The Messenger
EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE
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VOL. 30 NO. 4
FEB. 21/92
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The Burden-Bearer Lord, I’ve been listening to other people’s torrents of problems, until I am weary of hearing them. I sympathize, but I am powerless to help, so I commit their problems to You!
Lord, do You get weary of listening to problems, especially my trivial ones which are so insignificant compared to theirs? I know You are both sympathetic and powerful to deal with our problems, theirs and mine, 'ou for Your greatness
L. Marie Enns Meander Riuer, Alta.
Second Thoughts On
iking About the Death of Christ by Arden Thiessen ''Jesus by His death has made it possible for us and God to get together again. ”
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s disciples of Jesus Christ we have a message of good news for the world. As we witness to this good news we will inevitably at some point refer to the fact that Christ died for us. This is the heart of the gospel. The epistles of the New Testament express this truth in different terms - “Christ died for us,” “Christ died for all,” “He gave Himself for our sins,” “He delivered Himself up for me,” “He tasted death for everyone.” Those references to His death occur in differ ent contexts and they have different shades of meaning, but always there is the idea that He did it for us. One cannot read and study the New Testament without being impressed by these reminders that Christ died for us. And if we seek to think biblically then this will be an impor tant element in the body of Christian doctrine to which we hold. However, when 1 have referred to Christ’s death for us in my preaching or witnessing I have often done so with a feeling of uneasiness. I knew I was saying something I didn’t understand. The words are easy to say, but their meaning is hard to explain. In what sense did He die for us? In what way did His dying there change my sin problem here? How could one man’s death be of benefit to all the rest of us? The writers of the epistles offer little help. They use the idea with great conviction but with little clarification. There is a mystery surrounding this death which they could not fathom, or which did not concern them greatly in their new faith. However, the people to whom we recommend the Christian faith today will often wonder, “What is the meaning of that death of which so much has been made?” How do we answer? How did Christ on the cross atone for our sins? I suspect that the mystery will remain with us for the dura tion of our earthly life. However, while the mystery of that divine transaction cannot be explained, 1 believe the concept can be made more attractive and believable by using the word pictures which the writers of the epistles have used.
Sacrifice There is the picture of Jesus being the sacrificial lamb, slain for the sins of the world. This picture came easily to the minds of the apostles. They had grown up with the knowledge of the Hebrew sacrificial system. They were used to the idea that “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Further, they found in Isaiah 53 a handy motif which they could use in their proclamation of Christ’s death. This procla mation reaches its most profound expression in the Epistle to the Hebrews. And I believe this kind of teaching will not have seemed strange to their listeners. In their world everyone understood the concept of the sacrifice. In our world, however, this idea will often seem strange and archaic. Missionaries who seek to evangelize people still prac tising their ancient blood rituals may find the sacrifice of Christ to be an ideal point of contact. Most of my neigh bours, however, will find this picture unattractive and unhelp ful, maybe even repulsive.
Justification We could also use that picture which Paul used so effective ly - that of us being justified. Paul seemed to see our human problem in terms of guilt - guilt incurred by the transgression PAGE 2
of God’s Law. But Jesus, by dying on the cross, paid our penalty for us, so that we are now blameless. To Paul, used to legalistic thinking, this view had appeal. And many of his readers will have seen the sense of this picture. In their world law was generally seen favourably, as a great benefit for peo ple. Roman law had brought peace and unity to the Mediter ranean world. Law was good and important. The Jews moved throughout the Roman world with their witness to a higher law - the Law of God. And so it was easy to see that preach ing the gospel in terms of law, transgression, guilt, and pardon will have seemed relevant. And this has been a theme I have often used with enthusiasm. However, I have begun to wonder how well this kind of message is understood today. Our society generally has a nega tive view of law. Law, to them, is a problem; it is freedom from the law which is seen as happiness. Most people do not feel guilty about breaking laws. And further, they have no concept of a law-making God to whom they are accountable.
Freedom A third way of picturing the gospel is to see it as offering freedom. The death of Christ is occasionally in the Scriptures spoken of as a ransom. The image behind this word is that of us having been captured and being helplessly bound. But Christ is the Redeemer, who, by His death, has set us free. This theme of freedom in Christ is used in Galatians alongside the theme of justification. Both Ephesians and Colossians refer to Christ as being superior to every other power. The implication is that the drama of Calvary was a confrontation between Christ and the forces of darkness and that Christ has been victorious. By His death He has provided for our freedom. It seems to me this is a theme that could often be used effectively in our time. As I observe it, many people feel bound - captivated by forces they cannot manage and don’t understand. These sinister powers keep them from being what they, deep in their hearts, know they should be. We have good news for them.
Reconciliation However, maybe the best way of promoting Christ today is by using the theme of reconciliation. It comes up frequently in the Scriptures, but its most complete exposition is in 2 Corin thians 5:18-20 and Colossians 1:19-22. The biblical idea is that we were estranged and lost but that Jesus by His death has made it possible for us and God to get together again. 1 suggest this may be the best image to use in presenting Christ today because the theme of alienation is almost univer sal in world literature today. Psychologists have explored this modern problem at length. Counsellors and therapists meet many people who feel they are adrift and have somehow be come separated from that which is important. Such people may speak of their loneliness, anxiety, loss of meaning in life, and lack of a sense of personal value. Christ is good news for such people; He is the Reconciler. The picture of reconciliation is especially attractive because it agrees with the concept of God as our Father. He is a God who, like the father in the story of the prodigal, looks over the world of lost humankind with a deep, passionate, longing THE MESSENGER
love. He desires that they would turn to Him, to enjoy His love as His children. I see another value in picturing the atonement of Christ as reconciliation. Reconciliation requires a response. A kind deed can be unilateral. Forgiveness may be granted even where there is no confession. A favour may be extended to another even when the recipient has no appreciation for it. But recon ciliation can never be a one-sided affair only. For the recon ciliation to be complete there has to be a coming together. Our preaching of the atonement may sometimes sound as if
everything is already completed. But if we speak of it in terms of reconciliation our listeners will be confronted with the need to respond. And this, I believe, is why the language of recon ciliation is often used in the Scriptures to complement the other salvation images. We are fortunate that we have it. It’s a life-changing idea once one has apprehended it. And it’s a lovely message to share with others. Dr. Arden and Helen Thiessen (Steinbach) have recentip returned from a two-month study leave at Oxford, England. Arden is the senior pastor of the Steinbach EMC Church.
Leona Dueck Penner
... I want you to love me.. Recently, on a Mennonite workers Learn ing Tour to South Africa, one of the tour par ticipants asked a staff member of the South Africa Council of Churches what outsiders like us could do to assist them in their strug gle to bring about change in a land which had for so long been divided by apartheid. The young man, who had just shared his personal story with us, a story which in volved three years in prison, including eight months in solitary confinement because he had dared to challenge a system which denied him and 85% of the population the right to be full citizens in the country of their birth, thought for a while and then replied, “I want you to love me. Most of us were taken aback by that simple request, something which appeared very easy to do since ‘Charles’ had already entered our hearts through the open and humble way in which he shared his heroic story. But later it occurred to me that we had been asked to give something which might turn out to be quite costly for us. We, as
white North Americans who come from an affluent society in which we think that we are in control of our lives, were being asked to become emotionally involved with some one who faces a daily struggle for survival and who, as yet, has no say in shaping his own destiny. How could we as “rich ones” and “free ones” and the “privileged-colour ones” truly love someone who was poor and oppressed and black. Was “true love” really possible be tween such opposites? What would we need to do if we said yes to his request? Would we have to empty ourselves of our riches by sharing them generously with Chcirles and countless other black people? Would we have to endanger our freedom by becoming more deeply involved in the struggle to free the oppressed? Would we be required to use our privileged-colour status to challenge unjust systems of government both in South Africa and at home? As I mulled over these questions, I found a deep reluctance within myself to become involved so directly. Wasn’t it enough to be
MWC President in Steinbach Raul Garcia, educator and churchman from Argentina, is the first Latin American to hold the office of president of Mennonite World Conference. In connection with his portfolio, he is visiting a number of Mennonite commu nities in North America. He, together with John Dyck, Coordinator of Assembly 12 in Winnipeg, and their wives, visited Steinbach on Thursday, January 30. The Garcias have three grown sons. Raul’s wife was the daughter of missioneiries from Kitchener, Ontario, serving in Argentina. Raul and his wife both attended Goshen College, where they were married. She not only chose to live with him, but, as he put it, deliberately chose to become a citizen of a Third World
FEBRUARY 21, 1992
country. He spent the afternoon at Steinbach Bible College, addressing the students and faculty. He talked about the Mennonite Church in Latin America. Raul himself has been principal of a high school of over 1000 students. He retired when he was chosen, to his complete surprise, MWC President at Assembly 12 in Winnipeg. He has been involved in the church since 1955. He himself is a product of Men nonite Missions to Argentina. In describing the church, he emphasized the fact that the church, especially in Argentina, with which he is most familiar, has been going through a period of transition - from mission work to national church. The Argentine church is
supportive and sympathetic to what people like Charles were already doing? To keep a low profile and sort of encourage from behind with small gifts of money? It was their country after all . . . That seemed a more reasonable ap proach. But then from deep within myself, I heard the echo of a similar story. I remembered Jesus’ conversation with Simon Peter. Three times Jesus asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Three times Peter responded unhesitatingly, “Lord, you know that I love you.” And each time Jesus requires an action to follow up Peter’s words: twice, “Feed my lambs,” and once, “Tend my sheep.” Then, as if to emphasize the costliness of the love he requires, he talks about the manner in which Peter will meet his death, a death which will glorify God. Then he welcomes Peter as a disciple and says, “Follow me.” Jesus was not satisfied with a glib verbal assent to his greatest commandment. The kind of love he asked for was a time- and energy-consuming love which required daily involvement in feeding, caring for and tend ing ‘His sheep.’ Ultimately this kind of love would cost many of his disciples their lives. I can’t help wondering if that was the kind of love Charles was asking for as well and I wonder if we can really say yes to his request.
This article uxis inspired bp a report on the South Africa Learning Tour bp Curtis Weaver, an MCC worker in Swaziland.
presently in the process of taking ownership of the distinctives of Anabaptist theology, and is negotiating alternative service arrangements with the government. In the evening Mr. Garcia spoke at a public meeting at the Steinbach EMC Church. He there reminded the listeners that the church was and continues to be a suffering church. He expressed gratitude to the North Ameri can church for its faithfulness, as a result of which he had come to know the Lord. Mr. Garcia is a gentle, soft-spoken Chris tian gentleman. His mandate as MWC Presi dent runs till 1996, the date of the next World .Assembly. He is serving the Mennonite con stituency well. Stan Plett MWC Council Member for EMC
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Mennonite Central Committee Ottawa Seminar to be Held March 19-21
The EMC constitution revision committee responsible for the Statement of Faith and Church Practices sections: Ben Eidse (chairman - Steinbach), Stan Hamm (Ridgewood), Came ron McKenzie (Fort Garry), and Tom Peachey (Swift Current). Art Neufeld (Kola) is missing.
Ministerial Meeting
Statement of Faith Reviewed The invitation to attend a special meeting of the EMC Ministerial was accepted by 55 ministers and deacons on February 15. The purpose of the meeting at the Steinbach Evan gelical Fellowship Church (EMC) was to com plete a review of the proposed Statement of Faith and Church Practices sections of the re vised Conference constitution. The review was begun at the previous ministerial meeting last October. There was good interaction in the meeting. Differing viewpoints were exchanged in a spirit of respect and understanding. It was obvious that the committee, consisting of Ben Eidse, Tom Peachey, Stan Hamm, Cameron McKen zie and Art Neufeld, had worked diligently to present a commendable proposal for con sideration. The committee will take the suggestions and opinions under advisement as they work through a revision. Several steps remain be fore the Statement of Faith and Church Prac-
COMING EVENTS March 13-14 "Time for Healing” Conference Voices for Non-Violence & MCC Fort Garry MB Church Phone: (204) 269-8555 March 13-14 Evangelism Alive Seminar Hillsdale Alliance Church Regina, Sask. Phone: (306) 522-3685 March 15-18 Christian Leadership Lectures Howard Hendricks Briercrest Schools Phone: (306) 756-3229
tices will be ready for acceptance. After revision by the committee, it will be reviewed by an editorial committee. The statement will then be sent to all Con ference churches where the members will be given an opportunity to study and respond to the proposal. Suggested amendments will be received by the committee before a final draft is presented to the Conference Council for ap proval. Continued prayer is requested for the committee in this challenging assignment.
Harvey Plett and Ben Eidse guided the Ministerial discussions.
April 24-25 Region 1 Leadership Retreat Peace River Bible Institute Sexsmith, Alta. Phone: (604) 567-9198 May 15-17 EMC Leadership Retreat Brandon, Man. Phone: (204) 326-6401 June 13-14 Mount Salem Reunion and Autonomy Service Aylmer, Ont. Phone: (519) 773-8569 July 3-5 EMC Annual Convention Speaker: David Mains Morris/Rosenort, Man. Phone; (204) 326-6401
WINNIPEG, Man. — “Canada’s role in the world” is the theme for the 1992 Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada Ottawa Seminar, to be held March 19-21 in the na tion’s capital. The seminar, which will be directed by Wil liam Janzen, director of MCC Canada’s Ot tawa office, will give participants a chance to meet and hear Members of Parliament, civil servants and representatives of various agen cies. Topics will include foreign aid. Third World debt, defence issues, peacekeeping, refugees and trade. Participants will need to cover their own costs, but people who travel from distant places can apply for a travel subsidy. Lodg ing in Ottawa will cost at least $25 per night per person, with food around $15 per day. To register for the seminar, or for more in formation, contact: Chris Hiebert, MCC Ontario, 50 Kent Ave., Kitchener, Ont. N2G 3R1 (519) 745-8458. Deadline for regis tration is March 10.
A Call for Ministry Island Gospel Fellowship of Burns Lake, B.C., is in need of a person to serve as pastor, beginning in September 1992. Please contact Art Segal (604-692-3372, evenings) or write Pastoral Search Committee Box 145 Burns Lake, B.C. VOJ 3A0 or contact Conference Pastor Edwin Friesen for information
CONTRIBUTERS: Leona Dueck Penner (Aberdeen) and her husband, Peter, are on an MCC assignment in Botswana, Africa. Her articles in the “Day break” column will reflect that perspective. Anthony and Susan Reimer (Blumenort) began missionary serv ice in Belize recently with the Gospel Missionary Union. Cathy Thiessen (Mennville) is involved in visitation and Bible cor respondence courses in Cuauhtemoc, Mexico. COVER: The photo of two youngsters making tracks in the snow is by Luoma Photos, West Virginia. The late afternoon sun makes long shadows in the snow. L. Marie Enns is relishing her retirement from teaching. She and her husband, Henry, also a teacher, have taught in a native school at Meander River, Alta, for several years.
THE MESSENGER is the publication of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference. Its purpose is to inform, instruct, and inspire. Inform as to what is going on in the Conference; instruct in Godliness and victorious living; inspire to earnestly contend for the faith. All correspondence should be ad dressed to the Editor Menno Hamm, Box 1268, Steinbach, Manitoba, ROA 2A0. Letters, articles, art and poetry are welcomed. Views expressed in Let ters to the Editor are not necessarily those of the editor nor of the paper. Unpublished articles are not returned except by request. Subscription Members pay through their church. Non-members pay $6.00 per year. Send subscription money to The Messenger, Box 1268, Steinbach, Manitoba, ROA 2A0. THE MESSENGER is published every other week by The Evangelical Mennonite Conference Board of Church Ministries, Box 1268, SteinROA 2A0. Second Class Mail; Registration Number 0591. Undelivered copies, change of address and new subscriptions should be mailed to the above address. The Messenger is a member of Meetinghouse.
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THE MESSENGER
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Missions
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Susan and Anthony Reimer
BELIZE
We Have Arrived! God prepared the way Susan and I are absolutely in awe of the way God has taken care of us. It was on our jour ney to Belize that He showed us again that He was taking us by the hand, guarding us and bringing us to the place He had prepared (Exodus 23:20). On December 8 we said our tearful good byes to our family and started on our way. Our little truck was loaded to the top with our earthly possessions so we thought we might encounter some problems crossing at the Unit ed States border. My stomach always has a few butterflies when 1 cross a border but the Lord sped us through without any difficulties. The trip through the USA was enjoyable and we took time for a brief stop at Gospel Missionary Union’s head office in Kansas City to take care of a few business matters. After we were about halfway through Texas, those butterflies came back again — THE MEXICO BORDER! If even half the stories we had heard about crossing the border
DEPARTURES were true, we might have been in for a hard time. But our fears were unfounded as we spent only a few minutes getting our papers and we were on our way. We were praising the Lord that the officials never even checked any of our possessions! We felt intimidated by Mexico because we did not know the language. We did manage to lose our way a few times, but God, ever faithful, led us through. As we arrived at the Belizian border, we breathed a big sigh of relief. After many days of hard driving we had finally reached our des tination. We stayed with our field director and his wife for about three weeks as we worked on getting our house ready to be moved into. Now we are almost settled in and are getting involved in our ministry. Now that Susan and I are here, we have been able to see how we can fit into the work that Gospel Missionary Union is doing down here. After meeting with our field director and field council, it was decided that our youth work would involve four churches in the southern part of Belize. These churches are part of an association called the Union of Evangelical Churches of Belize (UECB). GMU works alongside the UECB, advising and assisting in any way they request. The primary objective that we have been given is to train the youth leaders in these four churches. The Belmopan church (Belmopan is the capital city of Belize and that is where Susan and I are living) is where Susan and I
MEXICO
Specialties in Chihuahua City Cathy Thiessen
A SPECIAL GREETING “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing.” A SPECIAL JOY It has been a real joy to hear the decision of several young people to read the whole Bible in 1992 and to serve the Lord more faith fully. Pray that these desires and decisions will not just be passing emotions. A SPECIAL NEED Damiana, a Christian of a number of years, still has her bedroom walls full of saints and idols. She says she knows it isn’t right to pray to them and knows that it isn’t right to have them hanging on her walls but doesn’t have the courage to remove them. Overcoming this fear is a real need in her life. A SPECIAL VICTORY Rosa, a new Christian, prayed for the first FEBRUARY 21. 1992
time in public. This was a real victory in her life. A SPECIAL CHALLENGE A number of ladies and young people have decided on a project for 1992 where each one will pray for one person, try to win that per son to the Lord and bring that person to church. There is the danger that they will be come discouraged if they do not see instant results. Also there is the danger that this will become a project of competition. This is a real challenge for the group. A SPECIAL BURDEN \Ne are in Satan’s territory. He is doing his utmost to destroy — sometimes from without as a roaring lion, sometimes from within as an angel of light. Pray that we will recognize Satan and his tactics, learn to resist him and submit ourselves to Christ, our Victor. A SPECIAL GRATITUDE I am very grateful for your prayers and sup port that make this work possible. It has meant much to me. May the Lord reward you for it. Cathy Thiessen
To Germany
Sherri and Danny Plett and their daughter, Lindsey, left for Germany on February 7. They wilt be involved in a music ministry with the Jam Team Ministries. Please pray for the Pletts
have just begun to work. Presently we are working on putting a course together that we can use in training the youth leaders. Susan also goes into Belize City every Wednesday to help out at a youth center for abused girls. I have been asked to speak at King’s College for their annual Spiritual Emphasis week so please pray for us in these areas. We want to say a big thank you to all of you for praying for us and the encouragement you have given us. As we begin to really get involved, we ask that you pray not only for us but for the people of Belize. Pray for a renewed interest in the Word of God and the salvation that He offers them. Anthony and Susan Reimer Register now for the
EMC LEADERSHIP RETREAT May 15-17, 1992 A weekend of worship, fellowship and recreation for missionaries, ministers, deacons and spouses. Theme: Leadership Guest Speaker: Dr. Chuck Michols (Prouiclence Theological Seminary)
at the Agriculture Extension Center Brandon, Manitoba /riformation and registration forms auailable in the churches, or from
Leadership Retreat Evangelical Nennonite Conference Box 1268, Steinbach, Nan. ROA 2AO Phone: (204) 326-6401
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Messenger News MISSIONARY CONFERENCE ENJOYED Burns Lake, B.C.: Greetings to all Messenger readers from Island Gospel Fellowship! It is a beautiful sunny day today and at midday the temperature is minus 9 degrees. It has not been this cold for a long time. We have had such a mild winter that it is getting hard for some bush workers to operate, except for a few ladies from our church like Mrs. Nellie Zacharias and Mrs. Tina Toews (our pastor’s wife), who were out in the bush picking pine cones for a few weeks, together with some other people. They seemed to enjoy this new experience out in God’s creation. On January 12 we had our ladies’ meeting at the home of Mrs. Cathy Fehr. It was election night, with twelve ladies present, a very good attendance. A few ladies came wfio had not been out for a few years. Thank you for coming; please continue to come. Karen Unruh has joined Venture Team International for a year of service for the Lord. Right now she and the rest of the team are in Sao Paulo. Karen says it’s very warm (plus 27). They have been learning the Portuguese language, which Karen finds hard, and she asks for special prayer for that and also for her health. The team was in charge of a Bible camp from January 20 to 26. They were hop-
ing to minister in the orphanage there too. They joined the people down there on Christmas Eve and went out carolling till midnight, after which they watched the fireworks. The team will be coming back to Canada at the end of April, where they will be involved in camp work and doing different kinds of work till about the middle of August. Please pray for them. It was very nice to have the students, who are away at various colleges, come home for Christmas. Melanie Middleton stayed in Steinbach and her parents, Munay and Marion Middleton, went to spend Christmas with her, as well as many relatives. They had a very nice holiday, and the Lord brought them home safely again. We had a very blessed weekend (January 31-February 2) of missionary conference. On Friday night a report was brought by Alvira Friesen, and Fred Buhler had a message. Saturday morning a men’s breakfast took place, with Paul Thiessen and Fred Buhler sharing. The ladies also met that morning, with Alvira Friesen speaking on forgiveness, which really hit home. We also saw slides and heard a report on our local Indian mission, by George Fitchett. Fred Buhler again had the
message. During the Sunday school hour on Sunday morning, Fred Buhler, Ben Friesen and Tina Komelsen shared in the different classes. Dur ing the worship service time, Ben Friesen shcired and Fred Buhler had the message. A potluck fellowship dinner was enjoyed in the lower auditorium, after which we enjoyed the last service of our conference, with a report by Ben Friesen and Tina Komelsen, followed by Fred Buhler’s message. The messages were all on the life of Moses. Moses considered walking with God more im portant than his life in the palace with the prin cess. Is all our wealth or material gain of any kind as important as following Jesus? We are thankful to the church at Hudson Bay for let ting their pastor, Fred Buhler, come for our missionary conference. We truly enjoyed his messages. On Sunday, February 9, a box social took place at the church. Whoever came brought a lunch in a box and then received a different one in exchange, which made for quite a vari ety. After the supper there were some games, sharing and a closing devotional by Pastor John Toews. It was a nice evening of fellow ship and fun. Susan Unruh
Everyone is involved in sharing and learning together on Sunday mornings in the Brandon church.
SALT - SHARING AND LEARNING TOGETHER
Brandon, Man.: Does this happen in your church? Families arrive together, then mem bers go their separate ways, not to see each other again until they pile into the car and head home? At our church we felt it necessary to offer an opportunity for families to be involved in learning together. Our Sunday school hour for the past three months has been occupied with SALT - Shar ing and Learning Together, a program in which generations learn spiritual truths together. This was based on the book Fam ilies Learning Together by M. Scott Miles. The informal, guided sessions of SALT provided adults with the opportunity to transmit their faith through a wide variety of activities. We began our sessions at 9:30 a.m., with a Readiness Activity, which prepared people PAGE 6
for the lesson (e.g., making “crowns of life”). This was followed by a group time, which in cluded an object lesson, singing and a Bible story, presented in a number of different ways — pantomimes, puppets, overheads, group drama. Then we broke into smaller family groups for a Family Discovery Time. Each group was involved in completing a creative project related to the Bible lesson theme. One very memorable project was creating a “fam ily shield,” including a spiritual family motto. One significant goal which we hoped to achieve through SALT was to help parents/adults open the lines for discussion of spiritual truths with children. Ideally, these practices would be taken home with families and continued in family discussions and de votions.
Once the Family Discovery projects were completed, we gathered together again as a whole group to share what we had just done. This was a real highlight as generations shared their projects with one another. What a wealth of creativity! Finally, families were encouraged to work on a special assignment during the week, such as developing a family prayer time or visiting a neighbour. Our theme was “Celebrating God’s Love,” based on some of Jesus’ parables. I hope that SALT will not be a one-time learning experience for our church, cind would encourage others to try SALT. A SALT pro gram may be undertaken for a three-month term or only for one or two sessions. Try it and find out how well your families and church members can work together. Lorie Schlamp and Loretta Nelson THE MESSENGER
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Baptism at the Roseisle EMC. Back (left to right): Anton Schmidt, Darlene Loeppky, Pastor Dave Schmidt, Darren Nickel, Melanie Klas sen. Front: Rende Harms.
YOUNG PEOPLE BAPTIZED
Roseisle, Man.: November 17 was a spe cial day for five of our young people when they publicly demonstrated their desire to follow Christ by being baptized and accepted as members of our church. The church was packed as many friends and relatives came to witness Melanie Klassen, Darlene Loeppky, Renee Harms, Anton Schmidt and Darren Nickel take this step of obedience. We trust God will continue to teach and guide you and give joy in your walk with Him. Our missionary conference took place on the weekend of November 22-24. Our guest missionaries were Grace Thiessen, Paul Thies sen, and Brian and Trish Reimer. Our theme was “The Entrance of Thy Word Giveth Light.” It was interesting to hear these people share about the different stages they’re at in their missionary careers. One thing that stands out for all of us is the skit which Paul, Lois and Grace acted out for us that really demon strated how much work goes into translating the Bible into different languages. With December came Christmas activities. Our Ladies’ Fellowship banquet was held on the 3rd at Henry and Betty Harmses’ home. We enjoyed a delicious meat and an informal evening of games, singing and a meditation, as well as exchanging our prayer sister gifts. Our husbcinds joined us for the evening as well. Our Sunday school program was held on December 23. It was again obvious that the children had done their part in practicing and memorizing to provide us with an enjoyable evening and to definitely set us in the mood for Christmas, being reminded of the real meaning of Christmas. Following the program, an informal farewell was held for Pastor Dave and Judy. People were given the opportunity to share their per sonal farewells and best wishes as Dave and Judy prepared to go to Paraguay. This was followed by a lunch in the lower auditorium. We brought in the new year with a New Year’s Eve party, which consisted of a pro gram in which each family was asked to peirticipate. Greg Kroeker gave a musical slide presentation. It was a good reminder of what an awesome God we have and the beautiful world He has given us to live in. We said our FEBRUARY 21, 1992
Missionary conference at the Roseisle church. Left to right: Paul and Lois Thiessen, Trish and Brian Reimer, Grace Thiessen.
final “goodbyes” to Dave and Judy and famGy, who boarded a plane only a few hours later on January 1, headed first for a holiday in Florida and then on to their new mission field, Pastoreo, Paraguay. To Dave, Judy, Anton, Marvin, Jerald and Wendy, we say, our pray ers go with you and we wish you the Lord’s richest blessing as you serve Him in Pastoreo. We are thankful for the two years you spent with us and trust your ministry will bear much fruit. This, of course, leaves us with a vacancy in our church, but the Lord has answered pray er. Frank and Nettie Friesen have consented to fill in as pastor couple for a few months as we search for a replacement. We thank God for them and will continue to trust Him to lead us in the hiring of a new pastor. We’ve had the privilege of having some guest speakers come to share in our Sunday morning services. Dave and Susie Eidse, Bob Storey, and Cliff and Pauline Loewen have been a blessing to us. We are noticing the absence of some of our members this winter. Henry and Betty Harms
headed to warmer climates in January. They are spending the first few months of 1992 in Texas working at RGBI. Also absent since be fore Christmas is John Klassen, who remains in the Health Sciences Center in Winnipeg. We are continually amazed at his patience in waiting for his knee to heal. Please continue to pray for John and Martha as this is a real time of testing for them. We are thankful for the way in which the Lord undertook for Dale Loeppky’s life as well. He suffered an unfor tunate hunting accident, which landed him in the hospital on December 26. After a little over a week in the hospital he was able to return home and is doing very well. His arm is heal ing well and I’m sure he is looking forward to having the full use of it in a matter of weeks. Karen Penner is also returning to good health, for which she is very thankful. She is getting impatient to return to Paraguay so we ask for continued prayer for her. That pretty much wraps up the past few months at Roseisle. We wish you all a blessed 1992! Eleanor Friesen
80 YEARS CELEBRATED Swift Current, Sask.: On January 26 friends and family gathered to celebrate the 80th birthday of Peter P. Penner of Swift Cur rent, formerly of Gouldtown. It was a day we had all waited for a long, long time, but none more perhaps than Dad himself. About 140 guests enjoyed a program in the basement of the Evangelical Mennonite Church. Singing, music and a time of reflec tion on Dad’s 80 years, presented by the family and friends, reflected Dad’s personal faith in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Grandson Maurice Schapansky did a superb job as emcee. Other participants included friends, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and a special guest appearance by “Peter P. Penner” himself! A special chocolate birthday cake, decorat ed in white and blue, adorned the head table, thanks to the delectable baking talents of Gertie Penner, sister-in-law of the “Birthday Boy.” Dad was sunounded at the head table by his wife, Margaret; his brothers, John and wife Nellie, Dick and wife Justina, Abe and wife Gertie; and sister Justina and husband Abe
Margaret and Peter Penner
Dueck. Regrettably, Dad’s sister Alma and brother Bernie were unable to attend. Picture posters reflecting Dad’s life and that of his family from childhood to present were hung on the wall and guests and family alike thoroughly enjoyed the walk down memory lane. Indeed, it was a special day not only for Dad, but for everyone in attendance as well, as we joined in wishing him the happiest of birthdays, and many more to come! Cindy Penner PAGE 7
Left to right: Larry and Susan Friesen, Sean and Jewel Kelly, Abe and Virginia Janzen, Henry and Debbie Rempel.
NEW MEMBERS - A GIFT Calgary, Alta.: Christmas came early for our church with the “gift” of new members be ing added to our church family. On Decem ber 1 four couples, who had previously been baptized upon confession of their faith in Christ, transferred their membership to our church. Their testimonies follow: “I grew up in Saskatchewan in a Christian home. A revival in our area had a big impact on my life and I was baptized while in high school. Once we were married, different jobs caused us to move quite often and we felt lost for a while with no stable church family. The prayer of my life is that I will not give God only the ‘leftovers.’ ” (Henry Rempel) “I accepted Christ as a child and rededicated my life during my teen years. I’m thankful for my Christian husband and I have found that Christ is trustworthy. Through two difficult pregnancies, I learned that trusting God brought real peace, and Henry and I praise God for our two healthy sons.” (Debbie Rempel) “I grew up in a Roman Catholic home and learned about God, Christ and sin. I tried to do things in the church to get nearer to God. It was only after my marriage to Jewel that I learned I needed to accept that Christ had died for me. My desire is to serve Christ in a local church and nurture my prayer walk with God.” (Sean Kelly) “1 accepted Christ when I was ten years old and I was baptized when I was 16.1 give credit to my parents who faithfully prayed for me. The early death of both my parents, the near death of our second child and many jobrelated moves have deepened my faith in Christ.” (Jewel Kelly) “I always felt that people could do and be what they wanted and I, for one, did not want to owe anyone anything! In 1986 financial dis aster struck. Initially I was furious when I real ized I needed God. Anger, however, has given way to a new peace. Our home has truly be come a haven where our marriage and family are growing. The caring of this church has real ly touched me and has made God’s promise more real, ‘Lo, I am with you always.’ ” (Abe Janzen) “I accepted Christ at age seven. Obedience was a constant struggle, but my parents were supportive and prayed for me. At age 18 I rededicated my life. Scripture has become very meaningful to me. It says that God will sup ply our needs. We are to look to Him and let Him be our stay.” (Virginia Janzen) PAGE 8
Selfish Anna does not want to give up her motel room for Mary, even though she could have stayed at her mother-in-law’s home!
“I accepted Christ after I was married. I’ve been involved in construction and farming, but farming proved to be a financial loss almost too great to bear. The writings of C.S. Lewis were helpful at that time, where Lewis states that God allows the knocks and pain in our lives to force us to higher levels of faith. I agree with the songwriter who says, ‘Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say. It is well, it is well with my soul.’ ” (Larry Friesen) “I accepted Christ during my teen years. Life has held a lot of struggles for me and these culminated in real anger towards God when plans to complete RN training fell through. During this time of bitterness I realized that God had never given up on me and He loves me and offers me full forgiveness.” (Susan’s testimony ended with her beautiful solo about our heavenly home where tears and sonow are no more.) (Susan Friesen)
So it was with a joyful spirit that we cele brated Christmas. The Sunday school depart ment performed a lively drama and choir presentation that caused us to rethink the symbols of Christmas. Do angels remind us of the concert of praise the angels brought at Christ’s birth? As we put up the holly, do we remember that Christ came to destroy the darkness of sin and change it within to peace and joy? As we ring bells are we remember ing it’s Christ’s birthday? Do we ever think of decorating our tree with love and warm memories? As we look at a manger scene of Jesus with Joseph and Mary, do we ever wonder what Jesus was like as a little child? And, lastly, if we had been a young couple ar riving at the inn just before Joseph and Mary, would we have been willing to give up our room for someone we didn’t know? Lorraine Koop
Many adults enjoyed the choir, assembled especially for the Christmas season.
A NEW BEGINNING
Fort Frances, Ont.: What will the new year bring? Happiness or tribulation? Will you be ready? We can all be ready by putting on “the whole armour of God” (Eph. 6:11-18). Then we shall overcome. Some of the mem bers and friends started the new year off with coming to church at 7 p.m. on January 1 to meet together in praise and worship. It was the best way to start a new year! On January 11 the church board met to pre pare for the annual meeting. Robyn Stewart accepted the job of caretaker, under the direc tion of the trustees. God bless you, Robyn! Plans are being made to arrange for a nurs ery in the basement and possibly to install an intercom system in the “crying” room upstairs and in the kitchen. On Sunday, January 5, a Day of Prayer for missions, we prayed for the following mission-
aries: Helen Kornelsen in Paraguay, Bernie and Kathy Plett in Chicago, Stan and Marian Houghton in Ecuador, Flo Friesen and Ernie Koop. May God continue to bless and guide these missionaries. Sympathy is extended to Bill and Sandra Rempel on the loss of their grandfather, Henry Krikke, of St. Catharines, Ont. May the Lord give you strength at this sad time. The annual congregational meeting was held on January 12 at the church. The new positions filled for the coming year(s) consist of the following: Evelyn Hicks (secretary), George Friesen (trustee). Bill Rempel, Ike Frie sen and Tim Legarie (ushers), Rachel Leh mann (music), Sandra Rempel and Sandie Siemens (food committee), Bill Rempel (sixth member), Bonita Friesen (Sunday school su perintendent), Karla Ans (assistant). Toots Rempel (librarian). May the Lord guide your footsteps and use you all in a mighty way. THE MESSENGER
Pastor Henry gave a very inspirational mes sage on Sunday, January 12, called “God Has a Purpose For Us.” The scripture passage (John 11:1-44) was read by Sandie Siemens. Pastor Henry and Tna left January 19 for a mission tour to northern Alberta and Brit ish Columbia and returned on February 6. They had a safe and blessed trip. On Sunday, January 26, Rachel Lehmann and her daughter played some beautiful hymns on their recorders and on the piano. Thank you. Lord, for the gift of music. Phil Friesen gave the message while Pastor Henry was away. John Lowe led the congregational sing-
Jan and Les Martens
ASSOCIATE PASTOR ORDAINED Ridgewood, Man.: January 19 was a special day of celebration for our congregation. Our associate pastor. Les Martens, together with his wife, Jan, was officially ordained to the ministry. They have been involved in the youth work of our church for several years now, and Les has ministered to us from the pulpit as well. We have learned to love and appreciate them. Dr. Archie Penner, a great-uncle and friend of Les and Jan, was our guest speaker. He challenged them (and all of us) with excerpts from the Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy, a young minister ordained by Paul himself. Mr. Penner observed that, as Timothy had a sincere faith handed down to him by his grandmother and mother (2 Tim. 1:1-3), we too have a great heritage of faith. He admonished, “Lift that banner high as a wit ness to that faith which our forefathers have handed down to us . . . Test it by the Scrip tures . . . Much blood has been shed for it... It is indeed a costly faith. You, Les and Jan, have this same sincere faith ... It quali fies you for the ministry.” He further developed his sermon by em phasizing a number of other pertinent qualifi cations required of a church leader. His final exhortation was based on chapter 4, verse 2, ‘I charge you: Preach the Word.” The Gospel cannot be argued,” he continued. “It is a proclamation. What must we do to preach the Word? Love the Word, read the Word, study
FEBRUARY 21, 1992
ing on Sunday, February 2, and Darren Plett gave a very inspirational message based on Ecclesiastes 2. Many hearts were touched by this much-needed sermon. We praise and thank the Lord for answered prayer. Harold Smart was in a car accident on January 29 in which he received a concus sion. Many people prayed for him and his fam ily and after some tests were done in Thunder Bay, Harold was able to come home to his family and is recuperating just fine. Praise the Lord! “Thou shalt make thy pray er unto Him, and He shall hear thee” (Job 22:27). Euelyn Hicks the Word, counsel the Word, memorize the Word, feel the Word and live the Word. The Word must become a reality in our lives be fore we can preach it.” In her testimony, Jan said she was over whelmed by the significance of the occasion and the responsibilities that were hers. She had known the day she married Les that she would be involved in some kind of Christian ministry. She gave us a look behind the scenes of what it is like to be a young pastoral cou ple with two energetic youngsters, Kyle (three years) and Joel (seven months). “Please pray for us and our boys,” she said. “They arc also affected by our ministry.” Les opened his testimony with certain ques tions: “Why am I here in Ridgewood? What is God’s purpose in calling me to serve? I don’t have all the answers, but He has shown me a few.” It was at Mountain View Bible College that he felt called to the ministry. The Lord gave him a real love for young people, a desire to lead them to the Lord and help them grow spiritually. He realized that a desire cilone was not enough. The Lord had to equip him and give him the abilities for the work. “I believe he has done that,” he said. “I am no super Christian, but I am committed to serve Him. Because of this, I believe the Lord will use me.” When Les and Jan had seen Ridgewood’s ad in the Messenger asking for a youth pastor, they had not been sure if this was where God wanted them. (Where was Ridgewood any how? It couldn’t be found on the map!) They prayed about it, decided to send in their ap plication and resume and leave the rest to the Lord. How fitting that they had chosen Proverbs 3:5-6 as a pivotal Scripture portion: “Trust in the Lord with all your hczirt and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” They trusted and acknowledged Him and He directed them to Ridgewood. Thank you. Les and Jan, for taking that initial step in faith. That took courage! Les expressed appreciation for his parents, family and friends. Pastor Bill and the church, and especially for his wife, Jan. “She is always there for me — supportive and encouraging; I couldn’t do the work without her. And most of all I thank the Lord for giving us the strength and courage to carry on.” We as a congregation want to give them our full support and uphold them in prayer. Rosaline Loewen
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Pastor John Stoesz (left) presenting a plaque of appreciation to Lee and Kay Toews for their 33 years of service as a deacon couple. DEACON COUPLE RETIRES Braeside (Winnipeg, Man.): On Decem ber 1 a special tribute was paid to Lee and Kay Toews on their retirement as a deacon couple after 35 years of service (1957-1991). Pastor Stoesz presented them with a plaque of appreciation for their long and faithful ser vice. Lee and Kay shared some of the highl&ts of these years, ^hey were the first deacons to be elected in our Winnipeg EMC churches, at the Aber deen church, in 1957. The ministerial at that time consisted of Pastor John and Leona Reimer and Lee and Kay Toews. One of the highlights and priorities of their ministry has been their visitation program. A good number of our EMC members from vc>rious districts had moved and were moving into the city. The ministerial felt that these people should be visited. These visitations proved to be a real blessing. Deacon Lee was also fre quently asked to help in leading in worship, preaching, or praying, often on short notice. The Lord always honoured and blessed his obedience. In 1964 the church was without a pastor for some time so Lee and Ben Klassen, the other deacon, were responsible for the Sun day services, as well as the mid-week Bible study and prayer meeting. They invited speak ers and took turns leading the Sunday services during this time. Lee remarked, “First of all we started in 1951 at Wesley Chapel. Six people came to our first service. Next was a small chapel on Redwood Ave., with just a handful of people, then the Aberdeen church. Now there are five EMC churches in Winnipeg, well equipped with pastors and deacons and good atten dance. All we can say is. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.” May God reward and bless you, Lee and Kay, for your faithfulness in His service. We have a new thing going at Braeside, “The Keenagers.” Everyone sixty and over is welcome. Once a month we gather at the church for a time of fun and fellowship, includ ing exercises, games, singing and talks, fol lowed by lunch and a devotional. Last time Susan Loewen (RN) gave us an enlightening (Continued on page 10)
PAGE 9
Sherri and Danny Plett and daughter Lindsey (center), with Danny's mom and dad, Bernie and C.R. Plett.
YOUTH PASTOR ORDAINED Steinbach, Man.: On February 2 our church was the scene of a commissioning service for Danny and Sherri Plett of Stein bach. The Pletts have left for Germany, where they are engaged in a music ministry for Janz Team Ministries. Their ministry will include Germany, as well as eastern bloc countries. Taking part in the commissioning service was Mr. C. R. Plett, Danny’s father, who is a pastor in Winnipeg. He had chosen a pas sage out of Isaiah 41 as a challenge, focus sing on the ministry of Danny and Sherri. He reminded them that opposition in comparison to the power of God, is as nothing. He told them that they should remember, “You have been called by God.” Dave Warkentin (Mis sions Committee chairman), Mel Koop (As sociate Pastor) and C. R. Plett led in commissioning prayers. Another significant event took place on February 9 - the ordination service for Merlin and Sigi Bartel. They came to our church a little over three years ago when Merlin was hired as youth pastor. (Braeside, continued)
talk on “Changes that come with aging.” She cited three kinds of seniors: 1) Those who re fuse to accept aging; e.g., ladies tend to put on heavy make-up, facelifts, try to keep up with the young. 2) Those who rebel against aging and refuse to do anything and just stay on their rockers. 3) Those who put their ener gies into doing creative things. Physically, we start aging the day we are bom. Changes come very gradually. Eventu ally our motor skills slow down. We still can do the things we used to do, only it takes us longer. When we are young, a day without pleasure is painful. When we are old, a day without pain is pleasure. Mentally, our brain ages more slowly than the rest of the body. Only two percent of seniors up to age 75 are senile. We need to keep on learning to stay alert. In our social life it is important to have rela tionships with people of all ages. Our grand children can help us stay young at heart. Spiritually, people usually die the way they have lived. We can keep on growing and claim the precious promise of Psalm 22:12-15. “The righteous flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon . . . They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green ... He is my Rock.” What then have we to fear? Elma Dueck PAGE 10
Steinbach E.M. Church manse being prepared for moving.
Jim Harms, former youth pastor, gave the charge (Isaiah 65:2), emphasizing the follow ing points: a humble heart, a confident spirit, trembling at His Word. Taking part in the or dination prayers for the couple were Charts Schellenberg (Proteens), Dale Warkentin (Youth), James Koop, Reg Reimer and Arden Thiessen. Ed Friesen, Conference Pastor, commended the church for this step. Music was provided by a youth group led by Angie Doerksen. February 12 was the day the church manse left the church yard. With the new addition taking up so much of the parking lot, this will give additional space for parking. The church manse was built for Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Fast (pastoral couple), who came to the church in January 1965. Others who have occupied this house in the intervening years are Henry P. Dycks (pastor), Levi Reimers (missionaries
KATHARINA KNELSEN 1920-1992
“I go to prepare a place for you . . . that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2,3). Katharina Knelsen’s greatest longing was to be where Jesus is. At 8:30 p.m. on January 17, 1992, she quietly and victoriously went into the presence of her Lord and Saviour. She was born in Springfeldt, Sask., on February 17, 1920, and reached the age of 71 years. She spent six years in Mexico as a child, then returned with her family to Springfeldt. Here she met and married her beloved husband, Jacob E. Knelsen. Katharina was baptized in the spring of 1939 and married Jacob on July 16, 1939. They shared 38 years, 8 months together un til Jacob’s passing on March 17, 1977. Most of these years were spent in Springfeldt. In 1967 they moved to Swift Current, later to Saskatoon, and briefly to Dalmeny. Since April 1977 Katharina resided at the Palliser Regional Care Center in Swift Current. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, January 22, at 2 p.m., from the E.M. Church, with Pastor Lester Olfert officiating. Interment was held at the Sommerfeld Mennonite Cemetery, Schoenfeld, Sask., with Pastor John Komelsen officiating. Honorary pallbear ers were all her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Active pallbearers were the grandsons, Doug Knelsen, Ray Schlamp, Travis Knelsen, Jim Ward, Chrys Knelsen and
from Germany), Mel Koops and Merlin and Sigi Bartel (the last occupants). D. K. Schellenberg
Left to right: Nettie Bartel (Merlin’s mother), Merlin and Sigi Bartel.
Michael Janzen. The organist was Doris Grose and the pianist, Connie Peachey. The Regier brothers sang “He the Pearly Gates Will Open,” and a granddaughter, Corinne Grandel, sang “Day by Day.” Katharina was predeceased by her parents, Klaas and Aganetha Wiebe; three brothers, Henry and Peter in infancy, and Henry; her husband, Jacob E. Knelscn, in 1977; and a grandson, Kenneth Knelsen, in 1991. She is survived by six children, John and Betty Knel sen (Merritt, B.C.), Tina and Keith Grose (Wal deck, Sask.), Nettie and Jack Schlamp (Swift Current, Sask.), Jake and Sally Knelsen (Wymark, Sask.), Ed and Lorie Knelsen (Red Deer, Alta.), and Marianne and Bob Janzen (Kam loops, B.C.); seventeen grandchildren, of whom eight are married; eight great grandchildren; four brothers, Jacob, Klaas, John and Abe; five sisters, Aganetha, Elizabeth, Anne, Marie and Helen; eleven brothers- and sisters-in-law; and many nieces and nephews. Though Katheirina contracted multiple scle rosis early in life, she continuously expressed a simple faith in the saving power of Christ and the confidence that she would be well in heaven. She rarely complained of pain, and always welcomed visitors. She maintained a cheerful outlook and a faithful witness to her Lord. We will miss her smiles and en couragement. Donations in her memory may be made to the Gideon Bible Society or to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. THE MESSENGER
Weddings «•
HOEHNE - PLETT: Dave, son of Erhart and Lydia Hoehne of Lorette, Man., was married on January 18,1992, to Jacqueline May, daughter of Peter and Helen Plett of Steinbach, Man. The wedding took place at the Ridgewood E.M. Church, with Jim Leveretti of Winnipeg, Man., officiating. The couple is making their home in Winnipeg.
Book Review User Friendly Churches (What Christians Need to Know About the Churches Peo ple Love to Go to.) George Barna, Ven tura, California: Regal Books (A Division of GL Publications), 1991, 192 pp. Reviewed by John Koop, Kleefeld, Man.
This book is both disturbing and encourag ing, disturbing in pointing to some of our “sacred cows” that we need to let go, and en couraging in giving principles that are not out of our churches’ reach. The writer is a church research specialist. Howard Hendricks says of him, “When he... speaks, everyone should listen. Barna is a master at synthesizing volumes of data into the most pertinent principles for church health and growth.” This book highlights principles of church growth that work in churches that are suc cessful. He calls a church successful when “it is changing people’s lives by bringing them into a deeper relationship with God, through faith in Christ and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit” (p.24). The first ingredient he suggests is a posi tive attitude “of God’s blessings in their midst” (p.37). And this attitude is generated throughout the congregation. It is not only the view of the leaders or a special interest group. One of the reasons for this overall spirit in successful churches is that the emphasis is people and not programs. Programs are be gun and also terminated according to need, but priority is given to programs of outreach. They realize their strengths and their limita tions. ”... these growing congregations re fused to be enticed into areas of ministry in which they discerned no special calling. In stead, they concentrated on doing what they knew, beyond a doubt, they were called to do” (p.52). In the user friendly churches Barna found an openness to feedback. They used surveys to gain insight, not to rate individuals. When an issue arose they dealt with it. The suc cessful churches had no “sacred cows,” everything was open to change if it benefitFEBRUARY 21, 1992
Edwin Friesen Conference Pastor.
Leadership is Tough Some years ago when I began my work as Conference Pastor, I thought it would be good to periodically send a network type of newsletter to pastors providing Confer ence news, ministry ideas, etc. I thought the title “Leadership in Touch” would be a suitable designation for these letters. I took my logo to the printers and asked them to complete the design. When they returned the proof for my approval, there were two. One read “Leadership in Touch” and the other, a typesetter’s attempt at hu mour, read “Leadership is Tough.” The idea that church is tough is, however, not an item of humour, though 1 welcome any laughs along the way, in cluding the typographical “error.” The de mands on church leadership are tough and when I look at our Conference, I think they are increasing. Following are some of the contributing factors: • During the late 20 years, the make up of most of our congregations has shift ed from being largely homogenous groups to multi-ethnic congregations where peo ple have very different expectations, beliefs and ways of doing church. This direction is exciting, but as our congregations be come more diverse, the workload of church leaders is also increased. • Along with the move towards salar ied pastors come greatly increased expec tations from the church members who are paying the salary. We not only expect our paid staff to do more and better work but we are also much less tolerant when they make mistakes or don’t meet our expec tations. • During the late ’70s the Kleefeld Sun-
ted the church. Such churches had a vision that the leaders could articulate in a few sen tences and had strategies to pass on the vision to others. An important point the author makes is that ’’people are most likely to visit churches which have been recommended by someone they trust” (p.97). The inviters should also feel the call to “provide the on-site hospitality and post-visit debriefing” for the visitor. Such churches did not do a lot of advertising. Evan gelism was practised through friendship evangelism and not evangelistic campaigns. Successful churches emphasized the youth ministry and put a premium on prepar ing leadership. In a “Portrait of an Effective Pastor” (pp.143 ff), the author lists the follow ing gifts: delegation, confidence, interaction, decision-making, visibility, practicality, ac-
day school hit the 200-1- mark. We were all excited about the growth, until some one pointed out that the church had registered some similar highs some 20-25 years earlier. Upon reviewing the records, we came upon some interesting trends. During these 20-25 years the enrollment had shifted substantially from children to adults. Had adults not been in Sunday school earlier? Yes, they had, but the change was a reflection on the size of the family. Earlier, families were much larger, and if a family started attending, it might mean an increase of eight or ten people and in a few cases considerably more. By comparison, many households today are made up of single people, single par ents and couples with smaller families. This means that even if today’s church size is comparable to what it was 25 years ago, it may represent three or four times as many households and more social needs, all contributing to greater demands on pastoral care. • Most churches are running many more programs than they used to. Though they are still foundational, Sunday school and worship services are now only two of a host of programs that crowd our weekly bulletins. All of these need administrative networking and moral support from the pastor. • Our country is under significant na tional and financial stress. I sense that this negative mood also impacts the attitudes of people in our churches. When things are bad, someone is to blame and so we resort to bashing our leaders, not only politically but also in the church. • Spiritual leaders have always been a traget of Satan and it’s no different now. Sometimes Satan even gets some help from church people in doing his work. Leading a church is a tough challenge, but with the strength of God and the sup port of the congregation it can be a very rewarding ministry. You Ccin make the difference.
countability, and discernment.” These pages alone are valuable for any church leader to read and use as an evaluation. The author makes the point that leaders are not ‘one-man shows.’ Invariably the question will be asked. Can any church grow? The author counters that with a qualified ‘yes.’ He says, ‘‘Growth is not... based on a static, one-time self discovery ... It must be viewed as evolution ary. Growing churches are committed to dis covering and rediscovering the subtleties ... of their environment and reacting to that information within the context of their call to ministry.” I would recommend this book to all in terested in ‘church growth.’ Buy it, borrow it, but READ IT! Use it as an elective in Sunday school.
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From the Editor Why a New Statement of Faith? THE PROCESS OF Conference constitution revision in cludes taking a look at our statement of faith and the section on church practices. It raises several questions, “What is a statement of faith? Why do we have one? Isn’t the Bible enough?” A statement of faith is a collection of basic beliefs (based on our understanding of Scripture) that we as a Conference hold in common. It is a part of what makes us “us,” which distinguishes us from other groups. When we compare our statement of faith with that of other Anabaptist or Mennonite groups we will likely find them very similar. On the other hand, we would expect to find greater differences with groups such as the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses. We find a statement of faith useful because it summarizes what we believe to be the key teachings of Scripture. Its points are supported by numerous Bible references. This is impor tant because most of our beliefs are not based on a single verse of Scripture, but on many. Let’s consider a few examples: •What do you believe about Christ? Was He the eternal Son of God, or was He a good man? •What do you believe about the Bible? Is it our final revela tion from God, or does God give new revelations today? Is all of it inspired, or only parts of it? •What do you believe about the ordinances? Are they means by which God bestows His grace on people, or are they merely symbolic observances? So you see, a statement of faith gives us the “bottom line” of what we believe. These beliefs then form the foundation for how we live our lives. Over the years the basics of our faith probably haven’t changed significantly, unless one has converted to or from another religious faith. Why then should we revise the statement of faith? For one thing the world keeps on changing, and we want to make sure our statement clearly reflects our views in the light of these changes. We also want to make sure that we define how we are different from new cults that appear on the world scene. There may also be some change in our understanding of the Bible which affects our beliefs and practices. At one time in our history such things as singing in harmony, Sunday school, and attending a Bible school were considered worldly and wrong. While we respect the views of our ances tors for their time, we have come to use these things for our benefit and for the glory of God. Historically, as a denomination we have inherited a body of beliefs known as the Articles of Faith (Die Glaubensbekenntnisse). These were reworked into 20 articles and pub lished in 1954. In 1960 the first English translation was published. The document is somewhat lengthy, but I believe PAGE 12
the articles were read in the congregations each year as part of the preparation of young people for baptism. In the new EMC constitution of 1971 the articles were replaced by a much shorter Statement of Faith, augmented by a section on church practices. Except for a few small changes, that statement has served us until the present. The process of revision is interesting to observe. One is im pressed by the care and thought that go into the work. The committee carefully prepares the groundwork, with input from many sources. The proposal is sent to the churches to give members an opportunity to study it and give their response. The ministerial also interacts with the revision committee. In these sessions it is good to see the freedom of expression, active listening and evaluating in a context of mutual respect. People can express differing opinions and still remain good friends. In several instances the committee has been careful to allow for differences of interpretation. One of these is in the sec tion on headcovering, a practice that has been abandoned in most, but not all, of our congregations. After explaining the teaching, the proposed statement says, “There are two differ ing opinions in our Conference on the application of this pas sage. Some consider it to be cross-cultural, applicable for all time. Others consider it applicable in the Biblici cultural con text, but not for today.” After the committee has prepared a second draft, there will be another round of study and response. The delegates of the Conference Council will have the responsibility of the final ac ceptance of the statement. Some concern has been expressed about the procedure to be used. A simple vote results in majority-rule, which some times produces unhappy minorities. Often that is the only procedure by which a decision can be reached. At the ministerial meeting last week, Ben Eidse related that in the African church, most decisions are based on consen sus. As a process it is more time-consuming, but he feels it produces more satisfying results. Participants work together toward an acceptable statement. With mutual give-and-take, a greater degree of harmony is achieved. All in all, I see this process as a healthy and worthwhile experience. It is good for us to ask ourselves, “What do I real ly believe? What is important to me? What difference does it make?” Instead of merely accepting what was written a long time ago, it is good to study the basis for our faith, and to make it our own. What you or I believe affects how we live. It makes a differ ence in how we relate to God, how we use the Bible, how we relate to other people, and how we function in the church. We ask you to help bring this process to a fruitful conclusion. Menno Hamm THE MESSENGER