Mainline/Mainstream Anabaptists

[Ernie]

This is a thread to discuss Mainline/Mainstream Anabaptists such as Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Church Canada, Evana Network, LMC (formerly Lancaster conference), Church of the Brethren, Brethren in Christ.

[Ernie]

From what I understand, MC USA is still using the 1995 Confession of Faith In a Mennonite Perspective but conferences within the association are not requiring that member congregations and conferences adhere to this.

Is there any update on this? What is being discussed at top levels in the conference? What is the likelihood that MC USA drops or modifies the 1995 Confession in the near future?

[the-real-steve]

At least half the COB churches in our area have left the conference. There are three that still rely on a free ministry. Another has paid leadership, song leaders, and the like. Some changed their names, most kept it and just took the COB part out. All had to pay the conference to leave, based on number of people on the roll.

[Szdfan]

From what I understand, MC USA is still using the 1995 Confession of Faith In a Mennonite Perspective but conferences within the association are not requiring that member congregations and conferences adhere to this.

Is there any update on this? What is being discussed at top levels in the conference? What is the likelihood that MC USA drops or modifies the 1995 Confession in the near future?

The issue wasn’t directly the 1995 Confession of Faith — it was more specifically a set of “membership guidelines” adopted during the merger that created MCUSA to bring conservatives on board. These guidelines were primarily about LGBTQ. One of the major reasons why conservatives have left is because the denomination didn’t have the means or desire to enforce the guidelines when conferences began licensing LGBTQ clergy and clergy performed same sex weddings.

Those guidelines were repealed in 2022 after a lot of the conservatives left. One of the architects of the guidelines was Ervin Stutzman who was the dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary when I attended there. He came to our polity class and was visibly proud of how the guidelines had helped thread the denomination together. It is pretty clear since then that it didn’t work.

Will the 1995 COF be revised or a new one adopted at some point? Probably, but I’m not aware of any push in the denomination right now to change it.

[JohnH]

We believe that God intends marriage to be a covenant between one man and one woman for life. Christian marriage is a mutual relationship in Christ, a covenant made in the context of the church. According to Scripture, right sexual union takes place only within the marriage relationship. Marriage is meant for sexual intimacy, companionship, and the birth and nurture of children.

I'm puzzled how one can think a minister is upholding this confession of faith and simultaneously conduct a same-sex "marriage".

[Ken]

We believe that God intends marriage to be a covenant between one man and one woman for life. Christian marriage is a mutual relationship in Christ, a covenant made in the context of the church. According to Scripture, right sexual union takes place only within the marriage relationship. Marriage is meant for sexual intimacy, companionship, and the birth and nurture of children.

I'm puzzled how one can think a minister is upholding this confession of faith and simultaneously conduct a same-sex "marriage".

It is just like how some denominations accommodate divorce and remarriage despite very clear teaching of Jesus to the contrary in Luke 16:18.

• “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

[JohnH]

We believe that God intends marriage to be a covenant between one man and one woman for life. Christian marriage is a mutual relationship in Christ, a covenant made in the context of the church. According to Scripture, right sexual union takes place only within the marriage relationship. Marriage is meant for sexual intimacy, companionship, and the birth and nurture of children.

I'm puzzled how one can think a minister is upholding this confession of faith and simultaneously conduct a same-sex "marriage".

It is just like how some denominations accommodate divorce and remarriage despite very clear teaching of Jesus to the contrary in Luke 16:18.

• “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

A Confession of Faith is generally not the same thing as the New Testament, which is not written to be some kind of denominational guidelines. Some groups like Church of Christ try to claim the NT is their creed, but they have the same problems everyone else does that they don't always agree on what it actually means.

[Ken]

I'm puzzled how one can think a minister is upholding this confession of faith and simultaneously conduct a same-sex "marriage".

It is just like how some denominations accommodate divorce and remarriage despite very clear teaching of Jesus to the contrary in Luke 16:18.

• “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

A Confession of Faith is generally not the same thing as the New Testament, which is not written to be some kind of denominational guidelines. Some groups like Church of Christ try to claim the NT is their creed, but they have the same problems everyone else does that they don't always agree on what it actually means.

What does the Confession of Faith actually say about the teachings of Jesus? Let's check:

• We believe that all Scripture is inspired by God through the Holy Spirit for instruction in salvation and training in righteousness. We accept the Scriptures as the Word of God and as the fully reliable and trustworthy standard for Christian faith and life. We seek to understand and interpret Scripture in harmony with Jesus Christ as we are led by the Holy Spirit in the church.

[JohnH]

It is just like how some denominations accommodate divorce and remarriage despite very clear teaching of Jesus to the contrary in Luke 16:18.

• “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

A Confession of Faith is generally not the same thing as the New Testament, which is not written to be some kind of denominational guidelines. Some groups like Church of Christ try to claim the NT is their creed, but they have the same problems everyone else does that they don't always agree on what it actually means.

What does the Confession of Faith actually say about the teachings of Jesus? Let's check:

• We believe that all Scripture is inspired by God through the Holy Spirit for instruction in salvation and training in righteousness. We accept the Scriptures as the Word of God and as the fully reliable and trustworthy standard for Christian faith and life. We seek to understand and interpret Scripture in harmony with Jesus Christ as we are led by the Holy Spirit in the church.

Right, and the confession of faith clarifies how a group has agreed to interpret scripture together.

[Ken]

A Confession of Faith is generally not the same thing as the New Testament, which is not written to be some kind of denominational guidelines. Some groups like Church of Christ try to claim the NT is their creed, but they have the same problems everyone else does that they don't always agree on what it actually means.

What does the Confession of Faith actually say about the teachings of Jesus? Let's check:

• We believe that all Scripture is inspired by God through the Holy Spirit for instruction in salvation and training in righteousness. We accept the Scriptures as the Word of God and as the fully reliable and trustworthy standard for Christian faith and life. We seek to understand and interpret Scripture in harmony with Jesus Christ as we are led by the Holy Spirit in the church.

Right, and the confession of faith clarifies how a group has agreed to interpret scripture together.

And my answer to your question is that congregations that accommodate gay members or gay marriage are doing the same thing as congregations that accommodate divorced and remarried members.