Sam Baer was raised in a Mennonite home, but he left Christianity altogether as a young man. Living in sin and in the world, Sam eventually came face to face with the reality of who Christ is. Sam explains how Christ brought him back, and how he experienced rejoining the church. The Bible Project Christina's Story Special thanks to Credo Schloss Un…

Americans are fascinated with politics. How can we engage our communities and neighbors in political topics while we hold to a faith tradition that embraces nonviolence and non-governmental participation? Bryant Martin tells how he was embarrassed about these beliefs in the past, and how he came to a clear understanding of serving society by engagi…

Zoltan Dohi was born into a broken family behind the Iron Curtain. Christianity was heavily persecuted in the Eastern Bloc and was not practiced in Zoltan’s home. Zoltan recounts how the principles he learned from his grandparents about the Sermon on the Mount eventually bore fruit in his life; he began to read the Bible for the first time. He desc…

What did the early church believe about the atonement? David Bercot takes us through the early church writers to show that they didn’t think of the atonement through the same frameworks we have about the atonement. David explains that the ante-Nicene Fathers did not teach penal substitutionary atonement (PSA); rather, PSA is a modern interpretation…

Jared describes his work of removing landmines left from the war which continue to make this region dangerous for local residents. He explains how this work is a tangible witness both to Christ’s love and to the power of radical enemy love for people whose lives have been torn apart by the horrors of modern warfare. This effort is a hands-on way of…

20th Century North American Mennonites wrote several confessions of faith including statements formed in 1921, 1963, and 1964. Edsel Burdge introduces us to the background and writers of these confessions, and he comments on the conditions that lead to their creation. He also explores how these confessions have been received in the Mennonite commun…

Christina Baer was raised in a secular home and didn’t give God or Christianity much thought. But through the power of the Bible and the influence of believers, she eventually came to know Christ. Christina shares her journey of joining the church and discusses the beauty and challenge of joining a community of believers. Special thanks to Credo Sc…

Enda was raised in home that had little interest in Christianity. In his years of searching for meaning, he joined the New Age spiritualism movement and became involved in various forms of dark activities. Eventually, Enda discovered the light of Scripture and turned away from the evil in his former worldview. Enda explains why he left the New Age …

There are many differing opinions about our interactions with spiritual warfare; Rick Rhodes outlines some principles for engaging in spiritual warfare as Christians. What is it, really? What are proper ways we should think about and engage with this topic, and how does spiritual warfare affect our daily lives? Rick Rhodes’ ministry website This is…

John Ghanim was born and raised in Yemen, in a conservative Muslim family and community. While on his pilgrimage to Mecca, John began to have doubts about Islam. Afraid of what his family would think, he kept those doubts secret, but he was convinced that Islam is not real. John fled the war in Yemen to a refugee camp in Europe, where he met Christ…

Vince Lewis was an officer in the United States Air Force, and flew multiple combat missions. After leaving the Air Force, he found the Anabaptists and came to believe in nonresistance. In this episode, Vince explains what nonresistance is and why this doctrine is so important to all Christians. Vince Lewis’ Testimony Christianity, War, and America…

Randall Graber moved his family to Greece, where they live and work with refugees from around the world. In this episode, Randall explains why they moved across the globe, the lessons of integrating across cultures, and the challenges refugees encounter while becoming part of a new community. Randall has spent years creating a business that provide…

Charlette Lewis married an Air Force officer and spent many years as a military wife. Through the difficulties of that lifestyle, she decided to give up on her marriage. Charlette filed for divorce and took the children to live on the opposite side of the country from her ex-husband. In this episode, Charlette tells the story of how she found Chris…

The modern world is full of technological wonders and advances in science. Yet despite human efforts to control the world, chaos and the unknown remain in our experiences through war, disease, natural disasters, and more. Kyle Stolzfus discusses how we can respond to the uncertainty and chaos of the world as followers of Christ. What is the proper …

The Schleitheim Confession was written in Switzerland in 1527 as the first confession of faith from the Anabaptists. It has continued to be important to the Anabaptists in the nearly 500 years that have followed. Dean Taylor and Stephen Russell unpack what it says, why it matters, and how it continues to affect us today. This roundtable discussion …

Why did Jesus enjoin us not to swear oaths? Zack Johnson shares what he learned from his personal experience with oaths of loyalty to Ecuador and the United States before he knew the significance of this prohibition. He challenges us to avoid oath-taking in all areas of life. John Calvin’s explication of the third commandment Schleitheim Confession…

Dwight Peavy was stuck in sin, but God intervened and saved him. Dwight recounts how he was on the verge of abandoning hope when God took him off his path of destruction and into a life of fellowship with God and his people. What Is Addiction? How Can We Help Each Other? by Michael Hochstetler Osceola Christian Fellowship This is the 282nd episode …

Vince Lewis was an officer in the United States Air Force for 24 years, flying multiple combat missions during the Vietnam War. He commanded a B-52 (a nuclear capable bomber) at Griffiss Air Force Base during the Cold War and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with top level security clearance. In this episode, Vince describes how he came to C…

Lot is often regarded in a poor light, yet the apostle Peter described him as “righteous” (II Peter 2:7-8). Glenn Martin explains the research he did on Lot and explores the important pieces he believes we have missed. How was Lot righteous? Have we misunderstood this story? Is there another perspective that has been lost to history? Glenn Martin’s…

Dan Yoder has lived in Ireland for the past 28 years as part of a mission and church plant. He discusses lessons he learned while planting a church in a cross-cultural setting and addresses some of the specific challenges he encountered. This is the 279th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various…

This is the 278th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Anabaptist Perspectives has done a number of episodes on the early church and how their writings can inform and instruct us today. Kyle Stolzfus addresses some of the points previously…

It is often argued that the early church did not teach penal substitutionary atonement, but rather taught Christus Victor. Dean Taylor argues that penal substitutionary atonement thinking was present in the texts of early Christian writers such as Origen, Eusebius, and Chrysostom alongside Christus Victor teachings. Dean believes that Anabaptists h…

In previous episodes with Paul Lamicela, the audience asked many questions about the book of Revelation. Here Paul engages with some of these questions and defines some of the discussion around the rapture, the tribulation, and the millennium. Resources referenced in this episode: The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary Discontinuity t…

Yuriy Kravets tells the story of his interactions with Anabaptists in different parts of the world and discusses portions of global Anabaptist history. Why did Anabaptists scatter to begin with? What happened to those who fled persecution to the East, instead of traveling west to America? What can we learn from the global Anabaptist community today…

Ruth Anna Kuhns shares from her personal experience as an educator who experienced teacher burnout. She shares tools for promoting sustainable teaching and avoiding unnecessary teacher turnover. Thriving teachers have greater opportunities to create engaging educational experiences for children. Our First Episode with Ruth Anna This is the 274th ep…