Discussion continues in Manitoba

Doug Heidebrecht

The fourth in the series of Board of Faith and Life teaching and listening events on the question of women in ministry leadership was held Oct. 30 in Fort Garry MB Church, Winnipeg with almost 100 participants. Attendance was divided almost evenly between men and women. At least 19 pastors were part of the discussion. Twenty-one churches were represented.

This meeting was the best attended of the ones held thus far, perhaps because it was the Manitoba MB Conference that asked the Canadian MB Board of Faith and Life to revisit the question after discussing it at their 2003 convention. The resolution read: “We call the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba to be increasingly alert to the gifts of women and men, and to become more active in calling and blessing them to minister in all areas of church life.”

Round table discussions

The presentation was similar to those given in other provinces. A summary of the round table discussions follows.

• As we listened the texts came together and were seen as complementary.
• We need to practice that gentleness the text talks about even when there is tension.
• We need to learn how to give each other freedom, and give congregations the freedom to make their own decision.
• We need to have conversation around the question of what are confessional matters and what are polity matters. On confessional issues we need togetherness, but on issues that are not confessional, we need to give each other more liberty and freedom.
• Re 1 Timothy, we are taking a house church situation and applying it to an institutional church.
• God calls people to ministry and gifts them accordingly. We need to identify gifts, select leaders and then protect them. God can use women just as well as men.
• The 1 Timothy passage is freeing to [women].
• Paul drew a line between true teaching and false teaching. We have drawn the line in the women in ministry leadership issue. Have we drawn the line in the right place?

Hildi Boge shares insights from her group discussion

When Board of Faith and Life vice chair Ken Peters asked what he should take back to the Board, he was strongly urged to encourage them to continue to lead. One participant stated, “you have dealt patiently with those who are mourning the loss of the structure and those who want to run ahead. We encourage you to work toward allowing women to work, but work pastorally with those who are mourning the change.”

The comment was made that conversation on this question has often been anecdotal, but today “we were led back to the Word.”

—Susan Brandt