tanaka’s court. “What do people think about it here?” Tanaka admitted that non-Japanese visitors might find it controversial, but generally Japanese people – including Christians – enjoy the bath.

Having no clear opinion of my own, and trusting “Yoshi” (a familiar rendition of his name he’s invited me to use), I said, “Let’s go!” And Yoshi introduced me to the rituals and super-hot warmth of the public bath.

I didn’t entirely anticipate that we’d be naked. Of course, everyone was. As we chatted about a wide range of things – personal, church, philosophical – I discovered lots about Tanaka and his church. We thought it might be helpful for him to bring his church board to the public bath to achieve new levels of interaction and trust so they could model intimacy and lead the church more pastorally.

the nakedness of the bath might be a metaphor for effective witness to Japan’s radically postmodern culture.

nothing to the majority of Canadians.

Who or what is a minister? Why would that make you watch your mouth?

One student agreed. She said her family went shortly before. Her husband lives and works in another city, so they only see one another on weekends. Their children in their 20s are beginning independent lives. The bath was helpful for them all.

It seems to me that we need to strip down our gospel a bit. Many words and concepts make sense to Christians, but not at all to the average Canadian. One kind of “nakedness” would be to drop the John 3:16 signs at football games and forget the comfortable “assurance of heaven” or even “ask Jesus into your life/heart.”

Trusting my friend’s invitation to a culturally foreign experience led me to a rich learning experience and an insight into helping people follow Christ.

At home in Canada, my next-door neighbour is an older man. When he heard a fellow swearing on the street quite loudly, he responded: “Hey, don’t swear!

My neighbour’s a minister!” If this seems amusing, it’s probably because you know that line of logic means virtually

Tanaka and I ended the week with a day dedicated to life-coaching (APEX).

We touched on a variety of personal issues and capped off our time with another bath.

During the week, I taught a missiology class at the seminary. I suggested that After the Sunday service and a lunch, Hoshida Chapel transforms into a ping pong tournament hall.

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Maybe there’s no catch phrase at all!

Instead, we make ourselves vulnerable and enjoy a relationship. We don’t have all the answers, so we explore spiritual things together with friends who will catch signals of the need to follow Christ.

As Anabaptists, we have a 500-year history of following after Christ (nachfolge Christi). This is the centre of the Anabaptist gospel.

PHOTO: COURTESY DAVID WIEBE

“Do you like the public bath?” asked Yoshifumi Tanaka, my host in Osaka, Japan. I was visiting speaker for the 65th anniversary celebrations of Nihon Menonaito Burezaren Kyodan (Japanese MB conference, JMBC). “Some people are not sure about them.”

Mennonite Brethren did you kno w?

Jesus has become real to us in many different ways. Our individual gifts and interests create varied possibilities of mutual attraction with other individuals (1 Corinthians 12). On the foundation of these affinities, we build true relationships characterized by vulnerability. In this context we invite our true friends to follow Christ together with us.

As naked Anabaptists, we completely avoid formulas. Instead, we live real, open lives in which we invite others to join us in the quest to find and follow Jesus. Our vulnerability will show where we struggle – and prevent unrealistic expectations for new followers of Christ.

Our friends may even help us with our questions.

As naked Anabaptists we still carry biblically informed convictions (“truth”) – but not imperiously or hidden

beneath incomprehensible formulas.

People want it straight and honest, but in love. The only way to do that is the nakedness of a real, loving relationship.

Whether in a culture like Japan that’s informed by quite a different spirituality or in North America where only vestiges of our Christian past remain in the wider culture, I think our calling is to present our real faith, stripped of the clothing of empire and jargon…in just our vulnerable selves… …the way Jesus did it.

David Wiebe has been a member of a Christian rock band, a pastor, and an MB conference executive. Since 2011, he has served the International Community of Mennonite Brethren as executive director. Yoshifumi Tanaka of the Japanese conference describes him as “so tall, but so humble.”

The Japan MB Conference (JMBC) is the largest Mennonite group in Japan with 29 local churches and more than 1,800 members. JMBC also operates Evangelical Biblical Seminary in Osaka and Nosegawa Bible Camp.

ICOMB commissioned its first executive director, Victor Wall of Paraguay, at its 2005 annual summit in Japan at the Evangelical Biblical Seminary.

A major outreach for Japanese MB churches features teaching English.

They are always looking for teachers to live and serve in Osaka and other cities. Contact MB Mission for more information.

The JMBC is undergoing a major theological shift from dispensational theology to a more Anabaptist-focused approach.

PHOTO: DUSTIN WIEBE

Though still a recipient of mission workers, Japan has also been a sender. Japanese MBs have served Japanese communities in the U.S., with other agencies in Africa and Asia, and with MB Mission in Thailand.

Yoshifumi Tanaka and David Wiebe participate in the closing footwashing session at the 2015 ICOMB annual summit in Pennsylvania (see page 22).

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TESTIMONY “Let me pursue you” A journey toward wholeness Mark Friesen

I

am a Christ follower who has been a member of a MB church since my teens. I love the church, yet in my youth, its pastoral approach toward sexuality consistently failed to help me. I write my story to give hope to those still struggling and to encourage the leaders in our church as they think about the pastoral approach to these issues.

sharing my struggles with other believers and receiving their support in prayer – was restorative.

High expectation, low support

Less helpful was the overemphasis on the demonic, and the belief that once we had prayed about it, I shouldn’t struggle anymore.

In my teens, it was silence. I am grateful for my dad’s “birds and bees” talk he gave when I was 12. But after that no one ever spoke to me personally about sexuality.

From the pulpit I heard the message to save sex until marriage. What was not articulated clearly was what I was supposed to do with my sexual desires until then.

I concluded there must be something wrong with me because I had strong sexual desires toward women. I felt guilt and shame about my sexuality, especially masturbation. I thought I was the only person in my world who struggled with this. I felt unworthy of love and belonging.

Armed only with the advice not to “go too far” in regard to sexual expression, I learned to fear my God-given sexuality. I tried to suppress all sexual desires, which only worked for a while, but did great damage to my soul.

Acknowledgement with inadequate support In my early 20s, I summoned my courage and shared with two older men in a pastoral role in my church about these issues. To my surprise, they neither condemned nor rejected me. In fact, they suggested what I was struggling with was normal.

However, these men had little else to offer.

Silence and implied shame returned. Without ongoing discipleship, my struggles increased.

In my late 20s, I became involved with pornography. Again, I reached out to men in pastoral roles at my church. This time, a new generation was more willing to talk about these issues, but their solutions were overly simplistic.

With their guidance, I went through a process of extensive confession of sin and renunciation of evil, based on the teachings of Neil Anderson. The confession part – including

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After that, lapsing into my old patterns produced even more shame. These Christian men had nothing else to offer me; I could feel their frustration rising as I returned again and again for prayer.

Finally I was referred to Living Waters, a 20-week Christian discipleship program designed specifically for men and women who struggle with sexual/relational brokenness.

Holistic restoration To my relief, at Living Waters I was welcomed warmly and congratulated – not scolded – for seeking help. What I discovered was that the deep needs in our hearts are intended to be met firstly in an intimate relationship with God, secondly in healthy relationship with others.

One of the greatest truths I learned is that sinful desires are corruptions of good desires. My desire to look at pornography was a twisting of my good desire for intimacy, affirmation and love. I was trying to find satisfaction apart from God. Living Waters (now called The Journey) emphasizes discipleship, a long-term process. The leaders walked alongside me week after week and taught me that God would speak on this journey.

God did.

After giving in to temptation, I was beating myself up. I could have avoided this sin if only I had spent more time in Bible reading and

October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

prayer! Then, a thought came to me clearly: “Stop trying so hard…. Let me pursue you.”

In a flash, I knew that I needed to rest in God’s presence.

I had been seeking to save myself by trying to obey in my own strength, or giving up and going my own way. In this moment, God offered another way to face my temptations: give my desires to God and allow him to channel them in new ways.

With the help of a recovery group that offered ongoing support and accountability, I began to experience long-term freedom from my addictive patterns.

I have now had 12 years of sobriety from the things that once held me in bondage. With this new wholeness, I was able to enter into a healthy relationship with a woman and we have been happily married for 10 years.

Motivations of the heart At the core of my experience was an inadequate understanding of the human heart.

First, I believed trying hard to keep the rules would lead to right behaviour. Later, I understood more but only had tools of a one-time, quick-fix nature. Finally, I encountered an approach to life that recognizes the deep motivations of the heart and the need for a long-term plan to grow and mature.

May we grow as a church in our ability to shepherd our young people in his life-giving ways.

Mark Friesen is currently a member of The Meeting Place in Winnipeg.

TEXT MESSAGE Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly Implications of Micah 6:8 for global mission Nikki White

MICAH 6:6–8 With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? ...He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. “We will see you soon! Is your church ready to receive the team from North Langley Community Church? Do you need anything?” “¿Sería posible…?” The Skype connection between Vancouver and Mexico was lagging, but this hesitation was more than just a network glitch. Pastor Carlos clearly wished to say something, but seemed reluctant. “Is possible that you come antes, before?”

“Before the seventeenth?” I asked, bewildered.

“No, no,” he shook his head. “Before the team come, solo ustedes? Just you, maybe three days before?”

“Oh! I’ll find out. Is there a problem? Do you need more help?”

Carlos pulled his beard, clearly embarrassed.

“We think only this visit it is so busy, we no have time to – como se dice?” His wife Karla prompted him. “Time for to do nada, nothing.

Like says Pablo el apóstolo: I no want yours, just you!”

Now it was I who felt embarrassed, chastened by his quote from 2 Corinthians 12:14. Here I was, the stereotypical Westerner, hyperfocused on function, while my brother in the Global South was looking for friendship.

What the Lord requires Affluence affects different people in different ways. In the days of the prophet Micah, Israel was enjoying a prolonged period of economic prosperity. Unfortunately it was also a time of socio-political and moral corruption, as the wealthy upper class enriched themselves at the expense of the poor. One can imagine the indignation of the prophet who came from the impoverished village of Moresheth-Gath in southern Judah.

“And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

A shortcut to faith?

Justice. Mercy. Humility. Universally accepted Christian values, easily overlooked when

one has the financial resources to buy, say, a thousand rams and ten thousand rivers of oil.

Micah is speaking to the appallingly wealthy; by global standards, he is speaking to us. With decades of colonialism and flagrant opportunism fueling a social gospel movement, well-intentioned expenditures have been poured out upon impoverished communities in the flurry of activity associated with shortterm missions. Ironically, this often creates economic dependency within a relational void, and leads to jealous disunity among the very peoples we desire to bless.

Paternalism reinforces the passivity of poverty, setting up wealthy patrons as heroes, without allowing others to be agents of their own transformation. This shortcut to faith undermines the very vindication God desires to bring to the oppressed. This is what happens when justice is championed without mercy or humility.

While justice must always address immediate, urgent needs, mercy – chesed, loving kindness – seeks the highest, ultimate good for the one in need. This may entail restraint in giving to avoid creating unhealthy dependencies. Then, when the natural confidence of wealth assumes superior discernment, humility requires that we allow those in need of change to determine the necessities, goals and pace.

In brief, if we would “do justly,” we must also “love mercy” and “walk humbly.” While justice impels us to act, mercy demands that we reflect on the impact of our actions and humility requires that we surrender our own agenda.

Act, reflect and surrender Both MB Mission and ICOMB encourage global partnerships of mutuality and relational equality, where development is not done for others but with them.

In NLCC’s church-to-church partnership with Pan de Vida church in Mexico, this means spending less of our money and more of

ourselves. While money is spent on indigenous leadership development and equipping their church for sustainable outreach, our lives are spent building friendships.

When in Colima, our team members are split up and housed with local families, a stark inversion of the power-broking pyramidal structure of paternalism, as we gringos become helplessly dependent on our hosts.

We bridge the language barrier as best we can; eating, playing and laughing at the hilarious faux pas of our cultural illiteracy.

We try to listen more, opine less, learn always.

Our Latino brothers and sisters teach us to value process over product, passion over perfection, crisis as an opportunity for intimacy. We learn to define “family” as all who cross our threshold, and to know that God is in the details. We leave inspired to join God on his mission with those across our table, across the street, across town or across the ocean.

Global church partnerships Our sister churches in the Global South are not problems in need of fixing, but fellow travellers on the Christian journey, in search of companionship. Some are struggling to apprehend their global MB identity.

Partnership with a well-established Western church, strengthened by sending and receiving of short-term teams and reciprocal leadership exchanges, could do much to deepen understanding.

A primarily relational approach to mission may be slow, but lasting change occurs only when the initiative for self-improvement comes from within. It calls for justice, mercy and humility, and it is a long-term investment.

But then, friendship always is.

Nikki White (r) is an MBBS graduate of biblical studies with a concentration in cross-cultural ministries. Since 2010, Nikki has helped to develop a church-to-church global partnership between North Langley (B.C.) Community Church and Iglesia Pan de Vida, a Mexican MB church plant in Colima where she previously worked and ministered for six years, with people like Gloria (l).

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October/November 2015

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VIEWPOINT Seismic shift in Pennsylvania

Symbol and GYS logo variations

How MWC’s Global Youth Summit changed me Rianna Isaak he 2015 Global Youth Summit (GYS) radically shaped my Anabaptist Mennonite faith. Not because I necessarily learned specific theological understandings, or even that I learned to see God in a new way: no, my faith was shaped because my perspective of the church shifted.

What is GYS? GYS gathered more than 400 Anabaptist youth from around the globe July 17–20, 2015, before the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Assembly in Harrisburg, Pa., July 21–25, 2015.

GYS also brought together 42 youth delegates for special meetings. I was grateful to be the Canadian Mennonite Brethren youth delegate. This gave me directed opportunity to dialogue with other delegates active in ministry all over the globe in different Anabaptist denominations.

The summit theme, “Called to Share: My Gifts, Our Gifts,” led to conversations that empowered each of us to more fully embody the church in our regions, and to use our gifts globally.

Mennonite = much more I have always been proud of my Mennonite ethnicity. I can trace my family back through Isaak, Willems, Regier, Wall, Siemens and, on the other side, Peters, Janzen, Neufeld and on and on. I have been proud of the fact that I can make warenike, sing hymns and quilt.

However, at GYS, I was confronted with the global Anabaptist church. Not only was my pride in my “tribe” not necessarily a positive, but it could become quite harmful, and even racist.

The Mennonite youth I met at GYS were all part of Christ’s church, regardless of their ethnicity, background or language. They put Jesus at the centre of faith, community at the centre of life, and reconciliation at the centre of our work together. The way I express pride in my heritage might actually cause others to feel rejected by my church if they don’t share a Dutch-German-Russian version of Mennonite “ethnicity.”

I am learning to celebrate the Anabaptist Mennonite theology of my church over and above any cultural or ethnic specifics that could exclude others.

Body of Christ = unity not uniformity I sat with North American young adults in trendy crop tops, “plain” dresses and “hippie

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activist” dreadlocks – next to African youth in bright traditional dresses. This faith was not uniform, but the act of worshipping with Anabaptists from around the globe was a beautiful experience of sights, sounds and emotions.

Symbol, GYS logo and theme with YABs/MWC logos

Called to share: my gifts, our gifts Llamados a compartir: mis dones, nuestr Appelés à partager : mes dons, nos dons

Delegates at the Global Youth Summit display their diversity with flags and traditional clothing.

The GYS embodied a rich diversity of Mennonite youth: different economic situations, political viewpoints, occupations, denominations.

And the best part was that we were all passionate about our faith in Jesus!

Our differences can be united in the body of Christ when our diverse gifts, identities, purposes and callings are held together within the global church community, supporting each other in the mission of Jesus Christ.

Language = power I had never before questioned the fact that I speak only English. At GYS, the majority of the other young adults from around the globe spoke multiple languages. Yet, whenever I walked up to a group laughing and joking in Spanish (or German or French), they would switch to English, so I could be included.

I felt honoured and cared for by this tangible practice of love. However, I noticed that in their effort to include me, they now struggled to form their sentences in English. It became evident that my presence radically changed the conversation dynamics.

I realized it is an act of power to only speak English, assuming others will adjust to me.

In order to “even out” the power differential, I aim to learn another language before the next Assembly in Indonesia.

Hope in the church When I look at my particular context, it can be easy to lose hope in the church. It is easy to focus on a specific conflict or tension within my own congregation or denomination, or

October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

PHOTO: COURTESY RIANNA ISAAK

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to compare ourselves with a version of the church in the past or somewhere else.

At the GYS, I celebrated with a church that is thriving! Seeing so many youth and young adults who are active in ministry, pursuing their faith and engaging with the face of Jesus in the marginalized was tremendously encouraging.

I was inspired by the passion for peace, justice, healing and living well in this world.

The energy in the room was overwhelming!

The Anabaptist Mennonite church is thriving around the globe. We can learn much from our sisters and brothers in South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. When we gather to worship our Lord, we know that we are not alone.

Both GYS and Assembly embodied for me what it means to be an Anabaptist Mennonite Christian. I recommend that every Mennonite Brethren attend at least one MWC global event in their lifetime. It is sure to shatter stereotypes about being Mennonite; to remind that we are the body of Christ not despite but through our different gifts; to enrich our dialogue with a global conversation; and to rekindle hope in the church gathered and dispersed.

See you at Indonesia 2021!

Rianna Isaak is a member of River East Mennonite Brethren Church, Winnipeg. A graduate of Canadian Mennonite University, she works as program director for Camps with Meaning.

NE WS H A R R I S B U R G , PA .

Walking with God and each other 7,500 Anabaptists share joys, burdens at global assembly n his Friendship Group at the Mennonite World Conference assembly, Francis Ojwang found that getting to know fellow believers from distant places brought an unexpected blessing.

The Kenyan pastor had hoped that his wife, Everline Achieng, could travel with him to the 16th global assembly of Anabaptists.

The once-every-six-years event drew more than 7,500 people from 65 countries to Harrisburg’s Farm Show Complex July 21–26, 2015. The theme was “Walking with God.” It was the first time since 1978 that U.S. churches hosted the global assembly.

But, like some 300 others from various countries, Ojwang’s wife’s visa was denied.

The couple had spent more than $1,000 on expenses such as visa interviews and passports.

“I was disappointed, but not to the breaking point, because I believe all things work to good for those who love the Lord,” Ojwang said July 25, 2015.

He shared his story with Friendship Group No. 348 – one of more than 250 circles of about 10 people each that met for 45 minutes after each morning worship service.

The rest of Ojwang’s group, all from the U.S., took up a collection, giving the father of six enough cash to cover a significant part of his loss.

“This is a great surprise and blessing,” he said. He promised some of the funds would help the orphans who make up about half of the 120 children in his congregation’s Sunday school.

Before the gift, he had $5 in his pocket.

Appropriately, the day’s theme was “Walking in Giving and Receiving.”

Friendship Group No. 348’s experience of cross-cultural sharing was one of countless moments – worshipping with the multitude, listening to music in the Global Church Village, competing for the Anabaptist World Cup or visiting in the hallways – that drew Anabaptists from around the world into closer fellowship.

With colourful MWC banners hanging on each side of the stage and a huge video screen behind the podium, worshippers gathered in a 1930s-vintage arena that hosts events such as rodeos, tractor pulls, motorcycle races and farm shows.

The assembly rented 30 large tents to create more space for smaller meetings, such

as afternoon workshops, within the complex. Volunteers sped to their errands on Amish-made scooters that resemble bicycles.

Spirit-filled music Each evening worship service featured songs from various countries Each day’s worship services highlighted one continent. On Africa day, and cultures. several African choirs performed.

“The Spirit simple, clear message of Jesus through the touches our hearts as we sing together, as centuries: that love for others is an essential our brothers and sisters sing in different reflection of love for God. parts of the world,” said worship leader Don “We are a peace church because we are McNiven of Canada.

Music wasn’t limited to worship services. first and foremost a Jesus church,” he said.

For Benjamin Krauss of Germany, hymn Diverse contexts singing created a meaningful moment durWorkshops included testimonies about ing the Global Youth Summit, a three-day living out Anabaptist principles of peace and pre-assembly event that drew more than 400 community in diverse contexts. young adults from around the world.

In Indonesia, “We live among 150 million Krauss said the North Americans formed Muslims, and they don’t want to read the a circle around the other participants and gospel,” said pastor Paulus Hartono. He sang “Praise God from Whom All Blessings told of befriending a military commander of Flow,” known by its Mennonite Hymnal Hezbollah, a radical Islamist group. number, “606.” Then the entire group “We must help them read the gospel in sang together. our lives.”

To Krauss, the hymn singing was a In a workshop led by members of the way the North Americans “blessed us as MWC Faith and Life Commission, Martin their guests.”

Junge of Chile, executive secretary of “You are very good at four-part harmony Lutheran World Federation, said he believes singing,” he said. “It is very Mennonite the Word of God is too big to be comprefor North Americans, but it is very North hended by one human being – or any single American for us from other parts of the world. faith tradition.

“It was a way of speaking your truth “As churches with different emphases without excluding other truths. We experiand entry points, when we witness together enced our differences and also found what to the gospel of Jesus, we are capturing we have in common.” something that no single denomination can

Critique and praise

At twice-daily worship services, sermons brought encouragement and challenge.

Each morning service included a “young Anabaptist” response from a different continent.

Kevin Ressler, the young North American speaker, said, “Many of us have become Pharisees,” eager to condemn the sins of others while ignoring our own.

Canadian Brethren in Christ pastor Bruxy Cavey praised Anabaptists for carrying the

own,” Junge said.

Before an offering for the MWC Deacons Commission, the crowd was reminded that most of the Anabaptist church growth is happening among people who are financially poor. Meanwhile, 95 percent of Anabaptists’ financial resources are located in North America and Europe.

New leadership The final worship service included the symbolic passing of a shepherd’s staff continued on page 24

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October/November 2015

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PHOTO: DALE D. GEHMAN

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NE WS M E C H A N I C S B U R G , PA .

Mennonite Brethren leaders meet following Assembly

R

epresentatives from 21 of the 22 national Mennonite Brethren conferences from around the globe met for the International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) annual summit held July 26–29, 2015, at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pa. The 2015 summit highlighted ways in which the 25-year-old organization has grown and is shifting beyond fellowship to providing guidance and accountability to its member conferences. However, the country reports that punctuate each session remain a high point.

The mutual support these leaders derived from each other was evident as they huddled to pray after sharing the pain of ministering to war-torn Ukraine or the excitement of turning a brothel into an outreach center for former prostitutes in Brazil. The sharing culminated in the closing footwashing, prayer and communion service, a highlight for many delegates.

Wiebe affirmed, global elders considered ICOMB representatives voted unanimously to appoint David Wiebe of Canada – ICOMB’s first full-time executive director – to a second three-year term. Representatives strongly affirmed Wiebe’s leadership, only cautioning against overwork. “When Dave visits us, he is so tall but so humble,” said Yoshifuma Tanaka of the Japan MB Conference.

Delegates discussed establishing “global elders” to provide spiritual, theological and practical leadership among member conferences, a conversation begun in 2013.

Delegates raised concerns about the importance of building trust and acknowledged that conferences do not “do church” in the same way. They suggested ICOMB serve as a mediator rather than an authority figure in times of conflict and pursue a biblical model for sharing authority and resolving conflict.

“We should not be discouraged when we don’t find easy answers,” said Victor Wall of Paraguay.

Authority tested ICOMB conferences in Angola, India and Mexico are currently navigating internal conflicts. Wiebe said ICOMB is testing ways it can support and guide the national conferences as they seek to resolve differences.

22

“Mission can’t entirely hold us together,” said Wiebe. “Community and identity are also very important, and sometimes ICOMB is asked to have a stronger voice.”

ICOMB exercised that voice during the 2015 summit. The executive committee determined that, in spite of reconciliation efforts, the current leaders of Igreja Evangélica dos Irmãos Menonitas en Angola (Angolan Mennonite Brethren church) were no longer in good standing with ICOMB. Wiebe emphasized that the problem is with specific leaders and not the Angola conference; he asked delegates to pray for the conference and their leaders.

The 2015 ICOMB summit followed the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) assembly held July 21–26, 2015, in nearby Harrisburg, Pa. Most ICOMB delegates also attended Assembly 16 and the general council, mission or education meetings held prior to the assembly.

Building on its experience holding education consultations in DR Congo in 2009 and internationally in 2007 and 2011, ICOMB helped to organize a global education conference for primary and secondary educators prior to the MWC assembly.

During the summit, Victor Wall, ICOMB’s education facilitator, reported on the education conference and other ICOMB education projects.

The ICOMB summit began with a worship service attended by international Mennonite Brethren participants from the MWC assembly, some of who remained as guests for the meetings.

MWC general secretary César García, a Mennonite Brethren from Bogotá, Colombia, joined ICOMB for dinner Monday and answered questions posed by ICOMB representatives during the evening session.

In other business, ICOMB delegates received a report from the executive committee that outlined current ICOMB financial

October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

PHOTOS: DUSTIN WIEBE

Delegates reappoint Wiebe, discuss “global elders”

Saúl Yovera of Peru prays for the cup as the ICOMB leaders take communion together.

Prayer punctuates the ICOMB gathering. Here country representatives pray for executive director David Wiebe.

accountability policies, recommended that ICOMB members that are not members of Mennonite World Conference “consider MWC membership on its own merits,” and that guidelines on a sabbatical policy for pastors and national church leaders are being developed.

The summit agenda included two seminars. USMB delegate Ed Boschman focused on the character of a leader. Wiebe outlined the essentials of a healthy conference.

Wiebe reported that ICOMB’s 2016 annual summit will be held in Panama. MB Mission will work with ICOMB to host a mission and prayer consultation in 2017, likely in Thailand.

While the annual summit ended Tuesday evening, three ICOMB groups met the following day: the Global Scholarship Fund Committee, the Latin America Cohort and the Europe Cohort.

Connie Faber is editor of the Christian Leader, the USMB publication.

CH I LLIWACK , B.C .

“Irrational Generosity” blesses schools Main Street Church raises community funds amid ongoing church building campaign embers of Chilliwack’s Main Street Church know what it means to give.

At press time, not only have they pledged or given $630,000 toward a million-dollar expansion to the church building in downtown Chilliwack, they also contributed “over the top” to provide playground equipment for two elementary schools in their neighbourhood.

For the past few years, teachers and parents at Chilliwack’s Central Elementary Community School wrestled with the knowledge that the school’s old wooden playground equipment would have to be torn down in 2015.

They struggled in their economically depressed neighbourhood to raise funds for replacements, but could not come near enough to their goal. “We put on many fundraisers, but only got a couple of hundred dollars each time,” says Central Grade 2 teacher Danielle Tebrinke.

She spoke about the need to her pastor, Main Street Church’s Shawn Vandop, and he suggested the church make the project the focus of their annual Mothers’ Day special offering.

In spite of Main Street’s ongoing fundraising drive for a church building project, the congregation overwhelmingly supported the campaign to make up the difference for the playground.

“Parents and staff at Central were amazed that our church would step in and help,” says Tebrinke. “They said it speaks volumes that a church would do that for the community.”

Main Street’s “Irrational Generosity” campaign raised almost $28,000: $19,755 for Central and $8,000 for McCammon Traditional Elementary, another school in the catchment area with similar financial challenges.

One half of the funds for McCammon were earmarked for new playground equipment, the other half to help launch a “Blessings Backpack” program that supplies weekend food for children in low-income families. [See “Community and church rally to feed hungry kids,” MB Herald, August 2015.]

Vandop says, “We want to partner with our community, not just occupy real estate.

We want to be a light in the community.”

Some of Main Street’s members live in the area, and others teach or have children at the

two schools, he says. “I’m sure we’ll do more projects like this in the future.”

Meanwhile, the expansion project at Main Street Church is slated to open this fall. It includes a 250-seat chapel, an industrial kitchen, reception/banquet area and a café.—Barrie McMaster, B.C. correspondent

PHOTOS: COURTESY MAIN STREET CHURCH

M

Above: Central Elementary School’s new playground, funded by Main Street Church.

Main Street pastor Shawn Vandop (l) and teacher Danielle Tebrinke (r) present a cheque to Central’s principal.

MB Herald editor and communications lead resigns Laura Kalmar resigned from her 10-year ministry with the Canadian Conference of MB Churches, effective Aug. 21, 2015.

In late August, Laura began work as associate director of communications and donor relations for Mennonite Central Committee Canada.

“Laura has been a great team member as we have worked together to communicate God’s activity among us as a family of churches,” says CCMBC executive director Willy Reimer. “Her heart for Christ, the local church and our faith family has been evident in her leadership and her writing.

Laura has led well through multiple transitions and I know God will work through her in her new role.”

As editor of the Mennonite Brethren Herald (2005–2015), Laura exercised pastoral gifts (developed previously as children’s pastor at Bakerview Church, Abbotsford, B.C.) within a congregation of 14,500 MB readers across Canada.

She guided the magazine through a redesign from black and white to full colour, and presided over the switch from publishing every three weeks to monthly, and more recently to a bimonthly cycle.

Over the course of changes in leadership at the Canadian conference, Laura was appointed interim communications director in 2012. Her title was changed to communications team lead in 2014 as

she capably continued to provide cohesion and coherence to the department and external messaging for Canadian MB churches.

Under Laura’s Laura Kalmar leadership, the Canadian conference also established itself in the social media world, with website redesigns to mobile friendly templates for CCMBC and the MB Herald, and the initiation of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram presences for conference ministries.

“I’ve counted it a privilege to be able to speak into the life of our denomination over the past 10 years, and feel a deep connection to our churches and members,” says Laura. “It’s now time to pass the MB communications torch to someone else. I’m looking forward to being part of the significant ministry of MCC Canada.”

Laura and her husband Jason Topnik are members of Eastview Community Church and have two children, Sophia and Alexander.—a Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches release

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October/November 2015

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continued from page 21 from outgoing president Danisa Ndlovu of Zimbabwe to new president Nelson Kraybill of the United States. Rebecca Osiro of Kenya succeeded Janet Plenert of Canada as vice president.

The service concluded with 606, “the national anthem of Mennonites in North America.”

On Sunday morning, July 26, 2015, at least 34 local congregations hosted international guests.

The United States had the largest number of registrants, 3,931, followed by Canada with 1,162. Other leading countries included Zimbabwe with 265, India with 250, Congo with 215, the Netherlands with 125, Germany with 112, Mexico with 106 and Switzerland with 97.

The 17th world assembly is scheduled for 2021 in Indonesia.

Paul Schrag is editor of Mennonite World Review. This article was written for Meetinghouse, a group of Mennonite publications. See this article on mbherald.com to follow links to more coverage of MWC’s Assembly 16.

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MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October/November 2015

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by Perry Bush

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Mennonite Disaster ServiceService seeks seeks Dire Mennonite Disaster Director of RegionOperations V Region V (Canadian) (Canadian) Operations MDS seeking highly motivated leade MDS isis seeking a highlya motivated the position leaderfull to filltime the full-time positionofof Director of Re Operations 4, 2016, Director of Region V Operations beginningbeginning January 4, 2016,January due the resignation of Janet Plenert, who is moving on to to the resignation of Janet Plenert, who is moving on to a ition at another institution. position at another institution.

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October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

SEE: www.mbhistory.org

FAMILY news TRANSITIONS

development, admissions and communications.

MB Biblical Seminary welcomed Eugene Klassen half-time as development officer (donor relations) for B.C. and Alberta, Sept.

1, 2015. For the last 30 years, Eugene has worked at Communitas Supportive Care Society, Abbotsford, B.C., mainly as Chief Financial Officer. Eugene and Marilyn live in Abbotsford and attend Highland Community Church. Jeff Peters now fully assumes the role of director of advancement, overseeing

Trevor Seath began Aug. 1, 2015, as C2C Network Ontario regional director. For the past year, he served as C2C mobilizer for Toronto and led incubator training at the C2C Toronto hub. Trevor has served as church networking pastor at The Peoples Church, Toronto, and as lead pastor of Bridletowne Park Church, Toronto. He has a BA in psychology from University of Waterloo (Ont.), and an MDiv from Tyndale Seminary. Trevor and Julie – who serves C2C’s spouse and family ministries in Ontario – have 4

BIRTHS DOERKSEN – to Steve & Carleen of Killarney, Man., a daughter Madilyn Mary Ella, Apr. 1, 2015.

ENGBRECHT – to Alex & Irene of Steinbach, Man., a son, Markus Noah, May 2, 2015.

FRIESEN – to Kim & Rachelle (Klassen) of Fort St. John, B.C., a daughter, Isobelle James, June 10, 2015.

GOERTZ – to Dustin & Kylie (Little) of Fort St. John, B.C., a daughter, Nevada Rayne, Apr. 7, 2015.

HILDEBRANDT – to Elliott & Nancy (Schroeder) of Saskatoon, a son, Matthew Wyatt, May 20, 2015.

JEPSON – to Jarrid & Amy (Stein) of Saskatoon, a son, Wyatt Anthony, July 19, 2015.

KENNEDY – to Darren & Chantel (Brink) of Swift Current, Sask., a son, Cooper Samuel, June 26, 2015.

KORNELSON – to Mitch & Josie (Klassen) of Saskatoon, a daughter, Evelyn Renee, June 30, 2015.

MCCORKINDALE – to Nathan & Niki of Watrous, Sask., a daughter, Madelyn Amia, June 22, 2015.

PLETT – to Jordan & Emily (Dirks) of St. Catharines, Ont., a daughter, Leah Nicole, Aug. 9, 2015.

PLUMLEY – to Matt & Heather Plumley of Port Rowan, Ont., a daughter, Renee Arianne, Aug. 2, 2015.

POLINSKY – to Ryan & Julia (Thiessen) of Mitchell, Man., a son, Ronan Azure Henry, June 11, 2015.

REMPEL – to Joel & Dominique of Saskatoon, a son, Caleb Luca, June 11, 2015.

ROWLEY – to Jeremy & Laura of Killarney, Man., a daughter, Priya Laura Michelle, Mar. 20, 2015.

WRIGHT – to Bradley & Lindsay (Harder) of Edmonton, a daughter, Magdalena Ruth, June 22, 2015.

WEDDINGS hilip BAERG & Joanna DYCK, both P of Winnipeg, July 10, 2015. athanael DIRKS & Rosemarie N LOEWEN, both of Fort St. John, B.C., June 13, 2015.

J ames HIEBERT & Erin NEUDORF, both of Winnipeg, June 19, 2015.

J ay NEILL of Portage la Prairie, Man., & Natalie McKNIGHT of Newton, Man., July 4, 2015.

T obias THIESSEN of Steinbach, Man., & Isabella BERGMANN of Mitchell, Man., June 6, 2015. ark VOGT & Anna PAETKAU, M both of Winnipeg, June 28, 2015.

ANNIVER SARIES PETERS : Fred & Toni (Reimer) Peters celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Aug. 7, 2015, with family and friends at their Saskatoon condo, thanking God for his love and faithfulness. They were married at Clearbrook MB, Abbotsford, B.C., Aug. 5, 1945.

THIESSEN : Bernie & Mary Thiessen celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, July 4, 2015, in Fort St. John, B.C. They were married June 12, 1965, at North Kildonan MB, Winnipeg.

children. Former Ontario director Greg Laing transitioned to Vancouver Sept. 1, 2015, to serve as B.C. mission mobilizer for MB Mission.

Derrick Funk began as pastor at Gateway Community Church, Lower Sackville, N.S., Apr. 1, 2015. He studied theology and education and has worked in Christian education for 20 years, and served church ministries as an elder, youth leader, small group leader and volunteer worship pastor. Derrick and Claire have 2 teenaged children.

Community Fellowship Church, Newton, Man., welcomed Bob Enns as senior pastor July 2015.

Bob has an MDiv from Providence Theological Seminary, Otterburne, Man., and has previously served at Mayfair Mennonite, Saskatoon; South Park MB, Altona, Man.; Grantham MB, St. Catharines, Ont. Bob and Vicki have 2 adult daughters.

José Luis Moraga was appointed director of the School of Urban Ministry (SOUL) June 2015 after several months as interim. He served as director of the Spanishlanguage training program EdenB 2012–2015. A graduate of MBBSCMU with a masters in theological studies, José Luis also has bachelor degrees in ministry and theology from his native Chile and has served as a pastor in Santiago, Chile, and as an intern at Portage Avenue Church, Winnipeg. José Luis and Karen Álvarez have 2 daughters.

Kevin Koop begins as lead pastor at Crestwood MB Church, Medicine Hat, Alta., Oct. 5, 2015. He served Blaine Lake (Sask.)

Gospel Chapel from 2010–2015 after graduating from Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask. Kevin and Emily have 1 son. Pastor John Willems retired from ministry in August after serving Crestwood 2007–2015, Elm Creek 1992–2007, and as associate pastor in Linden (Alta.) MB. Mark Janzen began as pastor at Grace Fellowship’s Warman, Sask., campus in

January 2015. For 12 years, he served the youth and young adults ministry at Bergthaler Mennonite Church in Warman. Mark and Alicia have 2 children.

Columbia Bible College has appointed Darrin Derksen as Director of the Caregiving & Counselling program. Darrin graduated from CBC in 2002 and served as prayer counsellor in a church plant before completing an MA in counselling psychology at Yorkville University.

He has worked in private practice for the past 6 years.

Mark Epp is program director for Mennonite Central Committee Canada. Originally from a farm in Saskatchewan, Mark has served with his wife Gloria Chacón as a missionary in Recife, Brazil, and as MCC country representative and area director in several Latin American locations since 1999. Mark has a BTh from Canadian Mennonite Bible College (now CMU) and a BA and MDiv from University of Winnipeg. Mark and Gloria have 3 adult daughters.

CHURCH ANNIVER SARY Cariboo Bethel Church celebrated its 50th anniversary Sept. 25–27, 2015. In 1963, Neil Isaac began leading services for some 30 people in a Williams Lake, B.C., community hall. Cariboo Bethel MB Church formally organized in 1965 as a member of the B.C. MB conference and hired Paul Unger as full-time pastor. The next year, they broke ground for a 200seat building, completed in 1967, followed by several expansions.

A 1983 complex with a 650-seat sanctuary, banquet facilities and Christian education wing replaced the building destroyed by fire.

Cariboo is a key supporter of neighbouring Camp Likely, has members serving actively on the boards of BCMB camps ministry and MB Mission, and is a sending church for Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters.

Currently, lead pastor Jeremy Vogt and associate Terry Fehr serve the congregation with an average attendance of 250 under the banner, “Life-transforming relationship with Jesus.”

MENNONITE BRETHREN HERALD October/November 2015

31

Finish lines

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.—2 Timothy 4:7

Abe J. Dick Nov. 3, 1922–Jan. 18, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Lichtfelde, Russia PARENTS: John & Liese Dick MARRIAGE: Hilda Suderman, June 27, 1953 CHURCH: North Kildonan MB, McIvor Avenue MB, Winnipeg FAMILY: Hilda; children Rick (Debbie), Ron, Ingrid (Reynold Martens), Val Slobodian; daughter-in-law Mary Ellen Baerg; 11 grandchildren; 1 great-granddaughter; 7 siblings

Abe’s family immigrated to Canada in 1924, settling in Coaldale, Alta. The family was poor, but counted their blessings: freedom, extended family, church and each other. He worked at CO camps in Alberta during WWII. Abe was the first graduate of MB Collegiate Institute, Winnipeg, in 1947. He earned a BA from University of Manitoba in 1950 and an education diploma in 1951. Abe completed a 30-year math teaching career at Churchill High School, Winnipeg. Abe loved Mennonite history. He played violin and sang in choirs. Abe was a self-taught builder, electrician and plumber. He was chairman of McIvor Avenue MB Church’s building committee, deacon and statistician at McIvor and North Kildonan MB churches, and secretary of NKMB’s council and the MB conference. Known for attention to detail and love of math, Abe spent his last moments calculating numbers. He was the solid foundation of his family.

Elsa (Elli) Hildegard Bublitz June 10, 1933–Feb. 28, 2015 BIRTHPLACE: Stolp, Germany PARENTS: Johann & Anna (Voth) Barwich MARRIAGE: Erwin Bublitz, Oct. 4, 1957 [d. Sept. 21, 2007] BAPTISM: Paraguay CHURCH: Bakerview MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: children Manny, Marion Neumann, Doreen Stride; 8 grandchildren; 3 greatgrandchildren; 1 sister

Elli’s father, a WWII conscientious objector, was taken from the family for 7 years and enlisted for alternative duties. In poverty, deprivation and fear, her family sought God’s protection and built a strong culture of love. Reunited after the war, but fearing repatriation to Russia where both parents were born, the family moved to Volendam, Paraguay, in 1948. The extreme climate, primitive conditions and physical labour shaped Elli’s teens. She was not able to continue her schooling. She doted on a little sister. Elli immigrated to Canada in 1957, where her parents had resettled two years earlier. She met Erwin at youth group.

32

Elli was a stay-at-home mother and a generous host. She served her church through visitation ministry. After her children became independent, Elli achieved accreditation at Langara College as a childcare worker and began work. Known as “the Grandma,” she was dearly loved and respected by staff and children. Ellie and Erwin enjoyed travelling, skiing and biking. A hallmark of Elli’s caring was her homemade cards. Elli suffered a debilitating stroke. With Erwin’s care and God’s grace, she made a substantial recovery. After Erwin’s death to cancer, facing dementia, Elli received her sister’s care. Her last years were at Sunpointe Village, Kelowna, B.C., near her daughter. Elli’s kind, gentle spirit endeared her to all, and she lived her faith convincingly.

Walter Janzen Jan. 31, 1922–Mar. 7, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Orloff, Zagradovka, Russia PARENTS: Jakob K. & Martha (Schmidt) Janzen; stepmother Tina (Quiring) Janzen MARRIAGE: Anna Epp, Sept. 15, 1951 [d. 1998] CHURCH: Vineland MB, Ont. FAMILY: children Mary (Steven), Fred (Lorraine), Ed (Kathy), Dave (Irene), Henry (Liz); 13 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; 2 brothers

Walter’s family immigrated to Canada, settling in Laird, Sask., in 1927. In 1940, they sent him to B.C. to work on a farm, where he also performed alternative service. With his eye for detail and pride in workmanship, Walter started a masonry business.

Anna caught his eye at a church youth event. They purchased a motel in Fruitland, Ont. Walter taught high school students masonry in Hamilton, Ont., while completing his BA and teaching certificate, and later taught masonry and English in St. Catharines, Ont. In 1966, the family bought a fruit farm in Beamsville, Ont., to fulfill Walter’s dream of farming and be near Vineland MB Church for their children. Walter was active in the Ontario and Canadian MB Conferences. He served on the boards of Bethesda Home, Vineland, Ont., and Tabor Manor, St. Catharines. Dementia required a move to nursing care. Walter taught his children to love the land and work hard.

Susi Regehr June 11, 1930–Mar. 8, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Chaco, Paraguay PARENTS: Peter & Catarina Rahn MARRIAGE: John Regehr, June 13, 1964 [d. Nov. 2, 2007] BAPTISM: Paraguay, Apr. 22, 1946 CHURCH: King Road MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: children Paul (Genie), Leona (Sheldon) Waldie; 3 grandchildren

October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

Susi’s family fled Russia in 1929, arriving in Chaco, Paraguay. Susi spent 18 years in Paraguay, attending school and church. She committed her life to the Lord. Susi moved with her parents to Brazil. In 1960, they immigrated to Canada, where she married John and raised 2 children.

Faith in Jesus, prayer for her family, godliness and contentment characterized Susi’s life.

Evelyn Margaret Buhler Mar. 26, 1932–Mar. 9, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Waldheim, Sask.

PARENTS: Jacob & Katharina Willems MARRIAGE: Edwin Buhler, July 1, 1955 [d. Apr. 5, 2011] CHURCH: Brotherfield (Sask.) MB; Dalmeny (Sask.) MB FAMILY: children Jocelyn (Peter Miller), Dudley (Bonnie), Monty (Nancy), Russell [d.] (Julie Funk); 8 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; 8 siblings

Evelyn grew up on a farm. She met Edwin while working at Bethany Bible Institute, Hepburn, Sask. They started life together in Dalmeny, Sask., and in 1965, moved to a farm nearby.

Evelyn taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. Her faith and church were important. She loved planting flowers, attending music festivals, making photo albums, watching curling on TV and helping grandchildren learn piano. In recent years, Evelyn enjoyed making cards and volunteering at Spruce Manor.

John Petkau Dec. 31, 1928–Mar. 17, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Neuenberg, Man. PARENTS: George & Aganeta (Klassen) Petkau MARRIAGE: Ellie Braun, July 13, 1957 CHURCH: Newton (Man.) FAMILY: Ellie; sons Randy (Melody), Brent (Christine), Mark (Cindy), Chris; foster children Cathy, Derelda, Irene; 6 grandchildren; 3 siblings

John farmed the same property in Wingham District, Man., 84 years, enjoying his friends and neighbours. He loved raising cattle, gardening, carpentry, hockey, photography, building picture frames for Ellie and riding his 45 Harley Davidson.

Cornelius Rempel Apr. 28, 1931–Mar. 27, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Chortitz (now Randolph), Man. PARENTS: Cornelius & Maria (Wiebe) Rempel

MARRIAGE: Martha Goertzen, July 5, 1962 BAPTISM: Steinbach (Man.) MB, age 17 FAMILY: Martha; children Johanna, Arthur (Jennifer), Harold (Ashley), Karl (Anna); 7 grandchildren; 3 brothers; cousin Elizabeth Wiebe

Cornelius lived in Randolph his whole life. He graduated from MBCI, Winnipeg, in 1950. His mother taught him about faith in Jesus as she sang and played guitar. His father integrated Christian life into the everyday rigours of dairy farming. Cornelius listened to Back to the Bible from his youth. He was grateful to attend MB Bible College, Winnipeg, in the late 1950s. Steinbach MB Church ordained Cornelius Feb. 23, 1969.

He sang 40 years in the church choir, taught Sunday school, led youth, served on church council, and was pastoral assistant. His sermons were prepared with diligence, and he set high expectations for his children. Cornelius formed a strong bond with daughter Johanna. In the 1990s, farm roles reversed; Cornelius worked for his sons. In retirement, he married many Germanspeaking couples. In 2008, Parkinson’s disease and an unsuccessful hip replacement made life difficult, but his sons respected and cared for him.

Cornelius’s health declined after Christmas 2014 with the diagnosis of Johanna’s incurable cancer.

Archie Kruger Feb. 28, 1920–Mar. 27, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Aberdeen, Sask.

PARENTS: John & Tena Kruger MARRIAGE: Gwen Baerg, Sept. 13, 1947 CHURCH: Forest Grove, Saskatoon FAMILY: Gwen; children Ken (Mary), Donna (Bruno) Wiebe, Gary (Roberta); 7 grandchildren; 9 greatgrandchildren

Archie cherished his early years when life centred around family, church and neighbours. He attended Bethany Bible Institute, Hepburn, Sask., later studying choir conducting, voice and piano at Winnipeg Bible College (now Providence), Otterburne, Man. Archie was a farmer at heart who embraced innovation.

Archie and Gwen enjoyed their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He accepted his failing health with kindness and grace.

Anna Janzen Apr. 7, 1925–Mar. 29, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Adelsheim, Ukraine PARENTS: David & Katharina Wiebe MARRIAGE: Cornelius Janzen, Feb. 3, 1946 [d. 1996] CHURCH: King Road MB, Abbotsford, B.C. FAMILY: children Walter (Shirley), Adina (Rufus) Loewen, Erica (Hermann), Linda (Ewald) Unruh, Harold (Frieda); 15 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; 4 siblings

Anna’s childhood was one of famine and fear. As a teen, she received Jesus as Saviour. During WWII, Anna’s family fled through Poland to Germany, where she and Cornelius married. The family immigrated to Canada, settling in Winfield, B.C., in 1948. After 12 years in Kelowna, B.C., they moved to Abbotsford, B.C., in 1960. Anna was a gifted homemaker. She enjoyed music and encouraged her children to sing and follow their dreams. She loved telling stories, recounting blessings. Anna faced health challenges with courage and trust in God.

Donna Marie Thiessen Aug. 12, 1951–Apr. 2, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: St. Catharines, Ont. PARENTS: Bill & Agnes Friesen MARRIAGE: Jake Thiessen, Mar. 10, 1973 CHURCH: Calvary (Associated Gospel), St. Catharines, Ont.; St. Ann’s, Smithville, Ont. FAMILY: Jake; children Jeff (Brenda), Jennie (John), Judith (Caleb); 6 grandchildren; her father; siblings

Donna accepted Jesus as Saviour as at young age. Around the time she met Jake, she was baptized. Donna attended Chedoke & District School of Medical Technology (now Mohawk College), Hamilton, Ont. She worked 30 years as a medical laboratory technologist, most of them at Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston, Ont. Donna volunteered at Camp Crossroads, the Baptist Haiti Mission and Eagle’s Cove. Donna served the prayer quilt ministry at St. Ann’s Church. She knit and cross-stitched. Donna and Jake took cruises to Alaska, Hawaii and the Baltic states, toured Britain, Ukraine and Israel and visited missionaries in Bolivia and Haiti.

A Mar. 20, 2015, hospital trip revealed serious concerns. As medical challenges mounted, Donna maintained her sense of humour, her smile, her fight.

Annie Regier Dec. 10, 1925–Apr. 5, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Orenburg, Russia PARENTS: Peter & Elizabeth (Dueck) Thiessen MARRIAGE: Peter Regier, May 30, 1946 BAPTISM: Coaldale (Alta.) MB, age 15 FAMILY: Peter; children John (Mary Lou), Jack (Lillian), Annie (Gilbert) Sperling, Joy (Alvin) Thielmann, Lue (Tim) Wiens, Larry (Jolayne); 17 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; 2 brothers

Annie’s family immigrated to Canada in 1926, settling in Steinbach, Man. They moved to Coaldale, Alta., in 1935. Annie accepted Jesus as Saviour at 12 and attended Coaldale Bible School at 17. She and Peter farmed while raising 6 children. Annie taught Sunday school, raised money for missions through the ladies sewing circle. She taught religious instruction at Sunnyside School for 35 years and served

the Coaldale Hospital Women’s Auxiliary for 40. Annie had the gift of hospitality. She also loved gardening, handiwork, baking, and caring for family. She prayed daily for Peter and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She entered Sunny South Lodge in May 2014.

Lena Emily Scheer Aug. 22, 1924–Apr. 5, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Neu Samara, Russia PARENTS: George & Helena (Stobbe) Toews MARRIAGE: Albert Scheer, May 12, 1951 BAPTISM: Yarrow (B.C.) MB FAMILY: Albert; children Dennis (Glenda), Kenneth (Julie), Ray (Anne), Sharon [d.]; 7 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; 4 sisters

Lena’s family immigrated to Canada in 1926, settling on the prairies before moving to Yarrow, B.C., Lena’s home for 70 years. She became a Christian at an early age. Lena attended Elim Bible School and Vancouver normal school. Lena and Albert’s faith carried them after the 1971 death of their daughter Sharon in a car accident.

Lena enjoyed the Dorcas Ruth Club and volunteering at the MCC thrift store. She was nurturing. Lena loved vacationing with her siblings, reading, playing games and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 2010, Lena had a mild stroke. Arthritis diminished her mobility, and Albert cared for her until his hospitalization in 2014, when Lena moved to Menno Home.

Edward Peter Hamm June 14, 1936–Apr. 9, 2015

BIRTHPLACE: Morden, Man. PARENTS: Henry & Tina Hamm MARRIAGE: Helga Pauls, June 11, 1960 [d. 2011] BAPTISM: Morden MB FAMILY: children Beryl, Murray (Joanne); 2 granddaughters; 3 siblings

Edward dreamed of the ministry. He attended Winkler (Man.) Bible Institute, where he met Helga. Edward studied at MB Bible College, Winnipeg; Fresno (Cal.) Pacific College; and Regent College, Vancouver. He served 43 years as pastor at Chilliwack (B.C.) Central MB; Grace MB, Penticton, B.C.; and Winnipeg’s Transcona Community, Morrow Gospel, Meadowood Manor Chapel and Oakbank Baptist. Edward found great joy in preaching and sharing his faith. He enjoyed gardening and music. Edward and Helga blessed many seniors at Meadowood with their singing and visitation. Warm and caring, Edward took a genuine interest in other.

His favourite verse was Proverbs 18:10. Edward’s faith sustained him.

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Desire for intimacy at the heart of Song of Songs ANGELINE SCHELLENBERG

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hen Christina Bucher teaches Song of Songs, her students at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College always ask: “Is this couple married? How far do they go sexually?”

But the author of the recently released Believer’s Church Bible Commentary says Song of Songs is “not a book of simple answers.” It’s poetry.

As Mennonite Brethren grapple with pressing theological and pastoral questions concerning sexuality at the upcoming God, Sex & Church study conference, the Song of Songs reminds us of the deeper heart issues.

“If we read it in terms of worship, we have to allow it to expand our spirituality,” says Bucher.

Students often think of Song of Songs as racy; however, much of the book is actually about “the feeling of being separated and wanting to be together,” says Bucher. “One of the insights that

came to me pretty late [in the 20-year process of writing this commentary] was the degree to which the book is about our human desire for intimacy.”

“There’s a view of male-female relationship we don’t get elsewhere in the Bible: here is a woman who expresses herself, her needs, her desires – assertively.” Given the ancient society in which Song of Songs originated, it’s a remarkably egalitarian understanding of relationships.

The biblical book’s focus on the emotional aspect of sexuality is an important corrective for the church: “When our churches talk about sex, they focus on what people do, not what they feel. Song of Songs reminds us to look at sexuality within the larger context of people’s needs for intimacy.”

When she began writing, Bucher’s interpretation was in line with scholarly consensus: Song of Songs is a

now available

celebration of human love only.

However, as she researched for The Text in the Life of the Church, a key section in every BCBC volume, she discovered “no one read the book that way until the 20th century.” Both Jews and Christians throughout history have understood Song of Songs as a message of God’s love for us.

It doesn’t have to be an either/or, says Bucher: “On both levels, it’s an important book for the church.”

For early Anabaptists, Song of Songs was about the power of God’s love to sustain them through hardship, persecution, even martyrdom. Bucher found early Anabaptist writers drew heavily on Song of Songs, particularly 8:6: “Love is as strong as death.”

If we read Song of Songs as a story about divine love, “it will make us think differently about our relationship with God,” says Bucher.

“We will see God’s love as the larger context for thinking about commandments and obedience.”

Read more about the Believers Church Bible Commentary at mbherald.com/bcbc

CURRENT book

new believer’s church bible commentary

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October/November 2015 www.mbherald.com

Come Back

RUDY WIEBE Penguin Random House

R

udy Wiebe’s latest novel Come Back is a gripping memoir of grief.

Wiebe comes full circle, returning to one of his first (minor) characters, and elevating him to a central role.

Helmut “Hal” Wiens, the kid brother in Peace Shall Destroy Many, is now in his seventies, retired and mourning the recent death of his wife. At the novel’s outset, Wiens sees a fleeting but gut-wrenching apparition of his dead son that jerks him headlong into a grief kept distant, numbed. As an articulation of unimaginable personal pain, this book is truly a “thin space” – and thus sacred ground.—Randy Klassen, West Portal Church, Saskatoon Read the full-length review online under Arts & Culture at www.mbherald.com

Intersection

of faith & life

The nonviolent parent ANDREA HEINRICHS

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hile setting up our tent in the sweltering heat of Osoyoos, B.C., my husband and I struggled to keep an eye on our two-year-old who was wrestling with our instruction to stay off the campground driveway.

A handful of literally-interpreted verses from Proverbs (e.g., 13:24) and some familiar quotes (that sound scriptural but are nowhere to be found in the Bible) provide the basis for much Christian acceptance of spanking.

His escape attempts progressed from tentatively shuffling his feet across the gravel to confidently marching out to the driveway as we tried to disentangle ourselves from tent poles. When he made his final break for the roadway, I hastily decided to administer his first spanking.

And yet, the Jesus I meet in the Gospels embodies nonviolence. Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek and even rejects violence as he is being handed over to his betrayers (Matthew 26:52). In all of the recorded interactions between Jesus and children, Jesus holds children in high

My son laughed nervously, I cried, and I knew that I wanted his first spanking to be his last.

Corporal punishment and pacifism I’m certainly not the first parent to shed tears upon physically punishing her child for the first time. However, my distress came not only from having caused my child pain, but also because I could not reconcile my actions with my faith.

I became a member of a Mennonite Brethren church just after my 20th birthday, and the MB teachings on active peacemaking and nonviolence resonated with me. Though I don’t share the heritage of pacifism of many Mennonites, I have found my spiritual home in a group of people who identify as a people of peace.

Our MB Confession of Faith reads: “Believers seek to be agents of reconciliation in all relationships, to practice love of enemies as taught by Christ, and to be peacemakers in all situations. We view violence in its many different forms as contradictory to the new nature of the Christian. We believe that the evil and inhumane nature of violence is contrary to the gospel of love and peace.”

Confronting conflict at home We often limit our discussions about peacemaking and nonviolence to largescale conflicts, but more often the real conflict in my life is with my child having a meltdown in the cereal aisle.

A child who has difficulty getting ready for school on time may have to experience the embarrassment of collecting a late slip. She may need help learning how to be self-disciplined by creating a picture chart of tasks to be accomplished each morning. A conversation about how running late affects her parents, the rest of her classmates and teacher may help her to understand the impact of her actions on others.

Does my manner of disciplining my children reflect the ways God disciplines me? regard. There is no reason to think that a commitment to creative conflict management would not apply to children.

Parenting in God’s shadow As I teach my children to pray, “Our Father in heaven,…” what does my earthly parenting teach my children about the nature of our heavenly parent? Does my manner of disciplining my children reflect the ways God disciplines me? It is God’s kindness and grace that brings me to repentance (Romans 2:4).

As Mennonite Brethren, can we reconcile being peacemakers – agents of reconciliation in the world – if we can’t be such at home? What does it do to our own hearts as parents to employ forceful physical discipline on our children?

Whether we use corporal punishment or not, we all love our children. Disciplining them is an essential part of helping them reach a stage of maturity at which they are capable of self-discipline.

And I’m not alone.

However, discipline should prepare our children for natural consequences while protecting them from harm, rather than teach our children that they deserve punishment when they fall short of expectations.

Many Canadian parents spank their children, and Christians have often been the most vocal proponents of spanking.

A toddler who throws wooden blocks across the living room may have those toys removed until he is able to

understand the danger posed by makeshift projectiles.

I want my child to grow in empathy for those he has wronged, rather than simply modifying his behaviour to avoid an arbitrary punishment.

Finding an effective means of discipline requires creativity and patience, and finding a foolproof method is impossible. Like most aspects of parenting, developing strategies of discipline involves learning from experience. Methods that have worked for one of my sons are not always effective for the other, and their discipline needs sometimes change as quickly as I can figure them out.

Challenging as it may be, we must press on in disciplining our children in a way that maintains their dignity and our integrity.

With only seven years of parenting under my belt, I’m hardly a seasoned expert on discipline. But, as I look back on the conviction to avoid physically punishing my children that began to cement itself within my heart on that hot summer day, I have no regrets.

Andrea Heinrichs, an occasional blogger and writer, is mother to Oliver and Theodore, married to Dave, lives in Port Coquitlam, and is a member of Eagle Ridge Bible Fellowship, Coquitlam, B.C.

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“YET PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS IS NOT SOMETHING I CAN BOAST ABOUT. I AM COMPELLED BY GOD TO DO IT. HOW TERRIBLE FOR ME IF I DIDN’T PREACH THE GOOD NEWS!” 1 CORINTHIANS 9:16 (NLT)

G ATHERING 2016

JULY 6-9, 2016 / HILTON TORONTO AIRPORT HOTEL

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