Stories

How Mennonites Came to Be

by John D. Roth

Study Guide written by John A. Lapp and Alice W. Lapp. John is a historian and retired church administrator. Alice is author of Christ is Our Cornerstone: 100 Years at Lititz Mennonite Church (2007). The Lapps can be reached at jalapp@dejazzd.com

These Study Questions are also available for download as a Word document or in PDF Acrobat format.

See also Stories in the MPN online catalog.

Introduction, Chapters 1 - 5

Chapters 6 - 10, Conclusion

Chapter 6: Mennonites in South Russia

Why did Mennonites live in colonies in Russia?
What were positive elements which self-government provided for the Mennonites?
What problems did this colony life pose for Christian practices?
Can you identify at least six countries where Mennonites of Russian ancestry live today?
For North Americans, one of the newest groups which Roth describes (pp. 135-37) are the more than 100,000 Aussiedler (or resettlers) who returned to Germany after the collapse of the Soviet Union. How would you describe these communities?
Address the questions on page 138.

Chapter 7: Mennonites in North America I

In what ways was the Martyrs Mirror a teaching device particularly for American Mennonites?
How have Mennonites in the U.S. dealt with the recurring American wars?
Roth notes five types or themes of renewal among the Mennonites in America: Revivalism, 2. Progressivism, 3. Old Order Movements, 4. Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism, 5, Historical Memory. Which of these movements have you and the congregation experienced to the greatest extent and why?
How do Mennonites continue to be impacted by American religious movements?

Chapter 8: Mennonites in North America II

Is it significant that the first North American Mennonite missions were organized by recent German and Russian immigrants?
Is Roth correct to identify recent Mennonite church growth as an “urban explosion”? (p. 183)
On page 186, Roth notes some of the contributions which newcomers or new Mennonites make to the church, enriching and renewing the tradition. How have you experiences these contributions?
How have you experienced moving from “they to we” in your congregation or your conference?

Chapter 9: Mennonites Around the World

There are now more Mennonites and Brethren in Christ living in the Global South (900,000 in 2006) than in the North (600,000). How did that remarkable transformation occur?
How do the well-established churches of the North accept the enthusiasms and concerns of the newer, younger conferences of the South?
Note the questions on page 206 mid-page.
Are you prepared to identify with the affirmation of the Congolese church leaders? (p. 209-10)

Chapter 10: Mennonites in the World

“Anabaptists emerged within the context of a fracturing church.” (p. 218) How important is it for Mennonites to take seriously attempts to unite the Christian movement?
On pages 224 to 227 Roth presents an argument against what he calls generic Christianity and for Mennonite distinctives. Where do you identify strongest with his arguments, where the least?
Roth presents four ways for Mennonites to relate to the broader Christian world. (p. 228) Can you give more examples of these ways in your region or conference?
Is your congregation engaged in such a conversation? Why? Why not?

Conclusion: Conflict and Renewal in the Anabaptist Mennonite Tradition

Who are “the storytellers, the keepers of memory” in your community? Are they as wise as Roth suggests?
What do you think of the triangle—“Context/Tradition/Spirit” (p. 240-42) for reflection on wisdom in the church?
How would you summarize the Anabaptist–Mennonite tradition as a gift of God for the Christian movement and indeed the entire world?

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