A proper understanding of his­tory leads to faithful obedience, speakers said at an Anabaptist history conference in Ephrata, Pa., on April 12. About 400 conservative Anabaptists from 15 states attended.

“The purpose of learning history is to see God reveal himself in history,” said Andrew Ste. Marie, an author and historian from Michigan. But learning history can be worthless “unless we decide to get into God’s program” of building the church in the present time.

Organized by Mennonites from Lancaster, Lebanon and Berks counties in Pennsylvania, the conference planning committee was inspired by gratitude for Anabaptist heritage and a desire to mark Anabaptism’s 500th anniversary.

The committee also hoped to “re­kindle passion” for this heritage among young people, said Brian Martin, a member of the planning committee.

The committee, which consisted of men from various church groups, hoped a similar diversity of conservative Anabaptist groups would come to the conference. They were not disappointed.

The conference drew attendees from Weaverland Mennonite Conference, Mid-Atlantic Fellowship, Pilgrim Conference, Hope Mennonite Fellowship, Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church and Keystone Mennonite Fellowship, as well as Old German Baptist Brethren, Old Order Amish, Beachy Amish Mennonites and independent groups.

Non-Anabaptists also attended. One woman, a nondenominational Protestant, said she came because she wanted to learn about church history.

Morning presentations focused on the history of the Protestant Reformation and its context in Germanic Europe. The Roman Catholic church exercised considerable influence in religious matters, education and politics. Only priests could read and interpret the Latin scriptures, and they preached in Latin, which most people did not understand.

Reformers Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli produced new translations of the Bible in German. Zwingli undertook his translation, known as the Froschauer Bible, independently of Luther’s.

Afternoon topics turned to stories of the early Anabaptists. Conrad Grebel was initially influenced by Zwingli in desiring church reform, but Grebel broke with him over infant baptism. After several disputations, Grebel and Felix Manz were ordered to stop questioning infant baptism. Instead of complying, the two men baptized each other and began preaching. This act started a church, unconnected to the state, with only voluntary members.

Speakers in the late afternoon and evening explored how to carry the obedient faith of early Anabaptists to future generations.

Chester Weaver of Texas urged Anabaptists to lead unified, consistent lives. He said young people are turned off by hypocrisy. Gary Miller of Idaho said that while faith must be reborn in each generation, Anabaptists can “pass on the soil in which [faith] germinates.”

Miller identified strengths that can nurture faith.

“We are both separate and engaged with the world,” he said, referring to conservative Anabaptist ministries that help the needy.

He saw opportunities for faith formation in godly homes, evangelism and parachurch gatherings of Anabaptist groups.