Being Brethren

I was raised in a Mennonite home, so who am I to expound upon being Brethren?  For starters, I can claim that I am Brethren by choice, not by accident.  For some, there are aspects of being Brethren that are simply taken for granted as just the way things are, and for others, being Brethren and being Christian are considered one in the same, but are they?  I would argue that they are NOT.  Just like saying all humans are mammalian, but not all mammals are human, we can say that the Brethren are Christian, but not all Christians are Brethren.

Am I suggesting that being Brethren is the BEST way of being Christian?  No, I am not; but I do believe that being Brethren is a DIFFERENT (or peculiar) way of being Christian.  A hundred years ago, the Brethren (and Mennonites, for that matter) could be identified by their peculiar appearance; beards without moustaches, dresses with capes, prayer coverings/bonnets for the women, flat-brimmed hats for the men.  Those were easily-identifiable characteristics that outsiders used to tell us apart from worldly folk, but is that really the essence of who we are?

The founders of our distinctive faith families, people like Menno Simons and Alexander Mack, were most likely NOT distinguishable by their manner of dress, but by their manner of living and by their understanding of what it means to be Christian.  One of the most distinctive of their understandings was that we should be CHOOSING (as adults) to follow the teachings of Jesus, and not be categorized as Christian simply by ACCIDENT, depending on where we were born and who was in charge of that locale.  The most striking manifestation of this being the radically disobedient act of adult (rather than infant) baptism.

Another, perhaps more subtle, characteristic of Alexander Mack’s understanding of being Christian is that we are to be constantly seeking the mind of Christ, studying scripture within the gathered community, and allowing the Holy Spirit to give us guidance as we deal with the weighty matters of life.  This meant that he (and we, as Brethren who trace our faith lineage back to Alexander Mack) would avoid adopting any creed, whether it be a creed passed down to us as infants, or a creed that we developed on our own at a particular point in our faith journey.  From Mack’s perspective, to adopt a creed is to close the door on the leading of the Holy Spirit as we encounter the challenges of life.

For some, the absence of a creed is very unsettling, and those people desperately wish for a solid anchor to hold on to during difficult times.  Creedal statements of faith are very meaningful and clearly play an important role in helping many Christians in their pursuit of Godly living; but being Brethren (defined as one who adopts Alexander Mack’s approach to Godly living) requires a willingness to let go of that anchor and struggle daily with the challenges of life, looking to scripture and the gathered community for guidance, while remaining open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

This, I think, is the key issue that causes some congregations to feel out of place within the Church of the Brethren.  Needing/wanting a clear and concise statement of beliefs (a creed), is vital for their ability to function as a Christian community, and I praise God that they have found a path forward, even though it may be a path that no longer aligns with Brethren signposts.  I trust that God will journey with us, whether we walk the same path, or on different paths, all of them leading to reunion with God.

Paul Schrock, Chair
S/C Indiana District Board