Churches, Dealerships, and Franchises

[seinetsodumm]

I think it’s more accurate to say BMA got it’s start out of the CMC.

[steve-in-kville]

I believe they already were in existence but got a boost from a ready constituency.

Maybe a BMA person can correct my history.

If I remember, KMF folks turns their noses up at BMA, for various reasons. But they were close with Mid-Atlantic, though.

[Ernie]

LMC and W/F long ago negotiated some deal they wouldn’t intrude on each other’s “turf”.

I was not aware of this.
W/F congregations were originally under LMC until a new regional conference was formed as more people moved west.

As I understand it, since Eastern considered themselves the true successors of the LMC, they continued to respect this policy for decades, and W/F still does.

If this is true, it's hard for me to understand.
When Eastern started, they established a congregation right in the middle of W/F that was comprised of ex-W/F folks.
More recently, they took over a Nationwide church that was right in the middle of the W/F area.

[Ernie]

Is this essentially a criticism of the hierarchical “conference” model? How do you feel about flat fellowship style organisations where no one congregation lords it over anyone else, and there aren’t bishops?

Who was this addressed to? Steve or myself?

[joshuabgood]

I don’t think it’s official written policy but overall they are trying to back away from “acquiring” dissatisfied congregations which are trying to transition more worldly. (They’d gladly take a CMC congregation that doesn’t want to trend more worldly tho, like the Bealeton/Cattlet, VA community)

I think for a while KMF wasn't allowed to take on any LC churches after the original split. Not sure where I got that information though.

That was the agreement the original Keystone pastors made with LMC when they brokered the deal to withdraw.

The other congregations that also wanted out of LMC typically joined BMA.

That was the original agreement but there were notable exceptions...ie Lichty's

[joshuabgood]

I believe they already were in existence but got a boost from a ready constituency.

Maybe a BMA person can correct my history.

If I remember, KMF folks turns their noses up at BMA, for various reasons. But they were close with Mid-Atlantic, though.

According to the late Clayton Shenk, KMF was considering joining up with BMA, which was coming together nearly simultaneously. However, according to him, there was talk of New Covenant Mennonite, also from Lancaster joining BMA at that point, and some from KMF felt that if New Covenant joined BMA, KMF wouldn't be a good fit. Later of course, New Covenant never joined BMA (re wedding ring)...per Clayton. But KMF was already starting...

The conservative arm of New Covenant broke off just a bit later (shorts being a critical issue) and formed Cornerstone Mennonite Fellowship, which shortly thereafter joined the nascent BMA.

[Judas Maccabeus]

I think for a while KMF wasn't allowed to take on any LC churches after the original split. Not sure where I got that information though.

That was the agreement the original Keystone pastors made with LMC when they brokered the deal to withdraw.

The other congregations that also wanted out of LMC typically joined BMA.

That was the original agreement but there were notable exceptions...ie Lichty's

Try as I have, I cannot find what the “terms” of this agreement were. I know from a meeting where we discussed the history of KMF. There was considerable effort placed into making it an amicable departure.

[ohio jones]

LMC and W/F long ago negotiated some deal they wouldn’t intrude on each other’s “turf”.

I was not aware of this.
W/F congregations were originally under LMC until a new regional conference was formed as more people moved west.

As I understand it, since Eastern considered themselves the true successors of the LMC, they continued to respect this policy for decades, and W/F still does.

If this is true, it's hard for me to understand.
When Eastern started, they established a congregation right in the middle of W/F that was comprised of ex-W/F folks.
More recently, they took over a Nationwide church that was right in the middle of the W/F area.

I think Edsel discusses this in his book. My late uncle was accused of disrespecting the agreement when he (ordained in LMC) pastored a church in W/F territory. I'll have to look that up and refresh my memory. Seems like there were one or two similar churches that later joined Franklin Conference (MC), which of course more recently was subsumed back into LMC.

[Josh]

I vaguely recall Ernie being the one who told me those details in the first place… feels like my memory may be failing me here.

[Ernie]

In the moderate-conservative world, it is becoming more common that a church or its leaders will help another church that is looking for assistance or fellowship, without expecting the other church to become part of the same conference/fellowship that the helpers are from.
My hat is off to the helpers who are doing this! These helpers are more concerned about seeing the kingdom of God become stronger, as compared with those who are only interested in advancing their particular brand.