Purchase this book

Book Reviews 

A Journey Through Change

The life story of member and former pastor Osiah Horst.

A Journey Through Change by Osiah Horst is a delightful account of a man of God who has served the church for approximately 48 years. He served two congregations for 38 years, and at the age of 65 he began serving half-time as a chaplain, for another ten years. Osiah's autobiographical style of writing makes for an interesting first person account of the many facets of his life.

It is clear throughout the book that family matters a great deal to him. He writes with great feeling about the early years in the Old Order Mennonite community. One can feel the sadness experienced by his parents after their abrupt excommunication from the Old Order church on the occasion of his oldest brother's wedding.

There is a spirit of adventure reflected in his father's dream of buying land in Florida in order to get into a warmer climate. With this move Osiah inherited the designation back in Ontario of being a "Florida Cracker". One gets a glimpse of the war years (World Wars I & II) in his account of his experience as a Conscientious Objector during World War II.

Of particular interest is his description of his four children. It is clear that they are valued as members of the family. Fern, his wife, is important to him, as he writes in glowing terms of his appreciation for her throughout his courtship and subsequent marriage. It is clear that she has been a significant person in his ministry as well.

A subtheme that is part of the book is the story of the Mennonite Conference of Ontario, as reflected in the changing practices and values of the churches he served. Even though I am nearly a generation younger and grew up in the Amish Mennonite conference several miles west, I also lived through many of the changes Osiah experienced over the four decades of his ministry.

A personal observation is that whereas my training and influence was shaped by the Goshen and Eastern Mennonite schools of Anabaptism, Osiah was shaped in the early years of his ministry by the Moody Bible Institute brand of fundamentalism. The section entitled "Changes in my Theology" provides a glimpse of the changes that have occurred in his thinking. These shifts in his theology and his lifestyle have come with some struggles and, at times, doubts about whether he has moved too far.

Having known Osiah for many years, as well as having observed his ministry at a distance, there is no doubt that we have a story of a man of God who has left a profound legacy for the Mennonite Church of Ontario.

This book deserves wide circulation. It tells the story of a dearly loved church leader, and provides a glimpse into a significant period of time in our Ontario Mennonite Church.

Ralph Lebold
Waterloo, Ontario
November, 2001