MennoNet.com

Here is an article Rachel Stella wrote in the Mennonite World Review about the Conservative Mennonite Conference. I think some of you might find it interesting.
http://mennoworld.org/2017/05/08/news/c ... efinition/

Mrs.Nisly wrote:Here is an article Rachel Stella wrote in the Mennonite World Review about the Conservative Mennonite Conference. I think some of you might find it interesting.
http://mennoworld.org/2017/05/08/news/c ... efinition/

Hershberger said there was a desire to avoid the words “conservative” or “evangelical” because of cultural connotations.
“What most people think of when they hear ‘conservative’ is not what we are,” he said, citing interpretations of the word that connect it with plain dress or the Republican Party.
Matthew Showalter, dean of students at CMC’s Rosedale Bible College in Irwin, Ohio, noted the reports of evangelicals’ support for Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
“We just came through an election cycle where ‘evangelical’ was used to denote all sorts of things that we’re not about,” he said.
Hershberger emphasized that CMC remained conservative theologically and evangelical in the classic sense of an evangelistic focus.
“There has always been a strong emphasis on biblical orthodoxy and a commitment to mission,” he said. “That’s one thing that has been very solid in Conservative Mennonite Conference from the beginning — the authority of Scripture in our lives, the inerrancy in its original form.”

I like that focus - biblical orthodoxy, mission, the authority of Scripture in our lives, inerrancy in its original form.

So ... what's a good name for that?

Former Conservative Mennonites?

I do find their fear of being aligned with political factions to be of interest. As I understand it that was one of the main reasons why the former Western Ontario conference which for many years had traditional ties to the CMC back in their beginnings chose not to be formally tied to the organization. They felt there would be too much chance of being associated with the Conservative political party here in Canada.

The name has been confusing for those of us who consider ourselves to be conservative Mennonites. Non-conformity and non-resistance have long been key indicators of Anabaptistism along with "biblical orthodoxy, mission, the authority of Scripture in our lives, inerrancy in its original form." Along with those, treating women as equals in the church while still following the scriptural principle of having men in the main teaching and leadership positions has been another predominant position of Anabaptism IMO.

In the US political arena, I am sure the name Conservative would also have some negative connotations. I wonder which part of Anabaptism the CMC is trying to maintain.

Bootstrap wrote:
So ... what's a good name for that?

Baptist?

Rosedale Conference. (Or is that something else? Even after all of these years here, I still have trouble understanding all of the permutations of the Swiss Brethren 'Mennonites'.)

When I mention conservative Mennonites to someone not familiar with them, I often hear that they're not interested in learning about them because they think conservative means republican.

appleman2006 wrote:Former Conservative Mennonites?

I do find their fear of being aligned with political factions to be of interest. As I understand it that was one of the main reasons why the former Western Ontario conference which for many years had traditional ties to the CMC back in their beginnings chose not to be formally tied to the organization. They felt there would be too much chance of being associated with the Conservative political party here in Canada.

Conservative means at least three completely different things:

- Faithful to the Bible and traditional orthodox Christianity.
- Associated with the Republican Party or the Tea Party or similar movements.
- Wearing distinctive plain clothing.

I always want to be a member of a church that does the first of these. I'd avoid a church that does the second. I could probably be a member of a church that does the third, and certainly see many solid Christians who do, but it's not my natural inclination.

So I think they are having the same problem with the term that I do.

Interesting article, and well articulated. This discussion was already beginning when I was in the middle of things CMC back about 4-5 years ago.

If I recall, the name "Rosedale Mennonite Conference" was one that was being kicked around. It makes sense because the group has for the past 60 years been centered in Rosedale Ohio with a college (Rosedale Bible College) a mission board (Rosedale Mennonite Missions) and the conference administrative offices all located in Rosedale and adopting the name [the mission board has since moved to Columbus OH, but has kept the Rosedale name]. I like this name because it is what many folks use anyway, and the Rosedale term is a-political and not loded with other connotations.

TRIVA - the term Rosedale Mennonites was also apparently used a few years ago for a fictitious singing group in the TV show GLEE. http://glee.wikia.com/wiki/The_Rosedale_Mennonites

I agree that the term "Conservative" is not a good fit for the reasons mentioned above - although I would argue that the group IS conservative theologically, and socially for that matter - just not primarily in a non-conformed Anabaptist sense (although there are still a few CMC churches that still require the veiling - ours was one of them).

I would hate to see the group drop the name "Mennonite" from its title, and I don't suspect this will happen - perhaps more for historical reasons than theological ones though. As the survey indicated, the group is probably steadily moving more toward conservative-evangelicalism than Anabaptism at this point - although conference leadership and college leadership are still strongly committed to Anabaptism - which is heartening.

Dan Z wrote:This discussion was already beginning when I was in the middle of things CMC back about 4-5 years ago.

I'm more familiar with an earlier proposal (maybe 15-20 years ago) to change "Conference" to "Church." At the time, I thought it would have been helpful in clarifying that we are a separate denomination, not a constituent conference of what was then the Mennonite Church. Now that LMC and other conferences are disaffiliating from MCUSA, that's becoming a less important distinction.

When we began in 1910, there were Amish Mennonites (who became simply Mennonites over the next dozen or so years), and the name Conservative Amish Mennonites positioned us with relation to that group. The label "Conservative" still describes us with respect to their posterity, the mainstream body of Mennonites. However, those who left that mainstream in the Conservative Movement of the 1960s-70s have out-conservatized us, and now scorn us for not changing the name (even though not changing the name is the conservative thing to do).

Since "Biblical" is already taken, we could consider "Christocentric Mennonite Conference." Wouldn't even have to change the initials.

I just hope we don't get saddled with a newly synthesized label fabricated by a marketing consultant.