A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

h a project would not have been possible 15 years ago when the language problem existed. At present such an undertaking seems advisable and could help strengthen the bond of unity between the two conferences. "' A little more than seven years later, the new and attractive Worship Hymnal appeared in the churches of the M.B. Conference. A church that sings the same great hymns of the faith should find it easier to witness and work together. The trend to unify and strengthen the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren is also evidenced by creating a new board, "The Board of Christian Literature." The establishment of this board in 1966 [lor which provision had been made in the 1963 constitution) was the response of the conference to a widely felt need to coordinate, promote and unify conference publication efforts. The devotional booklet, Worship Together, which has been published by this board for a number of years, also helps to unite the brotherhood in worship and intercessory prayer. An event of great historic significance (as mentioned in the last chapter) for the General Conference occurred in 1960, when after prolonged negotiations the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren and the Mennonite Brethren extended to each other the hand of fellowship in order to form one body of believers. This merger of the two conferences coincided with the Centennial Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church and constituted a fitting climax of the first "century of grace and witness" under God's gracious providence. Chapter 14 Teaching Them to Observe: Christian Education in the Local Church The early Brethren strongly emphasized a vital Christian experience. In the Document of Secession they state that baptism is to be upon a genuine, living faith, "not on a memorized faith as is (now) the practice." (Cf. chapter three) The expression "memorized faith" [auswendig gelernten Glauben) is an obvious reference to the instruction in the catechism classes which always preceded baptism in the Mennonite Church. In many instances the only preparation of the catechumen for baptism consisted of memorizing the prescribed answers given in the catechism. The early Brethren reacted against this lifeless orthodoxy. They would have subscribed to the maxim that "the Christian faith is caught and not taught." However, they did not realize sufficiently the close connection between Christian experience and Christian teaching, and that the latter provides the framework for the former. This neglect of sound teaching resulted in the emergence of the Froehliche Richtung in the early M.B. Church, as described earlier. It was during that period of religious ferment and theological confusion that the brethren rediscovered the great significance of biblical teaching for the proper development of the church. As P. M. Friesen describes this new attitude, the brethren seemed to be "hungry for order! order! and for lectures." 1 Through the