ChurchIndex.org

[JohnHurt]

This is a great resource, and someone did a great job!

The Church Details and map on how to get to the church - is just great.

All it lacks is a list of what the titles mean, such as:

Mennonite Christian Fellowship
Not formally affiliated (Amish-Mennonite)
Not formally affiliated (Mennonite)
Little Flock Mennonite Churches
Old German Baptist New Conference
Ambassadors Amish Mennonite Churches
Beachy Amish Mennonite Church
Maranatha Amish Mennonite Churches
Not formally affiliated (Anabaptist)
Midwest Beachy

I don't understand all of these titles.

And I wouldn't want to show up in a car at a "horse and buggy" fellowship.

Thanks,

John

[Praxis+Theodicy]

And I wouldn't want to show up in a car at a "horse and buggy" fellowship.

Thanks,

John

My understanding is that most fellowships would be happy to have visitors, whether or not the visitor is already acclimated to their lifestyle choices. I think that's the reason ChurchIndex.org has the stipulation of "services conducted in English (or Spanish in certain areas of the USA)." he real dividing wall between a church that has services for it's own sake vs. a church that has services for it's own sake and for seekers is the language they conduct those services in. A horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in low German might be awkward to show up to in a car, but a horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in English is generally happy to have visitors come in their cars.

I agree with your desire to have more information on each fellowship. There is already a wide diversity in here. And speaking as a seeker myself, I think many seekers would appreciate as much "what to expect" information as possible before making a visit.

[Josh]

In order to do that, detailed descriptions of each conference etc would be needed. And then many churches within a conference are not consistent.

It would be better to simply say you may find a wide variety of experiences. The best thing is to simply come and see.

[ohio jones]

I don't understand all of these titles.

You can always ask about them here, if there's not already existing info.

[Judas Maccabeus]

And I wouldn't want to show up in a car at a "horse and buggy" fellowship.

Thanks,

John

My understanding is that most fellowships would be happy to have visitors, whether or not the visitor is already acclimated to their lifestyle choices. I think that's the reason ChurchIndex.org has the stipulation of "services conducted in English (or Spanish in certain areas of the USA)." he real dividing wall between a church that has services for it's own sake vs. a church that has services for it's own sake and for seekers is the language they conduct those services in. A horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in low German might be awkward to show up to in a car, but a horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in English is generally happy to have visitors come in their cars.

I agree with your desire to have more information on each fellowship. There is already a wide diversity in here. And speaking as a seeker myself, I think many seekers would appreciate as much "what to expect" information as possible before making a visit.

There is a section in this FAQ that addresses some of these issues. Even one who has been around the Mennonite world for a decade, sometimes has to ask, like “how do you seat”. That being said, visitors are not expected to know local practices, even ones who are from other similar churches.

http://www.beachyam.org/FAQs.htm

[steve-in-kville]

I don't understand all of these titles.

You can always ask about them here, if there's not already existing info.

This place can be a fountain of knowledge at times

[JohnHurt]

And I wouldn't want to show up in a car at a "horse and buggy" fellowship.

Thanks,

John

My understanding is that most fellowships would be happy to have visitors, whether or not the visitor is already acclimated to their lifestyle choices. I think that's the reason ChurchIndex.org has the stipulation of "services conducted in English (or Spanish in certain areas of the USA)." he real dividing wall between a church that has services for it's own sake vs. a church that has services for it's own sake and for seekers is the language they conduct those services in. A horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in low German might be awkward to show up to in a car, but a horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in English is generally happy to have visitors come in their cars.

I agree with your desire to have more information on each fellowship. There is already a wide diversity in here. And speaking as a seeker myself, I think many seekers would appreciate as much "what to expect" information as possible before making a visit.

There is a section in this FAQ that addresses some of these issues. Even one who has been around the Mennonite world for a decade, sometimes has to ask, like “how do you seat”. That being said, visitors are not expected to know local practices, even ones who are from other similar churches.

http://www.beachyam.org/FAQs.htm

The Beachy website is really helpful.

This page answered many of my questions:

http://www.beachyam.org/amishmennonites.htm

It had links to the Holdeman website, which is the group I know the best.

And it gave me a list of churches in Tennessee: http://www.beachyam.org/churches/tn.htm
And explained the Maranatha churches: http://www.beachyam.org/maranatha.htm

Thanks!

John

[Neto]

....
My understanding is that most fellowships would be happy to have visitors, whether or not the visitor is already acclimated to their lifestyle choices. I think that's the reason ChurchIndex.org has the stipulation of "services conducted in English (or Spanish in certain areas of the USA)." he real dividing wall between a church that has services for it's own sake vs. a church that has services for it's own sake and for seekers is the language they conduct those services in. A horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in low German might be awkward to show up to in a car, but a horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in English is generally happy to have visitors come in their cars.

I agree with your desire to have more information on each fellowship. There is already a wide diversity in here. And speaking as a seeker myself, I think many seekers would appreciate as much "what to expect" information as possible before making a visit.

The common meaning of the term "Low German" is as an English designation for Plautdietsch. Just want to ask if that is what is intended here. I am Plautdietsch myself, but have never heard of a service conducted solely in that language, High German was traditionally used in church, Plautdietsch being used only at home, and in the day to day life.

My wife & I are members in a congregation with Amish heritage, and so "Pennsylvania 'Dutch' " is sometimes used in the services, but just for a short remark, generally going untranslated. (High German is never used.) In the Amish services I've attended (funerals or weddings for my wife's family members), the ministers will preach in High German, with some mix of PA German. Occasionally a younger minister will preach in PA German, while reading Scripture in High German. Rarely, a message might be in English.

One further comment regarding the 'standards' for this list ('criteria'): Without clarification, the one on no remarriage, unless the so-called Matthew "exception clause" is applied, effectively excludes congregations or groups of the Dutch Mennist background, or at least all traditional or conservative ones. ('Conservative' as in "following the traditional values and teachings of the Dutch Mennonite heritage".) As such, the list confines itself to the Swiss Brethren heritage. That is not necessarily bad, but I think it should be openly recognized. (We have, here in our county, a sort of 'college' that does the same, in this case, but the choice of name. Again, that's fine, but it DOES make those of my own heritage unwelcome.)

[Josh]

One further comment regarding the 'standards' for this list ('criteria'): Without clarification, the one on no remarriage, unless the so-called Matthew "exception clause" is applied, effectively excludes congregations or groups of the Dutch Mennist background, or at least all traditional or conservative ones. ('Conservative' as in "following the traditional values and teachings of the Dutch Mennonite heritage".) As such, the list confines itself to the Swiss Brethren heritage. That is not necessarily bad, but I think it should be openly recognized. (We have, here in our county, a sort of 'college' that does the same, in this case, but the choice of name. Again, that's fine, but it DOES make those of my own heritage unwelcome.)

It would be possible to clarify that this church index is restricted to "conservative" Swiss Brethren background congregations, and then have a separate search for "other" Anabaptists like Apostolic Christians, people from Dutch Mennonite backgrounds (Holdemans, Old Colonists and so forth), and so on. It might be useful to list non-English services as well - lots of people in America, English isn't their first language.

[Ernie]

....
My understanding is that most fellowships would be happy to have visitors, whether or not the visitor is already acclimated to their lifestyle choices. I think that's the reason ChurchIndex.org has the stipulation of "services conducted in English (or Spanish in certain areas of the USA)." he real dividing wall between a church that has services for it's own sake vs. a church that has services for it's own sake and for seekers is the language they conduct those services in. A horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in low German might be awkward to show up to in a car, but a horse-and-buggy fellowship that has services in English is generally happy to have visitors come in their cars.

I agree with your desire to have more information on each fellowship. There is already a wide diversity in here. And speaking as a seeker myself, I think many seekers would appreciate as much "what to expect" information as possible before making a visit.

The common meaning of the term "Low German" is as an English designation for Plautdietsch. Just want to ask if that is what is intended here. I am Plautdietsch myself, but have never heard of a service conducted solely in that language, High German was traditionally used in church, Plautdietsch being used only at home, and in the day to day life.

My wife & I are members in a congregation with Amish heritage, and so "Pennsylvania 'Dutch' " is sometimes used in the services, but just for a short remark, generally going untranslated. (High German is never used.) In the Amish services I've attended (funerals or weddings for my wife's family members), the ministers will preach in High German, with some mix of PA German. Occasionally a younger minister will preach in PA German, while reading Scripture in High German. Rarely, a message might be in English.

One further comment regarding the 'standards' for this list ('criteria'): Without clarification, the one on no remarriage, unless the so-called Matthew "exception clause" is applied, effectively excludes congregations or groups of the Dutch Mennist background, or at least all traditional or conservative ones. ('Conservative' as in "following the traditional values and teachings of the Dutch Mennonite heritage".) As such, the list confines itself to the Swiss Brethren heritage. That is not necessarily bad, but I think it should be openly recognized. (We have, here in our county, a sort of 'college' that does the same, in this case, but the choice of name. Again, that's fine, but it DOES make those of my own heritage unwelcome.)

As far as I know all Plain Anabaptists allow for divorce and remarrying in certain situations. They just draw the lines at different places. By keeping it somewhat vague, it applies to all those who do not allow it in at least some circumstances.