In March 2003, the Canadian Board of Faith and Life (BFL) received a request from the Manitoba MB Conference to “consider lifting the current restriction we have on women being senior pastors (and) . . . to simply allow individual churches to make that decision when faced with it” (Don Petker, moderator). BFL’s agenda for its May meetings, which included a study conference on baptism and church membership, was full. At its September meeting the Board devoted an entire day to reflect on the biblical and hermeneutical issues surrounding women in church leadership.
To bring this agenda forward in the constituency, the Board of Faith and Life, together with provincial leadership, is planning open-invitation one-day Learning and Listening Sessions across the country to prepare the national Church for a decision regarding women in leadership. In addition, the Board has time allotted for focused discussion on this issue at Gathering 2004 in Toronto, July 7–10.
The Board of Faith and Life is committed to lead the MB Church through the constructive tension of biblical interpretation and our present context. The Board invites all congregational and individual views, questions and concerns. These may be sent to either our Canadian Conference executive director
David Wiebe or Board of Faith and Life chair
Walter Unger.
The purpose of the open-invitation Learning and Listening Sessions is to explore the biblical, hermeneutical, pragmatic, political, symbolic and personal aspects of the current restriction on women to be lead pastors. We will explore the biblical trajectory that points to the freeing of women for all ministry. There will also be time for reflection, sharing and prayer.
The first two Learning and Listening Sessions have been set for Ontario, May 14–15, and Manitoba, October 30. Look for upcoming sessions in your region, to be announced in the Herald.
—Walter Unger, chair
The purpose of a study conference
The Mennonite Brethren are a confessional people. As such, we continually seek to hear what God is saying to us. Five hundred years ago, the Anabaptists determined four ways that they could discern the will of God: through Scripture; through the life of Christ; through the voice of the Holy Spirit who resides in each believer; and through the discerning community of faith.
We believe the community of faith working together – such as at a study conference – and guided by the Holy Spirit and the Word, forms a community hermeneutic. That is, we interpret Scripture and choose a direction together. We hope to uphold our Confession of Faith, yet consider the challenge of variant practice in this issue.
Resources
by Doug Heidebrecht
by Doug Heidebrecht
