James Toews (r), speaking with CCMBC Executive Director Elton DaSilva in 2019.
James Toews, former pastor of the Neighbourhood Bible Church in Nanaimo, B.C., was recently asked by the British Columbia Mennonite Brethren Conference (BCMB) Pastoral Ministries Committee to explain his support for LGBTQ+ people. He was asked four questions, which he answered below. Toews offered to share his responses on this blog.
What is inclusion and affirmation to you?
My definition of “inclusion” is captured in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
For me, Jesus’ call to “all” is to be taken literally. This is the very centre of the Gospel. There is no “but” in Jesus’ call to wounded people [all of us]. I think the Mennonite Brethren conference in Canada has added a big “but” to Jesus’ open invitation to join His family. To me, this is a deep distortion of the Gospel.
My definition of “affirmation” comes from Psalm 139:13-14: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.”
Or, to put it another way, everyone is created uniquely by God. They are God’s creation, given their identity by God. This includes all those who God created LGBTQ+. They deserve our unequivocal affirmation—not systematic exclusion.
How should these important values (inclusion and affirmation) be built up in the church?
To put it simply: Stop putting roadblocks in front of those who want to be part of the church. As we know, Jesus was very hard on those who cause those wanting to join the church to stumble.
As he bluntly put it in Matthew 18:6-7: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!”
I believe that the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches is in danger of Jesus’ “woe.”
Paul addresses the same issue in Romans 14:13: “Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”
Where and how are Mennonite Brethren churches getting it wrong when it comes to the issue of inclusion/acceptance?
BCMB and the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (CCMBC) are not listening to those who see things differently than a small group of leaders who are aggressively teaching and promoting exclusion and who are effectively making a narrow theology of inclusion into THE sole litmus test of Confessional orthodoxy. This is a very serious problem. By their actions, BCMB and CCMBC are doing terrible spiritual harm to gay Christians and their supporters.
What role should BCMB and CCMBC play in equipping and training our family of churches on this important topic?
It can start by actually listening to voices like the Open Space group, to LGBTQ+ people, and to their parents, siblings, cousins, friends, allies and others. Until listening happens, there is no next step. Is there really a willingness to listen to various inclusion theologies?
Those are my answers. I think they are complete and are not in conflict with our Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith.
