Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?

[Josh]

Yes. They both passed away.

Charity seemed really into the idea that if you just raise your kids according to the perfect formula, your kids won’t rebel and will do whatever you want. Gothard sold the same bill of goods.

[JayP]

I was respectful of the folks I knew going to Charity. Most wanted the right thing.
One of Charity’s weaknesses was too many from too many different places.
Eastern suffers from too few.

Finding the right mix and how one can even make that happen is beyond me.

[Josh]

I was respectful of the folks I knew going to Charity. Most wanted the right thing.
One of Charity’s weaknesses was too many from too many different places.
Eastern suffers from too few.

Finding the right mix and how one can even make that happen is beyond me.

It’s certainly possible. I’m in a great church; so is J M.

[Soloist]

I was respectful of the folks I knew going to Charity. Most wanted the right thing.
One of Charity’s weaknesses was too many from too many different places.
Eastern suffers from too few.

Finding the right mix and how one can even make that happen is beyond me.

Yeah I’ve heard that said and seen it play out.

Three churches,
1: a conservative Mennonite church. Pro: very stable. Con: not the most spiritually vibrant.
2: a conservative Charity church with mid stability, mid spiritual vigor.
3: a gathering of families with dramatically different views on many things gathering for close fellowship and a sudo church with commune. Low to no stability, high spiritual vigor.

(These are perceptions from the outside of course)

I think the one they picked is kind of obvious.
I think it’s also obvious which one of the three churches no longer exists.

[Jazman]

I'm new to the forum here but saw this post and wanted to chime in
To answer Steve's original question, Yes, Charity Christian Fellowship in Leola PA is still very active and definitely does exist. Plenty of other "Charity Churches" exist too. However, as has already been mentioned, some of them look a bit different than they did 15 years ago. Having attended Charity for over 5 years in 2007-2012 and still having many friends and Acquaintances there, my perspective is that the "Charity Church of the 2005-2015" doesn't exist today in the way it did then, and few of the "Charity Churches" today look like they did then, however good or bad that may be.
A lot of that being that the passing of Bro. Denny and other earlier leaders has IMO brought the 'Setting of the Sun" on the Charity movement but there are still churches in Charity circles that are trying to carry the vision the best that they can as has already been mentioned.
As far as Charity possibly not supporting the head covering, etc as was mentioned in this thread earlier: CCF Leola does still very much practice the head covering and it is a requirement for membership from what I last heard.
One thing about Charity and Charity circles that has stood out to me is their diversity and because of that there is many things that are practiced differently by different families and churches so it's hardly fair to lump all of Charity together in to the same basket.

I'd be very interested in an unemotional/outsider accounting of all the churches that are still, or were considered Charity churches... where geographically, and what they are today on the spectrum of "carrying the vision forward" to something very different than where they started... It sounds like most or all have basically become "independent", but maybe some have joined other networks, accountable structures or maybe even closed up entirely?

Ernie, would you have a handle on my question or know of someone who's compiled anything? (As some may know, but maybe not Samuel, I was at Charity which became the Leola building/base, from earliest beginning days till early 90's. The impact is felt to this day and the history and possible lessons of it all still intrigues me...)

[eccentric_rambler]

I've wished for years that someone would write a well-researched history of the Charity movement. We related some to the movement in the 2000's and early 2010's. Maybe someday I'll take the time to ...

[RZehr]

I think the Followers of the Way has sprung from the rubble of the Charity movement, and continues to steadily win market share away from any remnant that left of the Charity movement. Anyone today who would have once been attracted and pulled into Charity will now most likely be found in the FOTW movement.

[Ken]

I think the Followers of the Way has sprung from the rubble of the Charity movement, and continues to steadily win market share away from any remnant that left of the Charity movement. Anyone today who would have once been attracted and pulled into Charity will now most likely be found in the FOTW movement.

Isn't the geographic footprint of Charity and FOTW completely different with no overlap?

[Soloist]

I think the Followers of the Way has sprung from the rubble of the Charity movement, and continues to steadily win market share away from any remnant that left of the Charity movement. Anyone today who would have once been attracted and pulled into Charity will now most likely be found in the FOTW movement.

Isn't the geographic footprint of Charity and FOTW completely different with no overlap?

Yes, most non-Mennonites will move for a church they believe is more spiritual.
I don’t know that I agree though with Rzehr,
I think there is some overlap but I tend to see that people I know who were conservative charity did not succeed there.

[RZehr]

They both depend on, and draw from, and appeal to, ex-conservative Mennonites and Amish for their growth. The same type of disillusioned people who in years past would have joined a Charity church, now go for FOTW franchise.

Geography has little to do with either. Both have nationwide attraction. Neither were geographically limited. They inhabit a spiritual niche, not physical niche. A surprising number of people from rural Oregon have spent time in Boston.