I read an article this morning by Everett J. Thomas on The Mennonite Magazine Website entitled Ten Years Later. Writing frankly, I didn’t like it. It was rather negative. Or more accurately it highlighted all the negative and declining movements in the denomination ten years after the formation of Mennonite Church USA on February 1, 2002. So I can’t say that Mr. Thomas distorted truth. I just felt that it was one-sided and I don’t feel that to be fair. For there is another side.
I am what is called a “non ethnic Mennonite.” Which means that I did not grow up Mennonite. I joined the Mennonite Church nearly 25 years ago after my wife and I stumbled upon a Mennonite Church in Broadway, Virginia that embraced us and loved us even after we drove up in our Red Audi Coupe. We were received for who we are, young people who want to follow Jesus authentically. We were quickly invited to dinners and into active participation in the ministry. We have served Christ in the Mennonite church ever since.
So I love the Mennonite Church, as I am sure does Mr Thomas, and the people in it. I love that we were included into the Anabaptist tradition for in it we have found a home. And though I have seen the underbelly of the ship, with all that underbellies are, I have also seen more.
I have seen Ervin Stutzman, Dick Thomas, Glen Guyton and many others seek to fling open the doors to new persons and new initiatives in the Mennonite Church. New persons are moving into our churches, at least they are in mine, and they are excited about what we as Mennonites can offer as a “peculiar” people. They want to learn from and invest in the Mennonite expression of faith in our world because we do offer something different from “mainline” churches. And guess what, after 25 years I am saying WE not them. I guess I feel I have been adopted by the Mennonite Church USA, like it or not.
I have also seen the broader theological community embrace Anabaptism as one of the more authentic expressions of New Testament Christianity in these last 10 years. Theologians like Hauerwas & Brueggemann speak fondly about Mennonites and the positive influence of our tradition on the wider Church. They hold us up as examples. Menno-Celebraties like Shane Hipps are influencing thousands in Mega Churches. Even Rick Warren spoke on the Anabaptist tradition at the Baptist convention last November. So maybe any move of Mennonites into other places is not such a bad thing after all. Maybe it is more of a diaspora experience guided by God to “share the love” than a negative that proclaims we are dieing. Maybe we are not. Maybe we are only beginning after being the quiet in the land for 500 years. Maybe we are becoming the NO LONGER QUIET IN THE LAND! I do wonder if the losses and decline that Mr. Thomas sites is such a bad indicator after all. Maybe it should proclaim that “unless a seed falls into the ground and dies it cannot produce fruit.” I think I heard someone say that once. So maybe something else is happening. Something more positive than we are noticing. Something that only us “non ethnic Mennonites” can see just as only the gentiles seemed to be able to see what God was doing among the Jews through Jesus.
So I decided to do two things this morning.
1) I decided to write this silly little rebuttal that I am sure will get a lot of negative press.
2) I would like to invite all my social media friends this morning who have been included over the last ten years by our denomination called MC_USA to tell the good story of how we have been included and allowed to use our gifts. I don’t know all the stories and don’t have time to tell all the stories I have heard but I know that they are out there. And so if you have one, please share it this morning. Do that on http://www.facebook.com/MennoniteChurchUSA. I think they might need some encouragement today.
This is my 400 Hours challenge this week. Let’s spend 400 hours this week sharing the Good Story about MC_USA! We all need to hear the good stories. Why? Because that is what gives us hope to carry on with the GOOD fight.
