Order in the Church

The Anabaptist from early on committed themselves to order within the Church. Order is what is at core of a church's organizational infrastructure. How a pastor is called? Who and how baptism and communion are to be performed? The issue of Mutual Aid.

With that Anabaptists they believed a pastor should be chosen out of the congregation. Education was not idealized as part of their anti clericalism, however there is some indication that the Pastor must be literate. He should be taught by the Holy Spirit. That even though he is capable of being Pastor he should not appoint himself to the position.

According to the Schliethiem Confession, with the order of the congregation these were the rules to govern the congregation according to Sattler.

1. The brothers and sisters should meet at least three or four times a week, to exercise themselves, in the teaching of Christ and His apostles and heartily to exhort one another to remain faithful to the Lord as they have pledged.

2. When the brothers and sisters are together, they shall take up something to read together. The one to whom God has given the best understanding shall explain it, the others should be still and listen, so that there are not two or three carrying on a private conversation, bothering the others. The Psalter shall be read daily at home.

3. Let none be frivolous in the church of God, neither in words nor in actions. Good conduct shall be maintained by them all also before the heathen.

4. When a brother sees his brother erring, he shall warn him according to the command of Christ, and shall admonish him in a Christian and brotherly way, as everyone is bound and obliged to do out of love.

5. Of all the brothers and sisters of this congregation none shall have anything of his own, but rather, as the Christians in the time of the apostles held all in common, and especially stored up a common fund, from which aid can be given to the poor, according as each will have need, and as in the apostles' time permit no brother to be in need.

6. All gluttony shall be avoided among the brothers who are gathered in the congregation; serve a soup or a minimum of vegetable and meat, for eating and drinking are not the kingdom of heaven.

7. The Lord's Supper shall be held, as often as the brothers are together, thereby proclaiming the death of the Lord, and thereby warning each one to commemorate, how Christ gave His life for us, and shed His blood for us, that we might also be willing to give our body and life for Christ's sake, which means for the sake of all the brothers.

Marpek on the issue of baptism stated that children should be named before the congregation and dedicated to God. This is one of the only sources we have to date allowing for baby dedication in the Early Anabaptist context.

I wonder how these orders were enforced as they were agreed upon. Especially given the anti-hierarchical nature of the church.