A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

ed a grave misdemeanor. 20 At church business meetings the recommendations of the elders were usually accepted without discussion or debate. The crises in the Mennonite fraternity in the 1850's and 60's were in part 22 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH precipitated by the nature and composition of the Council of Elders (Kirchenkonvent). Manifestations of Spiritual Decline Certain conditions called for reform and renewal of the church. 1. Lack of Church Nurture and Discipline With the possible exception of the Gnadenfeld and Ohrloff congregations, church services were usually neither stimulating nor edifying. In many instances sermons were read from old manuscripts and thus were not "geared to the times" nor to the particular needs of the membership. Singing was poor and monotonous. Religious instruction of children was neglected by the church, although they did receive some religious instruction as part of their public school training. Church discipline was exercised in the form of excommunication or the "ban," but only in connection with grave public moral offenses such as adultery or physical assault. Preventive church discipline in the form of pastoral counseling and mutual watch-care was virtually unknown. Jacob Martens, a minister of the church at Tiegenhagen, Molotschna, expresses his concern over this lack of pastoral care in a letter to the Mennonitische Blaetter in these words: "Concerning our dear young people, I find that children, young men and young women are permitted to go their own ways as sheep without a shepherd, indulging in sins and vices of all kinds. . . ." 2I 2. Serious Tensions and Tragic Schisms In early years the old rivalry between the Frisians and the Flemish consumed a great deal of spiritual energy. By 1820 these traditional differences were largely forgotten and a new alignment of churches took place. The Frisian Church of Rudnerweide, for instance, cooperated with the Flemish Church of Ohrloff in the organization of a branch of the Bible Society of St. Petersburg. Bernhard Fast, the progressive elder of the Ohrloff Church, introduced a number of innovations in his religious practices which aroused the bitter opposition of the majority of his conservative membership. Three-fourths of his congregation (some four hundred families) withdrew and organized a congregation of their own which, because it embraced the larger part of the membership, became known as the "Grosse Gemeinde." 22 Thus a theologically progressive minority emerged in Ohrloff in contrast to a conservative majority centered in Lichtenau. The involvement of the Mennonites in the civil administration of the colonies also resulted in some bitter controversies and serious conflicts between the representatives of church (elders) and state (village mayors and colony administrators, known as Schulzen and FROM BELIEVERS' CHURCH TO PARISH CHURCH 23 Oberschulzen). The membership was