Poll: Faith Traditions that Profess Christianity

[Josh]

There are Anabaptist kingdom Christians, Church of Christ kingdom Christians, Followers of the Way kingdom Christians, etc.
Anabaptist kingdom Christians can check one of those choices.

A lovely selection of rooms in the Father's house. John 14:2

I don’t think we’ll have separate denominations in heaven. Just sayin’.

[Valerie]

Where are all the Catholics and Protestants and people who want to be EO?

I picked "other".
We are not fitting well in any one denomination. Maybe suffer from overexposure in pursuit of truth. It's okay in a way as I know God is Sovereign, Jesus is Lord, and we trust the Gospel. However wherever we go, we hear teaching that we just have to realize- it's different than other teachings- we have to bite our tongues unless we are in an environment where people have not dug their heels in.

We go to a non-denominational but most "identify" with a Church (Oasis Tabernacle in Sugarcreek) yet anywhere there will be those with perhaps assumptions.

We pursued Anabaptism and EO. For awhile.

[Ernie]

There are Anabaptist kingdom Christians, Church of Christ kingdom Christians, Followers of the Way kingdom Christians, etc.
Anabaptist kingdom Christians can check one of those choices.

A lovely selection of rooms in the Father's house. John 14:2

I don’t think we’ll have separate denominations in heaven. Just sayin’.

And I don't consider these denominations except for FOTW. Just faith traditions and surnames.

[ohio jones]

Where are all the Catholics and Protestants and people who want to be EO?

I picked "other".
We are not fitting well in any one denomination. Maybe suffer from overexposure in pursuit of truth. It's okay in a way as I know God is Sovereign, Jesus is Lord, and we trust the Gospel. However wherever we go, we hear teaching that we just have to realize- it's different than other teachings- we have to bite our tongues unless we are in an environment where people have not dug their heels in.

We go to a non-denominational but most "identify" with a Church (Oasis Tabernacle in Sugarcreek) yet anywhere there will be those with perhaps assumptions.

We pursued Anabaptism and EO. For awhile.

It's interesting that your posts here are filled with The Understanding you received from the Orthodox. A little from Parkside, rarely a passing mention of Oasis and their beliefs. You frequently complain about lack of unity in the church, yet those two are among the worst offenders. It can be confusing to know which of you is posting sometimes.

But we love you both.

[Valerie]

Where are all the Catholics and Protestants and people who want to be EO?

I picked "other".
We are not fitting well in any one denomination. Maybe suffer from overexposure in pursuit of truth. It's okay in a way as I know God is Sovereign, Jesus is Lord, and we trust the Gospel. However wherever we go, we hear teaching that we just have to realize- it's different than other teachings- we have to bite our tongues unless we are in an environment where people have not dug their heels in.

We go to a non-denominational but most "identify" with a Church (Oasis Tabernacle in Sugarcreek) yet anywhere there will be those with perhaps assumptions.

We pursued Anabaptism and EO. For awhile.

It's interesting that your posts here are filled with The Understanding you received from the Orthodox. A little from Parkside, rarely a passing mention of Oasis and their beliefs. You frequently complain about lack of unity in the church, yet those two are among the worst offenders. It can be confusing to know which of you is posting sometimes.

But we love you both.

Well after spending a great deal of time and though responding to this my post vanished. Maybe it was meant for me to just work this out from my soul and spare you the ponderings.

It has been helpful OJ to learn because as you know, every denomination can have misunderstandings and disagreements about/with the others
How can you not desire unity when you know how much it means to Jesus as a witness of the Church?

What do you suggest? The Orthodox will not seek unity if they are told they have to drop ancient interpretations. To embrace them which denominations? The footnotes in my Orthodox Bible are often quotes of early Church writers. How are they to assume in order to have unity they will have to embrace interpretations from Reformation era and whose would they choose?
I know how Anabaptists feel about Pentecostals so no unity can happen there and certainly Evangelicals are looked down on here- so do you feel Anabaptists in general are more willing to seek unity with these others? Since you feel "they" don't seek unity?

[MaxPC]

I picked "other".
We are not fitting well in any one denomination. Maybe suffer from overexposure in pursuit of truth. It's okay in a way as I know God is Sovereign, Jesus is Lord, and we trust the Gospel. However wherever we go, we hear teaching that we just have to realize- it's different than other teachings- we have to bite our tongues unless we are in an environment where people have not dug their heels in.

We go to a non-denominational but most "identify" with a Church (Oasis Tabernacle in Sugarcreek) yet anywhere there will be those with perhaps assumptions.

We pursued Anabaptism and EO. For awhile.

It's interesting that your posts here are filled with The Understanding you received from the Orthodox. A little from Parkside, rarely a passing mention of Oasis and their beliefs. You frequently complain about lack of unity in the church, yet those two are among the worst offenders. It can be confusing to know which of you is posting sometimes.

But we love you both.

Well after spending a great deal of time and though responding to this my post vanished. Maybe it was meant for me to just work this out from my soul and spare you the ponderings.

It has been helpful OJ to learn because as you know, every denomination can have misunderstandings and disagreements about/with the others
How can you not desire unity when you know how much it means to Jesus as a witness of the Church?

What do you suggest? The Orthodox will not seek unity if they are told they have to drop ancient interpretations. To embrace them which denominations? The footnotes in my Orthodox Bible are often quotes of early Church writers. How are they to assume in order to have unity they will have to embrace interpretations from Reformation era and whose would they choose?
I know how Anabaptists feel about Pentecostals so no unity can happen there and certainly Evangelicals are looked down on here- so do you feel Anabaptists in general are more willing to seek unity with these others? Since you feel "they" don't seek unity?

Valerie, I understand your posts and I appreciate your openness regarding unity. Indeed they remind me of the desires of different theologians through the centuries, e.g. Peter Meiderlin, a Lutheran theologian:
“If we might keep in necessary things Unity, in unnecessary things Freedom, and in both Charity, our affairs would certainly be in the best condition.”
Interestingly this quote speaks to the diversity found in Christianity from its beginnings by the very fact that many different cultures came to Christ through the Apostles and formed their own fellowship communities. From my experiences:

The Message of The Way is the Necessary, Essential, Non-negotiable Truth that cannot be altered upon pain of eternal damnation.

The Unnecessary things are those that are the differences between cultures that do not change The Message.

Charity or extending grace is how we are to conduct our discipleship in our interactions with others as not every individual has the same maturity, the same education, the same culture, etc.
Such are my rambling thoughts.

[Bootstrap]

I consider myself "Anabaptist (non-Plain, Theological Conservative)".

I am in a denomination where there are a lot of people like me, but also a lot of "Anabaptist (Progressive)" and "Anabaptist (Mainline)". That's leading to a LOT of tension these days. Few Mennonite denominations have this range of difference.

[Josh]

I consider myself "Anabaptist (non-Plain, Theological Conservative)".

I am in a denomination where there are a lot of people like me, but also a lot of "Anabaptist (Progressive)" and "Anabaptist (Mainline)". That's leading to a LOT of tension these days. Few Mennonite denominations have this range of difference.

Theological Conservatives wouldn't support ordaining women. I'd think you'd be more likely to be in the Anabaptist (Mainline) or Anabaptist (Mainstream Evangelical) sub-category.

Incidentally Church of the Brethren has the same range of difference, although it's also causing a huge amount of tension.

[Bootstrap]

I consider myself "Anabaptist (non-Plain, Theological Conservative)".

I am in a denomination where there are a lot of people like me, but also a lot of "Anabaptist (Progressive)" and "Anabaptist (Mainline)". That's leading to a LOT of tension these days. Few Mennonite denominations have this range of difference.

Theological Conservatives wouldn't support ordaining women. I'd think you'd be more likely to be in the Anabaptist (Mainline) or Anabaptist (Mainstream Evangelical) sub-category.

Incidentally Church of the Brethren has the same range of difference, although it's also causing a huge amount of tension.

My sermons are pretty strongly laced with calls to be separate from the world, simple obedience to Scripture, and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. I don't think I am promoting mainline or Evangelical Christianity. In the debates we are having, I am at odds with people from those strains in my denomination.

You can feel free to classify me differently than I classify myself.

But when Ernie gives instructions like these:

Please do not answer questions directed to Mainline/Mainstream or Progressive Anabaptists unless you are such a person.

I won't answer because I don't think I am such a person.

[Josh]

My sermons are pretty strongly laced with calls to be separate from the world, simple obedience to Scripture, and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. I don't think I am promoting mainline or Evangelical Christianity. In the debates we are having, I am at odds with people from those strains in my denomination.

You can feel free to classify me differently than I classify myself.

Perhaps a new classification is needed then. The term "theological-conservative Mennonite" has been well established for the groups that are not plain but also don't believe women should be ordained. In addition, the "theological-conservative Mennonite" stance is often soft on nonresistance or pacifism and often allows a "big tent" where whether or not to practice pacifism or nonresistance is a personal choice.

If I'm not mistaken, you wouldn't be comfortable with either of those positions. I would classify you into whatever the Lancaster Conference position is (allows ordination of women; still teaches pacifism; does not promote LGBT marriage or allow LGBT ordination). There isn't really an agreed upon term for this position, but so far Ernie and I have been calling this Anabaptist (Mainline).