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These were the questions facing 60 business people, administrators and professionals at a May 24 consultation on "Power and authority in the Mennonite church", held in Kitchener, Ont. Eight presentations touched on issues of power in business, in academic leadership and in non-profit organizations, but the discussion was not focussed enough to offer much help.
The event was coordinated by Cheryl Nafziger-Leis, growing out of her doctoral studies on religion, ideology and art. Discussions with people such as J. Lawrence Burkholder about church institutions convinced her that more conversation is needed. Several Mennonite organizations and schools supported the event.
Block also challenged the usual Mennonite emphases. Given the ambiguities of life and our own shortcomings, our faith cannot be based on ethics or agape love, stated Block. It must begin with the forgiving and transforming love of God (salvation). For example, how can a Mennonite business person claim to be nonresistant when he is locking out workers or forcing debtors to pay their bills? One must move from reliance on obedience as the core to dependence on the saving power of God, said Block.
"More and more I enjoy the company of realists. Honest realists," stated Phyllis Pellman Good in discussing the gap between business/professions and the church (see excerpt). Good is co-director of Good Enterprises in Pennsylvania.
Ron Schlegel of Kitchener, a professor before he entered business full-time, noted a disturbing contrast: His church affirmed his ability to work with "academic assets" but not his ability to work with capital. "The perception of business people as wealthy becomes a barrier," he said in his exploration of why the church underutilizes the leadership skills of business people. On the other hand, those in business are often given undue awe. Schlegel echoed Block's conviction that the ability to work with money is also a "calling".
A lively discussion touched on tensions and similarities between church and business, and called for a more honest grappling with the issues.
Burkholder's subject, "Power to articulate an educational vision", focussed not on the abuse of power but on the failure to affirm and allocate power. He stated that the neglect of power and the failure to allocate power along legal lines is a critical failure of church institutions. The question for an institution is, Who is authorized to develop a vision which defines what a particular institution stands for? Since a Christian college is ideally an eschatological community, who has the power to define the mission of that college is ultimately what determines the success and continuance of the college. Burkholder's answer was that the president of an educational institution is the one who is immediately responsible for the spiritual and social health of the college, and therefore the president should be the one to define the institution, with final authority lying with the Board.
Klassen, former principal of St. Paul's College, University of Waterloo, addressed the topic, "Jesus and the Use and Abuse of Power", suggesting that we need to follow the model Jesus left for us. Noting that we don't measure up as often as we should, he cited the examples of people in academic circles who practise this discipleship. Klassen also suggested that to have authority and power is an exhilarating thing, and to be able to make decisions that make a difference is very satisfying. He then made the point that the comings and goings in an academic setting need to be done with integrity.
In the discussion following, it was noted that, while business people bemoan the fact that they feel alienated in the church, academics are no longer in our churches. It was also stated that churches should show what is needed in a church institution, and that accountability must be exercised between the church and the college. Leaders who will help shape consensus and exercise power responsibly are needed in our educational institutions.
Harold Dueck, former Mennonite Central Committee country representative in West Bank, entitled his presentation "Power, Tomatoes and Anabaptists". His desire to be a witness to a loving Creator God was realized in working with the Palestinians in marketing the abundant produce from the reclaimed land in Palestine. Because of political contraints by both Jordan and Israel, produce was rotting in Palestinian fields. Dueck, working with MCC and other agencies, was instrumental in getting the produce to European markets. It was a development activity consistent with an Anabaptist understanding of the use of power. He stated that the ability to exercise power is a gift from God.
Herta Janzen, executive director of Donwood Manor in Winnipeg, brought everything back to a biblical base when she quoted Matthew 28:19-20, illustrating that power and authority are given by God, to achieve results. But with that authority, also come responsibility and accountability. She told about being responsible for the construction of a 40-bed addition to the Donwood personal care home. She had been able to exercise her authority in getting the project done on budget and on time, and make friends with the construction people at the same time.
Discussion following this section elicited comments such as, "We need to know when we are leaders and when we are followers" and how to move between those roles; and "We are shaped by what is going on around us." One person stated, "We don't want to be told what to do, but we want to be rallied to a cause." Others said: "People have helped me out. We need to help others to succeed"; and "We have a responsibility for leaders down the road." It was also suggested that one way to help new leaders develop, especially for non-profit organizations, is to have colleges spend some time each month learning about Mennonite agencies, and becoming familiar with what is needed. Another person suggested that it would be worthwhile for pastors and church people to take their sabbaticals in the workplace, and for business people to take their sabbaticals in church work. This would help in raising awareness of the challenges faced in both the business world and the church world.
"We didn't begin with a clear understanding of the problem," noted John Toews of Conrad Grebel College, one of the planners. "What are we trying to correct?" He was also frustrated that the discussion shifted so quickly away from power. "We were able to talk about power and authority when we were talking about the relation of business persons to the church," he observed. "When we shifted to talk about the church and church institutions/agencies, we talked about leadership rather than power."
Lorne Dawson, a sociologist and one of the "outside" observers, noted that he didn't hear anything about the coercive component of power, about "the winners and losers". What makes Mennonites distinct? he asked.
Lydia Harder, a theologian, said she had not heard anything about the conflict within oneself between power and powerlessness. How is the authority of the Bible related to these issues today? she asked.
About 22 participants met for Sunday morning breakfast at a local restaurant to continue the conversation. Evaluations indicated that "we've only started and should get together again next year," said Nafziger-Leis. Participants urged that the topic be narrowed to one aspect of power and authority instead of having such a broad discussion.
Conference proceedings can be ordered for $10.00 from Cheryl Nafziger-Leis, 16 Meadowlark Road, Elmira, Ont. N3B 1T6, phone (519) 669-1970. Margaret Loewen Reimer and Susan Brandt, for Meetinghouse
Most of us have not kept our practice of a faith community up-to- date with the rest of our lives. Our thinking and our theology lag behind our living these days. Most of us live two-track lives--our career or business life, and our church life. And yet we have this yearning. We wish our faith could not only inform our lives, but could fundamentally shape our living.
And so we make attempts to belong to a congregation--even if we aren't prepared to yield it control over our lives. In fact, the persons who know us best, and from whom we seek counsel, are likely to be our colleagues, who understand our business or professional world and who are not shocked by what we live with.
How are we supposed to behave in church? Some of us leave our Mennonite congregations because we can't figure it out, or it takes too much energy, or we're tired of the subtle judgement. Some of us grow ever more polite and distant within our congregations. We simply don't have enough information about each other's worlds, we believe.
Others of us wish for company, to find a faith community to which we can fully belong--me, my peculiarities, my weaknesses and my assets. Would it be possible to offer sanctuary and accountability to each other? Would it work to grant authority and power to a group of fellow seekers, to both discipline and cultivate our personal holdings of assets, whatever their currency (money, degrees, titles, positions)?
Such an effort will result in tension. If we want it, we must each choose to live an "observed" life. Without it, we will go on leading our fragmented, disjointed lives. We will go on behaving like guerrillas in community, holding our private secrets while singing out our well-advertised theologies of how it ought to be.
Phyllis Pellman Good
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