For most of us COVID 19 has been a real eye-opener and has caused us to consider very carefully our relationship with our local brotherhood.
Shalom, the congregation that my wife and I are a part of, did not meet together for 7 weeks. When we began to meet again, it gave us a new appreciation for each other. This experience has caused me to consider more carefully what “brotherhood” is all about.
We as Anabaptists have tended to hold a very narrow view of brotherhood to the exclusion of anyone who does not believe and practice as we do. But the question that has come to my mind is: Who should we encompass in our circle of brotherhood? I am coming to the conviction that our circle of brotherhood is not limited to just our local church but rather has multiple rings of fellowship with decreasing responsibility and accountability as we get further from the “bull’s eye” representing our local church. The complete target represents the entire world wide “Church of Jesus Christ”. While there is decreasing responsibility and accountability as we get further from our local church; we dare not ignore what responsibility and accountability we do have with fellow believers outside of our local brotherhood, because God intends for us to draw strength from each other. When we ignore or discredit other believers, we give Satan the opportunity to divide the people of God. Satan’s primary offensive tactic is to divide, in any way that he can. We play into his hand when we ignore fellow believers outside of our local church.
It is not my intent in this article to define the extent of our responsibility to our brothers and sisters within our local brotherhood. That is much too large a subject. But rather I would like to focus on those rings of fellowship and responsibility outside of our local churches.
That first ring of fellowship and responsibility outside of our local churches, in our setting, is our commitment to our Mid-Atlantic Fellowship. As a community of churches, we have established a set of guidelines that provides a basis for unity and fellowship. A member congregation is expected to uphold that set of guidelines. The unity that this set of guidelines establishes, enables us to work together in projects that are much bigger than any of us could accomplish alone. It gives us a sense of brotherhood that goes much further than our local congregation.
While we don’t have the level of responsibility and accountability for fellow MAMF members that we do for those of our home congregation; we feel a kinship and a sense of brotherhood that is very valuable. As we fellowship back and forth, we can draw strength and inspiration from each other. Historically, there has been considerable support for services and programs across the Fellowship and that enhanced that sense of unity. But as the pace of life has accelerated, that support and fellowship has diminished, to our detriment.
The next ring of fellowship and responsibility reaches out to those sister Fellowships and Conferences that maintain conservative Anabaptist Theology and a similar standard of faith and practice. Some of them may adopt a standard that is stricter and others a standard that is more relaxed than what we think is necessary. Our natural tendency is to become critical and judgmental. But as we accept each other and encourage each other to be faithful in the setting we find ourselves, the work of God’s Kingdom can be accomplished and we can draw strength from our association with them. If we allow ourselves to be critical and judgmental, we are playing into Satan’s plan to divide God’s people.
The third circle of fellowship and responsibility is with professing Christians that we encounter in daily life. In Mark 9:39 John told Jesus: Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
It is easy to become judgmental of those who understand Scripture differently than we do; but we must keep it before us at all times that it is not our responsibility to judge. Paul wrote in Rom. 14:13: Let us not judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. In our fellowship with believers outside of our churches it is our responsibility to encourage them in any way that we can and to present a testimony of faithfulness to God’s word. It is our responsibility to make sure that our lives do not hinder the work of Christ in any way. As we do so, we can draw strength from each other as we focus on our mutual commitment to Jesus Christ.
The fourth circle of fellowship and responsibility is to the persecuted Church. Our responsibility is to pray for them that they would remain faithful in the midst of their persecution and that the power of God would be made known in it. As we pray for them we are united with them in their suffering.
This circle of brotherhood provides a cocoon in which the local church can grow and flourish. But if we choose to ignore that circle of brotherhood, we find ourselves exposed to the attacks of Satan. United we stand, divided we fall.
by Roy Longenecker (August 27, 2020)
- Apparently this article first appeared in the Mid-Atlantic Informer; however, I read it in the May-June 2021 issue of the Midwest Mennonite Focus. I republish it here by permission.
- I added the image above.
- I invite you to read something very brief which I wrote ten years ago: My Self-Professing Is Better Than Yours?
