Letters to the editor

Mennonite Brethren Herald welcomes your letters on issues relevant to the Mennonite Brethren Church, especially in response to material published in the Herald. Please keep your letters courteous, brief 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 also subject to space limitations. 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 Ave. Winnipeg, Man.  R3M 3Z6 or send via e-mail. (Please ensure that your postal address is included in your e-mail correspondence.)

Baptism photos essential

When I receive my Herald my first “take” is to scan the baptismal/ membership pictures across the country – something I have done for decades. Then I scan People and Events, followed by the Deaths. As I do I invariably look to see where the pockets of growth and renewal are across the country and what is going on in the lives of people in our large church community. I look to see where friends of my past have moved and are now contributing in new church settings. I look to the church pictures because they give me a sense of the vitality of our Conference and the extent to which we are contributing to the expansion of the Lord’s kingdom!

I request that you reconsider your decision to omit these photos. Perhaps less space for advertising and smaller pictures within the articles would help.

Perhaps asking a random number of subscribers might give you a wider opinion to inform this decision. I am sure the editor from Discipleship Journal has considerable experience but she may not have a sense of the meaning these pictures have for those of us who have been part of this church community for decades. I for one would certainly miss the photos and believe it would take away from the community building that the Herald aims at bringing about.

Harry Janzen,
North Langley (B.C.) Community Church

The editorial (July 23) states that “the amount of space we have available for baptism photos is greatly reduced and a decision has been made to no longer print these photos.”

Some local seniors have discussed this statement with concern. Your statement of purpose includes “Mennonite Brethren Herald is published 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 . . .”

What could be more essential in building the MB community of faith than publishing baptismal pictures? Why not add four more pages to each of the 17 issues per year? I have saved the published baptismal pictures of each of my children, which they will receive as a special treasure. Why not reduce some of the full-page ads to half pages?

Your editorial states that “an editor from Discipleship Journal spent a number of hours with us, evaluating and critiquing the Herald. She gave us ideas on changes to be made.” Should the Herald be subject to the opinions of a periodical not sponsored by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches?

I read every issue of the Herald, with its inspirational, informative articles and the occasional Pontius’ Puddle, good for a chuckle. Keep up your good work, without being swayed by external critiques.

Betty Klassen,
Abbotsford, B.C.

For clarification: The Discipleship Journal editor did not suggest the removal of the baptism photos. That was an internal decision. What she did suggest were redesign ideas.

—Eds.

Leaders are servants

One of the sessions I attended at Gathering 2004 was on Women in Ministry Leadership. I appreciated the way Wally Unger presented the topic simply without stating any position. I listened to comments both for and against allowing women holding leadership positions in the church and I was concerned by both.

What does ministry leadership mean? Does ministry only mean preaching to a congregation or sitting on a board? Or does it include preparing food for 150 campers or a choir singing to seniors? A leader is someone who has followers. So why does this phrase ignite such emotionally charged debate?

Throughout the Bible there are examples of women who were leaders: Deborah, Esther, Naomi. Throughout the Bible there are examples of men who were leaders: Moses, David, Paul. The key to this debate is what these leaders have in common. They were all chosen by God. None of them fought to become a leader. None of them intentionally trained to be a leader. And yet, people followed them.

As women, we have been pushing so hard on the “door” into leadership that we have missed the fact that the door may open in. We need to stop pushing, step back and let God open it. And men, you have failed to see that it would be by your authority that women would be able to lead as you are currently in the positions to make those decisions.

The best comment I ever heard on leadership is “If you have to tell people you are in charge . . . you’re not.” Leaders who are truly chosen by God will be followed . . . men or women. By standing on our soapbox yelling that someone is or is not able to lead we may be making too much noise to hear what God is telling us. We are all chosen by God to do His will and given the skills and talents to do what He asks. We cannot be true leaders until we agree to be servants and follow God’s plan for us.

One of the television shows I enjoy is West Wing. One episode that has stayed with me involved a conflict between the senior staff and the president over a decision he had made. At the end of the episode the president asked if they could support him. Each one stood and stated “I serve at the pleasure of the president.” When God makes a decision, we need to be able to state wholeheartedly, “I serve at the pleasure of the Father,” regardless of whether we are a man or a woman.

Nancy Boese,
St. Catharines, Ont.

Primary call

Re “The women’s issue” (Letters, July 2) where the writer states, “Let us not lose sight of what our primary calling can and should be – that of mothering.” I would propose a different statement of calling for women: Our primary calling is to discover our talents and abilities and how we can use our gifts and station in life to serve God and others (this may include mothering).

This alternate statement is preferable for at least two reasons: 1. It includes all women. Thiessen’s vision excludes women who cannot or choose not to be mothers. She appears to assume that the words “woman” and “mother” are synonymous, which they are not. 2. It allows each woman to define for herself God’s call for her life. It does not dictate what her calling should be. A woman may have another, or more than one, primary calling which may lead her to either forego motherhood to focus more single-mindedly on this, or she may combine that calling with mothering.

It is also possible for parenting to be a shared primary calling between a man and a woman. This kind of arrangement may allow both partners to share more fully in the joys and responsibilities of raising a family, as well as allowing women and men to support one another in pursuing avenues of work and service beyond the home.

Name withheld by request

Why dialogue

Re “The Mennonite–Catholic dialogue report going to churches” (July 2). Who are these seven representatives of the Mennonite churches? Who gave them such a mandate?

The three basic tenets of the Mennonite church are: salvation is only through Christ (Acts 4:12); salvation occurs the moment you repent and believe the gospel (Ephesians 1:13); the sacrifice of Jesus is finished (John 19:30).

The Catholic position according to Literature Ministries International is: salvation is through the Roman Catholic church and its sacraments; salvation is a process from baptism through purgatory; the sacrifice of Jesus continues in daily mass. The Catholic Church is not about to change their doctrines to pacify the Mennonites.

Jake Peters,
Winnipeg, Man.