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Contact: Laurie L. Oswald (316) 283-5100, E-mail: LaurieO@MennoniteUSA.org

Atlanta 2003 connects Lancaster Conference to others at denomination's table.

Sidebar: Vision 2010

Commentary: Faith and pledges of allegiance.

Atlanta 2003 connects Lancaster Conference to others at denomination's table

by Laurie L. Oswald

Roy Williams and Joanne Dietzel

This story is part of a series depicting five Mennonite Church USA area conferences in the East: Atlantic Coast, Eastern District, Franconia, Franklin and Lancaster.

LANCASTER, Pa. (MC USA) -- Eating of God's abundance at the table with others at Atlanta 2003 didn't answer all of Lancaster Mennonite Conference's questions about whether to become a full member in Mennonite Church USA. But it could help the conference better discern whether God is calling it to come to the table to stay.

At table groups with about 1,000 other delegates during the delegate assembly July 3-8, 84 Lancaster delegates met new people, shared worship and discussed issues ranging from abortion to immigration. Even as some outstanding cautions still exist about full membership, many delegates and pastors felt positive about new churchwide connections forged in Atlanta. They also grew excited about how conference missional vision aligns with the denomination's priorities and felt grateful for the hard work done in regards to membership issues pertaining to homosexuality, conference leaders and delegates said.

The conference is exploring cautions and endorsements about full membership during an 18-month discernment process that began in March 2003, conference leaders said. The bishop board is expected to propose a recommendation informed by this process to be voted on by the conference's leadership assembly -- which includes all active credentialed persons totaling 537 persons -- by fall 2004 or spring 2005.

Lancaster is one of five provisional-member conferences that must decide about full membership by 2007. The other conferences are Franklin, New York, North Central and South Central. Sixteen area conferences are full members in Mennonite Church USA, the 2002 merger of the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Church.

"Many delegates said they enjoyed sitting around the tables and meeting and talking with people they hadn't met before," said Joanne Dietzel, Lancaster Conference administrator and a facilitator of prayerful work during delegate sessions. "This was the first time that Lancaster Conference sent delegates from congregations. They were excited about being involved in the church in this direct way, and found it to be a real growing experience.

"Atlanta was a real stepping stone to seeing what we share in common with the wider denomination. So many of our delegates were amazed how our Vision 2010 (see sidebar), goes hand in hand with the denomination's missional focus. The emphasis on the culture of call is also a Lancaster Conference priority. We too have a deep need for pastors and resonate with the idea of having ambassadors encourage people of all ages to come into ministry."

Ray Reitz, pastor of Mountville (Pa.) Mennonite Church, said he's still undecided about which way God is leading. Mountville is one of the conference's 193 congregations that total about 18,000 members in 28 districts. Each district has a bishop overseer.

"I feel as if I'm on a dock as the boat is taking off, and I have one foot in the boat and one foot on the dock," Reitz said. "I feel hopeful on one hand and on the other hand, I have some serious concerns. I'm in a dilemma."

A positive for Reitz is the missional priority of Mennonite Church USA and its call to live as Christ lived in the world. A negative is what he sees as the denomination's move toward becoming more mainline Protestant than historical Anabaptist.

"The bright spots for me included the call to be Christ-like, that our Christianity needs to be more than our ethics," he said. "But it's also my sense that the church aspires to be more mainline Protestant than radically, historically Anabaptist. We emphasize social justice, but let's not lose our sense of where justice comes from. We don't create justice. Jesus does. ... Our focus seems to place us at the center. But it's Christ work in and through us."

Charles Bauman, a delegate from Groffdale Mennonite Church in Leola, said Atlanta sparked greater enthusiasm in him for becoming a full part of the denomination. He said that the table interaction modeled how theological and cultural diversity can be handled in a balanced way.

"I'm very enthusiastic about becoming part of Mennonite Church USA, but it's still a very much open question within our conference as to whether that will happen, since not everyone shares my views," said Bauman, a church council member and chair of both the caring and stewardship committees.

"The table groups gave us a good model for how diversity can be handled well. ... It showed me how important it is for people in our conference to be exposed to the broader church and how we can benefit and learn from others and how others can benefit and learn from us.

"There's a lot of importance in this kind of cross-fertilization. Our conference represents a more conservative element, and perhaps others represent a more liberal viewpoint. But the church needs both to remain balanced. ... In the end, it isn't the conservative-liberal aspect of our church that's the heart of the issue. It's our shared missional vision and how we help people meet God, wherever they are."

Bauman believes that the denomination has made good progress in working with area conferences on membership guidelines pertaining to homosexuality.

"From the reports I heard, I believe that the current leadership is upholding the teaching position of the church within our area conferences," he said. "The fear in our conference has been that the reports about upholding the guidelines is all talk, and that once we join, it will all crumble. But it's evident to me through all the work that's been done that they are serious and sincere."

Keith Weaver, conference moderator and bishop of the Ephrata District, said pastors such as Reitz, other credentialed persons and laity such as Bauman may voice such thoughts and concerns during the discernment process.

This fall, the bishops are holding regional cluster gatherings throughout the conference, where they are receiving feedback from pastors and laity. In the months that follow, the bishop board will study those responses. In January 2004, they will begin to receive input from conference agencies -- such as Eastern Mennonite Missions and Lancaster Mennonite High School -- and identify possible outcomes for the mutual good of the conference and the denomination.

By March 2004, the bishop board hopes to affirm a proposed recommendation to be discussed at the conference's leadership assembly. >From April through August 2004, the participants in the regional clusters will give feedback to the proposed recommendation. The leadership assembly is expected to vote on a final recommendation in fall 2004 or spring 2005.

"This process includes a lot of careful listening and taking a very close look at ourselves," Weaver said. "That we got a unanimous vote from the bishop board on this discernment process indicates to me that we've made some real movement. Another indicator is that bishops will be fully committed to the process of spiritual discernment and will remain committed to supporting the outcome as long as they are in their Lancaster Mennonite Conference oversight role."

"But it's my belief that this process is far less about Mennonite Church USA than it is about our need to identify our core values and the nature of our ongoing journey as a conference. In many respects, we are in a search for clarity about our own conference identity as we respond to a shift from a strong conference-centered polity to a strong congregational-centered polity that makes conference decision-making difficult.
The need to make a decision about full membership is helping us to learn to work together as one."

Mennonite Church USA is walking with the conference as it takes the final steps of its discernment journey. And the denomination deeply values the missional partnership they share with the conference, denominational leaders said.

"We are delighted about the participation of Lancaster Mennonite Conference through the leadership persons who are represented on the boards and organizations of Mennonite Church USA," said Jim Schrag, executive director of Mennonite Church USA. "We pray for God's leading in their discernment process about becoming full members and believe that both Mennonite Church USA and Lancaster Mennonite Conference can contribute to and be strengthened by the missional direction of the denomination." Photo available.

Laurie L. Oswald is news service director of Mennonite Church USA.


Vision 2010

The following excerpt is taken from materials created by leaders at Lancaster Mennonite Conference. The conference adopted this vision statement in fall 2001.

"We envision new, revitalized and multiplying congregations in extending God's kingdom, with special emphasis on:

Spiritual life and worship: We envision congregations experiencing inspiring worship and people passionate to know and obey God.

Outreach and evangelism: We envision congregations calling people to faith in Christ through service, neighborhood evangelism and cross-cultural missions.

Discipling and equipping: We envision congregations nurturing family and congregational relationships that demonstrate the reconciling grace of Christ.

Family and faith community: We envision congregations nurturing family and congregational relationships that demonstrate the reconciling grace of Christ.

Developing leaders: We envision congregations calling, cultivating and supporting leaders to grow in competency as life-long learners.


Faith and pledges of allegiance.

The Constitution and religious traditions defend those who abstain
by Duane Ediger and Charlie Pyke

Starting this fall, Texas public school students will be subject to a new state law mandating daily pledges of allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags.

Throughout biblical history, the family of faith has included members who have understood divine teachings to forbid rituals of allegiance to any being other than the Almighty. Among the scriptures these believers cite is the commandment not to bow down before any image.

The U.S. Constitution and courts clearly accommodate believers of this persuasion by insisting that participation in a pledge must be voluntary and never coerced. Yet Senate Bill 83, passed by the Texas legislature and signed in May by Governor Perry, appears to fall short of guaranteeing this constitutional protection. The new law calls on local school boards to "require students, once during each school day at each school in the district, to recite" pledges to the U.S. and Texas flags. It specifies that on "written request from a student's parent or guardian, a school district shall excuse the student from reciting a pledge of allegiance." By making this exception a legal requirement, the law denies the moral agency of students and takes away their right to choose, without coercion, whether or not to participate in prescribed, solemn rituals heavily laden with verbal and symbolic content.

It is likely that a majority of U.S. citizens who claim a religion understand the reciting of pledges of allegiance to the flags and governments of their state and country to be consistent with the demands of their faith. Many may even hold such pledges to be a sacred duty.

How can these diverse viewpoints coexist? The Old Testament book of Daniel presents a similar situation. In the Kingdom of Babylon under the Nebuchadnezzar administration, out of some three million Jews, three were found who were unwilling to obey a new law by bowing down to a statue at the appointed time (Daniel 3). The three, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were of course vindicated, but immense faith was required of them -- as attested to by their tiny number, by their courage in defying the King to his face, and by the miracles that accompanied their courageous stand. Daniel himself passed a similar test (Daniel 6). Through their acts of faith, these four thwarted massacres and caused the sponsors of the idolatry they spurned to give glory to their God throughout the known world (Daniel 6:26-27).

These stories testify to two principles. First, the millions of faithful who obey a law requiring a gesture of devotion to a national symbol would do well to give full respect to those for whom such gestures are not acceptable. Second, the smallest minority whose principled act or omission may be viewed as unpatriotic and illegal would do well to honor their conscience through boldness, courage, strong faith and a willingness to "take the heat" of unjust punishment. Those who treat people who differ from them not as enemies, but as partners, are more likely to gain them as partners in the end.

Texas State Bill 83 opens numerous opportunities for Texans to exercise and celebrate their freedoms as Texans and U.S. citizens.

Students have the opportunities:
--to make a conscious decision about their beliefs concerning expressions of allegiance;
--to learn respect for others' beliefs;
--to learn the historical origins of pledges of allegiance and why they are important.

Parents have opportunities:
--to open a two-way conversation with their children about their fundamental values and how those values shape and inform their understandings of duties and freedoms, and the importance of honoring one's beliefs.
--to model ethically sound behaviors for their children.

Teachers and school administrators have the opportunities:
--to demonstrate respect for the constitutionally valid expressions of all students.
--to tie the teachings of history into the actions of the present in a meaningful and important way.
--to model allegiance to the U.S. flag by upholding the Constitution and favoring it over a state law, if there is no way to comply with that law within the bounds of the Constitution.

For more details and alternative pledges, see www.dallaspeacecenter.org/dpt0308/allegiance.htm.

Duane Ediger and Charlie Pyke are members of Peace Mennonite Church in Dallas.
Contact Duane Ediger, E-mail: duane.ediger@prodigy.net