If the early Anabaptists were alive today, I am quite certain the Mennonite church would run them out of their congregations.
I realize that’s a pretty strong statement, and not altogether fair. But I’m willing to stand by it, nonetheless.
*This is Part 2 of a 5-part series of posts called “What’s the Big Deal about Being Mennonite?” Read Part 1, here.
You see, the early Anabaptist leaders, such as Grebel, Manz, Blaurock, Sattler, and others, began to question the status quo of the institutionalized church. Should the church really baptize infants? Should a believer take oaths or go to war? Even more, they questioned the ruling of a council as being more authoritative than the Spirit’s leading in people’s lives, as was commonly accepted in their day.
Imagine with me, you’re in a church meeting and someone stands up and asks what should be done about such and such. The pastor responds, “The leadership team will decide about that.” Sounds pretty normal, right?
But that’s the type of thing early Anabaptists began questioning.
Should church leaders be able to make whatever rules they want? What if something is being done that is not in Scripture? Do we just go along with it?
And these are the questions we are facing today.
Somehow, over the course of a few hundred years, a passionate movement about believer’s baptism and separation from church and state has become a movement of sullen, strict sticklers for coverings and modest clothing. A movement focused on getting back to Jesus has now gotten distracted from Jesus and is primarily focused on maintaining a way of life. At best, we’re trying to get back to early Anabaptism.
But early Anabaptism wasn’t about Anabaptism. It was about Jesus, His Word, and being as faithful to Him as possible.
If we are to truly follow in our Anabaptist forefather’s footsteps, we’d focus again on Jesus; not on Anabaptism.
This is why most people eventually leave the Anabaptist church. Sure, there are those who leave because they are disgruntled in relationships. But from the stories I keep hearing, most people who become dissatisfied with their Anabaptist (or Mennonite) church, are so because they feel it’s more about being Mennonite than being a follower of Christ.
Some of us have had relatively good experiences in the Mennonite church (or Anabaptist church at large). We’ve been taught salvation is not by works, but faith alone. Works are the result of our faith (we do make sure to add that on). Our pastors have taught on the Holy Spirit and Its manifestations in the church.
But there is a big difference between prescribed belief and actuality.
What is more important? That a girl wears a one-piece dress that goes to the ankles, or that she come to know the love God has for her and how good and beautiful and right her sexuality is?
I would hope (and believe) we’d all say the latter is most important. The former may be an appropriate lifestyle application as a result of understanding God’s wonderful intention for her body, but getting the right dress on doesn’t guarantee someone fully comes to know God and His design.
If this is true, and if we actually believed understanding God’s design for our sexuality would help us know how to clothe ourselves in a way that honors His design, why do we spend more time hashing out dress standards than teaching on God’s design for sexuality?
Let me share another example. What is better proof of a spirit-filled life? That someone dutifully follows the rules of his church, or that he has a deep hunger for Jesus, loves to make music, and constantly tells others about what God is doing in his life?
I would hope (and believe) we’d all say the latter is better proof. It may lead someone to be conscientious about what the leaders of his church desire, but any ole’ Joe can obey rules. It takes God’s Spirit to cause someone to worship Him.
If we truly believe God’s Spirit within a person will lead him to righteousness, why do we get more concerned when he breaks church rules then when he isn’t responding in surrendered abandon to Christ?
I know far too many young people who are obeying themselves to hell. They’re toting the line, they’re talking the talk, but they don’t know Jesus.
Only, the church isn’t concerned because they’re following the rules.
I realize many who are in Mennonite churches would be concerned for such people. But it’s this kind of thing that causes people to question what we’re really trying to be: Mennonite, or a disciple of Christ?
Should our teaching be founded more on a confession of faith than on Scripture? Then why do we spend so much time reiterating the articles?
Not that the articles are bad. From what I’ve read, I agree with the 1963 Mennonite Confession of Faith. But it is incomplete. They are cherry-picked Scriptures. And I may never fully understand the historical context that led the leaders in that day to emphasize those Scriptures, but if we truly believe the Bible is God’s Word and is all we need for faith and righteousness, why don’t we spend more time going back to the Bible as opposed to the articles?
And if we truly believe the Bible, why aren’t we more honest with the fact that the Bible, itself, doesn’t claim to be all we need for faith and righteousness. Jesus is (Ro. 3:22, 2 Timothy 3:15). Jesus made a way for us to live in relationship with God Almighty by the power and continual presence of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 3:5-8, 1Jn 2:27).
You see, I believe for too long the Mennonite church has framed Scripture and other Christians in a way that makes itself look best.
Don’t get me wrong, all denominations do this. But since I’m talking about growing up Mennonite, I’m going to talk about the Mennonite church.
Problems arise, however, when people begin experiencing and expressing things beyond what the “council” can control. Just as Grebel with Zwingli, young leaders today are questioning the way the church is run and the belief’s it stands upon.
I remember the first time I went to Bible school. One of my friends there talked about this person who claimed to follow Christ, but didn’t really live a close walk with God. In my mind, I pictured someone sleeping around with different ladies, not really pursuing a relationship with God, and not a part of any kind of Christian community. But then I met the person, and was a bit shocked.
He looked respectable. His countenance looked as bright as mine or my friend’s. He even went to church, it just wasn’t a Mennonite church. And they believed some things Mennonites don’t believe.
I felt almost lied to.
It wasn’t that this man wasn’t walking with God (I don’t know what his spiritual life was fully like). Rather, it was more that this man was no longer Mennonite.
We have framed the Christian faith in a way that suggests unless a person is Mennonite, or believes the same things Mennonites believe, he is not actually walking with God. But then when someone develops relationships with Christian people outside the Mennonite church and are given more spiritual input and love and life then what they were given in their Mennonite church, they feel lied to. They no longer trust the people they grew up believing.
Why should we blame them? Wouldn’t you struggle to trust if you discovered something actually wasn’t as you were told it was?
These are the reasons why most people leave. They are issues I wrestle with, and if I only looked at this aspect of the Mennonite church, I’d be gone in a heartbeat. But there are a few things that give me pause.
Because of these flaws in the Mennonite church, should one leave? And does it take leaving the Mennonites to become a true disciple of Christ? Are people who leave finding anything better? Why is it better (or why not)?
Those are questions I’ll wrestle with in the next post.
Until then, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I do ask, however, to keep it gracious and civil. I reserve the right to withhold any comments that depart from up-building, respectable discussion.
