October 1979 · Vol. 8 No. 4 · p. 2
In This Issue: Renewal in the Church
This issue of Direction is largely devoted to the theme of renewal in the church. In the introductory essay, Waldo Hiebert recalls the revival out of which the Mennonite Brethren Church was formed, reviews current stirrings of the winds of change, and issues a call for us to “permit God to incorporate us into His worldwide renewal by His Holy Spirit.”
His article is followed by the accounts of four pastors and a missionary whom we asked to report on fresh movings of the Spirit in their churches.
An essay by Al Dueck highlights areas in which fresh wisdom and power are needed to harmonize our practice and our profession. He compares the teachings and ideals which Mennonite Brethren have expressed for themselves in the (1975) Confession of Faith with the reality uncovered in a recent study of Mennonite churches and in a poll of United States Area Conference delegates (1978).
An adaptation of a meditation presented to seminary students by David Ewert concludes the presentation of the theme of renewal with a celebration of the ministry of the Gospel.
Or, perhaps, does not quite conclude it. The article by Albert W. Wardin returns us to the beginnings of the Mennonite Brethren and reminds us that any new growth has many roots and that other churches and individuals serve each other as catalysts of change.
The editors apologize to the readers and to Cal Redekop, whose article in the July Direction was troubled by more than its fair share of typographical errors. A line was omitted from the last paragraph of p. 7. The passage should read:
“. . . than the community structures can handle. An organization may also engage in ruthless competition or immoral business practices. Finally, regardless of how moral. . . .”
We also regretfully note the not which should not have attempted to alter the meaning of the immediately preceding paragraph on p. 7. [NOTE: These corrections have been made to the web version.]
