Letters
Responding to the Sept/Oct 2025 issue
May these words bring glory and honour to the Lord our God and Saviour and be of benefit to readers of The Messenger. I read the letter by Jeff Thiessen in the September/October 2025 issue with the beautiful rainbow on the cover.
Seeing MCC mentioned a few times brought me fond memories of attending the VBS at their headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, in the 1950s. Our father Hans Gerber, a farmer who also served as a minister in the Schanzli-Mennonite Church, brought all kinds of veggies and fruits for their staff. I remember the close relationship we had.
Our father was concerned, as he took part in MCC’s work in Europe after World War Two, that all the relief work be done “In the name of Christ.” He was much interested in sharing the gospel as well, adding a “Gospel of John” in the language of the grateful folks receiving help through MCC, for instance. Apparently, this was not permitted by the World Council of Churches.
“Should Christians be Zionists?” by Michael Zwaagstra also caught my attention. Our father helped save a Jewish man’s life by smuggling him across the border into Alsace, France, where relatives lived. My answer to the question in this article would be contained in the statement of Craig L. Parshall who was at that time (January 2007) senior vice president for the National Religious Broadcasters. He said, “If we are to accept the whole written counsel of God, then rejecting Israel is not an option that has been left open to us.”
– Mark Gerber
Fort Frances, Ont.
Appreciative of ‘appeal’ series
Thank you for the recent series on exploring the theological variation evident in the EMC. Most noteworthy to me was the recent study on progressive Christianity since I find myself in this stream in many respects and recognize that we are not all on this page. Ruth Friesen, the writer, expressed the specific tenets of these oft-controversial viewpoints in a way that was non-threatening and yet effective in explaining current approaches to faith and life which may be new to some among us.
As Ruth stated, people identifying as “progressive” in theological viewpoints are at times labelled “liberal” in a pejorative sense. For me, it is more a perspective that recognizes that God’s mind is trustworthy but not always easy to discern in our current context. Thank you, Ruth, for having the courage to write on this difficult topic.
Thank you also to you our editorial team, Rebecca and Erica, on introducing this series, including this part, as not every one of your readers will identify with this perspective.
Erica, we also wish you God’s blessing upon retirement. Your many years of service to the EMC and the kingdom of God are appreciated. Shalom.
– Ron Penner
Winnipeg, Man.
