"More Jesus and less Mennonite?" - Dave Hubert

DearMBchurch.ca:
             When I learned that one of the oft repeated phrases was, "We need more Jesus and less Mennonite in our churches," at the last Alberta Conference of MB Churches, I wondered what this says of the current state of the MB Church in Alberta and Canada. 
            In part this wonder is a response to the motto my church, Lendrum MB, has chosen for itself. This motto is “So that in everything Christ would be known in us and through us.” This motto reflects one of the verses that was absolutely central to the life of Menno Simons. “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I Cor. 3:11)           I wondered how Cesar Garcia, President of the Mennonite World Conference, would react to this phrase. Garcia is an MB from Columbia, a church which was born under intense persecution. I wondered how Nzash Lumeya, one of the gifted leaders that has emerged from the MB Churches in the Congo, would react. I wondered how J. B. Toews, one of the inspired and inspiring MB leaders of the 20^th century, would react.
            I wondered if the folks so committed to this phrase would like to remove from the Bible Hebrews 11, with its encouragement that we remember and honour our heroes of faith.
            I wondered if the folks using this phrase had become so fixated on just one aspect of the gospel—evangelism—that they find it difficult to comprehend the breadth and length, and depth and height of the love of God, and the many and varied manifestations of this love?

Dave Hubert, Lendrum MB Church, Edmonton

Comments

[Tim Chesterton]

Dave, as a non-Mennonite I deeply value the fact that you folks continue to openly identify with the Mennonite tradition. This is because I have confidence that the Mennonite tradition is going to give me valuable insights into practical discipleship - following Jesus. So, if an outsider can have an opinion, I would say 'More Jesus, and more Mennonite too!'