A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

the K.M.B. Conference was submitted to the Mennonite Brethren Conference 192 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH 31. Centennial Conference in 1960 at which MB-KMB Merger took place. meeting for its triennial convention in Yarrow, British Columbia. October 20 to 23, that same year. Steps toward merger were approved in 1958 and 1959, and in 1960 definite plans of merger on General Conference level and district level were ratified by the K.M.B. delegates. One local congregation in Kansas could not see its way clear to go along with the merger-movement, but in the last minute (before the official merger ceremony in Reedley) it approved the merger-plan as accepted by the K.M.B. Conference. The official merger service took place on November 14, 1960, in connection with the Centennial Conference held in Reedley, California. In the introduction to the official ceremony C. F. Plett, the last chairman of the K.M.B. Conference, once more stated the reasons for the merger: We are deleting the geographical designation of origin, the "Krimmer," not because we are bankrupt, discouraged, or too small to carry on a program, nor because we have lost vision. We are prepared to become one in body, one in program, and one in purpose because we believe it would honor the Lord. ''" After the reading of two historic documents relating to the merger by Rueben Dirks and Henry Dick, secretaries of the K.M.B. and M.B. THF. KRIMMKR MENNON1TE BRETHREN COME TO NORTH AMERICA 193 conferences respectively, several leading brethren from both groups were called to the platform to join in extending the hand of fellowship in order to symbolize the new unity. Words of welcome and response were also exchanged by the brethren. The service reached its impressive and beautiful climax when the chairmen of the two conferences, Dan E. Friesen (M.B.) and C. F. Plett (K.M.B.) clasped hands and led in a prayer of supplication for divine guidance and of dedication to faithful service as a united body of believers. The conference delegates expressed their feelings of mutual acceptance and love by singing, "Blest Be the Tie That Binds." The long-anticipated union had finally become a reality, and since 1960 the two conferences have functioned as one body. Because most of the former K.M.B. congregations are located in the Midwest, the Central and Southern District conferences are especially benefiting from this enlarged fellowship of faith and service. Chapter 13 Organization for United Action The well-known saying, "united we stand, divided we fall" is not only applicable to a nation, but also to a Christian brotherhood. Although the unity of believers is primarily a spiritual unity, it also includes organizational unity. The statement that "the church is an organism, not an organization" is not an adequate reflection of New Testament teaching on the nature and function of the church. The organism must organi