18.

A Conference in Transition

Annual missionary and other meetings of the Ohio Conference and the bimonthly Ohio Evangel reflect the fact that in the postWorld War II era the Mennonite churches of Ohio and eastern Pennsylvania were again undergoing change. It is difficult to set forth all the complexities of this change and still more difficult to evaluate them. There were changing patterns in the ministry with more demands for a trained ministry.' Congregations tended to act more independently as ties with other congregations were less strong. The large educational, youth, and service programs of the congregations called for an oversight that part-time pastors could hardly be expected to give. Whereas bishops once performed many rites and duties for the congregations, it now seemed advisable for the pastor to assume such roles; the bishop became more of a coordinator than a local leader.

The changing social scene of Ohio Mennonite communities has witnessed considerable increase of church activities with more organization, greater lay participation, and less separation from the surrounding community life in general.' But such trends brought problems. In an address as moderator of the conference in 1960 Harold E. Bauman pointed to the desire to preserve and express a heritage, together with a sense of confusion as to how this is to be done. In his address Bauman stated: "There is a sincere belief that our culture has moved on and the points of tension with our culture are no longer clear, for some of the older ways are no longer relevant." There is the temptation to keep putting new wine into old bottles.'

The outreach of the Ohio Mennonite churches has also revealed a problem, long known but recently more clearly seen. It has to do with the assimilation of members who came from non-Mennonite backgrounds. While progress doubtless has been made, Bauman

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