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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... social change there is energy and ex- hilaration , as well as anxiety and fear . There is a determina- tion to preserve the old ways , and an equal desire to embrace the new . The search for a place for the current church to stand is ...
... social , cultural and economic factors , but rather a story of spiritual faithfulness and life - giv- ing renewal . As John A. Toews has written , " Church renewal and new life movements cannot be explained simply in terms of an ...
... Brüder Gemeinde [ Brethren ] movement exerted a powerful influence both upon the religious life and the social attitude of the group . " " A People of Bibliocentric Faith T The early Mennonite Brethren 15 A PHENOMENON OF RENEWAL.
... social and ecclesiastical Mennonite community was a symbol of authority and responsible leadership that ap- peared to be lacking in the first years of the Mennonite Brethren movement.32 The 1902 Confession of Faith defined the elder as ...
... social ethics would find favor with the world and attract large numbers of people into their fellow- ship . They carried the resolute conviction that the people of God - the true church - could not conform to the values and lifestyle of ...