Appalachian Mennonite Church

[JayP]

By one way street, it has been my observation that in Eastern the ministry use their “veto” on the lot to remove folks they disapprove of from the lot in one direction, not the other. For example, if in a Guatemala church a native brother is nominated that the ministry has concerns about he might get pulled from the lot. But a questionable brother from the right family lines is NEVER pulled.

Example, I knew a fellow extremely well. He had nothing noteworthy to recommend him for the lot. Not saying he was horrible, but not intelligent, not particularly spiritually oriented in reading, church life, personal life, etc. But nominated (and I would suspect largely from family members, one of their extended family is ALWAYS nominated when a lot appears). Exactly the kind of person that IF you think ministry should review the nominations should have been pulled.

My related point being too many “family lines” dominate these churches. It is inevitable but it is an issue. Their gene pools need some serious refreshing! LOL.

[steve-in-kville]

My related point being too many “family lines” dominate these churches. It is inevitable but it is an issue. Their gene pools need some serious refreshing! LOL.

This was big in the KMF church we attended. Anyone who had any type of authority came from two family lines. Ministers, deacons, committee heads... everything.

[Judas Maccabeus]

My related point being too many “family lines” dominate these churches. It is inevitable but it is an issue. Their gene pools need some serious refreshing! LOL.

This was big in the KMF church we attended. Anyone who had any type of authority came from two family lines. Ministers, deacons, committee heads... everything.

This is not a problem in young, urban churches. It is much more of a problem in churches that are more inbred. It might require some kind of anti nepotism policy to stop, but how could you get that passed in a congregation where everyone is related?

I suspect that for NMBs like the present company, that a mission or church plant may be the best option.

[ken_sylvania]

By one way street, it has been my observation that in Eastern the ministry use their “veto” on the lot to remove folks they disapprove of from the lot in one direction, not the other. For example, if in a Guatemala church a native brother is nominated that the ministry has concerns about he might get pulled from the lot. But a questionable brother from the right family lines is NEVER pulled.

Example, I knew a fellow extremely well. He had nothing noteworthy to recommend him for the lot. Not saying he was horrible, but not intelligent, not particularly spiritually oriented in reading, church life, personal life, etc. But nominated (and I would suspect largely from family members, one of their extended family is ALWAYS nominated when a lot appears). Exactly the kind of person that IF you think ministry should review the nominations should have been pulled.

My related point being too many “family lines” dominate these churches. It is inevitable but it is an issue. Their gene pools need some serious refreshing! LOL.

I can't begin to understand why anyone would actually want a relative with those kind of characteristics in the ministry.

[Josh]

I suspect many of us don't understand the clannish mindset. If you don't see the appeal in marrying your cousin, you probably aren't going to understand the rest of the clan mindset either.

[JayP]

In their defense, they don't know any better. I think there are multiple factors.

In some case it's simply they can't picture nominating anyone else but family members and there are enough of them.
In other cases, as the family "adds" to the ministry chart, there's almost a subtle "you don't want FRED, or if you ARE Fred, why aren't YOU good enough". Like there is the stigma for the one never nominated. I'm not even sure they are always bummed if they don't get selected in the Lot.
They can say "God's will" on that one.

But all that said, there is no question 80% of Conservative Mennonites would NEVER be Mennonites if they had been plucked away at birth, dropped down and had to join a church. What I mean is, they are not STAYING because these are the handful so wonderfully convicted. They THINK they are deeply convicted. THey are just driven by circumstance, time and place, family roots and being raised there.

I think that point is proven by looking at the the Pre and "ah" millennial positions that these folks hold.
In my experience, most of the Cons Menno churches try to not take an official/doctrinal "you must believe" position on this topic.

BUT....... you have lots of folks with all sorts of similarities, and they ALL say how convicted they are and open to the bible, but the ONLY real factors in their two different positions is where they are! If you are in Eastern and Merle Ruth was your minister you are "ah"...if Isaac Sensenig was your minister you are "pre". It's actually pretty funny if you have a sense of humor.

[mike]

But all that said, there is no question 80% of Conservative Mennonites would NEVER be Mennonites if they had been plucked away at birth, dropped down and had to join a church. What I mean is, they are not STAYING because these are the handful so wonderfully convicted. They THINK they are deeply convicted. THey are just driven by circumstance, time and place, family roots and being raised there.

Is this more true of Conservative Mennonites than of any other ethnic/religious/cultural group of people? Seems to me like this is probably true of humans generally.

[ken_sylvania]

If you are in Eastern and Merle Ruth was your minister you are "ah"...if Isaac Sensenig was your minister you are "pre". It's actually pretty funny if you have a sense of humor.

Maybe it would be funny if it were actually true. But since it's only partly accurate, the rest of the fun has to be in seeing how people like to stereotype others.

[Josh]

In another context, if you are born Eastern you grow up rejecting the Pope's authority, but if you are born Western you grow up affirming the Pope's authority. That's also kind of funny, isn't it?

[eccentric_rambler]

But all that said, there is no question 80% of Conservative Mennonites would NEVER be Mennonites if they had been plucked away at birth, dropped down and had to join a church. What I mean is, they are not STAYING because these are the handful so wonderfully convicted. They THINK they are deeply convicted. THey are just driven by circumstance, time and place, family roots and being raised there.

This is something I've been wrestling with. As an NMB who ended up in an ultra church as a youth, how much was belief and how much "seemed like the thing to do'?