A Pilgrimage of Faith: The Mennonite Brethren Church in Russia and North America, 1860-1990It is now [1990] one hundred and thirty years since the birth of the Mennonite Brethren Church and therefore time for someone in that church to take a backward glance to see how things have developed. Who better to do this John B. Toews. His life spans well over half of those years and he has experienced much of what he writes. "JB" as he is affectionately known by both students and colleagues is a patriarchal figure in the Mennonite Brethren Church. Born in Ukraine, the Russian Revolution and its aftermath were the crucible that shaped his youth and young adult years. After studying in Western Europe, Toews immigrated to Canada in the late 1920s. Much of his life has been in Mennonite Brethren educational institutions in Canada and the United States. During ten years as Executive Secretary of the Mennonite Brethren Board of Missions he traveled widely and came to know Mennonite Brethren people around the world. In between educational and mission administrative responsibilities he pastored in Kansas and California. After retiring from the presidency of the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary he became the founding Director of the Historical Commission of the Mennonite Brethren Church.
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... individual church members . Each chapter was read by three people who had special compe- tence in the topic under review . Their contributions and cri- tiques are part of the final manuscript . Special recognition must be given to ...
... individual believer receives assurance of the forgiveness of sins , and orders his life defi- nitely according to the teachings of Christ , particularly the Ser- mon on the Mount . " " After enlarging upon these influences he concluded ...
... individual faith and life received major emphasis . Prayer fol- lowed some forty minutes of Bible study , with a strong focus on relating the truth gleaned from Scripture to the believer's life . Usually many participated in such prayer ...
... individual in a per- sonal experience of repentance , conversion and new birth . When the German sociologist Ernst Troeltsch articulated his concept of a sect he could well have been describing the theological character of the Mennonite ...
... individuals in leadership . The meeting of the entire body for a day of prayer , fasting and repentance identified the whole church with the aberrations . 2. Recognition of the church's final authority was founda- tional for a life of ...