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.)

Thank those who bless

In the editorial (July 1) several options were given for people to be involved in the national conference; one was that we can “write letters to the MB Herald to encourage others and help the Conference to grow.” This was a new thought for me, and so with this writing I want to encourage you. You do a good job of keeping us in touch with what is happening in the MB churches across our nation.

In the same issue, Paul Klassen (Letters) writes, “we do well to remember our leaders and our teachers and to stand for what they believed.” I suggest that if someone has blessed us through teaching, preaching or otherwise, we tell them. I neglected this for years. Here is an example:

When I was 13, I was saved through the preaching of G.W. Peters. He was a great evangelist. I wrote a poem about this experience, thanking him, but I never sent it to him. A few years ago, when we were living in Saskatoon, he came to our church; he was now an old man. It took a lot of courage, but I copied the poem for him and got it to him via a relative. This lady said he had been so thankful, and encouraged by it. Shortly after this he passed away. I was so happy I had thanked him while he was alive. Since then I have tried to be better at thanking the Lord’s servants.

Lena Friesen,
Waterloo, Ont.

Another view of denominations

When I read “Eight components,” in which John Redekop agrees with the Oxford definition of denominationalism (May 20), I shook my head in disbelief. Webster’s second definition is, “the emphasizing of denominational differences to the point of being narrowly exclusive.” This is the definition I have always understood. As soon as the suffix “ism” is added to a noun, red flags should go up: materialism, humanism, etc.

Further, I find it difficult to agree with him when he states the New Testament should be regarded more highly (given priority) over the Old Testament. Both form a unity, with the New fulfilling the Old. Today there are far too many “New Testament” Christians of whom many have little or no understanding of, e.g., the covenantal line that runs through the Old to the New, or understand the many references Jesus makes to the Old. Such people are the poorer for their lack of knowledge.

I respect Redekop, and have read many of his writings. However, I believe he is mistaken in these matters.

Frank DeVries,
Richmond, B.C.

Churches break copyright laws

Kerry O’Brien’s article “Is downloading theft?” (May 20) was well articulated in regard to music copying and Christian responsibility. I agree with most of what he wrote but the article fell short because it should have included all the other areas in which churches routinely do not follow copyright laws. Some examples: photocopying of music (CCLI does not give churches permission to copy music; it only gives churches permission to copy the words onto overheads/powerpoint/handouts); churches assuming their CCLI number covers any song they want to use in worship; making audio recordings of the worship portions of the program and then duplicating them for non-attenders; renting/buying videos and then showing them for youth events (at the beginning of all rented or purchased DVDs it indicates that this movie is for private home use only).

O’Brien could have also indicated there are a few instances where copying is legal, but the legal line is crossed when the copy becomes owned or possessed by someone else. For example, for me to buy a CD and make a copy for my car and leave one copy in my home stereo for reasons of convenience is legal. But if I give that copy to a friend to listen to I have now broken the law.

Re Kay Janzen and copies of Hymn Sing (Letters, July 22): they are legal. They only become illegal when she decides to sell them.

I find churches are not thorough in developing an understanding of what is legal and what is not.

Trevor Olfert,
Winnipeg, Man.

Article insensitive

Of partly Scottish ancestry (Milne and Lockhart) and an ordained Evangelical Mennonite Conference minister, I appreciated Helen Rose Pauls’s “A wee proposal from a Scottish ‘wanna be’ ” (July 22), which found value in the richness of Scottish culture. But I stumbled when she began to identify “Mennonite clans” as Reimer, Friesen and Rempel. These Dutch or German names should at least identify such people as Low German Mennonites. Perhaps there should be greater sensitivity shown in a magazine representing an MB conference of churches of many cultures and languages, which are all part of the Mennonite family. It’s ironic that Mennonite, a term that represents many who in the 16th century died for personal belief, has too often been turned into one that identifies people by birth. The kilt versus quilt contrast re-emphasizes the error. How far has a believers’ church fallen!

Terry M. Smith,
Mitchell, Man.

Preserving unity

The editorial “Decide on unity first” (July 22) is full of manipulative phraseology to make dissenters as those lacking discernment and a spirit of Christian unity. To answer its question, yes some issues are worth leaving a denomination for, and the biggest one is departure from biblical belief. The pacifying statement: “But we have also said it is a matter of polity, not of our Confession of Faith.” Strange. I thought that how we govern our church was based on biblical truths. I do not think the majority of church members or biblical truth will determine the outcome of the decision next year. The Board of Faith and Life (BFL) has already determined the outcome. The fact that the resolution is worded to favour the egalitarian side of the issue makes this point clear. The people who hold to an authoritative Bible are somehow “out-of-date,” and Bible truths are to be determined by inference rather than by direct statement. The tide of theological drift is already happening in our denomination, when human “enlightened” understanding takes precedence over a simple Bible-based faith.

The editorial asks, “Can we agree that we will not leave one another over this matter?” I will not remain in a denomination that does not adhere to the authority of Scripture. Church history has demonstrated that once a point of departure from a historic faith position is started in a church organization, it is just a matter of time until the whole secular agenda comes to light. I would not stay in a church body that denies Scripture. It is not a matter of unity, but for preserving unity that I would leave. Our tradition teaches us to shun those in theological error. So, being true to the Mennonite tradition, I would leave to protect the purity of the church of Christ. I do not subject myself to church process, but to biblical truth and the practices of the Reformation policy to give the Bible more authority than church government.

In summary, it is not “decide on unity first.” It is a decision of putting scriptural authority first. What is yet to come? Is some future resolution going to state that marriage in the Bible is not gender specific?

Michael McLeod,
Surrey, B.C.

All about hospitality

The decision of the Board of Faith and Life regarding the resolution on “women in ministry leadership” (July 22) is the best news in a long time for the MB constituency, and beyond. Very appropriate as well was the editorial, “Decide on Unity First,” and “A Different View of Leadership,” (Out front), and also two significant articles on hospitality. It is noteworthy that all five articles are actually related to hospitality. I am certain that every reader will agree that the entire theme of Scripture is one of hospitality.

George H. Epp,
Chilliwack, B.C.

Justice, finally

Dear members of the Mennonite Brethren Board of Faith and Life:

In reading the welcome news that the BFL supports the Manitoba motion “that women shall be affirmed in all levels of church leadership,” I thought of the prophet Micah’s well-known words, “Do justice, show mercy, walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8). As Christ followers today, this is our personal, communal and public responsibility. Justice has been done, finally, painfully and belatedly. But it has been done. Congratulations.

Meg Gerbrandt Wiebe,
Abbotsford, B.C.

Sola Scriptura?

Looking into the future, say 2012, I imagine my son writing me a letter from college:

Dear Dad,

I admire you very much as a dad and as a theologian. I would appreciate your advice. Do you feel it would be wrong for me to rob a bank? I would be using the money for mission work and to give to charitable purposes. Thanks for getting back to me.

Love from your son.

Dear Son,

It was wonderful to hear from you, Son. In antiquity, robbing a bank was usually not considered the right thing to do. Nevertheless, based on our MB denomination “community hermeneutic,” and given that your purpose is “missional,” and after studying the “theological, ecclesiological and sociological implications,” I would conclude that the “restrictive texts” (a.k.a. the Ten Commandments) should be read in such a way as to remove the barriers to furthering God’s mission in the world. Therefore, provided you don’t shoot anyone, I conclude that robbing banks for your intended purposes would be a wonderful thing to do.

Much love from your dad.

Tim Williams,
Abbotsford, B.C.

Editors’ Note:

The Board of Faith and Life (BFL) welcomes responses to their recommendation on women in ministry leadership. The final recommendation will be formulated at the January Executive Board meetings and will then be brought to Gathering 2006 for decision-making. The MB Herald will continue to publish letters on the topic sent to us, as space allows, until the Board meetings.

Conference support lacking

In a generation of Christians striving to be real, I would like to share a genuine concern with my faith community. I’m scared. In fact, I would even say I’m scared to death. In one year’s time, my husband will graduate with his MDiv degree in hopes of fulfilling his dream of pastoring a church or even church planting. I have one more year to prepare myself to stand alongside my talented and God-fearing husband in the role of a pastor’s wife.

Why am I scared? In the last several years, I have been acutely aware of the forces of evil and spiritual warfare in the faith community. I fear for my marriage and the destruction of my family. Over the last several years, we have met some amazing couples in pastoral ministry. Each of the couples prayerfully opened themselves up as vessels to the Kingdom. Each had the attitude of self-sacrifice, were strong and God-serving. They were hit where pastors are most vulnerable – low self-esteem, depression (a big one), strained marital relationships, affairs, separation, divorces. The lives they lead today are almost unrecognizable to the persons they used to be. All have fallen by the wayside and all have fallen outside the MB community.

My question as their confidante and friend and potential future pastor’s wife is, what is the Canadian MB Conference’s responsibility in these lives being lost? Who is looking after the shepherds of this world?

Pastors are regular people too. They are not perfect. And they certainly are not immune to the attacks of the evil one. In fact, I believe they are the most vulnerable. Why is it that we forget that? Do we truly care for our pastors? Do we really encourage, love and support them? Do we think somebody else is caring for them, when really nobody is? Do we have safeguards in place to protect them against the evil one? I have had too many tears shed on my shoulders from close friends who have been “burnt by the church.”

We are heading for battle. Will there be backup? Or will I be left alone in the trenches and suffer the loss of my family like so many before me? The time is ripe to re-evaluate the support system or lack thereof for pastors and their families. We are pleading for help in a structured support system before we lose more lives in this spiritual battle.

Name withheld