The MB Church began in the Ukraine in 1860 as a renewal movement. The early MB’s considered the state of the “Grosse Gemeinde” (Big Church) to be formal, static and worldly—moribund. The vitality and vigor of this new movement quickly attracted many from the Grosse Gemeinde, and the new church quickly gained many adherents among the less that 100,000 Mennonites that then lived in the Russian Empire.
From the beginning the MB’s were powerfully influenced by ideas from Germany and people like Eduard Wuest, and the German Pietists. This influence led to a dynamic missionary movement, both within Russia and overseas. Initially, MB missionaries served with Baptist missions, but soon they established their own missions agencies. This missionary mindedness followed the MBs as many migrated to the New World, beginning in the 1870’s.
This missions movement led to vibrant churches in India, the Congo, Panama, Columbia, Indonesia and other parts of the world. These churches, with Mission Board support, eventually became self supporting and are characterized by both evangelism and community service. Both the Great Commission (Matthew 28—Go ye therefore and preach the gospel to every nation…) and the Great Command (Matthew 5—Let your light so shine that men may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven) are taught and practiced.
Leaders in the international MB movement have now organized ICOMB—the International Community of Mennonite Brethren Churches and this speaks to the continuing vitality of the MB movement among churches established in the developing world. Cesar Garcia, an MB from Columbia, is now the President of Mennonite World Conference, and this is a manifestation of the continuing importance of the international witness of the MB’s.
An interesting event occurred in the 1960’s in the Africa at one of the first inter-Mennonite meetings there. When the Congolese MB’s met with other Mennos they learned that Mennonites are committed to the Gospel of Peace. Apparently some MB missionaries had given peace a secondary emphasis. At the time, and also later, there were MB’s who thought the emphasis on peace might detract from the “central” thrust of the Gospel and hinder evangelism. When the Congolese MB leaders learned that Mennonites were peace people and their Church a peace church, they asked their missionary mentors, “Why did you not declare to us the full counsel of God?”
This question pinpoints one of the significant issues that North American MB’s continue to wrestle with. More of this in the next blog that I will write.
Dave Hubert, Lendrum MB Church, Edmonton