MWR : Gospel should change lives

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Jan. 23, 2012 issue

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Gospel should change lives

‘Peculiar’ people unashamed of call to repentance

By Luke Bennetch

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I am part of the Pilgrim Mennonite Conference group that is holding services in New York City. In the June 20, 2011, issue of Mennonite Weekly Review, Charlie Kraybill commented on our work in the Bronx in an article titled, “In the City, Might the Saving Process Go Both Ways?” He noted that when Mennonites went to the city as missionaries in earlier decades, change came to them in similar proportions to the change they expected to bring to the city.

In response, I ask: In the city, shouldn’t the gospel change lives?

The apostle Paul admonishes us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). He testifies in Rom. 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Study the account of Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill in Acts 17 and notice the call to repentance — a complete turnaround. This is gospel power, first changing the missionary and then bringing change to the people who receive this gospel message.

It is this gospel we bring to New York City. It is this gospel we recommend to all men everywhere, including Mennonite churches that have moved away from it. This gospel calls all men to repent of sin and walk with God in a new life.

Titus 2:11-14 points to the change the gospel teaches us to experience: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

This gospel makes us “peculiar,” set apart as noticeably different from the mainstream of society — and, sadly, from mainstream Mennonites.

We do not dress differently just to preserve a culture or to attract attention. We are different because we believe the gospel teaches a change from society, separation from the world, modesty, simplicity, sobriety, purity, holiness, marriage to one partner for life, and much more.

We believe the Bible is the Word of God, and we try to take New Testament teachings and obey them in detail. We take the Sermon on the Mount as relevant for the church today; therefore, we are nonresistant. We do not serve in the military. We do not sue at law, but rather extend love to those who seek to harm us.

We believe Jesus taught us that divorce is wrong, and so our members may not initiate a divorce. We believe the Bible is clear that marriage is one man and one woman for life. We accept the 1 Corinthians 11 headship veiling for Christian women.

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Comments

This reminds me of some of the reflections I had after reading "From Nonresistance to Justice" by Ervin Stutzman. In the book he explores how the Mennonite Church in the course of the 20th century moved from emphasizing "Non-Resistance and Non-Conformity" to, in the final decades, "Peace and Justice" understood prominently through active non-violence. He suggests, near the end of the book, to recover an understanding of Grace as a powerful movement behind "Peace and Justice".

My thoughts focused not on that but how "Non-Resitance and Non-Conformity" became only "Nonviolence". I sense in this article you are emphasizing the loss of non-conformity in mainstream mennonite churches.

- Isaiah (jan 19 at 11:10 a.m.)
I am so glad you published this story. It saddens me to see story after story of our churches giving up Godly ways to look like if not join the world. Young christians today want to be accepted by the world and see the need to be like the world to do it. I have even heard people in trying to bring people to church say that their music sounds just like secular music and that their preacher would never say that a non beleiver was a sinner. I'm sorry, but any non beleiver that is comfortable in church has no reason to change.

In this age of moral relativism and moral decline. The last thing the city needs is another liberal church that tells the world what it wants to hear. From the beginning of time God's people were easily identified by how they acted, lived, AND dressed. Though freindly to a fault to the pagan we are to be different. This kind of outreach to the city is needed. I wish I had read Mr. Kraybills article in June. He is sadly mistaken. Giving up clear biblical teaching and practice is not the way to attract modern seekers, and our women do NOT wear headcoverings to show that they are subserviant. The fact that plain folk can live in the city and reach out to the city shows true christian courage. The Pilgrim church is not the only one in New york either. There is also Followers of Jesus conservative Mennonite church in Brooklyn. This church also runs a school and is a stopping point for Conservative Mennonite and Amish travelers. Their pastor used to be Sid Roth.

I truly hope that this effort not only survives but can spread to other cities across the USA. Each church is a blessing to the city.

- Richard Matter (jan 19 at 11:52 a.m.)
Luke, thank you for your article and Sheldon for publishing it.

Mennonites used to have the same witnessing zeal you speak of. Sadly, that has been replaced by social justice, climate justice, pacifist and GLBT inclusion thinking zeal.

In my library is a book titled Separated unto God, authored by John C. Wenger, and published by Mennonite Publishing House in 1951. Wenger was a noted Mennonite theologian, writer, book author, taught at Goshen College and the Seminary in Elkhart. Mennonite Church leaders asked him to write the book to address the drift church leaders were concerned about. It fell on deaf ears.

I am encouraged that there are people like Pilgrim Mennonites who seriously take the Great Commission seriously in their belief and living. Please do not be distracted by the ‘other gospels’ that the apostles warn us against.

- Dale Welty (jan 29 at 3:50 p.m.)

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