Southeastern Mennonite Conference

[mike]

Our church is currently having revival meetings with a speaker from Southeastern Mennonite Conference. I was surprised by a few things I learned about them that I didn't know. For some reason I had pictured them as a larger group than they actually are.

According to GAMEO there were 16 churches in 2010 with 734 members. They were founded in the 1970s.

Any Southeastern members here?

[Ernie]

For some reason, over time, Southeastern has not been able to gain many more members than they lose.
In 1981, they had 732 members.
1996 =770

[wesleyb]

Our church is currently having revival meetings with a speaker from Southeastern Mennonite Conference. I was surprised by a few things I learned about them that I didn't know. For some reason I had pictured them as a larger group than they actually are.

According to GAMEO there were 16 churches in 2010 with 734 members. They were founded in the 1970s.

Any Southeastern members here?

I grew up in Southeastern and was a member there until about 10 years ago.

[mike]

I was searching the forum and found this post.

In today's schismatic church culture, and individualistic consumer approach to churches...I don't think I know a single person who goes to the church their grandparents were raised in. And that includes large and substantial portions of my extended family who are both ultra (Eastern and formerly Old Order). The idea of several generations going to the same church is basically unheard of in our fractured society. The Eastern church itself only exists since 1968, KMF only since 99, and BMA only since 99, and Mid-West, Mid Atlantic, and Southeastern are all way newer than my grandparents, much less my great grandparents. And incidentally even my great grandparents began "moving around" from MC to the OO, to Stauffers, to May City, to Pentecostal etc etc.

I think the statement that "several generations going to the same church is basically unheard of in our fractured society" is true; perhaps it's true of Southeastern. However, in comparison, Pilgrim Mennonite Conference which began in the 1990s had 24 congregations and 1400 plus members in 2010. I assume a good part of this is due to PMC churches being in areas with much larger populations of conservative Anabaptists. They may have also started with many more members and established churches than SMC did.

However with the length of time SMC has existed, it's clear that many of its members have not stayed around. Often in conservative Anabaptist churches the natural growth through larger family sizes is enough to more than offset losses, but maybe not in SMC.

[mike]

For some reason, over time, Southeastern has not been able to gain many more members than they lose.
In 1981, they had 732 members.
1996 =770

According to that, they actually lost membership between 1996 and 2010.

[silentreader]

Our church is currently having revival meetings with a speaker from Southeastern Mennonite Conference. I was surprised by a few things I learned about them that I didn't know. For some reason I had pictured them as a larger group than they actually are.

According to GAMEO there were 16 churches in 2010 with 734 members. They were founded in the 1970s.

Any Southeastern members here?

The 2019 CLP Mennonite Church Directory shows SMC as having 15 congregations and 838 members.
Our last revival meeting speaker, (a month ago) was also from a SMC church. Our bishop's wife comes from an SMC church. I believe they met at HBS.

[mike]

Our church is currently having revival meetings with a speaker from Southeastern Mennonite Conference. I was surprised by a few things I learned about them that I didn't know. For some reason I had pictured them as a larger group than they actually are.

According to GAMEO there were 16 churches in 2010 with 734 members. They were founded in the 1970s.

Any Southeastern members here?

The 2019 CLP Mennonite Church Directory shows SMC as having 15 congregations and 838 members.
Our last revival meeting speaker, (a month ago) was also from a SMC church. Our bishop's wife comes from an SMC church. I believe they met at HBS.

Interesting.

[QuietlyListening]

My husband grew up in what would become Southeastern. He was doing VS service when they split off VA conference. He left shortly after he returned home. There was a huge split in late 90s- his brother and sister who lived in the area left then. Still know many folks who are part of it but except for weddings and funerals I have never been to one of their services. All I know comes from what I've heard from him and his siblings.

[wesleyb]

I was searching the forum and found this post.

In today's schismatic church culture, and individualistic consumer approach to churches...I don't think I know a single person who goes to the church their grandparents were raised in. And that includes large and substantial portions of my extended family who are both ultra (Eastern and formerly Old Order). The idea of several generations going to the same church is basically unheard of in our fractured society. The Eastern church itself only exists since 1968, KMF only since 99, and BMA only since 99, and Mid-West, Mid Atlantic, and Southeastern are all way newer than my grandparents, much less my great grandparents. And incidentally even my great grandparents began "moving around" from MC to the OO, to Stauffers, to May City, to Pentecostal etc etc.

I think the statement that "several generations going to the same church is basically unheard of in our fractured society" is true; perhaps it's true of Southeastern. However, in comparison, Pilgrim Mennonite Conference which began in the 1990s had 24 congregations and 1400 plus members in 2010. I assume a good part of this is due to PMC churches being in areas with much larger populations of conservative Anabaptists. They may have also started with many more members and established churches than SMC did.

However with the length of time SMC has existed, it's clear that many of its members have not stayed around. Often in conservative Anabaptist churches the natural growth through larger family sizes is enough to more than offset losses, but maybe not in SMC.

My family was Virginia Conference going back many generations. My parents went with Southeastern in 1972 when that split off. I have one brother who is still there and has raised his family there.

I did a quick calculation and it looks like out my high school class and the ones immediately before and after about 30% are still in Southeastern, about 30% are in other Mennonite churches and 40% have left the Mennonites altogether. It would be interesting to know how this compares to other conservative Mennonites.

[Josh]

Our church is currently having revival meetings with a speaker from Southeastern Mennonite Conference. I was surprised by a few things I learned about them that I didn't know. For some reason I had pictured them as a larger group than they actually are.

According to GAMEO there were 16 churches in 2010 with 734 members. They were founded in the 1970s.

Any Southeastern members here?

It’s interesting your conference is caucusing with a revival preacher from SE conference. Has this been a long standing relationship or is this a new thing?