Mennonite Weekly Review

HESSTON, Kan. — Mennonites from two conferences who met June 27-28 at Hesston Mennonite Church heard challenges to leave their comfort zones and become bold witnesses for Christ.

The worship theme, based on Acts 4:23-35, “Bold Witness (Testifique con Valentia): Pray with Courage, Share as One” was presented in both English and Spanish.

Nearly 400 registrants from South Central and Western District conferences of Mennonite Church USA were joined by about 100 people from local communities for the opening and closing worship services of the joint annual meetings.

WDC and SCC delegates held separate business meetings but came together for workshops and worship.

Each evening several people gave testimonies. They told how they were responding to Christ’s love and grace by witnessing against the way resources are wasted in war, loving and serving neighbors, rejecting the culture of consumerism, studying the Bible and praying the prayers of Paul and Jesus in the Scriptures, finding joy in service, testifying to the government to end the death penalty, using renewable resources, learning the truth of God’s love after praying for healing, and bringing God’s love into a government child-care agency.

In his sermon Friday, Clarence Rempel, pastor of First Mennonite Church in Newton, called on believers to pray with courage.

He said the early disciples did not pray for their own protection after they had been persecuted for witnessing. Instead, they prayed for the courage to go right back and do what got them in trouble in the first place.

Warning that — with the exception of Hispanic churches in SCC and WDC — Mennonite churches are declining in membership even faster than mainline Protestant churches, Rempel spoke of the urgent need to call people to faith in Christ. Being sure that Jesus is the only way to a life-transforming relationship with God, and that all people need this salvation, is motivation for a bold witness.

“I love the church. I love Jesus Christ. [But] I find myself far too quiet,” Rempel said.

He cited apathy, affluence and arrogance as problems with the heart that can’t be fixed with organizational structures and educational programs.