Menfolk: Your church's standards on facial hair?

[Biblical Anabaptist]

I knew of one EPMC man that had a beard.

Dennis, or Ronald?

Sam also had one because he came from the Amish

[mike]

The rule in some Mennonite churches against facial hair (whether against all facial hair or against the mustache) is one of the least supportable rules that we have in my view. It does not make biblical sense and it is not logical. Many of our rules, while not being the only right way to apply a biblical principle, are indeed ways to apply something the scripture says. Rules against facial hair not only do not serve to apply any biblical principle, they violate the principle of God's creation of man and his uniquely masculine features.

The other Sunday we had a sermon against feminism, in which we heard how bad were all of modern society's efforts to blur the lines between the genders, switch the roles, mimic the characteristics of the other, and etc. And yet most of the men in our church's conference engage in the common effeminate practice of going clean-shaven. It doesn't make sense to me, and the excuses that are made for the tradition don't hold water in my opinion.

I don't have a strong basis for saying men can't be clean-shaven other than that it is an essentially effeminate practice. But I feel there are no valid grounds for the church to forbid facial hair.

[Soloist]

The rule in some Mennonite churches against facial hair (whether against all facial hair or against the mustache) is one of the least supportable rules that we have in my view. It does not make biblical sense and it is not logical. Many of our rules, while not being the only right way to apply a biblical principle, are indeed ways to apply something the scripture says. Rules against facial hair not only do not serve to apply any biblical principle, they violate the principle of God's creation of man and his uniquely masculine features.

The other Sunday we had a sermon against feminism, in which we heard how bad were all of modern society's efforts to blur the lines between the genders, switch the roles, mimic the characteristics of the other, and etc. And yet most of the men in our church's conference engage in the common effeminate practice of going clean-shaven. It doesn't make sense to me, and the excuses that are made for the tradition don't hold water in my opinion.

I don't have a strong basis for saying men can't be clean-shaven other than that it is an essentially effeminate practice. But I feel there are no valid grounds for the church to forbid facial hair.

Wife: I'm obviously not qualified to talk on this subject, but Sim Yoder had a pretty decent sermon on this when he visited a beachy church.

[barnhart]

None.

[mike]

Wife: I'm obviously not qualified to talk on this subject, but Sim Yoder had a pretty decent sermon on this when he visited a beachy church.

I believe I may have that sermon. Someone forwarded it to me, and it was very well done.

By the way, I don’t see why you wouldn’t be qualified to talk about this topic.

[Ernie]

No standards. If someone did their hair to be stylish or cool, someone would likely talk to them.

[ohio jones]

My church has none. One of our former overseers, Walter Beachy, talks about a conversation he had with a minister from another community:

Before they became a part of BMA, he said to me one day, "If you guys would just take a position against facial hair and musical instruments, we would join in a moment." I said, "If you would explain to us from the Bible why we should, we would do it." And he never did.

[Swiss Bro]

My church was part of the mustachio tolerating ACC congregations in the big split around 1910 (in the US, that would become the Nazareans). It seems that for a time after the split, most men from this side actually grew mustachios to clearly distinguish themselves from the „other side“. Today, there is no policy and I mostly shave for church.

[steve-in-kville]

No standards. If someone did their hair to be stylish or cool, someone would likely talk to them.

Trying to be stylish or cool at my age? Not gonna happen.

[steve-in-kville]

I knew of one EPMC man that had a beard.

Dennis, or Ronald?

Last name of Herr. Unfortunately he was killed some years ago while walking down a busy highway near my old stomping grounds. I knew his grandson (?) at the time.