- Jan 13, 2009
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Those of you who read my profile, recognize my handle, or know what my pic is all about may be very surprised to learn that I find the Anabaptist way to be a very attractive Christian tradition.
Allow me to elaborate a bit. Although I currently identify as an evangelical Anglican, I was raised in the Missionary Church, an NAE denomination, which nowadays is pretty much standard-issue evangelical Wesleyan-Holiness, but its historical roots lie in Anabaptism. In fact, when my grandfather was born into the church in 1907, it was know as the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church, and a generation before, the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren. As late as my mother's girlhood (1940's/1950's), foot-washing was still practiced in the congregations, even those located in industrial, urban centers, such as Pontiac, Mich., where she (and I) was born and raised.
I suppose you could say it was my parents' generation (though I am always vociferous in emphasizing my parents were NOT boomers, but born during the war) that altered the denomination into what it is today. I am not complaining when I write that ... I am glad that I was raised in the Missionary Church. But the fact remains it is something completely different than it was just a half-century ago.
As an aside, on my father's side, there's a streak of German-Swiss and Bavarian (though we're overwhelmingly British), and those southern Germans were among the Anabaptists from the very start. So, Anabaptism is part of my religious and ethnic heritage. Currently, my wife and I are members of an evangelical parish of the United Methodist Church.
Yet I was raised in a contemporary American household, with a television set in every room, movie attendance strictly encouraged, public schooling (until it became so toxic I could no longer take it and ended up a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.), etc.
But I see the "cultural collapse of historic proportions" (Paul Weyrich) going on around me, and with a 2 1/2 year-old son to care for, the attractions of Anabaptism are growing. And it's not simply a "withdrawal reaction" - I am moderately well-informed on theology and find many, if not most, Anabaptist positions the most biblically consistent.
Here's the question. I admire the self-discipline and ecclesiastical heritage of the more conservative branches of Anabaptism (e.g., I've read quite a bit on the Conservative Mennonite Conference). But one of the elements of growing up in the Missionary Church that I've become very wary of is legalism: for instance, despite the fact that tobacco is not mentioned in the Bible, supposedly a rigorous exegesis and sound hermeneutic allows said denomination to prohibit members' use of said evil weed. On the other hand, despite clear warnings against gluttony (reading the word narrowly here), there's been more than one overweight clergyman (forget about laymen) I've met in my life. I can only see this as the grossest kind of legalism, a legalism which goes a long way towards eliminating the freedom and joy we're supposed to experience in Christ. How rampant would you say legalism among more conservative Anabaptist groups? Because this, for me, is an issue that most certainly could be a "deal-breaker", and I say that with regret. Truly, with regret.
I hope I did not offend anyone too terribly with this post. This is an honest question from a man who simply wants to serve his Lord and Savior with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Yours,
Jeff
Allow me to elaborate a bit. Although I currently identify as an evangelical Anglican, I was raised in the Missionary Church, an NAE denomination, which nowadays is pretty much standard-issue evangelical Wesleyan-Holiness, but its historical roots lie in Anabaptism. In fact, when my grandfather was born into the church in 1907, it was know as the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church, and a generation before, the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren. As late as my mother's girlhood (1940's/1950's), foot-washing was still practiced in the congregations, even those located in industrial, urban centers, such as Pontiac, Mich., where she (and I) was born and raised.
I suppose you could say it was my parents' generation (though I am always vociferous in emphasizing my parents were NOT boomers, but born during the war) that altered the denomination into what it is today. I am not complaining when I write that ... I am glad that I was raised in the Missionary Church. But the fact remains it is something completely different than it was just a half-century ago.
As an aside, on my father's side, there's a streak of German-Swiss and Bavarian (though we're overwhelmingly British), and those southern Germans were among the Anabaptists from the very start. So, Anabaptism is part of my religious and ethnic heritage. Currently, my wife and I are members of an evangelical parish of the United Methodist Church.
Yet I was raised in a contemporary American household, with a television set in every room, movie attendance strictly encouraged, public schooling (until it became so toxic I could no longer take it and ended up a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.), etc.
But I see the "cultural collapse of historic proportions" (Paul Weyrich) going on around me, and with a 2 1/2 year-old son to care for, the attractions of Anabaptism are growing. And it's not simply a "withdrawal reaction" - I am moderately well-informed on theology and find many, if not most, Anabaptist positions the most biblically consistent.
Here's the question. I admire the self-discipline and ecclesiastical heritage of the more conservative branches of Anabaptism (e.g., I've read quite a bit on the Conservative Mennonite Conference). But one of the elements of growing up in the Missionary Church that I've become very wary of is legalism: for instance, despite the fact that tobacco is not mentioned in the Bible, supposedly a rigorous exegesis and sound hermeneutic allows said denomination to prohibit members' use of said evil weed. On the other hand, despite clear warnings against gluttony (reading the word narrowly here), there's been more than one overweight clergyman (forget about laymen) I've met in my life. I can only see this as the grossest kind of legalism, a legalism which goes a long way towards eliminating the freedom and joy we're supposed to experience in Christ. How rampant would you say legalism among more conservative Anabaptist groups? Because this, for me, is an issue that most certainly could be a "deal-breaker", and I say that with regret. Truly, with regret.
I hope I did not offend anyone too terribly with this post. This is an honest question from a man who simply wants to serve his Lord and Savior with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Yours,
Jeff
