|  | |
Previous | Next
 |
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
|
or by e-mail to mbherald@mbconf.ca. (Please ensure that your postal address is included in your e-mail correspondence.) |
Criticism helpful
I thank Scott Martens for his Sept. 28 letter raising questions about my July 13 column dealing with Stockwell Day’s troubles. Discussion and learning are enhanced when readers raise questions.
Mr. Martens finds “disconcerting the assumption that Stockwell Day and the Alliance Party have the widespread support of Christians”. I did not discuss the question of support for the Alliance Party. I did say that “many Canadian evangelicals had pinned great hopes” on Mr. Day. That can hardly be denied. I could name hundreds of evangelicals who supported him. Mr. Martens seems to concur when he says that “there certainly is a body of support within the Christian community for the Alliance.”
Mr. Martens challenges me and others “to critically evaluate the (Alliance’s) political ideology in light of the teaching of Christ”. That’s a good challenge. That was, however, not the focus of the column. I have addressed that question elsewhere, in a 20-page essay, and will try to summarize that document for a future column.
It is also suggested that my column could “be inferred to be an endorsement of the Alliance party”. It is interesting that Mr. Martens should come to that conclusion. Many readers thought that I was too critical of him. There was no intention of endorsement.
Mr. Martens states that I “used” the “column to advance the premise that the Canadian media is biased against Christians and Christian political leaders”. He then adds, “This may be true.”
Finally, Mr. Martens stresses that “No political party has a platform that is perfectly aligned with the principles taught by Christ.” How right he is. I have published numerous articles on this. If Mr. Martens sends me his address, I will be pleased to send him copies.
John H. Redekop,
Abbotsford, B.C.
God didn’t do it
Re the articles on the terrorist attacks (Oct. 12); I think John H. Redekop comes to a better conclusion. I have even a more drastic conclusion: “God let a drunk driver walk away unharmed while her parents, who had never done anything but love, lay dead on the highway. If God was all-knowing, all-wise and all-powerful, then God must have known it was going to happen and done nothing to stop it.” Is this what happened Sept. 11, in New York? Did God not foreknow and why didn’t He do anything to stop it?
If we would ask Jesus this question, He no doubt would have two answers: Luke 13:4,5: “Those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” John 8:44: “You (the terrorists) belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning.”
God didn’t do it, the devil had some of his men do it, and people didn’t stop him.
Norman Fehr,
Kelowna, B.C.
Thanks, Teresa
Thanks to Teresa Klassen for a great article on the church (Sept. 28). It is a powerful presentation of the joys and sorrows, the hope and reality, of being part of the only institution Jesus set up. If you missed it, go back and read it. If you know someone who is discouraged about their church, copy the article and pass it on to them. I was encouraged, and I am sure others will be as well.
James Toews,
Nanaimo, B.C.
Small communities need churches also
We are all concerned about the high cost of living and carrying on the work of our Conference (Editorial, Oct. 12). Maybe some savings could be had in making the Herald a few pages larger and publishing only once a month.
In response to the article by Mark Johnson (Oct. 12), I agree that it is very important to reach the cities where there are more people. It is also good to see the rapid gains that are made. However, we must also find a way to reach rural communities. The ideal is that we build up the city churches and that they then reach out to the rural areas, but so far that has not been happening. In the past, small country churches sent out workers to teach VBS, and through them many small churches were begun, but now many of them fall by the wayside because we concentrate only on the cities. Jesus went to many small country places and villages and preached to people. The apostle Paul went to the riverside and began a wonderful church by contacting a few women who met there for prayer. There may just be some women or men praying somewhere where no one is going.
I pastored in small communities for the whole of my ministry and believe that there is a need in small places.
George Reimer,
Pincher Creek, Alta.
Vineyard dealing with issues
Len Hjalmarson (Viewpoint, Sept. 28) will find encouragement in the August 2001 Vineline, (magazine of the Vineyard Church of Canada). All 10 articles address the issues which concern Len. The first point raised in Len’s Viewpoint – “We need new models of leadership and ministry, but many leaders fear change” – is a case in point. In “The art of building”, Peter Fitch, church planter in St. Croix Vineyard, Stephen, N.B., tells of his love of leading congregational worship. His wife Mary Ellen insisted that he needed to stop leading worship because he was doing too much at the front of the church. This was difficult for Peter, until he learned from a tape series on youth ministry, “God can give talent to a person with heart better than he can give heart to a person with talent.” The worship assignment was subsequently given to a young lady who knew only three guitar chords but had a great heart for worshipping God. This young lady’s heart for worship proved contagious in the congregation; she started closer to their level. Over time, many more leaders came along.
Fitch also had to learn the hard lesson of allowing people to think differently. “In the midst of my damaged feelings, God showed me that if I desired to build leaders for the kingdom, they would have to be strong enough to hurt me. What good would lions be without teeth and claws?”
Of interest to MB pastors and MB Conference leadership would also be, in the same Vineline, “Building Strong: Natural Church Development” by Tim Davidson, NCD coach for Vineyard churches. The Canadian MB Conference featured Christian Schwarz, NCD super coach, at Hepburn, Sask. in 2000.
George H. Epp,
Chilliwack, B.C.
Renewal a blessing
In the Sept. 28 issue, the Herald graciously published my Viewpoint. After some responses, I’d like to make clear that renewal has been a personal blessing. The Lord used renewal to kill me (Galatians 2:20) and increase my faith. I have witnessed and experienced God’s power in new ways since 1994. While it is true that an increase in God’s power results in increased opportunity for the flesh, the proverb teaches that, “Where no ox is, the stall is clean; but great benefit comes from the strength of the ox.” We need a gospel of both presence and power.
Finally, it could appear that my 12 points are aimed at renewal churches. In fact, most of these criticisms can be made of the institutional church in general, simply because they are cultural problems and we are too much part of our culture.
Len Hjalmarson,
Kelowna, B.C.
Learn from both men and women
I do not understand Irma Dyck’s conviction (Letters, Sept. 28) that men should not be taught by a woman. Don’t we all have mothers? Wives? Can we learn nothing from them? Why then did God put us in families?
From early in my Christian life I have known that 1 Timothy 2:11-15 could not mean what it appeared to mean because it is at odds with other Scripture. In Acts 18:26, Priscilla and Aquila undertook to correct the theology of Apollos, who subsequently became a valued teacher. Priscilla and Aquila are spoken of respectfully in several other places (2 Timothy 4:19; Romans 16:3-5; 1 Corinthians 16:19). She cannot have been violating some important Pauline instruction.
Christ, defying the culture into which He had been incarnated, taught that women could learn from Him. Surely all worthwhile learning is to be shared? In our day, we have many highly educated, talented and godly women in our churches. It is hard to imagine that any male would be corrupted or diminished by listening to them and learning from them.
As a retired pastor, I have profound reasons to be grateful to the many women in my life who have modelled and taught Christian character and truth.
Personally, I do not want the men or the women of our Conference to be limited to an all-male diet of learning. Men and women are raised differently. Culturally, we live in different territories. One of the evidences of the Spirit’s work in our lives is growth in our ability to understand one another across those cultural barriers. One of the church’s tasks is to help us to love (that includes listening to) our neighbours of the opposite gender.
If anyone wants to learn more on the possible/probable meaning of those Timothy verses, I recommend Richard and Catherine Kroeger’s book I Suffer Not a Woman. Rethinking I Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence (Baker Books, 1992).
Gordon Stewart,
North Vancouver, B.C.
Biblical examples of women teaching
I don’t agree with Irma M. Dyck (Letters, Sept. 28) about no women teaching. Women were the first ones who saw Jesus after His resurrection. Deborah was a judge in the Old Testament. It was Priscilla and Aquilla who taught Apollos. How do you explain the commands to teach children in Proverbs 22:6 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9? If Paul told Timothy women were not to teach, it was because some women were teaching and being unruly. Women can teach if they submit first to the leadership of the church.
Sharon Lambright,
Pitt Meadows, B.C.
Both sides need to adapt
Re “Will we retain leaders?” by Gary Badker (Aug. 3).
My husband and I spent 13 years in pastoral ministry, 8 in the US and 5 in Canada. We are no longer in pastoral ministry, being part of the 40% who have left the ministry. By God’s grace, our children as young adults are walking with the Lord and living a godly life.
Badker’s first suggestion was that pastors must be adaptable. I suggest that today’s churches also must be adaptable. No pastor has all the gifts of leadership and ministry that a church would like to have. That is why we have the body of believers. The body of believers is equipped to fill in where the pastor does not have the giftedness or time to do a certain ministry. I find it interesting that churches who have a wonderful pastor who visits and cares for people but is not strong in the pulpit, for the next pastor get someone strong in the pulpit but not so great in pastoral care. For both pastors, the churches complain about the weakness. Until churches adapt to the gifts and strong/weak points of their pastor and fill in the gaps, pastors will continue to leave churches and ministry. A pastor cannot be all things to all people.
In the six years since we have left pastoral ministry, I have found ways to use my giftedness as never before. I’m finally free to do what God has enabled and gifted me to do, and it has brought much joy to me and others. We are content in being on the farm, healing from the hurts of pastoral ministry and seeking where we can minister where we are. God has blessed us by showing that the ministry we did still bears fruit and that what we did was not in vain.
Darla Loewen,
Carpenter, S.D.
It’s His program
Stéphane Rhéaume’s “A new model of evangelical church” (Sept. 28) saddened my heart. It was a good businessman’s approach to a problem, practical and well planned. By and large, it recommended that we adopt tactics the world uses. Not once was mention made of the need to seek God’s will, the leading of the Holy Spirit or the biblical standards set in place in Acts and the epistles. Jesus said “I will build My church!” Are we consulting Him on how He wants this done? It’s His program. How did the apostles go about building His church? They went everywhere (guided by the Holy Spirit) preaching Christ and Him crucified. They preached about sin and repentance. They preached about His coming again for the church, to be forever with Him. In comparison, where are we going?
Peter Hamm,
Chilliwack B.C.
Better editing needed
In the article “But Lord, he’s tall and good-looking!” (Sept. 28) were inferred swear words. Even though the author may have wanted to get across how horrific this person was feeling, he could have written about the incident and not used a direct quote. The editor of the Herald should not have subjected countless readers to these inferred negative words. The Bible has several verses that deal with such negative terminology. Matthew 12:34 states: “I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”
Darlene Erho,
Coquitlam, B.C.
Sacrifice should be recognized
Re the letter by J. Funk, “Urgent need for apology” (Sept. 14).
With my twin brother John, I am one of the thousands of Mennonites who served in Canada’s military during World War II. My overseas service was in the UK and Northwest Europe.
I was born in the Kuban, Russia in 1923, came to Canada in 1926, was raised in a Mennonite Brethren home and attended the MB Church during my teens. After the war, I did not return to live in my former community. For many years, I sought a “spiritual home”, and found it in the Anglican Church.
During the past decade, I pursued a serious self-study of Anabaptist, Mennonite and family histories (Wiens/Harder) largely because my maternal ancestors (Wiens family) played a pivotal role in the 1860s origin of the MB Church in Russia.
I do not know if J. Funk is right about the need for an apology and a memorial. However, I thank her/him for the very kind, Christian sentiments. Personally, I do not want or expect an apology for any possible sins of commission or omission by others, for I have need to contend with my own.
For any group or individual to pursue Funk’s suggestions, there would be problems such as the passage of time and reaching this particular group of Mennonites.
The Mennonites who served in Canada’s military during World War II were part of the fabric of our nation, but they did not become part of our written history. Perhaps this subject could be dealt with by some of the Mennonite historical societies?
I wish for three things:
A proper historical record with recognition by the Mennonite community at large of the so-called lost sons and daughters, especially the more than 500 who lost their lives in war.
Some recognition in Mennonite literature that one million Allied men and women sacrificed their lives to end the Holocaust and totalitarianism.
Some participation by Mennonites on Remembrance Day – even wearing a poppy – keeping in mind “their own” who served and died for the freedoms we have.
George T. Harder,
Victoria, B.C.
Previous | Next Last modified November 30, 2001.
© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
Masthead and usage information.
|
