Letters to the editor

Follow the Bible naturally

"A small remnant engaged in a big work" (News, June 27) mentioned that I had taught in Krygyzstan. It was also noted that we are members of Bakerview MB Church, which is incorrect. We are members of Culloden MB Church in Vancouver.

The report of the World Evangelical Fellowship meetings in Abbotsford in the same issue was quite informative. However, it commented about the relative lack of women participants. The assumption is that that is inherently bad or discriminatory. I would counter: Maybe the third world Christian community is more intuitively following the biblical precedent of male leadership as the norm for Christian community, rather than following the North American feminist agenda. Let's start learning from the Christian community in other parts of the world, not only re their spectacular church growth but also re their natural response to the Old and New Testament mandate of male leadership. Walter Fast,
Lemgo, Germany

Relationships and discipleship

Being personally involved in youth ministry, I found Tony Kesler's "Revisiting youth ministries and program training" (Aug. 29) somewhat disturbing. His point on revamping Bible college training of youth workers has some validity. I also agree that a certain amount of administration and program planning are needed for youth ministry. However, Kesler failed to mention relationships and discipleship, the keys to maintaining a good youth ministry. A church youth worker can have the greatest programming and events and never have bored youth, but if there is no discipleship or relationship building happening, then the program has failed. Our job has more to it than making sure the youth have something to do on Friday nights. If "parents, pastoral colleagues and church councils" understood this, then there would be no pressure placed on youth pastors. Instead, there would be a unified church working together for the sake of the youth.

M. Dyck, (E)
Winnipeg, Man.

What I didn't learn in Bible school

Tony Kesler (Aug. 29) suggests that the high youth pastor turnover rate is due to a lack of recreational training. There is a fundamental flaw in pastoral training at our Bible colleges that has contributed to the high turnover rate in youth ministry. But youth workers don't get burned out or fired because they can't lead a decent game of "duck-duck-goose". The problem is that many of our youth pastors aren't called to be youth pastors and aren't trained in what really matters.

These days, any Tom, Dick or Harry can get a degree in youth ministry at a Bible college, regardless of gifting, character, calling or experience. The graduates (and the churches) assume that a piece of paper from such an institution equals competency, which is not the case.

At Bible college, I was led to believe that ministry was about effective programming, creative Bible lessons, time management, conflict management, working with committees, etc. Now I know the truth: A flashy program may get me past the two-year mark, but it doesn't equal effective ministry.

Here are some things I didn't learn in Bible college: mentoring, discipleship, character development, transparency, motivation, spiritual warfare, prayer, the spiritual disciplines, recognizing giftedness, delegation, listening to God, recognizing what God is doing, fanning a flame, spiritual authority, marriage and ministry, equipping roles (Ephesians 4), calling, personal giftedness, reconciliation, failure, pride, submission, family ministry, priorities, the presence of God, the miraculous, team-building. With the absence of such crucial training elements, is it any wonder so many of us fail?

Brad Huebert,
Winkler, Man.

Youth pastors not entertainers

Tony Kesler (Aug. 29) does a great job in revealing what is wrong in church youth ministry today. Unfortunately, it has very little to do with what he has written and everything to do with the misguided assumption under which he writes. The assumption that we need better youth programmers is, in fact, the reason why youth workers only last an average of 18-24 months. It is the problem more than it is the solution. Certainly, some programming skill is necessary, but only if it is used properly by Spirit-led men and women who have a calling to the youth God has entrusted them with. Programming skill is a poor substitute for spiritually fine, honest and courageous men and women who desire to come into a church to feed youth and families what they need, not what they want.

In the church, we expect our programs to change lives. They don't. In fact, more often than not, our programs, so brilliantly crafted and thought out, get in the way of God's real work in our hearts.

"Program vacuums" aren't the problem so much as overprogramming in response to congregational expectations. "Bored and restless" youth groups are not going to be truly satisfied until they see Christ working in and amongst them, especially in the life of the youth pastor.

Andy Macpherson,
Abbotsford, B.C.

Disenfranchising the membership

Are we disenfranchising the membership of our churches by the eldership structure? If we put up only one candidate, aren't we in a communist form that does not really allow for elections, but demands only approval?

When the Mennonite Brethren started, they moved away from the bishop or elder-led (elder-run) form of church governance. The brotherhood concept and the congregational (democratic) form of church polity were considered the biblical structure, based on Scriptures such as Matthew 18:17 ("Tell it to the church", not only elders), Acts 6:23 and Acts 15:6,12,13. Acts 13 seems to indicate the church membership, led by the Holy Spirit, made the decision and laid hands on newly elected missionaries.

It is the Catholics who said, "The church is where the bishop is", whereas evangelicals have always held that "the believers" are the deciding body. Where strong leaders dominated, the process was often cultic and close to rule by "the divine right of kings".

If the vote of confidence is set aside (see May 30 issue), what say does a congregation have? Surely, the Spirit of God can lead a congregation in whether they want the pastor to continue ministry in their midst better than a small group of men who probably have a vested interest; they should be spiritual, but so should the congregation. I would prefer evaluation by the congregation through a vote of confidence to evaluation by a small group of elders.

H.R. Baerg,
Chilliwack, B.C.

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