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

ical agenda. 3. In our congregations and institutions we must avoid teaching propositional truth without at the same time teaching how to express it in personal communal life. 4. Pastors and conference teachers must demonstrate their full agreement with the Mennonite Brethren Confes- sion of Faith. 5. Leaders who have studied at non-denominational in- stitutions should be expected to affirm the teachings and practices of the brotherhood. New pastors from non-Men- nonite backgrounds should be expected to complete addi- tional study in Mennonite Brethren settings. 6. Ethnicity cannot be the primary glue which creates conference unity. Mennonite Brethren must expend con- siderable energy building a unity around a spiritual center that expresses itself in new traditions. If an older ethnicity is the bond, then the Mennonite Brethren posture will be one of defensiveness rather than mission. Individualism In Israel the faith of the individual was part of the cor- porate faith of the people of God. The New Testament 316 A CALL TO COMMITMENT church was seen as a covenantal community for the indi- vidual, one to which he or she was personally account- able- The kingdom of God comes to us less with a mes- sage of self-fulfillment than with a call to engagement and service. In Mennontte Brethren history there is a strong empha- sis upon individual faith as evidenced in a commitment to radical discipleship. However, it is understood that to be a Christian means to be incorporated into the community of believers. Believers* baptism signifies a voluntary iden- tification with the people of God. Interdependence is a normal part of spiritual growth; body life concerns itself with corporate well-being. The following conclusions are submitted: 1. There is a trend toward individualism in our church- es and an increasing isolation of some from the corporate life of the congregation. 2. There are segments within the congregation which are isolated and alone, especially single individuals. Con- gregational ministries focus more on couples and often as- sume that individuals have all of the resources they need for Christian living. 3* Ethical decisions are viewed primarily as an individ- ual's responsibility, whether they involve stewardship or morality, The threat of individualism in our churches suggests several implications. 1. We must renew our commitment to covenantal com- munity and be willing to sacrifice for the sake of the life of the church. 2. We must develop ways of being the church that take more seriously organic models which focus less on con- tr