letters, they get letters
This letter was sent to the Germantown Mennonite Church by a disgruntled visitor. I found it in the archives yesterday and I had to reproduce it. I typed it up and sent it to their current pastor, who probably had no idea it was tucked away in there between the finance reports and mission statements.
August 24, 1990
Dear Rosie*;
My father and brothers were in Philadelphia last
weekend and we worshipped with you at Germantown MC
last Sunday. They reside in [city], Ohio.
A letter like mine is probably perceived as either
one that's going to note someting positive or note
something negative versus tradition.
I feel strongly about what I would like to comment
on. Please do not take my comments personally.
However, I thnk it is important my comments be
shared with the church leadership.
As I feel it is necessary you know a bit about
my background, I wish to share with you the
following points. I am:
-27
-a county health inspector
-Anabaptist
-graduate of [an Ohio university]
-single
-former young director in BIC ch.
-former on-site coordinator Mennonite Service Venture
-Roman Catholic until age 18, personal decision to leave.
-led to the Lord by the prayers and actions of the
Mennonites, joined a Brethren in Christ church
-graduate of [a Christian High] Sch., [city], OH
On this mini-vacation my family took eastward
toward Philadelpia, I felt it would be
worthwhile for one of my brothers and my sister-in-
law to see someting regarding the Mennonites.
Our one-stop was in Lancaster at the Mennonite
Information Center and Hebrew Tabernacle Reproduction.
At the center, we saw a film (circa early '70's)
on the Mennonite way-of-life. Although it didn't
have as much "bite" to it as I would have
liked (explaining why the Mennonites/Anabaptists spiritually believe
as they do) it was satisfactory.
Now then, on Sunday, we worshipped at Germantown.
I was the only one in my family familiar with the
turmoil that has spread through the Mennonite church
over a year ago in regards to de-genderizing God.
From a surface, visitor point-of-view it appears
ridiculous and non-sensical to de-genderize God.
Words cannot express how irritated I was, (and am)
that God would not be worshipped with a gender
(such as HE). It just does not make sense to
not call God HE when you definitely have God the
Father (the ALMIGHTY) and God the Son. If two-thirds of
the Trinity is He why not the other third?
I do not know how even the standard "606"** can
be sung without a complete reference to God as He.
Would you agree that when you approach the gender
word in the read of scripture and the singing of
hymns that the momentary analysis time (spent on
word switching) is a hinderance to the complete
worship of God? It was for me.
I had a hymn request, #544 Blessed Assurance
Jesus Is Mine last Sunday that was passed over
for 606. Would you do something for me as a guest?
Would you sing Blessed Assurance with all the "Him"s
in it as a congregation? Thank you.
Secondly, I am all for the church reaching out to
homosexuals and sharing the gospel with them. But,
from a visitor's view, just like how you explain the
origins of the Germantown M.C. in the gold flyer,
I think it is important to explain the goals of the
Mennonite Gay + Lesbian Task Force in the flyer as well,
because -- if you are a church that welcomes Christian
practicing homosexuals -- then I would not care to
join your church. There is a difference between
Christian practicing homosexuals and homosexual practicing
Christians***. It might help if this was made clear in regards
to where your church stands.
Thank you, Rosie, for talking the time to read
my letter. May the Lord bless you and the
Germantown Mennonite Church richly!
In Christ,
[guy from Ohio]
*I don't know if the (interim) pastor insisted on being on a first-name basis with her congregation or if he's talking down his nose at her because she's a dumb little girl. Considering that this is from a one-time vistor writing in with a complaint, though, my suspicions lean toward the latter.
**For those of you who don't speak hymnal, it's the one that starts 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow'. (And if you know the Doxology, I bet it's stuck in your head now!)
***WHAT IS IT OH GOD PLEASE TELL ME I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS
And this letter was also sent to the same church, though some years later and from members. It lacks a date, but it was in the '1992' box. Obviously there's a lot of context missing with exactly what controversies are going on here, but the pentultimate paragraph is illuminating.
It is also handwritten, and the handwriting is even worse than that of the letter above, to the point where literally the only reason I can read some of it is that it looks remarkably like my maternal grandmother's handwriting. Even so, there are a few points where not even context clues could help me guess what's going on there.
John [the pastor]
After thinking about the
Annual Mtg and the decisions
about Vision Team I decided
I wanted to put, on paper, our
concern.
I think it's important to have
someone from the gay, lesbian
group and someone from the
divorced sector. It is also
important for the heterosexual
family -- mother, father and
childre to be represented.
This was in place when [name] was
on the mission team. It is not today.
That you were the "sacrificial
lamb" was not the intention.
Children are so important, we
cannot do enough, as partents to
give them a positive Christian
home. Someone who has children
of their own will keep this
foremost in mind & will
give that [service?] to the church,
much more strongly than someone
without chidlren.
At present most of the children
are fairly young, but NOW is
the time to start teaching
about youth groups & activities
which will keep children
within the Church. Now is the
time to attract people & children
so there will be a peer group
to keep them together.
I DO know what I'm talking
about -- our children did not
[have?] that peer group within the
church & had to find it elsewhere.
It's easy to say all that is something
we can take care of later, but
years go by so quickly.
You may say "trust us to think
about all these concerns" [?]
miss it. I'd just like some
extra insurance.
I talked to [name] about
the concerns before Sunday, but again
I'm not sure he heard how
strongly some of us feel about it,
[?] chose not to hear something
so controversial.
John & I were there when Gmtn.
decided to have gay + lesbians
become members & we voted
to accept them. Our concern
now is for equal time.
So John, -- that's my story.
Hopefully this puts it in a better
perspective.
Thank you for listening,
[signature]
August 24, 1990
Dear Rosie*;
My father and brothers were in Philadelphia last
weekend and we worshipped with you at Germantown MC
last Sunday. They reside in [city], Ohio.
A letter like mine is probably perceived as either
one that's going to note someting positive or note
something negative versus tradition.
I feel strongly about what I would like to comment
on. Please do not take my comments personally.
However, I thnk it is important my comments be
shared with the church leadership.
As I feel it is necessary you know a bit about
my background, I wish to share with you the
following points. I am:
-27
-a county health inspector
-Anabaptist
-graduate of [an Ohio university]
-single
-former young director in BIC ch.
-former on-site coordinator Mennonite Service Venture
-Roman Catholic until age 18, personal decision to leave.
-led to the Lord by the prayers and actions of the
Mennonites, joined a Brethren in Christ church
-graduate of [a Christian High] Sch., [city], OH
On this mini-vacation my family took eastward
toward Philadelpia, I felt it would be
worthwhile for one of my brothers and my sister-in-
law to see someting regarding the Mennonites.
Our one-stop was in Lancaster at the Mennonite
Information Center and Hebrew Tabernacle Reproduction.
At the center, we saw a film (circa early '70's)
on the Mennonite way-of-life. Although it didn't
have as much "bite" to it as I would have
liked (explaining why the Mennonites/Anabaptists spiritually believe
as they do) it was satisfactory.
Now then, on Sunday, we worshipped at Germantown.
I was the only one in my family familiar with the
turmoil that has spread through the Mennonite church
over a year ago in regards to de-genderizing God.
From a surface, visitor point-of-view it appears
ridiculous and non-sensical to de-genderize God.
Words cannot express how irritated I was, (and am)
that God would not be worshipped with a gender
(such as HE). It just does not make sense to
not call God HE when you definitely have God the
Father (the ALMIGHTY) and God the Son. If two-thirds of
the Trinity is He why not the other third?
I do not know how even the standard "606"** can
be sung without a complete reference to God as He.
Would you agree that when you approach the gender
word in the read of scripture and the singing of
hymns that the momentary analysis time (spent on
word switching) is a hinderance to the complete
worship of God? It was for me.
I had a hymn request, #544 Blessed Assurance
Jesus Is Mine last Sunday that was passed over
for 606. Would you do something for me as a guest?
Would you sing Blessed Assurance with all the "Him"s
in it as a congregation? Thank you.
Secondly, I am all for the church reaching out to
homosexuals and sharing the gospel with them. But,
from a visitor's view, just like how you explain the
origins of the Germantown M.C. in the gold flyer,
I think it is important to explain the goals of the
Mennonite Gay + Lesbian Task Force in the flyer as well,
because -- if you are a church that welcomes Christian
practicing homosexuals -- then I would not care to
join your church. There is a difference between
Christian practicing homosexuals and homosexual practicing
Christians***. It might help if this was made clear in regards
to where your church stands.
Thank you, Rosie, for talking the time to read
my letter. May the Lord bless you and the
Germantown Mennonite Church richly!
In Christ,
[guy from Ohio]
*I don't know if the (interim) pastor insisted on being on a first-name basis with her congregation or if he's talking down his nose at her because she's a dumb little girl. Considering that this is from a one-time vistor writing in with a complaint, though, my suspicions lean toward the latter.
**For those of you who don't speak hymnal, it's the one that starts 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow'. (And if you know the Doxology, I bet it's stuck in your head now!)
***WHAT IS IT OH GOD PLEASE TELL ME I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS
And this letter was also sent to the same church, though some years later and from members. It lacks a date, but it was in the '1992' box. Obviously there's a lot of context missing with exactly what controversies are going on here, but the pentultimate paragraph is illuminating.
It is also handwritten, and the handwriting is even worse than that of the letter above, to the point where literally the only reason I can read some of it is that it looks remarkably like my maternal grandmother's handwriting. Even so, there are a few points where not even context clues could help me guess what's going on there.
John [the pastor]
After thinking about the
Annual Mtg and the decisions
about Vision Team I decided
I wanted to put, on paper, our
concern.
I think it's important to have
someone from the gay, lesbian
group and someone from the
divorced sector. It is also
important for the heterosexual
family -- mother, father and
childre to be represented.
This was in place when [name] was
on the mission team. It is not today.
That you were the "sacrificial
lamb" was not the intention.
Children are so important, we
cannot do enough, as partents to
give them a positive Christian
home. Someone who has children
of their own will keep this
foremost in mind & will
give that [service?] to the church,
much more strongly than someone
without chidlren.
At present most of the children
are fairly young, but NOW is
the time to start teaching
about youth groups & activities
which will keep children
within the Church. Now is the
time to attract people & children
so there will be a peer group
to keep them together.
I DO know what I'm talking
about -- our children did not
[have?] that peer group within the
church & had to find it elsewhere.
It's easy to say all that is something
we can take care of later, but
years go by so quickly.
You may say "trust us to think
about all these concerns" [?]
miss it. I'd just like some
extra insurance.
I talked to [name] about
the concerns before Sunday, but again
I'm not sure he heard how
strongly some of us feel about it,
[?] chose not to hear something
so controversial.
John & I were there when Gmtn.
decided to have gay + lesbians
become members & we voted
to accept them. Our concern
now is for equal time.
So John, -- that's my story.
Hopefully this puts it in a better
perspective.
Thank you for listening,
[signature]