THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

their church assemblies. After an examination— not on the basis of a scholarly program, but on the basis of the Word of God and the needs of the congregation— these persons are ordained or confirmed in a solemn religious ceremony according to apostolic tradition through the laying on of hands. “The church ministers (Article 1105) are: 1) the (church) elders, who are authorized to exercise all functions of the ministry: preaching, the 634 MATTERS OF FAITH administration of the sacraments of holy baptism and holy communion, the ordination through the laying on of hands and other ecclesiastical duties. 2) The (actually so-called) spiritual teachers or ‘preachers,’ who also have the right (or the duty, respectively) to preach, to solemnize marriages, to officiate at burials, to keep the church records, etc. With regard to the administration of the sacraments, however, they only function in cases of special need as the representatives of the elders. 3) The deacons or ministers, in the worship services and in other church affairs; they are especially responsible for the administration of church property and the care for the poor. All these leaders are confirmed by the elders through the laying on of hands. “With reference to the degree of educational preparation of our church leaders, the majority acquire their religious knowledge within the church fellowship, as already stated, others in theological schools of various levels in a foreign country. Especially many individuals are chosen from the ranks of gifted and God-fearing teachers (all 11 these teachers also serve as teachers of religion). The lack of a definite educational standard for our ministers does not adversely affect our church life, since every congregation does not only have one, but several leaders, and their ministry is a collective one. ‘Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord .... To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom,' etc. (I Cor. 12). For the supervision of the religious and moral training of youth, for instance, the leaders (church council) of the congregations or groups choose from their own midst experienced (and trained) pedagogues. This is also practiced in matters which require theological training. Also for the representation of the churches and other congregational needs the same leaders (church council) elect the most qualified members from their own midst— with the consent of the church congregation. “The collegial assemblies of the spiritual leaders of our brotherhood have been designated for many years as follows: council of church leaders, conference, sessions, committees. All these ‘collegia’ elect their chairman from the ranks of their elders or ministers. The resolutions of such collegial deliberations become effective only after they have been reviewed and accepted by the church assemblies (brotherhood-meetings). To the