Isaiah Project: A voice crying in the wilderness?

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	Vicki Friesen interviews Bob Pauls, Norm Dyck and Brian Petkau Bob, Brian and Norm chatting at the peace art on the door

MCM Travelogue:Our stories in god's story #1
November 2003

Why do we have to be "the quiet in the land"? What good does it do to be quiet while people's lives are being devastated by war? Where is the "voice crying out in the wilderness"?

In an area of Manitoba where there are 13 Mennonite churches, the Mennonite Church being an historic peace church, you'd think that during a time of war the members of these churches would stand up in protest. You'd think that…but you'd be wrong. While their Member of Parliament, Brian Pallister, spoke words of support for "the war against terrorism" on their behalf, these church communities, many of whom profess peace, just stood by.

It was sadness due to the weakness of the Mennonite voice for peace that brought Norm Dyck (pastor, Graysville MC), Bob Pauls (pastor, Carman MC), and Brian Paetkau (member, Carman MC) together. They wanted to find some way of bringing together the Mennonite voices in their federal political riding and encouraging others to grab hold of the peace and justice aspect of the Mennonite Church Canada and Manitoba vision that is so vital to our witness. So began what later came to be called "The Isaiah Project;" a name based on the call of the prophet Isaiah to "beat swords into ploughshares" (Isaiah 2:4).

"We lose credibility when we embrace the tools of violence as part of our message…embracing violence nullifies the gospel," Bob Pauls said. It is for this reason these three men sent a letter to all 13 of the Mennonite Church Manitoba churches in their constituency, asking for them to sign it as a way of letting MP Brian Pallister know that he was not truly speaking on behalf of all of his constituents and that they, as a Mennonite Church, wanted the government to seek more peaceful solutions to the conflict at hand. Along with this letter, they also sent an invitation to all members to come together as a group to talk and work together on political issues that affected them as a political riding. This led to a meeting with Mr. Pallister during which they were able to share their concerns with him, working together to counter the direction of our country's approach to the "war on terrorism." During the meeting, the group was also able pray for their MP in his leadership role. Mr. Pallister responded by saying that he always appreciates hearing from his constituents and certainly encourages prayer support.

While the initiative of The Isaiah project was generally accepted by most of the churches on a basic level, it was not received well by all. Some believed that this group was going about things the wrong way; that The Isaiah Project was just another lobby group; or simply that church does not belong in politics. While few actually said so, those involved in the project felt that the bigger issue for many is really about peace and justice, and that there simply is not a strong adherence to the traditional Mennonite position. Further evidence of this lies in the fact that most churches do not have peace and justice groups, and even the position at Mennonite Church Canada dedicated to these issues was lost. "What is our prophetic witness? What are we saying to the world we live in? …Peace and justice is the way I approach a world in need," stated Norm Dyck.

One of the visions of The Isaiah Project is to be a model for church groups in other political ridings all across Mennonite Church Canada. They hope to see more and more Christians of all denominations coming together to address issues that affect them as communities. There is so much that we face within our cultural context that the does not get addressed in our churches, but if we are to be effective in our witness as churches, we also have to be aware of and active in the culture in which we live and that includes politics. We need to stop being "the quiet in the land" and start speaking with one strong voice, giving account for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15) and sharing the full gospel of Jesus Christ to all within hearing.

Vicki Friesen currently attends Bethel Mennonite Church and is a member of the Young Adult Council of Mennonite Church Manitoba.

"Our stories in God's story" celebrates some of the ways MCM congregations are participating in God's story in their communities.

…an initiative of MCM Evangelism and Service Ministries.

If you have comments or ideas for a story, please contact Norm Voth, Director of Evangelism and Service Ministries.