Why am I Mennonite Brethren?

Pierre Gilbert

When someone asks me this question, I find it somewhat embarrassing because I do not have an easy, readymade answer that people can grasp immediately. The question has been asked of me frequently because I have been doing my best in recent years to encourage my own congregation (Eglise chretienne de St-Laurent) and others to contribute more generously to the Canadian MB Conference. In spite of the willingness of the brothers and sisters to contribute financially, they can't keep from asking why we should send the Canadian Conference money when we have such urgent needs here. Some have asked me what justification there is for even belonging to such a denomination. Others ask what concrete benefits there are to belonging: What's in it for us?

Although such questions make me uneasy, I remain patient, because I am aware that such opinions result much more from lack of information and from a misunderstanding of who we are as Mennonite Brethren than from ill will. It seems to me that we church workers have not been very clear in explaining the value of conference over the years; therefore, I believe we need to bear some of the responsibility. In an effort to remedy this situation, I present several reasons why I am proud to be a member of the Mennonite Brethren Church.

A sincere, deep love

During my 12 years of service in Quebec, it has refreshed me many times to participate in MB conventions and to visit Mennonite Brethren churches in Ontario and the West. What strikes me constantly is the love and concern for the church in Quebec.

This affection for us in Quebec has been made tangible by the Mennonite Brethren sending us missionaries since the 1960s as well as by financial support. I haven't studied the figures, but one can estimate that the Canadian Conference has invested at least $1.5 to $2 million in Quebec since 1960. We still receive about $200,000 a year for the support of various ministries.

Respect and local autonomy

Mennonite Brethren have deliberately shown their respect for the MB churches in Quebec by encouraging them to develop their own identity. In fact, the Association of Mennonite Brethren Churches in Quebec is one of the few denominations in Quebec that is solely directed by French Quebecers.

Model

The experience that I have gained over the years as a Quebec representative on Canadian MB Conference boards has often been a very valuable aid in my responsibilities at Institut biblique Laval, in my local church and in the Association of Mennonite Brethren Churches in Quebec. I have been profoundly influenced by the manner in which our MB brothers and sisters handle their differences, resolve their conflicts and relate to one another.

Anabaptist theology

The MBs have bequeathed us a theology whose fundamental components constitute precious elements for today. Permit me to present several of these elements:

A missionary and evangelical church. The MB denomination is one in which the first priority is the communication of the gospel in all its forms. This communication is carried out as much by social work (Mennonite Central Committee) and the involvement of Christians in society as by planting new churches.

A biblical theology. For all sorts of reasons which are too long to explain, the Mennonites had developed a biblical theology long before the term was invented in the 19th century. This perspective has saved us from a great number of theological controversies which have often proved to be as useless as they are exhausting.

A theology of community. In anabaptist theology, to be a Christian is not only a matter between the believer and his God, but also a community matter. We believe that it is the church as a community that is to reflect the character of God. To be Christian is to be part of such a community. What an extraordinary antidote to the individualism and painful solitude which characterize our society!

Mutual submission. I believe it is very healthy for the leaders of local churches to be in submission and answerable to a community larger than their own. Not only does this protect members from any unscrupulous leaders who may appear from time to time, but the leaders of the denomination themselves learn to practise submissive attitudes as they listen to the members of their own congregations.

Pierre Gilbert, registrar and instructor at Institut biblique Laval in Montreal and a member of the Canadian MB Conference Board of Communications, has been appointed assistant professor in Old Testament at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno, CA, beginning this fall.

Translated, with permission, from Le Lien.

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