Where do you fit?

[lesterb]

I wish we could have a poll similar to this for every new member to answer. But maybe if each of us could participate in this survey, we'd have a better idea of who we really are talking to.

Maybe we aren't even a Mennonite forum. Or maybe there are only a few conservative Mennonites and we should stop pretending that this forum represents any kind of such identity.

This is not intended to ostracize anyone, and you can respond anonymously if you want.

[Bootstrap]

3. An Anabaptist by theology, but not plain (pacifist, etc., but not non-conformed in appearance. TV is okay.)

That's me. Well, an awful lot of TV is not OK, but otherwise the description fits. Most of my adult life, I was also a member of Mennonite churches, but I'm currently a member of a non-Mennonite church.

[Wade]

I chose number one but so I don't confuse anyone I will also say that I am not a born member and nor am I member of any church...

I admire the Anabaptist's and am curious about them too.

We lived near and attended a ultra-conservative church for over a year and a half but with shortage of work and others things felt lead by the Lord to move. With circumstances we have found ourselves ended up living 1.5hrs from any Mennonite fellowship.

When you are a family with wife and children and the busyness and/or complications of life it can be difficult to make this all happening in harmony mixed with slightly different ideas, convictions, upbringings, and different churches to chose from or the lack there of...

We pray for patience and the Lord's direction in becoming members of a local body of conservative Anabaptist's - one day - Lord willing...

We want to be submitted to the Lord in following Christ whole-heartedly and fitting in can be challenging but taking up our cross daily is necessary but a joy in serving Him.

[Judas Maccabeus]

I wish we could have a poll similar to this for every new member to answer. But maybe if each of us could participate in this survey, we'd have a better idea of who we really are talking to.

Maybe we aren't even a Mennonite forum. Or maybe there are only a few conservative Mennonites and we should stop pretending that this forum represents any kind of such identity.

This is not intended to ostracize anyone, and you can respond anonymously if you want.

#2 Our conference does not require (But encourages) cape dresses and Plain Coats. Wife and I have them, but only wear them on formal occasions. We would generally be somewhere between moderate and "fundamental" conservatives.

J.M.

[Robert]

You left out us wacko progressive Anabaptists.

[lesterb]

You left out us wacko progressive Anabaptists.

You fit number 3, as far as I know.

[JimFoxvog]

I put myself as 2 in an MCUSA church that is 3. My family has never had a TV, but look at it sometimes when with relatives and friends. I don't think my wife has cut her hair since we married. I'm not strongly judgemental about those who make different choices, but would not like to change. My sense of non-conformity seems to apply mostly to the world, but also to the church, making me a poor conservative.

[Neto]

# 2. But I'm a bit like a fish out of water, because there are a lot of ways in which I'm still more Dutch Mennonite than I am Swiss Brethren, like true congregationalism, for example. I have always had a radio, and although we only had a (borrowed) television for a short time in Brazil, as an aid in language learning we have never had one here in the States, and even now, after our congregation allowed it. (I did grow up with one for part of my childhood, like for a few years during JR High & HS.) I have never listened to secular music, but like the popular Christian music of the 60's & 70's. (Did then, still do now.)

[Ernie]

I voted #6.
I would probably land in the category that Anderson calls "Intentionalist".
Anderson has identified the following streams within the Anabaptist faith tradition.
Most of these streams are here today primarily because of a strong ethnic tie, not because of some ideological tie.
A. Amish
B. Hutterites
C. Swiss/German Mennonites
D. Dutch Mennonites
E. Brethren
F. Apostolic Christian Church
G. Bruderhof
H. Intentionalists

Intentionalists are those who are not bound to the ethos of a particular faith tradition. They can pick and choose what they want from the Anabaptist world as well as from Christendom otherwise, (until someone comes along and freezes everything). Intentionalists can question, discuss, decide matters that are not up for discussion in other conservative Anabaptist settings. Interestingly, all of the groups from A-G were intentionalists in their early years.

So for example, at our church we do not require Plain attire, but we do expect ladies to dress more modestly than what the average Fundamental conservative would dress. We don't tell ladies how they need to do their hair and yet no one is copying the styles being set by Hollywood or Paris. We do not use the radio except in unique situations. We spend a lot of time in group prayer. We try to live within a couple miles of each other. We like to eat a couple meals together each week if possible.
During the summer we often have community work projects in which everyone is invited. We also invite our neighbors and international friends to these events. Every Tuesday morning at 6:00 there is a community prayer and discipleship meeting that is open to any men from the community. Frequently this meeting has more men from Protestant churches than men from our church.
We have communion twice a month, all-church discussions each month, a love feast each quarter, and a Church Family Council each year. In addition, the church men get together several times a month for prayer and accountability and the ladies meet twice a month for inspiration and prayer.
The men at our church who meet the Biblical qualifications for elder or deacon and are committed and submitted to the church are given regular opportunities to preach if they wish. The elder and deacons do not meet separately from the non-ordained men. All the men who are committed and submitted to the brotherhood are invited to be part of any church related meetings.
Our Sunday church meetings start at 4:30 PM with a period of prayer, followed by a time of confession, praise, and/or reports of our involvements in the community and beyond. After this we have a children's lesson. Then we sing about 5 congregational songs using the Hymns of the Church ("Purple Martin books" compiled by John D. Martin & family) after which we have our I Corinthians 14 meeting in which any brother can share a scripture reading, a word of exhortation, a devotional, or a short teaching. Lastly we have a long message followed by a time for response to the message. The formal meeting is typically over about 6:30 and then we spend the next couple hours in fellowship and enjoying a potluck meal.
We attend German Baptist conferences, Mennonite Conferences, "Kingdom Christian" Conferences and more. We don't attend sports stadiums or leave the community to go participate in something like a fundraising marathon.

In these paragraphs, I'm sure some of you can identify things we've borrowed from the various Anabaptist streams as well as things that are not practiced in any of the other streams.

For the record, there are many things our church is lacking and experiencing that I wish wasn't true about us. I won't air these things on a public forum... just didn't want you to think that we are sailing blissfully along in la-la land.

[Robert]

You left out us wacko progressive Anabaptists.

You fit number 3, as far as I know.

Misread that first time through. Sorry.