The International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) appointed David Wiebe, outgoing executive director of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (CCMBC), as interim executive secretary Aug. 1, 2010.

Wiebe has been the executive director of CCMBC for the past 10 years. He will complete his duties at the Canadian conference Dec. 31, 2010, and begin at ICOMB in a half-time capacity  Jan. 1, 2011. From this August to January, he will serve as acting executive secretary in the absence of Victor Wall, who recently accepted a leadership position at the Asuncion (Paraguay) Bible Institute.

“The support for Brother David Wiebe’s transition to ICOMB was unanimous,” says Ernesto Wiens, ICOMB chair. “We are certain that the global family of Mennonite Brethren will support him with their prayers.”

Church giving strong in spite of poor economy

by Connie Faber

Efforts by U.S. Conference (USC) ministries to run lean this past year paid off, as did endeavors to encourage congregations and individuals to continue their financial support of USMB ministries in spite of the sluggish economy.

End-of-the year financial reports released June 17 show that USC expenses, budgeted at $707,150, totaled $698,605. Giving from churches had been budgeted at $414,800, the lowest church-giving budget since 2003. Church giving totaled $404,840 while fundraising efforts netted $203,954, almost $4,000 more than anticipated. Bottom line: with the addition of its additional income sources, the conference ended the year in the black.

Last spring the USC Leadership Board, faced with an ongoing decline in church giving, asked USC staff to prune 2009-10 expenses to match what it thought were realistic projections for church contributions and staff fundraising. While the 2008-09 budget of $902,973 reflected a commitment to ministry growth, the 2009-10 budget would balance faith and pragmatism and that meant cutting back to the tune of $200,000.

The 2009-10 budget included a 48 percent reduction to the Christian Leader publishing lines, a 60 percent cut to the Mission USA program budget, a 15 percent reduction in administrative expenses and a modest budget for the national Board of Faith and Life. Financial support for a variety of national, binational and international Mennonite Brethren ministries remained steady, as did funding to support the denomination’s participation in the National Association of Evangelicals and inter-Mennonite agencies.

Delegates to the 2010 USC July convention approved a budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year in the amount of $714,136, only a one percent increase from the previous year. The 2010-11 income budget projects church receipts totaling $419,596, fundraising to generate another $200,000 and $94,500 to come from other sources. Delegates were told that 49 percent of the budget ($348,090) would be invested in administration and leadership, 28 percent ($200,000) in Mission USA’s work in church planting and renewal, 20 percent ($147,716) in communications and 3 percent ($17,400) to support the ministry of the national Board of Faith and Life.

Current models for change "set in gelatin"

by Celeste Kennel-Shank for Meetinghouse

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is changing how it does its work but not the work itself. That’s how Arli Klassen, MCC executive director, describes MCC’s process of streamlining and shifting areas of responsibility among its member organizations. Klassen shared the current models for those changes—which she says are set in gelatin—at the June 11-12 meeting of MCC’s binational delegate body. MCC is an Anabaptist peace, relief and service agency.

Since January, a joint board team, with representatives from the MCC U.S., Canada and binational boards, has been providing overall leadership to design and transition teams that are proposing changes. They are basing their ideas on MCC’s New Wine consultations, which involved more than 2,000 people from 50 countries and finished in June 2009.

One of the teams’ ideas is to shift much of the binational organization’s work to MCC U.S. and MCC Canada. MCC would create a council to coordinate strategic planning and decide which proportion of funds different continents and programs would receive. It would receive authority from its member agencies. The joint board team is proposing that MCC Canada and MCC U.S. operate the international program together. The teams are receiving feedback and will seek full approval in 2011 from all of the boards for proposed changes. MCC expects most major changes to happen in 2012.

In the midst of these changes, MCC is looking at what it means to be global beyond the fact that it works in 60 countries. MCC is one of 30 service agencies participating in the Global Anabaptist Service Consultation Aug. 6-9 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event explores the level of interest in developing a global service forum, network or other entity of Mennonite World Conference (MWC) member churches and related groups. MWC is a global Anabaptist fellowship.

FPU one of three institutions to sponsor Omsk event

By Aileen Friesen
New scholarship on the history and culture of Mennonite in Siberia was the focus of an international conference held June 2-4 in Omsk, Russia. This event built on the tradition of international scholarly exchange on Mennonite history established by Dr. Harvey Dyck through conferences held in Chortitza, Ukraine in 1999 and in Molotchna, Ukraine in 2004. The 2010 conference was co-sponsored by F.M Dostoevsky Omsk State University, represented by Dr.Tatiana Smirnova; the University of Winnipeg, represented by Dr. Royden Loewen; and Fresno Pacific University, represented by Dr. Paul Toews.

In the last several years, there has been a renewed interest in the Mennonite Siberian story. In 2002, Marina and Walter Unger, Paul Toews and Olga Shmakina established a relationship with Dr. Andrei Savin of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the result being two books of document collections, with a third still to be published, related to Mennonites in Siberia. These types of initiatives reflect a deep interest in the Mennonite community to explore the neglected history of the Mennonites who settled this vast region both voluntarily and involuntarily.

Dr. Peter Penner, currently residing in Calgary and who was born in Siberia, played an inspirational role in pushing forward the agenda of holding a conference in Siberia. Like the previous conferences in Chortitza and Molotchna, conference organizers aimed to bring together scholars from diverse linguistic, methodological and cultural backgrounds. This type of international event allows for the cross fertilization of ideas about the Mennonite story in Siberia.

Participants from Russia, Canada, the United States, Germany and Kazakhstan presented papers which illustrated various aspects of Mennonite religious, familial, social and political experiences in Imperial Russia, the Soviet Union and current-day Russia. Presentations on Mennonite settlement in Siberia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries challenged the dominant image of Siberia as a place of exile and suffering.

These papers demonstrated that the first Mennonite settlers, such as Peter J. Wiens, arrived in Siberia with great hopes—for themselves, their families and their communities. These papers also showed the commonalities between Mennonite settler life in Siberia and in other parts of the world. Weather, land, gender roles, families and faith shaped how Mennonites envisioned and experienced Siberia, which parallels Mennonite resettlement in places such as the Canadian prairies. These similarities encourage a comparative approach to foster an understanding of Mennonite migration in a global context.

The majority of the conference presentations addressed the experiences of Mennonites during the Soviet period. A number of Russian scholars, such as Andrei Savin and Alexei Gorbatov, utilized archival sources from the Soviet secret police, the NKVD, to uncover the treatment and the responses of Mennonites to the state's repressive policies. Gorbatov spoke about how Mennonite took on leadership roles in interconfessional organizations, which brought them to the attention of Soviet authorities. Repression followed, and Mennonites lost their homes, employment and freedom.

Scholars from the former Soviet territories have advanced researcher’s knowledge of archival sources, which in some cases are the only remaining record of events and people targeted by the Soviet regime. Unfortunately, due to changes in the political climate in Russia, some archival files that previously were available are now no longer accessible to scholars working in the archives. At the conference, a resolution was proposed to protest against this trend. Fortunately, the publication of document collections from Russian archives in recent years has ensured that at least some of these documents are now a part of the public record.

Many presentations focused on how Mennonites as individuals and as communities experienced life under the Soviet regime. The atmosphere of repression and uncertainty influenced the relationship between Mennonites, Baptists and evangelicals in Siberia. Dr. Iraida Nam described how the loss of religious leaders during the Stalinist repression created religious bonds and cooperation between different religious groups. In the case of the Tomsk region, the release of Mennonite ministers from prison after Stalin's death briefly revitalized Mennonite identity, until the start of Khrushchev's anti-religious campaign saw the exile of their leaders once again.

Participants in the conference had the opportunity to view many of the themes presented firsthand, as the cultural program of the conference included a visit to a number of Mennonite communities west of Omsk. Rev. N.M Dikman gave an emotional account of the persecution he experienced for his religioius beliefs, in which he called the gulag “his Bible study.”

Religious leaders such as Dikman confirmed that the persecution of religious communities lasted into the 1980s, with many leaders being arrested numerous times throughout their lives. In spite of this persecution, Mennonite religious and cultural life survives in Siberia. In villages such as Apollonovka, children still speak plattdeutsch to their playmates. Participants also witnessed the wonderful musicality in Mennonite religious services.

While not all Mennonites experienced and responded to the Soviet regime in the same way, the interest of scholars from the former Soviet Union in Mennonites as a ethno-confessional community confirms the historical significance of this story to a wider audience. It also confirms the importance of building bridges between scholars from different countries and extending these bridges to the communities that these scholars try to understand and describe.

Seminary, SDC host September forum 

from the SDC Office

A theological forum on the atoning sacrifice of Christ sponsored jointly by MB Biblical Seminary andthe Southern District Faith and Life Commission will be held Sept. 10-11 at Memorial Road MB Church in Edmond, Okla. The forum is open to pastors, leaders and interested members of MB churches in the Midwest.

The purpose of the forum is to find clarity on issues in writing by seminary professors and to discover shared values and teachings from God’s Word, says the invitation. Resource personnel include seminary faculty members Tim Geddert, Lynn Jost and Mark Baker. Conference and pastoral leaders from the SDC as well as attendees will also give their input.

There is no cost, but attendees were asked to register by Sept. 7. Two meals and breaks will be provided for $25. Registered participants will be sent three to five articles that are required reading and three Bible passages for study prior to the forum. A book list will also be provided and is recommended reading prior to the event.

The forum begins Friday at 3 pm and adjourns at 8 pm that evening. It resumes Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and concludes following lunch. Additional information, including recommended hotels, is available at www.sdcmb.org

New partnership helps raise funds using biblical stewardship principles

MB Foundation press release

MB Foundation is partnering with fund-raising experts Dickerson and Associates to offer capital campaign services. Founded in 1985 by Clark Dickerson, Dickerson & Associates has assisted Christian schools, colleges, camps, organizations and churches in meeting their fund raising goals. With corporate offices in Colorado and full time consultants living in several other states, Dickerson & Associates has the tools and resources to serve the nationwide Mennonite Brethren community.

As the U.S. Mennonite Brethren stewardship agency, MB Foundation has been the primary lender for MB organizations for decades. Now, MB Foundation is poised to assist churches in raising the capital, not just borrowing.

“As churches pursue building projects, we are often involved in consulting with the church leadership, on a variety of related matters. Our partnership with Dickerson and Associates, uniquely positions us to provide a complete financial package as we help churches with Biblical financial stewardship solutions,” says Jon Wiebe, president and CEO.

Each Dickerson & Associates campaign is based on three foundational pillars; God is the owner of all (Ps 24:1), we are stewards of God’s wealth (Matt 25:14-30), and we are blessed so we can bless others (Gal 6:10). In addition to this biblical stewardship foundation each campaign is approached with a “teach, partner, guide” philosophy. Dickerson & Associates strive to teach biblical stewardship principles and practical application, while partnering with ministries for hands-on campaign implementation that will guide each ministry through the challenges of the development process.

Clark Dickerson, founder and president of Dickerson & Associates says, “As a former school teacher I know the importance of teaching and coaching. So while Dickerson & Associates consultants will teach clients the 'ins and outs' of a stewardship program, we also come along side like a good coach to partner with our clients to make sure the teaching is implemented properly. And, no matter how well the teaching and coaching go, undoubtedly something will arise that might hinder a campaign without us there to guide the client through. This process of working side by side with the client in a one on one relationship is unique to the campaign approach established by Dickerson & Associates over the past 25 years and I believe has played a large role in the successful campaigns our clients have conducted.”

“We believe Dickerson and Associates will provide valuable counsel to our churches and they are a great fit for our organization,” says Jon C. Wiebe, MB Foundation President & CEO.

To learn more about how this new service might help your ministry in Giving Meaning to Money®, contact MB Foundation at 800.551.1547 or visit www.mbfoundation.com/capitalcampaignservices. The website for Dickerson & Associates is www.dickersonandassociates.com.

by Myra Holmes

Numbers of graduates have been updated to reflect actual numbers rather than projections. 

U.S. Mennonite Brethren institutions of higher education scored big in a “triple play” of spring graduations. A total of 576 students were the winners at Fresno Pacific University, MB Biblical Seminary and Tabor College ceremonies.

First up was Fresno Pacific University, the MB school on the West Coast, with commencement exercises held May 8 at the school’s main campus in Fresno, Calif. Approximately 150 graduated in the morning from the traditional undergraduate program; another 250 graduated in the afternoon from the degree completion and master’s degree programs.

Karen Cianci, dean of the School of Natural Sciences, gave FPU’s morning commencement address, titled, “Marshmallows, Commencement and the Kingdom.” Ron Claassen, director of the university’s Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies, gave the afternoon address, titled, “Power, Process and Doing the Right Thing.”

Next up in the graduation lineup was MB Biblical Seminary, the MB school for graduate theological education, with a main campus in Fresno, Calif., and Canadian campuses in Langley, BC and Winnipeg, Man. Twenty graduated in Fresno May 16, including nine with master’s degrees in marriage, family and child counseling, three with Master of Divinity degrees, two with master’s in New Testament, one with master’s in Christian ministry, one with a diploma in congregational care, two with master’s in theology and one with a diploma in Christian studies. The commencement speaker was Larry Martens, retired MB pastor and former MBBS president.

In addition, 10 graduated from MBBS’s Canadian campuses at a ceremony held April 25 at Northview Community Church, Abbotsford, BC.

Last but not least, Tabor College, the MB liberal-arts college in the Midwest, marked its 100th commencement May 22 with exercises held at the new Joel H. Wiens stadium. Appropriately enough, 100 students graduated from the main campus in Hillsboro, Kan. In addition, two associate’s degree students, 46 BS/BSN candidates and eight MBA candidates received degrees from Tabor’s School of Adult and Graduate Studies in Wichita, Kan. The total of 155 proposed graduates was the college’s largest graduating class ever. Tabor’s board chair, Lyndon W. Vix, was the commencement speaker. Vix is an attorney from Wichita, Kan.

by Connie Faber

Celebration 2010 overview

Celebration 2010 coverage in CL

Anniversary resources

India Conference first to celebrate

Overview

How will you celebrate the 150th birthday of the Mennonite Brethren Church, now a body of 280,000 believers who worship in some18 countries? Why not experience the global Mennonite Brethren family firsthand by attending Celebration 2010, the second of two global anniversary celebrations, scheduled for July 12-18 in Vancouver, BC.

The early registration deadline has passed, but registrations will be taken until June 20. Participants can register online at www.celebration2010.org/registration. The deadline for reservations at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, a hotel in Surrey at which a group rate has been negotiated, is June 10.

The Vancouver celebration is really four events in one, beginning with Renewing Identity and Mission: A Mennonite Brethren Consultation scheduled for Monday evening, July 12, through Wednesday noon. The remaining events—Celebration 2010 sessions and Canadian and U.S. Conference (USC) biennial conventions—are intertwined Wednesday evening, July 14, through Saturday afternoon.

RIM reviews past, looks to future

Renewing Identity and Mission (RIM) will explore where Mennonite Brethren have been, where they are going and what they have learned along the way. RIM will take place on the campus of ACTS Seminaries, a consortium of Trinity Western University in Langley, BC, of which MB Biblical Seminary is a member.

The three-day consultation will involve more than 30 presenters, and RIM organizers anticipate it will be a rich time of reflection and conversation, along with the challenge to be God’s missional people in the world. Alfred Neufeld of Paraguay is the Monday evening plenary speaker and he will talk about theology and identity. Tuesday evening a panel of international guests—Nzuzi Mukawa of DR Congo, John Shankar Rao of India, Caesar Garcia of Colombia and Johann Matthies of Germany—will focus on missions. A description of the 27 RIM workshops scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday is available online at www.celebration2010.org.

Binational services, business sessions

The second component of Celebration 2010 begins Wednesday evening when the first of two evening celebratory services are held at Chandos Pattison Auditorium, located on the campus of Pacific Academy in Surrey. Celebration 2010 participants will hear from three international Mennonite Brethren Wednesday and Friday evenings—Mukawa of DR Congo, Rao of India and a Mennonite Brethren serving Arabic-speaking communities through radio, television and printed materials.

Thursday, July 15, Celebration 2010 participants will return to Chandos Pattison Auditorium for a day of binational and international ministry reports. Reporting agencies will include MBMS International (MBMSI), the North American denominational global mission agency, and MB Biblical Seminary (MBBS), the North American MB seminary with campuses in Fresno, Calif., Abbotsford, BC and Winnipeg, Man.

MBMSI will use an interactive world map to tell mission stories that illustrate how God’s family continues to grow, says Randy Friesen, MBMSI general director. The MBMSI report will highlight the most recent conference of Mennonite Brethren churches in Thailand and Laos, with reports from Team 2000 members who are completing their 10-year commitments to church planting and recommitting to new leadership and resourcing roles in Thailand.

MBBS will review the seminary’s 55-year history and outline its plans for the future. The report will include alumni and student testimonies and comments from MBBS President Lynn Jost. Fresno Pacific University President D. Merrill Ewert will highlight plans for providing graduate theological education in the U.S. and the Canadian Conference Task Force will outline its work in Canada. Delegates will have the opportunity to interact withseminary representatives during the national conference business sessions.

U.S. delegates meet

The U.S. and Canadian Conferences will hold their biennial conventions at separate locations Thursday evening and Friday morning and afternoon. North Langley Community Church will host Canada’s Gathering 2010 and Gracepoint Community Church will host the U.S.’s Conection 2010.

Stories of transformed lives, told live as well as pre-taped, is the focus of Conection 2010. Matt Unruh, worship arts pastor at Gracepoint, will be the musical worship leader.

The opening Conection service will emphasize the diversity of the U.S. Conference. Slavic and Ethiopian choirs from the U.S. Pacific Northwest have been invited to participate in the worship celebration. Paul Robie, pastor of South Mountain Community Church in Salt Lake City, will highlight the ministry of Mennonite Brethren in Utah.

Friday Conection delegates will hear testimonies from Mission USA church planters and people who have been impacted by new Mennonite Brethren churches, a report that is often a convention highlight. “These personal stories of what God is doing through our church planters is always rewarding,” says Mission USA director Don Morris. “Our U.S. MB church planting is increasing, and we are excited to tell the story.”

Delegates will also hear reports Friday from the U.S. Conference Leadership Board, Board of Faith and Life and Christian Leader. The National Youth Convention planning team, Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University will give ministry updates. As part of its report, MB Foundation will distribute a new booklet telling the story of 150 years of denominational stewardship.

Delegates will take action on a recommended budget and a bylaw change that places district ministers, by virtue of office, on the national Board of Faith and Life. Delegates will also elect board members for national and binational boards.

Celebration 2010 participants can “Experience Vancouver” Saturday. While the agenda for the day includes visiting a tourist attraction, the focus will be on ministry—exploring how Mennonite Brethren are active in the inner city, a prayer journey and a closing rally in downtown Vancouver. Vancouver area Mennonite Brethren congregations will host visitors for Sunday worship services.

The Celebration 2010 Web site offers details about complimentary transportation options, meals and breaks and the children and youth programs.

Read about Celebration 2010 in the CL

The first of two global celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Mennonite Brethren Church was May 13-24 in Germany and included the annual meeting of the International Community of Mennonite Brethren. A report of this celebration will be published in an upcoming issue of the Christian Leader.

In keeping with the binational flavor of Celebration 2010, staff members of both Canadian and U.S. Mennonite Brethren publications will be contributing reports, photos and reflections about this event. We also plan to ask participants from both countries to share their experiences and thoughts.

We are excited to offer extensive online coverage of Celebration 2010 and Conection that will include online blogs, reports and photos published at CL Online (www.usmb.org/christian-leader) in early August. So be sure to visit CL Online in early August for a full Celebration 2010 report.

The printed Celebration 2010 report will be published in the August/September issue, and this issue will be delayed by one month so that we can include coverage of this historic celebration. The August/September issue will be mailed in September rather than August, while the October/November issue will be mailed in October as usual.

Resources celebrate 150th

Several resources are available commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Mennonite Brethren Church.
n The Mennonite Brethren Church Around The World: Celebrating 150 is a commemorative book containing stories of the global Mennonite Brethren family written within their contexts. The price is significantly reduced if purchased with registration for Celebration 2010.

• An interactive timeline, complete with extensive historical information and rare photographs, is available on the Celebration 2010 Web site (www.celebration2010.org/timeline). A team of historians and communicators created the timeline as a dynamic resource that illustrates the MB journey since its beginnings January 6, 1860, in what is now Ukraine.

• Global Mennonite Brethren Devotional Series was an online series of 50 devotionals to be used during the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost 2010. Writers represent most of the 18-member conferences of the International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB). A historical note covering the 150 years of the Mennonite Brethren Church accompanies each devotional. The devotional series is found at http://icomb.org/globalmbdevotionals.

• Knowing and Living Your Faith, a study guide for the International Community of Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith, was developed in anticipation of the 150th anniversary as resource for congregations. The study manual can be viewed and downloaded at http://icomb.org/literature.

India Conference first to celebrate

This eight-member girls’ troupe performs a welcome dance at the India MB Conference’s 150th anniversary celebration Jan. 17. India was the first national Mennonite Brethren conference to celebrate our 150th anniversary.

The event, held on the grounds of a hospital operated by the India MB Conference at Jadcherla, Andhra Pradesh, drew a crowd of 2,000. They met beneath a shamiana (tent) for five hours, beginning mid-morning and including a meal.

The 23-item program included an address by P.B. Arnold, president of the governing council, and a presentation on Anabaptist history by I.P. Asheervadam, historian and teacher at MB Centenary Bible College in Shamshabad. The program launched the Telugu translation of Knowing and Living Your Faith, a study guide to the International Community Of Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith and included a groundbreaking service for a monument marking the occasion. Officials from the India church and several representatives from North America brought greetings. The celebration ended with the Lord’s Supper.

Also pictured are some of the ordained MB ministers, dressed in the robes recently introduced for leading worship services.—Elmer Martens

NYC press release

Shane Claiborne will be the keynote speaker for the National Youth Convention, set for April 16-19, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas. Claiborne is a prominent Christian activist, author and speaker, featured on the DVD series, “Another World is Possible,” and author of The Irresistible Revolution, Jesus for President and Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers. He is a founding partner of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped to birth and connect radical faith communities around the world.

Stories in Braille will be the featured band. The San Antonio 2011 Web site says the members of this band “want to simply tell stories that everyone listening can feel in a real way, and ultimately, to create space for God to move.”

The National Youth Convention (NYC) is the largest gathering of Mennonite Brethren in the United States and is held every four years, giving students one opportunity to attend in high school. The conventions have been held since the 1970s, primarily in retreat settings such as Estes Park, Colo., and Glorietta, NM.

In 2007, organizers tested a new model that emphasized learning and service in an urban context. Each conferee had opportunity to minister in the city, which organizers felt was an excellent way to pass along an important Anabaptist value. Anaheim ’07 was deemed a success, and the 2011 convention will follow a similar model. Anaheim ’07 co-directors Rick Bartlett, Wendell Loewen and Tim Neufeld have returned to plan the 2011 NYC.

San Antonio was selected as the site based on the availability of ministry opportunities, proximity of food and entertainment and quality and accessibility of the hotel. The convention will be held at the Grand Hyatt River Walk Hotel.

Organizers are asking youth leaders to save the date and begin planning to bring their students. A newly launched Web site, www.SanAntonio2011.org, will be regularly updated to include details as they are made available. Fund-raising ideas are available on the Web site as well as on a San Antonio 2011 Facebook page. Registration for the event opens Oct. 1.

by Connie Faber

It was a marathon for U.S. Mennonite Brethren leaders who met April 18-25 in Scottsdale, Ariz. While some participants attended only one in the series of four events scheduled that week, there were a number for whom it was at least a doubleheader, if not a triple.

The week began with the National Pastors’ Orientation (NPO), scheduled for Monday through Wednesday and organized by the U.S. Conference (USC) Board of Faith and Life. The pastors’ event, which drew 28 new pastoral staff, including six senior pastors, was designed to educate pastors, many who come from other denominational traditions, about Mennonite Brethren history and theology and to introduce pastors to U.S. Conference (USC) ministries and leaders.

Key resource speakers were MB Biblical Seminary professors Valerie Rempel and Tim Geddert and district ministers Roger Engbrecht, Central District; Gary Wall, Pacific District; and Tim Sullivan, Southern District. Pastors could receive one hour of graduate credit from MBBS for Geddert’s presentations on the Church and Its Mission.

Many of the USC leaders who participated in the NPO also attended the Leadership Summit, an annual gathering of national and binational ministry leaders. The Leadership Summit, not a decision-making body, provides the opportunity for sharing information and discussing issues that impact the national conference. This year the group spent Thursday evening talking about the decision to transfer the ownership of MB Biblical Seminary-Fresno to Fresno Pacific University, the university owned by the Pacific District Conference. The transfer was also discussed Friday during ministry reports.

More than two dozen men and women attended the 2010 Leadership Summit. They included representatives from MBMS International and MB Biblical Seminary, two ministries co-owned by the U.S. and Canadian Conferences; MB Foundation, the U.S. stewardship ministry; and Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University, the two regionally-owned U.S. Mennonite Brethren schools. Representatives from four of the five district conferences, the Board of Faith and Life chair and USC staff and Leadership Board members also attended.

Sandwiched between the NPO and Leadership Summit was a meeting of the national Board of Faith and Life, a group of nine individuals responsible for providing theological oversight to the denomination.

In his report at the Leadership Summit, BFL chair Larry Nikkel of Wichita, Kan., reported that the board met with two representatives of the Canadian Conference BFL to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding that guides the relationship between the two North American BFLs and continued work on its topical pamphlet series. BFL is also outlining how it will continue to provide theological oversight to MBBS-Fresno, a mandate given to BFL by USC bylaws, once the U.S. seminary program is transferred to Fresno Pacific University.

Nikkel concluded by saying BFL is concerned about the discrepancy between what the Confession of Faith says and how U.S. Mennonite Brethren live out those convictions. Summit participants affirmed BFL for wrestling with how best to lead the denomination in the difficult task of matching word and deed.

The Leadership Summit was followed by one-and-a-half days of Leadership Board (LB) meetings; the LB is a nine-member board that functions as the conference in interim. The LB heard from USC staff members Ed Boschman, executive director; Donna Sullivan, administrative assistant; Don Morris, Mission USA director; and Connie Faber, Christian Leader editor. Written reports from denominational and inter-Mennonite ministries were also reviewed.

While updates dominated the LB’s agenda, the board took action on several matters. Meeting in executive session, the LB approved a 1.5 percent pay increase for USC staff, a 2010-11 USC budget of $714,136 and a sabbatical policy for full-time USC staff. While in executive session the LB also formalized three specific requests regarding a new Christian Leader format that will be introduced later this year and voted to reduce CL staff hours from a total of 46 hours per week to 30 hours per week, effective Nov. 1.

The LB approved an amendment to USC bylaws regarding the membership of the national Board of Faith and Life. Delegates to the USC July convention will act on this recommendation, designed to include district ministers, by virtue of office, as full BFL members. The LB approved a new part-time staff position, director of electronic communication, to be filled as soon as an appropriate candidate is secured.

Commitment to collaborate clarified

A press release from the U.S. Conference

U.S. Mennonite Brethren leaders convened the presidents and board representatives of MB Biblical Seminary (MBBS), Tabor College (TC) and Fresno Pacific University (FPU) April 14-15 in Denver, Colo., to renew the national mission of pastoral leadership development through graduate theological education, including a review of recent reorganizational development and exploration of future collaborative efforts.

MBBS, the Mennonite Brethren seminary for graduate-level theological education, transferred its Fresno, Calif., programs to FPU, the Mennonite Brethren-owned university in Fresno, Calif. The transfer, announced Feb. 5, is to be completed by June 1.

“In order for us to be effective in mission together as a familyof churches, we needed to get all the players around the same table,” says U.S. Conference chair Steve Schroeder.“In my opinion, there is no way to craft a collaborativeeffort unless we all sit together in the same room and talk face to face.”

The first session reviewed the process by which the MBBS Board negotiated the transfer of mission, assets and programs to FPU. The review examined the timeline of events between the collapse of MBBS’s negotiations with Fuller Theological Seminary and the announcement of the seminary transfer to FPU, clarified the MBBS Board’s authority for this transfer and identified details of the financial transaction.

In the second session, participants discussed the new structures and the concerns generated by those not party to the agreement. The identity and mission of the seminary, its evangelical-Anabaptist MB biblical theological perspective and the faculty and curriculum will be protected and preserved through organizational structures that create an “asymmetrical” relationship with the other schools of the university. FPU has created a separate corporation to facilitate donations restricted to seminary student scholarships and faculty salaries. The U.S. MB leadership affirmed the ongoing national mission of the seminary and its distinctive role among U.S. Mennonite Brethren and encouraged continued national support for the seminary.

The group also reviewed concerns expressed by those who felt themselves on the margin of the process, including Tabor College Board members, and resolved outstanding questions of understanding. Tabor College is the Mennonite Brethren-owned liberal arts college headquartered in Hillsboro, Kan.

“We spent time on our knees, humbling ourselves before God and asking for his wisdom and grace,” says Boschman.“We experienced the freedom as a group of leaders, to speak the truth in love.”

Schroeder says, “Each of the leaders is committed to finding ways that we can work together. Beyond that, there was a clear commitment to move forward with future conversations that will culminate in a plan that serves all of ourdistricts well.” Schroeder encourages patience among U.S. Mennonite Brethren, especially those in the Midwest, as plans develop. In time, he says, “MBs will be pleased to learn about some of the innovative and creative ways that FPU and Tabor will partner together in complementing ways to offer seminary training.”

MBBS president Lynn Jost says the meetings strengthened the mission of the seminary. “We are grateful that Fresno Pacific will provide structure for distance education.We are grateful for Tabor College's intent to work in collaboration with the Seminary to fulfill the mission given us by the U.S. MB church.” Jost was charged with facilitating ongoing communication to foster cooperation.

MBF encourages new approach to Christmas

MB Foundation believes that Christmas can still change the world and has partnered with Advent Conspiracy to encourage churches & families to celebrate Christmas by spending less, giving more, worshiping fully and loving all this season.

Jon C. Wiebe, president and CEO of MB Foundation, says, “We want to encourage our conference of churches to consider a new perspective this Christmas. We want to encourage folks to give gifts that really will change the world - like quality time, helping those less fortunate, proclaiming the gospel and looking for ways to be more loving. It’s not just about saving money; it’s about remembering that when we give presence instead of presents, we can reclaim the true meaning of Christmas.”

The Advent Conspiracy is a grassroots movement with more than 1,000 churches in 17 countries participating as co-conspirators—with projects as varied as drilling a water well for those who lack access to clean water or simply encouraging congregations to think of meaningful acts of kindness as meaningful gift options to replace traditional gifts.

MB Foundation is also partnering with MBMS International who will identify specific projects for those individuals or churches who join Advent Conspiracy and wish to make a gift of eternal consequence. MB Foundation is encouraging families and churches to give meaning to money this Christmas by bringing back the true nature of Christmas.

For more information about Advent Conspiracy, please visit: www.adventconspiracy.org or contact MB Foundation at 800-551-1547.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Mennonite Brethren (MB) Church. As part of a special tribute to this distinctive point in history, a team of historians and communicators has created an interactive historical timeline. This dynamic resource illustrates highlights on the MB journey since its humble beginnings on January 6, 1860, in what is now Ukraine.

To view the timeline, complete with extensive historical information and some rare photographs, visit www.celebration2010.org/timeline. 

This project complements several commemorative celebrations and events taking place in 2010 around the world, including Celebration 2010 in Surrey, B.C., July 12–18. Visit www.celebration2010.org to watch the video and find out more.

Assets, charitable gifts broke $100 million mark

MBF press release

The year 2009 marked several significant milestones in the history of MB Foundation (MBF) as two important categories broke the $100 millionmark for the first time ever. Assets ended the year at $109,966,993, up from $94,313,791 in 2008.

“We are humbled by the growth we’ve experienced and recognize that we are only stewards of what others haveentrusted to us,” says Jon C. Wiebe, MBF president and CEO. “We are equally excited to report that our expectancies, gift funds in the pipeline for a variety of charities, endedthe year at $105,739,146. This is a testimony to the generosity of others.”

Helping people with their charitable objectives is at the heart of what MBF does in "Giving Meaning to Money®." Despite the sluggish economy, $1,632,525 in charitable gifts were distributed to other charities, including over 70 percent directly to ministries of the Mennonite Brethren. The economy has caused MBF to concentrate its planned giving efforts on charitable estateplanning, developing a new service called Biblical Estate Design.

Meanwhile, the Certificate investment program continues to be popular in this low-interest rate environment. The number of accounts has increased by 85 percent in the past two years with IRA accounts showing wide acceptance. These Certificate investments help fund the loan portfolio,which continues to grow, up nearly 8.5 percent with current loans outstanding of $63.8 million. Many people have asked about the strength of the loan portfolio. While there are always churches facing significant ministry andfinancial challenges, the delinquency rate at year end was below 2 percent, well-belowindustry norms.

MBF money managers did very well in 2009, which bodes well for endowments and other gift funds. The MBF standard endowment portfolio returned a robust 20.74 percent for the year. Additional 2009 highlights include: Certification as a Best Christian Workplace, a nationwide Stewardship Survey, launch of a new Website  and the introduction of Online Account Access for Certificate and Loan customers.

Mennonite retirement center recognized for aiding educators

Palm Village press release

Palm Village Retirement Community, Reedley, Calif., was a Top Ten Finalist in the 2010 Fresno Compact Awards. Palm Village received recognition for their excellence in aiding area educators at an award luncheon attended by 400 college and public school educators March 3. Palm Village is one of several retirement communities sponsored by Mennonite Brethren churches.

Palm Village was nominated by Reedley College for providing a dedicated classroom and clinical training space for college Nurse Aide coursework. With Palm Village assistance, Reedley College has grown the program to additional cohorts. David Reimer, Palm Village CEO said, “It was a tremendous honor to be selected by the high caliber of professionals associated with the Fresno Compact. Palm Village continues to enjoy having educators and students on oucampus. When educators are present, students and all workers benefit from an atmosphere of learning.”

Jan Dekker, Reedley College Dean of Instruction, said, “We are happy to partner with Palm Village. We see our relationship as a win-win proposition. Palm Village gets the help of students and a look at potential future employees. Reedley College gets a great classroom and quality clinical environment for the students."

In addition to assisting Reedley College, Palm Village provides assistance to Valley Regional Occupational Program, Visalia Adult School, and Fresno State University.

Spring enrollments increase at TC and FPU

From Fresno Pacific University and Tabor College news releases

The two U.S. Mennonite Brethren colleges—Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, Calif., and Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan.—announce good enrollment numbers for the spring semester.

Fresno Pacific University, the Mennonite Brethren university in Fresno, Calif., reports that enrollment for spring semester remains strong. According to February reports, spring enrollment rose for both traditional, undergraduate and graduate programs; projections for degree completion programs predict increases, as well. Official enrollment for the current academic year is 2,649, up 11 percent over the past two years.

FPU points to efforts to open more classes, increase financial aid and more quickly process applications as reasons for the success. Stephen Varvis, vice president for enrollment management, credits the cooperation of faculty and staff at the main campus and centers in North Fresno, Visalia and Bakersfield. “They showed that enrollment is everybody’s business,” he says.

An all-time recordnumber of students are enrolled for a spring semester at Tabor College, the Mennonite Brethren college in Hillsboro, Kan. Total head count for all programs on the Hillsboro and Wichita campuses is 621 students, compared to 590 students last spring. Total full-time equivalency is 561 students, compared to 543 students a year ago. Overall enrollment at the college grew almost 4 percent from the 2009 spring semester to the 2010 spring semester.

“Having record enrollment requires the grace of God, the hard work of many people, and the strategic decisions of those in leadership,” says President Jules Glanzer. The record-setting spring enrollment is bolstered by a concurrent rise in student retention.—

North American MBs to gather in Vancouver to celebrate 150th anniversary

Celebration 2010 news release

When Mennonite Brethren from the United States and Canada gather this summer to celebrate the150th anniversary of the Mennonite Brethren Church, they will hear a global perspective through three international MB speakers.

Mennonite Brethren around the globe began celebrating the anniversary Jan. 6. National celebrations are taking place throughout the year in India, Panama, Brazil, Japan, Paraguay and in Germany, which will host International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) meetings and celebrations.

North America will host Celebration 2010: The 150th Anniversary of the Mennonite Brethren, July12–18, in British Columbia. Celebration 2010 participants will hear three international Mennonite Brethren on Wednesday and Friday evening.

Nzuzi Mukawa is academic dean and professor at the School of Missiology in Kinshasa, DR Congo, and associate pastor of Batela MB Church of Kinshasa. He was born and raised in a Mennonite Brethren family and church in Kinshasa. Mukawa’s passion is to “see the Anabaptist family united, sharing resources to fulfill the great commissionby reaching the unreached of the world.”

John Shankar Raois the director of evangelism and church planting within the India MB Conference. He brings a fresh perspective on mission as he serves the largest mission field in the world. India has 4,000 people groups who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

The thirdinternational speaker, whose name is not being reported here for security reasons, serves Arabic-speaking communities in North America and beyond through radio, television and printed materials. He is well known in North Africa and is committed to a peaceful witness to Muslims.

The registration deadline for Celebration 2010 is June 20 and a discounted registration fee is offered until May 1. Registration forms were printed in the February/March issue of the Christian Leader. More information about the event is available online at www.celebration2010.org.

by Kathy Heinrichs Wiest, MCC News Service and a Meetinghouse report by Paul Schrag

Mennonite Brethren were among the dozens of stakeholders around the world who took part in a major review and discernment effort for Mennonite Central Committee(MCC). Entitled “New Wine/New Wineskins: Reshaping MCC for the 21st Century,” the comprehensive review addressed the organization’s vision and structure and calls for significant changes in how MCC organizes itself.

The 18-month discernment process produced seven foundational statements to guide the work of MCC. The statements were adopted last summer in a final New Wineskins summit and MCC binational (U.S. and Canada) board meetings held at Hillsboro (Kan.) MB Church. By the end of 2009 each of MCC’s regional and national boards had also endorsed the summit results.

U.S. Mennonite Brethren executive director Ed Boschman represented the U.S. Mennonite Brethren churches on the 34-member Inquiry Task Force (ITF) that served as the clearinghouse for the broad input MCC received. “My part on the ITF put me into the mainstream,” Boschman says, “and gave me the opportunity to speak in behalf of our family to press some of the core values we hold dear to be integrated into the ministry.”

Included in the summit results is a new purpose statement for MCC’s work around the world: “MCC endeavors to share God’s love and compassion for all ‘In the Name of Christ’ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice.”

“This is the statement that people should memorize,” says Arli Klassen, executive director of MCC binational. “This is what we believe God has called MCC to do in its history and in the future. Now we have found shared words to express it.”

Boschman says he pushed hard to ensure the inclusion of the phrase “in the name of Christ” as part of the core. From an MB perspective it was a “nonnegotiable.” He was encouraged to see that other participants also felt strongly about the centrality of a Christian witness at the core of MCC’s work.

Klassen notes that this is the first time the words “in the name of Christ,” which have expressed MCC’s Christian witness for decades, are incorporated in the organization’s foundational statements.

Placing priority on MCC’s work of meeting human need was another issue of concern for Boschman. “Need-meeting and relief ministries are the core values that MCC delivers for (the Mennonite Brethren),” he says, because those activities tie in most directly with the church’s call to evangelize. “I recognize that (MCC’s) mandate is not evangelism,” he says, but Mennonite Brethren value the work of MCC that can “directly connect to the redeeming message of Jesus.”

Other voices at the table called for an equal emphasis on peace and justice work, making for what Boschman called “interesting discussions.” In the end, both values were reflected in the document. While Boschman was disappointed that relief work was not given the higher priority, he felt that his concerns were heard and shared by others on the task force.

MCC priorities identified through the New Wine/New Wineskins process are:

• justice and peace-building,
• disaster relief,
• sustainable community development.

The new statements, explains Klassen, both reflect MCC’s historic commitment to relief, development and peace and clearly state that peace cannot be built without addressing injustice.

Boschman was also among the voices calling for a statement of faith under which MCC should function. A global Anabaptist statement of “Shared Convictions” adopted by Mennonite World Conference in 2006 became part of the summit results. “Shared Convictions” lists seven beliefs that unite Anabaptist churches around the world.

Issues addressed include: God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the authority of the Bible, the global community of faith, salvation and peacemaking.

This is the first time MCC has had a statement of faith, Klassen says, noting that it has always drawn theology from the churches to which it is accountable. Many churches, she says, expressed strong affirmation for including these shared Christian faith convictions in MCC’s foundational statements.

Strengthening MCC’s connection to churches was one of the goals of the New Wineskins process. Boschman saw evidence that this had been accomplished and says that, “it resulted in a new culture of ownership for the churches” and a “reconnection with the church conferences.”

Beyond making connections with the North American churches and conference, the New Wineskins process was specifically designed to bring the global church into the conversation. Over 2,000 people from 50 countries met in 60 meetings where leaders listened to people reflect on MCC’s impact and envision MCC’s future.

MCC wants a closer relationship with all of its supporting churches, leaders say.

“The churches feel they don’t have enough say in what MCC is doing,” Klassen says, “That’s churches all over the world, not just North America. We needed to find a way to be more responsive.”

The process was reflective of MCC’s approach in all its work around the world. MCC does its work in partnership with churches and other partner agencies and builds bridges to connect people and ideas across cultural, political and economic divides. “We don’t do our work just by giving out financial grants—we work at building relationships,” Klassen says.

Ron Flaming, MCC’s director of international programs, says: “The conversations have led us to a clearer sense of the church being front and center. We want to be a part of the worldwide community. What form that will take is still a question.”

While the form is yet to be decided, the process is clearly leading to major changes in the structure that undergirds MCC’s work globally. The plan calls for ending MCC binational, the part of MCC that administers a $36.76 million budget for ministries in 65 countries. International programs would be transferred to MCC U.S., MCC Canada and Anabaptist service agencies in other countries as they develop.

Replacing MCC binational would be a new central office that would lead the entire system of MCC organizations, which currently include the U.S. and Canadian national MCCs, plus four U.S. regions and five Canadian provinces.
Klassen estimates a new central office, probably not in the United States, could be established in three to five years. Currently MCC binational is in Akron, Pa., where MCC U.S. is also based.

The MCC system-wide endorsement of the foundational statements is encouragement for the next step in the process—consensus on the revised structure, Klassen adds. Structural recommendations are expected to be endorsed in 2011 and fully implemented in 2012.

“There were points of despair or frustration in this re-visioning process, but there also was always a sense of commitment to listen to God through the voices of the faith community. I believe the Holy Spirit has been at work, leading MCC,” Klassen says.

By Connie Faber

Read letter about this transfer written by D. Merrill Ewert, president of Fresno Pacific University, and published in the CL. 

After an almost 15-month search for a ministry partner, MB Biblical Seminary (MBBS) is in the process of transferring the seminary’s Fresno programs to Fresno Pacific University (FPU). FPU is the Mennonite Brethren university owned by the Pacific District Conference and located in Fresno,Calif., on a campus adjacent to MBBS-Fresno. Approved by the seminary and university boards and announced Feb. 5, the transfer is to be completed by June1.

“We really believe we are better together,” says FPU President D. Merrill Ewert, adding that the ministry of both institutions will be empowered by the integration. “In some ways we're going back to the future. The seminary and university have always shared a mission of academic excellence and service to the church. We operated a national pastoral training program under one corporate structure from 1955 to 1966, and just as there were advantages to separation then, there are advantages to unification now,” he says.

Both the U.S. Conference Leadership Board and the Canadian Conference Executive Board approved the transfer during late January board meetings.

“The ministry, the core reason for being, is alive and well in the lives of our national leadership team and staff,” says Ed Boschman, U.S. Conference (USC) executive director. “We’re enthusiastic about the next chapter and working together with key stakeholders.”

Distance graduate theological education—including online classes and teleconferences—will expand into a major outreach. Seminary classes will be offered at FPU centers in North Fresno, Visalia and Bakersfield, in addition to the main campus.

“We are doing a good job of serving the MB churches within 50 miles of MBBS, where about 25 percent of our students come from,” says Lynn Jost, MBBS president. “We are having increasing difficulty serving Midwest and Canadian students in Fresno. These students prefer programs closer to them or online.

“Until now MBBS has lacked the infrastructure to mount an aggressive distance education program,”says Jost. “FPU will help us with that.”

The general consensus of those involved is that this new approach, with its emphasis on distance learning, will better carry out the mission of preparing leaders for North American MB churches, the MB church worldwide and the evangelical community in California’s Central Valley. To better reflect this intention, MBBS-Fresno expects to eventually adopt a new name.

Ten current MBBS faculty and staff members, including Jost who will continue to oversee the seminary’s work as part of the FPU administration, will move with the seminary to FPU. Jost says the presence of these individuals will help the seminary retain a “distinct identity within FPU.”

Jost says, “This program transfer will continue MBBS’s tradition of biblical theology with an evangelical Anabaptist perspective. I am pleased weare creating a very strong program that will serve both new and historical constituencies across the U.S.”

The university is forming an Advisory Council to promote the mission of the seminary. Former MBBS President Larry Martens will chair the council. Talks with the Association of Theological Schools are underway to ensure that the seminary’s programs remain accredited and that students will be able to complete their degrees.

FPU has purchased the seminary’s four-acre residential seminary campus at the corner of Butler and Chestnut, and it will become part of the neighboring 42-acre FPU main campus. Financial assets of the Fresno campus will be divided between the U.S. and Canada. The U.S.-based endowment assets of $2.4 million will support faculty chairs and student scholarships.

“FPU is committed to serving the MB church with the seminary’s endowments and the Fresno campus,” says Jost.
The program transfer reduces the cost of running a graduate theological institution, says Jost. “We are reducing costs by maximizing administration structures already in place at FPU and bringing over a strong reserve and endowment to apply to our mission.”

The “most painful part” of the transfer, says Jost, is that eight MBBS-Fresno staff positions in accounting, student aid, recruiting and maintenance have been eliminated. “This is a pastoral concern for the board,”says Jost. “All these people have served us well, with character and dedication—three have served the seminary for 15 years or more. When they heard the news, they were extremely gracious.”

Change has marked the development of MBBS over the past 55 years, as illustrated on the timeline below.  Declining enrollment and changes in the national landscape prompted this current transition. The Association of Theological Schools, of which MBBS is a member, reports that the average member school spends 60 to 70 percent of its budget on institutional support and only 30 to 40 percent on educational programs. Jost says these statistics fit MBBS.

This model is not sustainable, and “seminaries are going to have to rethink their economic model and focus on strategies that have greater sustainability,” Daniel Aleshire, ATS executive director, says in a February article in Christian Century. One solution, says ATS, is for small, denominational seminaries to join with universities and regional giants.

During 2009, MBBS actively pursued a partnership with Fuller Theological Seminary (FTS), an evangelical, multidenominational seminary located in Pasadena, Calif. When this possibility did not materialize, MBBS formed two task forces late last year—one to focus on Canadian concerns and the other on new U.S. partnerships.

The U.S. task force resumed earlier conversations with FPU and Tabor College, the denominational school owned by the Southern, Central, North Carolina and Latin America District Conferences and located in Hillsboro, Kan. These discussions led the seminary to conclude that FPU was the “logical and practical choice for more efficient administration and shared distance education technology,” says Jost.

While FPU had previously been hesitant to accept the seminary program,“they knew the denomination needed this, and they’re keen to serve the national MB church,” says Jost.

MBBS board chair Jack Falk says MB students in both the U.S. and Canada will benefit from this new U.S. arrangement. “Moving the Fresno campus of our seminary to (FPU) will go along way in protecting our mission and will add a significant dimension to the region. I look forward to future collaboration between FPU, Canada and the Midwest U.S. in the delivery of distance education,” says Falk.

While the details of exactly how this North American collaboration will play out are unclear, those involved say they are committed to working together. Initially, cooperating across national lines will be aided by the ongoing presence of MBBS, Inc., the corporate structure of the seminary.

For the time being, MBBS, Inc. will have representation on the FPU Board of Trustees and will continue to coordinate the Canadian programs. It will be “business as usual” on the Abbotsford, B.C., and Winnipeg, Man., seminary campuses, although MBBS-Canada will continue to look at delivery and program needs as well as issues growing out of the change in Fresno.

Cooperation among U.S. partners to provide a national seminary program is a priority. “We are committed to using the MBBS assets for the U.S. Mennonite Brethren church,” says Jost. “The USC Leadership Board, the MBBS Board and the FPU Board have all committed to work with other institutions, especially with Tabor College, to deliver a single program to U.S. MB churches.”

Steve Schroeder, chair of the USMB Conference Leadership Board, is enthusiastic about this new approach. “I am delighted the seminary is joining forces with FPU and open to working closely with Tabor College to develop a national pastoral training program,” he says. “I fully anticipate that this kind of partnership will better serve the entire U.S. MB family of churches.”

Boschman agrees, adding that flexibility and collaboration is important.“My dream is that we will work from the Fresno-based campus…and strategically partner with Tabor College to deliver the renovated pastoral training that we anticipate,” he says. Boschman describes a decentralized, hybrid approach that provides both formal and informal training, one that “effectively hooks to our national vision of transformation.”

MBBS Timeline

For 55 years, MB Biblical Seminary has served Mennonite Brethren from Canada, the United States and around the world. It offers training in pastoral leadership, preaching, Bible, missions and church planting and a degree in marriage, family and child counseling. In the last decade, MBBS has offered classes in three locations—on the main campus in Fresno, Calif.,and in Abbotsford, BC and Winnipeg, Man.

The shift among Mennonite Brethren churches in the 1930sand 40s from unpaid lay ministers to professional clergy precipitated the need for denominational pastoral training. In the words of former MBBS President J.B. Toews, “the seminary was born… because of the vision of the church for trained leadership that could lead wisely, theologically, and above all, biblically in a society that was rushing madly after the gods of learning and mammon.”

In February 2010, MBBS announced that the Fresno campus—along with its assets and programs—would be transferred back to Fresno Pacific University. The following timeline of significant events in MBBS history celebrates more than half a century of theological training.

1955 – U.S. Board of Education establishes a U.S. Conference seminary in Fresno, Calif. MBBS opens in September with six faculty members,merging staff from Tabor College and Pacific Bible Institute (PBI). B. J. Braun serves as the first president, and the curriculum has a theologically dispensational bent.

1958 – A 53-acre cotton field at the corner of Butler and Chestnut avenues is gifted to the seminary and PBI (now Fresno Pacific University) to build their campuses. A vintage 1916 mansion on the site becomes the seminary’s administrative offices.

1960s – Under the leadership of J.B. Toews, MBBS establishes itself as an Anabaptist learning center, emphasizing biblical theology and practical congregational ministry.

1966 – MBBS gains its own charter, separating corporately from FPU.

1975 – During H. H. Dick’s tenure as president, the Canadian MB Conference becomes a partner and joint owner of the seminary, as the larger North American General Conference assumes responsibility for MBBS. By this time, the seminary boasts of international reach, with several students coming from India and Europe.

1980 – A library addition is completed. John E. Toews, the seminary’s longest-serving dean, urges faculty to publish.

1982 – A classroom addition is completed.

1985 – The Center for Training in Mission and Evangelism is established, training a strong North American missionary force.

1990 – The MB student loan fund begins.

1999 – MBBS-BC becomes part of the Associated Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS) consortium located at Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C., under President Henry Schmidt’s leadership.

1999 – Divestiture of the North American General Conference takes place. Canadian and U.S. Conferences assume joint ownership of MBBS.

2001 – MBBS-Winnipeg begins cooperation with Canadian Mennonite University and the Winnipeg Centre for Ministry Studies.

2009 – MBBS-Fresno explores partnership opportunities with several higher education institutions.

2010 – Under the leadership of President Lynn Jost, MBBS-Fresno separates organizationally from MBBS-BC and MBBS-Winnipeg and is transferred back to Fresno Pacific University. Along with classes offered on the FPU campus, plans are made to expand distance education, including online classes and teleconferences. The three MB seminary sites discuss how to continue working fraternally together.

MCC’s material aid gradually arriving in Port-au-Prince, despite challenges

By Linda Espenshade, Feb. 16 for MCC News Service

Mennonite Central Committee continues to ship relief supplies to Haiti despite obstacles that slow delivery.

The Port-au-Prince port is still only operating at about 10 percent of the capacity it had before the earthquake, says Darrin Yoder, material resources manager. Alternate ports are available, but delivery is hindered because of distance or because the ports are not equipped with cranes to facilitate easy unloading.

Airlifts are prohibitively expensive, says Daryl Yoder-Bontrager, area director for Latin America and the Caribbean, so they are used sparingly. When MCC did use an airlift Jan. 24 to bring 70,000 pounds (31.74 kilos) of canned meat into Port-au-Prince, the shipment had to be rerouted to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, reportedly because of airport traffic.

The meat, which is canned by MCC volunteers, was transferred to trucks that were escorted to Haiti by United Nations (U.N.) personnel. Once the trucks reached the U.N. World Food Program warehouse in Port-au-Prince Jan. 29, more delays were encountered as trucks from many organizations waited, sometimes for days, to unload supplies.

The MCC Haiti staff was able to start collecting the meat  Feb. 3. From the shipment, Assemblée de la Grace, a Mennonite church on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, distributed more than 1,000 cans of meat to church and community members, many of whose houses were destroyed in the earthquake.

Meanwhile, two more shipments of meat, each about 35,000 pounds (15.87 kilos) are scheduled to arrive at the port of St. Marc, Haiti, Feb. 18 or 19. Trucks will transport the shipments three hours south to Port-au-Prince.

Twenty medical boxes, designed to supply 800 adults and children for two to three months, currently are being distributed in Haiti. Yoder says the Haiti Response Coalition, a new MCC partner in Port-au-Prince, was grateful for the supplies that “were exactly what was needed for the mobile clinics currently serving several camps of internally displaced people.” In addition, at least 5,000 first aid kits, purchased by MCC, will be distributed to families.

As of Feb. 12,  contributors have given an estimated $8.3 million, the majority of which will be used for rebuilding once the initial crisis has passed. An MCC assessment team is scheduled to convene in Haiti on Feb. 22 to evaluate the situation and make recommendations for ongoing work.

MCC Haiti alumna to lead disaster recovery efforts

By Linda Espenshade, Feb. 15 for MCC News Service

“There are lots of opinions to be heard, inside and outside of Haiti, as we work at the wisest and best response to the earthquake,” says Daryl Yoder-Bontrager, area director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Sue will be able to help pull those opinions together and lead the MCC Haiti team as it continues to formulate and carry out a strong MCC recovery program.”

As a doctor, Brown has worked in Haiti with MCC, starting in 1974-1978 as director of Hospital Grand Riviere du Nord. In 1986-1988 she was a physician at Hospital Mombin Crochu. The experience has given her “a familiarity with the rhythm of the culture,” she says.

“I look forward to figuring out how MCC’s partners, the Haitian government and nongovernmental organizations can work together,” Brown says.

The staff at Fonkoze, Mennonite Economic Development Associate's (MEDA) long-term partner and Haiti's largest microfinance institution, are committed to getting up and running again so they can help their clients - through access to emergency savings now and loans to rebuild their businesses in the very near future.

MEDA has received more than $30,000 for Haiti and welcome additional contributions.

US Conference press release

Pastors and spouses who are new to the U.S. Mennonite Brethren will gather April 19-21 in Phoenix, Ariz., for the annual National Pastors’ Orientation (NPO). Those who have not been able to attend in previous years are encouraged to attend as well.

By Myra Holmes

Overall, Wall describes the convention as a positive, unifying time. “There are so many good things happening in the district,” he says.

Home Missions Dinner focuses on Utah

■ “Church planting in Utah is necessary because of the lack of impact the evangelical church has made so far.”

■ “The deceit by the Mormon Church has gone unchecked for far too long.”

■ “We are not the ones who started this ‘war for the gospel.’ (Mormons) declared war on biblical Christianity the day Joseph Smith spoke of his ‘vision’ from God and declared that all the Christian churches were wrong.”

■ “Church planting in Utah is necessary in order to spread God’s fame where it has been ripped off and degraded.”

By Myra Holmes

Harvest—both literal and figurative—was the unofficial theme of the Central District Conference (CDC) convention, held Nov. 5-8 in Yale, SD, and hosted by Bethel MB Church. A late harvest season in many rural CDC communities affected attendance, but those who came were inspired to continue working for a spiritual harvest. The CDC is comprised of 24 congregations in Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska and North and South Dakota

The CDC will hold its 100th convention in 2010. Timing and location have yet to be determined.

First-time delegate reflects:  Finding longer arms for Christ

MB Biblical Seminary and International Community of Mennonite Brethren press releases

ICOMB’s Pentecost devotional will feature meditations by Mennonite Brethren from most of ICOMB’s 18 member conferences, including both men and women, young and old. “The intent, in addition to edifying believers and enhancing our unity, will allow voices of a broad cross section of the church to be heard,” says Victor Wall, executive secretary of ICOMB. Harold Ens, former director of MBMS International, serves as editor. The ICOMB devotional will also be available online; see www.icomb.org for more information.

MB Foundation press release

With a renewed vision for championing biblical stewardship, MB Foundation is launching a new monthly devotional designed to challenge and encourage folks to explore what the Bible has to say around money. MBF is the financial and stewardship ministry serving the U.S. Conference.

The devotional is available in electronic form and individuals may sign up by visiting www.mbfoundation.com or emailing info@mbfoundation.com and requesting the Giving Meaning to Money® Devotional. The first issue is available in early February.

By Linda Espenshade, Jan. 28, 2010

When the structural engineers working with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Haiti evaluate the soundness of earthquake-damaged buildings, their classification is very practical: Is it safe to use? Can it be used with restrictions? Should it be abandoned?

“What we’re doing now is emergency work,” says Johann Zimmermann, a licensed structural engineer from Harrisonburg, Va., who is leading MCC’s team. “People have to get off the street. People have to get back in the buildings.”

“We’ve met some people who are very capable,” Zimmermann says. With a little instruction, they would be able to make the repairs. Prior to this earthquake, builders didn’t realize they needed to make a building earthquake resistant, nor did they have the training to do so, he says.

Zimmermann, who attends Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, is touched by the openness and kindness of Haitians who are anxious with every tremor and fear entering any building that has not been evaluated. “We really like the people-to-people part of it," he says. "With going fast from place to place, we still want to get in and sit a couple minutes with the people who are there, get to know the little children… not just look at concrete and steel.”

MCC’s office was the first beneficiary of the engineers’ work, when Zimmermann and two other team members arrived Jan. 23. The engineers determined that the office was safe but in need of repair, and a nearby medical clinic/classroom building will be usable once two columns on the first floor are strengthened.

The church was damaged beyond repair, Zimmermann says, but people were most concerned about the safety of a swaying water tower set on 20-feet concrete columns. After the engineers determined that the columns could be repaired, they explained to a builder how to do that.

Photo: Volunteer engineers Johann Zimmermann (left), Peter Pereverzoff and Marcus Schiere (right) begin their work in Haiti by inspecting the MCC office's structural integrity. The office is in Port-au-Prince. (MCC photo by Ben Depp)

By Linda Espenshade for MCC

Jan. 22, 2010

Three structural engineers will be traveling to Haiti January 23 on behalf of

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). They will spend from one to four weeks in the country, examining houses and other buildings to determine if they are in danger of collapse or if they are safe for occupation. Currently many Haitians are sleeping on the streets or in open areas because they don’t feel safe in their homes.

“People are scared to go back in their buildings without someone looking at them to be sure they are sound,” says Ron Flaming, director of international programs for MCC.

Leading the engineering team for MCC is Johann Zimmermann, a licensed structural engineer from Harrisonburg, Va., who served with MCC in Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Nicaragua. He attends Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg. He will be joined by Peter Pereverzoff of Rochester, N.Y., and Marcus Schiere, from the Netherlands. Zimmermann, who is self employed and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, says he was motivated to go to Haiti as he thought about the safety of the people. From his personal experience of living through an earthquake in Central America, he understands the uncertainty that survivors feel.

“You’re afraid. Am I safe or not?” says Zimmermann, explaining the uncertainty. “It’s really anxiety producing. If you have children, you are worried about them more than you are about yourself.”

The engineers’ task involves a significant element of judgment and probability, Zimmermann says. They will look at the way cracks in houses were formed to determine if they are only aesthetic or if the house is in danger of falling down.

In anticipation of sending a second crew of structural engineers, MCC is inviting people who would be willing to volunteer for two to four weeks to send an e-mail to Jan Siemens in human resources.

In addition to engineers, MCC is recruiting a disaster coordinator to lead MCC’s earthquake relief and rebuilding efforts over the next three to five years in Haiti. For a complete job description and contact information, visit mcc.org/work/positions/haiti-disaster-coordinator

Photo: Structural engineers sent by Mennonite Central Committee will evaluate houses in Haiti that were affected by the earthquake to determine if they are safe to re-enter. (MCC photo by Ben Depp)