A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

t constitutes a grave spiritual danger and undermines the effective witness of the church. In Russia, many Mennonite Brethren viewed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent confiscation of all property as God's judgment on Mennonite materialism. May history not have to repeat itself in America." IV. General Observations Throughout the history of the M.B. Church faith and culture have often been in conflict. Occasionally serious tensions developed in the brotherhood when adaptation to cultural change was interpreted as ethical compromise. The cultural pattern of a past age has often been accepted as the scriptural pattern and hence as normative for all time. The Mennonite Brethren who came from Russia in the twenties, for instance, found the wedding ceremonies and celebrations of their Canadian brethren "worldly" and "unethical." In the Mennonite constituencies in Prussia and Russia certain stereotyped forms had been generally accepted. In Canada, with its Anglo-Saxon cultural roots, different practices prevailed — not only in society at large but also in the older M.B. churches. Here the wedding ceremony made provision for a number of attendants (bridesmaids and best men) and even for a "ring ceremony." These novel features were at first categorically rejected by ministers coming from a European background even though one could possibly find more scriptural support for the new than for the old practice. The brotherhood has not always found it easy to differentiate between cultural and ethical values. Several instances may be cited. In FACING CULTURAL CHANGE 339 1890 the "wearing of a beard" came up for discussion on the conference floor. The minutes state that "the Conference regrets that in this matter vanity is being served," without specifying in what way. 36 In the 1920's the bobbed-hair style for women was in vogue. At the convention in Henderson in 1927 the conference went on record that "the cutting of hair by our sisters is in direct contradiction with the Word of God as found in 1 Cor. 11:6." 36 It seems paradoxical that a brotherhood which at one time took disciplinary action against clean-shaven brethren and bobbed-hair sisters would in later years look with suspicion on young men with beards and young women with long hair. Life insurance became an issue in the conference as early as 1897. The farmer-brethren who had established their financial security by investment in land, thought it wrong and unscriptural if someone (mostly professional people) would invest in a life insurance policy. The 1897 conference delegation decided unanimously, "that anyone belonging to the Mennonite Brethren Church is not permitted to carry a life insurance policy."" In later conventions the conference reaffirmed its stand on this question. By 1927, however, the brotherhood was no longer united on this issue. Two resolutions were presented to the conference that year — containing a reaf