“In the year 2525, if man is still
alive. If women can survive…” was a spoofy sort of prophetic hit song by Denny
Zager and Rick Evans which I heard many times shortly after my high school
years, listening to the radio in my ’57 Plymouth. For some reason this 60s tune
has popped up in my brain a number of times recently, reading and hearing many
invitations to join the celebrations, join a party? My faith community is a
Christian group called Anabaptists, its beginnings about 500 years ago. At this
anniversary time, even though we are a somber lot, there are hints of party,
along with worship, including of course much reflection, some confessions, and
wondering about the future. That old tune is rolled in there somewhere as my retirement
thinker thinks many things.
Preachers
and People
I am
a preacher. Note, you are okay to keep reading;
this preacher is not known to be particularly boring. Anabaptism has always had a love – hate
relationship with preachers. I probably would not have ventured this statement during
the years I was serving as a pastor (diplomacy? job security?). Now in retirement, however, reflecting
on my personal experiences and granted the luxury of thinking and reading, “I cannot but speak of what I have seen and
heard,” as it says in the Bible (Acts 4:20). 😌 I see evidence of that love – hate all
around.
Mennonite
history, Anabaptist history – call it what you will – is not a history of preaching.
It is a history of history, of emigration, of immigration, of suffering, hard
work, successes and failures (Have you been to the movies recently)? [i]
This anniversary time is being conveniently celebrated with professional planners,
travel agents and tour guides – a time for holidays, perhaps some learning but
not much preaching. This is in character for all churches these years, at
least in the western hemisphere. Churches with roots going back a considerable
distance are dealing with the empty church syndrome. Mennonites and the
‘mainliners’ shy away from any church or fellowship that smells too much of
preaching, opting instead for modern-day focuses like being hospitable or
inclusive or welcoming. If we want preaching, the choice for many is the non-Mennonite
option easily available the other side of town or on television or livestream a
favorite service from somewhere, many also reserving their charity donations
for tax deductible ‘overseas mission projects’ where preaching is still
important. [Note: Mennonite World Conference today registers 2.13 million baptized
believers, two-thirds of those in Africa, Asia or Latin America. No fear of
preachers there.] [ii] A
personal friend of mine, well into his 90s and very proud of his Anabaptism,
will tell me every time we visit, “Don’t ask me if I am a Christian. Just see
how I live.” Interestingly this slightly leaning viewpoint, after a number of
repeats, also sounds like a sermon to me!
Preaching, or
proclamation, regardless of modern day opinionating, was there at beginning in
the sixteenth century. As most historians will tell us, the Reformation followed
on the heels of the printing press, a populace beginning to read for
themselves. It was this possibility of information which allowed both the
student and the commoner to find information, especially regarding spiritual
matters which to date had been explained and provided by the clergy. The eager
learners of the day were what we might label as undergrads – a studious young
generation the first to take advantage of new reading material, and making
discoveries regarding everybody’s interests. It is these discoveries shared
with common folk that became the Reformation driving force. That early story
already gives a hint of why preaching was important, carefully listened to, and
also some new misunderstandings, indeed some notably interesting personalities
among the preachers. [iii] It was in this raucous environment that a gentle Dutch priest named Menno Simons came along with his considerable gift of pastoral
care. A new take on the gospel, a new way to live.
The new way
to live was a movement away from the Catholic as well as the Protestant Church.
Catholicism is the church which required the Eucharist and that provided by the
priests who also listened to confessions, and of course determined the
after-death status of the faithful as well as the unfaithful. Protestantism
railed against this, especially the selling of Indulgences, claiming that
salvation is not to be purchased through the church, but freely available through
Jesus Christ, which was preached from the pulpit. Anabaptists agreed totally
with the Protestants, except they understood salvation in Jesus not only a state of
being, but also a state of living, and that available whenever, wherever two or three are gathered… (Matthew
18:20), not only as preached from the pulpit on Sunday mornings. It was this ‘third
way’ which took hold especially among the peasants and the commoners. The
teachings, group interpretations, and the consequences became the new way. Many
New Testament scriptures became the rallying cry. Two samples: One from the
gospels, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6);
and one from the epistles, For no one
can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Congregational Authority
The leaders of this peoples’ movement were
the ones who had studied and prayed, and along with the commoners, willing to
die for these convictions. This was a radical movement very different than the
ordered official appointments within the Catholic as well as the Protestant
Churches cooperating with the political authorities as required in each saxon. The
radical actions of these “schwaermer”
[iv]
(swarmers) daring to break from political subservience, were there thanks to
the proclamation of preachers finding their authority simply from eager
listeners hungry for what they were now learning.
Obviously
that early controversial preaching grew out of the study and discovery. Powerful
preaching always comes from those who share openly from biblical discovery. Sleepy
time preaching comes from those who try to explain complex biblical truths,
maybe try to impress the listeners, or because it’s a job. The listeners
usually fall asleep.
Holy life and ministry happens within the gathered community.
Although preaching is important, our theology forbids any preacher from
claiming that s/he is proclaiming the truth even as there is a wonderful
freedom to “preach it as one sees it.” [v]
So as I say love – hate kind of lightheartedly, I also say freedom –
constraint. It’s called honoring one another. Gareth Brandt, a Mennonite
college professor, makes reference to similar differences already in the New
Testament, several apostles working among new believers from various backgrounds, “The reality is that
each one – Peter, Paul, Apollos, and others – still had to be faithful to who
God was calling them to be.”[vi] The early church with early
factions, not unlike today’s denominationalism. We are like them, says Brandt; Evangelical Anabaptists (born again),
Spiritual Anabaptists (charismatic and/or contemplative), Progressive
Anabaptists (the woke ones), and Separatist Anabaptists (settlers and
re-settlers all over Mexico and South America). The love – hate can so
easily find a place within the variety.
This
formative theology of Anabaptism requires preachers to proclaim as servants, a
problem for some preachers as well as congregants. Within this servant community a preacher cannot
pretend to proclaim the truth until the people say “Amen.” It follows that a
community of this nature will have some good and some not-so-good preaching, and
the assembled people must have a listening maturity enough to respond honestly
on occasions when the sermon may need further discussion or a
corrective or prayer or the hearty amen. That is everyone’s privilege and everyone’s
responsibility - not
only feel good stuff. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and
speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body (Ephesians 4:25).
Given
our understanding that God’s word comes not only via pulpit or altar, the theme
here is absolute equality for all – not only the preachers and the listeners,
but everybody in, as the hockey coaches will say (Stanley Cup playoffs just finished 😐). Full equality is not only a theological concept, but an experience, and this is
best understood by knowing your place, again with much biblical support,
especially reference to gifts of the spirit, There are different kinds of
gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There
are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in
everyone it is the same God at work (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). The
greatest gift of Anabaptism is the level playing field, and the best way to
experience that is to take your place when you know your place. “Take your Place
at the Table”, another folksy tune comes to mind recently recorded by Kim
Thiessen, a former employee of Mennonite Central Committee Alberta. [vii] Anabaptism
is a unique contributor as well as receptor among all. [viii]
We give and we receive!
This year of anniversary celebrations
is a call within the community to recognize and claim our individual and our
corporate giftedness not only to fellow Christians, but to all faith
communities, including the atheists in our neighborhoods, in some of our
families (yes your family too?) and even in church communities. Yup! Know your
place, a way of being humble and also confident!
I
was born into an Old Colony Mennonite farm family, and with the encouragement
of my parents who obviously recognized my interests, most of my lifetime has been among the 'educated and progressive' ones. Now in these latter years I am aware that a continuing gift to our Anabaptist worldwide presence comes also from those unassuming members of this our unique Christian community. Will we be here in the year 2525 (or 3535)? I conclude with a short list of some seed thoughts to keep us fresh and growing for the next 500 years!
t
Anabaptists
among other religions (not only Christian). One enjoyable involvement in retirement for me has been Calgary Interfaith Council. One friend in
this community, quite aware of our recent tagline, “neither Catholic nor
Protestant,” [ix] said with tongue in
cheek, “both Catholic and Protestant.” It seems to me that especially in
today’s painfully broken world, Anabaptists are needed in Interfaith
fellowships and/or service projects wherever they emerge in our neighborhoods. This of course is best facilitated when our preachers show
neighborhood awareness and encourage participation in ecumenical and interfaith
relations. Neighborly relations are more important than expensive touristy mission
trips.
Evangelism is essential if Anabaptism will
continue. I say this even with the above
reference to the variety and types of Anabaptist communities. We are among many faith communities. The invitation
of Jesus is not only to fit into one of the groupings listed by Brandt. The great invitation is for all “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Our communion of about 2 million plus Anabaptists
is but a miniscule number among the billions who populate this world. Jesus’
challenge after his resurrection and just before his ascension was, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Mennonite
World Conference, also begun in
1925, is a big player in this year’s anniversary celebrations. A simple
question for my historian friends. Was there any awareness of the United Church
beginning that same year?
[i]
Two examples: Mirriam Toews, Women Talking (New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
2018) now a movie https://en.wikipedia.org/;
and another movie just out, Dale Hildebrand, Where the Cottonwoods Grow,
a historical movie https://www.mmhs.org/cottonwoods/.
ii https://www.mwc-cmm.org.
[iii]
William Loewen, Free Radicals: A historical story-telling podcast
highlighting events from the radical fringes of church history. https://www.freeradicalspod.com/.
Also of note is an overview of scholars who examine early documents on Anabaptist
emergence among former Protestants and Catholics of the day, The Anabaptists
and Thomas Muntzer, James M. Stayer and Werner O. Pacull, eds. (Toronto:
Kendal Hunt Publishing Company, 1980).
[iv]
Thieleman J. van Bracht, Martyrs Mirror: The Story of Seventeen Centuries of
Christian Martyrdom from the Time of Christ to A.D. 1660 (Scottdale: Herald
Press, 1938).
[v]
See recent blogpost, “Conviction and Instructions,”
https://www.jcfroomthoughts.blogspot.com/.
[vi]
Gareth Brandt, Radical Roots: A Collection of Paintings, Stories, and Poems
Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of Anabaptist Origins
(Morgantown, PA: Masthof Press, 2024), p.63.
[vii]
Kim Thiessen and Darryl Neustaedter Barg, Take Your Place (CD to end
AIDS, 2010). https://www.mcc.org/.
[viii]
“Many Hearts One Rhythm” a recent concert by Concino Chorus at MacDougal United
Church, Calgary May 3, 2025, including a drumming circle, different beats
contributing to the choir performance, including reference to Glossolalia, the gift of tongues. Good
reminder, the Christian faith reaches beyond intelligible words. There are also
charismatics in some Anabaptist churches.
[ix]
Walter Klaassen, Anabaptism: Neither Catholic nor Protestant (Waterloo:
Conrad Press, 1973).
