A Pilgrimage Of Faith, J.B. Toews, 1993

rch were often recognized by the bulging coat pocket which contained a well-worn Bible, The Bibelstunden (Bible hours) became the basis of their fellow- 189 A PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH ship and worship, Reading Scripture was part of their daily family pattern."4 This centrality of the Bible may help explain why the small revivalistic movement within the larger Menno- nite community remained connected to its Anabaptist roots, despite continual exposure to outside influences. That other Mennonite groups were also shaped by the theological trends of their time has been borne out by other studies. Theron F Schlabach, in his essay "Mennonites and Pietism ki America, 1740-1880," showed that Pietist ic influ- ences also affected the wider Mennonite community.5 A sec- ond document shedding light on these influences in the broader Mennonite family is Paul Toews's essay, "Fundamen- talist Conflict in Mennonite Colleges: A Response to Cultural Transitions?"6 To understand the Mennonite Brethren of today requires further probing of specific influences on the North American scene. Tabor College and the regional Bible schools of the Menno- nite Brethren churches were intended to maintain and nurture a strong ethnic character. Mennonite isolationism had pro- duced a blend of culture and faith which the schools were chained with preserving,7 This focus did not adequately equip students for the vital "lay ministry" upon which the movement had traditionally depended,8 Deficiencies in their own educa- tional program led many Mennonite Brethren to seek additional training in nationally known Bible institutes and seminaries. BIBLE ESrS lTl U I ES AND THE BIBLE SCHOOL MOVEMENT The Bible Hour {BfblestundS of the Mennonite Brethren in Russia had been basic to their spiritual nurture and devel- opment. The lifeline of the movement was their fellowship over an open Bible. The scattered farm life of North America, replacing the more intimate village settings in Russia, made these house meetings more difficult. The Bible school move- ment may have developed as the North American alternative to the BibelstundenS It was a new way to provide spiritual 190 IDENTITY AMID DIVERSITY nurture to the youth of the churches and to spark the motiva- tion for missionary service. The teachers of the Mennonite Brethren Bible schools traveled through the churches in the fashion of the former Refseprediger (travelling preachers). Prominent American Bible institutes like Biola in Los An- geles, Moody in Chicago and Northwestern in Minneapolis also had a major impact on the spiritual development of