New Congregations Received in the MCEC Community

Three churchs were received as emerging congregations at MCEC's Annual Church Gathering on Saturday, April 28.

Grace New Life Mennonite Church - Twenty-eight to thirty-five worshippers have been meeting in Hamilton since 1991. Most come from Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam. They want to be part of the Mennonite Church. They are the most musically gifted Lao congregation in Ontario.

Pastor Sririrsack Saythavy

Chin Christian Church has been meeting in Ottawa since 2003. Seventy people meet for worship, most of whom came to Canada from Burma. They became Christians through missionaries in Burma and learned to know about the Mennonites through the Chin Christian Church in Kitchener. The Chin Christian Church (Ottawa) has been supporting missionaries in Burma since 2002; currently they are sponsoring five missionaries.

Leaders Nilian Sum, No Kio Bik, Caleb Sawi Thaum and David Nei Mang Thaum

Maranatha Evangelical Church is a small congregation of twelve worshippers in London.

The Pastor teaches on short wave radio three times a week to people in 23 countries as part of the outreach of the congregation.

Pastor Eshetu Asfaw

All of This is in God's Hands

by Brian Bauman

Straddling the centre of the dirt courtyard was a volleyball net. Hanging on it was a giant banner with our pictures on it - as big as life to welcome us. Made me feel like a celebrity. The students were singing English and Mizo worship songs as we arrived.

Pastor Nancy Brubaker, my wife, and I were in Burma at the invitation of Dr. Ro Hming Liana, president of Truth Bible College and Seminary, to speak at their 13th Convocation service on February 25, 2012 in Kalay. This invitation grew into a week of teaching an Anabaptist understanding of the Bible and faith to 60 students and faculty, and preaching during public sessions in the evening. View Brian's address to the graduating students

The lecture on God's mission of reconciliation was new material for the students. It invited comments and reflections from the students. "So what about the coming wars in Revelation?" or "If a Mennonite husband is never to hit his wife, then all Chin women want to be Mennonite." The faculty also seemed enthralled by what we were teaching in the morning classes and preaching at night.

Jason, the vice-president of the school, was our translator for the week. First year students know very little English. Second and third year students are taught in English as opposed to their native Chin tribal language, Mizo. The college president knows that if his students are going to advance in their studies and the world, they have to learn English.

This journey would never have happened without the Chin Christian Church in Kitchener. Pastor Ching Jehu Lian and his leaders are passionate about being Mennonite. They are eager to see their brothers and sisters around the world understand Mennonite theology. My only disappointment was that Pastor Jehu could not travel with us. He was not granted a travel visa for Myanmar. This caused me great anxiety but we learned and welcomed that all of this is in God's hands.

It is both a mission opportunity and responsibility of the Mennonite church to share our understandings of discipleship, peacemaking, justice and servanthood. The Chin in Burma are inviting the Mennonite church into their world.

It was hot and the electricity was off, so the fans weren't moving the air around. Fifty or more women crowded into the upstairs office of Truth Mission Evangelical Fellowship. Nancy was teaching one afternoon about four biblical women who supported other women, allowing them to become more than they could have on their own. Out of gratitude and hospitality, the women gave her a gift: a Haka hand bag. Haka is one of the Chin tribes.

On another afternoon, Nancy spoke to the women who are leaders in the Truth Mission Evangelical Fellowship women's organization - about 15-20 of them - of women as leaders from a biblical perspecitve. The few younger women present were especially receptive to her teaching. One young woman whispered to her that she was "allowed" to preach in her church occasionally, but she knows only one woman pastor. They presented Nancy with a Haka dress. She received delighted responses every time she wore it.

The footwashing was an extraordinary experience for everyone. Nancy provided the teaching and introduction to this practice, drawing a parallel betwen Jesus the teacher serving the disciples, and we as teachers serving the graduates. Nancy and I washed the feet of the fourteen graduating students during the Convocation.

The people in the crowd of 500 were amazed that a white person would stoop to wash the feet of a Chin person. The leaders of the school were moved. "We have often taught the importance of this passage ... for me as a teacher you have shown me that I must see my students differently."

I was a little nervous about what we had planned for the students one morning. Groups of three were invited to discuss questions provided to them and then verbally share their responses with the class. A new concept for them.

Thanks for Nancy's teaching skills, this went really well. They did struggle but she encouraged them to

"stay with it", keeping a few of the talkative males to only one comment and taking their turn to listen; great leaders must learn to listen. Then coaxing the young women to speak a word or two because great leaders must learn to speak what is on their minds. To discern as a community, you must hear from everyone on occasion.

Again, the faculty were watching and learning because this was new for them, too.

Building inter-cultural, international relationships will serve to strengthen those ties that bind us together as a community of many cultures in MCEC. Seeing and knowing Chin brothers and sisters here in Ottawa and Kitchener as well as Kalay, Burma has the potential of renewing our passion for mission within MCEC and Mennonite Church Canada.Our culture needs to be part of the story and not just read about the story. As we create more hands-on involvement in the various cultural stories, the life of mission will experience renewal with MCEC.

 
Church Planters' Equipping Day
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Conrad Grebel University College Chapel
Watch for details

Pray for Beginning Congregations

MCEC walks along side many Spirit-filled leaders who are exploring a relationship with MCEC. MCEC offers guidance, training and other resources for them to grow new congregations, form leaders, and make disciples of Christ. We thank God for the gift of this diverse group of leaders, each with a unique calling to minister in their neighbourhood. All have one thing in common: They need the prayers and encouragement of the whole MCEC community.

We are all part of the team God is calling and putting together for God's mission in the world.

Church Plants