In March 2022, the Executive Boards of the U.S. and Canadian Mennonite Brethren conferences ordered Kindred Productions to destroy all 300 copies of On Holy Ground: Stories By And About Women in Ministry in the Mennonite Brethren Church and reprint it without three pages by River East Church pastor Mary Anne Isaak.
The reason behind the order was how Isaak raised the question in her chapter about whether the silencing and marginalization of women’s voices by the denomination for generations might be similar to what is happening today to members of the LGBTQ+ community. That was deemed unacceptable.
(The offending
pages were published on this blog and
have been viewed over 5,000 times.)
That controversy overshadowed the purpose of the book, which was commissioned by the Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission, to share the personal stories of 15 women about their challenges and joys of serving as pastors and leaders in American and Canadian Mennonite Brethren churches.
Through the stories, the women share about the challenges and joys of ministry along with the struggle to have their gifts and voices recognized and affirmed by the denomination.
Almost all of the re-printed books have been sold, with only a few copies yet left for sale.
If there is
additional interest in the book, the Historical Commission may consider
publishing an e-book. Anyone interested in the book could signal interest in an
e-copy by contacting Kindred Productions at kindred@mbchurches.ca.
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