A thread about transitioning from one church to another or one belief system to another.
Please be kind and respectful!
Definitions:
church (a local congregation, or conference. not the universal church)
constituency (a group of churches that work together)
faith tradition (examples: Anabaptist, Pentecostal, Reformed, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Tibetan Buddhist)
Poll: Changing Churches / Belief Systems
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- Posts: 5617
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- Location: Central PA
- Affiliation: Anabaptist Umbrella
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Poll: Changing Churches / Belief Systems
0 x
The old woodcutter spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge?"
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- Posts: 4685
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 5:43 pm
- Location: Holmes County, Ohio
- Affiliation: Gospel Haven
Re: Poll: Changing Churches / Belief Systems
Not sure where I fit here, if at all.
I am a member of a congregation that has a quite different history, but I am, for the most part, unchanged in my own beliefs - they are still predominantly identical to my own background. (There are no congregations of my "faith tradition" within hundreds of miles of where we live.)
Another factor is that the group of my origin is, and always has been, open to fellowship with believers of other origins or traditions. It is a central part of their beginning and group identity. So it is not out of place for me to now be a fellowshipping member of a different Christian group.
Then there is also the factor that even if we lived in an area where a congregation of my origin existed, I might no longer feel at home there, because it has changed. I also have been changed by my having fellowshipped with the group in which I am now a member. My group of origin was, at least originally, also open to that interaffectedness - that as we meet and fellowship with other believers, we are 'sharpened' and transformed by this "body-ness" of the body of Christ.
I am a member of a congregation that has a quite different history, but I am, for the most part, unchanged in my own beliefs - they are still predominantly identical to my own background. (There are no congregations of my "faith tradition" within hundreds of miles of where we live.)
Another factor is that the group of my origin is, and always has been, open to fellowship with believers of other origins or traditions. It is a central part of their beginning and group identity. So it is not out of place for me to now be a fellowshipping member of a different Christian group.
Then there is also the factor that even if we lived in an area where a congregation of my origin existed, I might no longer feel at home there, because it has changed. I also have been changed by my having fellowshipped with the group in which I am now a member. My group of origin was, at least originally, also open to that interaffectedness - that as we meet and fellowship with other believers, we are 'sharpened' and transformed by this "body-ness" of the body of Christ.
0 x
Congregation: Gospel Haven Mennonite Fellowship, Benton, Ohio (Holmes Co.) a split from Beachy-Amish Mennonite.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
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- Posts: 5617
- Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 2:48 pm
- Location: Central PA
- Affiliation: Anabaptist Umbrella
- Contact:
Re: Poll: Changing Churches / Belief Systems
Its ok not to know where we fit.Neto wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:18 pm Not sure where I fit here, if at all.
I am a member of a congregation that has a quite different history, but I am, for the most part, unchanged in my own beliefs - they are still predominantly identical to my own background. (There are no congregations of my "faith tradition" within hundreds of miles of where we live.)
When you say, "my faith tradition, is that Mennonite Brethren?
I am aware that this poll is very technical. I consider Mennonite Brethren, Amish, Beachy-Amish, and Old Order Mennonite, etc. to be constituencies within the Anabaptist faith tradition.
0 x
The old woodcutter spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge?"
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- Posts: 4685
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 5:43 pm
- Location: Holmes County, Ohio
- Affiliation: Gospel Haven
Re: Poll: Changing Churches / Belief Systems
Yes, Mennonite Brethren. I didn't intend to imply that it might not be considered 'anabaptist', although that term was not used in the early Dutch era. (I sometimes use an English translation of the term actually used - "baptism-minded", but it's a bit cumbersome, since no one else here uses it.)Ernie wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 11:17 pmIts ok not to know where we fit.Neto wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:18 pm Not sure where I fit here, if at all.
I am a member of a congregation that has a quite different history, but I am, for the most part, unchanged in my own beliefs - they are still predominantly identical to my own background. (There are no congregations of my "faith tradition" within hundreds of miles of where we live.)
When you say, "my faith tradition, is that Mennonite Brethren?
I am aware that this poll is very technical. I consider Mennonite Brethren, Amish, Beachy-Amish, and Old Order Mennonite, etc. to be constituencies within the Anabaptist faith tradition.
0 x
Congregation: Gospel Haven Mennonite Fellowship, Benton, Ohio (Holmes Co.) a split from Beachy-Amish Mennonite.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.