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Radical Reformation History  /  Lecture 21: The 20th Century Anabaptist Mission Movement  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 5
Taylor emphasized the Hutterite claim that those sent by the brotherhood were “properly called apostles…commissioned by God himself,” and that otherwise “the apostolic church would not have done right”; how should Christians weigh “church commissioning” versus “individual sense of calling,” and what dangers arise when either one is detached from the other?
Another way to ask: How should Christians balance being sent by the church with feeling personally called by God? What can go wrong if you separate one from the other?

Direct Answer Based on Dean Taylor’s presentation, the Hutterites saw true calling as both God-given and church-recognized: the brotherhood sends, and that sending is treated as divine commissioning. The danger is either individualism without accountability or church structures without spiritual fire and genuine calling.

Support from Transcript:

  • Taylor quotes the Hutterite logic: those “sent by the brotherhood were properly called apostles…must be considered as commissioned by God himself.”
  • The sending is argued from continuity with Acts: otherwise “the apostolic church would not have done right,” meaning church-sent mission is biblically patterned.
  • Mission was not random; it was organized, with “semi-annually” chosen preachers and “certain field assigned,” implying community discernment.
  • Yet Taylor also stresses inner motive and zeal elsewhere (e.g., the “Jesus fire” driving people out), implying there must be spiritual compulsion, not mere appointment.
  • He highlights conflicts over authority: Reformers asking, “Who sent you?” showing how contested commissioning can be.
  • Taylor’s ideal is tight church-mission connection: mission as “a branch of the church,” not detached individual projects.
Discussion Follow-ups What safeguards help a church recognize and test calling without quenching it? Conversely, what signs show a person’s “calling” is drifting into independence from the body and its counsel?

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