by Connie Faber

Weekend storm system hit the Oklahoma City area hard and Mennonite Disaster Service and local USMB congregations prepare to respond.

No members of Memorial Road MB Church (MRMBC), the USMB congregation in Edmond, Okla., were injured or lost their homes due to the series of tornados that struck the Oklahoma City metropolitan area Sunday and Monday, May 19 and 20. But that doesn’t mean the devastation hasn’t impacted this congregation of 160.

“We don’t know of anyone from MRMBC involved,” says pastor Jeremy Jordan in an email to the Christian Leader. “However I think everybody within the church knows someone who was. The stories are only beginning. The destruction is absolutely mind numbing.”

The weekend storm system spawned 26 tornadoes in Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois. At least four separate twisters touched down in Central Oklahoma late Sunday afternoon, including one in Edmond, a northeast suburb of Oklahoma City, and another near the town of Shawnee, 35 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, that killed two people. Governor Mary Fallin declared an emergency for 16 Oklahoma counties that suffered severe storms and flooding during the weekend.

Then came the massive tornado Monday afternoon that struck the southern part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, killing at least 24 people, including nine children. According to the National Weather Service, the Moore tornado was an EF5 and traveled a 17-mile path that included two elementary schools.

While the National Weather Service estimates the tornado was at least a half-mile wide, other news reports estimated the width to be up to two miles at one point as the twister moved through Moore, a community of 41,000 people about 10 miles south of Oklahoma City. This is the fourth tornado to hit Moore since 1998.

Two members of the Edmond congregation who work with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS)—Jay Blough, MDS Oklahoma Unit chair, and Bill Mast, former chair—toured the Shawnee area Tuesday along with Jeff Koller, MDS disaster response coordinator.

“They have said it will be some time before they can even get into Moore to assess needs there,” said Jordan Tuesday afternoon. “Currently we are not actively involved with any clean up. Officials are still restricting access to first responders as they continue to search for missing people.”

Jordan says members of his congregation plan to work with MDS to do initial cleanup and rebuilding

“Our real work will begin in the days and weeks ahead,” says Jordan. “Once MDS has made plans, we will coordinate with them for future work opportunities.”

Jordan says the congregation is accepting donations, including non-perishable food, water, and toiletries. MRMBC is also accepting monetary donations and Jordan says the funds will be given directly to the relief efforts.

One of the congregations that has already begun collecting relief supplies is First MB Church (FMBC) in Wichita, Kan. According to an email announcement, the Kansas congregation is partnering with area churches to “maximize the response from the Wichita faith community” and is sending a FMBC representative with a team delivering donated supplies to Moore today, May 22. FMBC has also been in touch with MDS about sending volunteers to the Oklahoma City area. The church is posting updates on its website.

Jordan invites the USMB family to pray for the Memorial Road congregation and the community.

“One thing that is always welcome is prayer,” says Jordan. “Pray for those actively involved in search and rescue. Pray that God will guide their work, sustain their energy, and guard their hearts as they see, touch, and experience devastation in a way that will leave a lasting impression. Pray for the families experiencing loss of life, homes and hope. Pray that our God of hope could be made real to them in the midst of this tragedy.”

Jordan also requests prayer for the Oklahoma City congregations and believers. “Pray that they will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and meet not only the physical needs of those impacted, but the spiritual as well,” he says.

“All of us will experience tragedy at some point, all of us have different "storms" in our lives,” says Jordan, “but as believers in Jesus we can have hope. I love how Paul describes the life of a believer, ‘sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything’ (2 Cor. 6:10).”

Mennonite Disaster Service is regularly posting updates on ways to serve in the Oklahoma City area. MDS enjoys a long-standing partnership with the Oklahoma Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) and anticipates working with partner agencies within the VOAD to respond to this disaster as needed. Mennonite World Review has posted an online story about the MDS response. MDS is accepting funds for the cleanup and recovery efforts of the Oklahoma tornadoes.

By Connie Faber

Mission USA and the Pacific District Conference are partnering with an existing congregation in Las Vegas to minister to the city’s Filipino community.

With the announcement in April that Mission USA and the Pacific District Conference (PDC) will be partnering with an existing church in Las Vegas, Nev., to re-launch that congregation, the PDC has grown to include a sixth western state and Mission USA is involved with the third of hopefully six new church plants in 2013.

Currently known as Grace of Jesus Church, the Las Vegas congregation of 40-plus members has a significant Filipino-American makeup and is led by Pastor Andy Basilio (pictured left) and Associate Pastor Aris Tolentino (pictured right). As the English-speaking congregation re-launches its ministry in Clark County, they will be changing their name, securing a more accessible meeting place and identifying new ministry opportunities.

“In a place like Las Vegas, I think the love of Jesus radiating through these believers has the potential for making a significant kingdom impact in that city,” says PDC minister Gary Wall. “This will not be a project with glitz and glamour to match the Las Vegas scene. This will be a community of faith and love that makes increasing inroads into meeting the needs and healing the hurts of folks in Las Vegas through the transforming power of Jesus.”

Of the 1.97 million people living in Clark County, Nev., a target group for this congregation is the 86,000 of the state’s 98,000 Filipinos who initially came to the area because of the many service-industry jobs. Nevada’s Filipino population doubled from 2000 to 2010, making it the fastest growing population of Filipinos in the nation. And the prolific growth of Clark County’s Filipino population over the past two decades meant that 2012 election ballots were available in Tagalog, the archipelago’s main language, as well as Spanish and English.

While the state’s Filipino population is currently involved in every industry in Nevada, many continue to be employed in hospitality and hospital and health care professions. So the current downturn in the Las Vegas economy means that many Filipinos are out of work.

Lack of employment has created significant needs in the Filipino community and Grace of Jesus leaders hope that re-launching their ministries and working to provide for people’s needs will help them connect with people in new ways.

“Providing basic needs can go a long way in Filipino communities,” says Don Morris, Mission USA director. “Outreach (that) provides help with basic needs, help with addictions, etc., are all tangible ways of connecting with the Filipinos in Vegas.”

While their years in Las Vegas has Americanized many Filipinos and limited their interest in spiritual things, they are caring people that welcome kindness when shown to them, Grace of Jesus leaders have told Morris.

“There are evangelical churches in Las Vegas,” says Morris, “but I don’t think there is much being offered to the extensive Filipino community. We envision not only helping this church with a re-launch but to see this turn into a multiplication of churches.”

Both Morris and Wall speak highly of the men and women giving leadership to the Grace of Jesus congregation and have great confidence in the pastoral team.

“These are some of the most genuinely warm and loving people I have ever met,” says Wall. “Pastor Andy is a wonderful, compassionate, bright, gifted Bible teacher and pastor. He brings a wealth of wisdom and ministry experience to his leadership assignment.”

Basilio and his wife moved to Las Vegas from San Diego, Calif., because they felt God calling them to plant a church there. They planted Grace of Jesus without a core group or financial support.

“The growth has been slow,” says Morris, “but the congregation has developed into a solid body of believers with a strong vision for outreach, evangelism and community impact.”

Morris describes the current team of leaders as good thinkers with a balance of leadership gifts. “They all have a strong commitment to the life of the church,” says Morris. “The congregation and leaders are very kind, gentle and humble people who are a joy to be around. I felt a connection with them almost immediately.”

Pastor Basilio’s son pastors a Filipino congregation in Bakersfield, Calif., and it was Leif Basilio who brought his father’s congregation to Wall’s attention. Wall made an initial visit to the Las Vegas congregation and then arranged for Morris to also meet with Basilio and the congregation.

“For more than six months, we have processed what it might look like for this congregation to become Mennonite Brethren,” says Wall. “The church is an independent, non-denominational fellowship. They see the need for and value of a broader fellowship for encouragement and support.”

Morris says the decision to affiliate with the Mennonite Brethren Church has been a slow process because both the Las Vegas congregation and USMB leaders wanted to make sure that it was a good fit for all concerned.
“They did a lot of investigating of us before engaging us in a dialogue about membership,” says Morris. “Our confession of faith was affirmed and embraced as they explored our theological identity.”

Wall says, “The PDC Board of Home Missions went through a thorough and careful process of discernment. We believe with all our hearts that the Lord has opened this door for us and the congregation.”

As Wall and Morris look back on the events that brought Grace of Jesus Church into a partnership with USMB, they see God at work. For the past seven years, Wall and Morris had felt drawn to Las Vegas and prayed together about what God was leading U.S. Mennonite Brethren to do in Las Vegas, an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping and fine dining.

“We weren’t even sure we understood why Las Vegas kept coming up but now I think we know,” says Morris in an email interview. “God was waiting for the right opportunity for us to engage in this very needy city.”

As Wall and Morris begin working more closely with the Las Vegas congregation, they request prayer.

“This partnership, like all of our church planting endeavors, must be covered in prayer,” says Wall. “I sense that need for prayer even more profoundly since this is Las Vegas with its unique reputation.”

Tabor College news story

Richard Kyle gave the commencement address Saturday, May 18, when the largest graduating class in Tabor College history received their diplomas.

The largest graduating class in Tabor College history processed May 18 through Joel H. Wiens Stadium, the site of Tabor College commencement ceremonies. In all, 127 Bachelors of Arts, 11 Master of Business Administration, 13 Bachelor of Science, 42 Bachelor of Science in Nursing and one Associate of Arts degrees were presented to the 103rd graduating class.

Richard Kyle, long time history and religion professor who is retiring after 41 years in the Tabor College classroom, gave the commencement address, “It’s the beginning, not the end.” A prolific author and scholar, Kyle is a favorite with students. He shared, in typical “Doc” Kyle style, wit and wisdom for the graduating class.

“In a few minutes you will be college graduates and whether you realize it or not you will have had a leg up on such famous college dropouts as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison,” said Kyle. “You will have an advantage over many people in the work force, so take advantage of it. Yes, the tassel will be worth the hassle.”

Kyle said, “Tabor College's mission is to prepare people for a life of learning, work and service for Christ and his kingdom. Commence means to begin, not to end. Thus this commencement marks the beginning of many aspects of your life. And given Tabor's mission statement I want to point out three areas that hopefully you have been introduced to during your years at Tabor College.”

Kyle went on to elaborate on three foundations that Tabor College has provided its students: Keep on learning. Keep growing spiritually. Keep thinking globally. He closed with the words of Arie Pencovici: “Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate. Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you'll make a difference.”

Students involved in the ceremony represented both the Hillsboro and Wichita campuses. Anna Reid, representing the school of adult and graduate studies, gave the invocation. Senior Michael Klaassen, representing Tabor College Hillsboro, and Leilani Schenkel, representing Tabor College Wichita, reflected on their experiences and challenged their fellow graduates. Tynan Honn, president of the Tabor College Hillsboro senior class, gave the graduating class response.

President Jules Glanzer presented the Professor Fran Jabara Leadership Award to Becky Steketee and Michael Klaassen for their leadership abilities. Glanzer also presented the graduating class with their diplomas and the Tabor College Alumni Association, represented by Allen Hiebert, member of the class of 1963, and Marlene Fast, Tabor College alumni director, presented each graduate with a Bible.

PHOTO 1: President Jules Glanzer, right, welcomes Professor Richard Kyle to the podium for the commencement address. 

PHOTO 2: Tabor College faculty applaud the graduates as they recess to the plaza to greet family and friends.

Photos by Tabor College

FPU media release

The 2013 commencement ceremonies at Fresno Pacific University was a record-setting event for the Mennonite Brethren-owned institution.

University commencements usually take a backseat to athletics when it comes to statistics, but several records were set at the Fresno Pacific University ceremonies May 4:

• 7,000 family, friends and loved ones in the audience at the two ceremonies
• 7,500 bottles of water distributed by FPU staff
• 5,000 complimentary paper fans waving in California’s Central Valley sun

And, most important:

• 555 new alumni—235 from bachelor’s degree completion programs, 189 traditional undergraduates and 131 graduate students, including 20 from Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary.

Ceremonies took place on the University Green at the main Fresno campus, beginning at 10:00 a.m. for traditional undergraduate, graduate and seminary students and at 6:00 p.m. for degree completion students.

In his welcome, President Pete C. Menjares summed up several accomplishments of the 2012-2013 academic year, including the opening of a Fitness Center, a successful visit from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (FPU’s accrediting body) and progress toward complete membership in the NCAA Division II.

Provost Stephen Varvis gave the commencement addresses. Varvis, an FPU professor, dean and administrator for 28 years, asked students to examine the “hidden curriculum:” the virtues that underpin all the facts and figures students learn and all the tests and projects they undertake, the characteristics that define a Fresno Pacific education.

Varvis spoke of truthfulness, imitation and care.

Truthfulness is defined as “working with each other and living in truthfulness” and spoken of as “academic integrity”; either way it’s more than a euphemism for not cheating.

“Truth must be shown in truthful action; it is most clearly seen when we live in the truth,” Varvis said. “The truth exists in God. And Jesus, we believe, is the way, the truth and the life. This is our beginning—we see no contradiction between the truth we seek in the laboratory, the library and the classroom and the truth we seek in Scripture, in worship and in following Jesus.”

Imitation is a way of learning how to be as well as what to know. The world believes that learning is about facts and skills. “All you have to do is get the right information, practice the skills to manipulate that information and you will have what you need,” Varvis said. “How simple it would be if that were the case.”

Varvis quoted Paul’s letter to the Philippians, part of the commencement Scripture passage: “‘What you received and saw in me…do,’” he said. “Your professors and others have let you in on their lives and professions. They have modeled the life of Christ-followers who are also scholars and scholarly practitioners of the professions you will enter.”

The final virtue is caring or love. FPU faculty care for their students. “Graduates, you know this about your professors. They have shown it to you consistently—in the attentiveness they bring to your questions, in their creativity, in their preparation for class, in their responses to your work, in their availability when you need their time,” Varvis said.

Graduates succeed by embodying these virtues, and passing them on. “Someday you will find yourself saying something familiar and you won’t be able to place it. Or you will pursue a problem or question all the way to the bottom until you are sure you have as much of the truth as you can acquire. Or you will respond to a colleague, a student or a customer with care and love for their needs and hurts. You will say, ‘I remember…you fill in the name...said or did that,’ and you will be reminded of the hidden curriculum of truthfulness, imitation and care and love that is now a part of who you are,” Varvis said.

Awards went to students, faculty and local agencies. The Nickel Excellence in Teaching Award was given to Quentin Kinnison, assistant professor of Christian ministry and leadership. Michaelynne Whitsitt (Fresno), B.A. graduate in history, received the Harold Haak Award for contributions to the university, community and church, and the Academic Award for highest grade point average. The Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary Community Service Award went to The Salvation Army Fresno Adult Rehabilitation Center.

Photo caption: President Pete C. Menjares (left), and Provost Stephen Varvis lead faculty and graduates to greet friends and family after the morning commencement service May 4 at Fresno Pacific University (FPU photo).

By Myra Holmes

Two USMB benefit events this spring net about $17,000 toward the USMB goal of planting six new churches in 2013.

Two benefit events this spring raised awareness for USMB activities and netted about $17,000 for church planting. Plant 2013 Midwest was held April 20 at First MB Church, Wichita, Kan. Plant 2013 Pacific was held Feb. 23 at Dinuba (Calif.) MB Church.

Both events featured a dinner and silent and live auctions. The Pacific event raised $7,000 for church planting; the Midwest event raised about $10,000.

Proceeds from both will go toward church planting projects through Mission USA, the USMB church planting and renewal arm. USMB’s vision is for Mission USA to have an integral part in planting plant six new churches each year for 10 years.

“Church planting is the most effective means we have available for reaching those who don’t know Jesus yet,” says Don Morris, Mission USA director. He points to Lifeway Research statistics that show that new churches are at least five times more effective at reaching the lost than are existing churches.

Morris says, “We are making some progress toward church plants in 2013.” He lists three so far: Greenhouse Church, Utah County, Utah, will begin in July with church planters Jason and Nicole Quiring and Scott and Heidi Goosen; this is a partnership of Mission USA, Pacific District Conference (PDC) and Henderson (Neb.) MB Church. Iglesia Biblica de la Gracia, Mission, Texas, officially began Jan. 1 with the support of Mission (Texas) MB Church, Latin American MB Conference (LAMB), Mission USA and Grace Bible Church, Gettysburg, SD. And in Las Vegas, Nev., an existing congregation will be re-launched with a new name through a partnership of Mission USA and PDC. Morris says other projects are in the works as well.

In 2012, Mission USA partnered with district conferences and/or local congregations to plant new churches in Portland, Ore.; McAllen, Texas; Glendale, Ariz.; Fresno, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; and Spokane, Wash.

At the Plant 2013 events, USMB staff shared stories of people whose lives have been transformed as they’ve met Christ through USMB congregations. Video testimonies were provided by people like Kimberly, who found a life of hope through the ministry of South Mountain Community Church, Draper, Utah.

Attendance at both events was lower than anticipated. About 120 people attended Plant 2013 Pacific, and about 110 attended the Wichita event. Epp says that the timing of the April event in Wichita was likely a problem, since many other local events were scheduled that same weekend. He says USMB leaders will evaluate and consider different timing for future events. He adds that getting the word out was a challenge, and he expects that having two enjoyable and successful inaugural events will help spread the word for future events.

“This is an event that will grow,” he says.

About 45 items were sold in the silent and live auction in Dinuba and about 65 items were sold in Wichita. Attendees bid on week-long stays at vacation homes in Lincoln City, Ore., and in Cabo San Lucas. Other items included a wheel from Mark Martin’s Daytona 500 car; a National Football League football signed by New York Giants quarterback David Carr; a pair of cleats signed by Carr and his brother, Derek, who is a quarterback on the Fresno (Calif.) State Bulldog football team; and a Wichita (Kan.) State University basketball signed by the final-four Shockers team and coach Gregg Marshall. Also popular were a number of hand-made items, quilts, antiques, home and garden items, Hillsboro sausage and baked goods.

At the Wichita event, auctioneer Clint Seibel also offered attendees a chance to bid on nothing—an opportunity to simply support church planting—and 18 people willingly bid $100.

“This is a great start,” says Epp. “This is an opportunity for everyone to know a little bit more about what’s happening, to raise resources and become part of the church planting movement.”

Epp anticipates planning similar events next year.

Christian Leader press release

Last week the Christian Leader received two awards in the Evangelical Press Association annual contest: one in the Awards of Excellence division and a second in the Higher Goals division for an article by Roger Wiens on his work as a planetary scientist.

The Christian Leader received an Award of Excellence and a Higher Goals Award in the 2013 Evangelical Press Association (EPA) awards contest. The awards were presented at EPA’s annual convention, held in Nashville, Tenn., May 1-3.

CL assistant editor Myra Holmes was present to receive the magazine’s awards. The 2013 awards honor the best work done by EPA publications during the 2012 calendar year.

“It is an honor to be recognized for the quality of our work,” says editor Connie Faber.

The Awards of Excellence are given in the 10 EPA membership categories and are a “best of” award for each category for both digital and print.

In awarding the Christian Leader with an Award of Merit in the denominational print category, the judge said the content was “very personal and essay-like” and noted the “dynamic use of visual content—well integrated using color and other unifying effects.”

Judges review three consecutive issues of a publication in selecting Award of Excellence winners and Award of Merit runners-up. Judges consider all aspects of the publication—quality of writing, variety and balance in content, journalistic creativity, design and typography and use of illustrations and photos—in making their selections.

“Because the judges look at several issues of the magazine in making this award, receiving an Award of Excellence is a testament to the overall excellence of the Christian Leader,” says Faber. “This award acknowledges the excellent USMB writers who regularly contribute to our magazine and recognizes the good work of assistant editor Myra Holmes in the news areas and the excellent creative efforts of CL designer Shelley Plett.”

Roger Wien’s article, “Why I am a planetary scientist,” published in the Aug/Sept 2012 issue, was award fifth place in the General Article: Long category of the Higher Goals Awards. “Very interesting first-person piece from someone with a fascinating career and perspective,” wrote the judge. “Scientists typically are not emotive, but I could practically hear the excitement and pride ringing through.”

The 36 Higher Goals contest categories drew 988 total entries. In the Higher Goals Awards, EPA member publications compete against one another, regardless of membership category.

“For this reason, receiving a Higher Goals Award is a huge accomplishment,” says Faber. “Not only do we compete against other denominational publications for a Higher Goals Award, our submissions are evaluated along side articles published by Christianity Today, Sojourners, Christian Research Journal and World Vision Magazine.”

The Evangelical Press Association is a professional association of some 300 North American Christian magazines, newsletters, newspapers and content-rich websites. EPA's purpose is “to strengthen evangelical periodicals through inspiration, instruction and networking.”

MB Foundation press release

In 2012, MB Foundation investors donated $3 million to charities and provided $8.5 million in church loans.

"Like a pipeline moving oil from Canada to Texas, MB Foundation is a conduit— matching generous donors and investors with projects that express their values and accomplish their objectives,” says Jon C. Wiebe, MB Foundation (MBF) president and CEO. “We consider it a privilege to link arms with donors and investors, providing the expertise and structure to accomplish their dreams.”

The Mennonite Brethren stewardship ministry’s annual report, released April 29, shows that currently 1,530 clients are using MBF as a conduit to fulfill their stewardship objectives.

During 2012, investors continued to bring funds to MBF, investing in certificates and allowing these funds to be used to make loans to churches. While interest rates are at historic lows, MBF has still been able to offer attractive rates ranging from 1.50 percent to 2.50 percent on term certificates. These resources have been used to fund over $8.5 million in new projects in 2012. Electronic statements for certificate investors were also added in 2012.

Over $3 million of charitable giving was facilitated in 2012 with funds disbursed in accordance with the donor’s recommendations: 25 percent to educational institutions, 23 percent to MB conferences and local MB churches, 17 percent to MB Missions, 15 percent to other MB ministries and 20 percent to non-MB charities. Some of the more unique gifts received in 2012 include organic almonds and raisins.

Fund Management services continue to grow as new services and money managers are offered. The standard endowment portfolio returned 12.10 percent in 2012, beating the benchmark and resulting in a three year annualized return of 8.64 percent.

Over 2,000 copies of the book, The Genius of Generosity were distributed during the year and at least 23 churches utilized the resource to teach on generosity.

“Dissemination of materials and a focus on stewardship education is sowing seeds for a future harvest of blessing,” says Wiebe.

To view the complete 2012 Annual Report, visit www.mbfoundation.com/financial-profile.

by Myra Holmes

Youth from half a dozen Pacific District Conference congregations served together over spring break.

Youth from several Pacific District Conference congregations served together over spring break March 23-27. The service opportunity built on a one-day, regional youth conference that took place in November 2012 at College Community Church MB, Clovis, Calif., and furthers the relationship-building that began there.

The spring break service, like the conference, used the tagline “Together” to emphasize the cooperative nature of the event.

The effort grew out of ongoing conversations between youth pastors from seven PDC congregations: North Fresno (Calif.) Church; Mountain View Community Church, Fresno, Calif.; Bethany MB Church, Fresno; College Community Church MB, Clovis, Calif.; Reedley (Calif.) MB Church; Dinuba (Calif.) MB Church; and Kingsburg (Calif.) MB Church.

Matt Ford, youth pastor at North Fresno, says that bringing together multiple congregations—each with unique strengths and “flavor”—provides a picture of the kingdom of God.

“It was a great picture of unity in our denomination,” he says. “Our youth are leading the way in saying we’re part of a bigger story and we’re joining together to do what really matters.”

Organizers encouraged participants to celebrate both the uniqueness of the local congregations and the unity of the larger church family. “Our students really grabbed hold of that language,” Ford says.

The youth gathered March 23 for intentional training about the goals and challenges of short-term mission. Then the group established a base camp March 24-27 on private property near Mendota, Calif. From there, smaller teams served at three different locations each day.

Ford says the base camp, a field and water-ski lake “out in the middle of nowhere,” served the group well, and the property owners were very hospitable. Organizers brought in portable toilets and hand-washing units. A covered concrete area provided good space for large-group gatherings.

Participants gathered each evening for worship, led by a full worship band. Youth pastors Ken Wilkinson from Mountain View, Trent Voth from College Community and Brent Sawatsky from Dinuba spoke. Ford led a closing communion service.

For each of the three daytime projects, teams partnered with smaller, rural congregations in the area. Organizers got help from George Ordway, who works with Fresno ministry ESA Love INC, for help in setting up the projects.

Youth groups from Mountain View and Dinuba MB served in Tranquility, Calif. The team helped the church run a basketball tournament for local high school students and a carnival for the community.

Youth from North Fresno and Kingsburg MB worked with Mendota (Calif.) First Baptist Church, a congregation that wants to expand their children’s ministry. The team worked with youth and volunteers from the church to run a two-day Bible camp for about 40 kids from the church and community. They also tackled various projects around the church facility.

Youth from College Community and Bethany MB worked with a congregation in San Joaquin, Calif. This small congregation is located near a high school and wants to reach out to youth but currently has no youth program. So the team organized two days of youth group-like activities to connect with teens. About 40 youth from the high school attended.

Ford says that the November conference aimed to bring students together and build relationships, while the spring service project aimed to help students look beyond themselves and live out their faith.

He says that organizers were pleased with the students’ response to the project: “Our students got a picture of God’s larger mission in the world,” Ford says.

Organizers would like to do a similar project again, perhaps widening the circle of participating congregations. Just how and when will be determined as these youth pastors continue to meet and converse regularly.

Tabor College news story with files from Connie Faber

Veteran leader Rolando Mireles will be the keynote speaker at the April 27 CMBS dinner honoring the LAMB Conference’s 75th anniversary.

The annual meeting of the Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies will honor the 75th anniversary of the Latin America Mennonite Brethren (LAMB) District Conference. Veteran LAMB leader Rolando Mireles of Rio Grande City, Texas, will give the keynote address at the April 27 dinner to be held on the Tabor College campus at 6:30 p.m.

“We want to honor the LAMB Conference on the occasion of this anniversary,” says CMBS director Peggy Goertzen, “and a 75th anniversary only comes once.”

Goertzen says that each of the five USMB regional districts has a unique beginning—“particular personalities and situations interacting under the hand of God,” she says.

“The LAMB Conference has its spiritual pioneers and those who have followed in their footsteps to build on the dreams and passions of those pioneers to build a vibrant conference and to reach out for the expansion of the kingdom of God in South Texas,” says Goertzen. “Some of this passion can be seen in the ‘new’ congregation, Grace Point Church @ Grulla.”

Mireles was chosen as the keynote speaker because of his leadership, experience and contributions to the LAMB Conference as well as the larger Mennonite Brethren family, says Goertzen.

Mireles has been an active member of the LAMB Conference for the past 41 years, He has served in a variety of LAMB Conference leadership positions, including chair, treasurer, secretary and a board member. Mireles has also served on the U.S. Conference Board of Church Ministries, the National USMB Youth Convention, the International Community of Mennonite Brethren and the Tabor College Board of Directions. He also served as chair of the U.S. Conference Board of Church Ministries.

The LAMB Conference had its beginnings in a proposal by H.W. Lohrenz, Tabor College founding president, to the Southern District Conference in 1936 and the efforts of Harry and Sarah (Kornelsen) Neufeld, both Tabor College alumni, who moved to South Texas in 1937 to work along the Texas-Mexico border.

The first MB mission was established in Los Ebanos, Texas, and the first service was held in January 1938. From here the mission work spread to Chihuahua, La Grulla, Premont, La Joya, Edinburg, Casita and Garciasville, Mission, Pharr and Donna. A school was opened in 1948-49 with 113 students in eight grades, and El Faro School was a major influence in the district for 21 years. In the early 1960s, the South Texas congregations had outgrown their dependence on the Southern District Conference and the churches formed their own district conference.

Prior to the dinner, CMBS is sponsoring a Mennonite Heritage Tour. The tour on Saturday, April 27 will depart from the Historic church on the Tabor College campus following a Faspa lunch to be served at 12:15. CMBS director Peggy Goertzen will serve as the interpretative tour guide, offering insight and narrative to significant historical sites in the area.

Stops during the afternoon tour will include the Brunk cemetery; the Canada (Kansas) cemetery; Gnadenau Krimmer Mennonite Brethren village, orphanage and cemetery sites; Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church and cemetery; historic threshing stone marker in Peabody; Walton historic marker, Goessel Mennonite Brethren Church site and cemetery; and Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church. The tour is scheduled to conclude at the Historic Church by 5:15 p.m.

Tickets for the tour of significant historical locations are $25 each; seating is limited. Tickets for the CMBS dinner program, featuring a blend of Mennonite and Mexican foods, are $15 each. Reservations for the tour and dinner were due April 22. To check on current ticket availability, contact Peggy Goertzen at 620-947-3121, ext 1212 or by email at peggyg@tabor.edu.

Reports from E.D. Solomon, MBCBC, and David Wiebe, ICOMB with files from Connie Faber

North American guests were involved in the festivities when the India MB Conference dedicated a new academic center and held graduation ceremonies at MB Centenary Bible College and hosted pastors’ conferences.

Gary Wall, Pacific Conference District Minister, represented United States Mennonite Brethren at the dedication of the Hiebert Academic Center on the MB Centenary Bible College (MBCBC) campus in Shamshabad, India. Wall, who joined the North American contingent at the request of MB Mission, was also present at other special events held that weekend, traveled to the Ieeja community for a pastors conference and attended local church services.

Wall and the other international guests attended the February 23 ribbon cutting and dedication service for the Hiebert Academic Center. Paul Hiebert is a former missionary to India and world-renowned mission anthropologist, who was born in Shamshabad in 1933 to missionary parents.

Approximately 100 local and international guests attended the ribbon cutting that officially opened the center. Dr. P.B. Arnold, president of the Governing Council (India MB Conference), cut the ribbon (right) and unveiled two plaques at the entry that named Hiebert and Arnold and the Governing Council as the energy behind this successful project.

Principal IP Asheervadam, MB Mission General Director Randy Friesen, and ICOMB Executive Director David Wiebe offered prayers. People toured the building on their own, viewing the rooms and various wall plaques identifying major donor groups.

The new two-story building will serve as the new classroom center, with larger meeting rooms and offices. It is the new centerpiece of the campus and allows for the existing chapel to be converted into a much-expanded library space. Building the library is the next major focus, says Principal Asheervadam.

A dedication service, attended by 400, immediately followed the ribbon cutting. In his remarks, Paul Wiebe, a long time friend of the college and the India MB Conference, mentioned the work of Dr. E.D. Solomon and K.E. Rajaratnam in managing the vast majority of the construction. The vigor, vision and financial support of people like Elmer Martens, Werner Kroeker, Ken Friesen and Paul and David Wiebe were acknowledged. In greetings by ICOMB Director Wiebe, and USMB representative Wall, the global educational interest and contributions of many internationals was recognized.

India MB Conference President Dr P.B. Arnold noted the financial contributions made by Indian donors and international supporters through MB Mission. This is the largest single project in the 114- year history of the India conference.

Arnold took the occasion to make two special announcements. He unveiled the Telugu translation of the made-in-India Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith. The English version, containing 37 articles, was released in late 2012. ICOMB’s Wiebe, together with Arnold, unwrapped the initial packet of 10 copies (picture left).

The second announcement revealed that Arnold’s long-held dream of establishing a Christian medical college is now within reach. He introduced Mani Iyar, managing director of Incube Ventures, a socially oriented venture capital company from Ahmadabad, India. Incube Ventures will be a major partner in a new consortium overseeing investors and development, including MB Property Association.

Wall and other North American guests were among the 1,000 attendees at the MBCBC graduation ceremony that followed the building dedication. The 39 students graduated with degrees of Bachelor of Divinity, Bachelor of Theology, Diploma in Christian Studies and PG Diploma in Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies.
Many Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies graduates hold degrees and teach in institutions locally, giving MBCBC a unique contribution to the wider academic world in the Hyderabad area.

Among the graduates were a dozen from northeast India and Myanmar (Burma). Their dedication was readily apparent as most of the academic and achievement awards went to these students. Many will return to plant churches in areas resistant to Christianity.

Between the Hiebert Academic Center Dedication and graduation ceremonies, a ground breaking was held for a foot washing sculpture. Local Mennonite Brethren artist G.K. Rufus will complete the sculpture using a design created by Esther Augsburger. It will be centrally located and marks a new resolve to see leadership as servanthood in the way of Jesus Christ.

Other weekend activities that the international guests attended included Culture Night presented by MBCBC students and students from the Associated Christian Theological College (ACTC) of Hyderabad that featured dances and musical contributions related to Indian and church culture.

Sunday international guests traveled to different churches in the region to greet congregations, share a message from God’s Word and to pray for needs of the people. For Wall, the opportunity to worship with a congregation that meets in a slum was a highlight.

Prior to the celebration weekend, international guests fanned out into numerous villages to study the Bible with local pastors. While the villages are located in many of the classic mission settings, today Indian-trained local leaders lead all churches, a mark of the maturity of the 114-year-old conference. Numbering some 203,000 members in almost 1,000 churches, the India MB Conference is the largest ICOMB member.

Teams led by Indian MB pastors and MBCBC teachers traveled widely in and around Hyderabad, in the state of Andrha Pradesh. Internationals were asked to facilitate participation-oriented studies. The interaction was warm and eager.

Wall, who was partnered with R Praveen Kumar and E.D. Solomon, was the main resource person at Ieeja center. About 25 pastors hailing from six field associations participated in the seminar.

“Despite our language differences, we had a good time of interaction and Bible study with the pastors in Ieeja,” says Wall.“We centered around the themes of faith, hope and love, first from Romans 5:1-5 and then from Colossians 3:1-17. The pastors, while at first hesitant, responded to the invitation to share examples of challenges related to living as people of faith, filled with hope and devoted to loving God and one another in their particular Indian context.”

Wall says, “It seems that an ongoing need is for the nurturing of and care for the village pastors. We sensed a deep appreciation for our pastoral work and a longing for more opportunities to meet for fellowship, prayer and conversation about the practical matters of faith and life in the churches.”

Pastors raised concerns that seemed typical of pastors worldwide: We feel alone. There are not enough visits by conference leaders. We have health challenges, but God has supplied. One pastor asked if they should provide non-baptised believer with a Christian burial.

Other questions were unique to India. Pastors experience pressure by members to vouch that they are “non-Christian” so that they as Dalit class can continue to receive government benefits. If they declare themselves Christian, these benefits disappear. There are also pressures from parachurch and heretical groups who speak against the Lord’s Prayer, the Lord’s Supper and Christ’s second coming.

In two of the centers, Randy Friesen and Ray Harms Wiebe, North American guests with MB Mission, introduced foot washing to the pastors. Very few if any had experienced this before, and it was truly moving for them. MB Mission is seeking to re-introduce this traditional Mennonite practice that has fallen off in past decades.

Read full stories about the weekend activities on the International Community of Mennonite Brethren web site. 

http://www.icomb.org/studytogether -- Bible studies with local pastors
http://www.icomb.org/hiebertdedication -- Building dedication
http://www.icomb.org/MBCBCgradstory -- Centenary Bible College graduation

By Daryl Byler, Mennonite Central Committee representative

More than 400,000 Syrians are currently living in Jordan, a country of only 6.5 million people and limited resources that has historically welcomed strangers. MCC is working with its partners to provide aid to the refugees.

Editor’s Note: Last month marked the start of the third year of the Syrian crisis that began in March 2011 with protests in Damascus and the southern city of Deraa that demanded the release of political prisoners. These protests are part of a series of demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa that began in December 2010 and are often called the “Arab Spring.”

During the past two years, violent conflict in Syria has forced more than 400,000 refugees across their country’s border into Jordan. Daryl Byler, Mennonite Central Committee representative who lives in Amman, Jordan, explains why Jordan keeps its borders open even as the country struggles to meet the basic needs of its Syrian “guests” and assimilate them into its schools, communities and economy. Nongovernmental organizations, including MCC, assist Jordan with meeting its biblical and cultural mandates to show hospitality to strangers.

This article first appeared in the online edition of PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, March 8, 2013.

They keep coming. On an average night more than 2,100 Syrians cross the border into Jordan, seeking refuge from the violence and instability in their own country.

It’s the new normal, the head of a large humanitarian aid organization working in the Za’atari Refugee Camp told me recently. “We’ve come to expect several thousand refugees each night.”

March 15 marks the second anniversary of the Syrian revolution. According to the United Nations, in those two short years, more than 70,000 Syrians have been killed and over 3 million have been uprooted from their homes. Some 2.3 million Syrians are internally displaced and another 1.0 million are refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.

Bedouin hospitality

According to the Jordanian government, more than 400,000 Syrians now live in Jordan, a country of only 6.5 million people with a long history of welcoming refugees. Because of the harsh desert climate, the Bedouin offered a minimum of three days of hospitality to anyone who passed by their tents.

“The house is always opened to guests,” says Dr. Kamal Abu Jaber, the former foreign minister of Jordan and son of a Jordanian Bedouin father and Palestinian mother. “Once you eat bread and salt together you are bound together a family.” To call a Jordanian “generous” is the highest compliment, he reflects.

Well over half the population of Jordan is made up of newcomers who have arrived during the past 60 years. Jordan has opened its arms to 2.7 million Palestinians (the original refugees from 1948 and 1967 wars and their descendants); half a million Iraqis; thousands of Somalis, Sudanese and Libyans; and now to more than 400,000 Syrians.

“It’s a miracle that this poor country can do this,” ponders Abu Jaber.

Za’atari Refugee Camp

In early March, I visited the sprawling Za’atari Refugee Camp only six miles from the Syrian border and just outside the northern Jordanian city of Mafraq. All new Syrian arrivals in Jordan are brought first to Za’atari. Those few who are fortunate enough to find a Jordanian citizen to sponsor them are free to leave the camp, which is surrounded by a high fence and guarded by Jordanian security.

Others must stay in the camp. The camp is now home to as many as 140,000 Syrians. No one seems to know the exact number. The situation is fluid and volatile by anyone’s definition. There are frequent protests and riots.

According to aid workers, many of the refugees come from middle-class households and are quick to express frustration about the camp’s limited services and fragile infrastructure. In spite of heroic efforts, U.N. and aid agencies are simply not able to keep pace with the thousands who arrive daily.

Za’atari is in the middle of a high-altitude desert that is cold and wet in the winter and stiflingly hot with sand storms in the summer. Newcomers live in tents. Eventually families are transferred to small one-room “caravans.” The main street of the camp is packed with pedestrians and lined with vendors selling fruits, vegetables, household supplies and even washing machines.

Eighty-eight-year-old Um Omar (names changed for security reasons) welcomed us in her 10-foot by 15-foot caravan with no furnishings except mats on the floor. She served us tea, with heaping plates of bananas and oranges. She came to Za'atari from Dara’a five months ago, along with two grown sons, who carried her across the border, and a gaggle of grandchildren.

Dara’a is where Syria’s revolution began in March 2011, when several young boys were arrested for painting graffiti about Syria’s President Assad. Her grandchildren do not go to school because it is too far away from their caravan. Indeed, the camp is so massive that many residents no longer live within easy walking distance of schools, medical facilities or other services. Her son Omar fears that the Syrian regime might fire scud missiles at Za’atari because it is so close to the border.

Urban refugees

Contrary to popular images, the vast majority of Syrians in Jordan do not live in refugee camps. Most arrived before Za’atari was opened in late July 2012. These “urban refugees” live with Jordanian families or rent small rooms or apartments in cities like Amman, Irbid, Mafraq and Zarqa. Sometimes three or four families live in an apartment with only three or four rooms.

More than 75 percent of the Syrian refugees in Jordan are women and children. Many arrive traumatized by the violence they have witnessed in Syria. In addition to feelings of isolation and trauma, refugees express fears about meeting their current needs and uncertainty about the future.

Some 316,000 Syrians have registered or are in the process of registering with the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), qualifying them to receive rent assistance, medical care, access to Jordanian public schools and other humanitarian aid.

But as many as 100,000 Syrians have chosen not to register, some out of fear that there will be reprisals from the Syrian government.

Humanitarian responses

The U.N. and aid agencies estimate that it will cost $1.0 billion to cover the costs of Syrian refugees in the region just for the six months from January to June 2013. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), an international humanitarian agency of Anabaptist churches, partners with local agencies in Jordan to distribute shipments of MCC relief kits, school kits and blankets; dispense infant milk powder, diapers, and children’s shoes purchased in local markets; and provide non-formal education and psycho-social support to the refugees.

MCC has partnered with Caritas Jordan since 2005, supporting an innovative HIV and AIDS awareness project, a revolving loan fund for low-income Jordanian students and distribution of school kits and milk powder to vulnerable families. With tensions increasing between Jordanian host communities and an increasingly diverse and vulnerable group of Syrian refugees, Caritas has added a peacebuilding component to its services—training teams of Syrian refugees and Jordanians to work together to provide an effective response to the crisis.

Another key role for MCC is to share stories of the refugees and the need in the United States and Canada. Many refugees are eager to share, but do not wish to have their pictures taken or to give their full names, fearing that the Syrian regime will retaliate against them.

Still working with refugees

Caritas Jordan was established in 1967 to respond to the refugee and humanitarian crisis caused by the Six-Day War in neighboring Palestine and Israel. Some 45 years later, Caritas is still working with refugees.

Caritas is guided by the vision of affirming the dignity of every human, with a special concern for the poor. Caritas offers services to Christians and Muslims.

“We look at the refugees’ needs and try to answer it,” says Wael Sulieman, executive director.

Caritas Jordan works closely with local churches, often using parish facilities as distribution centers.

The organization has registered more than 75,000 Syrian refugees at its centers in Amman, Husson, Irbid, Madaba, Mafraq, Ramtha, Salt and Zarqa, doing family needs assessments before distributing humanitarian assistance and providing medical and educational resources.

Caritas tries to avoid duplicating services provided by the UNHCR.

“Our work with the vulnerable Jordanian families has never stopped,” says Sulieman. “Nonetheless Caritas gives a helping hand to any refugee community who needs help, beginning with Palestinians in the 1960s, Iraqis in the 1990s and now with Syrians.”

The burdens of hospitality

Hospitality has its costs.

Whether or not they work for humanitarian organizations, “Jordanians are heavily involved in serving and hosting the Syrians,” says Wafa Goussous, director of the Orthodox Initiative for the Churches in the Middle East. “With the heavy load that Jordan is taking, part of the load is definitely carried by its citizens.”

The influx of refugees is straining Jordan’s budget and infrastructure and, in some cases, increasing social tensions between the refugees and Jordanian host communities. Some Jordanians have begun to complain about rising food and housing costs which they believe are linked to yet another wave of refugees.

Jordan’s Economic and Social Council recently reported that the economic cost of hosting the refugees for the past 18 months exceeded $833 million, representing about 3 percent of Jordan’s gross domestic product.

More than 29,000 Syrian children are enrolled in Jordanian public schools at a cost of $19.8 million. Still, some Syrians report being turned away from public schools due to overcrowding. And according to MCC partner Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), many Syrian families cannot afford to send their children to public school kindergarten, for which the fees have not been waived.

But many refugees don’t simply want hand outs. When one JRS staff member recently encouraged a Syrian woman to register with UNHCR so that she would qualify for a range of benefits, she responded, “I don’t want 50 Jordanian Dinars (about $70 USD) from UNHCR. I want to work!”

The need for employment has strained the Jordanian economy as well. So far 38,000 jobs have been offered to Syrians, contributing to growing unemployment rates in Jordan. Some wealthier Syrians are moving their businesses to Jordan, creating stiff competition for Jordanian companies.

“Syrians are managing to cut production costs by operating from apartments, hiring refugees and avoiding taxation,” garment factory owner Ebrahim Hadad recently told The Media Line. “Syrians are welcomed; this country is comprised of refugees,” Hadad continued. “However, they are hurting our businesses. I am unable to compete with them.”

But many refugees with fewer resources report that they are often exploited by Jordanian employers and made to work long hours at low wages because they do not have work permits. Some married Syrian women work at low-wage farms. Syrian male heads of household in Amman are reported to work in low-wage jobs as bakers, construction workers and security guards.

According to Caritas Jordan, Syrian youth are often spotted as street peddlers, beggars and market helpers, instead of attending school or summer camps.

Balancing the needs of Jordanians and refugees is critical. In order to reduce tensions between refugees and the resource-stretched host communities, the Jordanian government now requires 30 percent of international humanitarian aid to be made available for vulnerable Jordanian families.

And hospitality is not without risks.

Jordan has long had a reputation as one of the most stable countries in the Middle East. But some analysts say ferment is growing. They fear that the new influx of Syrian refugees might push Jordan’s tottering social stability over the edge.

Others fear that groups like al-Qaeda will infiltrate the refugees and attack targets in Jordan. There are also reports of skirmishes on the Syrian-Jordanian border, as Jordanian forces help refugees enter the country and the Syrian regime responds.

Still, Jordan continues to follow an open-door policy and provides healthcare and access to public education for Syrians who register with UNHCR.

Some Syrians express optimism that they will be able to return home soon. Others believe it will take many years—just as has been the case with Palestinians and Iraqis still living in Jordan.

“They all wish the fighting in Syria will end tomorrow,” says George Akil, a program manager for Caritas Jordan. “They are all eager to go back to their homes once the fighting ends.”

While some Jordanian officials hint that they may eventually close the border, Dr. Abu Jaber, who now heads the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies, disagrees.

“There is no way by our tradition, our culture or our religion that we can close the door,” he said. “How can you close the door when women and children are suffering and without food?”

But with thousands of Syrians continuing to arrive every night, and with UNHCR estimating that 660,000 Syrians will be in Jordan by the end of 2013, it will take another miracle for this small country to absorb them all.

J. Daryl Byler is a regional representative for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), based in Amman, Jordan. He blogs at cindydarylbyler.wordpress.com. MCC implements disaster relief, sustainable community development and peacebuilding projects through local partners in 60 countries. mcc.org.

PHOTO: Omar, left, a Syrian refugee, met with J. Daryl Byler, Mennonite Central Committee representative, at the Za’atari refugee camp in early March. Omar and his brother brought their families, their father and their 88-year-old mother to the camp. (Omar’s real name was not used for security purposes). MCC Photo/John Fawcett

by Connie Faber

Four USMB pastors are transformed after spending a week with their counterparts from Southeast Asia during MB Mission’s Missional DNA Summit.

Bringing together church-planting pastors from North America and Southeast Asia has been Randy Friesen’s dream for the past year and thanks to that vision, four USMB leaders are bringing renewed energy to their work.

Don Morris, Mission USA director; Gary Wall, Pacific District Conference minister; Chad Stoner, church planting pastor of Stony Brook Church in Omaha, Neb.; and Jeff Gowling, pastor of The Bridge in Bakersfield, Calif., along with a contingent of seven Canadian MB pastors and leaders represented North America at the Missional DNA Summit organized by MB Mission. They traveled to Thailand Feb. 10-15 to meet with 15 pastors from Southeast Asia and 10 MB Mission staff members from North America and Southeast Asia.

Why pastors from Southeast Asia?

“Most of our pastors from that region are first generation Christians who have experienced God’s power in their lives,” writes Friesen, the MB Mission general director in a recent issue of his Vision Mission newsletter. “Most are bi-vocational pastor/farmers, and many of them have been imprisoned for the gospel. They regularly lead people to Jesus through healings and prayers for freedom. Their definition of God looks a lot like that of the New Testament church. I think they have something to teach us.”

And the USMB participants agree.

“We’ve got resources, seminars, technology, systems and all the rest to support our church planting efforts,” says Wall in an email interview. “But we have much to learn from these brothers and sisters who don’t possess what we do. The churches they plant and lead are growing and thriving.”

Morris was challenged to expect the incredible.

“Time and time again during the four days of the exchange, stories of God delivering on what appeared to be impossible were shared,” says Morris in an email interview. “So much so that I came away thinking that it’s natural to believe that God can and will accomplish the impossible to build his church. God has and will continue to perform the impossible here in America as we follow his lead in planting churches.”

The five-day summit took place at Changed Life Center, a MB Mission training center in Northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province.

“We tried to limit the distractions of our cultural and economic differences as much as possible by living together ‘Khmu style,’” says Friesen. “We slept together in a common room, ate Northern Thai food together and focused on sharing personal stories…. The power of technology, money and education was minimized as much as possible.”

Sessions during the three full-days of the summit focused on what God is teaching the participants about faith, hope and love. As they shared their faith stories, participants frequently referred to Romans 5:1-5, the summit’s theme text.

Pastors from Southeast Asia told of miracles and the adversity they experience because of their commitment to sharing their faith in Jesus Christ. The USMB pastors shared evidence of God’s life-transforming power in their own lives and those of people in their congregations.

Story and testimony sessions were followed by times of prayer.

“The prayer times together were powerful,” says Wall. “Despite language and culture differences, we shared a common language as we prayed together.”

One powerful prayer time occurred when participants from various cultural groups asked for forgiveness for the actions of their country or people group during World War II, the Vietnam War and other regional conflicts.
Following this time of reconciliation and healing, the group prayed toward the nations represented by the summit participants.

“It was a powerful time of open prayer, calling God to spread the gospel in Southeast Asia, Burma, China, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and the United States,” says Morris.

Following this Thursday afternoon session, Pastor Gowling wrote in his online journal, “It really felt like we were having an effective intercession for whole nations.”

The USMB participants agree that another meaningful experience was the hour-long foot washing ceremony during which the exchange participants washed one another’s feet.

“To watch tears well up in the eyes of these servants who had been imprisoned and tortured for their faith was humbling and moving,” says Wall. “Tears filled my own eyes as my feet were washed by these faith-filled followers of Jesus. We were experiencing life in the kingdom—the Jesus-oriented life that we often miss in our technologically saturated, fast-paced Western world.”

Morris says, “There was a sense that even though we were from countries thousands of miles apart, we were indeed very close brothers and sisters in the Lord. That (God) had called each of us into the privilege of being his ambassadors within our various contexts and cultures.”

Morris continues, “Some of those feet were twisted from abuse. Some had sores from hard work. Some were very dirty. It didn’t matter. We were one family serving God.”

Participants say they frequently cried as they worshiped, shared and prayed together.

“Tears were a very common occurrence among everyone during the entire four days,” says Morris. “It was extremely emotional at times. Direct Holy Spirit encounters were common as people shared.”

Participating in the Missional DNA Summit was a life-changing experience, wrote Gowling in his journal. “I will never forget the men and women I have met here. Their stories of God working in them have changed my life,” he wrote.

“They are modern day heroes of faith—though they would hate it if you said that to them—but their stories are right out of the New Testament. They read their Bibles and fully expect that God will use them just like he did Paul, Timothy, Silas, Barnabas and others,” wrote Gowling. “And they fully expect that the same power of the Holy Spirit will guide them, strengthen them, encourage them, give them perseverance through the persecution and do miracles in Jesus’ name. And guess what? It’s happening!”

Wall agrees. “We may have different challenges in the West,” he says, “but these brothers and sisters possess something we need—a depth of commitment to Christ and a dependency on him that surpasses our own in so many ways.”

Missional DNA Summit photos are posted on the MB Mission web site. 

Educator and pastor Waldo Hiebert, who died Feb 25, is remembered as a “saint in the best sense of the word.”

Waldo Hiebert, who died in February at the age of 98, will be remembered as a pastor, a church statesman, an influential educator and a devout Jesus follower.

“With his death the world has become less holy,” observes a seminary teaching colleague. Another says, “Waldo had soul. He had an intuitive understanding of life. He was a saint in the best sense of the word.”

Hiebert’s caring and compassionate heart was on display as a pastor and as dean of students at MB Biblical Seminary (MBBS), Fresno, Calif. Working alongside him in administration, I learned that simply by his demeanor he invited persons to share what was in their hearts.

Hiebert’s son Ted, a seminary professor like his dad, opened his eulogy at the memorial service with, “Of all the things that Waldo meant to the people in the church that he served, what stands out is his personal connection with them, his pastoral presence, his human warmth.”

A seminary alumnus recalls his experience in Hiebert’s preaching class: “The performance was a complete disaster. It was a banquet of flaws…. I was ready to crawl into a hole in the floor.” Waldo remained silent as fellow students leveled their critiques. Waldo finally spoke. ‘Doesn't _____ have a pleasant smile when he preaches?’ He snatched me from the abyss."

Hiebert’s love for the church came to oratorical expression in a sermon delivered in Kitchener to the Mennonite World Conference in 1962. With characteristic seriousness and power, Hiebert expounded Ephesians 3:20-21 under the theme “Glory in the Church.” He asked the large international audience, “Is there glory in the Mennonite Church? Where is the glow and the glory?”

He went on to declare, “The church is an arena of love in a world of hate, an arena of understanding in a world of terror and injustice, an arena of gladness in a world of sadness, an arena of hope in a world of despair.” Sixteen years later he was again preaching at the Mennonite World Conference (Wichita). His sermon title: “One Greater than Menno.” His text was Matt. 12:38-42.

Hiebert devoted large energies to serving on Mennonite Brethren Conference committees: chair of the Board of General Welfare and Public Relations (1957-66); chair of the Board of Missions/Services (1966-75); seven years as chair and vice chair of U.S. Reference and Counsel; and 29 years as an officer and member of Southern District Conference and Pacific District Conference committees.

As pastor of two large churches, Hillsboro, Kan., (10 years) and Reedley, Calif., (six years) he endeared himself to many, baptizing and officiating at scores of marriages.

His sermons, mostly text-oriented, were delivered with great earnestness. “He spoke from the heart,” remembers one listener.

He was known as a wise and trusted counselor in these churches and certainly at MB Biblical Seminary where he taught full time and part time for more that a quarter of a century, retiring in 1987.

His MBBS course on “The Christian Disciplines” was so popular that students asked that it become a compulsory course. His lectures on Christian spirituality were compiled in a manual, Journey into Spiritual Growth, (1980) with the help of a student, David Wiebe. Together with Herb Kopp, another student, he prepared the manual, Deacons and Their Ministry. His article, “Journey into Joy” was published in a “surprise” issue of the MB journal Direction dedicated to Waldo Hiebert on the occasion of his 70th birthday (vol.13, July 1984). Hiebert’s article as well as the lead article about Hiebert by Phyllis Martens is available online by checking the indices.

Hiebert was born July 3, 1914 at Mountain Lake, Minn., and died Feb. 25, 2013 in Fresno. He was married to Rachel Wiebe on June 6, 1944, who predeceased him. He is survived by his children, Ted Hiebert, James Hiebert, Susan Bercilla and Daniel Hiebert.

After the death of his wife, Rachel, to whom he had often turned for wisdom on a subject, he lived at Twilight Haven, a retirement home near Fresno Pacific University. A Twilight Haven attendant says: “He was a sweet quiet gentleman who never complained.” Like a saint!

Elmer A. Martens is President Emeritus at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary, formerly MB Biblical Seminary.

Photo: Waldo Hiebert circa 1970 courtesy of Winnipeg (Man) Center for MB Studies

By Connie Faber

USMB leaders gathered last week for a marathon seven-day series of meetings that included the National Pastors Orientation, Leadership Summit and two board meetings. Topping the agenda for the Board of Faith and Life was determining follow-up plans for the recent study conference.

USMB leaders gathered March 11-17 in San Diego, Calif., for a series of four gatherings: the biennial National Pastors Orientation (NPO) held Monday through Wednesday noon, Board of Faith and Life meeting Wednesday afternoon through Thursday, Leadership Summit convening Thursday evening through Friday and the Leadership Board Friday evening through Sunday morning.

All USMB events in San Diego were held at Best Western Island Palms Hotel.

This C-Link report reviews the four events in the order in which they occurred. 

National Pastors Orientation: Education and networking
Board of Faith and Life: Following up the study conference
Leadership Summit: Strengthening national partnerships
Leadership Board: Budget approved, staff changes announced

National Pastors Orientation educates and connects

The value of being part of a spiritual family that provides local congregations with a national and international perspective was among the themes that emerged during the National Pastors Orientation.

Thirty-three new USMB pastoral staff members and spouses attended the three-day event hosted by the USMB Board of Faith and Life (BFL) March 11-13. The NPO is intended to familiarize new pastors with Mennonite Brethren history, theology, agencies, personnel and resources and to help them connect with other pastoral staff members.

Tim Geddert, Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary professor and a BFL member, and Valerie Rempel, FPBS associate professor, were the key resource speakers.

Geddert spoke about the mission of the church. “Without a clear ecclesiology, we will be collecting good ideas but it won’t hold together,” said Geddert.

Geddert began by highlighting why ecclesiology is important for all Christians and gave specific reasons that are unique to Mennonite Brethren.

At a time when the state and church were one and the same and acted coercively, “Anabaptists restored the New Testament concept of ‘church,’” said Geddert.

A second reason Mennonite Brethren should think carefully about the theology of church is our hybrid identity as Anabaptist Evangelicals. “We are even more confused about this than most churches,” said Geddert.

Geddert addressed four topics related to ecclesiology: going with joy into the Lord’s house (Psalm 122), Jesus’ treatment of tax collectors (Matthew 9), priorities of the church (Acts 2:42-47) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28).

Rempel (right) briefly reviewed the history of the Anabaptist movement, beginning with Martin Luther and including Uhrich Zwingle, Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, Menno Simons and Eduard Wuest. She noted which practical and theological characteristics of the Mennonite Brethren Church can be traced to Simons’ influence and which ones come from Wuest.

Rempel summarized key developments following the arrival of Mennonite Brethren in the United States and to the present. She concluded with a description of current agencies, both Mennonite Brethren and inter-Mennonite, with which USMB partners on the national and global level.

The orientation also included presentations from Ed Boschman, USMB executive director, that provided an outline of the relationship between national and international Mennonite Brethren ministries, explained why USMB is organized as a conference of churches and emphasized transforming lives as the mission of every congregation.

Larry Nikkel, BFL chair, spoke on the importance of leadership and reviewed the ministry of the Board of Faith and Life. He invited district ministers Gary Wall, Pacific District Conference; Tim Sullivan, Southern District Conference; Rick Eshbaugh, Central District Conference; and Terry Hunt, North Carolina District Conference, to describe their work as “pastors to the pastors.”

Nikkel, Steve Schroeder, USMB Leadership Board chair, and Lynn Jost, Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary dean, provided morning devotions. A worship team comprised of NPO participants led the singing.

Tuesday evening was devoted to a report from Mission USA director Don Morris on USMB’s church health resources and church planting efforts.

The final session Wednesday morning included short updates from Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary dean Lynn Jost, MB Mission general director Randy Friesen and MB Foundation board member Terry Hunt.

Orientation participants also met Kindred Productions U.S. staff member Amy Sterk and USMB support staff members Lori Taylor and Donna Sullivan, J Epp, USMB director of development, Connie Faber, Christian Leader editor, and Myra Holmes, USMB social media coordinator.

The NPO schedule included a Monday evening outing to San Diego’s Old Town and Bazaar del Mundo and free time Tuesday afternoon.

The NPO concluded with small groups that  met together Monday morning gathering again Wednesday for prayer (photo above). 

BFL determines follow-up steps to study conference

The Board of Faith and Life met for two days and reviewed the evaluations, comments and suggestions participants offered regarding the January study conference concerning Article 12 (Society and State) and Article 13 (Peace and Nonresistance) of the Confession of Faith (COF).

The board also determined that its next step will be to write an open letter to all study conference participants and to the USMB constituency. The letter will offer the context of the study conference, “Kingdom Citizens in a World of Conflict,” and lay out the next steps. BFL chair Larry Nikkel says in an email following the board meeting that these next steps include:

• Sharing study conference evaluations that deal with counsel to BFL on future steps,
• Posting a summary of how and whether any changes to the COF impact the USMB’s legal standing as a “peace church,”
• Meeting with district BFLs by the end of May to test possible language changes to the COF,
• Talking with Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary, Tabor College and Fresno Pacific University representatives about possible changes to the COF and
• Meeting with local congregations and individuals following discussions with district and education leaders.

In addition to Nikkel, elected BFL members are Michael Eldridge, San Jose, Calif.; Rod Anderson, Sioux Falls, SD; and Tim Geddert, Fresno, Calif. Ex officio members include Ed Boschman, USMB executive director; Rick Eshbaugh, Central District Conference minister; Terry Hunt, North Carolina District minister; Tim Sullivan, Southern District Conference minister; and Gary Wall, Pacific District Conference minister.

PHOTO: Prior to their meeting, BFL hosted the New Pastors Orientation. In addition to chair Larry Nikkel, BFL members attending the NPO were (left to right) Gary Wall, Tim Sullivan, Rick Eshbaugh, Terry Hunt and Tim Geddert, pictured here addressing the new pastors.

Leadership Summit looks for ways to strengthen partnerships

Leaders of USMB ministries meet annually with the USMB Leadership Board and staff and this year the number of people attending the Leadership Summit was reduced so that the participants could focus on defining the purpose of the gathering.

Agency representatives came from Tabor College (Jules Glanzer and Rick Bartlett), Fresno Pacific University (Pete Manjares), Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary (Lynn Jost), MB Mission (Randy Friesen) and MB Foundation (Jon Wiebe). District ministers Gary Wall (Pacific), Tim Sullivan (Southern), Rick Eshbaugh (Central) and Terry Hunt (North Carolina) represented the districts. Ed Boschman, executive director; Don Morris, Mission USA director; J Epp, director of development; and Steve Schroeder, Leadership Board chair, represented USMB. They met March 14-15.

“The 2013 USMB Leadership Summit was both inspirational and helpful,” says Boschman, who led the summit. “Meditating and thinking and praying together with this gifted and experienced cadre of leaders within our USMB family is a high privilege.”

Boschman reports that this year the summit focused on four questions: What is the reason for the annual summit? What is the collective vision for a preferred future condition for our USMB family? How can we strengthen our collaboration and kingdom impact? How would you like the USMB Leadership Board and staff to serve USMB?

The summit participants concluded that in the future the group will “aim to strengthen our cooperation in a synergistic way by working together at a focused agenda—leadership development, local church resourcing, new church planting or resource development—which ramps up our collective USMB kingdom impact,” says Boschman in an email interview following the summit.

“Each agency will make available their expertise and services to result in increased effectiveness,” says Boschman. “The Summit will be a gathering where we discern and pray together about the best possible ways to ‘do better together what we can’t do alone’ and then to implement those strategies.”

Leadership Board approves budget, considers staff changes

At its meeting March 15-17, the USMB Leadership Board (LB) approved a seven-month budget of $512,852 for June to December 2013. USMB is shifting to a calendar year for financial purposes, beginning in 2014.

The abbreviated income budget includes $249,000 in church contributions, an amount LB treasurer David Hardt described as “reasonable.” USMB staff fundraising is budgeted at $210,000. The expense budget includes limited funds for new staff initiatives and for church planter assessments and development.

The Leadership Board heard an extensive report from Ed Boschman, USMB executive director that included updates concerning various ministry partners. Don Morris, Mission USA director; J Epp, director of development, Connie Faber, Christian Leader editor; Myra Holmes, social media coordinator; Donna Sullivan, administrative secretary and Lori Taylor, USMB web master, also gave reports.

In his report, Aleks Borisov reported that he has resigned as the USMB Slavic ministries director because of his work as the pastor for a new USMB church plant in Spokane, Wash.

“This little baby (Disciples Church) is keeping me busy,” said Borisov, who served as pastor of education at Pilgrim Slavic Baptist MB Church, the Slavic-language congregation that is mothering the new English-language church.

Preaching in English every Sunday is a challenge, said Borisov. “Please pray for me,” he said.

Boschman reported that Borisov will serve on a volunteer basis for the next several months, and that Boschman will consult with the other entities that are involved in employing a Slavic ministries director to determine their next step.

In other business the board:

• confirmed that Conection 2014, the next biennial national convention, will be held in the greater San Francisco area.
• approved changes to the bylaws of Mennonite Health Services Alliance as requested.
• approved Julia Reimer as a new member of the Historical Commission.

PHOTO: Leadership Board vice chair Marv Schallenberg, left, and chair Steve Schroeder, right, discuss agenda items during a break.

By Myra Holmes

Participants in SOAR Santa Cruz March 22-30 will partner with two local MB congregations to reach the Santa Cruz and San Jose areas.

This week a team of about 50 volunteers will partner with MB Mission and two USMB congregations to engage the unique cultures of two northern California communities. SOAR Santa Cruz participants will work with Shorelife Community Church, Capitola, Calif., and Lincoln Glen Church, San Jose, Calif., for a pre-Easter outreach March 22-30.

With this new short-term mission opportunity, MB Mission, the global mission agency of Mennonite Brethren in North America, expands short-term mission opportunities within the U.S. borders. SOAR offers 10-day mission experiences in the U.S. and Canada that are easily accessible for participants of all ages. In addition to SOAR Santz Cruz, MB Mission will again offer SOAR Utah July 12-22 as well as four SOAR events in Canada.

Mark Thompson, short-term mission mobilizer for MB Mission, says that, stereotypes notwithstanding, California’s Bay Area has many unreached people and provides good opportunities for mission without leaving the U.S. borders. SOAR participants will be together for orientation and debriefing, but will divide into two teams to serve in San Jose and in Santa Cruz.

San Jose ranks among the 10 largest cities in the U.S., and is in the heart of Silicon Valley, where “innovation and entrepreneurism is thriving,” as Lincoln Glen Pastor Bruce Porter says. “A Christian presence in this city and in these industries gives opportunity to influence people around the world.”

Just down the road from Shorelife lies the city of Santa Cruz, better known as “Surf City.” According to Shorelife Pastor Daniel Clubb, the city and the surrounding county draws tourists from all over the world to its beach lifestyle. Homelessness, gang violence and drug and alcohol addictions are very real problems in the area.

Clubb says that, while the churches in the area are vibrant and active in outreach, less than 5 percent of the population attends church. “This clearly qualifies Santa Cruz County as a mission field,” he says.

In both San Jose and Santa Cruz, SOAR participants will spend time getting to know the community. In San Jose, participants will connect with representatives at City Hall to hear how the city is responding to increasing homelessness, and they will spend time praying for the city in various locations.

In Santa Cruz, participants will learn through field trips to local coffee shops and hang outs and as they engage people in conversation about Christ. Thompson says that since the prevailing mindset is not Christian, these efforts could be met with resistance and be a good stretching experience. “That can be good for us,” he points out.

In both locations, SOAR team members will partner with the church’s efforts to reach out. Thompson says, “We really feel like partnering with our Mennonite Brethren churches in Santa Cruz might be a way to provide some lift for them in the areas of evangelism and discipleship.”

In San Jose, volunteers will provide elbow grease for two projects through which Lincoln Glen hopes to serve their community: a walking track that will be the central focus of a par course, meditation trail and picnic area, and a new café and performance venue.

The San Jose team members will eat meals at Lincoln Glen Manor, a senior care facility next to the church, in order to build relationships with the residents. Porter says, “Approximately 35 percent of the residents indicate that they have a Christian orientation, so there is much opportunity for outreach.”

The team will also canvas the neighborhood with invitations to Easter services and a “Sneak Peek” event celebrating some of the new things the church offers the community.

The SOAR participants who work alongside Shorelife will help staff a basketball camp for middle school students, prepare and serve meals to a homeless community—an ongoing ministry of Shorelife—help with manual labor for some projects on the church campus, serve at a local elementary school and help the church prepare for their annual prayer labyrinth and Easter services.

In both locations, prayer will be key, so teams will spend considerable time praying for the communities, the churches and the people. They will also spend time daily in Scripture, small groups and journaling.

“That’s part of our (MB Mission) DNA,” says Thompson. “We like to anchor on the Word, we like to anchor on prayer and we like to anchor on building community.”

The event will be bookended by orientation and debriefing, both held at Shorelife. Thompson says SOAR Santa Cruz “is not just about a hit-and-run mission.” Not only is it important to come alongside existing churches to transform communities, he says; it’s also important that participants are transformed by the experience.

Orientation includes practical and spiritual preparation for the experience ahead. Ample time will be invested in worship, Bible study, prayer, community building, repentance and renewal.

Debriefing will help participants process the experience and take it home. Sometimes that means sharing victories or new commitments; sometimes it means working through struggles. Often participants realize that, as Thompson says, “God is really even bigger than I thought.”

The pre-Easter timing of the mission is strategic: Both pastors say one hoped-for result would be increased attendance at Easter services. But they also hope the impact last long after those services end.

Porter says he hopes SOAR Santa Cruz will inspire the Lincoln Glen congregation to continue to reach out and love their community. Clubb hopes for an ongoing, positive relationship with the community and with the local middle school administration.

Thompson says that if SOAR Santa Cruz is successful, “lives of participants will be greatly affected, and the cities will feel blessed by our presence.” He adds that, ultimately, he dreams that some who don’t know Jesus would be drawn into relationship.

Because those kind of results are up to God, Thompson asks the larger USMB family to pray for this mission. “We really, really cherish prayer,” he says. He invites prayer for God’s favor, protection and peace on SOAR Santa Cruz and on the host churches.

For more on SOAR Santa Cruz, see www.mbmission.org.

by Elmer Martens and Kathy Heinrichs Wiest

Congolese politician highlights connections between his country and the United States during his visit to Fresno, Calif. Lymeya Dhu Maleghi came to the U.S. to attend the National Prayer Breakfast as a representative of DR Congo.

A call by President Obama to the government of Rwanda meant lives saved in the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.), according to Lymeya Dhu Maleghi, who spoke February 12 to a gathering of professionals on the Fresno Pacific University (FPU) campus. The president’s call resulted in a withdrawal of rebels from Goma, a D.R.C. city on the border near Rwanda, Lumeya explained.

This story was one of many lines of connection between the U.S. and the D.R.C. that emerged during Lumeya’s visit to the U.S. in February. The visit began with Lumeya representing the D.R.C. at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, February 2-6.

Lumeya, the son of a Mennonite Brethren pastor and an attorney by profession, is a congressman who represents the city of Kikwit (pop. 600,000) in his country’s national parliament in Kinshasa. As a member of the D.R.C.’s National Prayer Breakfast leadership, he was one of two politicians chosen to attend the Washington, DC, event, which involves government representatives from many nations.

The spirit of unity he found among the American Christian politicians he met while in Washington, D.C. made an impression on the Congolese congressman.

“I was impressed that Christian senators from both Democratic and Republican parties were agreeing that Jesus is Lord and that they wanted to follow his teachings,” says Lumeya. “This would mean avoiding being extremists or engaging in incendiary discourse. They embraced Christian core values. This is an example for me to follow.”

In his own government, Lumeya is vice president of the opposition political party, Dynamics for Democracy, whose mission is to “bring Christian ethics in the political government.”

He also serves on the government Defense and Security Committee that, he says, is a challenging place for an Anabaptist Christian. “My faith is telling me I must pray for my enemy, but villages are being burned and five million Congolese have died at the hands of invaders,” says Lumeya. “My conviction is that Jesus Christ will help me find ways to not exacerbate the conflicts of the country.”

Lumeya’s family connections to America go back two generations to the time when his grandfather, Maleghi, encountered Aaron and Ernestine Janzen, the first Mennonite Brethren to go as missionaries to Congo from the U.S. Maleghi was among the first Congolese to become a Christian. His son, Lumeya (Lumeya Dhu-Maleghi’s father), became a pastor and leader in the Congo MB Conference. The connections with American Mennonite Brethren continue today, as three of Lumeya Dhu-Maleghi’s sons are FPU students or alumni.

In his presentation at FPU, Lumeya appealed for continuing connections with the needs of Congo. He noted that in some schools, because of financial shortages, students sit on floors. He appealed for desks. In the residential areas of Kikwit, soil erosion is a problem due to heavy rains. He hopes to provide sandbags. He invited people interested in helping with these needs to contact Garry Prieb at Fresno Pacific University.

PHOTO provided by FPU

by Myra Holmes

Attendees of North Fresno (Calif.) MB Church relate testimonies of God’ grace in a daily Lent resource offered in print and online.

North Fresno (Calif.) MB Church is offering a daily devotional for Lent, written by attendees of the congregation around the theme, “Stories of Life on the Journey with Jesus.” The primary purpose of the devotional, according to project editor Tim Neufeld, is to build community within the congregation.

“We’re always trying to think of ways to connect our faith community,” he says.

Some 40 North Fresno attendees wrote for the project, representing the church’s breadth of ages, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and length of attendance. Each devotional offers a personal testimony of God’s grace in the midst of darkness, a relevant verse of Scripture and a brief prayer.

Neufeld says that while many quality Lent devotionals offer a Scriptural meditation, the North Fresno project is unique in that it focuses on the personal testimonies of those within the congregation. “These are our people; these are our stories,” he says.

Pastor James Bergen adds, “Hearing people’s stories is life-giving.”

Bergen says that even though the assignment didn’t specifically ask for stories of suffering, writers naturally offered testimonies of God’s presence and grace in the midst of both life-altering and everyday struggles—a very appropriate Lent theme.

The idea for the devotional arose out of a desire to encourage artists within the congregation as well as out of observing other similar resources.

North Fresno makes an intentional effort to encourage community through artistic expression, such as offering space for visual arts in the church foyer. This project, Neufeld points out, was one way the church could encourage those with writing gifts.

In addition, North Fresno leaders took note of similar resources created in community, such as the Advent devotional offered annually by Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary, the MB seminary in Fresno, and The Crave Project, a 40-day devotional created for teens by Bible Fellowship Church, an MB congregation in Rapid City, SD.

North Fresno leaders quickly rallied around the idea. Each member of the pastoral staff took an active role in the project, writing devotionals, recruiting writers and helping with various production tasks, which, Neufeld says, made the project an expression of community at the leadership level as well.

The biggest challenge of the project, Neufeld and Bergen agree, was that of working with 40-plus writers and volunteers to meet deadlines and bring the project to completion in a timely manner. Neufeld says work began in December in order to have the devotional ready by Feb. 13, the first day of Lent.

The devotional is offered both online, using WordPress blog format, as well in print. North Fresno attendees LynAnne Wiest and Dani Dickie played key roles in making the project a reality in print and online.

The devotional has been well-received at North Fresno. Bergen says that the congregation quickly snatched up the roughly 200 printed copies, and the online version boasted nearly 2,000 hits within the first two weeks.

Congregants engaged with the writers and with each other through online comments and through face-to-face conversations on Sundays. In addition, Bergen talks about an intangible spiritual and emotional “energy” surrounding the project. He feels that sharing stories in this way has helped the congregation better connect, and he hopes that as a result North Fresno will enjoy stronger relationships and a depth of community for the long term.

Bergen would like to see this kind of sharing become an ongoing part of North Fresno life. “We need to hear each other’s voices,” he says.

Leaders will evaluate the project after it’s done, but it’s likely that North Fresno will try something like this again. In fact, Bergen encourages other congregations to consider something similar, whether for a specific season, such as Lent, or “just because.” He says, “Make up an excuse to do it.”

Find the North Fresno Lent devotional here: http://northfresnochurch.wordpress.com/.

Everence Communication

Everence Community Investments is the first faith-based investor organization to commit funds for economic redevelopment initiative along the East Coast.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Everence Community Investments is investing $500,000 through the Isaiah Fund to provide capital for long-term redevelopment needs in communities ravaged by the storm.

Everence, formerly Mennonite Mutual Aid, is the stewardship agency of Mennonite Church USA and has long-standing ties to USMB and other denominations with historic Anabaptist roots.

Founded by Everence Community Investments and five other faith-based investor organizations, the Isaiah Fund is dedicated to investing in communities devastated by disaster. Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Isaiah Fund raised and/or invested $5 million and made more than $3 million in community development deposits and loans throughout the Gulf Coast, focusing on low-income neighborhoods in New Orleans.

Since then, the Isaiah Fund has begun to turn its attention to other regions of the country impacted by disasters.
Hurricane Sandy, which hit the east coast of the United States in late October 2012, caused tens of billions of dollars in damage. According to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, the storm caused an estimated $50 billion in losses, putting it as one of the worst natural disasters ever to occur in the United States.

“As people of faith, we are compelled to help our neighbors in times of need,” says Mark Regier, Everence Director of Stewardship Investing. “While addressing immediate human needs after a disaster is critical, it is often long-term economic development that ensures a bright future for already disadvantaged communities. That’s why investment in The Isaiah Fund made by Everence Community Investments and others are so important.”

Everence Community Investments seeks innovative ways to channel investment dollars to underserved communities across the country and around the world. These community development investments provide support for projects such as neighborhood revitalization, low- income housing, church construction, microfinance and ecological enterprises.

Everence, headquartered in Goshen, Ind., helps individuals, organizations and congregations integrate finances with faith through a national team of advisors and representatives. Everence offers banking, insurance and financial services with community benefits and stewardship education. USMB congregations are among the churches that annually receive grants through the Everence Sharing Fund program that is designed to serve individuals facing financial distress.

To learn more, visit www.everence.com or call (800) 348-7468.

By Myra Holmes

One-day USMB regional events designed to equip and encourage local church leaders.

In an effort to strengthen local churches, USMB is offering a series of LEAD ONE events—one-day, regional events for leadership training and discussion.

“It’s our conviction that local church ministry people are best when they are spiritually healthy and growing,” says Ed Boschman, USMB executive director. “This event helps with that.”

LEAD ONE events are scheduled next week in the Southern District Conference: Feb. 25 at Memorial Road MB Church, Edmond, Okla., and Feb. 26 at Koerner Heights MB Church, Newton, Kan. Events are scheduled in April for the Latin American MB (LAMB) district and the Central District Conference (CDC) and in May for the North Carolina District Conference.

In the last year and a half, at least 10 LEAD ONE events have served between 250 and 350 people. Don Morris, director of Mission USA, the church planting and renewal arm of USMB, says the LEAD—Leadership Education And Development—events are designed to provide “new tools for the leadership toolbox.”

LEAD ONE is not only for pastors, but also for all church staff and volunteer ministry leaders: pastors, associate pastors, elders, trustees, deacons, children’s ministry leaders, small group leaders—“anybody that has any kind of leadership role,” says Morris.

The hope is that congregations will send a team of key leaders to the event nearest them.

“LEAD ONE is built on teamwork; it’s not built just on pastors,” says Morris.

He notes that pastors often have access to other, excellent resources, but it’s often difficult for a single attendee to share the learning and vision with a larger team. In contrast, as church teams attend LEAD ONE together, it provides opportunity for greater ownership, perhaps sparking discussion in the van on the way home or inspiring new cooperative efforts.

Morris also notes that LEAD ONE is not an attempt to duplicate those other seminars or conferences available to pastors: “This is for us; it’s for Mennonite Brethren.”

LEAD ONE events are designed to return to a given region every six months or so. As teams return again and again, they gain new tools. “It’s adding a hammer this time, adding a screwdriver next time,” Morris says. “It’s adding those things that make a difference.”

LEAD ONE is part of a larger USMB church health strategy, which also includes LEAD Labs, brief seminars designed to tackle a specific topic or issue; CHAT church health surveys; and LEAD Coaching, a network of trained MB coaches for life-on-life impact for pastors and leaders.

Before USMB rolled out this new set of resources, church health was addressed primarily through intensive consultations with only a handful of churches each year, and USMB desired to more effectively invest in existing churches.

“We started to dream about ways we could truly add value to our existing churches,” says Morris.

The resulting package of resources, he says, “has potential to be much more effective for a multitude of churches on a regular basis.”

Boschman says, “As we resource people for ministry health and ministry strategy, it can’t help but ramp up the impact and the effectiveness of those ministries. If we can get that done for several staffers and ministry leaders at any local church, we’re confident that ministry impact will be increased.”

Each LEAD ONE event includes “soul food” from a district minister or local pastor to keep the focus on God, five or six presentations on a variety of topics and plenty of time for interaction.

Topics are broad enough to apply to many areas of ministry. A session on evaluating ministry effectiveness, for example, might be equally helpful for a youth worker or a senior pastor. A session on effectively leading a team could help both a worship leader and a children’s ministry leader.

“The topics covered aren’t specific to one ministry,” says Morris. “We want them to transcend all types of ministry.”

Presenters are a mix of local church leaders, USMB staff and partners and guest speakers. Each has expertise in their area of ministry. Boschman might talk about casting vision, or Jon Wiebe, president and CEO of MB Foundation, might give some practical financial advice. For an upcoming LEAD ONE in the Southern District Conference, former NFL player Todd Franz will speak on teamwork.

“We’re looking for excellence,” says Morris. “We want LEAD ONE to have a lot of take-away.”

In addition to practical sessions, LEAD ONE offers ample time for interaction between attendees, through informal mingling time, discussion in both large and small groups and as church teams.

And that, says Morris, is a key benefit of LEAD ONE. “We can help each other,” he says.

Boschman adds that LEAD ONE is an example of U.S. Mennonite Brethren functioning as one family: “It’s our own family encouraging, helping, inspiring and resourcing one another.”

The events are free; attendees are asked to contribute $15 to the host church to cover lunch and refreshments. USMB receives no funds from these events, and presenters are not paid an honorarium. “We’re trying to keep the cost at a minimum,” says Morris.

Morris welcomes input from those who would like to help organize or host an event in their area, as well as from those who have ideas for topics or presenters. Email him at don@missionusa.net.

For more information on specific upcoming events, contact Lori Taylor at lori@usmb.org.

PHOTOS

Photo 1: LEAD ONE events include opportunities for church leadership teams to talk together about the information shared. Photo from Don Morris.

Photo 2: Local pastors, such as Chris Eidse of the Boone (NC) MB Church as well as USMB staff and ministry partner leaders are among the resource speakers for LEAD ONE events.

From David Wiebe, ICOMB executive secretary

The International Community of Mennonite Brethren offers a global perspective to the issues surrounding state and society and love and nonresistance.

Among those attending the USMB Board of Faith and Life study conference held last month in Phoenix, Ariz., were a number of representatives from various Mennonite Brethren and inter-Mennonite agencies:

• Randy Friesen, executive director of MB Missions
• David Wiebe, general secretary for the International Community of Mennonite Brethren
• John Roth, representing Mennonite World Conference
• Ron Byler, representing Mennonite Central Committee
• Larry Dunn, representing the Fresno Pacific University Center for Peace and Conflict Studies
  

The study conference examined Article 12: State and Society and Article 13: Peace and Nonviolence. These representatives were invited to share how they are involved in peacemaking during the closing session Saturday morning.

ICOMB’s David Wiebe, pictured left, updated the study conference participants on the growth of Mennonite Brethren conferences around the globe. Wiebe also asked leaders from ICOMB member conferences to comment on the issues of church and state and peace. That message, along with Wiebe’s introduction, is reprinted here.

It’s exciting to see our movement is making a contribution to God’s kingdom from all over. In this light, the International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) works to facilitate global theological exchange. We need to hear from each other. We can foster vision, growth and maturity as a global faith family by such exchange. To Larry Nikkel, Ed Boschman and the rest of the USMB leadership: Thank you, on behalf of ICOMB, for the opportunity to share some edited global MB perspectives at this study conference.

At the Renewing Identity and Mission Symposium in 2010, Doug Heidebrecht, theologian and missionary in India said: “Mennonite Brethren in North America have much to learn from their brothers and sisters who seek to follow Jesus faithfully within very different cultural settings…. The point is not to develop a Confession abstracted from any particular context, but rather to embrace the richness that various cultural perspectives bring…” (Renewing Identity and Mission, p. 150)

On The Church and State

1. We tend to identify a certain party as “good” and the other party or parties as “bad.” In this, the church tends to submit to and pray only for the leaders of their own party. In this context, the Evangelical church is often tempted to use the state for its utilitarian interests and not for the good of all.

2. As the church grows in size or economic wealth, we are seduced by consumerism or power, and we’re tempted to adopt the “rules of the market,” as one respondent put it.

3. Sometimes the state recognizes the power and potential of the evangelical church. For example in Brazil, the government is pushing very strongly for homosexual rights, with gay marriage approval and the rights to adopt children. Evangelicals were able to avoid the distribution of the “gay kit” for public schools.

4. Any time there is a growing connection between church and state, the church is drawn into compromising on issues pushed by the state. The church must be alert to what’s happening and to be strong to take a stand where called for.

On Love and Nonresistance

1. The church in our global family understands the need for a commitment to peace, a peace theology and a witness to peace through Christ because violence is so rampant in many countries.

2. Some of our churches exist in peaceful countries and have not had to develop a strongly articulated peace position. They recognize this difference and offer prayers for others in our global family who must find their way.

3. Many in our global family rely on a message of peace in areas of witness to Muslims. Some say we cannot reach Muslims authentically without the message of peace. Where people suffer for their faith, the stories of our Anabaptist history of persecution and martyrdom for their beliefs provide personal comfort and strengthen our faith family identity.

4. “Turning the other cheek” is an exercise of power, because the weak person thus sets the agenda, and whoever sets the agenda has power (African source).

5. The churches of our global family have not all been trained to critique and discuss conflicting positions. They often fragment over trivial disagreements and in fights for power, status, influence and access to resources. This happens at local church and conference levels. They need and want the gift of peace and conflict management.

A comment to this study conference from Brazil: The attempt to hear one another from different parts of the world can really help us to grow. We are thankful for the interest shown and the request for our response. It would be great if we would also hear of the outcomes so the process does not stop.

Thank you again for the opportunity to share with you on behalf of ICOMB.

By Mark J.H. Klassen

This weekend, Mennonite Brethren in India will dedicate a two-story classroom building honoring Paul Hiebert and located on the MB Centenary Bible College campus.

This weekend the Mennonite Brethren Church of India will be hosting the dedication observances of the new Hiebert Memorial Academic Center on the campus of the Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College in Shamshabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The building, to be dedicated Feb. 23, is named after the late Paul Hiebert, former missionary to India and world-renowned mission anthropologist, who was born in Shamshabad in 1933 to missionary parents. The building dedication is linked with the graduation of 30 students who are prospective church leaders.

The vision for a new academic center originated in the heart of the late VK Rufus, former principal of MBC Bible College, and has been facilitated by PB Arnold, the president of the Governing Council of the MB Church of India. When Hiebert died in March 2007, it was agreed that a fitting tribute to him would be a building in India where he and his wife, Frances, had served as missionaries, as had his parents and grandparents.

Hiebert had personally set aside a sum of $50,000 for the college. Additional funds were then collected from North America ($270,000) and from India ($30,000). Construction began in late 2010 and the building was completed in late 2012.

The two-story building features eight classrooms and is an attractive addition to the facilities already in place. The new facility is quickly becoming, as hoped, a centerpiece for the India MB Conference, which now numbers more than 150,000 members in over 900 churches.

MBC Bible College students come to the college from as far away as northeast India geographically and denominationally include Mennonite Brethren and Methodists, Baptists and others. There are 129 students enrolled this year.

Along with the support of MB Mission, the North American facilitators for the project were Paul Wiebe, Werner Kroeker and Elmer Martens. They worked in partnership with Indian leaders: Rev. Dr PB Arnold, president of the Governing Council of the MB Church of India; Rev. Dr RS Lemuelm, president of the Board of Theological Education; and Rev. IP Asheervadam, principal of MBC Bible College.

By Connie Faber

Organizers anticipate that Plant 2013 dinners and auctions to be held in Dinuba, Calif., later this month and in Wichita, Kan., in April, will raise $50,000 to fund planting six new churches.

Funding the USMB goal of planting 60 new congregations—six new churches each year for the next 10 years—will require an increased financial commitment from individuals and U.S. Mennonite Brethren congregations.

And so USMB is hosting two regional Plant 2013 fundraising events to raise awareness of USMB activities and support for new church plants.

"Because we are trusting the Lord of the church to enable us to partner in the planting of six new churches a year, we need to be active in sharing that vision and calling on God's people to provide the financial resources,” says Ed Boschman, USMB executive director. “These are the reasons for Plant 2013."

Plant 2013 Pacific is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 23, in Dinuba, Calif., and Plant 2013 Midwest is on the calendar for April 20 in Wichita, Kan. Both events will begin with a silent auction followed by dinner and a live auction. Donations for the Dinuba auctions are still being accepted, as are donations for the Wichita auctions. Individuals interested in making a donation should contact J Epp, USMB director of development.

Currently Epp is hard at work organizing the Dinuba event. He hopes to see 200 people at the event and to raise $25,000 for church planting, goals Epp hopes to meet again in April in Wichita.

Event goers are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 pm in order to participate in the silent auction. Silent auction items will include baked goods, two two-foot tall handmade dolls, family board/electronic games and other hand-crafted items.

Tickets for the 6:30 p.m. dinner are $15 when purchased in advance and $20 at the door. A table for eight goes for $100. Advance tickets can be purchased at local church offices or online.

Among the items auctioneer Todd Croissant will be selling at Plant 2013 Pacific are two weeklong stays—one at a four-bedroom home in Lincoln City, Ore., and a second at a villa in Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. The Oregon home, in the gated community of Indian Shores on a freshwater lake and six blocks from a beach on the Pacific Ocean, sleeps 12 and has five bathrooms. The Mexico condo has a partial ocean view from the balcony and sleeps up to eight.

Other items donated for the auction include a National Football League football signed by David Carr , a quarterback for the New York Giants, and a pair of cleats signed by Carr and his brother, Derek, who is a quarterback on the Fresno (Calif.) State Bulldog football team. Other items to be auctioned include entertainment opportunities, antiques and home and garden items.

While participants will enjoy a catered dinner and the fun of bidding on a variety of donated items, Epp says people will also learn about the work of the national conference.

“We want to expose more and more people to the ministries of the USMB,” says Epp, “as we invest in the local church through LEAD events, mentoring and church assessments, plant new churches and grow new leaders through Ministry Quest and local church internships.”

By Connie Faber

New pastors to gather March 11-13 for orientation to UMSB history, ministries and leaders and to connect with one another and USMB leaders.

Pastors new to the pastorate or new to USMB ministry will be familiarized with U.S. Mennonite Brethren history, agencies and personnel when they meet March 11-13 in San Diego, Calif. The registration deadline for the 2013 National Pastors Orientation (NPO) is Feb. 18.

The three-day event, hosted by the USMB Board of Faith and Life (BFL), provides new lead and staff pastors and their spouses with opportunities to learn about the Mennonite Brethren family and the many resources available to local churches, to meet leaders of district, national and North American Mennonite Brethren ministries and to connect with other pastors.

“In order for us to function effectively as one family on one mission, it is a huge boost if we have good personal connectedness and common knowledge of what we are committed to and how we do what we do,” says Ed Boschman, USMB executive director. “This event is extremely helpful in linking us together as a national team.”

Tim Geddert, Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary professor of New Testament and a BFL member, and Valerie Rempel, Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary associate dean and associate professor of history and theology, will be the resource speakers.

Geddert will speak to the group Monday afternoon on “The Church and God’s Mission.” Tuesday morning Rempel will review the birth of Anabaptism and Mennonites and outline the birth and 150-year history of Mennonite Brethren.

Boschman, BFL chair Larry Nikkel and Don Morris, director of Mission USA, the USMB church planting and renewal ministry, will provide input during the orientation. Steve Schroeder, chair of the USMB Leadership Board, and Lynn Jost, dean of Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary, will give the morning devotions.

Other individuals involved in the orientation sessions will be Jon Wiebe of MB Foundation, Randy Friesen of MB Mission and Amy Sterk of Kindred Productions, USMB staff members and district ministers.

Registration covers 3 nights of deluxe lodging at Island Palms Hotel and Marina, meals and all NPO events. In addition to times of worship and input sessions, the schedule includes a variety of group activities on Monday intended to build relationships among the pastors and ministry leaders and free time Tuesday afternoon.

Participants can register online at www.usmb.org/NPO2013. New lead and staff pastors are expected to attend the event, subsidized heavily by USMB and strongly supported by district leaders. The event begins Monday morning and concludes Wednesday after lunch.

By Connie Faber, CL Editor

U.S. Mennonite Brethren discussed varying convictions about Articles 12 and 13 of the Confession of Faith when they met in Phoenix last month for the first USMB Board of Faith and Life study conference.

How was it? is a question I've been asked more than once since returning home from the Board of Faith and Life (BFL) study conference held Jan. 24-26 in Phoenix, Ariz. This was the first study conference hosted by BFL since the binational General Conference was divested to the U.S. and Canadian national conferences in 2003.

The study conference concerned Article 12 (Society and State) and Article 13 (Love and Nonresistance) of the USMB Confession of Faith, two articles about which U.S. Mennonite Brethren do not have consensus. Given the diversity of convictions we have about this stuff, I think a lot of us were curious how the discussion would play-out. 

So, how was it? The April/May issue of the Christian Leader will include a special report of the study conference. Meanwhile, here are several personal observations about the historic three-day event. 

Thanks to great hosts, conference participants could focus on the agenda. There were few if any complaints about the service offered by Coast Phoenix Sky Harbor Hotel, and USMB event coordinator Donna Sullivan once again did a stellar job. Folks from area USMB congregations provided sound and projection equipment and technicians as well as musicians that led in daily times of worship. Participants affirmed the work that Larry Nikkel, BFL chair and study conference M.C., and Ed Boschman, UMSB executive director, invested in planning the event.

Attendance exceeded expectations. Organizers were hoping that at least 100 people would register. That a total of 174 people attended the conference demonstrates that U.S. Mennonite Brethren “care deeply about these topics,” said BLF chair Larry Nikkel in his opening remarks Thursday afternoon.

The five district USMB conferences were each represented. According to a pre-conference registration list, 57 registrants came from the Pacific District Conference; 54 from the Southern District Conference; 12 from the Central District Conference; two from the North Carolina District Conference and one from the Latin America MB Conference. Additionally, 21 people from the Canadian Conference of MB Churches leadership team attended the conference, as did 15 representatives from various USMB and inter-Mennonite agencies.

“Your presence here spoke volumes,” said Gary Wall, Pacific District Conference minister and BFL member, noting that some people attended at their own expense and that lead pastors of larger churches attended as did representatives of denominational schools and agencies. “This matters to us,” said Wall.

Wall and other BFL members served as the study conference Listening Committee, and they reported as part of the final session.

The wide participation also indicates people’s commitment to the U.S. Conference of MB Churches, said BFL member Tim Geddert. “We believe in our church family—not just the topic,” he said. “You were here not only because of Articles 12 and 13 but because of the U.S. family, and that encourages me.”

While there was good diversity, some viewpoints were missing. Table discussions throughout the study conference were enhanced by the assortment of people who attended. Study conference attendees were of a variety of ages, including two high school students. They represented a diversity of professions: educators, pastors, farmers and ranchers, small business owners and social workers.

While USMB congregations are largely Anglo, we are more ethnically diverse than study conference attendance indicates. Only about six of the 174 participants were Hispanic or African American. More than once, folks noted with regret the lack of representation from particularly Hispanic and Slavic congregations.

And although men and women are involved in local church ministries, men certainly outnumbered women at the study conference. Attendees included 32 women.

One thing I am still mulling over is whether the opinions, particularly concerning Article 13, of U.S. Mennonite Brethren were well represented. It was difficult to get a good read on the ratio of “pacifists” to “patriots” at the study conference. If each table group had been asked to report on their discussion, participants might have developed a sense of whether the whole group tilted one way or the other or was evenly mixed.

As it was, the open mic time gave participants the freedom to speak personally or on behalf of their table, and people did both. No one could leave the study conference saying they never had the opportunity to speak their mind, and that was a good thing.

The study conference demonstrated peacemaking. Observers confirmed what participants sensed: that people disagreed well. The tone of the conference affirmed that U.S. Mennonite Brethren really do want to exemplify living as a harmonious church.

At each content session, a BFL member introduced both the presenter and the responder, often asking both to come to the stage for a prayer on their behalf. Responders highlighted central points of the presenter’s paper and affirmed the speaker for points made. When responders did note instances of disagreement, it was done graciously.

Presentations and responses were followed by a session devoted to table discussions and an open mic time. When differences of opinion emerged during small group discussions, participants seemed to deal graciously with one another. While open mic times during Friday’s discussions of Article 13 were livelier than those Thursday pertaining to Article 12, people spoke briefly, calmly and did not confront one another.

The final paper by Tim Geddert on living with diversity as well as Brent Warkentin’s response attempted to provide a framework for agreeing even while disagreeing. The Friday evening session highlighted ways in which USMB churches are engaged in peacemaking and reconciliation ministries. The conversation that evening endorsed the emphasis on active peacemaking in Article 13.

But we do disagree. While there was strong affirmation that U.S. Mennonite Brethren carry on the commitment to being a peace church, to living as peacemakers and to giving primary allegiance to God and his kingdom, we do not agree on exactly what that looks like.

For example, we do not agree on when, if ever, it is appropriate for an individual to legitimately use violence to defend oneself or someone else. We don’t agree on how to interpret God’s actions in the Old Testament and Jesus’s teachings in the New Testament. And also we don’t have consensus about the role of the Confession of Faith. Is it prescriptive or descriptive?

While the study conference identified points of disagreement, there was only limited discussion on these differing convictions. There was also minimal conversation about the Confession of Faith articles themselves, and disagreements about the confession are what prompted the study conference in the first place.

The Board of Faith and Life has a challenging job ahead of itself when members meet in March to determine the next steps.

The title of this study conference—Kingdom Citizens in a World of Conflict—reflects what we know to be true: U.S. Mennonite Brethren are Christians who disagree on important matters. And so BFL has to figure out how best to lead us forward in spite of disagreements.

When they meet next month, BFL will be aided in this process by the information they collected at the study conference. The board will review pages of notes compiled during table discussions. They will review the results of an evaluation asking participants to rank how well the stated study conference objectives were met. BFL will wade through responses to seven essay questions requesting participants’ feedback and counsel.

While BFL members did not seem sure of what is next, they do agree that the task before them is challenging.

“The next step might be equal in magnitude (to convening a study conference),” said BLF member Michael Eldridge.

“This is no small task,” said BFL member Gary Wall, “and we appreciate your prayers.”

In his closing remarks, BFL chair Larry Nikkel spoke about the importance of trust as the board continues its work. “We need your trust and we know that trust needs to be earned,” said Nikkel. “As we work forward, we will continue pursuing trust.”

As BFL labors to balance a commitment to Jesus as Lord and peacemaking with the current diversity of opinion, practice and conviction, I recommend that we trust them to work hard at the demanding task before them, and that we pray for them.

By Connie Faber

More than 160 participants will meet this week to discuss two articles in the USMB Confession of Faith about which there is not consensus.

Organizers are thrilled to be hosting more than 160 participants this week in Phoenix, Ariz., for the 2013 USMB study conference on two related articles of the USMB Confession of Faith about which U.S. Mennonite Brethren do not have consensus.

Study conference participants will be discussing Article 12, Society and State, and Article 13, Love and Nonresistance. The three-day event, hosted by the USMB Board of Faith and Life (BFL), will include five presentations, each followed by a response paper, Bible study and small group discussion.

“I'm prayerful that we as a national family will talk freely and meaningfully about this important and timely topic,” says Ed Boschman, USMB executive director, “and that in the end we will find a way towards unity in these matters. Article 13 in particular has for too long been divisive and therefore has distracted us from our mission.”

Study conference organizers hoped that attendance for “Kingdom Citizens in a World of Conflict,” as the Jan. 24-26 study conference is called, would attract 150 participants. One week out, USMB event coordinator Donna Sullivan reported 163 registrants, and she expects the final number to be slightly higher due to last minute registrations.

While each of the five USMB district conferences (Pacific, Southern, Central, Latin America and North Carolina) and their district boards of faith and life are represented, organizers had hoped the representation would be broader.

In early January, Boschman used his monthly electronic newsletter to pastors and other district and national leaders to encourage additional participation. “I am saddened that we do not have strong representation from all parts of our constituency,” wrote Boschman.

Boschman specifically encouraged every member of a district board of faith and life to register. “We as a National Board of Faith and Life have communicated that we cannot imagine doing this well without that reality. I pray it will yet happen.”

Total study conference registrations, which did grow following Boschman's plea, include 22 Canadian participants as well as representatives from Fresno Pacific University’s Peace and Conflict Studies Program, the International Community of Mennonite Brethren, Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Central Committee, who are presenters in a session highlighting peacemaking in the broader world.

“I'm very excited about the study conference,” says Larry Nikkel, USMB Board of Faith and Life chair. “That so many have registered confirms these topics as being of high interest and importance to our constituency. My prayer continues to be that people come with a greater heart for understanding the complexities of these issues than with the hopes of winning everyone to their unique viewpoint. I believe God will honor that prayer.”

Following the study conference an online discussion will be held on the USMB website to invite wider USMB participation in the discussion begun at the study conference. The online discussion will provide input for BFL on the mood, biases and positions of the USMB family as the board reviews the articles, identify areas of unity and determine the best path forward in processing the USMB commitment to peacemaking. The discussion blog, moderated by Myra Holmes, USMB social media coordinator, will open Jan. 28.

For more on the 2013 study conference, Kingdom Citizens in a World of Conflict:

• visit the event website, which lists presenters.

• read a panel discussion concerning the reasons behind and goals for the study conference published in the Oct/Nov Christian Leader.

By Connie Faber

USMB and MB Foundation are hosting nine Will Power events to highlight the importance of preparing a will and to encourage participants to consider including USMB in their wills in order to fuel ministries in the years ahead.

If you are among the seven out of 10 people who do not have a will, you are invited to attend one of nine Will Power events hosted over the next three months by USMB and MB Foundation (MBF), the U.S. Mennonite Brethren stewardship ministry.

Events are being planned for February through April and will be held in Corn and Enid Okla.; Wichita and Hillsboro, Kan.; Huron SD; and Bakersfield, Reedley, Fresno and Lodi Calif. Although planners are specifically inviting those over the age of 65, everyone is welcome.

MBF staff members will be present to help attendees understand the ins and outs of preparing or updating a will, but the primary purpose of the Will Power events is to encourage individuals to leave a legacy gift that fuels ministry, specifically the ministry of USMB, the national conference of U.S. Mennonite Brethren.

“We are a conduit,” says Jon Wiebe, MBF president and CEO, “trying to help folks understand the benefit of leaving a legacy gift to help spur on USMB ministry.”

A MBF advisor will be present at every Will Power event to “unpack what it means to leave a legacy gift that fuels ministry,” says Wiebe. “We’ll share stories to give a taste of how others have or plan to fuel ministry and present some ideas to encourage others to leave a legacy gift.”

The prospect of increasing annual USMB income thanks to estate gifts excites USMB staff members. Currently legacy gifts provide only a relatively small income for the conference, says Ed Boschman, USMB executive director. USMB relies primarily on church contributions and additional staff fundraising to fund its ministries.

“This could be big!” says Boschman. “Imagine how our kingdom impact could be multiplied if we had a significant increase in resources…. Presently, all of our ministry staff has significant fundraising responsibilities. It would be wiser to release the team to their ministry assignments and gifting.”

Boschman adds, “We are on a mission in our increasingly pagan mission field, and unless we strengthen our base and grow our family, we will be unable to carry on in both the domestic and foreign mission mandate Jesus has given us.”

J Epp, USMB director of development, agrees. “Long-term funding gives the conference stability in revenue,” he says.

Epp says, “My hope is that the Lord will touch the hearts of those that attend and show them how they can partner with us for…life-changing ministry for years to come.”

Boschman and Epp will represent USMB at the Will Power events and will highlight the work of Mission USA in growing leaders, equipping existing churches and planting new churches.

Given the goal of planting 60 churches in 10 years, church planting is a USMB priority. “As we plant churches, we want to be able to provide for their needs as they grow to become self sufficient,” Epp says.

No estate is too small to provide a legacy gift, says Wiebe. “Everyone needs an estate plan and everyone can make a gift to ministry at their death,” he says. “God doesn’t ask how much we have. He simply asks us to be good stewards of what we have. This includes being generous with the resources he has entrusted to us.”

Research reveals that over 90 percent of Christians leave $0 to God’s work when they die, says Wiebe. “USMB and MB Foundation would like to encourage a different trend. Our experience is that the majority of USMB folks don’t have a plan for their resources when they die and if they have one, it needs to be dusted off and reviewed to make sure it still accomplishes their objectives,” says Wiebe.

All Will Power events are scheduled from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.; locations to be determined. Interested individuals are asked to contact MB Foundation for more information (800.551.1547).

Feb. 10      Corn, Okla.
Feb. 11      Enid, Okla.
Feb. 17      Wichita, Kan.
Feb. 18      Hillsboro, Kan.
April 14     Huron, SD
April 18     Bakersfield, Calif.
April 22     Reedley, Calif.
April 23     Fresno, Calif.
April 25     Lodi, Calif.

Compiled by Connie Faber

This list of events offers the CL editor’s best guess at what we will regard has having significantly influenced USMB congregations and ministries. Where possible, links are provided to the original story on our website.

When we look back on 2012, what events will we regard as having significantly influenced the USMB family of churches? Only time will tell, but here are the happenings that the CL editors anticipate will have a lasting impact on U.S. Mennonite Brethren congregations and agencies. Where possible, links are provided to the original story on our website.

Mission USA is successful in planting six new churches. When USMB Leadership Board and USMB staff members heard in late 2011 that Mission USA director Don Morris believed God was calling U.S. Mennonite Brethren to plant six new churches in 2012 and to raise the money necessary for such a project, they eagerly grabbed hold of the goal and expanded the vision to six churches a year for the next 10 years.

Fast forward to the fall of 2012 when Morris announced at the October Leadership Board meeting that one-half dozen new USMB churches, planted in partnership with district conferences, were at various stages in the planting process. It would be an understatement to say that the Leadership Board and USMB staff were enormously thankful for God’s blessings.

Four of the new churches are in the Pacific District Conference: Axiom Church in the greater Phoenix area; Christ Church Sellwood in the greater Portland, Ore., area; Mountain View Community Church Sunnyside in Fresno, Calif.; and a yet-unnamed English-language church in Spokane, Wash., that is being planted by Pilgrim Slavic Baptist Church, a Russian-speaking USMB congregation in that city. The fifth church plant is Grace Point @ McAllen in McAllen, Texas and is part of the Latin America MB Conference. The Stone, the sixth church plant in Denver, Colo., and part of the Southern District Conference, is an “affiliated” church and currently not an USMB-member church.

The goal is to again plant six new churches in 2013.

Photo: Mission USA director Don Morris prays for USMB church planters during Conection 2012.

USMB budget growth has its ups and downs. Funding a 10-year church planting strategy while also growing other ministries requires additional financial resources. And so for the first time, delegates to the USMB biennial national convention, held July 25-28, 2012, in Omaha, Neb., were asked to approve a $1 million-plus budget—and they did. The 2012-13 budget of $1,018,524, a 20 percent increase over the previous year, reflected an aggressive plan that incorporated new staff and new initiatives, including church planting.

But when the USMB Leadership Board met three months later, church contributions were 20 percent behind projections and initial staff fundraising goals were off target. And so the board downsized the historic budget, approving a revised budget of $941,154.

Given the importance of securing additional funding for growing USMB ministries, the board was encouraged by the presence of longtime U.S. Mennonite Brethren pastor J Edward Epp of Henderson, Neb., at their October 2012 meeting. (Photo right: Leadership Board members pray for Epp.) Epp began working Oct 1 as the full-time USMB director of development, a position held on a part-time basis from October 2011 to April 2012 by Derk Madden, pastor of Discovery Bible Church of Collinsville, Okla.

2012 will also be remembered as the year that USMB said goodbye to church “norms,” the long-standing method for funding national programs that was based on church membership. Conection 2012 delegates approved a new funding model that asks congregations to forward 2.5 percent of their annual income, defined as tithes and offerings received by the congregation to support its general budget, to the national conference.

New Mission USA coaching program invests in strengthening existing congregations. A team of trained USMB coaches has begun offering personal, one-on-one coaching to equip local church leaders and to help them achieve their goals. Jeff Nikkel, currently pastor of Trailhead Church, Centennial Colo., is serving as the “head coach” for LEAD Coaching, a new program in the Mission USA church health program.

Graduate theological education goes digital. While the 2010 divestiture of Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary to the United States and Canada initially created uncertainty on both sides of the 49th parallel, the process resulted in funding for online graduate theological education (GTE).

Eight core seminary courses are being developed for online delivery thanks in part to a grant of $500,000 from MBBS Inc. In September 2012, Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary offered the first of these two courses, which meet USMB pastor credentialing requirements. FPBS is also in the process of developing a 39-unit master of arts degree in ministry that will include the core Mennonite Brethren courses as well as additional online courses.

When MBBS Inc., was dissolved, funds were forwarded to USMB, designated for graduate theological education program development at Tabor College. In early November, delegates to the Central District Conference were among the first to learn that Rick Bartlett, then pastor of Bethany MB Church in Fresno, Calif., and a former MBBS faculty member and administrator, had been appointed by Tabor College as director of theological education and assistant professor of ministry. Bartlett, who began his new assignment Nov. 15 and is pictured left addressing the CDC convention, will initially focus on developing an online GTE program at the college’s Wichita, Kan. campus.

Investing in the next generation of leaders is worth it. Thanks to those who have a heart for preparing the next generation of pastors, missionaries and lay leaders, USMB young people had new opportunities for service and learning in 2012.

What better way to challenge young adults ages 18 to 35 to think about the direction of their lives and the condition of their hearts than to bring them together for a New Year’s Eve conference? re:TURN, a two-day event sponsored by MB Mission and held in Abbotsford, BC, marked the first time American and Canadians young people celebrated the arrival of a new year together. Event planners hoped that highlighting Jesus’ radical call to discipleship would lead to repentance and renewal and “awaken a wave of God-glorifying revival in our generation.”

Twenty-one high school students from six states comprise the first Ministry Quest cohort for the leadership training and discipleship program that is now owned by Tabor College. The yearlong program, directed by Wendell Loewen, partners with local congregations to call and equip high school students ages 16 to 18 who have leadership potential. Ministry Quest had been part of MB Biblical Seminary and was transferred to Tabor College in the divestiture process.

MB Mission brought 72 volunteers to Salt Lake City for the mission agency’s first SOAR Utah, a 10-day mission experience designed for high school and college students. MB Mission sends teams to least-reached places around the world, and Salt Lake City, home to three of Utah’s four USMB congregations, is truly a least-reached U.S. city.

FPU and CDC celebrate leadership changes. Delegates to Conection 2012, the biennial USMB convention, witnessed the transition in presidential leadership at Fresno Pacific University when retiring president D. Merrill Ewert literally passed the baton to incoming president Pete Menjares, who was inaugurated Sept. 28 as the Mennonite Brethren university’s 11th president. One of Menjares' first tasks is developing a new five-year strategic plan.

The Central District Conference also experienced a change in leadership with the retirement from full-time ministry of CDC district minister Roger Engbrecht. Engbrecht, who served in a variety of ministry roles in the CDC for 33 years, will continue working as the CDC director of ethnic ministries on a part-time basis. Rick Eshbaugh, pastor of Harvey (ND) MB Church, has been appointed as the new CDC district minister and began serving Jan. 1, 2013, in this role on a part-time basis.

2012 was a year of celebrations—for the national conference, a district and local congregations. Every two years, USMB holds a delegate convention and Conection 2012, held July 27-28, was hosted by the five USMB congregations in Omaha, Neb. Highlights included snapshot reports from eight church planters, a time of prayer for incoming Fresno Pacific University President Pete Menjares, the final report from MB Biblical Seminary, Inc. on divestiture of the binational seminary program and inspiring and entertaining evening sessions provided by comedian Kenn Kington and actor Alex Kendrick.

Among the key decisions made during the business sessions was to nationalize the Confession of Faith, currently owned, managed and protected jointly by the Canadian and U.S. national conferences. Conection 2012 delegates approved the recommendation that the two North American national conferences establish independent COF statements, in keeping with the pattern of other national Mennonite Brethren conferences around the world.

The Latin American Mennonite Brethren (LAMB) District celebrated 75 years of ministry Nov. 23. The first church in South Texas was established in 1938 as a result of evangelism efforts by Southern District Conference missionaries Harry and Sarah Neufeld and others. Currently two of the nine LAMB churches are partnering with Mission USA to plant new churches in the region.

Of the at least five USMB congregations that celebrated the completion of a building program, Bible Fellowship Church of Minot, ND, had the unique experience of rebuilding their flood-damaged facility with the help of Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). MDS assisted the USMB congregation with the understanding that the inter-Mennonite disaster relief agency will use the renovated facility to house volunteers for an estimated three-year rebuilding effort in this city that was flooded in 2011.

South Mountain Community Church of Draper, Utah; Birch Bay Bible Community Church of Blaine, Wash.; Community Bible Church of Olathe, Kan.; and Ethiopian Christian Fellowship of Sacramento, Calif., also dedicated new facilities in 2012.

Other significant events:

The death of a Tabor College student as the result of an altercation with McPherson College students put the neighboring Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference schools in the national spotlight. Two McPherson College students were arrested in the case; a preliminary hearing for Alton Franklin and DeQuinte, both 19-year-olds from Dallas, Texas, has been delayed to Jan. 21.

MB Foundation announced at the end of May that for the 21st consecutive year, the USMB stewardship ministry grew by 6.7 percent in 2011despite a basically flat market and a record number of estate distributions resulting in over $4.4 million released to charities.

When national conference representatives of the International Community of Mennonite Brethren gathered in Switzerland May 16-19 they affirmed Canadian David Wiebe as the full-time ICOMB executive director (pictured right) and welcomed a new Mennonite Brethren conference based in northern Thailand as an official ICOMB member, bringing ICOMB membership to 20.

The ICOMB meeting was held prior to the Mennonite World Conference triennial General Council meeting also held in Switzerland. Delegates came from 48 of the 54 countries with MWC member churches. The rise of leadership from the global South was evident. As new general secretary Cesar Garcia, a Mennonite Brethren of Colombia, took charge, MWC moved its head office from Strasbourg, France, to Bogota, Colombia.

In a major reorganization, Mennonite Central Committee dissolved its binational structure, equalizing the roles of its U.S. and Canadian divisions. The change culminated a five-year re-visioning process, called New Wine/New Wineskins, which included consultation with partners around the world. USMB executive director Ed Boschman represented U.S. Mennonite Brethren in the process.

Mennonite Disaster Service marked the conclusion of its seven-year, $8 million Hurricane Katrina project, the longest continuous rebuilding effort in MDS’s 62-year history. In 2012, MDS had 12 binational projects underway, its biggest flurry of new sites since Katrina. Hurricane Sandy, the year’s biggest natural disaster in the U.S., prompted MDS to focus its efforts in three New York City neighborhoods in Queens and Staten Island.

By Karla Braun of the MB Herald with files from Connie Faber

MB Mission sponsors New Year's Eve conference in hopes of sparking renewal among young adults in the U.S. and Canada.

Some 220 young people from across Canada and the U.S. elected to spend New Year’s Eve at church, repenting of corporate sin. They were responding to a challenge from MB Mission to mark the turn of the calendar by renewing—or perhaps discovering—the call of God on their lives at re:TURN, a conference to inspire 18–35 year olds.

“We didn’t expect life to get hard when we turned our lives to Jesus (often as young children),” said MB Mission mobilizer Sam Dick. “We need revival, but we don’t know what that’s going to look like.” The conference was intended to “make space” to “pull the call off the shelf,” he said.

“It was a great way starting the New Year off by allowing God to reveal your heart and to seek transformation through repentance and obedience,” says Jake Schenk of Hillsboro, Kan., who was motivated to attend re:TURN when Dick visited the Tabor College campus and encouraged Schenk and other college staff to attend the event.

While the conference, held Dec. 31-Jan 1 at Northview Community Church in Abbotsford, BC, drew mostly Canadians, there were 35 U.S. participants, primarily from California, Oklahoma, Washington and Kansas.
Dick, who was also one of the re:TURN steering committee members, said the presence of the American contingent created an international feel that impacted the event.

“There is something intangible and yet very special when young leaders from both sides of the border gather to worship Jesus and to dialogue together what a renewal movement might look like in their context,” said Dick in an email after the event.

In the opening session, MB Mission general director Randy Friesen called youth to be radical, to evidence “the DNA of the Lamb” as found in Revelation 14.

The two day conference included five plenary sessions headlined with a worship band led by Winnipeg worship pastor Jamie Niven and Abbotsford worship leader Kevin Boese, and seven workshop offerings on prayer, evangelism, identity, and issues of the heart.

Plenary speakers Randy Friesen, Sam Dick, Carol Letkeman and Mark Zhou spoke honestly from personal experiences, leading the way not only to times of corporate prayer but also corporate repentance.

“We’ve lost sight of how to follow Jesus in a way that transforms,” said U.S. Midwest short-term mission coordinator Joanna Chapa during a panel discussion. Asked to name things that distract North Americans from Jesus, the young attendees listed comfort, individualism/independence, leisure activities, broken families, tolerance of sin, and failure to see those who are different (e.g. Indo-Canadians in Abbotsford, First Nations people in Canada).

As the hour neared midnight, prayer coordinator Esther Corbett spoke about the freedom Jesus offers.

“Confession and repentance move us out of sin management into freedom,” she said. “If we want to move into our inheritance, we as a community need to repent of our collective sins.” She called MB Mission staff (a generation older than most attendees) to lead prayers of repentance for the cultural sins named earlier, and the new year was rung in with songs of praise to God.

Seattle pastor Herb Marks closed the conference the following day by praying for a baptism of the Holy Spirit on attendees. “When Jesus gives you full revelation of who he is, it’s not to keep it to yourself; it’s to take him to your town (John 4),” he said.

U.S. participants contacted by the CL agree that the re:TURN conference was an experience worth the investment of time and resources.

“I was able to worship passionately, to receive uplifting prayer, and to listen to some great words from the speakers,” says Lee Waldron, Hillsboro, Kan., in an email interview following the conference.

Waldron says the conference impacted him corporately as well as personally. “Corporately I was able to connect with some leaders that care about what God is doing in Hillsboro, Kan. We prayed for Tabor College and for an uprising of leaders in the high school youth groups. We prayed for leaders to lead and for Christian families to be reunited and lived out the way God intended.”

From Tabor College

Rick Bartlett has been hired to direct new distance graduate theological education programs at Tabor College.

Rick Bartlett, Fresno, Calif., has been hired as the first Tabor College director of the theological education program, Tabor College President Jules Glanzer announced Jan. 7. Bartlett will also serve as an assistant professor of Christian Ministry and provide direction to the Christian Ministry undergraduate program and the newly created masters degree being offered in Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership.

“We are blessed to have Rick Bartlett provide leadership and expertise as we begin a new chapter at Tabor College,” says Glanzer. “Rick has a rich understanding of our Anabaptist heritage and brings practical experience in ministry and theological education.”

The graduate theological program, which Bartlett will be developing and implementing beginning with the 2014-15 academic year, was made possible, in part, by funding that was provided by USMB and MB Biblical Seminary, Inc., for the purpose of serving the college constituency with distance theological education.

“I am honored for the new opportunity at Tabor College,” says Bartlett. “It is an exciting time. Developing programs that will help people achieve their goals of advanced degrees in ministry and be able to serve the Lord in greater capacities is a wonderful opportunity, in which I am blessed to play a role.”

Tabor College, the Mennonite Brethren college serving the Southern, Central, LAMB and North Carolina district conferences, is participating with other MB institutions of higher learning in providing courses in Anabaptist history, theology and principles. Bartlett will administer this program as well.

Bartlett comes to Tabor after serving as the lead pastor for Bethany Church, a USMB congregation in Fresno, Calif. He has also served as dean of students and director of constituency relations at MB Biblical Seminary and as director of Ministry Quest, while teaching at MBBS as well as Fresno Pacific University.

He holds a doctorate of ministry from George Fox Evangelical Seminary, a master of divinity from MB Biblical Seminary and a bachelor of arts from Fresno Pacific University.

Bartlett and his wife, Karen, have two children.

Mennonite World Conference news story

Mennonite World Conference encourages Anabaptist-related churches to worship around the theme of God’s justice using materials prepared by Colombian churches.

Each year Mennonite World Conference (MWC) encourages Anabaptist-related churches around the world to worship around a common theme, on a Sunday close to January 21. On that day, in 1525, the first Anabaptist baptism took place in Zurich, Switzerland.

World Fellowship Sunday (WFS) provides an opportunity for Anabaptists to remember their common roots and celebrate worldwide koinonia. Churches are encouraged to plan a WFS worship service that will help them enter into fellowship, intercession and thanksgiving with the global faith family.

The 2013 worship materials include biblical texts, prayers, song suggestions and sermon ideas. They are the fruit of the joint work of members of Colombia's three MWC member churches: Iglesia Christiana Menonita (Mennonite Church), Iglesia Hermandad en Cristo (Brethren in Christ) and Iglesias Hermanos Menonitas (Mennonite Brethren).

The theme for the 2013 MWS is “Justice and the Witness of the Church Today,” an issue relevant in all kinds of contexts. God’s justice is often contrary to human beings’ understanding of justice. “We need to understand God’s vision and desire for justice as we seek to know him,” says the WFS worship resources guide. “God’s own Word tells us that our thoughts are not his thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9) unless these are renewed by him (Rom. 12:1-2).

“Government authorities and religious leaders are challenged to promote justice among peoples and communities, but they often fail. Jesus’ followers, therefore, need to live out and proclaim God’s authentic justice in a world where many forms of injustice exist,” says the worship resources guide.

Worship materials are available on the MWC website, in English, French and Spanish: www.mwc-cmm.org. MWC encourages congregations to choose and adapt materials that fit their context. MWC also asks that congregations record how they celebrated World Fellowship Sunday and share the information with MWC so that it can be shared with others in the worldwide family of faith.