Newsline: Stuart Murray Williams tour proclaims Anabaptist values for present context

From CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>
Date Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:23:05 -0600

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl
Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

STUART MURRAY WILLIAMS TOUR PROCLAIMS ANABAPTIST VALUES FOR THE 
PRESENT CONTEXT

(Dec. 16, 2010) Elgin, IL -- For four days in early November, the 
Church of the Brethren hosted British church planter and 
self-proclaimed Anabaptist Stuart Murray Williams. In a tour 
organized by Stan Dueck of the church's Congregational Life 
Ministries, Murray Williams spoke and led workshops at Elizabethtown 
(Pa.) College and the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist 
Studies, as well as Brethren congregations in Frederick, Md.; 
Roanoke, Va.; and Somerset Pa.

Murray Williams opened the gathering in Frederick by stating clearly 
that Anabaptism "has something very significant to say to our current 
context." At each gathering, he presented the seven core Anabaptist 
convictions discerned by the British Anabaptist Network and published 
in his recent book, "The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a 
Radical Faith" (order from Brethren Press for $13.99 plus shipping 
and handling, call 800-441-3712).

He also described the context of Western Christianity through the 
lens of what he and others have termed Post-Christendom. He was quick 
to qualify the nature of Post-Christendom for the American context by 
noting the legal separation of church and state. Yet, he also 
provided an outsider's observation by noting that from across the 
Atlantic, it looks as though the United States "has a different form 
of Christendom, a Christian nation ideology."

Tim Heishman, a member of the Church of the Brethren's Youth Peace 
Travel Team, attended the gathering at Roanoke and came away "feeling 
inspired and hopeful, as well as challenged," he said. In a sense, 
Heishman reflected, Murray gave "us a loving (and humble) report 
card," and encouraged attendees "to aspire to the life of radical 
discipleship that the founding Brethren/Anabaptists embraced."

The seven directors of the Congregational Life Ministries staff 
attended the gatherings. In addition to three of the public meetings, 
the staff spent several hours in a closed session with Murray 
Williams. During that time, the six directors and executive director 
Jonathan Shively explored how Anabaptist values could be applied in 
this new and changing Post-Christendom context.

Murray Williams is chair of the Anabaptist Network ( 
www.anabaptistnetwork.com ) and since 2001, under that auspice, has 
served as a trainer, mentor, writer, strategist, and consultant with 
particular interest in urban mission, church planting, and emerging 
forms of church.

Find a photo album at 
www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=13228.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to 
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out 
its faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist 
and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace 
Churches. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 
123,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has 
missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican 
Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org