Canadian Mennonite
Volume 10, No. 20
October 16, 2006
General secretary reflects on the state of ‘God’s People Now’: Part 2
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MC Canada general secretary Robert J. Suderman continues his reflections on his cross-country God’s People Now tour of congregations so far. The visits conclude at the end of this month. In the Oct. 2 issue, he presented the first six of 13 issues that churches feel are important. What follows are the final seven, plus his thoughts on where the national church can go from here. Also included are words of wisdom from Henry P. Epp, former chair of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, on the occasion of his 90th birthday.
7. Essence and identity
Related to the concerns about polity and the locus of authority (No. 6 in the last issue) are concerns about how to define the “essence” or “core” of our identity—those things that are understood to be “non-negotiable” and those that are not foundational.
Sometimes these concerns are related to the proper use of the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective in the life of the congregation, sometimes not.
Some understand our identity as a “peace church” as part of our ethnic baggage and thus is not biblically central to who we need to be as a church. Others would see this as the screen that identifies us as truly “Mennonite.”
Some assume that our traditional understanding about sexual practice and same-sex relationships are part of the non-negotiable understandings of our church, while others would suggest that this is open to the discernment of the local or broader church.
Some would say that the way curriculum for Sunday school is chosen, the education that pastors need to have, and the ways in which pastors are selected for the congregation are subject simply to the preferences of the local congregations. Others would prefer to see more consistency and unity of criteria in these decisions across the national church.
And others, again, are simply inconsistent—assuming that the patterns of their congregations are good and those of others are not.
8. Structuring for effectiveness
Related also to the concerns of decision-making and authority are concerns about structuring congregational life in the best way to discern and make the decisions needed to be the church.
There is a strong preference in some areas for a “leadership board” model of congregational discernment. In this model, few, if any, decisions come to the annual meeting of the congregation other than those that would be legally required. Pastors, along with a “leadership board,” are charged with the task of providing leadership for the congregation. And the congregation must provide them the freedom to make the necessary decisions.
Other models are very “democratic” and insist that all decisions, including what colour to paint the bathrooms, must be processed and approved by a congregational vote.
I have been surprised at how many congregations have engaged, are engaging, or are planning to engage, significant restructuring processes designed to adapt governance of the congregations to the demographic and social realities they are facing.
9. Volunteerism
Related to the concerns about restructuring is the concern about finding enough volunteers to fill the committees needed for the church to function. Finding committed Sunday school teachers, church council members, deacons, trustees, youth mentors and sponsors, and musicians is not easy.
Increasingly, congregations are looking to streamline their structures that would essentially involve fewer persons on fewer permanent committees. Comments I heard included:
• “People don’t want to commit to a three-year term.”
• “If we get folks involved in occasional projects, they will more willingly commit to participate.”
• “People are willing to help, but they don’t want to be in charge.”
• “Our folks are so very busy; we just can’t make regular commitments anymore.”
• “How can we compete with minor hockey, swimming lessons, dance classes and the many options for involvement that there are in our communities?”
However, I need to highlight two experiences here.
One was in Saskatchewan, where the small congregation has 70 positions to be filled and they have too many volunteers to do so. They are looking at restructuring in order to create more opportunities for committee work! When I asked them about their secret, they humbly replied, “We just enjoy getting involved in the work of the church.”
The other was an experience in Ontario. One congregation has 15 youth and adult Sunday school classes, each one with two committed teachers. I asked them whether they had any trouble finding teachers, and they said, “No, none at all.”
I asked for their secret, and they told me that every August their superintendent and assistant superintendent go through the membership list and “appoint” which persons would be given the “privilege” of teaching that year. They then go and tell these persons the good news, and it is considered an honour to be asked. “We seldom, if ever, have anyone turn us down,” they said, seemingly perplexed that I would ask.
10. Inter-generational dynamics
Often related to the concerns about worship in the congregation (No. 4 in the last issue) are the inter-generational dynamics of congregational life. These dynamics echo the experience with worship—some congregations have been able to “turn the corner” and others have not.
In each case where they have, it has been possible because the various age sectors of the congregation have begun to “stand guard” for the preferences and the wellbeing of the other age sectors rather than for just their own. When this happens, there is a remarkable spirit of harmony and an absence of competition among generations.
In one congregation, the worship team of young people always asks the group of 80-year-old-plus women whether they enjoyed the words of the new songs, whether the music was too loud, and if there were enough familiar songs in the service. These older women, in turn, are the most vocal supporters imaginable of the youth.
When I asked, “How did you get to be like this?” they answered, “Some years ago we weren’t like this and we’ve all learned our lesson.”
In other congregations, each age sector understands that its role is to defend the needs and preferences of its own sector. When this happens, the walls seem to get higher and the issues become more divisive.
The drums used in worship by the youths seem so much louder, and the traditional hymns get more boring, when you are defending your own rights rather than advocating for the welfare of others.
I have been surprised at the key role a spark of leadership makes in “turning the corner.” Such leadership does not necessarily come from the pastor. Someone—be it a senior, a council member, a deacon or a teenager—has taken some energetic initiative, and it makes all the difference in the world.
11. Local and global
The slogan “from across the street to around the world” captures well another challenge that needs to be highlighted. Congregations are struggling to become more relevant locally, yet they clearly also wish to be globally connected.
Immersing themselves in their own context appears to be new to many. They are trying to find creative ways of doing that. In many places, individuals from the church are very active in community affairs, but this activity does not provide a strong sense that the congregation itself is active in the community.
Some are attempting to encourage individuals to see their involvement in their vocations and community commitments more intentionally in light of being representatives of the church. Others are seeking to harness the individual initiative and bless it as being the “church.” Still others are seeking ways for the congregation to connect much more intentionally with its own context.
A predictable result is that these efforts absorb resources, both financial and human. And then congregations come face to face with their other passion—the desire to be globally connected. The push and the pull of these priorities presents significant challenges for decision-making.
12. Missional church impact
The focus on the “missional church” paradigm over the last number of years has had a dramatic impact on the life of our church. All area churches have gone through intentional revisioning and restructuring processes that have been nurtured by the missional church vision.
Many congregations have initiated processes that examine their lives, identity, purpose, history, priorities and activities in light of this paradigm. There is a new confidence in being Christian in our world and the implications of that for personal and congregational life.
Some congregations have redesigned not only their models for ministry and their organizational structures, but have also remodelled existing physical structures or designed new buildings that are more aligned with their missional understandings.
Many have restructured their governance and program ministry to respond more fully to their renewed understanding of the vocation of the church. It is fair to say that the missional vision has mobilized a massive attempt at renewal in virtually all parts of our denomination. It is too soon to gauge the fruit of this for our future.
13. Priorities and strategies
And that leads me to one final pattern. Congregations recognize their need to fine tune the ways they set priorities and budgets so that these reflect better what they want to do and who they want to be. Congregations understand that the plethora of ministry options at their fingertips requires that they become more intentional about defining priorities and then using these as screens for decision-making.
Responding to funding requests because “it’s my grandchild,” or “cousin,” or “she’s from our congregation,” or “they do good,” is increasingly unsatisfying because the outcomes are difficult to gauge and impossible to monitor.
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Yet many congregations do not have the will to change processes, partly because they have not adequately defined or agreed on their priorities and strategies. Congregations are increasingly aware that choices will need to be informed not simply by opportunity, but also by their covenantal commitment to other parts of the church, their concerns about identity, missiological principles and the priority of strengthening the church.
While congregations recognize that they need to change, the momentum of how things have always been done, along with local and family connections, are often too strong to allow decision-making to take on a new shape.
What can we do now?
It is exhilarating to be the church in Canada. It is challenging, perplexing, frustrating and disheartening. But there is also abundant joy, significant community, deep commitment, energized vision and tenacious persistence. The challenges are significant and they will not easily be “resolved.” We can only hope to “address” them. Are there things we can do immediately? Yes!
• Pray for each other across the church. Make a special point of praying also for congregations, leaders and people in a region different than your own.
• Talk to each other often. Find ways of communicating with people in your own congregation, but also with persons from beyond that circle. Share your experiences and listen carefully to the experiences of others.
• Visit each other. I hope we can facilitate cross-country visitation exchanges for ministry and relationship-building. But don’t wait. Your congregation has the capacity to do that right now.
• Strengthen your congregation. Be intentional in the ministry you engage and the decisions you make. Decide to become a more active member in the larger church body across Canada and don’t assume that this will happen without intentional commitment.
• Contribute your strengths to others and be open to allow others to help with your weaknesses. There are many gifts that, if offered and received in our body, will serve to strengthen us all.
Stay on the chosen path
Leamington, Ont.
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Henry P. Epp, former chair and vice-chair of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada (CMC) from 1963-68, celebrated his 90th birthday this summer.
During a telephone conversation with Canadian Mennonite, Epp, who served as a minister for 20 years in Canada and two in Germany, and as a teacher in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and South America for another two decades, reflected especially on his experiences with CMC.
Issues that were important in his day, he said, included:
• The German/English language debate.
• Raising finances to pay for the purchase of Canadian Mennonite Bible College in Winnipeg, an institution that “set the [theological] pace at that time.”
• Struggles between the “old guard and the younger fellas related to fundamentalism and modern thought, which was interesting, to say the least.”
• The beginning of Canadian Mennonite magazine started by Frank H. Epp. “[The magazine] had a slow start because it was English. But in the end it went okay. The majority were in favour, but some thought, ‘Why should we do this when we have Der Bote?’”
As for Mennonite Church Canada today, there are differences “between young and old, which, of course, is nothing new.… We have to be realistic about that,” he emphasized. “Times change. Processes change. But we don’t have to sacrifice our faith over that. This debate is not an unhealthy thing. We need each other and should be open to the fact that we’re living in a different age.”
He offered these final words of wisdom on the occasion of his 90th birthday with a quiet laugh: “Stay on the chosen path…realizing that we live by the grace of God.”