About Us
Biblical Mennonite Alliance
Biblical Mennonite Alliance, an organization of congregations and ministers deeply committed to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word, was officially established on June 5, 1998 in West Salem, Ohio.
The conservative Anabaptist/Mennonite congregations of BMA are located primarily in the eastern two-thirds of the US and Canada and have several international affiliates. They are organized geographically into groups called regions which are under the guidance and oversight of ordained ministers serving as their overseers. Click here to view BMA map (right-click to download).
As BMA was begun in 1998, the leaders, recognizing the tendency to drift to the right or to the left, purposed to stand firmly upon the unchanging Truth of God whatever the cost.
The New Testament, they held, was divinely inspired and valid for the first century church and is still the standard and guide for the church and Christian life in the twenty-first century. Thus, their name indicates their desire to be “biblical” even when trends and pressures militate against the Word of God.
The Alliance has committed itself to the local and world-wide propagation of God’s inerrant Word in order to provide fellowship, instruction, and accountability for its members as well as church planting, cross-cultural missions, and service opportunities to reach those who do not yet know the Lord.
Introduction to BMA
Short Version
Long Version
More About Us
Our History
BMA: The First Ten Years The beginnings of the BMA movement are related in this book by Paul Emerson.
Our Governance
BMA is led by its Board of Executors (for administrative issues) and the Council of Overseers (for policy-making, doctrinal matters, and spiritual care). The responsibilities, terms, and selection of these bodies are detailed in the BMA Constitution. For more information of these and other boards and ministries, click here.
Getting Acquainted
This document introduces BMA to ministers, congregations, or others new to the Alliance. It provides a brief introduction to the leadership and structure of the Alliance, the various entities and institutions of BMA, and the names and contacts of key individuals in leadership. Click here to open the document.
Our Beliefs
The beliefs of BMA are articulated in the following documents
Mennonite Confession of Faith (1963)
Adopted by Mennonite General Conference August 22, 1963.
The Position and Policy Statements
Doctrinal and practical Biblical application commitments, initially established at the birth of BMA, intended as requirements for BMA pastors and congregations.
The Anabaptist Vision
The spirit and purposes of the sixteenth century Anabaptists were succinctly set forth by Harold S. Bender in this 1944 essay. He identifies three core concepts and foundational tenets of our faith as Discipleship (The essence of Christianity is to follow Jesus Christ in all aspects of life), Community (The church is a voluntary community that is based on true conversion, commitment to holy living, and separation from the world), and Non-resistant Love (In all human relationships the true Christian refuses force, violence, and harm).
Read “The Anabaptist Vision
Listen to “The Anabaptist Vision”
The BMA Constitution
The Constitution of the Biblical Mennonite Alliance, last updated August, 2019.
Divorce and Remarriage
BMA’s stance on these questions: Do Divorced and Remarried Persons Need to Separate? Adultery: An Act or a State?
The Assessment of Unity
The purpose of this form is to affirm your salvation and commitment to the brotherhood and to measure the level of unity and commitment to the standards as outlined in the Position and Policy statement of Biblical Mennonite Alliance.
Present Day Concerns
As Christian pilgrims in an alien society, we find ourselves under constant pressure to compromise our principles and standards. In order to strengthen and safeguard the beliefs and practices of the Alliance, we urge careful attention to these issues.
The Danvers Statement
The “Danvers Statement” summarizes the need for the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) and serves as an overview of our core beliefs.