Mennonite Weekly Review

When Mennonites sing “Move in Our Midst,” a hymn of prayer for the Holy Spirit’s leading, we are enjoying a gift from the Church of the Brethren.

“Teach us to love with heart, soul and mind,” Kenneth I. Morse wrote for the 1951 Brethren Hymnal. “Guide us forever, show us thy way… . Spirit of God, O send us thy pow’r!”

Hymns are just one of the connections between Mennonites and the Church of the Brethren, an Anabaptist movement celebrating its 300th anniversary this year.

Probably the best-known link of Mennonites and Brethren is that we are two of the historic peace churches, along with the Quakers. Though not a part of the original Anabaptist movement, the Brethren are close theological and cultural cousins to Mennonites.

The Brethren originated in Schwarzenau, Germany, in 1708 as a group influenced by Mennonites and pietism. Pietists sought a life of deeper personal devotion to God and love for others, in contrast to cold rationalism and rigid orthodoxy.

Originally known as German Baptist Brethren, many migrated to the United States in the 19th century, often settling near Mennonites and Amish in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Kansas. Today the Church of the Brethren, based in Elgin, Ill., is somewhat larger than Mennonite Church USA, numbering about 135,000 members in more than 1,000 U.S. congregations.

Like Mennonites, Brethren have endured conflicts and divisions. This summer a historic reunion took place. Two streams that split in the 1880s, the Church of the Brethren and the Brethren Church, held a joint annual conference in Richmond, Va. Joining them to celebrate the tricentennial of the Brethren movement were representatives of the Old German Baptist Brethren, Dunkard Brethren and Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.

The Church of the Brethren has a mission statement: “Another way of living: continuing the work of Jesus — simply, peacefully, together.” At an academic conference last October at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, Brethren scholar Carl Bowman questioned whether members are living up to these ideals. His critique could well apply to Mennonites, too.

Bowman said the claim to “another way of living” is “at best a hope, at worst a deception,” according to Newsline, the Brethren denominational news service. Bowman went on to say, according to Newsline’s paraphrase: “Many Brethren do not consider themselves to be radical or even Anabaptist or pietist. Relatively small numbers of Brethren say they experience any conflict between Brethren ways and the larger society, and many say there is no difference between the Brethren and mainline Christian denominations.”

The same could be said of the challenges Mennonites face. Brethren and Mennonites both need to renew our awareness of what sets Anabaptist ways of faith apart from mainstream American Christianity. We need basic knowledge of our church history and teachings, Christ-centered interpretation of Scripture in a community of faith, and confidence in our ability to offer a distinctive and invitational witness.

Mennonites could use an infusion of Brethren pietism, producing a deeper love for God and others. With hymn writer Morse we can pray: “Kindle our hearts to burn with thy flame. … Spirit of God, thy love makes us strong.”