A Pilgrimage Of Faith, J.B. Toews, 1993

, a weakening of authority and commitment to the church and conference, and a loss of passion for evangelism. A second pastoral letter in 1987, "Consensus, Change and Commitment," addressed the issues of ethics-lifesryle-in a swiftly changing culture,13 It called the churches to account- ability for leaving questions of behavior and lifestyle to indi- vidual members, and ended with a plea for corporate consen- sus decisions to be translated into individual behavior: Above all, the atmosphere for consensus-making ought to be prayerful, open, responsible and charitable. Reaching agreement on an ethical standard is only the beginning point. Once consensus is reached, the decision must be embraced as a guideline for daily living by each 288 FAITH IN TENSION participant in a spirit of love and voluntary submission. The truth is, most of us operate at a level that is a far cry from unity and consensus. It is too easy, too "natur- al," to go our own way on matters of ethics and lifestyle. Society daily reinforces the heresy that the individual is king. But the Bible speaks of a different monarch: Jesus is king. When his people agree to submit to him and to each other, his kingdom marches forward.14 Attached to the letter were five questions to help congre- gations process the issue: L What are the advantages of working for consensus in the church? What are the disadvantages? How do you re- spond to the statement that working toward consensus is "far more effective and God-honoring than lone ranger1 decision-making or even majority rule"? 2. As a believer, when should you submit to the consen- sus of the group and when should you stand up boldly for what you personally believe to be true? 3. Accountability to others is something most believers say they desire, but in reality most tend to avoid it. Why? 4. Practically speaking, how should one initiate a discus- sion of "change1* in our understanding of Scripture regard- ing a particular lifestyle issue? What is the process? 5. How do we determine whether our motivation for change is "pure*? Is an individual capable of determining that without the help of his brothers and sisters?15 A third pastoral letter in 1990 echoed the diligent efforts toward a stronger bond of unity and the process of an emerg- ing vision statement to express Mennonite Brethren commit- ment for the future.16 Also in 1990 the vision statement was adopted. It offered three "calls" as a way of answering its own questions about the meaning of being Mennonite 289 A PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH Brethren people and