PROCEEDINGS1 OF THE HIGH COUNCIL
OF THE MENNONITE CONFERENCE2
According to the resolution of October 7, 1852, the Council of the Mennonite Conference met in the Skippack Meeting House, May 5, 1853 where Bishops Brother D. Hoch from Canada and Brother G. Leiter from Perry County, Pennsylvania, were present and who, during the morning hour, through eloquent address, strongly encouraged the council as well as the whole assembly to grow in grace and faithfully to persist in our Christian pilgrim path.
In the afternoon meeting the Council was quickly organized by last year’s Chairman, J.H. Oberholtzer. who was re-elected Chairman for the coming year, H.G. Johnson being elected secretary.
The following resolutions were then presented to the congregation
1. Whether prayer meetings can be considered as good and edifying, etc., therefore,
RESOLVED: That prayer meetings at proper times and in good order may be held by such members of the congregation who do wish it or who have a feeling for it; but these members shall not look down on others who do not feel the same about this matter; and likewise shall the latter not look down on the former, so that brotherly love shall not be weakened because of this.
2. Since there are cases, and always have been, that persons who are members of one church conference change or have changed to another, therefore.
RESOLVED: That when a member of another denomination wishes to become a member of our conference, the Bishop to whom such a request is made known shall act in such away as he can justify his actions according to the Word of God.
3. Since there exist different views concerning feet-washing, therefore,
RESOLVED: That the practice of feet-washing is voluntary; however, a member who practices it does not have the right to look down on others who are not similarly convicted in the same way. It cannot be tolerated that those who do not practice it look down with contempt on those who do, (Romans 14 – read the whole chapter) but that one should uphold another in love and humility and have patience (1 Corinthians 13).
4. Since almost every Christian church-conference3 has realized for some time that a print shop which puts out religious publication for the support of its own doctrine is a blessing, and that through it unity of faith is strongly promoted, therefore,
RESOLVED:
a. That we recognize the paper titled Religioser Botschafter, published by J. H. Oberholtzer, in its present form as a Christian and therefore, useful, family paper.
b. That we strongly recommend the Religioser Botschafter to the public but especially to every family of our conference.
c. That we appoint as the expressed duty of all preachers of our conference to support the same as strongly as possible, for distribution and improvement ; and consequently, as regular agents, to get subscriptions and collect money from such to be transferred to the publisher, however, not under compulsion but voluntarily. It is understood that, if every preacher does his best, the publisher will consider himself obliged to pay annually $25.00 from the income of the print shop to the treasury of the conference, as soon as the number of subscribers of the paper has reached 1000, and to pay an additional $5.00 for every additional 100 subscribers.
d. That this money shall be used for traveling expenses of the preachers, when they travel on official business or for other purposes whereby the Gospel is spread.
5. RESOLVED: That the Council shall meet again on the first Thursday in October, 1853, in the Hereford Meeting House, in Berks County.
J.H. Oberholtzer, Chairman
H.G.4 Johnson, Secretary
1 The following proceedings are a printed report affixed to the inside back cover of the minute book.
2 German- Gemeinschaft
3 German- Kirchen Gemeinschaft
4 In original “H. J.” The text gives the initials H. G. See page 1, paragraph 2. See also among the names listed in the following Episcopal Decision. 22