CENTURY THE THEOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE MISSIONARY CHURCH. Dr. Dennis D. Engbrecht

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1 CENTURY ER A THE THEOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE MISSIONARY CHURCH Dr. Dennis D. Engbrecht tits very inception, the Missionary Church was immersed in religious ferment. The influence of Americanrevivalism, piety and the holiness movement on nineteenth century Mennonites eventually led to the expulsion of certain elders who later came together to form the Mennonite Brethren in Christ (MBC, 1883) and the Missionary Church Association (MCA, 1898).l These two parents of the contemporary Missionary Church were themselves the product of a theological leavening beginning with the Second Awakening in the early 1800's and culminating with the holiness movement occuringin the secondhalf of the same cent~ry.~during the five decade period following World War I, the emphasis upon missions and evangelism overshadowed theological issues for

2 these two small American denominations. A blend of Anabaptist, holiness and evangelical leanings continued to pervade the Missionary Church with little formal recognition of theological shifts within their respective constitutions. Merger discussions beginning in 1955 between the United Missionary Church (UMC, name change in 1947) and the Missionary Church Association and their eventual consolidation at the Detroit Conference in 1969, seemed to serve as an impetus for reevaluating the theology of the newly merged denomination. While framers of the 1969 constitution (arelatively brief document with no position papers) centered their efforts on an agreeable church polity, in the two subsequent decades numerous theological issues emerged which have shaped and molded the Missionary Church of 1994.~ APOSTASY AND ASSURANCE One of the earliest theological issues addressed following the 1969 merger was the matter of apostasy and the assurance of the believers. While both the UMC and the MCA had been primarily Arminian in their respective theological development, there was more latitude, at least in discussion, if not in practice, among the MCA.4 When the Pennsylvania Conference broke with the United Missionary Church in 1952, Calvinist leanings in the old MBC were essentially removed? Thus when the Missionary Church felt it necessary to respond to this strain of fundamentalism in the early 1970's, the denomination reached into its MCA background and retrieved a document entitled "The Security of the Believer." This paper had been developed two decades earlier by Dr. Jared Gerig, president of the MCA at the time, with input from Dr. S.A. Witmer, then president of Fort Wayne Bible College, in response to some discussions within the MCA? In 1971 at the request of denominationalleadership, Dr. Wes Gerig, professor at Fort Wayne Bible College and son of Jared Gerig, revised the paper and shortly thereafter it was officially adopted by the Missionary Ch~rch.~ Although the body of the constitution contained no specific mention of apostasy or the matter of assurance, the addition of this position paper suggested the denomination was Arminian. The Missionary Church today, however, bears the influence of post-fundamentalist evangelicalism in its constitution. At the 1989 General Conference, an abbreviated version of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978) was ad~pted.~ Although the 1969 merging constitution referred to the Bible as "inerrant in the original manuscript," the inclusion of an abbreviated Chicago Statement marked a visible alliance with the post-fundamentalist evangelical movement on the matter of Biblical inerrancy. In some

3 respects this action by the Missionary Church is similar to what has taken place in other twentieth century holiness denominations. Paul Bassett was among the first to point to a "fundamentalist, leavening" within the Church of the Nazarene earlier in the ~entury.~ TONGUES A second theological development in the Missionary Church since the 1969 merger had to do with the charismatic movement. In the early 1970's Dr. Kenneth Geiger formulated a committee from Bethel College and Fort Wayne Bible College with the intent of establishing a denominational position on this matter. In the 1969 constitution there was not a single reference to the gift of tongues. Dr. Geiger, the president of the newly merged denomination, presented the committee with a rough draft from which to work.1 The end result was a position paper entitled, "The Gift of Tongues."ll While recognizing the failure to teach the Spirit-filled Christian walk can result in a spiritual vacuum, ministers are discouraged from getting caught up in the "present day tongues movement."12 The church is urged to approach the entire charismatic movement with "an open, but cautious attitude."13 Though some Missionary churches have adopted a somewhat charismatic style of worship and praise in the 1990's, the theological position of the church has remained essentially the same over the past 25 years. However, what this document overlooks is that both sides of the denomination had ahistory of closet tongues" that goes all the way back to their founding and which only created problems when adherents were too vocal. SANCTIFICATION A third significant theological development within the Missionary Church since the 1969 merger relates to the constitutional position on "Sanctification and the Filling with the Holy Spirit." Both the MCA and the UMC had statements in their constitutions that demonstrated the influence of the holiness movement, although the MCAwasmoreinfluenced by Christian andmissionary Alliance brand of Keswickian holiness. In the 1966 preamble of the MCA Constitution, the denomination stressed "the baptism with the Holy Spirit as a definite, crisis experience subsequent to conversion" and said that the MCA was founded "to give better opportunities for cultivating the deeper life."14 "The Articles of Faith and Practice" stated the work ofthe Holy Spirit is "to sanctify... the believer."16 Likewise, the UMC Constitution contained a similar statement on sanctification and the work of the Holy Spirit: "... through a subsequent crisis experience the believer is to die to

4 self, to be cleansed from all sin and to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that he may be separated wholly unto God to serve him in righteousness and holiness."16 Both the MCA and the UMC had experienced some strife amidst their respective denominations over the doctrine of sanctification. In 1923 a debate took place at the MCA General Conference between those who supported a progressive sanctification and those who held to the original MCA position of a crisis experience subsequent to salvation. Eventually a committee of six drew up a statement that reaffirmed the original position of the church.17 Nearly three decades later in 1952 at the UMC General Conference, the Pennsylvania District presented a resolution effectively withdrawing from the denomination stating that "the position of our district on our interpretation of the doctrine of holiness... conflicts with the principles" of the UMC.18 In both cases the conflicts led to great losses in their respective denominations. The MCA lost several churches, pastors and professors at Fort Wayne Bible Training School.lg The UMC lost 44 churches, 4,489 members and $1.5 million in property, equal to one-third of its constituen~y.~~at the same time, bothconflicts led to "a clearing of the doctrinal atmosphere" giving the "cause of unity... a big impetus."21 At the point of merger in 1969 the Missionary Church essentially adopted the position of the United Missionary Church on sanctification in its new constitution. However, in 1985 the consti- - 3-= Historical Perspective At the time of the 1969 merger, ten Missionary Church Sunday Schools had attendance of at least 300. First, Fort Wayne, IN Van Nuys, CA First, Berne, IN Gospel Center, South Bend, IN Harvester, Fort Wayne, IN Mt. Olive, Peoria, IL Brenneman, Goshen, IN Zion, Elkhart, IN Dakota Avenue, Detroit, MI Cedar Road, Osceola, IN -Emphasis V.l, No. 1 (March 15, 1969) p.18.

5 tutional commission, with General Board approval, brought a revised statement on sanctification to the General Conference in Toronto. The two most significant changes allowed for a progressive sanctification and eliminated the phrase "to die to self, to be purified in heart."22 A spirited debate took place on the conference floor followed by a vote. Since the recommendation involved amending the constitution, a two-thirds majority was required. The motion failed by the closest of margins. The action of the General Conference was similar to that of the 1923 conference in Grabill at which the historic MCA position on sanctification was upheld. This time, however, there was no massive exodus of pastors and professors. In fact, the 1985 General Conference adopted a new preamble to the constitution which for the first time officially acknowledged its Wesleyan roots along with German Anabaptist and American revivalistic backgrounds. 23 There have been other theological developments in the Missionary Church since 196%~~ ow ever, these have been more along the lines of clarification rather than maior developments and have done little to affect the theological direction of the denomination. The three primary theological developments in the past 25 years have been in response to three American religious movements: the holiness movement, the post-fundamentalist evangelical movement and the charismatic movement. In each instance the Missionary Church has responded in such a way as to retain Biblical truth while at the same time reinforcing its commitment to worldwide evangelism. As in its beginnings, the denomination continues to develop in response to the religious ferment and cultural changes in America. It is unlikely that this continued development will, or ever should, cease. At the same time a firm understanding of the church's historical and theological roots will help guide the Missionary Church in its future development. D-c Historical Perspective In the Annual Reports of the Missionary Church Association, Roy D. Ramseyer, Western District superintendent, reported that on May 19, 1967, the California Conference of the United Missionary Church (LJMC) voted to integrate with the Missionary Church Association (MCA)Western District. On May 27,1967, the MCA WesternDistrict voted unanimously to welcome the UMC California Conference. This unilateral action by two West Coast bodies took place over two years before the merger which joined together the rest of the Missionary Chruch.

6 END NOTES 1. Jared Gerig and Walter H. Lugibihl, The Missionary Church Association (Berne, Indiana: Economy Printingpress, 1950); Beulah Stauffer Hostetler, American Mennonites and Protestant Movements (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1987); J.A. Huffman, ed., The History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church (New Carlisle, Ohio: Bethel Publishing Company, 1920). 2. Dennis Engbrecht, The Americanization ofrural Immigrant Church: The General Conference Mennonites in Central Kansas, (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Nebraska, 1985); Timothy L. Smith, Revivalism and Social Reform in Mid- Nineteenth Century America (New York: Abingdon Press, 1957). 3. Constitution Proposed as Basis for Union of the Missionary Church Association and the United Missionary Church (n.p., n.d.). 4. Gerig and Lugibihl, pp ; Jacob Hygema, "Eternal Security" Unconditional or Conditional, Which? (Elkhart, Indiana: Bethel Publishing Company, 1933). Walter Lugibihl and Jared Gerig in their 1950 history of the MCA state that while the constituency always leaned toward the Arminian viewpoint, no official position was taken towards Calvinism provided that it was not proclaimed in an "extreme" form. In 1912 a faculty member at Fort Wayne Bible Institute was reappointeduwith the understanding that he refrain from teaching his strong Calvinistic views." JacobHygema, anmbc pastor who began teachingin 1920 at Fort Wayne Bible Institute, wrote a pamphlet in 1933 condemning "eternal security." 5. Everek Storms, History of the United Missionary Church (Elkhart, Indiana: Bethel Publishing Company, 19581, pp The Pennsylvania Conference of the MBC officially withdrew in 1952 citing irreconcilable differences with the rest of the denomination. Everek Storms contends in his 1958 history of the UMC that from its earliest history the Pennsylvania conference had several ministers with Calvinist beliefs. Gradually this position strengthened in the conference as a result of a "lack of good holiness preachers" in Pennsylvania camp meetings and Calvinistic Sunday School literature produced by its own publishing house, Union Gospel Press. 6. Personal interview with Jared Gerig, 25 October 1994.

7 7. Personal interview with Wes Gerig, 25 October Report ofthe Constitutional Commission, 1987 (adopted at the 1989 General Conference); The Constitutionofthe Missionary Church (Elkhart, Indiana: Bethel Publishing Company, 19931, pp Paul Merritt Bassett, "The Fundamentalist Leavening of the Holiness Movement, The Church of the Nazarene: A Case Study" Wesleyan Theological Journal 13 (Spring 1978). 10. Personal interview with Wes Gerig, 25 October The Constitution of the Missionary Church (1993), pp Ibid., p Ibid., p Constitution and General Conference By-Laws of the Missionary Church Association (Fort Wayne, Indiana: Bible Truth Publishers, 1966), p Ibid., p The Constitution and Manual of the United Missionary Church (Elkhart, Indiana:BethelPublishingCompany, 1959), p Jared Gerig, A Vine of God's Own Planting (Fort Wayne, Indiana: Fort Wayne Bible College, 1980), pp Mennonite Brethren in Christ, Pennsylvania Conference 1952 (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: n.p., 1952). 19. Gerig, A Vine of God's Own Planting, p Storms, p Gerig, A Vine of God$ Own Planting, p. 165; Storms, p General Conference Journal (Toronto: n.p., 1985), p. A Ibid., p. A In 1985 a constitutional commission proposal to remove pre-

8 tribulation language in the constitution failed. The pre- tribulation rapture of the church position had long time roots in both the MCA and MBC. In fact, the early emphasis on missions and evangelism was due in part to the belief in Christ's "imminent return." Also in 1985 at the same General Conference action was taken to allow members to take judicial oaths, a marked departure from the Anabaptist prohibition of oath swearing. In 1989 a position paper was adopted on spiritual warfare. While this generated a great deal of discussion both on the conference floor and in the years immediately preceding the conference, it passed with only two dissenting votes primarily because it rejected the notion of a few who believed that Christians can be demonically possessed. Dr. Dennis Engbrecht is senior vice-president and professor of History at Bethel College, Mishawaka, Indiana. - >--= - Historical Perspective Lyrics for "The Merger Hymn" were written by Everek Storms. Words were sung to the same tune as "Am I a Soldier of the Cross?" Dr. Storms served as editor of The Gospel Banner for 17 years. THE MERGER HYMN (Tune: "Am I A Soldier of the Cross") Thy blessing, Lord, we crave today Thy Spirit's power and might, Upon these churches gathered here As now the two unite. Baptize us with Thy Spirit, Lord, Complete the work begun; 0 fill us with Thy perfect love And make us truly one! 'Tis not enough to larger grow, Another church to gain: Unless the Lord doth build the house, Our building is in vain. Give us a passion, Lord, for souls, Enlarge our vision too- A missionary church indeed In all we say and do. -Emphasis V. 1, No. 1 (March 15, 1969) p.4.

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