June 20, 2011 issue
In the city, might the saving process go both ways?
By Charlie KraybillPage:
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Making my way through the Union Square subway station in Manhattan, I caught sight of a young woman in a head covering, the size and shape of which indicated she belonged to an eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite splinter group.
I rounded the corner and saw she was accompanied by a dozen plain-dressed people singing hymns while the largely oblivious passersby, well, passed by.
I stopped to find out what they were up to. The woman handed me a pamphlet, which included an address for Pilgrim Mennonite Church in the Bronx. I may be off the Mennonite grid these days, but I live in the Bronx and like to think I know where the Mennonite churches are located.
I was just starting to talk with the young woman when one of her male colleagues approached and took over. His name was Tony Hollinger, from Lebanon County, Pa., and a friendly enough fellow.
Turns out these Pilgrim Mennonites are renting space, two Sundays a month, in a church at 764 Hewitt Place in the South Bronx. I’ve walked past this building many times, admiring its century-old onion domes. Constructed in 1906 as the Montefiore Hebrew Congregation, it’s a lovely remnant of the area’s heyday as a ghetto of European immigrants. The Jewish population departed decades ago, and the building has housed Spanish-speaking Christians ever since.
At this stage of their project, none of the Pilgrim group have taken up residence in the Bronx. The entire congregation commutes from Pennsylvania, on day trips, including for their Sunday services.
I suggested to Hollinger that head coverings will hinder any proselytizing efforts. City folk don’t go for the whole women-are-subservient thing. When he replied that the covering is required by the New Testament, we discussed differences between his way of reading Scripture and mine.
It’s not unusual to see conservative Mennonites performing public hymn-sings around Manhattan. They drive in from Pennsylvania, spend a few hours singing and distributing tracts, then get back in their vehicles to head home before dark.
Several summers ago I encountered a conservative Mennonite group in Washington Square Park, in the heart of Greenwich Village. I thought that none of them looked happy, though they were supposed to be selling happiness in Jesus. Meanwhile, swirling all around were the denizens of the Village: laughing boys on skateboards, smiling girls on bicycles, grinning geezers on roller blades, swooning lovers on open lawn.
The contrast between the hymn-singers and their audience was stark. I couldn’t imagine why anybody in the park would be tempted to trade what they had for what these peculiar-looking Pennsylvanians were offering.
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Comments
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Probably many of the immigrant families have values much more similar to those of the conservative Mennonites than to those of MCUSA. They want their children to have the hardworking rural values of their homelands, but can't find a way to raise their children this way. Instead, they are surrounded with drugs and decadent music in an environment with a ridiculously high cost of living where both parents have to work long hours. Very likely these people will end up migrating to where the Pilgrim people live--to the benefit of their families.
Conservative Mennonites are not irrelevant to the city--they just have not yet tapped into the people who are fed up with the emptiness of the world and want a simpler, more wholesome life. -
Just because the author has been co-opted by the world and thinks that Bible-believing Christianity has nothing to offer the urban world, doesn't mean that others have been.
Not all Christians cave in to the worldly mindset that essentially jettisons Jesus in order to appear tolerant.
It is amazing that this "Mennonite" is less tolerant of his own kind than he is of Hindus and other non-Christians. It might be that the veiling for sisters would actually draw people in, and that abandoning distinctive beliefs, teachings, and practices serves to draw scorn from the world.
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Love ya, Charlie! Having lived in Chicago all my adult life, working for Jewish and/or Irish Catholic lawyers, having Hispanic, African-American, Irish and Palestinean neighbors, riding the CTA to work every day with a bunch of crazed old Southwest Side women (man, did we have fun), I totally agree with your take on this subject. And, yep, I do believe my favorite Muslim doctor's going to end up someplace heavenly, as is my Buddhist step-daughter and my oldest and dearest Jewish girlfriend. I loved reading something so positive and joyous for once. Keep it up!
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And try the Broadway Junction station, in Brooklyn, in the mornings. I can't tell you which, but I've heard from a regular commuter that a group of singers are often there, on a landing.
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I agree with Charlie that conservative Mennonites sometimes look glum when doing their public evangelism and I agree that its hard for rural Mennonites to understand city folk from a distance. However, in an 1993 article titled, "The Mennonite Eclipse" by Steven Nolt, Steven writes, "In 1936 mainline Mennonites constituted 86 percent of all those in the USA... By 1966 our share had dropped to 77 percent. Today we represent only 62 percent ... We don't like to admit that conservative groups are growing at a more rapid rate than we mainliners... For whatever reasons - traditional minded peoples are in fact on their way to becoming the majority of our American Mennonite family of faith... This is a call for mainline Mennonite honesty and integrity... We have conveniently patented the term 'Anabaptist' as our own private label. Unaware that other Mennonite, Amish, and Hutterite groups are slowly eclipsing us, we mainliners continue to see ourselves as the definition of North American Mennonitism. In so doing, we cheat oursleves out of half the truth... Whatever the topic, church and state, commercial insurance, education, or consumer spending patterns - the perspectives of nearly 40 percent of our people go unacknowledged... How will the coming eclipse affect us mainliners?... There are an ever growing number of North American Anabaptists who dress according to traditional clothing standards. It is common for mainline Mennonites to sum up the issue of dress something like this, 'Mennonites used to dress plainly in my grandparent's generation, but we don't now.' A more honest answer would probably be: 'Most Mennonites in my grandparents' day dressed plainly. Most do not today. But probably most will dress plainly in my great-grandshildren's generation.' Sound strange? It sounds honest..." So in spite of the conservative Mennonite's seeming backwardness, I expect conservative Mennonites to have an increasing impact on New York City. Many people nowadays are looking for something different than the mainstream. (e.g. A few years ago the Southern Baptists were surprised to discover that they were losing 280+ members a week to the LDS church.) To be fair, probably only a small percentage of New York City residents will have their lives impacted by conservative Mennonites.
But, conservative Mennonites go to NYC expecting that only a few will be attracted. It seems like a teacher of a couple millenniums ago said something to this effect.
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Evangelism is inherently hostile. Arrogant. The Anabaptists of several generations ago were modest enough to not inflict their particular beliefs on others. We've picked up some ugly habits from protestant evangelicals.
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Thanks for this excellent, challenging piece.
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Wonderful piece, Charlie! This really resonates with me for many reasons. Excellent job. g
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Hmm. My experience was a bit different. I was with a similar group (not Pilgrim) in Washington Park a number of times. We could hardly get out of the place because so many people wanted to talk. Remember too that Conservative Mennonites are rural oriented and that having a service in Washington Park can be quite a traumatic experience. Funny how people from the more "progressive" groups tend to look down their noses at the rest of us when we try to do our part to spread the gospel. Ironically, if we don't get involved in such efforts they also look down on us. (We can never do it right!) I wonder sometimes if it has something to do with the memory of the time that their groups believed and practiced what we do today...
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With all due respect for people who feel obligated to 'getting folks into God’s kingdom' sometimes it's best to let your way of life/the way you dress do the talking or encourage dialogue. For example, when you're in a public place, many times people will ask why you dress differently, giving you an opportunity to share your faith with them. I know from experience, that sometimes leads to interesting discussions. (hutt-writevoice.blogspot.com)
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Good piece, Charlie! Being a country bumpkin myself and not very familiar with city life, I'd like to read more of your commentaries on NYC.
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Charlie, why are you and others critical of people of faith driving from their homes in PA to sow seed of the Good News of the Gospel in Manhattan? They sing and distribute gospel tracts. Does this violate any city laws? In addition to sowing the seed, I see these people as embracing the Great Commission. I see these people letting their light shine as Jesus urges us to do in the Sermon on The Mount.
From your comments, I would guess you would be critical of the Apostle Paul when he confronted heathen in Athens and at Mars Hill with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps your idea of a gospel witness would be for these PA people to go to the capitol building in Madison WI, grab a bullhorn and lead a loud political protest against the evil Republicans.
I would welcome a comment from you as to what you are doing to sow the Good News of the Gospel. Tell MWR readers of your better way of sowing the Gospel in Manhattan or the Bronx.
I do volunteer work for World Missionary Press who print and ship scripture booklets any place in the world at no cost to the requestor. Let me know how many you can use and I will have a supply shipped to you. You may learn more of WMP by going to www.wmpress.org
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As someone who has spent all my life as a city-dweller, I'm sold on the idea that cities themselves are not inherently any more evil than rural or suburban locations. (Maybe even less so than suburban ones!) However, I don't believe we can look around a crowded area and say that everyone is literally a child of G-d. There is some exclusivity present in this label. "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:" (John 1:12). We should be happy that a group of Pilgrim Mennonites care enough about our fellow humans that they are willing to let their light shine and help people find the truth about becoming a child of G-d.
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It is really an interesting quandary. Pretty much everywhere one looks, one finds folks sorely in need: for food, medicine, clothing, companionship, shelter, the felt presence of God's grace and love.
On the one hand, reaching out to help meet these needs anywhere we can is important and should be a priority for everyone who claims to follow Christ. On the other hand, such outreach is counterproductive if we do not make ourselves vulnerable to learn from those we seek to teach.
Are these people presently involved in a church? Is that church sufficiently flawed that a new one must be established, or can we, gasp coordinate our efforts, gain information and direction from the churches in the neighborhood? And if one is not willing to listen, should one have the audacity to speak?
It's not that helping folks to find a right relationship with God--and each other--is unimportant, but is it really necessary that this relationship and understanding be exactly the same as our own? It seems like at times the various denominations of Christianity are so obsessed with trying to poach souls from each other that they lose sight of the broader needs that a good mission ought to address.
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I attend an MC-USA congregation and found this article rather negative toward the new conservative Mennonites in the Bronx neighborhood. The author came off as having a somewhat territorial attitude as if the new church is challenging the MC-USA network's notion of what it means to be a Mennonite in New York City. The interactions described also sounded confrontational with unsolicited advice given and challenges to scripture interpretation in key areas of their beliefs. Criticisms were that they commute rather than living there, the women's traditional clothing would turn off city people, they didn't look happy enough, they stereotype cities as centers of evil, what did a group of isolated white people have to offer to Hispanics residents?,and since they are visitors rather than residents they won't be able to learn. After all these criticisms the author indicated that it is unfortunate that the new Mennonites wouldn't be consulting the existing Mennonite network in the city for advice and support! I'd be interested in knowing, if they were to approach the network, in what ways could they be appropriately supported? Also, have the Mennonite network or individual congregations reached out in any ways to welcome the new church or offer assistance appropriate to the congregation's beliefs? As far as the unhappy looking faces and being ignored by city pedestrians as they sang, could that potentially have been the result of culture shock and/or not knowing exactly how to initiate conversations for both groups? Aside from commuting in for church services, singing in public and handing out pamphlets and song tracks at this stage of their project, I would be interested in learning about what other ministries are they involved with now or have planned for the future.
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I echo the in-depth responses to this piece. I also thought of Steve Nolt's piece, quoted by E.L. Eby.
I operate a referral service through the web for people looking for a conservative Anabaptist church. The churches I list (1) use head coverings for women, and (2) permit automobile ownership; basically, the in-between spectrum. I receive on average 2 to 3 requests a day, and read these people's comments.
In response to the two quotes below, a majority of these people making inquiries are from the city, including New York. In the past few years, non-Mennonites are joining conservative Mennonite churches in numbers I find unprecedented. Perhaps a future article could address why people in the city or elsewhere do join these churches, despite all the seeming obstacles mentioned by Kraybill.
"I suggested to Hollinger that head coverings will hinder any proselytizing efforts. City folk don’t go for the whole women-are-subservient thing."
"It’s not just that conservative Mennonites, due to their 19th-century appearance, will have difficulty making an appealing pitch to a city audience."
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Brother Cory Anderson, I find your comments most interesting. If it is true, as you say, that unprecedented numbers of non-Mennonite city folk are joining conservative Mennonite churches, I would like to know more. If you could refer me to several of these people so that I might meet and chat with them in person, here in NYC, I would be most appreciative. Thank you. You can reach me at carlosnycity@gmail.com.
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I am one of the pastors of the Pilgrim church in the Bronx. We have an apartment rented in the city and are working toward moving some missionaries into the city. We have much to learn, we humbly acknowlege, but we believe the Bible and Jesus' teaching to go into all the world and share the Gospel (including cities). God used this article to send a sincere seeker to our mission church in the Bronx and I praise Him for that! This is not "OUR WORK" but the God's and we want to be faithful in following His leading in reaching souls for His glory! Please pray for the work and come visit us!
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I think some city-dwelling Christians might be very surprised to learn that not everyone thinks the same way they do. From the sound of this article, you really gave your conservative brothers and sisters the cold shoulder. Saying, in effect, that they may as well give up or fit in, because they have nothing of relevance to offer to an urban audience.
And probably, to most urbanites, they do not. But there are always a few who are seeking something, and sometimes they don't even know what, but they find it in conservative Anabaptism. I should know, because I was one of them. Growing up a typical Christian city kid, I was depressed and disillusioned. I didn't know what relevance my faith held to my life. The way I read and interpreted the Bible was not the way I saw it being preached or lived out... until I met the conservative Anabaptists. At first I couldn't understand these quaint country people, their odd clothing or strangely radical form of Christianity. But mainstream Christianity had failed me, and I sensed in them something real and heartfelt, something I had rarely seen in my more liberal circles. The more I learned, the more everything began falling into place in my mind. From nonresistance and two-kingdom theology, down to the headcovering and simple living... it felt like this was the Bible I had been reading all along, but had never seen in person. It felt like I was coming home.
Now I'm not saying that my experience will be everyone's. I do believe that God will lead His true followers to the churches and environments they are intended to be in. In the end our differences in interpretation of Scripture will cease to matter so much. What does matter is that we believe and obey God with all our hearts in whatever capacity we have been called. City or country, conservative or liberal, headcovering or none.
But we must never, ever forget that the road to God is narrow and the Kingdom is hidden from the eyes of the world. Our primary witness is through our lives, and through the Gospel we preach. To those of us who dress plainly and live apart from the world, that is part of the witness of our lives. While we may come across to some as backward country people lost in the 19th century, to others our clothing may be speaking loud and clear that we are Christians and not afraid to show it.
I'm thinking this comment has come across a little harsh and I'm sorry, it's not intended to be... all I'm trying to say is that I believe there is a place within God's kingdom (and even within the Bronx!) for both of our ways of life and methods of evangelism. The city is a complicated mosaic of people from countless walks of life, and who knows but that God can use a few hymn-singing conservative Mennonites to make an difference for someone in that maze of humanity?
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Jessica, thank you for your comments. Your words are not harsh, but I sense they do come from your burdened heart as a testimony of what God through the Holy Spirit has done in your life. I encourage you to continue to let your light shine in this world of darkness. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those that perish. We need more light lighters like you.
I too am a lover of strong Bible messages that are imbeded in the hymns we sing in our church.
If you want to hear good hymn singing and Bible teaching ministry 24/7, go to www.bbnradio.org. They broadcast in eight languages. There may be a radio station that carries the same programs in your area. Check their radio station listing. They also have online Bible courses that are available at no cost to the student.
Blessings to you.
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