Some might look at the title of this article and take issue with naming a specific religious group. But I feel I have the right to since I was born and raised in the Old Colony Mennonite system. Because of this, I am basically sharing my own testimony in hopes that someone else could be helped by it.

I grew up going to church. To be honest, in the early years I really did not try to pay attention to what was being said but later in life I desperately tried to understand what was being taught. I cannot count how many times I begged God before going to church to help me understand the message. No matter what I did and how hard I tried, I just could not find peace in my heart.

It wouldn’t be until my brother (who at that time) pointed me to other Christian teachers that I would finally understand the gospel. You see folks, in the church growing up, we were told that we could not truly know that we would go to heaven after death. Even though according to the Bible itself, we are taught that we can know. Reading in 1 John 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life. Instead of having assurance of salvation, we were taught to basically hope for the best. In a way like hoping the good would outweigh the bad. 

On top of being told we could not know if we in fact were saved, many in the church taught that studying the Bible too much was dangerous. The thinking was that the more we knew, the more we would be held accountable to before God. In a way it is true that God will judge us based on the knowledge we have. But the problem is that we all from a very young age had sinned against a Holy God and were on the way to hell. The only solution now to avoid this horrible destination was to hear and believe in the gospel. You see friends, in the Bible, reading in the book of Romans 10:14  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without preaching? So you see here that no one can believe in the message of salvation without being told about it or reading it right in the Bible. So in a way, the Bible was taught enough to convince us that we were sinners but then when we reached out for the rest of the Bible to help us, the Bible was then in a way pushed aside and we were told it is dangerous to know too much! What a sad predicament to be in!

We also grew up in this religious system being told that the “Mennonite People” were the children of God and everyone else was considered “worldly”. What a dangerous ideology since over the years I have observed that almost all Old Colony Mennonites that eventually came to the faith, came to believe in Christ for salvation not through the church but rather someone from outside of the organization. To this day there are countless people stuck in this system and blinded by their leaders and traditions.

Could there be born again believers in the Old Colony Mennonite church, I am sure there are but most are either trusting in their good works or just hoping God will show mercy. Old Colony Mennonite people need Jesus because they cannot be good enough to earn eternal life. The Bible makes it clear that no one can because of the weakness of our flesh. For that reason Jesus died for us. It says in 2 Corinthians 5:21  For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. You see folks, this verse clearly teaches us that righteousness or “right standing with God” can only come through Jesus taking our sins and we take his righteousness. 

In conclusion, it is my hope and prayer that more of my Mennonite background people would sincerely seek the truth laid so clearly out in the Word of God.