A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

rn District Committee on Nonresistance was requested to serve as the General Conference committee. Under the able leadership of P. C. Hiebert, it continued to alert the conference, throughout the thirties, to the growing menace of militarism, and to the need for biblical instruction and spiritual preparedness. In 1936 the concerns for relief and nonresistance were merged under the new constitution. P. C. Hiebert, J. W. Warkentin, D. C. Eitzen, A. E. Janzen and M. A. Kroeker served on this committee for many years. The Second World War When Mennonite Brethren met for their triennial convention in 1939 at Corn, Oklahoma, many nations of Europe (as well as Canada) were already in the throes of the Second World War. The attempt to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's found expression in two resolutions presented to the conference. One was related to the needs of the church and called for the approval of the Mennonite Central Peace Committee, and for the promotion of the peace doctrine through systematic teaching and the distribution of appropriate literature. The other resolution was directed to the government (of both Canada and the United States) and contained an 350 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH expression of loyalty and appreciation for government policy in "pursuing a program of liberty and justice toward all men." 21 To allay general suspicion which had been created by the propaganda of certain German newspapers and Nazi agencies the second resolution included the following statement: "The delegates further wish to go on record as having no sympathy or connection with organizations of foreign origin who are carrying on propaganda in these countries." 28 Just two years later, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor also brought the United States into the world conflict. This time the churches were more informed and better prepared than in 1917. Moreover, the MCC Peace Section had made preliminary contacts with Washington, so that the government was also more aware of the presence and position of conscientious objectors. 29 As a result, a plan for Civilian Public Service (CPS) was provided under the United States Selective Service and Training Act of 1940 for conscientious objectors who were unwilling to perform any kind of military service. In the six and one-half years that men were drafted under this law, nearly 12,000 young men were assigned to CPS camps to perform "work of national importance." Of these 4,665 or 38 percent were Mennonites. 30 The erosive influence of patriotism and militarism on the practice of nonresistance by Mennonite Brethren is evident from the following statistics: According to the Draft Census Study, Mennonite Brethren had 39 percent of their drafted men in CPS, 26 percent in I-A-0 (non- combatant service), and 34 percent in the regular military service. The other groups ranged between th