Letter: Brian Cooper responds to Don Peter's letter about music, conductors and living on the Borderland

 

Don, thank you for taking the time to respond. (To Brian’s article about the River East Borderland proposal.) I think the way you interpreted my metaphor (which, admittedly, has shortcomings) reveals a basic difference between our two different approaches to theological reflection. In my thinking, there is only one conductor. There can be only one conductor—Jesus.

All members of the metaphorical choir are subject to the direction of the Great Conductor, and he is the one who calls the tune. Our work is concerned with the task of playing our parts faithfully.

However presumptuous or arrogant it may seem for me to insist that the established position represents what we believe to be the direction of Jesus, in my view it is more problematic to consider the implications of participating in a choir with multiple conductors, all of whom are presuming to give leadership to the group.

It would be truly arrogant to insist on a theological direction that originated in the ruminations of a group wielding its own authority.

What MBs confess is the product of group reflection on what Scripture leads us to agree together. What has changed has changed for specific reasons, not because of the presumed inevitability of change itself.

On a related note, my working assumption about the nature of theology itself is that it is secondary reflection on God's self-revelation. It is not ultimately the product of human ingenuity, however sophisticated or well-intended. 

So what I have argued is not a truth I presume to have invented or mastered. Rather, it is a truth to which I am bound to be subject, and I do not pretend to have any advantage over anyone else. 

Brian Cooper is Associate Professor of theology at MB Seminary.

Letter: Living on the Borderland (And an explanation about this new Letters section)

 

When I started this blog, I envisioned it like a publication with me as the reporter. A one-person show.

Unlike other publications, which accept submissions from other writers, I would only publish things written by me. I was not interested in being an editor, choosing items for the blog. (People can leave comments on this blog, though.)

And yet many are hungry for honest conversation about this topic. A couple of people have sent me submissions, hoping I would publish them. I declined. 

But when I received the submission below, it got me thinking anew about whether this blog could play a role in facilitating conversation about LGBTQ+ in the Canadian Mennonite Brethren Conference. 

But how to do that? Then I thought: A Letters section.

The best place for submissions/letters like this to be published is the Herald itself. But the publication doesn't have a letters section anymore, and I doubt it would accept submissions that challenge Conference beliefs and policy about LGBTQ+. 

That's where a letters section comes in.  

To be honest, I do this with some trepidation; I am not keen to run a public forum! But until some other way comes along, I guess its something I can do.  

If others wish to write a letter, send them to jdl562000 AT yahoo.com. They must address the issue of LGBTQ+ in the Canadian Mennonite Brethren Church, and they should be in response to something on this blog. (Although personal stories are also welcome.) 

I reserve the right to publish or not publish any letter. Keep your submission short and to the point and be respectful. Give your name, city/town and church you belong to (if any), although some letters can be published anonymously.  

All submissions express the opinion of the writer, not necessarily my own. (Or they might; I'm not saying.) Here's the first letter.   

Living on the Borderland, June 23, 2023

Brian Cooper’s point in Living on the Borderland? is summed up in his metaphor of the choir:  If you want to sing in the choir, you need to sing the song the conductor assigns and pay attention to the conductor’s baton. 

If you can’t do both, perhaps there is another more suitable choir for you somewhere else. 

Cooper concedes that other choirs also make music, just not the music the conductor of our choir makes.  

Imagine a choir where the conductor, year after year, chooses the same music and performs it in the same way despite there being many innovations that could be explored.  

Finally, some members of the choir take the conductor aside and suggest modifications to the repertoire. 

“No,” says the conductor. “This is our expression of music; the repertoire and the presentation of it are not to be questioned.” 

Some members gather a petition asking the national cohort of conductors to discuss aspects of the repertoire and their presentation. The conductors ignore the petition but, nonetheless, structure two nation-wide consultations on a single component of the repertoire.

They call these consultations ‘Study Conferences’. They make it clear from the outset, however, that the repertoire and its presentation are not under discussion.   

I am one who has sung in the conductor’s choir for more than fifty years.  I still want to sing music in this choir, but Brian Cooper has made it clear that my being in the choir will be more painful for the choir than whatever pain is caused by my departure. 

Some direct observations on the matter at hand:  

First, Jesus, not our Confession of Faith, is our centre. 

Second, confessions of faith are important for the identity of a faith community. That said, believers, including MBs, change their confessions of faith over time.  

These changes occasionally result from theological discussion that is initiated as the church ministers to people within its community and beyond. The change of the MB Confession of Faith on divorce and remarriage, and the recent U.S. MB change on non-resistance, were substantive changes. They were controversial because they challenged expressions of faithful discipleship that were held in common until then.

Third, confessions of faith can’t say it all and sometimes say too much. If Mennonite Brethren were to write a confession of faith today, what would it look like? Would it have the same number of articles?

Even with the Confession of Faith as it is, might the Statement of Shared Convictions of the Mennonite World Conference offer us something useful at this time?

This Statement summarizes commonly accepted faith principles of most Anabaptist groups worldwide. While it is not a confession of faith, the seven shared convictions are central to Anabaptist belief and practice. 

Are these seven convictions sufficiently cohesive to hold Anabaptist groups in worldwide communion? Are they sufficiently cohesive to hold current members of the Mennonite Brethren family in Canada in communion with each other? 

I hope that they are. Our commonalities greatly exceed our differences. The diversity that now exists among the Mennonite Brethren is not unusual and not unhealthy when Christ is our centre. 

Returning to the choir metaphor, let us encourage the conductor to try a little new music. There are people within and beyond our circle who’ve wanted to sing for a very long time.

Donald Peters, Winnipeg. (Don is a member of River East Church.)

Reflection: Who speaks for the Mennonite Brethren Conference? And a wandering discourse on the history and current state of the MB Herald

An anonymous writer had a set of questions after my post about the River East Borderland proposal getting a negative reply from the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. 

He asked: 

I'm confused by the headline. Does this associate professor represent the Canadian Conference? If so, why would the CCMBC be responding on behalf of the MBCM? If not, why are you describing his opinion piece as "the answer"? 

It’s a fair set of questions, one that many might be wondering. So let’s unpack it, shall we? 

Does Brian Cooper represent CCMBC? Before answering that, it’s worth noting that little to nothing has been officially said by CCMBC leaders on the topic of LGBTQ+ welcome, inclusion and affirmation. 

The Conference’s silence on this topic means there is little to no information or insight into its position. 

As a result, we need to infer or deduce what they think. And that’s where the Herald comes in. 

It is the official publication of the CCMBC and carries the official news and opinions for the Conference. Nothing gets published in it unless it is approved by the Conference (at some level). 

As a result, we can infer and deduce that Brian Cooper’s articles reflect the position of the Conference on this topic. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be published there. 

But there’s more. Cooper is also because a member of the National Faith and Life Team (NFLT), the body that “exists to articulate and safeguard Mennonite Brethren theological convictions” and identify and address “areas of concern and significant issues impacting the MB churches in Canada.”

It is the official voice of the Conference on theological matters, in other words.

As a member of that body, it is unlikely Cooper didn’t confer about it with other NFLT members, or at least its Director, Ken Esau, to make sure it represented the opinion of that group.

As for why CCMBC should be replying instead of MBCM, I don’t know. But I do know that MBCM has not responded to the proposal from River East. Maybe that’s why CCMBC decided to step in, via Cooper’s article. (Whether at the request of the Conference or the NFLT, or at Cooper’s own initiative, I can’t say.) 

And that, to answer the questioner, is why I said the answer had been given to the Borderland proposal. 

Sure, I could be wrong. But here’s another thing to consider; to date, CCMBC has not challenged me on the post.

A few thoughts about the Herald

 

Before ending this post, a few thoughts about the history of the Herald, and the role it currently occupies in CCMBC.

There was a time when it was an independent denominational magazine—or as independent as a denominational magazine could be. (There is a long and solid history of independent Christian journalism in Canada.)

It used to be the editor had the final say on what was selected to be published, and a variety of perspectives were carried on various issues. (I know this because I once was the associate editor of the Herald.)

For example, during the controversy over women in leadership, the Herald carried articles for and against, letting readers decide and respond through letters to the editor.

Ah yes—letters to the editor. We used to joke when I was there that the letters section was the first place most readers went when the new issue arrived. (Obituaries were the second!)

It was the place where you could find a lively selection of opinions and ideas, not all of which would pass Conference muster. But as editors, we believed it was important to let members have their say, both pro and con. Those were their pages, the place where Conference leaders could hear what the average member was thinking.

Today the Herald doesn’t have a letters section. (Although comments can be left on articles on the website—if they are approved.)

That change dates back to when Willy Reimer became Executive Director of the CCMBC in 2011. (He served in that position until 2017.) Under his leadership, the Herald became what I called a “cheerleader” for the Conference.  

Many of the articles were written by Conference leaders or pastors, and topics hewed closely to official Conference positions—nothing controversial permitted.

(I know first hand because, soon after Laura Kalmar became editor in 2005, she asked me to write an “edgy” kind of column for the Herald. My first column was published in February 2006. It was titled “Do we need a ceremony for divorce?” I wrote it after attending just such a ceremony, asking the question if many marriages begin in the church, should they end their, too? After it ran, Laura called to say that Willy had told her such an edgy column was unacceptable, and my services would no longer be required.)

Under Reimer’s leadership, the Herald committed the worst sin of journalism: It became boring and predictable. That was evidenced by the lack of letters; there simply was nothing to write about, nothing to contest, nothing to spark discussion, nothing to disagree over—nothing that challenged anyone’s way of thinking.

(In 2016, the lack of letters prompted Carol Penner, then pastor at Lendrum Church in Edmonton, to start a blog titled “Dear MB Church.” Penner thought, erroneously, that the Conference was suppressing letters and wanted to provide a place for people to post them. The truth of the matter was nobody was sending any letters—something confirmed to me by an editor at that time.)

Today, the Herald still very much functions as a cheerleader for the CCMBC. Its role is to support and promote the Conference and its positions, not allow them to be challenged.

That’s why we get articles like the one by Cooper, and why we may never see a response that challenges him in the pages of the Herald. 

One final thing: The current state of the Herald is the reason this blog exists at all.

If the editor had freedom to carry views contrary to the Conference position on LGBTQ+ welcome and affirmation, or to carry news about things like the Open Space gathering in Winnipeg in January, or even just news about the suspension and expulsion of churches, including responses from members and pastors from those suspended churches—this blog might not be necessary.

The fact it exists is testimony to the current state of affairs with the Conference and the Herald. Until and unless the Herald changes its editorial position, I guess it will continue to be needed.

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.

River East Church joins other Mennonite churches in marching in Winnipeg Pride Parade

People from River East Church joined with people from other Mennonite churches in Winnipeg to march in that city’s June 4 Pride Parade.

 

While people from other Mennonite Brethren churches may have marched, River East was the only Mennonite Brethren church in Winnipeg to have an official presence there.

Other Mennonite churches that marched were First Mennonite, Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship, Bethel Mennonite, Hope Mennonite, Home Street Mennonite and Sargent Mennonite. All of those congregations are part of Mennonite Church Manitoba. (If I missed any, let me know.)

Mennonite Brethren family with trans child reflects on sharing their story

Earlier in May, I posted a story about a Mennonite Brethren family with a trans child that didn't feel welcome in the denomination. They shared the following after seeing some responses to their story.

Reading responses to our family’s story, the thought that struck me was that people often feel very alone when walking through difficult times like this. By sharing our story, I think we let people in our situation know they are, in fact, not alone.

Also, although our story is different from others, there really are a lot more commonalities in people’s lives and stories than we realize!

One thing I was also reminded of was how, in the midst of a story, we often don’t have the full perspective. That’s true for us. As a family, we are still in the midst of our story. We are walking the path of figuring out ourselves and don’t yet know where this path will lead.

One thing that has changed as a result of our story is our home has become a place where ALL are truly welcome. Not that they weren’t before, but now with a much more intentional welcoming and awareness that we just didn’t have before. We didn’t see the gift of this at the beginning of our journey, but we are seeing it now.

When we read comments people left on places where our story has been shared, we felt supported, loved, and encouraged. I am buoyed by the fact that there are corners in the church community where other people are having these experiences and conversations, places where we can walk alongside each other well.

We’re thankful people are finding comfort in our story. It continues to be our hope and dream that this conversation can be had in more places and be helpful to others in the middle of their stories, too.

Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches planning a resource on gender identity

The National Faith and Life Team (NFLT) of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (CCMBC) is planning to develop a position and resource on gender identity.

That’s the word from Ken Esau, who directs the NFLT.

“Since its approval of the ‘Loving Well Our LGBTQ+ Family, Friends, and Neighbours’ document, the NFLT has planned to produce a resource on the important questions of sexual identity and gender identity,” he said. 

“Unfortunately, this resource is not even in draft stage yet, but is near the top of our ‘to do’ list with a hopeful completion date in the next 12-18 months.”

River East Church in Winnipeg formally suspended by the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba

River East Church in Winnipeg has been formally suspended by the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba (MBCM). 

The suspension took effect on May 3.

It follows a notice of suspension sent to the church in March and follows a meeting between the MBCM board and River East leadership.

On May 10, MBCM sent a letter to all Mennonite Brethren churches in Manitoba announcing the suspension. The letter is below.

This letter is a follow-up to the March 1 2023 communication you received from us regarding River East Church.

The MBCM Board recognizes that LGBTQ+ persons, along with their friends and families, have experienced exclusion and rejection in churches. While this is not everyone’s story, we understand that it is the story of many. We are committed to a future where better stories are experienced. Each MBCM church is invited to join in this journey, where LGBTQ+ persons and their families experience inclusion and care.

As well, we recognize that some of the implications of working to include and care for LGBTQ+ persons can bump up against our convictions and practices. The MBCM board continues to affirm our shared confession, in all of its aspects.

The MBCM board is moving River East Church’s membership in MBCM to a status of suspended, as of May 3, 2023. This suspension involves a change in River East’s ability to serve and provide representation. 

Members of River East Church will be unable to hold a representative position within MBCM or CCMBC structures and affiliations while this suspension is active. This does not include REC members who are employed by institutions of said structures and affiliations. Additionally, River East Church members will be ineligible to vote on decisions or resolutions considered by the Assembly of MBCM churches.

As per the process outlined in MBCM’s constitution, the MBCM Provincial Faith and Life Team will conduct a review of the circumstances that have led to this suspension. They will report their findings to the MBCM board.

The desire of the MBCM board is to work toward the restoration of REC membership in MBCM. Should this intention find success, the board will then resolve to reinstate River East Church upon the board’s satisfaction that the concerns have been adequately rectified.

Should those efforts prove ineffective, the board will provide recommendation to the Assembly of MBCM churches for removal of membership.

We invite you to be in prayer for all involved as we journey through this process. May God work in and through us as we seek to be faithful in following him.

On behalf of the MBCM board, Dave Ens MBCM Board Moderator

"In our hearts, we are still Mennonite Brethren . . . but it doesn’t seem like it is open to us and our family now." Family shares journey with trans child

The parents reached out to me. They wanted to tell their story about their journey with a trans child. 

They are long time members of a Mennonite Brethren church in Canada. They requested anonymity; they still aren’t sure who they can tell, or how their church will respond to them. 

So let’s call them Barb and Thomas. I’ll call their child Sam. 

Sam is in their early 20s, a young adult, the eldest of four children in the family. Since about the age of 14, Sam knew something felt off—they didn’t feel like the female gender they had been born into. (Sam prefers neutral pronouns.)

They kept quiet for a long time, not telling anyone, not even their parents. Then, a few years ago, they went to their parents to tell their story. 

“Sam came into the room one night to talk to us,” said Barb. “’I need to tell you something,” they said. “’I’m trans.’” 

While taken by surprise, Barb and Thomas assured Sam they loved them. “We had decided years ago there was nothing our children would do that would end our love for them,” Barb said. “Including this.” 

Barb remembers praying that night after Sam broke the news. 

“I told God I didn’t know what to do with this. I told God I loved my child and I loved God. I said if it’s a phase, help us all get through it well. If it isn’t, help me make sense of it, since it goes against everything I have been taught at church. I asked God to give me wisdom and clarity. And that I was always willing to learn and be open to new things.” 

For Thomas, it was hard at first to process what Sam had said. 

“I wasn’t sure what it meant,” he said. “Maybe it was just a phase they were going through and things would go back to way the way things were before. But it was not to be.” 

As it turned out, Sam had given it a lot of thought before announcing it to their parents. 

“They didn’t see themself as fitting with who they saw themselves to be as a female,” Thomas said. “The girl’s name we had given them didn’t fit, either.” 

“That was not my lived experience, so it wasn’t easy for me to identify with Sam,” Thomas said. “But I could identify with their pain.” 

Sam wanted to talk about surgery to remove their breasts, but Barb and Thomas asked them to slow down a bit. Ultimately, they agreed it was best, as was the process of officially changing their name from a female name to a male name. 

While happy for Sam, Thomas admits he also “grieved the end of my daughter.” Yet he and Barb constantly told Sam “we loved them, that there was nothing they could do that would change that love for them.” 

Thinking back on the experience, Barb now realizes Sam was in pain for a long time before they told their parents. 

“I’m sorry they didn’t feel they could tell us earlier,” she said. 

But she understands how hard it was for Sam, not knowing if their parents might reject them. 

That was partly due to the family being part of a Mennonite Brethren church where conversations about sexual identity were never held and likely not permitted, and where something like being trans was considered disordered or even sinful. 

“Now I know how incredibly hard it is for LGBTQ+ or trans kids in Mennonite Brethren churches to come out.”  

“Now I know how incredibly hard it is for LGBTQ+ or trans kids in Mennonite Brethren churches to come out,” she said. 

The next challenge was what to say to friends and family. 

“At first we could hardly tell anyone,” Barb said. “We had to make sure it was safe.” 

Most who they have told have been open and accepting. But some have struggled. “Some have a different perspective,” she said. 

Barb and Thomas have come to peace about it, although he admits it’s still a challenge for him theologically. 

“Things aren’t black and white as before, but I still have some questions,” he said. “I still believe God created us and loves us, and wants to be in a relationship with us—and that means all of us, including Sam.” 

“This isn’t a salvation issue. There is lots of room for grace and acceptance.

One thing he is sure of is “this isn’t a salvation issue. There is lots of room for grace and acceptance. In the midst of this, God is still very present and real.” 

For Barb, who is in leadership in her church as a volunteer, the next step is what she can tell her pastor and others. 

“I want to be honest, but I don’t know what the reaction will be,” she says. This could include being asked to step down from her leadership position—which she is OK with, if it comes to that. 

If Barb and Thomas have to leave their church because of it—because of what the Confession says—that will be hard. “But increasingly we just don’t feel we fit in the Mennonite Brethren conference anymore,” she said. 

That last bit is a sticking point for the couple. 

"In our hearts, we are still Mennonite Brethren . . . but it doesn’t seem like it is open to us and our family now.” 

“We’ve visited other affirming churches, and they are fine,” Barb said. “But in our hearts, we are still Mennonite Brethren. That’s the tradition where we feel most connected. But it doesn’t seem like it [the Conference] is open to us and our family now.” 

Ironically, she added, she and Thomas feel more at home with non-church people talking about their experience. 

“They are so much more accepting and helpful to talk to. And that’s a shame, since I wish we could talk about it in the Mennonite Brethren conference. But leadership of the Conference seems scared to permit that conversation.” 

As for why she and Thomas are sharing their story, it’s because “we want anyone else having this experience to know they aren’t alone.” 

Sam’s Side of Things 

And what about Sam? How are they processing all of this? 

Looking back, they said they had a good upbringing in a loving family. As for faith, that was always a given—just the “stuff that surrounded me.” 

It was between the ages of 14 to 16 they began to feel something was off. “It took awhile to figure out what was going on,” they said. 

Once Sam was certain about who they really were, they went to their parents. 

“It was the most awkward conversation of anyone’s life,” they said, adding they appreciated how their parents reacted. 

"I didn’t think I could raise it with my youth leaders. I didn’t know how they would react.”

After coming out to family, Sam wondered where they fit into church. “I was wrestling with my faith. I knew from research that there were LGBTQ+ Christians. But I didn’t think I could raise it with my youth leaders. I didn’t know how they would react.” 

One incident that left a strong impression was when the pastor talked about the Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith one Sunday. 

“I didn’t know much about the Confession, but when I came to the part about marriage, I knew that this church wasn’t a place for me,” Sam said. 

Sam remembers feeling terrible after reading it. 

“If this is so important to them they have to put it in the Confession, right alongside what they believe about Jesus, then I knew I couldn’t talk to anyone at church about this,” they said. 

Sam didn’t want to give up on faith, so they started connecting with queer Christians, locally and online, and then found a church that was affirming.

“I knew I needed a church, a place where I could be accepted for who I am."

Not going to church wasn’t an option. “I knew I needed a church, a place where I could be accepted for who I am, where people would celebrate joys with me like my new birth certificate, or how happy I was after my top surgery,” Sam said. 

“Those were fantastic days, and I wanted to share those things with my church.” 

Being part of an affirming church brings Sam a lot of joy. “When I saw my name in the directory, my new name, it made me so happy,” Sam said. “That’s me!” 

When asked what churches can do to support people like Sam, they said: “I just needed someone to talk to, someone to listen to me, to hear what I was going through, to hear where my pain was, where my joy was,” they said. 

When asked what they would say to people who believe what they did was wrong, Sam said: “Who are you to put limits on the love of God? How do you know where God’s love ends? Everyone is loved by God. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made. Including me.” 

Sam knows some cite Genesis, where it says God made a male and a female, as a reason why being trans is wrong. 

But, Sam notes, Genesis also says God made light and dark, earth and water. “Does that mean dusk and dawn are wrong because they are in between light and dark?” Sam asked. “Or a marshland because it is both land and water? That argument doesn’t work for me.” 

At the end of it all, Sam just feels good. “Being a teenager is hard on most people, but my mental health is so much better now,” they said. “Being called by my chosen name and pronoun has taken a lot of weight off. I no longer feel like I am drowning, like how I felt before.”

"There's Life on the Other Side." Former Cedar Park Church leaders share about Estuary, their new fully welcoming and affirming congregation

 

Just over a year ago, I wrote about how the British Columbia Mennonite Brethren Conference tookover the Cedar Park Mennonite Brethren Church in Ladner, B.C. over that congregation’s desire to explore LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion.

 

All three pastor’s resigned as a result, and about two-thirds of the congregation left.

 

The lead pastor, Lee Kosa, was accused of being a “false teacher” and stripped of his ministry credential.

 

Today, two of those three pastors have started a new church called Estuary—a church that is fully open, welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ+ people.

 

I had a chance to ask them how things are going a year later. Their answer? “There’s life on the other side.”

 

Read more about how Estuary is doing at Anabaptist World.