Modern Mennonite Interviews

Introduction

I have long studied and advocated the Anabaptist teaching of history. At its heart, it started as an unwavering dedication to follow the commands of Jesus, given to us in the Gospels.
Fast forward five hundred years. In the era of iPhones, YouTube, and SnapChat, many of the traditions that have evolved have no relationship to the original dedication to Christ. Indeed, the issue of tradition has become as problematic in our era as it was for our forbearers half a millennium ago.

In this era of uncertainty of what is to become of the Mennonite faith and culture, I asked a dozen young people in their twenties and early thirties, raised in the Mennonite tradition, why they left the church and what their thoughts were on the future of the Mennonite people. Some were single, some married, with almost equal ratios of men and women. Here are their answers.

Question One: When Did You Decide to Leave the Mennonite Church?

Here we had varied answers. Some had left years ago, some only a few months ago. Some of the respondents gave more details as to what caused this separation. Location was mentioned by more than one person, for another, it wasn't a decision to leave as much as a gradual evolution of situation that made it too difficult to remain. Some would say even though they don’t attend a Mennonite church at the moment, they would not consider themselves separate from the Mennonite Church even though they were not currently attending for various reasons. Others felt pushed out by disagreements, they said.

Question Two: Do you still identify yourself as Mennonite? Why or why not?

Again the answers came from all over the field. One couple said yes, it was part of who they were. About half of those who responded said yes. These yeses varied from very firmly yes, to considering the Mennonite part of their faith as secondary to being Christians.
The other half felt differently. The no answers ranged from a short and simple ‘no’ to those who felt you could not identify as a Mennonite without attending a Mennonite church any more than a Baptist who didn’t attend a Baptist church.

Question Three: Was your departure based on Mennonite culture, teaching, or church experience?

The answers were again quite varied. One couple said all of the above, and felt that the church excluded anyone who didn’t fit the churches’ ideals. A few stated it was due to experiences in the church itself, also agreeing that those who were different from the Mennonite norm were not accepted and rather ostracized. There was one departure that was due solely to the lack of a Mennonite church in the area they moved to.
A few respondents were concerned with the church and disagreements within those bodies. One respondent in particular voiced strong concerns over what they believed were false teachings and doctrines that were allowed to grow in the Mennonite culture. The lack of discipline and sacraments were part of the respondents concerns, along with a distaste and condemnation of the amount of power that Mennonite doctrines and church leaders’ opinions had in the faith and teaching.

Question Four: Do you believe that the Mennonite tradition is still good for others to continue or do you think that this generation should assimilate into the culture around it?

Here all but one respondent felt that there were parts of Mennonite culture that should be preserved. The sense of community was praised by some, and most considered the culture of their past something that had as much value as the cultures around them. A few still thought that assimilation to an extent would be good, with the one response being very dismissive of the usefulness or value of any part of Mennonite culture.

Question Five: Do you think any part of the Mennonite way of life (traditions, teachings, language, or other items) needs to be preserved? Why or why not?

Surprisingly, virtually all of the respondents felt that the Mennonite language specifically was an important part of their history and should be preserved. Several voiced the opinion that history should not be forgotten and that we should continue to teach the next generation about our heritage. There were those who were quick to point out that this should not be done in a way that is exclusive or in any way made to imply superiority. Several people were very clear that they believed that the history of the Mennonite way should be preserved and taught as heritage, but not as the correct way of Christian living but instead the path that got us where we are. Another replied that the teachings and traditions as they have evolved need to be reevaluated, but that the origin of these teachings was good. Not all of the respondents felt that there was much to save of Mennonite culture or that it was worth the effort.