A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

was so different in its socio-economic character, it was obviously disadvantageous for anyone to separate himself from the Mennonite colonies. Hence the stage was set for a Mennonite spiritual and cultural exclusivism, and for the development FROM BELIEVERS' CHURCH TO PARISH CHURCH 21 of a territorial church (Landeskirche) in which church membership and citizenship were coextensive. Although the elders and ministers continued to be orthodox in their views of salvation and the nature of the church, in practice they began to surrender or compromise basic biblical principles. A serious "credibility gap" developed between formal confession and actual practice. In many instances baptism seemed to be more a civil than a religious rite, since it enabled young people to get married. 18 It is true, all candidates for baptism were required to become members of the preparatory class for church membership in which the Catechism and Confession of Faith were studied. All too often, however, the elder was satisfied with the memorized answers of the candidate, and did not insist on a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as a condition for baptism. "Believer's baptism" had become mere "adult baptism" in many instances. Communion also took on certain characteristics of the "sacrament" as practiced in the state churches. Church history teaches that a wrong church concept vitiates a proper concept of salvation sometimes in the second, and inevitably in the third generation. This phenomenon can also be observed in Mennonite history. Closely related to the loss of the brotherhood-concept of the church was the development of a power structure, an ecclesiastical hierarchy, among the Mennonites in Russia. In Prussia the elders had enjoyed growing prestige and power, but their authority had been restricted largely to the internal life of their congregations. In Russia, the Supervisory Commission in Odessa, and the District Office [Gebietsamt) of the colonies found it convenient to consult the elders in the solution of difficult questions. In order to present a more unified position to the civil authorities, the elders and ministers met periodically for discussion of mutual concerns. (One of these concerns, for instance, was the question of public education, which for many years was under their jurisdiction.) In 1850 the elders declared themselves "the highest ecclesiastical authority of the churches" under the designation of Kirchenkonvent (Council of Elders). 18 The development of such a hierarchy was contrary to the historic understanding of the early Anabaptists and Mennonites with regard to the nature of the New Testament church. Moreover, it did not originate as a conscious and deliberate policy on the part of the congregations. The latter had gradually abdicated their responsibilities in actively shaping church policy, thus giving the elders an almost monarchical position. To speak against an elder was consider