A book intended to give a voice to women pastors in the Mennonite Brethren Church is seen as silencing one of those voices after a contribution by one of its authors was censored.
Winnipeg pastor Mary Ann Isaac is one of 15 women leaders who contributed to On Holy Ground: Stories By and About Women in Ministry Leadership in the Mennonite Brethren Church, which was publicly released last month.
Three of the pages written by Isaac were removed from the book at the last minute at the request and expense of the Canadian and American authorities that oversee the denomination.
“I’ve been reflecting on my entire journey as a pastor, but for three pages I’m also reflecting on an issue that came up in all three congregations that I’ve pastored, and that was about LGBTQ inclusion,” said Isaac, who has pastored at River East Church for the past seven years.
Mennonite Brethren Church teachings specify that marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman only, Isaac said.
In the missing pages, Isaacs said, she explained how her perspectives on LGBTQ+ inclusion have evolved over her 26 years of leadership, particularly, she says, her stance on whether a gay couple can be married in the church.
The book “On the Holy Land” was republished at the request of Canadian and US authorities representing Mennonite Brethren churches to omit a section on LGBTQ+ inclusion. (Submitted by MB Historical Commission)
“As I study the scriptures, I think there is a place for a gay couple to get married,” Isaac said.
The book was commissioned by the Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission, which falls under the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (CCMBC). The book was conceived as a collection of women’s stories or life writings about their experiences serving in various leadership positions in ministry.
Several hundred advance copies were printed this spring before the CCMBC put a stop to that and ordered the copies destroyed. The book has since been printed without the three pages.
The reissued book will be “more effective”
CCMBC declined an interview with CBC News and did not provide a written statement.
Instead, a response co-authored with the American body was published in the Mennonite Brethren Herald, which is published by the conference.
The record says the book is intended to be a collection of women’s stories about their experiences of encouragement or discouragement as they served in various ministry roles.
“However, three pages of one author’s writing abruptly deviated to record reflections, experiences and questions about her evolving perspective on gay, queer and transgender people and the MB Church,” the Herald article said.
“The writer describes her journey, where she expresses her joy at the marriage of a Christian woman to her same-sex partner and how she found her ‘perspective on gay marriage beginning to change.’
The article says the pages stray beyond the scope of the intended topic and move into the realm of a theological essay, “advocating for a type of LGBTQ+ inclusion in conflict with a straight reading of our MB Confession of Faith.”
Church authorities said they regretted not being able to hold talks with the author, editor and others involved, but were unable to do so because of the tight publication and distribution schedule.
“We believe that the slightly shorter edition of On Holy Ground … will reach a larger audience and be more effective in its goal of sharing the stories of MB women about their personal leadership experiences,” it said the article.
Ability to talk
Isaacs said he’s not necessarily pushing for change with the church, but advocates a conversation: “How do we stay united and make room for different opinions?”
Isaac says he wants to approach this conversation with compassion because he remembers being on the other side of it.
“I remember how scared I was to have that conversation in an open and honest way,” she said. “When people got mad or pushed more, I just got stuck more,” she said.
The pastor says the situation parallels another struggle that has been playing out in the church for several years — that of women’s ability to take leadership roles in the church.
“As a young person I was also against women in leadership, I thought the Bible said, ‘No, there’s no place for that,'” Isaac said.
Isaac says she’s saddened by how the situation turned out because the book aims to help women in a male-dominated role find ways to validate their experiences and be heard.
“I think the saddest thing would be if this controversy overshadowed the voices of all 15 authors,” she said.
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