Robert L. Bear (1929-)

Title: Robert L. Bear fonds

Dates of creation: 1973-1992, 2012-2015, 2017

Physical description: 3 cm of textual material ; 18 photographs

Biographical sketch: Robert Leaman Bear, son of Jacob S. Bear, was born 16 February 1929, the third of five children. He was farmer and one-time member of the Reformed Mennonite Church in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He was baptized into the church at the age of 22. He married Gale Gross in 1958; they had six children.

In 1964 Robert and Gale Bear were excommunicated from the church after Robert sent a letter to all the ordained persons in the church, pointing out their theological disunity. About a year later they were received again into the church. In 1972 Robert sent letters of complaint to three bishops and a minister, and circulated correspondence widely to members within the church. For this he was again excommunicated on 11 June 1972. His wife was not excommunicated, and thus had to "shun" Bear.

Bear began a lifetime crusade against the Reformed Mennonite Church, including publishing a book, Delivered Unto Satan, in 1974, and widely circulated correspondence to potential supporters and interested persons throughout North America. He took legal action against the church for destroying his family. He received significant publicity through his efforts, and continued to stage protests into the 21st century.

Scope and content: The collection includes letters circulated widely by Bear, as well as clippings concerning the legal case.

Custodial history: The material was gathered by Carl Enns of Saskatchewan. After his death the collection was given to William Janzen of Ottawa, Ontario, who donated it to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario in September 2008. The 2012 letter in folder 2 was donated to the Archives in 2012 by Dianne Fleischauer. Items in folders 6 and 7 were donated by Robert L. Bear through Dianne Fleischauer in 2015.

Notes:  See also Miller, Justin K. "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't: Religious Shunning and the Free Exercise Clause." University of Pennsylvania Law Review 137, no. 1 (1988): 271-302.

Original description created September 2008 by Sam Steiner and updated by Laureen Harder-Gissing

File list:

1. Letters of Robert Bear to Carl Enns, 24 April 1989 & 8 September 1991
2. Letters of Robert Bear to relatives, etc. (copies), 1975-1976, 2012
3. Copy of Private Investigator's report, 1975
4. News clippings, 1973-1977, 1979, 2017
5. Letters circulated by Robert Bear, 1989-1992
6. Letters and statements by Robert Bear, 2012-2015, 2017
   Note: Includes a booklet entitled "The saga of ex-Mennonite Robert L. Bear" by Michael J. Smajda
7. Photographs of signs pasted on the exterior of the Middlesex Reformed Mennonite Church, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, by Robert Bear.