Ultra Conservative Mennonite Churches

[cmbl]

Are Ohio Wislers the only constituency in this group that does not have Sunday School?

[Ernie]

Yes as far as I know.

However they use outdated Sunday School quarterlies at their mid week meetings, but they call it Bible study instead of Sunday School. It's cheaper and more personally satisfying to do it this way.

[Josh]

Ernie,

You have said that the more conservative families in the various ultra constituencies won’t send their children to the various Bible schools. Could you elaborate on that?

[Ernie]

Most parents in the Washington/Franklin Conference would not encourage their children to attend Numidia or Messiah Bible Schools. Some would not want their children being exposed to less conservative influences. They wouldn't want their children coming home from Bible School wishing that their church would have prayer meetings, wishing they wouldn't have to wear hats, and bonnets, etc. Some rarely attend meetings outside of their own conference. Some feel that three weeks away from home in a youth setting is not wise, living in a dormitory with other youth, etc.
Others in the conference would think that all this Bible School stuff is rather trendy and unnecessary. Better to stay at home and read one's Bible and work hard and fill one's role in the church and community.Z
Still others wouldn't want to be caught taking too much interest in spiritual things. These folks wouldn't want to carry a large Bible, wouldn't answer in Sunday School, wouldn't attend church meetings where attendance is not "mandatory", etc.

In the Nationwide Fellowship, there are quite a number of congregations in the Brotherhood churches who would not encourage their youth to attend Messiah Bible School for many of the same reasons as above. They have their own week long Bible school in which youth stay in homes and they feel better about such an environment.