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

ssions of deep compassion for the people of heathen nations, living in gross spiritual darkness and idolatry were a major part of the appeal in messages and lay testimonies,"47 The mission concern provided the major in- centive for the birth of the conference periodical, the Zions- bote, in 1884 and the founding of a training school at McPher- son College in 1898/° MISSION METHODS From the beginning, Mennonite Brethren pursued a holis- tic ministry. They did not separate the preaching of the gospel from needs such as education and health care- The Russian Mennonite Brethren missionaries to India-Abram and Maria Friesen, Abram and Katharina Huebert, Cornelius and Martha Unruh, Heinrich and Anna Unruh, Franz J. and Maria Wiens, Johan G. and Helena Wiens, John A. and Anna Pen- ner, Anna Epp, Anna Peters, Katharina Reimer-did literacy training and medical work. The missionaries from North America-Nickolas N. and Susie Hiebert, John H, and Maria 91 A PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH Pankratz, and Daniel R and Anna Bergthold-followed this pattern. Elizabeth Neufeld, a teacher, was part of the team of North American missionaries sent to India in 1898. The med- ical ministry in India of Dr. Katharina Schellenberg must be recognized as foundational for the extensive ministry to the physical needs of India:*9 These progressive factors aside, however, the style of oper- ation still bore the flavor of the colonial system of the eigh- teenth and nineteenth centuries. It was a ministry to a people, with most initiative and decisions lodged with the mission staff. The national Christians, helpers to the missionaries, fol- lowed assignments without the privilege of creative leadership. A statement of policy recorded in 1936 reflected the inde- pendent orientation of the mission program: The missionaries that serve on any specific field (including both men and women) are considered to be a committee that participates in the management of the mission work by submitting its recommendations. Thus every field is represented. The oiganization of the work on the field is left to the respective missionaries. Likewise the arranging of all local affairs of their field rests in their hands. But they should always endeavor to obtain uniform procedures in all mis- sion work. These committees of missionaries direct to the Board of Foreign Missions their recommendations for the work in their respective fields and give detailed information con- cerning the needs and the conditions. Provisions for the work are then made as far as possible on the basis of these recommendations and rep