1 For this Amishman, the meaning of mutual aid is clear, but for Mennonites coping with the complexities of modern life, the definition has blurred. From their origins in the sixteenth-century Anabaptist movement, Mennonites have been committed to provide material aid to the needy in their ranks. Membership in Mennonite circles has historically carried responsibilities to assist others in the household of faith struggling with material misfortune of one sort or another. Mennonite mutual aid is a reciprocal responsibility, based on biblical teaching, to provide material aid to other church members who face special economic and physical hardships. Such help involves giving labor, services, goods, gifts, and payments in both spontaneous and organized forms at local and churchwide levels.
Mutual aid is directed toward fellow church members.
The service ministries of such agencies as Mennonite Disaster Service and the Mennonite Central Committee are not technically mutual aid. Even service to Christians of other denominations does not strictly fit the definition. Focusing on meeting material needs within the church is somewhat restrictive yet offers clarity of purpose and understanding. Human need proliferates around the world, and the gospel of Christ calls Christians to compassion. However, the Christian response of love to such need is service and charity, not mutual aid.