Published in the interest o f the best in the religious, social, and economic phases of Mennonite culture ANNIVERSARIES Families, churches, and denominations like to observe anniversaries. In this issue we call attention to the seventieth anniversary in the life of a creative literary artist, Arnold J. Dyck. We also call attention to the memorials we are erecting in Mennonite theological training. Anniversaries cause us to think back and recall former years. The new interest in folklore is reflected in several articles. As is the policy of Mennonite Life, this material is not dated in the usual sense of the word. This issue will become more valuable as time goes on. Tell your friends about Mennonite Life—better yet, give them an intro­ ductory subscription! Single copies—50 cents; 1 year—$2.00; 2 years—$3.50; 3 years—$5.00; 5 years—$8.00. Bulk orders of ten copies or more— 50 per cent discount. MENNONITE LIFE North Newton, Kansas COVER: Administration Building Mennonite Biblical Seminary Elkhart, Indiana MENNONITE LIFE An Illustrated Quarterly EDITOR Cornelius Krahn ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR John F. Schmidt ASSOCIATE EDITORS Harold S. Bender S. F. Pannabecker J. Winfield Fretz Robert Kreider Melvin Gingerich J. G. Rempel N. van der Zijpp Vol. XIV April, 1959 No. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page The Challenge of Christian Vocation........................ .......... Andrew Shelly 51 A Vision of the Future................................................ ..C. N. Hostetler, fr. 53 The Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries........ ........ Erl and Waltner 55 Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries Libraries. -.................. /. /. Enz 57 The Institute of Mennonite Studies............................ ...................C. f. Dyck 58 On Tour of the Seminary............................................ ........ Muriel Thiessen 59 The Story of Mennonite Biblical Seminary................ ...... S. F. Pannabecker 62 Witmarsum Theological Seminary.............................. P. E. Whitmer 64 The Wadsworth School................................................ ...Anna Kreider 66 Goshen College Biblical Seminary.............................. .Harold S. Bender 69 The Elkhart County, Indiana, Mennonites................ .Harold S. Bender 71 Theological Training among the Mennonites............ ..Cornelius Krahn 72 Seminario Biblico Menonita........................................ 74 Union Biblical Seminary in Yeotmal, India................ ........ 5. T. Moyer 76 Mennonite Folk Festival, 1959.................................... 78 Arnold Dyck at Seventy............................................... ..Gerhard Wtens 80 Arnold Dyck as a Literary Artist............................... ..Warren Klie wer 85 The Popularity of Dyck’s Writings...................... ..... ..Elisabeth Peters 87 With "Koop enn Bua” on a Journey........................ ...... Victor Peters 88 Arnold Dyck, ein Blick auf sein Schaffen................ ..........................................Kurt Kauenhoven 89 Mennonite Research in Progress................................ ....Melvin Gingerich and Cornelius Krahn 91 Mennonite Bibliography.............................................. John F. Schmidt and Nelson P. Springer 92 Mennonite Life Is an Illustrated Quarterly magazine published In January, April, July, and October by Bethel College, North New­ ton, Kan. Entered as second-class matter Dec. 20, 1946, at the post office at North Newton, Kan., under Act of March 3. 1879. GsO-ntsiilnitosiA, in "'JJuA OsiAue (From left to right) ANDREW R. SHELLY is director of Public Relations and Instructor in Church Administration, Mennonite Biblical Seminary (p. 51). C. N. HOSTETTER, JR. is President of Messiah College, Grantham, Pa., and Chairman of Mennonite Central Committee (p. 53). ERLAND WALTNER is President of Mennonite Biblical Seminary and the General Conference Mennonite Church (p. 55). JACOB J. ENZ is Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana (p. 57). CORNELIUS J. DYCK is Instructor in Historical Theology at Mennonite Biblical Seminary and Director of Institute of Menn. Studies (p. 58). MURIEL THIESSEN, a graduate of Bluffton College, is a student at Mennonite Biblical Seminary (p. 59). S. F. PANNABECKER is President Emeritus, Acting Dean and Professor of Church History at Mennonite Biblical Seminary (p. 62). ANNA KREIDER is student at Bluffton and Bethel College and at home in Wadsworth, Ohio (p. 66). HAROLD S. BENDER is Dean of Goshen College Biblical Seminary and editor of MENNONITE QUARTERLY REVIEW (p. 69, 71). CORNELIUS KRAHN is Professor of Church History and German at Bethel College and editor of MENNONITE LIFE (p. 72, 91). ERNST HARDER is a graduate of Mennonite Biblical Seminary and teaches at Seminario Biblico Menonita, Montevideo, Uruguay (p. 74). S. T. MOYER, missionary in Champa, India, is now Pastor of Bethel Mennonite Church, Pekin, Illinois (p. 76). GERHARD WIENS is Professor of German, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., and is doing research in Menn. folklore (p. 80). WARREN KLIEWER is doing graduate work at the University of Kansas and is doing research in Mennonite folklore (p. 85). ELISABETH PETERS, teacher and homemaker, is spending a year in Göttingen with her husband (p. 87). VICTOR PETERS, teacher in Winnipeg, is now working on his doctoral dissertation at Göttingen, Germany (p. 88). KURT KAUENHOVEN frequently writes for MENNONITE LIFE, is retired Professor at Göttingen, and genealogist and art critic (p. 89). MELVIN GINGERICH is Manager of Mennonite Research Foundation, Goshen, and managing editor of MENN. ENCYCLOPEDIA (p. 91). JOHN F. SCHMIDT is Archivist of Bethel College Historical Library and Assistant Editor of MENNONITE LIFE (p. 92). NELSON P. SPRUNGER is Curator of Mennonite Historical Library, Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana |p. 92). NOT SHOWN PAUL E. WHITMER, former Dean of Witmarsum Theological Seminary, is a retired minister (p. 64). Annual subscriptions $2.00; Single copies 50 cents; Bound volumes $5.00 (two years in each) Printed by the Mennonite Press, North Newton, Kansas “ Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." (John 4:35) The Challenge of Christian Vocation By ANDREW R. SHELLY HE challenge of Christian vocation has never are ready to make something worthwhile available for been greater than now. If we think of the earth them to read. The Christian church has not yet caught as a great "harvest field" we might say that the the vision of the implications of this in its work. T Straight down the line we are producing "too little” actual land area has not increased during the past cen­ turies, but the "arable" land has, and vaster areas are and often "too late.” more accessible. A third factor in this harvest field related to Chris­ Many factors have converged to increase this acces­ tian vocation is the tremendous increase in developed sibility. For one thing, we note the progress of rapid (and developing) leadership throughout the world. transportation. It is now possible to get to almost any Only a few years ago we considered certain countries as point on the globe within about two days. Whereas "backward.” Today these countries are independent, only a few decades ago, the airplane was unknown, ruling their own commercial, economic, educational and today there are over seventy members of the Interna­ governmental affairs. tional Air Transport Association with uniform traffic Christian Vocation regulations. Apparently we are in the midst of the It has been said that there are now ten thousand changeover from piston operated aircraft to jet, but dearly defined different vocations available to the young simultaneous with this fantastic development we note person of 1959. Some of these require little training, that the supersonic plane is already on the drawing and others require many years of arduous study. Schools board. generally are taking the question of vocational guidance What does this mean? With the increase of travel more seriously than ever before Obviously all young facilities—auto, train, bus, plane, etc—people who used people are not fitted for the same occupation. to be considered in remote areas are accessible quickly. What relevance does all of this have to the question Trips that used to take six weeks, now only take a few of the challenge of Christian vocation? hours. One can fly from New York to within a few First, it means that there are greater opportunities in miles of the mission station at Tshikapa, in the heart this realm than ever before. More types of workers of the Belgian Congo! are needed than ever. Recently a young printer has But there is another factor to this ripening harvest been sent to Africa. He will be a missionary in the field: it is the amazing increase in knowledge and the fullest sense of the word. The challenge in the field tools for the gaining of knowledge. The world is to which he is going is not only producing literature— rapidly becoming literate. It has been said that through which is still very important—but distribution. the centuries the population increased at the rate of 5 In every nation of the world the opportunities are percent a century (every 100 years); now, the rate is great. In the United States and Canada opportunities 2 percent a year. With this has come the phenomenal facing Christian workers have skyrocketed. Many fac­ increase in the number of the world who are able to tors are involved, one of which is the great increase read. It has been estimated that the present rate involves