U.S. Mennonite Brethren won’t participate in Anabaptist Bible project because of MCUSA approach to LBGTQ+

 

The U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (USMB) will not join a project to create a study Bible celebrating the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism in 2025.

The decision was made by the USMB Leadership Board because one of the participating denominations in the project, Mennonite Church USA (MCUSA) has decided to allow its congregations to be open and welcoming of members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Participating in the project with members of MCUSA “would not be appropriate” because MCUSA recently passed an LGBTQ-­affirming resolution that is “contrary to our confession of faith,” the USMB Board said.

The Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches has not yet decided about participating in the Anabaptist Bible project. 

Read more about the USMB decision in Anabaptist World.

 

Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches ousts Executive Director for holding LGBTQ+ discussion

Ed Willms had high hopes when he organized a September 13 event for about 45 pastors and other leaders from the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (ONMB) to talk about LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion. 

Willms, then Executive Director of ONMB, wanted to provide a “safe place to listen, learn and hear from each other on a topic we all know needed more discussion, and reflect together on what type of family of churches we envision growing into in the days ahead.”  

Regrettably for Willms, his effort resulted in his being terminated without cause by the ONMB board. His last day was October 31.

Read about it in Anabaptist World.

 

Ontario Mennonite Brethren Conference suspends two churches over LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion

Two churches in the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (ONMB) have had their membership in the Conference suspended over LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion.

In a message to ONMB churches on November 7, board Chair Michelle Knowles said the Southridge Community Church in St. Catharines and the Toronto FreeChurch had been been placed under suspension.

In the case of Southridge, it was suspended for publicly communicating its intention to invite members of the LGBTQ+ community into all levels of participation, leadership and decision-making within the church.

This would include full inclusion “under a framework of disputable matters, which demonstrates convictions and actions which are outside the articulation and application of our MB understanding of scripture, as expressed in the Canadian Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith,” Knowles said.

The decision to suspend Southridge was made “after more than a two-year journey of engagement” with the church by the Conference, she said, noting the suspension was effective as of November 5.

Also suspended was FreeChurch Toronto, effective as of October 14, based on their “articulated position on full inclusion and their desire to be a fully affirming church, which is also outside of our Confession,” Knowles stated.

On its website, FreeChurch says "we value the inclusion, dignity and flourishing of all people, and there welcome LGBTQ+ folks to fully participate in church life, including membership, leadershop and as staff members."

It goes on to say it supports LGBTQ+ people whether they choose celibacy or marriage.

The suspensions of the two churches are effective until the ONMB convention in February, 2023, at which time the ONMB Board will recommend revocation of membership unless a resolution is achieved with either church before that date.

Suspension or revocation of membership by ONMB automatically results in suspension and revocation of membership in the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

“The purpose of suspension is to address issues of compliance with our Confession and bylaws, while allowing room for dialogue in good faith as we seek a resolution together,” Knowles said in the message to the churches.

“As we interact with and serve all of our neighbours, including the LGBTQ+ community, we want to model the posture of Jesus, walking with grace and speaking truth in love,” she added.

Waterloo, Ont. Mennonite Brethren Church current & former members call on leadership to create safe space to talk about LGBTQ+

 

A public letter has been sent to leadership at the Waterloo, Ont. Mennonite Brethren Church (WMB) asking them to “create safe and open spaces for the WMB community to have conversations about LGBTQ+ inclusion without fear of repercussions.”

The letter was signed by 79 current and former members or attenders and participants. Other former members are invited to sign it as well.

(Find the letter and link for signing below.)

Isaiah Ritzman is spokesperson for the group of eight who initiated the letter. When asked why the letter was being sent to the leadership of the church now, he  said they did it “because we believed we were not alone. We believed more people at WMB church believed and felt as we did—they wanted a more inclusive community.”

The group also was frustrated they didn’t have another mechanism to share these concerns.

“We drafted this letter because we believed a public letter would be a means of reaching this larger group, giving them voice, as well as signalling to our wider community of how significant of an issue this is to so many people.”

When asked what the group meant by “safe space,” Ritzmann said “whether a space is ‘safe’ has to be determined by the people who have felt unsafe in the past or continue to feel unsafe.”

Church leaders, he said, “might believe they are creating that space, and perhaps they intend to do so (we're not in the business of judging intentions). But many who signed this letter have not experienced safe space at WMB.”

This was illustrated, he shard, by “the fact that we had people approach us who wanted to sign the letter but were scared to. That says something.”

To date, there has been no response from WMB leadership.

“We respect that it can take time for leadership to respond to the letter,” he said, noting the group went public with it on October 28.

“We hope to hear the beginnings of an answer by November 13th when the Leadership Board is having a townhall on issues such as these.”

Anyone who has been part of WMB in the past is invited to sign the letter, Ritzmann said.

“If you have been part of WMB church in the past we invite you to sign. For others we invite your prayers and moral support.”

Former WMP members who want to sign the letter can do so here. 

To the leadership of WMB Church,

We write out of love and concern for this community.

All of the undersigned have different relationships to WMB. Some are quite involved, others have taken a step back, and still others have left the church community in sadness. 

Alarmingly, some feel they have been kicked out of the church. While all the undersigned have different relationships to WMB, we all come with a common concern: LGBTQ+ inclusion. 

  

Not all of us are of one mind on theology. We range from general traditional beliefs to those who affirm LGBTQ+ people in marriage, membership, & ministry in the church. But we are of one heart - we care about this community, each other, and our LGBTQ+ siblings & neighbours. It remains deeply painful that WMB lacks safe & open spaces to listen, study & dialogue, and even to remain members when and where conscience and conviction differ over such matters.

 

Together we call upon the leadership of WMB church to:

 

Frist, Create safe & open spaces for the WMB community to have conversations about LGBTQ+ inclusion without fear of repercussions.

 

Second, publicly commit to separate membership entirely from personal convictions concerning LGBTQ+ inclusion (as membership is already separate from theological conviction in other areas).

 

We ask these things in hope that change is possible.