National Pastor's Orientation in Phoenix
Last week, Bethany and I had the privilege of attending the National Pastor's Orientation in Phoenix held by the Mennonite Brethren denomination from April 19-21. I did not know what to expect for these three days. I did know that I was looking forward to 4 days and nights with my wife without kids. Anything else would be a bonus.
We arrived at Wichita airport and quickly got through check-in and security. It was fun to sit and relax. When it came time that we should be boarding our plane, we learned our plane was late. Not a big deal, but we hoped we would make our connecting flight in Denver. As the time continued, we realized our connection was in jeopardy. We found out from a airline representative that they hoped we would make it, but if not we were booked on a later flight. That was good news because we didn't want to be stranded in the airport.
Our flight eventually left and we landed at 6 p.m. Our flight left at 6:10. We knew we were not going to make it. Now, we had to wait for 4 hours at DIA. We met 3 other people who were also going to the same conference as we were. We ended up going with them to get our new tickets and then eating at Panda Express together. We had a great time talking with Brandon Voth and Chris and Lori Walsh. When I finally looked at my watch, it was 9 p.m. The time had flown by. We then headed to our gate and boarded our flight on time. We arrived to our resort at 11:30 (1:30 KS time). We were exhausted.
The next 3 days were great! Not only did we meet some great pastors/spouses serving throughout the U.S., but I learned a lot too. We had some great times of worship and devotions to start each day off. Then we had several ministry leaders share about their specific ministry:(Christian Leader magazine, MBMSI (world missions), Mission USA (church planting and renewal), MB Foundation, MB Seminary in Fresno, Board of Faith and Life, US Leadership Board, District Ministers & resources available to us from denomination. The bulk of our teaching came from two of the professors at the seminary: Valerie Rempel and Tim Geddert. Valerie taught on Monday and Tim on Tuesday.
These types of trainings or meetings can be long in the first place, but remember we only got about 5 hours of sleep. However, these great teachers kept my attention the whole time. They had great illustrations and content to keep us engaged. I learned a ton.
What did I get out of it? I had a good understanding of the history of the MB denomination. I knew its roots and where we came from. However, I never had heard explained so clearly how they arrived at their theology. This piece was the most beneficial to me as one who was not raised MB or in an Anabaptist tradition.
I discovered from Valerie's presentation on church history how the MB denomination was a blending of the Anabaptist and pietist movements. Menno Simons representing the Anabaptists and Eduard Wuest the Pietist movement. I learned that where Simons helped shape the structure of MB, Wuest shaped the ethos of the denomination. The Pietist movement focused on care of souls, preaching and pastoral visitation central, importance of lay people in life of the church, personal faith affecting how we live, and lively and energetic worship. It also included small groups who gathered together to discuss the Bible together and how to live. The Anabaptist movement included a focus on believer's baptism, authentic daily discipleship, Bible as authority for faith and life, priesthood of every believer, voluntary church membership, separation of church and state, commitment to peace, care and share mindset, and emphasis on mission/evangelism.
These two influences combine to shape the core convictions of MB denomination which are:
On Tuesday, Tim taught on the church and its mission. It was a great biblical look at what the church's mission is, which is to make disciples. After a thorough explanation of Matthew 28, we learned that we can go, teach, and baptize, but cannot make someone a disciple as that is God's job. Later, we also talked about the role of pastor in the Bible. Too often we try and take the role of prophet, priest, or king in church leadership when our true calling is to equip, shepherd, and oversee.
A couple of quotes have stuck with me and they were about being a part of a denomination. Many in my generation are not interested in denominations or are becoming "non-denominational" (which by the way is now a denomination). However, this time really showed the benefits to being a part of something bigger than just your own church. Here are the quotes:
"Take from the altar of the past the fire, not the ashes."
"Our denominational board of faith and life is "not the theological police, but instead focused on integrity."
"As a pastor, do not take Jesus' job, the church's job, or the Bible's job."
Highlights of NPO
We arrived at Wichita airport and quickly got through check-in and security. It was fun to sit and relax. When it came time that we should be boarding our plane, we learned our plane was late. Not a big deal, but we hoped we would make our connecting flight in Denver. As the time continued, we realized our connection was in jeopardy. We found out from a airline representative that they hoped we would make it, but if not we were booked on a later flight. That was good news because we didn't want to be stranded in the airport.
Our flight eventually left and we landed at 6 p.m. Our flight left at 6:10. We knew we were not going to make it. Now, we had to wait for 4 hours at DIA. We met 3 other people who were also going to the same conference as we were. We ended up going with them to get our new tickets and then eating at Panda Express together. We had a great time talking with Brandon Voth and Chris and Lori Walsh. When I finally looked at my watch, it was 9 p.m. The time had flown by. We then headed to our gate and boarded our flight on time. We arrived to our resort at 11:30 (1:30 KS time). We were exhausted.
The next 3 days were great! Not only did we meet some great pastors/spouses serving throughout the U.S., but I learned a lot too. We had some great times of worship and devotions to start each day off. Then we had several ministry leaders share about their specific ministry:(Christian Leader magazine, MBMSI (world missions), Mission USA (church planting and renewal), MB Foundation, MB Seminary in Fresno, Board of Faith and Life, US Leadership Board, District Ministers & resources available to us from denomination. The bulk of our teaching came from two of the professors at the seminary: Valerie Rempel and Tim Geddert. Valerie taught on Monday and Tim on Tuesday.
These types of trainings or meetings can be long in the first place, but remember we only got about 5 hours of sleep. However, these great teachers kept my attention the whole time. They had great illustrations and content to keep us engaged. I learned a ton.
What did I get out of it? I had a good understanding of the history of the MB denomination. I knew its roots and where we came from. However, I never had heard explained so clearly how they arrived at their theology. This piece was the most beneficial to me as one who was not raised MB or in an Anabaptist tradition.
I discovered from Valerie's presentation on church history how the MB denomination was a blending of the Anabaptist and pietist movements. Menno Simons representing the Anabaptists and Eduard Wuest the Pietist movement. I learned that where Simons helped shape the structure of MB, Wuest shaped the ethos of the denomination. The Pietist movement focused on care of souls, preaching and pastoral visitation central, importance of lay people in life of the church, personal faith affecting how we live, and lively and energetic worship. It also included small groups who gathered together to discuss the Bible together and how to live. The Anabaptist movement included a focus on believer's baptism, authentic daily discipleship, Bible as authority for faith and life, priesthood of every believer, voluntary church membership, separation of church and state, commitment to peace, care and share mindset, and emphasis on mission/evangelism.
These two influences combine to shape the core convictions of MB denomination which are:
- We are a believer's church: To deal with our human sinfulness, we teach conversion to new life through faith in Jesus Christ and practice baptism as a public sign of personal commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord.
- We are Bible-centered: We accept the Bible as the inspired and authoritative Word of God, seeking to obey its teaching, as illumined by the Holy Spirit and interpreted in the Christian community.
- We emphasize discipleship: We seek to live as authentic followers of Jesus in our daily lives, orienting our lives around Jesus' teaching and model.
- We value Christian fellowship: We believe the church is a biblical and mutually loyal community that expresses itself in worship, fellowship, accountability and witness.
- We are mission-minded: We share our faith by telling others about the good news of Jesus and serving others in our neighborhoods and around the world, in obedience to Jesus' Great Commandment and to the Great Commission.
- We seek peace: We believe the Bible invites us to be at peace with God and with others, even our enemies.
- We cultivate healthy relationships: We are committed to choices that produce wholeness, healing, joy, and peace in all relationships.
On Tuesday, Tim taught on the church and its mission. It was a great biblical look at what the church's mission is, which is to make disciples. After a thorough explanation of Matthew 28, we learned that we can go, teach, and baptize, but cannot make someone a disciple as that is God's job. Later, we also talked about the role of pastor in the Bible. Too often we try and take the role of prophet, priest, or king in church leadership when our true calling is to equip, shepherd, and oversee.
A couple of quotes have stuck with me and they were about being a part of a denomination. Many in my generation are not interested in denominations or are becoming "non-denominational" (which by the way is now a denomination). However, this time really showed the benefits to being a part of something bigger than just your own church. Here are the quotes:
"Take from the altar of the past the fire, not the ashes."
"Our denominational board of faith and life is "not the theological police, but instead focused on integrity."
"As a pastor, do not take Jesus' job, the church's job, or the Bible's job."
Highlights of NPO
- Great time with my beautiful wife
- Meeting great people
- Beautiful desert tour in a jeep
- Conversations about ministry around tables and at meals
- Free time to explore an upper end mall ($800 belt & $1800 purse)
- Pool conversation about God's direction in our lives
- Better understanding of MB beliefs & structure
- Afternoon to relax before heading home
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