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.)

It takes two to tango

Re “Letter to Canada’s prime minister” (Letters, Sept. 1). After reading Mennonite Central Committee’s letter, I wondered where MCC’s response to Hezbollah was. It takes two to tango. In this case, no war would have started and no lives been lost if Hezbollah and Hamas, whose sole objective is to wipe out Israel, would abandon their cause. These organizations exist to kill as many Jews, westerners, and Christians as possible through their holy war.

Does the government of Israel do everything right? Certainly not. But to put so much blame for this conflict on Israel is totally wrong. Israel, a blessed nation of God, would have been destroyed numerous times in the past if it had not defended itself.

MCC acknowledges that the attacks on Israel must stop, but the rest of the letter is directed against Israeli policy. The only reason this war ended when it did was due to the severe response by Israel. Israel simply wants to exist without constant terrorist attacks. MCC’s comments also need to be directed towards countries like Iran, Syria, and others who finance and support the destruction of Israel.

Clarence Tuck,
Saskatoon, Sask.

Don’t take sides

Re “Letter to Canada’s prime minister” (Letters, Sept. 1). I was distressed and disappointed that MCC, one of my favourite charities, has chosen to become political and partisan. Since when do we take sides in a political conflict? Surely we can assist those in need on either side of a conflict without placing the fault on one party and ignoring the efforts of Israel for peaceful coexistence with its neighbours.

If one supports the existence of Israel as a sovereign state, one can’t ignore the bombings it experiences, nor the calls for its destruction. MCC might be better advised to encourage the absorption of the Palestinians by the surrounding Arab states (as Israel absorbed thousands of Jews who fled or were expelled from Arab countries upon the creation of the state of Israel).

Jenny Corenblum,
Delta, B.C.

Treading on dangerous ground

Re “Letter to Canada’s prime minister” (Letters, Sept. 1). I commend MCC for doing much good around the world. However, rebuking Prime Minister Stephen Harper for supporting Israel in defending herself from terrorists on her border after Lebanon and the UN failed to do so, in the only manner militant Islamic fanaticism understands, and supporting pre-1967 borders is treading on dangerous ground.

The nations of this world want Israel to return her fairly conquered territories to her enemies. This must be revolting to God.

Ken Miller,
Saskatoon, Sask.

Simple living?

Re “Living simply” (Sept. 1). I was amused by the example of Marcus Allen Trapp as living simply. When I read about Trapp’s way of simplifying his life by owning 31 identical shirts so he’d never again have to wonder what to wear, I thought, “That guy has more shirts in his closet than my husband and I combined!” If Trapp owned seven identical shirts, advocated using an energy-efficient washer, and practiced line-drying to conserve energy, I might have been more impressed. However, rather than living simply, it seems Trapp is an example of simply living unimaginatively.

Leah Dyck,
Niverville, Man.

Broken-hearted

Re Gathering 2006 reports (Aug. 11). Much of Gathering 2006 was invigorating and encouraging. For this I am grateful.

However, I returned from Gathering with a broken heart. I fear that our new women in ministry leadership resolution will dim the glory of God in our midst. Rather than reflecting the mysterious equality and uniqueness found in the Godhead, our marriages and church families will begin to reflect the not-so-mysterious relationships found in our culture. In time, the hermeneutic that led us to this resolution may lead us away from reflecting the gospel.

Elroy Senneker,
Pastor, Vauxhall (Alta.) MB Church

Relational funding: good for whom?

Re Gathering 2006 reports (Aug. 11). MBMS International reports that its relational funding program is working well, and that contributions are up by 15 percent. Certainly good news.

Relational funding no doubt works for North American missionaries whose networks at home keep them on the field.

But how does relational funding work for educational institutions in India and Africa? The MB Centenary Bible College in Shamshabad, India, for example, has a current shortfall of $17,000. Faculty salaries are not paid. MBMSI has served notice that its current subsidy to this and other schools abroad will be reduced to zero in five years, although the policy has not yet been implemented. Where is the network that will sustain these schools?

MBMSI sees its mission as church planting – a goal worthy of full support. But how will these church plants be shepherded if not by pastors from training centres like the Shamshabad Bible College or the Kikwit Bible School in DR Congo?

What might be the results for 90,000 Indian MBs who, later if not sooner, will be left without sound leadership if these schools flounder? Already one hears of congregations being co-opted by other church agencies, even cults.

Does one honour the labours and sacrifices of former missionaries by ceasing to support that which nurtures the church? The apostle Paul focused on evangelism and church planting, without doubt, but one has only to read his letters to Timothy and Titus to know that he took the long view, ensuring both the supply of pastors and their training.

It’s out of our schools that national “missionaries” emerge. There’s no argument that nationals who know the language and culture are more effective church planters than foreign missionaries. Why should one strangle such a productive source for mission personnel?

MBMSI will likely reply that its mandate is church planting. If so, agencies other than MBMSI need to look after leadership training. One also has to ask whether a sound transition plan should be in place before subsidies are terminated, so that schools won’t be left in the lurch.

I am left wondering: from where will funds come to sustain schools that train pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and leaders?

Elmer A. Martens,
Fresno, Cal.

My top five from Alabama

I’ve come home from a Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) trip to Bayou La Batre, Ala. having learned many things. Here are five of them:

1. When there are 17 Canadians in the southern United States, we have the accent and they don’t, at least according to locals. Our team picked up a number of interesting English usage patterns. For instance, the phrase “All Y’all” seems to be the widely accepted plural form of the expression “Y’all.”

2. We learned a lot about driving. We learned how to have a reasonable amount of fun squished into three vans for a 30-hour drive from Winnipeg to Mississippi. We also learned that one of the primary means of collecting revenue in the area is through traffic tickets, so without planning to, we contributed in that way.

3. Before this trip, all I’d ever built was a birdhouse. So, I learned to do construction work. Those of us who had never done this before started out working inside closets and cupboards where people often don’t look very carefully.

   By week’s end, I’d learned how to insulate a house. I discovered it’s not smart to wear shorts and a t-shirt while insulating, since fibreglass is uncomfortable once it gets on your skin! I also learned how to put up drywall, and caulk, prime, and paint baseboards and doorframes.

   Our team had to adjust to working in very hot and humid Mississippi conditions. This entailed drinking copious amounts of Gatorade, getting used to sweating a lot, and always bringing two water bottles – one to drink and one to dump on your head at the end of the day.

4. We learned a lot about each other and ourselves. Being in close quarters for nine days gave us the chance to get to know everyone better than we had known them before.

5. The most important thing I learned was to appreciate what I have while I have it. Arriving in Mississippi and seeing that, a year after the hurricane, so much still wasn’t repaired, I realized how long it will take for people to recover from this disaster.

   One evening, we went for a walk along the beach. There was debris everywhere. I noticed a set of cutlery strewn in the mud and a number of unopened water bottles washed up on the beach. There was a lawn chair stuck on a tree branch and a television lying sideways in the sand.

   But the most memorable thing we found was a faded photograph of two people. Residents not only lost their homes and possessions, they lost the pictures and photo albums that documented their lives and memories. While things like houses and furniture can be replaced, many things like that photograph can never be.

We had the chance to meet some of the homeowners we were helping. It was clear they had faith that, in time and with some help, life would get better again.

Nina Schroeder,
Winnipeg, Man.

Correction:

In our report on the Board of Faith and Life (“More than one issue,” Aug. 11), we incorrectly stated that John Block is the new board secretary. The new secretary for the BFL is actually John W. Wiebe, St. Catharines, Ont. It should also have been reported that Lorne Willms is the new BFL representative for Alberta.