Plain & Simple
by: Bobby McDonald
Nestled in neighboring Rains County is a group of people that many might find "dressed different" and that adhere to a set of beliefs that many people in East Texas find very different. They are the members of the Willow Springs Mennonite Church, who remind all of us of the basic goodness in life. The group bases their faith on the unchanging values of the Bible and strive to keep faith and family first and foremost in their lives. "We firmly accertain that the dollar and materialism isn't the most important thing in this life," states one of the elders in the church. "Faith and family should always be put first in your life, and that separates our beliefs from a large part of the world!"
"We don't believe that we are the only religion in the world and accept the beliefs of anyone who accepts the truth of the Bible and then strives to do God's will," stated another member of the small church that is located on Fm-3274, southeast of Emory, in the Willow Springs Community. "We make every effort possible to obey God's will and to adhere to the principles he teaches us in the Bible.
Mead's "Handbook of Denominations in the United States," lists the Mennonite Brethren as tracing their roots back to the 16th Century and identifying with the Anabaptist Movement that sprung forth from the great Reformation of the Catholic Church. Bloodshed and severe persecution resulted in many of the believers coming to the United States seeking religious freedoms. The first Mennonite congregation of historical record was organized in Zurich, Switzerland in 1525, and they were labeled "Anabaptist" or "re-baptizers."
Mennonites hold to a literal application of the Bible as the Word of God, they oppose capital punishment, oaths in court, and holding public office. They reject infant baptism and insist on the separation of church and state.
The Willow Springs Mennonite Church conducts its own school in the neat and well-kept church building, located southeast of Emory, and do not encourage higher education among their children. Most of the members of the congregation came to East Texas from Pennsylvania and tend to seek jobs related to simply working with their hands.........farming, construction, meat processing, and other "hands-on" occupations. The women are involved in child-rearing, working in the home canning, cooking, and preserving food, and creating beautiful handwork crafts.
The neat and well-kept building that houses the Willow Springs Mennonite Church,
is located on Fm-3274 in the Willow Springs Community, southeast of Emory.
"Children must feel wanted and loved," denoted one of the church elders. "We feel that children being neglected is one of the resasons that there is so many teen suicides in our society today. Hopefully, our adherance to Biblical principles and taking the time to foster our children will 'curb' the breakdown of families in America."
Members of the Willow Springs Mennonite Church operate Sunshine Acres Country Market on Highway-19, between Sulphur Springs and Emory. The Farmer's Market type business is located on the west side of Hwy-19 and features delicious fresh grown produce, such as tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers and squash, to name a few of the items. The farm grown produce is popular among those who stop and repeat customers are regular.
"Why do they dress like that?" you might ask. The Mennonite Brethren believe in simplicity and not using clothing as a means of bringing attention to one's self. They are more concerned with the inward person, than the outward and feel that dressing with basic "sameness"and modesty cultivates the inward spirit. Unlike their, Amish "cousins," the Mennonite Brethren do embrace some of the modern conveniences in this world, when they can be used as a "tool" to accomplish the spiritual goals of their group.
Of course, the Mennonite Bretheren are just as hard to "generalize" as any other religious body. Each congregation is autonomous and selects their bishops or elders by "lots" as is instructed in the Book of Acts. The local elders determine many of the customs and practices that are used within a local congregation.
The Willow Springs Mennonite Church meets each Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. and on the 1st and 3rd Sunday nights. They encourage assembling of themselves together throughout the week and seeking like-minded brethren in the choice of friends. Then, they meet formally each Thursday night, at 7:00 p.m. for religious fellowship and study at the church.
Members of the Willow Springs Mennonite Church brought
their children on a recent visit to Coleman Park in Sulphur
Springs for a spring outing.
The members of the Willow Springs Mennonite Church invite everyone to attend their services and to learn about their religion. The doors are open for visitors at all times.
