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Executive board clarifies position on sexual abuse
Five Questions
Health care workers to confer at Paraguay 2009
MDS builds homes and friendships
Art exhibit at Bethany College
Coming Soon
___________________________________________________________________
Executive board clarifies position on sexual abuse
The executive board of the Canadian MB conference approved a statement at their board meetings in January that clarifies its position on child sexual abuse.
The statement “strongly and without reservation” affirms that “the Mennonite Brethren church believes that the sexual violation of children is morally wrong and that exposing acts of such violation is morally right.”
The provincial conferences have sexual abuse policies designed to guide pastors and church leaders in an appropriate response to victims who come forward with reports of violation. Cases are handled at the provincial level.
“We call on church leaders to be truthful and transparent in dealing with those who claim to be victims of child sexual violation and to observe the policies of their provincial conferences concerning this important area of ministry safety and care,” the statement says. “We call on church leaders to follow the laws of the land with respect to mandatory reporting of child sexual violation.”
“Where needed or requested, the conference through the appropriate channels will appoint an independent third party to investigate claims of sexual violation. We support a victim-centred restorative justice approach to dealing with victims of child sexual violation.”
The executive board reiterated this position because of recent public allegations directed to the MB church by a woman in Ontario. Vidya Narimalla, chair of that province’s Board of Faith and Life, has been leading the response.
The board’s statement, however, is intended as a reminder to all churches, says Canadian executive director David Wiebe, because abuse allegations have arisen in a number of churches in the past. “Our primary concern,” he says, “is to challenge and assist our churches to be places of healing for those who have been hurt.”
–Dora Dueck
___________________________________________________________________
Five Questions
Church name: The Dwelling Place
Pastor: Ingrid Reichard
Location: Kitchener, Ont.
What is your mission statement?
To be a tangible witness and agent of God’s kingdom by
• loving God,
• loving one another,
• loving our neighbours in Victoria Hills and around the world.
What makes your church unique?
We have been invited to be long-term tenants in a City of Kitchener community centre. The facility and relationships with the city staff are a great blessing. We also have a strong sense of calling to the Victoria Hills neighbourhood, a multicultural and multi-economic community in Kitchener.
What was the defining moment for your congregation?
It was the Sunday in January 2007 when we moved into the newly expanded community centre (previously we had met in a local school). We now feel like we are in the heart of the community, better able to partner with other local churches and community groups. Around the same time, we committed to obedience through a prayer which is now part of our membership process. The prayer declares that we are individually and collectively available to God for his glory.
How would you describe your church?
We are humble, small, faithful, community-minded, able to walk through adversity without losing heart, caring, and focused on our mission.
What does it mean for your church to be evangelical Anabaptist?
Being an instrument of God’s peace and justice to the neighbours around us, whoever they may be, including the many refugees who are part of our church family.
www.theDwellingPlace.ca
___________________________________________________________________
Health care workers to confer at Paraguay 2009
How do we follow the way of Jesus Christ in the health field? Health care workers of Anabaptist faith from around the world will discuss their mission as Christian medical practitioners July 15–16 in Paraguay, in conjunction with Mennonite World Conference Assembly 15.
“This will be a very important opportunity to interact with our peers from many cultures,” says Sam Showalter, executive secretary of Mennonite Medical Association.
Health care professionals have played major roles in Anabaptist missions around the world as well as in their homelands. In Paraguay, Mennonites founded the renowned leprosy hospital, Km 81, east of Asunción, where leprosy patients receive innovative treatment and are reintegrated into the community.
There is no extra charge for Assembly 15 registrants, but participants must register in advance by emailing medicos.menonitas@gmail.com.
—MWC
___________________________________________________________________
MDS builds homes and friendships
Moblie, Ala.
The hand of God is often blamed for natural disasters, but Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is working so God gets credit for the cleanup as well.
An unusually active year for natural disasters, 2008 was also a year of growth for MDS. More than 4,800 people volunteered 26,316 days, in a record number of 14 projects.
At their annual All-Unit Meeting, Feb. 13–14 in Mobile, Ala., the binational organization heard testimonies, not only of homes rebuilt but of lives touched by the love of God.
“It’s more than just building houses,” said Sam Jones, bishop of a U.S. network of Mennonite churches. “It’s showing who God is. You are giving the love of God.”
In addition to responding to tornadoes, hurricanes, and summer flooding, MDS continues to rebuild homes destroyed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “It elevated our capacity to do long-term response,” says Jerry Klassen of Kelowna, B.C., MDS binational disaster response coordinator. Funding sources are declining, he observes, but the number of volunteers continues to be strong.
Phil Maneikis, project director at an MDS camp near New Orleans says MDS volunteers need to meet high standards “because people know we’re Christians. We’ve had people say that they can see the joy of working for God on our faces.”
MDS recently built its first “seed home” outside Picher, Okla., in response to tornado damage. The area, home to 10 Native American tribes, experienced three federally declared disasters in 12 months. “The concept is to build relationships and serve needs,” says Henry Dueck, of Boissevain (Man.) MB Church, who worked on the project.
“You go to bless, but you come home blessed.”
—Karla Braun, from Meetinghouse and MDS reports
___________________________________________________________________
Art exhibit at Bethany College
Jessica Morgun (left) and Cora Lynn Carey have been painting together for 2 years, finding inspiration and friendship from sharing the creative process. A series of paintings called Interval, scheduled for exhibit at Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask., Mar. 20–23, expresses these priorities. “‘Interval’ is a musical term referring to the space between two notes,” explains Morgun, a member at Hepburn MB Church. “[We] seek to explore…what happens in the space between personal hope and despair…or the space between humanity and the divine.” To encourage collaboration with other artists, Bethany students were invited to bring their projects to work on with Morgun and Carey on Mar. 21.
___________________________________________________________________
Coming Soon
2009
Apr. 4 — Quebec Conference of MB Churches convention 2009.
Apr. 18 — Columbia Bible College graduation ceremony, Abbotsford, B.C.
Apr. 24 — Mennonite Disaster Service awareness evening, Edmonton, Alta.
Apr. 26 — Convocation, CMU, Winnipeg.
Apr. 26 — Commencement, Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask.
May 1–2 — B.C. Conference of MB Churches convention 2009, South Abbotsford (B.C.) MB Church.
May 1–2 — Alberta Conference of MB Churches convention 2009, College Drive Community Church, Lethbridge, Alta.
May 13–15 — Pastors Credentialing Orientation, ETEM, Montreal, Que.
May 15 — Going Barefoot II, church communicators’ conference featuring Mike Tennant, CMU, Winnipeg.
July 13–17 — Attack volleyball camp, Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask.
July 14–19 — Mennonite World Conference, Asunción, Paraguay.
July 20–24 — Above the Rim basketball camp, Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask.
Oct. 15–17 — BFL Study Conference, Forest Grove Community Church, Saskatoon.
Five Questions
Health care workers to confer at Paraguay 2009
MDS builds homes and friendships
Art exhibit at Bethany College
Coming Soon
___________________________________________________________________
Executive board clarifies position on sexual abuse
The executive board of the Canadian MB conference approved a statement at their board meetings in January that clarifies its position on child sexual abuse.
The statement “strongly and without reservation” affirms that “the Mennonite Brethren church believes that the sexual violation of children is morally wrong and that exposing acts of such violation is morally right.”
The provincial conferences have sexual abuse policies designed to guide pastors and church leaders in an appropriate response to victims who come forward with reports of violation. Cases are handled at the provincial level.
“We call on church leaders to be truthful and transparent in dealing with those who claim to be victims of child sexual violation and to observe the policies of their provincial conferences concerning this important area of ministry safety and care,” the statement says. “We call on church leaders to follow the laws of the land with respect to mandatory reporting of child sexual violation.”
“Where needed or requested, the conference through the appropriate channels will appoint an independent third party to investigate claims of sexual violation. We support a victim-centred restorative justice approach to dealing with victims of child sexual violation.”
The executive board reiterated this position because of recent public allegations directed to the MB church by a woman in Ontario. Vidya Narimalla, chair of that province’s Board of Faith and Life, has been leading the response.
The board’s statement, however, is intended as a reminder to all churches, says Canadian executive director David Wiebe, because abuse allegations have arisen in a number of churches in the past. “Our primary concern,” he says, “is to challenge and assist our churches to be places of healing for those who have been hurt.”
–Dora Dueck
___________________________________________________________________
Five Questions
Church name: The Dwelling Place
Pastor: Ingrid Reichard
Location: Kitchener, Ont.
What is your mission statement?
To be a tangible witness and agent of God’s kingdom by
• loving God,
• loving one another,
• loving our neighbours in Victoria Hills and around the world.
What makes your church unique?
We have been invited to be long-term tenants in a City of Kitchener community centre. The facility and relationships with the city staff are a great blessing. We also have a strong sense of calling to the Victoria Hills neighbourhood, a multicultural and multi-economic community in Kitchener.
What was the defining moment for your congregation?
It was the Sunday in January 2007 when we moved into the newly expanded community centre (previously we had met in a local school). We now feel like we are in the heart of the community, better able to partner with other local churches and community groups. Around the same time, we committed to obedience through a prayer which is now part of our membership process. The prayer declares that we are individually and collectively available to God for his glory.
How would you describe your church?
We are humble, small, faithful, community-minded, able to walk through adversity without losing heart, caring, and focused on our mission.
What does it mean for your church to be evangelical Anabaptist?
Being an instrument of God’s peace and justice to the neighbours around us, whoever they may be, including the many refugees who are part of our church family.
www.theDwellingPlace.ca
___________________________________________________________________
Health care workers to confer at Paraguay 2009
How do we follow the way of Jesus Christ in the health field? Health care workers of Anabaptist faith from around the world will discuss their mission as Christian medical practitioners July 15–16 in Paraguay, in conjunction with Mennonite World Conference Assembly 15.
“This will be a very important opportunity to interact with our peers from many cultures,” says Sam Showalter, executive secretary of Mennonite Medical Association.
Health care professionals have played major roles in Anabaptist missions around the world as well as in their homelands. In Paraguay, Mennonites founded the renowned leprosy hospital, Km 81, east of Asunción, where leprosy patients receive innovative treatment and are reintegrated into the community.
There is no extra charge for Assembly 15 registrants, but participants must register in advance by emailing medicos.menonitas@gmail.com.
—MWC
___________________________________________________________________
MDS builds homes and friendships
Moblie, Ala.
The hand of God is often blamed for natural disasters, but Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is working so God gets credit for the cleanup as well.
An unusually active year for natural disasters, 2008 was also a year of growth for MDS. More than 4,800 people volunteered 26,316 days, in a record number of 14 projects.
At their annual All-Unit Meeting, Feb. 13–14 in Mobile, Ala., the binational organization heard testimonies, not only of homes rebuilt but of lives touched by the love of God.
“It’s more than just building houses,” said Sam Jones, bishop of a U.S. network of Mennonite churches. “It’s showing who God is. You are giving the love of God.”
In addition to responding to tornadoes, hurricanes, and summer flooding, MDS continues to rebuild homes destroyed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “It elevated our capacity to do long-term response,” says Jerry Klassen of Kelowna, B.C., MDS binational disaster response coordinator. Funding sources are declining, he observes, but the number of volunteers continues to be strong.
Phil Maneikis, project director at an MDS camp near New Orleans says MDS volunteers need to meet high standards “because people know we’re Christians. We’ve had people say that they can see the joy of working for God on our faces.”
MDS recently built its first “seed home” outside Picher, Okla., in response to tornado damage. The area, home to 10 Native American tribes, experienced three federally declared disasters in 12 months. “The concept is to build relationships and serve needs,” says Henry Dueck, of Boissevain (Man.) MB Church, who worked on the project.
“You go to bless, but you come home blessed.”
—Karla Braun, from Meetinghouse and MDS reports
___________________________________________________________________
Art exhibit at Bethany College
Jessica Morgun (left) and Cora Lynn Carey have been painting together for 2 years, finding inspiration and friendship from sharing the creative process. A series of paintings called Interval, scheduled for exhibit at Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask., Mar. 20–23, expresses these priorities. “‘Interval’ is a musical term referring to the space between two notes,” explains Morgun, a member at Hepburn MB Church. “[We] seek to explore…what happens in the space between personal hope and despair…or the space between humanity and the divine.” To encourage collaboration with other artists, Bethany students were invited to bring their projects to work on with Morgun and Carey on Mar. 21.
___________________________________________________________________
Coming Soon
2009
Apr. 4 — Quebec Conference of MB Churches convention 2009.
Apr. 18 — Columbia Bible College graduation ceremony, Abbotsford, B.C.
Apr. 24 — Mennonite Disaster Service awareness evening, Edmonton, Alta.
Apr. 26 — Convocation, CMU, Winnipeg.
Apr. 26 — Commencement, Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask.
May 1–2 — B.C. Conference of MB Churches convention 2009, South Abbotsford (B.C.) MB Church.
May 1–2 — Alberta Conference of MB Churches convention 2009, College Drive Community Church, Lethbridge, Alta.
May 13–15 — Pastors Credentialing Orientation, ETEM, Montreal, Que.
May 15 — Going Barefoot II, church communicators’ conference featuring Mike Tennant, CMU, Winnipeg.
July 13–17 — Attack volleyball camp, Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask.
July 14–19 — Mennonite World Conference, Asunción, Paraguay.
July 20–24 — Above the Rim basketball camp, Bethany College, Hepburn, Sask.
Oct. 15–17 — BFL Study Conference, Forest Grove Community Church, Saskatoon.
