A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

ncludes the aspects of distinctive revelation, testing, fail- ure and judgment. Such a view of redemptive history and such a system of Scripture interpretation have far-reaching implications for the mes- sage and mission of the church. Through what channels has dispensationalism found its way into the Mennonite Brethren Church? It may be of interest that dispensationalism made its appearance in Mennonite Brethren churches on both sides of the Atlantic almost simultaneously during the first decade of the twentieth century. In earlier years Darby himself spread the movement by his travels to Germany where the Plymouth Brethren became known as Darbyites [Darbisten). In Germany the Blankenburg Alliance Conference (founded in 18851 served as a center for the propagation of dispensationalist teachings. The Mennonite Brethren of Russia appear to have had their first direct contact with the Plymouth Brethren through F. W. Baedeker, who was instrumental in leading Jacob W. Reimer to a vital salvation experience. Reimer, who became one of the leading evangelists and preachers of the M.B. Church, frequently attended the Blankenburg Conference, where he also took an active part in the program. 60 378 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH Through his association with the leaders of the Blankenburg Conference, Reimer became a strong advocate of dispensational teaching, especially in the realm of eschatology. He and other like-minded brethren invited prominent Bible teachers from abroad to lecture at the annual short courses for ministers and church workers, which were usually held on the grounds of one of the large estates at Steinbach, Apanlee or Juschanlee. 61 These "prophetic conferences" were instrumental in introducing millennial teachings on a large scale to the Mennonite constituency in South Russia. According to A. J. Klassen, "Jacob Reimer became the leading advocate of millennialism in the Mennonite Brethren Church." 62 In America dispensationalism was popularized by several prominent Bible teachers. Probably no other one man has been more influential in spreading dispensational teachings than C. I. Scofield. Through his Bible study course, participation in Bible conferences, numerous pamphlets, and most of all through the Scofield Reference Bible he reached the evangelical constituency in the United States and Canada with this doctrine. The Scofield Bible found its way into almost every minister's study in the M.B. Church (including the writer's), and many were tempted to regard his "footnotes" as equally inspired with the biblical text. Other men whose writings became very popular in the Mennonite Brethren churches were Lewis S. Chafer and Arno C. Gaebelein. The books of Erich Sauer, teacher at the Wiedenest Bible School in Germany, have also enjoyed great popularity in Canadian M.B. churches in the years following World War II. There is a reason for this ready and indiscriminate accepta