Mennonite Brethren Conference responds to Borderland proposal: The answer is no

 

Earlier this year, River East Church sent the Manitoba Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches a Borderland Congregations proposal.

In it, the church proposed a way for the Conference to allow churches like itself—a welcoming and affirming congregation—to stay in the Conference by finding a home on the “borderland” of the denomination for a period of five to seven years. During that time, they could together discern a way forward on this topic.

Or, as the church put it, a way for churches such as River East to “remain part of MBCM and yet pursue understandings and practices that may border on the edges of common interpretations of the Confession of Faith.”

During this time period, MBCM would not suspend or expel any Borderland churches that sought to be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.

At the end of the specified time, there would be a complete evaluation of how the inclusion process is working in both Borderland and non-Borderland congregations as both seek to live out our mission for the world. 

If no common ground could be found, churches like River East could be asked to leave the Conference.

The proposal was sent prior to the MBCM Assembly in early March, where the decision was made to expel Jubilee, and before River East itself was suspended.

Now the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches has responded to the proposal the pages of the June issue of the MB Herald Digest, its official publication.

In a cover article titled “Living on the Borderland: What does being a community require of us?”, Brian Cooper, Associate Professor of Theology at the MB Seminary in B.C. addresses the proposal. He finds it wanting.

"In a nutshell, I am convinced that the answer to this question is no, and that attempting to move toward a theological borderland is the way that leads to disaster,” Cooper said. 

“The impulse to adapt or change our theological convictions for our context may be common, but it is not the way of faithfulness. Theological review is not a bad thing, if it is motivated by a desire to read Scripture more attentively, faithfully and missionally. The result is affirmation of theological convictions that address the breadth of Scripture well, not only certain carefully chosen texts.” 

“I am not convinced that Scripture contains a call from God to a borderland on this point.” 

Read Cooper’s entire article here.