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News archive
Contact: Laurie L. Oswald (316) 283-5100, E-mail: LaurieO@MennoniteUSA.org
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"Second Mile" pushes pastors to next steps
with congregation, community. |
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by Laurie L. Oswald
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| Lois Harder, co-pastor at Lorraine Avenue
Mennonite Church in Wichita, Kan., helped to launch
"People of Faith for Peace," an 18-month project
with her congregation and others in her community. For
peace education at Lorraine, she used Second Mile: A
Peace Journey for Congregations -- available at Faith
& Life Resources, a division of Mennonite Publishing
Network. (photo by Laurie L. Oswald) |
WICHITA (Kan.) -- Lois Harder discovered that walking the
second mile on peace
issues with her ecumenical community in Wichita began with
taking the first step in
her congregation, Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church.
Harder, co-pastor at Lorraine Avenue with her husband, Tom,
helped launch "People
of Faith for Peace," an 18-month project with her congregation
and others in her
community. They discussed just peacemaking in light of the
U.S.-led invasion on
Iraq, organized events such as a peace vigil in a local park
and began a peace
education process. In the last phase of the project, they
are preparing people to
make informed decisions about voting in the 2004 elections
based on issues of peace
and justice.
As part of her participation in the project, Harder taught
a Sunday school class at
Lorraine Avenue using peace resources including Second Mile:
A Peace Journey for
Congregations -- available at Faith & Life Resources,
a division of Mennonite
Publishing Network. Second Mile helps people to explore what
it means to follow
Jesus' way of peace today. It invites congregations and small
groups to enter a
journey of worship, study, action and reflection to become
active signs of Christ's
peace in a broken world.
"We have to move as a people from being against war
because it is part of our
heritage, to being against war because it's part of our
faith," she said. "It's one
thing to say I won't go to war because it would bother my
grandfather or
grandmother, but quite another to say I won't go to war
because I want to follow
Jesus' way of peace.
"My challenge as a pastor and teacher is to help open
up dialogue and not to
indoctrinate people. I need to lead discussions in such
a way so that people can
continue to ask their questions. I want to share biblical
understandings of the
peace position but not in such as a way as to shut people
down."
Class members shared stories about life experiences that
shaped their different
perspectives. Her dialogue with adults and youth ranged
from a man in his 60s who
suffered when others didn't understand why he wanted to
go into the Korean War, even
though he wasn't called to serve; and a high school student
who wondered if being a
police officer carrying a gun is consistent with his Christian
convictions.
"In all these discussions it was important for me to
remain open and say, 'Yes,
being a people of peace is who we are and what we are about
as Anabaptists,' while
still being open to people who are at different places on
their journey. It's really
important to be open to people's pain, questions and vantage
point on the spectrum."
Gaining courage from the 'gutsy'
Harder, Doug Luginbill, pastor of Hope Mennonite Church
in Wichita, and other
Mennonite pastors and laity walked this peace journey with
Interfaith Ministries and
the Peace Center of Wichita. These ministries draw people
from many denominations
and faith groups, including Baptists, Presbyterians, Greek
Orthodox and Muslims. In
February 2003, when the United States was deciding whether
to launch the U.S. led
war on Iraq, the two pastors met with pastors and leaders
representing about 40
other groups. That gathering led to the 18-month project.
The interchange with people from other-than-Mennonite backgrounds
helped Luginbill
to grow more deeply in his pacifist convictions, he said.
People who are pacifists
from traditions that don't promote pacifism show great courage
in voicing their
views, he said.
"I grew up in Mennonite communities all my life and
was surrounded by Mennonite
groups," he said. "So to see and hear about how
concerns for peace and justice are
held very dearly by other-than-Mennonites and people from
others faiths showed me
that you don't have to be Mennonite to care about these
issues.
"It takes a lot of 'guts' for these people to stick
their necks out and stand up for
peace and share their prophetic message in front of faith
communities who are
skeptical. Their example and conviction to be strong with
their witness gives me
courage, too."
Widening the circle of peace in worship
It took some courage on his part to invite Yassin A. Shourbaji,
a Muslim leader, to
speak at Hope Mennonite during a Sunday morning worship
service this spring. This
invitation stretched the congregation in several ways, including
evoking a deeper
look into the nature of God, worship and relationships with
others. Luginbill saw
this invitation as his attempt to widen the circle of peace
of among people of
differing faiths.
"Some people in the congregation felt it wasn't appropriate
at all, while for others
it raised the question that while both Christians and Muslims
worship God, is it the
same God?" he said. "We also intentionally focused
our worship around songs about
God that didn't have references to Christ at all, and that
was challenging for our
worship team.
"One person was very upset that none of the songs referenced
Christ. But after some
reflection, this same person realized that the experience
revealed what is so
special and unique about our Christian worship and its focus
on Christ in our lives.
"This is a good example why it's important to interact
with others, while
maintaining our differences. These experiences can teach
us more about ourselves, as
well as foster understanding with others. Bottom line, we
learned that we are a
Christian church and that we will never be, or want to be,
otherwise."
Laurie L. Oswald is news
service director for Mennonite Church USA.
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Goshen College Board of Directors and Mennonite Education
Agency announce leadership transition for 110-year-old
institution.
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GOSHEN, Ind. -- Chair of Goshen College's Board of Directors,
Virgil Miller, and
Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) Executive Director Carlos
Romero announced today to
college faculty, staff and students that President Shirley
H. Showalter is resigning
her position in order to join the Fetzer Institute of Kalamazoo,
Mich.
Showalter, the first woman appointed to head the 110-year-old
institution, will end
her service in the fall semester, according to Miller. He
said that a coordinated
effort by the Executive Committee of the college's Board of
Directors and MEA to
define next steps is already underway.
"This is a moment in the college's history when we have
both challenge and
opportunity, as in any transition," said Miller. "The
college has had an energetic,
creative leader in President Showalter. The Board of Directors
extends deepest
thanks to her for her service and vision in guiding this Mennonite
institution."
Showalter was named president in 1996, and began her tenure
as the college's 14th
president on Jan. 1, 1997. Prior to accepting the post as
president, she was a
member of the Goshen College English Department, having begun
her career as a
professor in 1976.
During Showalter's administration, Goshen College added several
new academic
programs of study, including American Sign Language Interpreting,
Peace, Justice and
Conflict Studies, Anabaptist-Mennonite History Studies, International
Studies and
Special Education. The college's ranking in U.S.News and World
Report's "America's
Best Colleges" rose from the fourth to third tier in
the national "liberal
arts-bachelor's degree" category and is cited as a "least
debt college" for
graduating students with less debt.
In addition to enrolling a high percentage of international
students, Study-Service
Term (SST) was also recognized by U.S.News as an exceptional
program. Continuing to
give students a unique international education experience
that reinforces global
citizenship and compassionate peacemaking, several new SST
host countries came into
being since 1997, including Ethiopia, Senegal and Cuba.
Physical legacies of Showalter's nearly eight-year tenure
as president include the
new Goshen College Music Center, completed in the fall of
2002, as well as upgrades
to residence halls and groundbreaking for an apartment-style
student housing
facility. The college has received grants for projects such
as the "Calling
Authentic Leaders for Life" project -- supporting vocational
programs for students
that emphasize church leadership and service opportunities
and youth ministry
program -- and the Plowshares Peace Studies Collaborative
among three Indiana-based
schools rooted in peace church traditions, Goshen, Earlham
and Manchester Colleges.
As Showalter departs, a new program creating an Entrepreneurship
Center on campus is
starting.
"I have loved this college for nearly 30 years. The students
and faculty of this
remarkable place will always be in my heart," said Showalter.
"I have witnessed so
many ways in which Mennonite education at Goshen College provides
and guides
opportunities for meaningful Christian discipleship. My prayer
will always be that
God will continue to bless Goshen College, its leadership,
its church and its
community."
Miller said that the Goshen College Board and MEA leadership
have already met by
conference call to begin planning for the presidential leadership
transition. A
special board meeting is set for Aug. 18 to further coordinate
the establishment of
a transitional timeline, approve and activate an interim leadership
plan and
determine the process for identifying gifts and qualities
of a new president. With a
strong cabinet of vice presidents appointed by Showalter,
Miller said, the
educational mission of the college will continue as these
plans are initiated.
Romero, who has overseen presidential search processes for
both Hesston College and
Eastern Mennonite University recently, said he is confident
that the coming weeks
will be productive.
"We are losing an articulate voice for Mennonite education
as President Showalter
moves on to a new opportunity," said Romero. "We
also note that many of the
accomplishments of her administration are not ends in and
of themselves, but
forward-looking foundational work on which exciting things
are being built."
Miller pointed to Goshen College's work in the past several
years to engage faculty,
staff, students, alumni, church representatives and community
in newly articulating
the Christ-centered core values that characterize the institution
as a significant
undertaking of Showalter's administration.
"Since affirming the core values, the campus has had
a sharpened sense of mission
and purpose. This set of distinct Christ-centered values to
create passionate
learners, global citizens, compassionate peacemakers and servant-leaders
is the
framework of an exciting strategic planning process that will
guide Goshen College
as it continues to prepare students for service in the world
and in the church,"
said Miller. "And of course, these core values will vitally
inform the search for
Goshen College's next president."
Rosalind Andreas, chair of the MEA Board of Directors, said
the board looks forward
to collaborating with the Goshen College Board in the leadership
transition. "We
wish President Showalter and her family God's blessing, with
gratitude for all she
has done in service to the college and Mennonite Church USA."
Showalter will become vice president for programs at Fetzer
Institute. Fetzer is a
private foundation that supports research, education and service
programs exploring
integral relationships among body, mind and spirit and fostering
awareness of the
power of love and forgiveness in the global community. She
said in making the
decision to move on, she has appreciated the support of her
husband Stuart, who is
director of career services at Goshen College, and their children,
Anthony and Kate.
"Goshen College's future is bright because so many people
of faith have committed
their lives to bringing out excellence in Christian liberal
arts learning,"
Showalter said. "This beloved community of dedicated
individuals is nurturing future
leaders for the church and world."
The Goshen College Board of Directors includes a Mennonite
Church Canada member as
one means of serving the needs of its Canadian students, their
families and alumni.
Mennonite Education Agency represents Mennonite Church USA
in both leadership of and
service to Goshen College and Mennonite educational institutions
of all levels.
For more information contact: Rachel Lapp, Goshen College
Director of Public
Relations, Phone: (574) 535-7571; Email: racheljl@goshen.edu
Cheryl Zehr Walker, Mennonite Education Agency Associate Director,
Phone: (419)
230-8515; Email: cherylzw@MennoniteEducation.org
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Tour includes oldest Mennonite meetinghouse in Oklahoma
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EL RENO, Okla. (MC USA) -- Roger Juhnke, Western District
Conference (WDC)
Historical Committee (right), gives a presentation in the
former meetinghouse of
Mennoville Mennonite Church on July 2. His presentation began
the tour that preceded
the WDC annual assembly, held in Oklahoma City on July 2-4.
About 20 tour
participants visited sites in the area, beginning with the
meetinghouse -- built in
1803 as the first church in Oklahoma Territory belonging to
the former General
Conference Mennonite Church. The Canadian County Historical
Museum is restoring the
meetinghouse, which sits in Heritage Square at the museum
in downtown El Reno.
The charter members of Mennoville included employees of Mennonite
Mission School in
Darlington. While the congregation was never large -- 31 members
at its peak in 1911
-- regular services were held at Mennoville for 61 years.
The church building,
consisting of a sanctuary and two classrooms, was moved from
its original location
seven miles north of El Reno on Highway 81 to Heritage Square.
Many individuals,
organizations and corporations helped fund the move.
The restoration and preservation of the church is a continuing
project. The church
building is used as a stop for tours, visitors to the museum
grounds and for the
interpretation of early settler life in Oklahoma. Those who
wish to share financial
gifts, original items used in the church, stories and historical
information or
volunteer repairs, restoration and cleanup may contact Ken
and Charlotte Wehmuller,
volunteer project coordinators, at (405)-262-7269. -- Laurie
L. Oswald
Laurie L. Oswald is news service
director for Mennonite Church USA.
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Commentary:
Refusing to Recycle.
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by J. Daryl Byler
Reprinted by permission of PeaceSigns, the monthly on-line
magazine of the Peace and
Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church USA ( http://www.peace.MennoLink.org).
Subscriptions are free.
"What time is it?" asked one of the three youths
approaching me on my walk home from
work on Capitol Hill. In the brief second that I broke stride
to glance at my watch,
another youth pulled a gun and announced, "What we really
want is your money."
As armed robberies go, this one seemed rather tame -- no yelling,
no pushing, no
punching -- all they wanted was my wallet. It happened so
fast that I barely had
time to feel afraid.
But today, nearly two years after the robbery, whenever several
teens walk toward me
on the street, my heart beats a little faster and I feel a
tinge of fear. Will my
assailants be as "gentle" if I am robbed again?
The fear of violence breeds many responses. It causes some
to cower or seek cover.
Others choose to arm themselves or react aggressively.
There has been a palpable fear of violence in the United States
since Sept. 11,
2001. Trying to assuage these fears, the Bush administration
has launched a global
war on terror -- in the process, killing an estimated 12,000
to-15,000 Afghan and
Iraqi civilians, along with untold thousands of Taliban, Al
Qaeda and Iraqi
fighters. More than 1,000 U.S. and allied troops have died.
But responding to violence with violence has only increased
the number of terrorist
recruits. Indeed, the U.S. government continues to warn of
more terror attacks on
U.S. soil as we enter the summer and head for the election
season.
By continuing the cycle of violence, we cede any moral high
ground. To justify our
violent response, we first demonize the "enemy"
as less than human. Convinced of
this fact, we then feel free to kill or abuse our enemies.
The lurid pictures of
U.S. troops tormenting Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison
offer vivid warning
that, when we choose to enter the cycle of violence, we easily
stoop to the very
behaviors we claim to deplore.
What is the alternative? Should we allow violence to spread
unanswered?
Let us begin by recognizing that there is no failsafe method
to guarantee that we
will never be victims of violence. But there are things we
can do.
First, we can acknowledge that violence comes in many forms
-- including direct
violence like terror attacks and structural violence like
occupation or oppressive
economic policies. It is too easy to only emphasize the type
of violence in which we
do not participate.
Second, we can refuse to continue the cycle of violence. The
Bible calls for a
radically different response: "Do not repay anyone evil
for evil. .... Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good," Paul
challenges (Rom. 12:17, 21).
The church certainly must apply this principle. But governments
will do well to find
applications as well. Their efforts to restrain violence must
be transparent and
uphold rigorous legal standards designed to protect both the
accused and nearby
innocents. Governments must increasingly move toward non-lethal
methods of
apprehending criminals.
Third, we can address the roots of violence. Injustices and
loss of hope are often
contributing factors to violence. Both the church and the
state can work creatively
to build a just society.
Finally, we can trust that, even if we are harmed, we are
never outside God's
providence and care. Perhaps only the church has the faith
necessary to act at this
level. Facing Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace for their refusal
to bow down to his
golden statue, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego declared that,
even if God didn't save
their lives, they would refuse to worship the king's idols.
Jesus modeled this same
trust when facing his crucifixion.
Violence only begets violence. Sometimes it doesn't pay to
recycle.
J. Daryl Byler, of Washington, D.C., is director for Mennonite
Central Committee's
Washington office, and is a member of the Mennonite Church
USA Executive Board. |
