Pilgrim Mennonite Conference current events

[cooper]

I can't help but think the history of splits in Pilgrim have something to do with this decision. The founding congregations of Pilgrim were from the Lebanon district of EPMC. The founding congregations of Northeast were mostly in New York and northern PA.

[Biblical Anabaptist]

I'm curious what people see as the pros and cons of a larger versus smaller conference.

Also it seems to me that the more relevant metric is total number of members in the conference, rather than total number of churches.

An ordained man from the "Southern District" of Pilgrim told me he would sit in ministers' meetings where issues were being discussed, and he could not relate to the discussion because the issues they were facing were not the same as the issues being faced in other parts of the church. Where you have a conference with a large geographic footprint it is hard to make "one size fits all" directives.

[steve-in-kville]

Oh wow. I work with and do business with folks from PMC. Haven't heard a peep. But then, I don't ask either.

[Soloist]

Oh wow. I work with and do business with folks from PMC. Haven't heard a peep. But then, I don't ask either.

This is old news really. We’ve been talking about this for over a year.

[barnhart]

I'm curious what people see as the pros and cons of a larger versus smaller conference.

Also it seems to me that the more relevant metric is total number of members in the conference, rather than total number of churches.

An ordained man from the "Southern District" of Pilgrim told me he would sit in ministers' meetings where issues were being discussed, and he could not relate to the discussion because the issues they were facing were not the same as the issues being faced in other parts of the church. Where you have a conference with a large geographic footprint it is hard to make "one size fits all" directives.

I have sat in a BMA meeting thinking, "I hope not many from my congregation hear about this, because this issue hasn't come up and I hope it never does."

[Soloist]

I'm curious what people see as the pros and cons of a larger versus smaller conference.

Also it seems to me that the more relevant metric is total number of members in the conference, rather than total number of churches.

An ordained man from the "Southern District" of Pilgrim told me he would sit in ministers' meetings where issues were being discussed, and he could not relate to the discussion because the issues they were facing were not the same as the issues being faced in other parts of the church. Where you have a conference with a large geographic footprint it is hard to make "one size fits all" directives.

Wife: also, imagine getting anything done with 100 ministers in a room. They told us that by the end of the talks, just about everybody could understand the need for dividing the conference, and the vote was nearly unanimous. The way ministers meetings have been described to me, it takes forever just to get through anything (which might be great if you’re a sleeping preacher).

[Judas Maccabeus]

I'm curious what people see as the pros and cons of a larger versus smaller conference.

Also it seems to me that the more relevant metric is total number of members in the conference, rather than total number of churches.

An ordained man from the "Southern District" of Pilgrim told me he would sit in ministers' meetings where issues were being discussed, and he could not relate to the discussion because the issues they were facing were not the same as the issues being faced in other parts of the church. Where you have a conference with a large geographic footprint it is hard to make "one size fits all" directives.

Wife: also, imagine getting anything done with 100 ministers in a room. They told us that by the end of the talks, just about everybody could understand the need for dividing the conference, and the vote was nearly unanimous. The way ministers meetings have been described to me, it takes forever just to get through anything (which might be great if you’re a sleeping preacher).

Herding cats.

[seinetsodumm]

I'm curious what people see as the pros and cons of a larger versus smaller conference.

Also it seems to me that the more relevant metric is total number of members in the conference, rather than total number of churches.

An ordained man from the "Southern District" of Pilgrim told me he would sit in ministers' meetings where issues were being discussed, and he could not relate to the discussion because the issues they were facing were not the same as the issues being faced in other parts of the church. Where you have a conference with a large geographic footprint it is hard to make "one size fits all" directives.

Maybe BMA should learn from this.

[Heirbyadoption]

Oh wow. I work with and do business with folks from PMC. Haven't heard a peep. But then, I don't ask either.

This is old news really. We’ve been talking about this for over a year.

SO this actually IS on the table to possibly make a decision on this summer?

[Ernie]

My guess is it will become an informal fellowship of conferences who may end up sharing various agencies (mutual aid, missions, etc.)

Given the “issues” with a strict hierarchical conference model, this seems like a very good idea.

I expect the same.