MBs BICs: The handholding continues

Grantham, Penn.

Fifteen Brethren in Christ and Mennonite Brethren bishops, conference ministers, and denominational leaders met at Grantham, Penn., on April 19-20. The group included mostly US leaders, but several Canadians participated as well, including MB Canadian Conference executive minister Reuben Pauls. Also present were the moderators and general secretaries of both denominations.

This was the third such meeting in the last several years. It was not motivated by a vision to integrate or merge, but simply to explore possibilities of networking and resourcing between the two denominations.

Both groups agreed that the denominations have very little knowledge of each other. This is partially due to geography; Mennonite Brethren are primarily west of the Mississippi River and most Brethren in Christ are east of the Mississippi. After general agreement on the role of denominations (to resource local churches as opposed to a philosophy where the churches exist for the denomination), the group wrestled with a variety of options for mutual resourcing and networking.

Participants explored issues such as mutual pastoral training/resourcing; sharing theological instructors; and co-sponsoring seminars, retreats and continuing education. They also discussed the idea of encouraging young people and adults to plan events for mutual learning and joint participation in service programs abroad and domestically.

The groups will meet again in February, 1997 in Fresno, Calif., and plan to invite representatives from mission and education groups from each denomination.

Marvin Hein, MB General Secretary and R. Donald Shafer, Brethren in Christ General Secretary

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