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

ation were John 3:3-7, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and 1 Peter 1:23, which spoke in terms of the "new birth," a "new creature,** and "old things passing away," making all things new. Salvation was seen as die work of God who performed the miracle of the new birth 34 MB UNDERSTANDING OF SALVATION AND BAPTISM in response to the willing repentance of a sinner in turning from sin uto serve the true and living God" (1 Thess. 1:9). True faith in contrast to mere profession (often referred to by the Mennonite Brethren as Kopfglau fee-head belieO, rested in the evidences of the new life in sanctiflcation and holiness.2' BAPTISM: MEANING AND MODE The Confession of Faith confirmed the importance of wa- ter baptism for Mennonite Brethren: "We believe and confess, that Christian baptism is a holy, visible, evangelical, sacred act and ordinance (institution) of Christ, commanded by the Lord himself for a sacred sign of regeneration and embodiment in Him and His Church.*30 To qualify for baptism one must have repented of sin and trusted Jesus Christ as personal savior and lord. Romans 6:2-6, Colossians 2:12-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:23- 24 and 1 Peter 3:21 provided the biblical basis for under* standing baptism. Through baptism the believer entered the full fellowship and work of the church. The commitment to discipleship, according to Romans 6:2-6, meant to be buried with Christ by baptism into death: *that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." First Peter 3:21 added to the dimension of covenant with the statement that baptism was the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ- Mennonite Brethren baptized by immersion as an expression of the Romans 6 passage-to be buried and to rise with Christ unto a newness of life. The issue of true believers baptism, so central in the se- cession document, remained a major concern for the move- ment.31 From early on, baptismal candidates faced an official examination in the form of an oral testimony before the con- gregation followed by probing questions related to the evi- dences of a true conversion. My own experience in 1921 il- lustrates the process of such an inquiry, My initial conversion experience occurred at the age of 35 A PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH fourteen. David Reimer, a youth worker in Alexanderthal, Molotschna, South Russia spoke to a group of boys, known as "the village gang/1 in a tone similar to Jonathan Edwards. With fear and trembling I prayed for mercy. My soul found peace