Online Anabaptist-Mennonite Library

In 2012, GAMEO transferred its online library (then called the Anabaptist Mennonite Ethereal Library) containing the full texts of significant Mennonite confessions of faith and position statements on a variety of issues. These valuable sources can now be found here. A few early confessions of other faith groups are also included.

These full-text documents represent a variety of Mennonite denominations over an extended period of time. Thus you will find statements that may not agree with one another because they come from Mennonite groups with differing emphases, or because these emphases have changed over time.

The documents are arranged in chronological order within their categories.

Confessions of Faith

Confessions of Faith Schleitheim Confession (Anabaptist, 1527) Wismar Articles (Dutch Anabaptist, 1554) Strasbourg Discipline (South German Anabaptist, 1568) Confession of Faith (Waterlander, 1577) The Middelburg Confession of Hans de Ries (1578) Concept of Cologne (Anabaptists, 1591) The Confession of Faith (P.J. Twisck, 1617) A Short Confession of Faith by Hans de Ries (1618) Olive Branch Confession (Dutch Mennonite, 1627) Dordrecht Confession of Faith (Mennonite, 1632) Mennonite Articles of Faith by Cornelis Ris (1766) Confession, or Short and Simple Statement of Faith (Rudnerweide, Russia, 1853) Articles of Confession (Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, 1896) Our Common Confession (General Conference Mennonite, 1896) Confession of Faith (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1902) Articles of Faith (Fellowship of Evangelical Bible Churches, 1950) Mennonite Confession of Faith (Mennonite Church, 1963) Confession of Faith (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1975) Confession of Faith (Fellowship of Concerned Mennonites, 1990) Confession of Faith (Evangelical Mennonite Conference, 1994) Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective (Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Church Canada, 1995) Confession of Faith (Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference, 2001)

Catechisms

Catechisms Elbing Catechism (Mennonite, 1778)

Position Statements

Position Statements Here you will find a variety of full-text documents, arranged in chronological order, that contain Anabaptist/Mennonite declarations of positions on various matters.

1981 to 2010 1981 to 1990 Leadership and Authority in the Life of the Church (Mennonite Church, 1981) Resolution on Homosexuality (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1981) Resolution on Race Relations (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1981) Resolution on the Ministry of the Divorced and Remarried (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1981) Resolution on the Ministry of the Women in the Church (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1981) Resolution on the Question of Love and Non-Resistance (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1981) The Use of the Law (Mennonite Church, 1981) Justice and the Christian Witness (General Conference Mennonite Church, Mennonite Church, 1983) Mennonite Tricentennial Resolution (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1983) Resolution on Central America (Mennonite Church, General Conference Mennonite Church, 1983) Resolution on Conscientious Objection to Military Taxes (Mennonite Church, 1983) A Resolution on Faithful Action Toward Tax Withholding (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1983) Resolution Regarding Caring Community (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1983) Statement on Inter-Mennonite Cooperation in North America (General Conference Mennonite Church, Mennonite Church, 1983) Vision for Witness (Mennonite Church, 1983) "God's People Reconciling [35 minute Audio file]" (Mennonite World Conference presentation by Ron Sider, 28 July 1984 in Strasbourg, France) Windows Media File (5 MB); MP3 File (15 MB) Ten-Year Goals (Vision '95)(Mennonite Church, 1985) A Call to Kingdom Commitments (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1986) Many Peoples Becoming God's People (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1986) Resolution on Apartheid (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1986) Resolution on Human Sexuality (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1986) Baptism by Immersion as a Requirement for Ordination to Pastoral Leadership (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1987) A Call to Affirmation, Confession, and Covenant Regarding Human Sexuality (Mennonite Church, 1987) Growing in Stewardship and Witness in a Militaristic World (Mennonite Church, 1987) Resolution on South Africa (Mennonite Church, 1987) A Church of Many Peoples Confronts Racism (General Conference Mennonite Church, Mennonite Church, 1989) Recommendation on Exploring MC/GC Integration (General Conference Mennonite Church, Mennonite Church, 1989) Resolution on Military Tax Withholding (Mennonite Church, 1989) Resolution on the 500th Anniversary of Columbus (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1989) Stewardship of the Earth: Resolution on Environment and Faith Issues (General Conference Mennonite Church, Mennonite Church, 1989) Vision Statement (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1990) 1991 to 1999 On Observing 1992 (Mennonite Church, 1991) Statement of Doctrine (Conservative Mennonite Conference, 1991) A Resolution against Interpersonal Abuse (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1992) A Resolution on Health Care (General Conference Mennonite Church U.S. Assembly, 1992) A Resolution to Laugh with Abraham and Sarah (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1992) A Call for a Peacemaking Task Force (Mennonite Church, 1993) A Commitment to Christ's Way of Peace (Mennonite Central Committee, 1993) Peace in Our Time (Mennonite Church, 1993) Resolution on Health Care in the United States (Mennonite Church, 1993) A Resolution on Male Violence Against Women (Mennonite Church, 1993) Affirming Peacemaking as it Relates to the Peace Tax (U.S.)/Peace Trust (Canada) (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1995) Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love -- Commitments for Mennonites in Times of Disagreement (General Conference Mennonite Church, Mennonite Church, 1995) Resolution on a Jubilee Year of Repentance and Action Regarding Nuclear Weapons (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1995) Vision: Healing and Hope (Mennonite Church, General Conference Mennonite Church , 1995) "And No One Shall Make Them Afraid" (Zephaniah 3:12-13): a Mennonite Statement on Violence (Mennonite Church, General Conference Mennonite Church, 1997) Is Jesus the Only Way? (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1997) Mission Statement for Congregational Youth Ministry (Mennonite Church, 1997) Ordination (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1997) Guidelines for building faithful relationships in the church (Conference of Mennonites in Canada, 1998) Resolution on the Issue of Homosexuality (Conference of Mennonites in Canada, 1998) Guidelines for Membership in the New Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church Canada, 1999) Women in Ministry (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1999) 2000 to 2010 The Call from Colombia to MC Canada (Mennonite Church Canada, 2000) Resolution on Sale of Arms, etc. (Mennonite Church Canada, 2000) Colombia Resolution (Mennonite Church Canada, 2001) Membership Guidelines for the Formation of Mennonite Church USA (Mennonite Church USA, 2001) Resolution on Plan Colombia (Mennonite Church USA, 2001) A Resolution: The Death Penalty (Mennonite Church USA, 2001) Vieques Resolution (Mennonite Church USA, 2001) Statement on Abortion (Mennonite Church USA, 2003) Statement on Immigration (Mennonite Church USA, 2003) Statement on the War in Iraq (Mennonite Church USA, 2005) Shared Convictions (Mennonite World Conference, 2006) A Resolution on Following Christ and Growing Together as Communities Even in Conflict (Mennonite Church USA, 2009) Resolution on Healthcare Access: Next Step (Mennonite Church USA, 2009) Statement against Human Trafficking, Modern Day Slavery (Mennonite Church USA, 2009)

16th Century to 1980 Pre-20th Century Document of Secession (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1860) 1900 to 1950 Report of the Dress Committee (Mennonite Church, 1913) Position of the Mennonite Church on Carnal Warfare (Mennonite Church, 1915) Statement of Our Position on Military Service (Mennonite Church, 1917) Christian Fundamentals (Mennonite Church, 1921) A Statement of the Christian Doctrines of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (1925) A Statement of Our Position on Peace, War and Military Service (Mennonite Church, 1937) Statement of Doctrine (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1941) A Statement of the Position of the General Conference of the Mennonite Church of North America on * Peace, War, Military Service, and Patriotism (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1941) The Anabaptist Vision by Harold S. Bender (1944) Declaration of Christian Faith and Commitment (1950) (Winona Lake, Indiana Peace statement by Mennonite Central Committee-related conferences) 1951 to 1960 Declaration of Christian Faith and Commitment with Respect to Peace, War, and Nonresistance (Mennonite Church, 1951) A Christian Declaration on Peace, War, and Military Service (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1953) Declaration of Commitment in Respect to Christian Separation and Nonconformity to the World (Mennonite Church, 1955) The Nurture and Evangelism of Children (Mennonite Church, 1955) The Way of Christian Love in Race Relations (Mennonite Church, 1955) Statement on the Believers' Church (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1956) The Theology of Christian Experience (Mennonite Church, 1957) The Christian and Nuclear Power (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1959) The Christian and Race Relations (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1959) The Christian View of Marriage (Mennonite Church, 1959) On Inspiration of the Bible (Mennonite Church, 1959) 1961 to 1970 Christian Parenthood (Mennonite Church, 1961) The Christian Witness to the State (Mennonite Church, 1961) Communism and Anti-Communism (Mennonite Church, 1961) On Dedication for Our Times (Mennonite Church, 1961) On Love and Unity in the Church (Mennonite Church, 1961) Recreation (Mennonite Church, 1961) A Christian Declaration on Communism and Anti-Communism (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1962) A Christian Declaration on the Authority of the Scriptures (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1962) The Christian Family (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1962) Race Relations (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1963) Capital Punishment and the Ministry of the Church to the Offender (Mennonite Church, 1965) A Christian Declaration on Capital Punishment (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1965) Resolution on Nationalism (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1968) Resolution on World Hunger (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1968) Resolution on Divorce and Remarriage (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1969) Response to Conscription and Militarism (Mennonite Church, 1969) Urban-Racial Concerns (Mennonite Church, 1969) 1971 to 1980 The Way of Peace (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1971) A Christian Declaration on Amnesty (Mennonite Central Committee, 1973) A Statement of Direction to Guide Congregations and Regional Conferences in Understanding Ordination (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1974) Resolution on World Food Crisis (Mennonite Central Committee, 1974) Abortion (Mennonite Church, 1975) Amnesty (Mennonite Church, 1975) Biblical Understandings Concerning Women and Men (Mennonite Church, 1975) Resolution on Abortion (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1975) Biblical Interpretation In The Life of the Church (Mennonite Church, 1977) The Call and Care of Pastors (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1977) Christian Stewardship of Energy Resources (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1977) Governmental Oppression and our Christian Witness (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1977) The Holy Spirit In the Life of the Church (Mennonite Church, 1977) Offender Ministries (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1977) Television Violence (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1977) Interpretation of Scriptures (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1978) Mennonite Brethren and the Urban Challenge (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1978) Political Involvement (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1978) Resolution on Pastoral Ministry (Mennonite Brethren Church, 1978) Affirming Our Faith in Word and Deed (Mennonite Church, 1979) Guidelines on Abortion (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1980) Legal and Legislative Exemptions from War Tax Withholding (General Conference Mennonite Church, 1980)