been a non-resistant and a non-proselyting body, it was never supposed to maintain membership from material coming from denominations other than from its own offspring. Along with this, the precaution was not taken in time for safeguarding the rising generation in the language and educational training of the forefathers.
Because of these and other failings of the Church to do her whole duty to her offspring, it may be truthfully asserted that no other denomination in America has suffered as fearful reverses as have the Mennonites. No other Christian body perhaps, has sustained a greater proportionate loss in number, both by dismemberment from the parent body, and from material rightfully to be claimed as her own, going from her borders as a contributing growth to other denominations. This tremendous drain upon her material as shown by the second table, to say nothing of what has gone elsewhere, has brought on a condition by which she can number her adherents only by thousands today, where there might have been millions!
A Church that has been able, in the face of such tremendous losses, with the insurmountable difficulties in the past that were to be overcome, and still hold fast to its integrity in spite of the great disadvantage of being scattered over twenty-six states and three Canadian provinces, must yet have a golden future before it. God surely has wonderful things in store for a people whose pathway in the past has been so strewn with misfortunes. A church that could survive through such a long trail of fiery trials and ordeals is yet destined to rise.
