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.)

Review wastes space

Recently I reread parts of the Sept. 3 MB Herald and I wondered again, as I did in my initial read, how could the editors have slipped up so badly in choosing to print the video review “Around The World In 80 Days” by Andrew Coffin? To use two-thirds of a page, using Coffin’s words, “wastes the potential” of the Herald; it’s incomprehensible and comes at a time when space is at such a premium, we have been told. There is nothing redeeming in the review. Even the language isn’t fit for the Herald (for example, the last sentence).

Hardy Enns,
Winnipeg, Man.

The spectre of liberalism

The debate over women in ministry is often clouded by the dark spectre of theological liberalism. Jonathan Epp (Letters, Sept. 24) cites the Anglican church as an example of a church he believes abandoned gender roles and subsequently continued further down the road of liberalism resulting in theological confusion and schism.

Liberal denominations may be more egalitarian but that doesn’t mean all egalitarians are liberal or sliding towards liberalism. The Free Methodists, Nazarenes, and Pentecostals permit women in ministry leadership and they are still strongly evangelical. Many of the evangelical wings of mainline denominations have no problem with women in leadership, yet are conservative on issues such as the divinity of Christ or homosexual practice. Let us move beyond the myth that all egalitarians are on a slippery slope toward liberalism.

How do we approach the Bible so we can faithfully understand and apply its message? The epistles were written to specific people on specific occasions and we have only half the conversation. No one I know applies all biblical instruction directly and literally. We all have a framework that guides our interpretation of Scripture. The important question becomes “What is that framework?” Does it allow us to reach conclusions that are faithful to Scripture and are reasonably free from the bias found in church culture or secular society?

If our first thought about women in church leadership is a fear of liberalism then our ability to understand the Bible is deeply compromised. We have to approach Scripture with wisdom and humility, not an agenda, even an anti-liberal agenda.

Leighton Tebay,
Saskatoon, Sask.

Not complacent

I was very disappointed with Jonathan Epp’s letter, which had the appearance of an attack on the person of Doug Heidebrecht, who led the symposium on women in ministry leadership.

The June 11 article [on the symposium] was fair and well written in its presentation of the methods used within the context of community to come to a sound exegetical understanding of a New Testament mandate for leadership (or the lack thereof). Mr. Epp implies that seeking an understanding of Paul’s words within their original context is a bad idea. Is it that radical that some New Testament instructions were not meant for all places, all times and all situations? Does this mean women in the 21st century must wear head coverings, never cut their hair and never wear jewelry?

Professor Heidebrecht has spent years carefully and thoughtfully studying Scripture, culture, church experience and history to come to the place to lead a symposium such as the one in Ontario. He’s certainly not “complacent” on the issue.

Weighing eternal truths against cultural adaptations is not always easy, especially when an emotional issue like gender leadership is being discussed. Scripture is still applicable to the 21st century, but it won’t be unless we use it properly and start listening to God and each other with our apprehension and prejudices laid aside.

Scott Derksen,
Saskatoon, Sask.

No basis to fear of education?

The irascible Postmodern in me couldn’t let this slide. “Should faith fear education?” (Oct. 15) gave us five good reasons to say “No.”

But is it that simple? Since the church was born, pious believers have been apprehensive of gratuitous learning. Is there no real basis to this anxiety? I suggest there is and that education is no different than wealth. Jesus’ warning could be written, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a highly educated person to enter the kingdom of God.”

At least our ancestors were consistent. For the most part they viewed both excessive wealth and excessive education as dangerous.

I agree with all fives presenters; they just need a counterpoint. And it was not entirely missing in the issue. Let me quote Charles W. Moore who is quoted quoting Theodore Roszak lamenting our secular age – “no more of the terrible mystery and paradox that require the crucifixion of the intellect.”

James Toews,
Nanaimo, B.C.

Short-term ministries long-lasting

Re Bill Thiessen’s letter (“Short-term missions just short”, Sept. 24).

I agree with him on the 5 “just short” statements up to a point. In 2003, as my wife and I flew home from India, I wrote in my diary, “We knew that we still left so much darkness behind in India. We also had that haunting feeling of leaving the new, dear, precious babes in Christ to the wolves and had to learn to commit them to Christ, the follow-up teams, pastors and believers.”

Just a few experiences in our door-to-door evangelism, 2003 with Disciple Making International:

In the village of Ramanjapoor, the husband exclaimed after they received Christ as Saviour, “We are so happy you came so far to tell us.” My translator, Frank, told me this year that the couple are going forward in Christ.

On our last day, we arrived at a home where the parents from another village had come to visit their daughter in the village of Madgula. All three received Christ as Saviour. They are going forward with baptism.

There are so many other stories of salvation, also this last February, when we returned to India.

Thiessen asks, “Are short-term missions driven too much by the spirit of adventure and popularity, and not enough by the spirit of sacrificial service?” I also agree with him on this to a point and have mentioned it myself. However, we, as many others I’m sure, have never solicited support and have covered our own expenses, including costs involved for that ministry. We must realize, however, that there are people, especially young people, who do not have the wherewithal but are sincerely seeking to do service to God.

So, are short-term ministries “just short?” No, they are long-lasting, even into eternity.

Henry Klassen,
Simcoe, Ont.

Berean vigilance required

In early June I heard a radio broadcast by James Dobson of Focus on the Family (FOF) where he spoke at length in support of the US military and deplored the bad press the US military was receiving because of the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq. It was a very patriotic and unbalanced commentary and lacked an appropriate assessment of the terror inflicted upon Iraqi prisoners by US troops. Because I could not comprehend how a Christian leader of the stature of James Dobson could minimize the significance of these crimes simply because they involved such a small number of military personnel, I decided to write him a letter.

Focus on the Family is a highly respected parachurch ministry that has wide acceptance and influence in our church constituency. I dare say that many in our churches including some pastors would be surprised to know that some prominent policy positions of Focus on the Family run counter to our Anabaptist understanding of the Christian life. The cordial but firm rebuff I received from Focus is underscored by their unequivocal support for Mr. Bush’s war on terror.

Our MB Confession of Faith states, “The primary allegiance of all Christians is to Christ’s kingdom, not the state or society.” Whereas our Confession states, “We deplore the loss of life in the exercise of state-sanctioned violence” the viewpoint of FOF is that in this war “we are forced to settle for a trade-off: the lives of the few in exchange for the lives of the many” [from FOF response to my letter].

This is a significant source of indirect right wing theological input into our churches and one that may not be readily apparent. Perhaps the virtue of Berean vigilance [Acts 17] in our churches needs to extend much further than the teaching between pulpit and pew. Herein lies one of the strengths of belonging to a local church fellowship and a larger family of churches. The parachurch movement for all its many strengths lacks this grassroots accountability.

Albert Janzen,
Abbotsford, B.C.