Living Hope Mennonite Church belongs to a group of Christians known as “Anabaptists.” This term meant “re-baptized”, because in the Reformation in Europe in the 1500s, this group of Christians believed that infant baptism wasn’t in line with Scripture. They believed you had to be able to “repent” in order to be baptized, so they were re-baptized as adults.
The name stuck, but it represents a larger truth, or attitude towards Scripture. Mennonites, whose name came from one of the early Anabaptist leaders, have the same Bible that all Christians have. They are not a cult with additional Scriptures.
Mennonites just believe in taking God’s Word at face value, and trying to live what it teaches, rather than explain it away. So when it says, “love your enemies,” we try to live that out, and we don’t participate in war. We also try to live that out in our relationships, as well, and believe that we can “overcome evil with good.”
There are other ways Mennonites look different from other evangelical Christians, like our women wearing coverings, but they find their basis in what the New Testament teaches.
Some people think we are Amish, and we have similar historical roots, but we are different. We use electricity and technology, although we do try to limit technologies negative affects in our homes.
We value family, and want those relationships to be strong. We believe God created us male and female, with different roles, and that marriage to be for life.
We are normal people, who know they can’t be good enough to save themselves. For our salvation, we depend entirely on what Jesus Christ has done for us. We are saved by faith in Him alone, and not by works. Our obedience to His commands grows out of our love for Him, and our belief that not only is God good, but His ways are good, as well.
Feel free to come and visit! You will see that we are not a perfect group who has it all together, but hopefully you will see the love of Christ in our midst.ph