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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.) |
Guidelines for discussion
Over the last few months, the Herald has contained a steady stream of letters re the issue of women in church leadership. Because of the level of interest thus expressed, I assume that the Herald will be running an issue on this topic in the next few months. The following comments are based on that assumption.
There seem to be two very distinct theological starting points that Christians teachers – including Mennonites – use when addressing this issue. One manifestation of this difference is disagreement regarding when headship in the Bible first started – one side believes it is post-Fall; the other, pre-Fall. The other manifestation – the one I’ve encountered more often in Mennonite churches – is disagreement over whether 1 Peter 2:9 (the priesthood of all believers) and Galatians 3:28 (“neither . . . male nor female”) overpower 1 Corinthians 11:3 (“the head of the woman is man”). Those favouring this overpowering are inclined toward a post-Fall headship; those against this overpowering, a pre-Fall headship.
Since both groups find sizable representation within our Canadian MB fellowship, I request the following with regard to articles written for any upcoming Herald issue on women in church leadership:
- that articles be elicited from both sides of this divide.
- that the authors identify near the beginning of their articles where they stand with respect to the above divide. (Readership should always be helped to identify the presuppositions of authors.)
- that at least one article focus on the biblical attitudes a Christian needs when grappling with the Scriptures involved in the above debate. (For example, one side might need to remind themselves that all Scripture is authoritative and authored by God. The other side might need to remember to approach this issue with holy fear of the God who doesn’t want His easy yoke and light burden sullied and who pronounces woe on those who put unnecessary hindrances and burdens on those desiring true discipleship.)
- that one article examine the latitude of biblically required freedom for female church leadership found even within the headship-normative-today position. (The wider this latitude – and it is quite wide – the greater the area of commonality we can hold to in our Mennonite fellowship.)
Richard Loewen,
St. Catharines, Ont.
Validity of Scripture
I congratulate Brian Anderson (Letters, Dec. 7) for the profound, thorough explanation of the controversial problem of women in leadership. It is reassuring when the validity of Scripture is emphasized. How unconvincing and questionable the counter-arguments sound. Let us hold on to the truth of the Word of God. We must not bend Scripture to our liking; we must bend to the liking of Scripture.
John Schulz,
Kitchener, Ont.
Is praying a gift?
I love to receive the Herald. There is so much in the paper to assist me in my spiritual growth and development. I never seem to arrive at a stage that the maturing process is complete. Being His representative is a tough assignment. Our paper helps me along the way.
In “The Prayer Coordinator’s Story” (News, Feb. 8) what does the phrase “gifted to pray” mean? I believe that God hears every prayer that I make. Does that make me gifted? If I pray often, does that mean I am gifted? Does the length of my prayer determine my giftedness? Does God’s answer depend on my giftedness to pray? Help my confusion.
Jake Klippenstein,
Langley, B.C.
Brad Huebert’s reply.
Thank you for the question! No one enjoys a “hotline to heaven” that others cannot access, but I do believe that certain members within the body of Christ are gifted to focus in and on prayer to a greater degree than the average. God hears us all, but some are called to “stand in the gap” more intentionally than others. Since these spend so much time at it, they may come to understand God’s heart in a more profound way (as it relates to prayer) so that they are more informed and hence potentially more effective in praying for God’s will to be done. Consider: The Bible is equally open to all, but those with the gift of teaching are often gifted to understand it more deeply than most so that they can communicate its truths to others. We are all to be Christ’s witnesses, but some are gifted to be more effective at it. These aren’t about spiritual depth, favouritism or importance, but rather highlight the different ministry emphases of the members of Christ’s body.
I hope this helps!
Brad Huebert,
Winkler, Man.
What is sin?
On the cover of the Aug. 24 “Encounter . . . the reality of sin” are depicted various interpretations of what sin is. I am completely appalled at your pictorial depiction and curious what evangelical mindset you were using. Judging and pride are the major issues in contemporary churches, and when the magazine representing our Conference embraces this concept, I lose hope that we will ever overcome it.
Denita Redekop,
Saskatoon, Sask.
Results gratifying
We are getting more calls as the result of the review of our book Would you know my Name? People are also asking how my son is doing (see “A prized son”, March 2, 2001). It made me realize how thoroughly people read the Herald.
Our son is doing very, very well! He is returning to work any day now. The company he worked for has kept his job open, and actually offered two different jobs. He is back to drumming, his humour has returned, etc. We attribute this remarkable healing to generational prayer and very good counselling. We are very grateful. We are learning a great deal about blessings and curses from Deuteronomy 27-28. The blessings far outweigh the curses. However, we are learning that at times curses sit on our generational line and even though we are children of God, they need to be lifted.
Esther McIlveen,
Richmond, B.C.
Good event
I am not a regular Herald reader, but, as a youth ministry educator, the Feb. 8 theme caught my eye. Thanks for giving this kind of prominence to young people. I especially appreciated Jon Unger Brandt’s gutsy reporting on the youth conference and Leah Peters’s courageous testimonial. His perspective and her experience again point to the need for careful discernment in planning and running such an event and to the need for helping youth to interpret their spiritual experiences in a way that is gentle, affirming and non-manipulative.
Gareth Brandt, Professor of Youth Ministry,
Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, B.C.
Thanks
On Feb. 6 I suffered a stroke which immobilized my left arm and leg. Since then, I have begun the slow road to recovery, am able to walk very slowly for short distances, and have regained limited use of my arm. There are no words to describe how grateful I am for all the well wishes and Christian prayers offered on my behalf by many groups and individuals – my immediate and extended families, Westgate Mennonite Collegiate staff and students, Steinbach Mennonite Church, The Meeting Place in Winnipeg, many friends and neighbours, and especially my loving wife. “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 103:1-5).
Frank J. Thiessen,
Steinbach, Man.
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© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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