For me, being Anabaptist — or more specifically Amish or Mennonite — has never been a dry, static identity inherited from previous generations.

It has always been a movement.

Like the very definition of dynamics in physics, movement is characterized by balance, coordination and continual adjustment.  It is not motionless, but purposeful action.  It is not simply preserving what has been, but faithfully responding to where God is leading next.

Perhaps that is what has always drawn me to the Anabaptist tradition, even as I’m new to pastoring at a Mennonite congregation and serving a Mennonite school (I have deep Amish and Mennonite roots from Indiana and Ohio, and find myself reconnecting with a heritage that captivated me when I was younger).

I recently became the director of development at Western Christian School in Salem, Ore., formerly Western Mennonite School until 2017, when the name was formerly changed to appeal to a wider demographic of students and families that were unfamiliar with the term Mennonite.

The small private school was founded in 1945 and continues to grow each year with our highest enrollment to date next year with 450 students (pre-kindergarten through 12th grade).  Despite the name change, the school maintains a deep connection to its Mennonite heritage and not only continues to partner with Western Mennonite Church that meets on campus, but continues to highlight deep values around community, peacebuilding and servant leadership.

The school’s Anabaptist founders were responding to God’s invitation in their own generation.  They recognized a need for Christ-centered education rooted in biblical faith, strong conviction and a commitment to developing the next generation of disciples that would radically serve their world.  And, like their predecessors, they were willing to cross cultural boundaries, plant new communities, build schools, care for neighbors and pursue peace in their communities.

The same invitation remains today for us.

Perhaps that is why I find myself so energized by this season at Western Christian School.  We are not simply stewarding a remarkable legacy; we are helping to write the next chapter of the Anabaptist movement.  The students who walk our halls and teachers who faithfully invest in the young lives are a part of an ongoing movement that has spanned centuries.

History, it turns out, is a wonderful teacher and empowering launching point for those young minds that are ready to embody conviction, courage and peaceful action in a world that is all too often consumed with violence.  History tells us where we’ve come from, and heritage reminds us who we are. The Anabaptist movement has always been about having the faith to follow Jesus into the future.