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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
3-169 Riverton Ave.
Winnipeg, Man. R2L 2E5
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or by e-mail to mbherald@mbconf.ca. (Please ensure that your postal address is included in your e-mail correspondence.) |
Correction needed
Thank you for the extensive, well-written report of the Columbia Bible College annual meeting (Jan. 19). The highlight of that meeting undoubtedly was the sod-turning ceremony for our new gym, Columbia Place. That 22,000-square-foot facility will be ready for an April 27 dedication service and April 28 grad ceremony.
A correction is needed in your reporting of the time frame during which the College is committed to remain free of capital debt and during which Columbia Place will remain in escrow. That period is 50 years, not 15 as in your report.
All future capital development projects at the College will only be undertaken on a cash-in-hand basis.
Walter Unger,
President, Columbia Bible College,
Abbotsford, B.C.
Tactics similar
Re the debate in several letters on Mexican Mennonites and the ministry among them by Jacob Funk.
To an uninvolved reader, it seems obvious that at the heart of the disagreement are opposing basic beliefs about what is meant by “Gospel-centric”, a term used by Delbert Plett, (Letters, Jan. 19).
Plett apparently fails to realize that he is resorting to the very tactics he is scolding his opponents for. For example, characterizing as “Gospel-centric” at least four entire Mennonite denominations in Mexico, without citing any substantiating evidence, amounts to the “stereotyping” that he decries in others. Several sentences begin with “presumably” and continue with sweeping assertions based on these assumptions. “Misleading” also results from unexplained references to some “Schpikja Konferenz”, whatever that is.
We need to remind ourselves that faithful spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ is not accomplished by scoring debating points in letters, including this one.
William Schroeder,
Winnipeg, Man.
Are there MB distinctives?
In 1960, the late F.C. Peters offered several lectures at MB Bible College entitled “MB Distinctives”. Are there any MB distinctives today? What is our reason for being? Does the MB Church differ from other Mennonite churches? Does it differ from evangelical churches like the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Baptist, Evangelical Free, Pentecostal? How does the MB Church define gospel and conversion? Is conversion necessary for children who have been raised “in the fear and admonition of the Lord”? For those children, does conversion necessarily entail repentance and a deliberate decision, or is an affirmation of the faith “once delivered unto the saints” sufficient? As Christians, are we disciples (followers) of Jesus or ambassadors for Jesus, or both? If both, how do we hold the two in proper balance?
For 30 years, Columbia Bible College has functioned as a bi-Mennonite Bible college, and now we have Canadian Mennonite University, a tri-Mennonite institution. How has (is, will) this impacted the sponsoring church bodies?
I invite responses from leadership, laity and individuals and couples who have experienced membership and fellowship in both the MB Church and some other church.
John Froese,
Portage la Prairie, Man.
Beware of name
Many churches, including some Mennonite Brethren ones, are using the name “Community Church”. The wedding of two homosexual couples that was performed in Toronto on Sunday, January 14 was in Metropolitan Community Church. Much attention was given to this via the news media. Now my neighbours are asking: Is that what Community Churches stand for? They don’t understand that not all Community Churches are of that mindset. I strongly suggest that we stay clear of the Community Church title. Let’s not be ashamed of our heritage and let our neighbours know who the Mennonite Brethren are.
John Nickel,
Abbotsford, B.C.
Previous | Next Last modified March 1, 2001.
© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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