General Conference Women's Ministries Newsletter : August 1999 |
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Sarai, the wife of Abraham, was signally honored by God, who changed her name to Sarah and called her "the mother of nations." In the time of the judges, God rescued many cowardly men in Israel through one courageous woman, Deborah. He raised up Esther to stand alone before King Xerxes (Ahasuerus). God is concerned with individuals. It is equally true that God works through a community of believers. Through Sarah God raised up a nation of people more numerous than the grains of sand on the seashore, whom He intended to represent His name throughout the earth. Deborah was leader of a body of people of whom Jael and Barak were also important parts. Esther was strengthened by the support of all the people, and her bravery saved an entire nation and inspired generations of people to come. God is concerned about communities, bodies of people. One of the most instructive of all of the analogies the Bible uses to picture the church is the model of the body or the family. Both of these metaphors picture communities, or what we now call systems: interconnected groups whose existence and reality depend upon their relationships with each other. Particularly in the Western world, modern people view the individual as the center of his/her own world. We seek to individualize education. We want to contextualize materials to meet the needs of each person. We emphasize that each individual is created uniquely by God and that we must not destroy the identity that defines his/her personhood. "The gospel deals with individuals. Every human being has a soul to save or to lose. Each has an individuality separate and distinct from all others. Each must be convicted for himself, converted for himself. He must receive the truth, repent, believe, and obey for himself. He must exercise his will for himself. No one can do this work by proxy. No one can submerge his individuality in another's. Each must surrender to God by his own act and the mystery of godliness." Ellen White, Mind, Character, and Personality, Vol. 2, page 423. Truly, God calls us to Himself as individuals. But as soon as we come to Him, He places us into a relationship with others, into a community of believers, the Church, His body. In his familiar passage using the human body as illustrative of the church, Paul states that "the body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12.) He points out the foolishness of one part of the body trying to exalt itself above others, and especially above the whole. "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" "If they were all one part, where would the body be?" (1 Corinthians 12: 21. 19.) When we see the church as a family, or a system, we think of it not as composed of just fishers and tax collectors, carpenters and physicians, nurses and farmers. It is a new reality, which transforms the individual parts into a new creation: the body of Christ. Individuals are not just causes and effects; all are both causes and effects, and all influence each other. Looking at the church this way reduces our tendency to blame someone else for whatever goes wrong. Rather than looking for someone to blame, we look at how the body is working together, and who has the influence, strength, skill, and willingness to make the necessary changes to bring about improvement. We recognize that the only person any one of us can really change is him/herself, and that the best way we can change the "system," or church family, is to change how we contribute to its total life. When we view conflicts in the church, we should look for how people holding various opinions relate to others. We should seek to understand the needs and characteristics of each group as a whole, rather than trying to deal only with separate individuals. Seeing the church as a family, or a "system," helps us not to be unnecessarily dogmatic. In a healthy family, children (and others) need boundaries, but they also need freedom. So within the church, we all need to be connected with each other yet we need to maintain our separateness. In the family, Ellen White wrote, "Neither the husband nor the wife should merge his or her individuality in that of the other." Ministry of Healing, p. 361. Applying the same principle to church institutions, Ellen White stated, "No man is to merge his individuality into that of any other man." The Publishing Ministry, p. 138. We've all read of the danger of "kingly power;" this is what Ellen White was guarding against. Yet, she also wrote, "While it is true that the Lord guides individuals, it is also true that He is leading out a people, not a few separate individuals here and there.... "Testimonies to Ministers, p. 488. What a marvelously balanced view of the church family! Never allow yourself to be absorbed into any other person (spouse, parent, pastor, or peer group). But be willing to sacrifice yourself, even your own needs and desires, in order to build up the body of Christ. "Each one should carry his own load." (Galatians 6:5.) "Carry each other's burdens." (Galatians 6:2.) Maintain strong personal convictions, but be willing to submit your opinions to the judgment of the body of Christ. "We should not allow differences of opinion to create disunion. May the Lord help us to be as firm as a rock to the principles of the law spoken from Sinai, and may He help us not to allow differences of opinion to be a barrier between us and our brethren." Ellen White, Letter 331, 1904. The good news is that most women are more able to deal with this balanced way of understanding the church than many men are. Women can often see "whole pictures" with various shades of color rather than one brief scene marked by starkly vivid blacks and whites. Therefore, they are often more able to bring conflicting factions together, perhaps not into agreement about ideas but into relationships of trust and mutual respect in spite of different opinions. After all, Deborah led God's people, but she didn't do it alone. (See Judges 4.) Esther only went before the king after she called for all the people to fast in her behalf. (Esther 4:16.) And Jesus prayed that we all "may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:21.) If you'd like to read more on how to better understand the church as a
"system" or family, or body, I'd recommend: Steinke, Peter L. How Your Church Family Works. Washington, D.C.: The Alban Institute, 1993. Stevens, R. Paul and Phil Collins. The Equipping Pastor. Washington, D.C.: The Alban Institute, 1993. End |
News from the world of . . . Africa-Indian Ocean Division: Priscille Metonou, Division Director, and Ellen Mayr, Sahel Union Director, were able to pay a visit to the Social Affairs and Women's Promotion Minister in Togo during recent WM meetings in Lome. The minister said she was delighted to learn about what WM is doing for women. The WM leaders also gave two radio interviews; one included an hour for preaching and singing. Ellen Mayr also reports that WM began literacy/health projects in four villages in January; in April they combined into two villages. In May they began four more literacy centers in villages where they have worked before and have been asked to return. Although the students are eager in some villages, others are afraid of being manipulated as they have been in some projects in the past and are afraid of possible religious training. Eastern Africa Division: Priscilla Handia, the WM director sends the sad news that the Women's Ministries Director for the Central Zambia Conference, Mrs. Jessie Kalaluka, was killed in a traffic accident during May. She was one of the leaders who attended the leadership training in Malawi last August and led out in training in Lusaka as reported in the July News from the World of Women's Ministries. Southern Asia Division: Last month the leadership of Women's Ministries in the South India Union and Hepzibah Kore from the Division held an advisory and training session in which they addressed topics such as the six critical issues facing women, how to organize Women's Ministries, small group ministries, Bible studies, the role of women, and financial management. Those attending included housewives, teachers, accountants, and nurses and two women lawyers. One of the lawyers (advocates) joined the church just a couple years ago but she already has a Bible study group meeting in her home; most of the members are her clients. The SUD Women's Ministries printed the women's devotional book in India and are in the process of printing a Tamil translation of When God Provides. When that project is done they plan to print Never Thirst Again by Dorothy Eaton Wattts. Trans-European Division: The Maribor Church in Croatia reports that they had a very successful Women's Ministries Emphasis Day. Women planned and conducted both the Sabbath School program and the worship service; thirteen non-Adventist women were present. After the services came pot luck, but this time was different the men were in charge of washing the dishes. Several other churches in Croatia reported similar programs. The Chatham, England, SDA church adopted Venezuela for its prayer emphasis at this year's International Women's Day of Prayer. Conference Treasurer, Frances Smith, spoke for the services. In the British Union, five women's retreats are planned for between now and the end of the year. |
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