Feb. 23, 2009 issue
Why people leave
By Debra Bender Cape Coral, Fla.I’ve spent my entire adult life working for inclusion and diversity in the Mennonite church, but I cannot understand why no one is appalled at the retention rate of the Mennonite church. In 2007, I attended the 40-year reunion of the Iowa Mennonite School class of 1967. More than half of our class is no longer affiliated with the Mennonite church. When I asked why, these almost-60-year-olds said, most very sadly, “It’s not the church it used to be. It doesn’t stand for anything anymore.” One person said, “We’re no different from mainline Protestants. We might as well be Methodists!” Across the board, I heard folks opine that the Mennonite church had lost its way.
It wonders me why Mennonite Church USA leaders appear to have no concern about losing this group — people who were born and raised in the Mennonite church, people who remember when the church met twice on Sunday and for prayer meeting on Wednesday evenings, people who remember missionary banks and “Mules for Mildred”; people who believed deeply in the principles that made us unique. We’re all on the verge of retirement; we have a lot of time and energy and sound minds and creative abilities, most of which will probably benefit other entities. Who cares about proving the relevance of the Mennonite church to us?
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