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Re: Conservative Anabaptist Church Finder & Information
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 5:34 pm
by mike
RZehr wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 4:28 pm
Josh wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 4:21 pm
Judas Maccabeus wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 4:10 pm
Is anything left?
This seems to happen with Charity related churches more than other groups. Any idea why?
I'm going to hazard a guess that the "Charity" church there was composed of ex-German Baptist Brethren people, and eventually those people became ex-Charity people.
I think the last one or so standing at the charity church, turned off the lights, and went to the German Baptist church.
Yes, I know those folks well. One is a relative of my wife's, good friends of ours. The church never grew much beyond the couple of families who were instrumental in starting it, and after ten years or so they went elsewhere. I wouldn't call them a Charity church so much as an independent conservative Anabaptist church. I've had a similar experience. Conservative Mennonites don't let that happen to their new outreaches. They will basically move heaven and earth to make a new congregation work. Independent churches often don't have the people or the resources to draw from if a new church is struggling to gain its footing. For example, in our conference there is a congregation that just lost a large number of its members, maybe even half or more, I don't know for sure. We're sending in extra visiting speakers and I assume if there aren't really enough people to make church life work, we'll be assigning people to drive a distance for services to help them out.
Re: Conservative Anabaptist Church Finder & Information
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:03 pm
by Judas Maccabeus
mike wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 5:34 pm
RZehr wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 4:28 pm
Josh wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 4:21 pm
I'm going to hazard a guess that the "Charity" church there was composed of ex-German Baptist Brethren people, and eventually those people became ex-Charity people.
I think the last one or so standing at the charity church, turned off the lights, and went to the German Baptist church.
Yes, I know those folks well. One is a relative of my wife's, good friends of ours. The church never grew much beyond the couple of families who were instrumental in starting it, and after ten years or so they went elsewhere. I wouldn't call them a Charity church so much as an independent conservative Anabaptist church. I've had a similar experience. Conservative Mennonites don't let that happen to their new outreaches. They will basically move heaven and earth to make a new congregation work. Independent churches often don't have the people or the resources to draw from if a new church is struggling to gain its footing. For example, in our conference there is a congregation that just lost a large number of its members, maybe even half or more, I don't know for sure. We're sending in extra visiting speakers and I assume if there aren't really enough people to make church life work, we'll be assigning people to drive a distance for services to help them out.
I have observed this in my own circle.
I have been the one who turned out the lights after the last service in my former church. There is nothing so sad.
Re: Conservative Anabaptist Church Finder & Information
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:31 pm
by RZehr
Re: Conservative Anabaptist Church Finder & Information
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 6:17 pm
by RZehr
What Anabaptist mission and churches are in Nigeria?
Re: Conservative Anabaptist Church Finder & Information
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 6:35 pm
by Josh
RZehr wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 6:17 pm
What Anabaptist mission and churches are in Nigeria?
The Holdemans have a sizeable national church there, and it is no longer a 'mission' - it has its own indigenous leaders, and actually sends out leaders to other countries. They have also started a church school, and are in the process of opening a college/university.