Mennonite Handbook of Information/Chapter 4
CHAPTER IV
GENERAL CHURCH ACTIVITIES
The three leading activities the Church as at present constituted are the missionary, educational, and publication work. The Mennonite Church has an organized Board to look after each of these three lines of service, besides a number of General Committees which we shall notice briefly in this chapter.
MENNONITE BOARD OF MISSIONS & CHARITIES
Looking through the archives of the Mennonite Church of a former generation, mention is made of J. M. Brenneman being the forerunner of evangelism in that body. The first series of meetings held in a Mennonite church in America was at Masontown, Pennsylvania, in 1873, conducted by Daniel Brenneman (brother of the afore mentioned J, M.) and John F. Funk. But the real pioneer in this work who more than any one else was instrumental in opening up the Church to evangelistic work was John S. Coffman, formerly of Virginia but later of Elkhart, Indiana.
The Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board was organized at Elkhart, Indiana, in the year 1882. The amount contributed during the first year was twenty-six dollars and thirty-six cents. But the work continued to grow, Evangelistic work became common, and later on mission stations were established in Chicago and other cities.
The great field opening to missionary effort in India moved many Mennonites to lend aid that should in some way be an answer to the call coming from that far-away land. At a mission meeting held at Elkhart, Indiana, Nov. 4, 1898, it was decided to send out missionaries to establish a station somewhere in the famine-stricken fields of India. This proved to be an inspirational meeting that brought forth great results.
There were fifteen bishops present who had arrived from the General Conference just closed at the Holdeman Church. The Holy Spirit being unmistakably manifest, testified; "Separate unto me the two brethren for the work whereunto I have called them."
After a season of profound devotion and prayer, the fifteen bishops laid their hands upon the head and kneeling form of Jacob A. Ressler, who along with his associate, W. B. Page, were duly appointed and consecrated as the first missionaries sent by the Mennonite Church to a foreign field.
These brethren, after visiting among the churches during the remainder of the year, in February following set sail for their distant field of work. On Nov. 22, 1899, after a period of some months of prospecting and study of the general field, a mission station was established at Sundarganj near Dhamtari.[1] Under the fostering care of the Church in America the missionary effort in India has been enlarged and extended to other points, until after twenty-five years there are a score of workers on the field with a native membership of twelve hundred ninety-three. This body of believers has for a number of years been organized into a conference, in which there are two bishops, seven ministers, and seven deacons.
Since the year 1917 missionary effort has been opened in Argentina, South America, where there are now six stations, five ministers with their wives, and a membership of one hundred fifty-six. This body has in recent years been organized into a conference.
On May 22, 1906, the Evangelizing and Benevolent Board merged with the Mennonite Board of Charitable Homes and Missions, to form the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities, and under this last organization, all the mission and charitable interests of the Church are now directed and controlled.
Under the auspices of this Board, all the missionary activities of the Church became combined under one head. It became the duty of this body that consists of twenty-five charter members, to see that every missionary sent to the home or foreign field is spiritually and physically fit for service, and along with that, to ascertain as far as possible as to whether they are truly and safely grounded on the fundamental doctrines, taught and upheld by the Mennonite Church.
By its direction and provision, the American Mennonite Mission in India and the Mennonite Mission in Argentina, S. A., are being provided from time to time with workers, teachers, and finances.
Along with these two important foreign mission fields, there are twenty-two mission stations in the home field, ever depending on the General Board, (as well as the district Boards organized in each of our conference districts) for support and encouragement. These are nearly all located in the larger cities of the United States and Canada.
MENNONITE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Educational Standing with the Early Mennonites
Among the Mennonites of the first generation of those who reached America, numbers of them had the benefit of good educational training before they left the Fatherland. This fact is verified by the kind of books they brought with them and carefully read when reaching this country. The ability to produce others after their arrival here is another evidence of their educational refinement and culture.
Wherever the pioneer located, originally in Pennsylvania and later in Maryland, Virginia and Canada, his books seem never to have been left behind, but were carried with him to whatever nook and corner of the New World he journeyed to find a home. Among these were usually the large quarto size Family Bible, the works of Dirck Philips, the large and comprehensive Martyr Book by Van Braght, Menno Simons' works, with also Psalm books, prayer books, and hymn books by different authors.
Children were taught to spell and later to read and write by the use of a speller and reading book combined. The German letters were first learned, both in print and script form. From these the slow process of learning the letters, then to spell words, and still later to read and write in both forms became one of the accomplishments of childhood in every Mennonite home. In the early days silent reading was not generally the custom, but the rule was for some member of the home to read aloud for the entertainment of the others. The instrument used in writing was the common goose quill pen that was dipped in yellowish black ink made from charcoal or the well known ink-ball of those times that grew on the outer branches of the black oak.
At a very early period the calendar Almanac found a ready place in every pioneer home. There were also medical hand-books teaching how to treat diseases both in man and beast, while there were extant among many German readers of those times copies of the One Hundred Years Planetary Almanac.
With these some English publications were in circulation, such as Capt. John Smith's history of Virginia, issued in 1624, Missionary John Eliot's translation of the Bible into the Indian language in 1663, the New England Primer with Mather's Catechism first printed in 1690, with also the Boston News Letter, the first newspaper printed in America, and which first appeared in 1711. The Virginia Gazette, made its first appearance in 1736, and last but not least, there was Dr. Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanack," first published at Philadelphia in 1732, and of which its circulation in the American colonies was ten thousand copies annually. In this almanac the month of 1 March was called "First Month," and marked the beginning of each year, while February was numbered as "Twelfth Month," and was the last of the year.
Before and up to this time all paper used in America for printing books and newspapers had been manufactured in Europe.
The significant item in the history of the American colonies appeared in the fact that the first paper mill operated in the New World was erected in the year 1690 at Germantown, Pennsylvania, by Wilhelm Rittenhuysen, a member and first minister in the Mennonite Church in America.
Later Organizations
Toward the latter part of the nineteenth century a very pronounced sentiment developed among the Mennonite people in favor of establishing church schools for the benefit of such young people as desired a higher education. In 1895 the Elkhart Institute Association was formed at Elkhart, Indiana, and a suitable building was erected known as Elkhart Institute. This organization continued in existence for ten years, when it disbanded voluntarily and the property passed into the hands of the Mennonite Board of Education. In the meantime the Elkhart Institute was sold and a new institution built up at Goshen, Indiana, which has since been known as Goshen College.
The Mennonite Board of Education is composed of representatives from each of the Mennonite district conferences, three appointed by Mennonite General Conference, and several members at large elected by the Board itself. It meets annually, at some centrally located place. At the present time two educational institutions are being conducted under the auspices of this Board: Goshen College and Hesston College and Bible School. The latter institution is located at Hesston, Kansas, and was founded in 1909.
The Eastern Mennonite School, located at Harrisonburg, Virginia, and established in 1916, is under a separate Board but co-operates very closely with the other two church schools.
It is the purpose of the Mennonite Board of Education to oversee and direct the operation of the schools sponsored by the Church, along such lines as may be considered beneficial to the Church, especially her young people.
MENNONITE PUBLICATION BOARD
The publication of books and other reading matter took form at a very early period in the history of the Church. At such time the work was usually carried on by certain brethren who assumed all responsibility of publication. Others began work with or without the sanction of the Church, but received its support to a greater or less degree.
The Mennonite Publication Board was sponsored and recognized by the Church in general at the time of its organization in April, 1908, at which time also the Publishing House was located at Scottdale, Pennsylvania. Including basement, the four story fire-proof building, with dimensions of 80 x 110 feet, was erected in 1921 at an initial cost of $125,000, and was dedicated April 4, 1922.
Of the eighty-six different books written by Mennonite authors since our people are located in America, along with the fourteen periodicals that have been launched since then, all have been issued directly or indirectly on religious subjects. Some include in their makeup moral, educational, historical, and scientific subjects, but behind all appears the setting of worship and praise to the God of the Universe.
To a disinterested observer it appears remarkable that the dominating spirit in all Mennonite literature tends to deal with the serious, grave, and weighty things of life. With such a field of literature, which it can rightfully claim as its own, the Church as a denomination finds its mainstay and support for preventing the drift in the direction of the whirlpool of worldliness that has become so marked a feature with other denominations which have wandered far away from the principles of faith set forth by their founders, and which were once so vigorously upheld by their early adherents.
The Mennonite Publication Board is composed of one representative of each of the Mennonite conference districts in America, three members appointed by the Mennonite General Conference, together with the General Manager and Secretary-Treasurer of the Mennonite Publishing House. Its mission is to keep the Church supplied with a full line of Church, Sunday school, and missionary literature, through the ministry of literature to strengthen every home and foster every enterprise undertaken by the Church.
Mennonite Book and Tract Society
This institution of the Church was organized in May, 1889, with John S. Coffman President, David Burkholder Vice President, M. S. Steiner Secretary, and G. L. Bender Treasurer. A number of field members were also appointed, among whom were John W. Weaver, A. D. Wenger, A. D. Martin, and John Blosser.
The object of this institution was to furnish books to ministers at cost, and also to establish a fund for the printing of tracts and their free distribution. Under the auspices of this association, besides over six-hundred tracts that, under as many different titles, have been printed by hundreds and by thousands and distributed promiscuously by mission workers in public gatherings, in the streets of cities, towns and villages of the country; books under various historical and religious titles, with fifty to a hundred page pamphlets have been issued and sold at a minimum cost to ministers, missionaries, mission workers and other religious circles throughout the country.
At the time of the organization of the Mennonite Publication Board, the Mennonite Book and Tract Society was taken over by that organization and merged with the work of the Mennonite Publishing House.
IMPORTANT COMMITTEES
Historical Committee
A Church with such deep historical setting in the earlier period of the great Reformation that convulsed all Europe, together with the written accounts of its many leaders and writers, and its extended literary scope, should be able to collect and maintain a large and very valuable library. It is a matter of regret that this work has so long been neglected. Much valuable material has been permitted to be lost. In other countries, notably in Holland, the collection of important source material was begun many generations ago. The archives of the Mennonites of that country contain treasures which are of incalculable value.
A large collection of books, pamphlets, manuscripts, etc., has already been obtained by donation and purchase of works that were published in Europe and in America. Of the best and largest three collections of Mennonite literature in America the Mennonite Publishing House has recently acquired by purchase one of the three, a long time the property of Bro. John F. Funk, Elkhart, Indiana.
A Library Fund has been authorized with a view of securing books and manuscripts essential to the study of Menonite history. The Library is located in the fireproof building of the Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pa.
It is the duty of the Historical Committee to collect all material bearing on the history of the Church past and present, for preservation in the archives of the Church. Brother John Horsch, as the custodian of the library, deserves special credit for both the collection and care of the books and manuscripts now in hand.
General Sunday School Committee
This committee was organized in the year 1917 tinder the direction of General Conference. The chief purpose in maintaining such a committee was for creating unanimity of thought throughout the Church in providing the Lesson Quarterlies for the Sunday schools from year to year.
The duty of this committee is to have the general oversight of and to direct the activities of the Sunday schools throughout the Church. In the matter of providing Sunday school literature, this committee co-operates with the Mennonite Publishing Committee of the Publication Board.
Mennonite Hymns and Music Committee
The Mennonite Church has the reputation of being (perhaps) one of the finest singing denominations in America. Having always discarded choir singing and the use of musical instruments in public worship, the selections of hymns used are invariably of the kind for bringing out a full volume of voices from a congregation. Its song leaders, even from the early days have been numerous, and their leadership seldom failed to inspire whole congregations to sing only sacred music that was of the highest standard.
Ever since its organization the General Conference has recognized a standing Music and Hymns Committee which has performed the service of choosing and classifying the best hymns in English literature, and adapting to them the highest grade of sacred music. From time to time they have compiled new standard works for the Church.
The first committee on Hymns and Tunes was composed of Noah Stauffer, M. S. Steiner, and J. P. Smucker, appointed at first General Conference held at Wakarusa, Indiana, in 1898. At the second General Conference held at Sterling, Ill., the following Hymns' Committee was appointed: J. S. Shoemaker, D. D. Miller, and E. S. Hallman. At the General Conference held at West Liberty, Ohio, Oct. 27-29, 1909, the following were appointed as a standing Music Committee: J. D. Brunk, C. Z. Yoder, S. F. Coffman, J. B. Smith, and S. S. Yoder.
An Advisory Dress Committee
For the purpose of promoting the cause of scriptural attire, the Mennonite General Conference appointed an advisory dress committee whose duty it was to study the problem from various angles and bring reports before this body from time to time. This committee was kept at work for about ten years and was finally dismissed upon completion of its work. During this time it submitted four reports to General Conference, and prepared several instructive tracts. Its most important service was the compiling of interesting facts and data which were published in book form under the title, "Dress."
Young People's Topics Committee
Young people's meetings have become an established institution of the Church. To properly direct this line of activities and to prepare suitable topics for discussion, the Mennonite General Conference saw it wise to appoint a committee of five to take charge of this work. This committee meets annually to prepare a list of topics for the following year and submits its work to the Mennonite Publishing Committee for final approval.
- ↑ The twenty-fifth anniversary of the beginning of missionary endeavor by Mennonites at Sunderganj as well as in all India, was celebrated Dec. 27 and 28, 1924.