• Español
  • Historical Archives
  • Convention
  • Contact Us
Mennonite Church USA Mennonite Church USA Mennonite Church USA Mennonite Church USA
  • About
    • What We Believe
      • Statements and Resolutions
      • Confession of Faith In a Mennonite Perspective
    • History
    • FAQ
      • FAQ about Mennonites
      • FAQ about MC USA
    • Executive Board Members
    • Executive Board Staff
    • Church Structure
      • Area Conferences
      • Racial Ethnic Council
  • Ministry
    • Church Vitality
      • For Credentialed Leaders
      • For Congregations
      • Interested in Ministry?
      • Kineo Center
      • Safe Church
      • Women in Leadership
      • Church Planting
    • Faith Formation
      • Children and Families
      • Faith Formation with Youth
      • Faith Formation with Adults
      • Christian Practices
    • Peacebuilding
      • Learn Pray Join
      • Israel/Palestine Initiatives
      • Promoting Peace
      • Undoing Racism
      • Undoing Sexism
      • Climate Justice Ministry
    • The Corinthian Plan
      • The Corinthian Plan Staff
      • History of The Corinthian Plan
      • Why Mutual Aid Matters
      • The Corinthian Plan Subsidies
      • Wellness Incentives
  • Agencies
    • Mennonite Education Agency
    • Mennonite Mission Network
    • MennoMedia
    • Everence (Ministry Partner)
    • MHS Association (Ministry Partner)
  • Events
    • Follow Jesus 25 (Convention)
    • Hope for the Future
    • Event Calendar
  • Resources
  • News & Blog
    • News & Media
    • Menno Snapshots Blog
    • MenoTicias
    • Publications and Newsletters
  • Store
  • Give
Mennonite Church USA Mennonite Church USA
  • About
    • What We Believe
      • Statements and Resolutions
      • Confession of Faith In a Mennonite Perspective
    • History
    • FAQ
      • FAQ about Mennonites
      • FAQ about MC USA
    • Executive Board Members
    • Executive Board Staff
    • Church Structure
      • Area Conferences
      • Racial Ethnic Council
  • Ministry
    • Church Vitality
      • For Credentialed Leaders
      • For Congregations
      • Interested in Ministry?
      • Kineo Center
      • Safe Church
      • Women in Leadership
      • Church Planting
    • Faith Formation
      • Children and Families
      • Faith Formation with Youth
      • Faith Formation with Adults
      • Christian Practices
    • Peacebuilding
      • Learn Pray Join
      • Israel/Palestine Initiatives
      • Promoting Peace
      • Undoing Racism
      • Undoing Sexism
      • Climate Justice Ministry
    • The Corinthian Plan
      • The Corinthian Plan Staff
      • History of The Corinthian Plan
      • Why Mutual Aid Matters
      • The Corinthian Plan Subsidies
      • Wellness Incentives
  • Agencies
    • Mennonite Education Agency
    • Mennonite Mission Network
    • MennoMedia
    • Everence (Ministry Partner)
    • MHS Association (Ministry Partner)
  • Events
    • Follow Jesus 25 (Convention)
    • Hope for the Future
    • Event Calendar
  • Resources
  • News & Blog
    • News & Media
    • Menno Snapshots Blog
    • MenoTicias
    • Publications and Newsletters
  • Store
  • Give
Home / Menno Snapshots / Forbearance is enough
May 24 2022

Forbearance is enough

This blog is part of our Special Session of the Delegate Assembly Open Call for Blogs series, which will run throughout May. This blog is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board or the resolution writers. Readers are encouraged to consult other resources related to the Special Delegate Assembly, engage the writers of the resolutions and discern within their own context.

Kurt Horst is a member of the South Central Mennonite Conference (SCMC) Network Leadership Team and chair of the Ministerial Leadership Team of SCMC. He is a former conference minister in Allegheny Mennonite Conference (1997-2009) and retired in 2019, after pastoring Whitestone Mennonite Church, in Hesston, Kansas He has served two interim pastor assignments in Western District congregations.

______________________________________

People who train leaders teach the importance of saying, “No,” to those who are going to set direction for themselves or their organization. Dan Rockwell of Creative Commons puts it this way, “The ability to say NO is the power to do what matters.” I believe, for the good of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) and in faithfulness to the “Forbearance in the Midst of Differences” resolution, passed in 2015, we should say “no” to considering “A Resolution for Repentance and Transformation.”

As a member of the Network Leadership Team of South Central Mennonite Conference (SCMC), I have experienced a delegate body voting “no.” In 2021, it was recommended that SCMC dissolve and, over the next year, help congregations find, or form, new affiliations. The delegates said, “no.” Subsequent to the “no” vote, we are discovering that relationships within the conference are more important to congregations than disagreements about the perceived trajectory of MC USA. Clearly, the road ahead for SCMC still has some uneven ground, but we are prayerfully seeking our way forward, as we grieve the division and polarization that plagues the church at all levels.

David Augsburger titled the final book in his “Caring Enough” book series, “When Enough is Enough.” I believe it is time to say, “Enough.” As a part of deliberations by both the Resolutions Committee and the Executive Board, the counsel of the Constituency Leaders Council (CLC, often referred to as the “elder body” of MC USA) was sought. After hearing a presentation of “A Resolution of Repentance and Transformation” by people involved in writing it, one out of eight table groups recommended that it be forwarded to the delegates, one table group was unable to reach a consensus recommendation, three table groups indicated that it should be considered for further study and three table groups indicated it should not be forwarded to the Delegate Assembly. Now, the decision whether to consider the resolution is being put before the MC USA delegates.

Why should the answer be “no” to bringing this resolution before the delegates? In 2015, delegates passed the “Forbearance in the Midst of Differences” resolution. In presenting the forbearance resolution, those bringing it forth expressed their hope that, “Churches of differing convictions about same-sex covenanted unions may remain together within Mennonite Church USA rather than feel they must separate or be excluded by others.”

It was passed with the hope that MC USA would not continue to allow disagreements over sexuality issues take center stage in our discipleship pursuits.

“Forbearance in the Midst of Differences” recognized that local congregations, as they gather together, seeking to follow Jesus, made statements and instituted practices that not all congregations or conferences affirmed. The individual conferences that chose to permit these practices, based on local congregational discernment, were recognizing a congregation-centered polity rather than a hierarchical polity. However, “A Resolution of Repentance and Transformation,” suggests a more hierarchical polity by requiring representation and “constituency status” at the denominational level. This violates the understanding and spirit of the “Forbearance in the Midst of Differences” resolution.

It is with love for the church, and because it is contrary to the spirit and intention of the “Forbearance in the Midst of Differences” resolution, that I encourage voting “no” — and saying “enough” — to bringing “A Resolution for Repentance and Transformation” before the delegate body.


View resources for the Delegate Assembly, including the resolutions, webinars, a prayer guide, and registration link, here.


The views and opinions expressed in this blog belong to the author and are not intended to represent the views of the MC USA Executive Board or staff.

  • May 24, 2022
  • No Comments
  • Menno Snapshots
  • Anabaptism, forbearnace, Kansas City, Mennonite, Peace, Peace Church, R&T, repentance, Repentance and Transformation, Resolution for Repentance and Transformation, Resolution on Forbearance, Resolution on Forbearance in the Midst of Differences, resolutions, South Central Mennonite Conference, Special Delegate Assembly, Special Session of the Delegate Assembly, transformation
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-Mail

Interested in submitting a blog for Menno Snapshots? Please see our blog guidelines here.

Elkhart, IN 46517

Newton, KS 67114 Phone: (866) 866-2872
  • News & Media
  • Español
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • Convention
  • Resources
  • Give
  • Staff
  • Employment
  • Transparency in Coverage
©2020 Mennonite Church USA   |   Subscribe to PeaceMail to receive news and blogs compiled into one weekly email.   SUBSCRIBE