Burky's Blog

             As I read about church history, I notice one point.  All church problems or splits were never about Jesus, which the Bible clearly says is the cornerstone of the church.

            Take, for example, there were only two church splits in history affecting to my childhood church brotherhood.  The first one occurred because one minister resists compliance to the agreement of the Conference.  He allows his children have their way even in points where the Conference forbids.  He was not being a good example to his flock.  He could have become proud of his achievements, because very few ordinate brethren in his day are as educated and carry message very well over the pulpit as he was.

            The second one occurred because one bishop resists the progressive changes, especially the changes that may threatened the Mennonite doctrines.  I did wonder if he became more aggressive after he was the senior bishop of the conference, as the Conference gives such a responsibility of a moderator of the Conference.  One may forgive him to be like that because of the situations that bishop finds himself in.  In those days, people start to lack a necessary respect for the leadership of the church.  Whatever the case, it is interesting to notice that in both church splits, it all start with one church leader resisting something.

            One Sunday School we study about the Tower of Babel.  We analyze the story and try to make it practical to our day.  When I see the question, "In what ways might we become guilty of uniting in a wrong cause?", I couldn't help but think about my church history.  Since human nature are basically same since Adam, I wouldn't be surprised if all other church splits originated with one church leader resisting something.

            The first church split happens because one church leader has too much pride.  He resists the admonishment of others.  He knew the Conference would prefer if he keep quiet about his premillennial views, but did not do so.  His case was very blatant, and if he would be honest with himself, he could easily see he was in wrong.   The second church split is a whole different story.  Everyone wants to be Biblical and they have different ways of going about it.  Some ordinate brethren felt it is necessary to be considerate of how lay members feel, but one bishop felt it is necessary to make the changes regardless of how others feel.  He wants to keep his church conservative.  He felt church standards need to be enforced.  If he would be honest with himself, he would have much harder time recognizing his sin.  In fact, he is not sinning intentionally.  He only wants uniformity and harmony in the Conference.  However, recognizing human nature as it is, we can noticed that the reason they want to build the Tower of Babel was so that they would not be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.  Isn't that the similar idea as that bishop who desire conservative standards harmonizing the Conference?

            We study about Tower of Babel and say we do not want to be like them.  The Bible did not explain that situation very well, but it did say that God is displeased with them.  For "punishment", God confound their language.  As the result, people start to single out others who they can communicate with and understand.  Notice the same pattern in the history of the church.  Whenever they split, they go with their like mind.  Human nature is always the same since Adam.

            One more thing I notice in this whole situation is that the Bible teaches sowing and reaping.  When you resist, you will reap resistance.  The progressive side is more forbearing than the conservative side—according to the second situation here. 

I am aware this is not always the case.  There are situations like the book, Uncle Dale and His God, shows.  In that book, the conservative broke off, because of reaction to the leadership.  The church leaders discourage testimony and confessional before the congregation.  If the permissive church leaders would recognize the confessions and bless it instead of putting it down, the church may become stronger.  They were suppressing the spiritual growth in their congregation.  Therefore, the honest Christians who desire spiritual growth noticed that and break off.  Generally, you can tell which group is right by their earnest effort to preserve peace.

To summarize the whole picture, you can see why I don't approve of Conference.  I like one comment that his leading church, or "Conference headquarters", is the church in Jerusalem.  It is where Christianity all begins.  I believe in tolerance that each church group has their own standards or traditions.  After all, the world has great variety of cultures, which means that what is Biblical in one culture may not be Biblical in other.  When one church doesn't tolerate other church's practice, there will be dissatisfaction and problems.  Let every church to her own.

            Also, I notice that the more conservative the group, the least likely they practice the Great Commission and collective prayer (I mean, really praying together like the book of Acts talks about).  They are also more negative and judgmental prone.  If they would experience liberating power of Christ and observe that God is the Creator of free will, they would be more positive prone and less condemning.

            We can't force others to think like us, but we can leave an example.  I admire one Amish man who starts practicing Holy Kiss without demanding it, and by his example, his church eventually all practice it because of one man's conviction.  We can do the same. 

            If we want peace, let us sow peace and be peacemaker.  Remember the law of sowing and reaping!  We say the Lord's Prayer, "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."  Let us sow heaven if we want to reap heaven.  That is applicable to when others may mistreat or disregard us, and we are to sow love and peace even to our enemies.  Let us stop resisting to anything—ideas or circumstances—and surrender to them, acknowledging that everything is God's gift to us.  Think about it: nonresistance, surrendered will, and self-denial are all the same thing.  They are the only way we can experience and influence peace and serenity in this changing world, because it is truth that last and God is truth eternal.  Even church structure is earthly and is subject to change.  If we all stick to the truth eternal and focus on Christ alone, we will have peace within and without.