The Things Which Become Sound Doctrine: The life of Aaron M. Shank

by Chester C Weaver

"When the dust all settles, you can be sure that Aaron is still standing at the same place he has always stood." Aaron M. Shank had an out-sized influence on the 20 th -century conservative Mennonite church. In this biography, you will discover the leadership he provided with his passion for following Christ, for teaching sound doctrine, and for retaining Scriptural applications historically held by the Mennonite Church. Aaron provided leadership for both the formation of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church as well as the formation of the Pilgrim Mennonite Conference. He and Marjorie endeared themselves to many in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, and to many others beyond. His doctrinal teaching and his lifetime of service with integrity helped shape the conservative Mennonite church moving into the 21 st century.

410 pages, Hardcover

Published March 19, 2020

Reviews

[Gideon Yutzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weaver does a good job of telling the main character's story and giving us a vivid insight into the era (conference Mennonites in the 1960s-1990s). The photos and documents included in the book were appropriate for the genre.

Unfortunately, I came away with a quite unfavorable impression of the main character. I know he was seen by some (including the author, I take it) as a man of conviction. To me, he often seemed stubborn, egotistical, and narrow. For instance, the main character was in the local mechanic's office once and the mechanic had whisky on his desk. Later, when the main character heard that the mechanic had felt ashamed, he was pleased. ("It's the best compliment I ever received from an ungodly man!") Another time in a sermon he publicly shamed a visitor who spoke against church standards and the visitor and his family left before the service ended.

To sum up, there is little doubt the actions of the main character made so that a number of Mennonites continued upholding traditional family values and conservative dress, but this reader wonders if the means justified the end, and even if the end was worthy (for instance, winning a battle over a very specific style of maternity dress that was apparently more modest than the one the bad guys wore). My strong differences with the book probably arose because I find myself among those who don't conflate conservatism with following Jesus, whereas the book makes it clear multiple times that the author did just that. Anyways...let's all try to get along.

[Dylan Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chester Weaver paints a detailed picture of Aaron in a way that leaves me wanting to meet him. Undoubtedly, I would disagree with some of his doctrinal positions, but I'm sure I would leave with deep respect for him. He was a true leader by his actions, humility, and willingness to tackle conflict head-on as a means of maturing the Church. Two quotes from Aaron I appreciated:

1) "You cannot keep a doctrine alive if you hate it."
2) When hearing people gossip about others he would frequently say, "We have talked about these people to each other. Now we had better talk to the Lord about them."

Chester is a good writer that allows you to move quickly through the book. I especially appreciated the copies of letters written to and from Aaron littered throughout the book. His character and personality shine in them.

Those who will be most influenced by this type of book will need to have some fascination with Mennonitism of the 20th century. The book gets more and more granular as it progresses, so the first half will be more enjoyable for casual readers.

[Stennett Eberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting book on Mennonite church history. I didn’t know Aaron Shank personally, but all those that I know that knew him have high opinions of him. It’s interesting that he was something of an almost accidental transplant( or at least his family was) from Virginia. It’s also interesting to read between the lines of his father John Shank’s life as given in the book, and see how Aaron’s life was basically an outgrowth of his father’s strengths without some of his father’s weaknesses. Aaron’s own family must have been a real grief to him and it’s amazing he could bear up and minister under some of those disappointments. All in all, a great addition to modern Anabaptist history.

[Mary Burkholder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gained respect for a man I’ve often heard quoted and learned interesting things about his wife as well.