A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

with regard to the ministry. Excerpts from that document reflect this new conception of the Brethren. 302 SERVING WITH VARIOUS GIFTS 303 In our assemblies and inspirational meetings, we have tried to follow the rule and order given in 1 Corinthians 14, i.e., that one or two, or a maximum of three persons present their lectures, and that in succession. We recognize herein the loving purpose of the apostle: that the church be edified, the gifts stirred up, and the saints prepared for the work of the ministry. . . . The officiation at the baptismal ceremony is the duty of the elder or deacon (Diener). However, as was the case in the house of Cornelius, where Peter "commanded them to be baptized" (Acts 10:48), it may also be performed by another, whom the church has designated. Likewise, at the communion service, the distributing of the bread and cup is the duty of the elder or deacon. . . . (but) according to the teaching of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 it is not absolutely necessary that a teacher (preacher) be present. :l This view of the nature of the ministry was not only a return to the teachings of the New Testament, but also to the early Anabaptist conception, in which the ministry is never related to any position or profession, but always is a function of the believer as a member of the Body of Christ. During the more than 100 years of Mennonite Brethren history there have not only been various cultural adaptations of this New Testament ideal, but there has also developed a widening gap be- tween "vision and reality" in the actual practice of congregations and conferences. This chapter will briefly describe changes and developments in several areas of "ministry," and indicate the significance of these trends for the brotherhood. I. The Ministry of the Word In order to see the role of the ministry in historical perspective, it is necessary to describe first the practices of the M. B. Church in Russia, before the developments in America are presented. 1. Developments in Russia The pattern that emerged in early M.B. congregations can be best described as a "multiple lay ministry." The churches elected and subsequently ordained several brethren from their own midst for the preaching of the Word and the spiritual supervision of the congregations. In the Molotschna colony the brethren initially elected were Heinrich Huebert and Jacob Becker. 4 In Chortitza Abraham Unger and Heinrich Neufeld were the first chosen ministers, and when Neufeld withdrew from the fellowship, Aron Lepp was elected to take his place. Soon other brethren were asked to serve as assistants (Mitarbeiter) and after a probationary period they were usually ordained to the ministry. A unique office in the early M.B. Church was that of "administrator" (Regierer) for which the scriptural basis was found in 1 Corinthians 12:28. In the summer of 1863 Simon Harms and Jacob Becker (who had withdrawn from the