USA > Indiana > Adams County > Berne > First Mennonite Church, Berne, Indiana > Part 2
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On the west side of the lower level is an area at one end of which stands a large fireplace, shown in the accompanying photograph. This will be the center of many young people's gatherings, and Sun- day School class parties. Discussion groups, too, like to gather about the fire for their meetings. We believe that our Youth activities will be made more interesting through these new facilities.
A considerable amount of printed material is required in the course of a year, not only for mailing purposes, but also vari- ous items used by various departments in the church. A special room has been set aside for the necessary equipment. Ad- dressograph, folder, supplies and Multilith offset press, here shown.
Only to the most practical mind is a boiler room a thing of beauty, but to everyone it is vitally important-when something goes wrong! Heat for the en- tire church plant is provided by these two new, oil-fired, automatically-controlled boilers. One provides steam for the origi- nal building, while the other provides hot water for the new building. Thermostatic temperature zone controls make the task of heating the church much easier than before. Circulation of air in the chapel, choir room and several other rooms is augmented by several electric blowers. Fuel for the boilers is stored in two under- ground tanks which hold 10,000 gallons of oil.
Housekeeping and maintenance in any large building is a nev- r ending task. The man in charge not only needs many skills, but also the necessary tools. This responsibility is ca- pably fulfilled by Enos W. Lehman, shown at his work bench.
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"Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him. . . . " II. Chronicles 2:4
at large
at large
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at large
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faith of our fathers . . .
To pause for a look into our spiritual history is both enlightening and re- warding. Certainly there are lessons to learn, convictions to confirm, and faith to renew-so that as individual members of the First Mennonite Church
of Berne, Indiana, we never forget the "faith of our fathers, living still, in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword."
Mennonites everywhere are lineal descendants of the Anabaptists who emerged on the world scene over 400 years ago during the Reformation. With Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Anglicanism, the Anabaptists were the fourth major type of Protestantism to arise from that important period. Prof. Walter Koehler of Heidelberg wrote, "The Anabaptists may claim a place in world history as the pioneers of the modern world view with its freedom of faith and conscience." Our denominational forbears left us all a tremendous spiritual legacy tempered and forged on the twin anvils of persecution and martyrdom. So deep was their religious experience, so strong their conviction, so unshakeable their faith that nothing-life, liberty, or livelihood-was more precious than their faith.
Anabaptism was not an organized movement, and in its early days saw many adherents who ranged from radical to conservative. Menno Simons in the 16th century became the leader of the more peaceful, conservatives who, in time, were called Mennonites. In addition to Bible-centered doctrines held in common with other great Protestant evangelicals, there were and still are a number of beliefs distinctly identified with the Mennonite faith.
There is the conviction that baptism should be for adults, not infants; and then only upon a personal confession of faith (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38), hence
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the early "anabaptist" name. Another belief is the Biblical doctrine of non- resistance (Matt. 5:39-48; Romans 12:9-21). The church has through the centuries taken as a serious statement the admonition of Jesus (Matt. 5:44): "I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and perse- cute you."
The early church fathers also believed that the life of a Christian was to be different from the life of a person who had never made a commitment to Jesus Christ, or was not living in accord with that commitment (Romans 12:1-2 and Ephesians 4:22-24). Mennonites, too, were not to swear oaths (James 5:12), or to make any affiliation that tends to compromise the loyalty of the Christian to the Lord and His church (2 Cor. 6:14,15).
Sustained and comforted by their faith, in spite of a continual and grievous harassment by civil and state church authorities, a tortuous pilgrimage- over the years-found the Mennonites moving from Switzerland, to Germany, to Holland, to Russia, and-in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries-to the United States, Canada, and South America. Though small in numbers, rela- tively, the contribution made by Mennonites has been significant in the religious, cultural, agricultural life and colonization of virtually every stop- ping place in their long pilgrimage.
The Mennonites, like other major Protestant denominations, have within their ranks, groups of varying doctrinal positions and practice. Of these, the First Mennonite Church of Berne, Indiana, is affiliated with the General Confer- ence of Mennonites in North America, which is composed of six districts, 206
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Mennonite Biblical Seminory: main building housing Library, Institute of Mennonite Studies, classrooms and offices, ot Elkhart, Ind .- a dedicated troining center for our postors ond teochers.
An elderly refugee lody receives clothing from on MCC worker in Vienno, Austrio, who is pointing to the label which soys, "In the Name of Christ!"
congregations with a total of about 50,000 members. Other Mennonite groups bring the total membership of the denomination to over 160,300.
A well-organized effort is carried on by the General Conference in Missions, with over 200 missionaries, serving at more than 65 stations in over 10 dif- ferent countries. The Board of Education and Publication is responsible for a great volume of church-related printed material, publications and hymnals. A major publishing venture is that of a new Mennonite Encyclopedia, soon to be completed, through the co-operation of three denominational printing houses and their conferences. It contains much material heretofore unavail- able.
Schools and colleges for Mennonite young people are found in both United States and Canada, numbering 14 in all. Among them is The Mennonite Biblical Seminary, newly located in Elkhart, Indiana.
Perhaps the most outstanding example of "Christianity in action" is the work of the Mennonite Central Committee. Through it, all Mennonite groups co- operate in a far-reaching program of Christian Service in Foreign Relief, Voluntary Service, Pax (for draft-eligible conscientious objectors), Mental Health Hospitals, Disaster Service and Peace Work. Operating in over 15 countries throughout the world, MCC is bringing to the hungry, the naked, the sick, the homeless, and the poor, a helping hand "in His Name." Three mental health hospitals, with a fourth in the planning stage, have opened up another avenue of service where the love and understanding of Christ can be shown by His servants. Almost 500 people from many different Mennon- ite groups have experienced anew the blessing that comes through sharing
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in the nome of Christ; ond through it all ore bringing a new sense of fellow- ship ond oneness, under the Cross, to every Mennonite.
Important os the tongible, visible programs ond activities of the Church are, they are simply the monifestations of foith. While the Generol Conference Mennonite Church has never odopted on officiol creed, believing that no man-made formulation should supplant the Holy Scriptures, it hos unofficiol- ly occepted the Apostle's Creed ond the Ris Confession of Faith (1766, Hol- lond), ond more recently (1941) opproved the following statement: "We believe in the divine inspiration ond the infollibility of the Bible os the Word of God and the only trustworthy guide of faith and life. We believe in one God, eternolly existing, ond monifest os Father, Son, ond Holy Spirit. We shore with other great churches the firm belief in the Deity of Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father full of groce ond truth, born of the Virgin Mory, in His perfect humanity, His otoning death, His bodily resurrection from the deod, and His personol triumphant return. We believe the soul of mon to be immortol, ond thot there will be o resurrection of the dead ond o future stote of eternal durotion determined by Divine judgment. We further believe thot o Christion is one who is soved by groce through personol faith in the Lord Jesus Christ os His Soviour from sin. We believe olso that Christ lived ond tought the way of life os recorded in the Scriptures, and this is God's plon for individuols and the humon roce. Therefore, oll who coll them- selves 'Christions' should live in this some woy."
This is a glimpse of the Christion philosophy ond practice of our Church. These ore the truths we hold deor, and the faith which we encourage oll to hold.
An MCC Voluntary Service worker helps Negro chil- dren select reading material from a small lending library in one of the mission centers in our Southern states.
Our 1-W's offer healthy minds and bodies for vital research that tests normal human reactions at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Photos E. Gyger : inside front cover Mennonite Central Committee : pages 30, 31 Mennonite Biblical Seminary: page 30 CARE: page 6
We rejoice in the privilege of presenting this booklet to you and in sharing with you through this medium the good things God has given us in a place to worship and to equip our people spir- itually. As a church we appreciate your interest which has placed this view of the Lord's work in your hands.
God has led us to this place. We are humbly grateful for His gracious blessings given so abundantly. We are humbly grateful for His guiding and directing hand, also for the consecrated hearts that have characterized the lives of our people through the years and especially in these days of expanding the facilities and occupy- ing them.
Now the days of the future lie before us. The responsibility of the full use of all God's blessings rests on each of us. We look to the future with confidence that more will be accomplished for Christ because these facilities have been erected and dedicated "unto the furtherance of the Gospel." ( Phil. 1:12.)
Sincerely, Hardan Neves Susade
Pastor
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