Come Out from among Them and Be Ye Separate Saith the Lord: Separationism and the Believers' Church Tradition

Believers Churches have their origin in the Radical Reformation of the sixteenth century. Over the past 450 years the movement has included the Brethren Mennonites Hutterites various types of Baptists and the Restoration Movement. While never a unified denominational structure the Believers Churches together have been characterized by a strong personal faith in Christ a call to discipleship and Christian activism a high view of the authority of Scripture and profession of faith in believers baptism. The Believers Churches have represented their beliefs in various ecumenical settings missionary gatherings and theological conversations. In the late 1950s representatives of the several Believers Churches began to meet in a series of conferences to explore their common views on doctrine history and ethics. Topics at the conferences have included baptism Lords Supper the nature of the church and religious voluntarism. In 2016 the 17th Believers Church Conference was held at Acadia University and sponsored by Acadia Divinity College. The theme was The Tendency Toward Separationism Among the Believers Churches a key recurring characteristic. This volume includes the papers presented at the conference and examines the theme from an immediate post-Reformation perspective including Baptists Black Baptists Restorationists (including the Churches of Christ) the Hutterites Pentecostals the role of women and significantly the separationist tendency as it occurs in New Religious Movements. Typologies and analyses are provided by leading historians theologians and social science specialists. As a corollary to the 500th anniversary of the Radical Reformation here is a collection of fresh and scholarly essays that carefully underscores General and Particular Baptists Black Baptists Mennonites Hutterites Pentecostals and other Restorationist movements. Taking their cue from the great Brethren historian Donald Durnbaugh this nonsectarian volume entitled Be Separate elucidates the meaning of the Believers Church tradition. --Chris Chun Professor of Church History and Director of Jonathan Edwards Center at Gateway Seminary near Los Angeles California Since the Reformation Evangelical Christians have been asked: Why do your churches proliferate? Isnt separation a sign of division? Or does separation mask a deep unity? The excellent historical theological and social essays herein offer profound answers to these important questions. Every Christian thought leader should read this timely treasure from the Believers Church Tradition but especially scholars who are Baptist Mennonite Church of Christ Brethren Pentecostal or Free Church. --Malcolm B. Yarnell III Research Professor of Systematic Theology Southwestern Seminary I am grateful to Dr. Brackney for capturing the major themes of that specific group of congregations known as Believers Churches. The reader will be informed and inspired by the deeply held biblical and theological convictions of those leaders of this movement in the immediate post-reformation period. The breadth of contributors and academic disciplines represented add to the value and weight of this book. --Harry Gardner President Acadia Divinity College Dean of Theology Acadia University William H. Brackney is currently the Pioneer MacDonald Professor of Baptist Studies and Ethics at Carey Theological College in Vancouver BC. Evan L. Colford is an MA student in Baptist Studies at Acadia University in Wolfville Nova Scotia Canada and serves as pastor of Berwick Baptist Church Berwick Nova Scotia.