Commitment to peace theology fading

WINNIPEG

Concern about Mennonite peace theology was the theme that emerged from a peace consultation held Sept. 11-12 in Winnipeg. Mennonite Central Committee Canada held the consultation after some leaders in the Mennonite community expressed fear that Mennonites' commitment to the church's peace theology is fading. In attendance were 18 peace workers from five provinces, representing the Canadian MB Conference, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the Evangelical Mennonite Conference and the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference. The group plans to meet annually.

Harold Jantz, MB representative to MCC Canada, feels that MBs have given this aspect little attention in recent years. "I don't see a great deal of effort being made to giving a peace message in our congregations," he said. He also said the MB Conference has been concerned sometimes that emphasizing a peace position might be an impediment to evangelism. It's thought that a Mennonite distinctive such as pacifism might turn people off who would otherwise be open to the gospel.

MCC Canada's peace ministries coordinator Tom Snowdon, who helped organize the meeting, defines peace as the state of God's shalom or wholeness. He breaks it down to peace with God, peace with oneself, peace with others and peace with the environment.

Henry Dueck, former executive secretary of the EMMC, said evangelical Mennonites can be deeply concerned about planting churches, sometimes at the exclusion of other things. "We forget that we also need to teach new Christians a peaceable walk."

Menno Kroeker, pastor of an EMC church in Rosenort, Man., notices some influence from American evangelicalism in his conference. Church members read Christian books from the US and listen to American radio programs, and are sometimes influenced by ideas that wrap Christianity with defending the American way of life, he said.

Kroeker suggested non-resistance is a negative term that doesn't attract people. He suggested challenging people to take a positive step of becoming peace makers, rather than being people who just withdraw from conflict. He said the Bible calls Christians to a peace position.

Jantz also sees the peace message as integral to the gospel. "Right at the heart of the gospel is reconciliation," he said. Reconciliation with God leads to reconciliation with ourselves, he explained. "It's the basis for reconciliation with others. "I think perhaps we have thought of the peace position in too-narrow terms," he said.--MCC Canada

Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 37, No. 23 Home Page