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Give & receive
Relationships between Indiana, Benin add value in both locations
compliled by Mennonite Mission Network staff
Partnership builds relationships with God and one another
by Bonaventure Akowanou, director of Benin Bible Institute
Everything began with the presence of a
group of Mennonite missionaries in our country
of Benin in 1970 for a biblical training seminar. Like
a mustard seed growing into a mighty tree, this small
start grew and gave birth to Benin Bible Institute
under the direction of Rod
Hollinger-Janzen, assisted
by a visioning committee
whose president was
Augustin Cossi Ahoga.
In January 2003, during
a trip Ahoga made to the
United States in the context
of another Christian ministry
that he was leading,
Hollinger-Janzen organized
an open house for Ahoga to
which he invited members
of his home congregation,
Waterford Mennonite Church, Goshen, Ind., and
Mennonite Mission Network administrators.
In two more meetings during Ahoga’s visit, the
partnership began to take shape around:
- Exchange visits between Benin Bible Institute
personnel and members of Waterford Mennonite
Church.
- Exchange of prayer requests and information
about milestones in each institution’s life.
- Sharing expertise.
- Sharing celebrations in each institution’s life, like
graduation or signifi cant anniversaries.
To formalize this partnership, Hollinger-Janzen
and Joe Miller, then Waterford Mennonite Church
pastor, signed a covenant with BBI leaders when they
traveled to Benin in May 2003 to celebrate the graduation
of church leaders who
had completed studies at BBI.
Since that time, we have
had many exchange visits that
have helped us and Waterford
members deepen our faith
through the mutual discovery
of how the others live their
faith. We have learned about
mission based more on acts
than on words. On our visits
to North America, we have
seen how much Mennonites
are present in society through
humanitarian acts. With little fanfare, they engage
in every sector of society except the army because of
the nonviolent spirit that is integral to their faith. In
comparison, the Beninese Christian witness is absent
in such public areas as education and health. Through
North American Mennonites, we have learned better
what the book of James means when it says faith without
works is a dead faith.
I believe the partnership has also had a positive
impact on the faith of our North American brothers
and sisters. They have learned new ways of praying
from us and have been encouraged to reach out
into their community with the gospel. They pray for
healing in ways they didn’t before, and share their
diffi culties with us so we can support them in prayer.
I think we have opened their eyes with our spiritual
ardor. They are learning the importance of relying on
God even though they have a well-developed health
system and advanced technology.
The one huge obstacle that slows down our developing
relationship in this partnership is the need for
translators for communication [between English and
French speakers].
We foresee a radiant future for the partnership
between BBI and Waterford because of the commitment
on both sides to invest time and energy in
overcoming the many challenges ahead. We must
make the effort to learn each other’s languages. In
order to do this, our visits will need to be longer so
we can really absorb each other’s culture more fully.
We need to think about how to include our children
in this partnership so that it lives on after we are no
longer in leadership.
Jointly working with the Commission on Overseas
Mission and Mennonite Board of Missions, predecessor
agencies of Mennonite Mission Network,
Hollinger-Janzen’s mission assignment in Benin ended
in 2000, and he took up residence in Goshen, Ind. He
now directs Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission.
Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit
by Neil Amstutz, pastor at Waterford Mennonite Church
Since Waterford Mennonite Church and Benin
Bible Institute became partners, we’ve slowly been
challenged over time to think more consistently in
“missional” or “beyond ourselves” ways.
Although racism was not an overt problem here,
we’ve had cultural and racial stereotypes undermined
by being introduced to articulate, passionate and
inspiring Christian leaders who happen to be African.
The partnership has decreased (but only by a little)
our Germanic intolerance of dance, movement and
vocal fervor in worship.
It has prompted many of us to increase reliance on
the Holy Spirit and has pushed us to deeper and more
frequent prayer practices.
This partnership is a profound gift in that it allows
us to receive as well as give in missions. Having eloquent
and outspoken, yet gracious, emissaries of the
gospel from Africa preach to us, eat with us and stay
in our homes, ride along in our cars, and ask sincere,
probing spiritual questions gives us the chance to
change into the likeness of Christ as part of the global
church. It is much more powerful than occasional
articles in the church press or sermons by visiting
speakers.
The partnership is a challenge because when what
we see and hear from our guests sometimes makes
us uncomfortable, we’re faced with the hard work of
discerning what is truly the Holy Spirit speaking and
what is merely the critique of cultural differences.
Geographic distance and the constraints of time and
money do also make maintaining and growing such a
partnership challenging.
Becoming more open to other cultures
by Ursula Green, song leader at Waterford Mennonite Church
The BBI partnership has helped people in the
congregation become more open to other cultures.
The social circles in the congregation seemed
tight, and it was very hard for me to learn to know
Mennonite families. When our son, James, was young
and in vacation Bible school, part of the explanation
of where the
offering would
go included the
phrase, “They are
different from us.”
I was uncomfortable
because I
wasn’t sure that
James was included
in the “us.”
Since we have
regular guests
coming from
Benin, there is
authentic show-and-tell that allows kids to see, touch
and become comfortable with different aspects of
culture. They can see how regal African clothes look,
how touching African songs are, and how much
people are the same at heart.
The Waterford congregation is now more open to
different kinds of music and worship styles.
That we have a stronger relationship with the
African continent was shown when there was a generous
outpouring of financial support for the church
in Zimbabwe that Stanley Green [her husband and
executive director of Mennonite Mission Network]
was able to hand deliver on a recent visit.
Growing spirituality
by David Leatherman, Waterford Mennonite Church member and member of the committee that plans exchange visits with BBI
I believe there is more interest in mission in general
because of our partnership with Benin Bible
Institute. We have an increased emphasis on spirituality
and prayer. Although, as hosts, the commitment to
personal devotions on the part of our Beninese guests
is sometimes challenging: We are not used to lively
singing and emphatic praying in the wee hours of the
morning!
Vulnerable to God
by Julia Leatherman, Waterford Mennonite Church member and member of the committee that plans exchange visits with BBI
As a congregation, we desire to become
more open, honest and vulnerable to God and to receive what others can bring to us in the way of healing
and different ways of worship and praying. Now,
we move more in worship, sometimes coming forward
to give our offering. This openness to bridging differences
permits our congregation to worship with
Spanish-speaking congregations in our community,
which we do several times a year.
In this issue:
Features
Give & receive compiled by Mission Network Staff
A cord of three strands by Aaron Kauffman
When strangers become friends by Grent Nebel
Bridging cultures by Angela Rempel
Additional Articles
Partnership = Coparticipación
Mission picks up momentum
Partnership fruit: Mission and renewal
Growing together
Viewpoints
Editor's note by John D. Yoder
Partnerships reflect reconciled humanity by Stanley Green
Partnership is based on community by Jim Schrag
Return to Beyond Ourselves—Summer 2008
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