These comments caught my attention and confused me...Dan Z wrote:*SNIP*
I've been among Anabaptist Seekers for over 30 years now, having been one myself, and I've noticed that many seekers are drawn to plain Anabaptism for reasons that are not faith-based...and we Anabaptists aren't always good at discerning this fact. We want to see what we are doing in terms of spiritual obedience, and thus we attribute spiritual motives to seekers who come to us...when often these folks have non-spiritual motives.
*SNIP*
Perhaps a second solemn warning here is that we plain folks need to continually seek to discern the "why" behind what draws people to us - even if they learn to say the right things. This certainly shouldn't affect the welcome they receive, but it does affect how we minister to folks and move them deeper into relationship with Christ and his Kingdom.
Maybe my experience with different conservative Mennonite denominations is very off so please forgive me if this isn't accurate as a whole.
However my overall impression is that us newcomers are always guilty until proven innocent.
Meanwhile if a ethnic Mennonite switches church to some other Mennonite group it seems they are always innocent until proven guilty...
You don't have to worry about me saying the right things...
I agree with the obedience part in the sense that ethnic Mennonites are raised with a very good understanding of what is needed for them to be accepted.
Us newcomers came to many similar convictions because of scripture and hopefully mainly because of the Spirit too but we can and do fail in understanding some things in regards to obedience. I do not intend leave excuse for disobedience in saying this.
You see for you that are in a Conservative Anabaptist church and a newcomer and/or newcomer with family comes it is very hard on you because you pour so much into helping ministering and loving these people. When we leave it is heartbreaking as you desire to reach out to others and live for doing such.
But just consider, for us we have potentially abandoned all our family, job, home, among other things to live for Christ and are looking for others to share that with, in honour and service to our King. We have already lost everything over and above what you lose in helping a newcomer. If we leave we are actually now loosing our church family too...
So my question is by having that attitude of trying and discerning the spirits do you really think it is working?
One thing is certain; we don't come because we think we are good enough or deserve to be part of the church but nor did we come to be held at arms length for times of proving. Suggesting building barriers and/or suspicion is how you just keep encouraging newcomers to leave and therefore you are actually pushing them from that opportunity of healing and ministering to them.
Who needs to have the most patience? The new immature loner that is withheld opportunity to even partake or the mature group of people that are accepted looking on?
Right off the start is service encouraged by this way of doing things?
And what do you suggest for us newcomers?