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

statement hoped for one body even though scattered in many places: "Although the members of this church belong to all nations and ranks, scattered here and there throughout the world and are divided in denominations, yet they all are one and among one another brethren and members and exist as one body in Christ their head, who is the Lord, Chief, Shepherd, Prophet, Priest and King of the church."25 The basis for this oneness was not a common back- ground, or culture, but a unity created by the Spirit of God. THE MEANS OF GRACE Mennonite Brethren did not speak of sacraments, but of the "means of grace."24 According to their understanding, the perceptible means of grace that God had ordained were the Word (preaching), conversion, holy baptism and the Lord's Supper, Prayer accompanied all of these divinely ordained acts of the spiritual life of every Christian and was not to cease in the entire congregation of God.23 The Mennonite Brethren did not attach any magical powers to these channels of divine communication. Their effectiveness rested in a personal faith relationship with Christ. The natural person was unable to come into fellowship with God through the power of reason alone. The Word, through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, was the means whereby God called people to repentance and faith. Christ's commandment "to preach the gospel to every creature* was the provision of God for the salvation of the world. The strong emphasis on the "Word" as the communicating means of God accounted for the centrality they gave to preaching and Bible studies in the life of the church and the spiritual nurture of believers. Baptism as defined by the confession was an act of both obedience and relationship. "The practice of baptism consists of this that all that hear the Gospel and in repentance of heart accept it, on this confession of a new life from God (Col 2:12-13) are baptized (immersed) in water according to the 46 MB UNDERSTANDING OF A NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH commandment of Christ "M Relationally, The believers are bound together through baptism as hav- ing died to sin to walk in newness of life. The believers have in baptism put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). Therefore everyone must contribute according to his calling and gifts towards the support and betterment of the body of Christ in spiritual and temporal things with diligence ... as true members of the household of God and children of the kingdom (Matt. 13:38) they shall carefully guard the holy privileges of divine citizenship and duties received of Christ their head