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Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 11:01 am Hello.

In my search for Anabaptist churches, after many intentional months, I've found myself looking at "Christian Fellowship" churches. It was not easy!!! By the grace of God I came upon them through meeting people and hearing about these churches. But as you can guess, finding out about these churches is no easy task for a seeker. The name itself isn't very "Googleable", and they seem pretty averse to big denominational structures, so there isn't much of an umbrella organization with a website or any other accessible information. They are also averse to many labels, and don't like "Mennonite" as a label, but when pressed to define themselves, they have all offered the term "anabaptist" as a label. They cooperate with other Christian Fellowship churches and Mennonite churches, but this still doesn't make them easy to find.

Is this a good place to discuss these churches, help others find out more about them, and ask for information? Or should I start a new thread?

Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 11:01 am Hello.

In my search for Anabaptist churches, after many intentional months, I've found myself looking at "Christian Fellowship" churches. It was not easy!!! By the grace of God I came upon them through meeting people and hearing about these churches. But as you can guess, finding out about these churches is no easy task for a seeker. The name itself isn't very "Googleable", and they seem pretty averse to big denominational structures, so there isn't much of an umbrella organization with a website or any other accessible information. They are also averse to many labels, and don't like "Mennonite" as a label, but when pressed to define themselves, they have all offered the term "anabaptist" as a label. They cooperate with other Christian Fellowship churches and Mennonite churches, but this still doesn't make them easy to find.

Is this a good place to discuss these churches, help others find out more about them, and ask for information? Or should I start a new thread?

RZehr wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 12:36 pm

Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 11:01 am Hello.

In my search for Anabaptist churches, after many intentional months, I've found myself looking at "Christian Fellowship" churches. It was not easy!!! By the grace of God I came upon them through meeting people and hearing about these churches. But as you can guess, finding out about these churches is no easy task for a seeker. The name itself isn't very "Googleable", and they seem pretty averse to big denominational structures, so there isn't much of an umbrella organization with a website or any other accessible information. They are also averse to many labels, and don't like "Mennonite" as a label, but when pressed to define themselves, they have all offered the term "anabaptist" as a label. They cooperate with other Christian Fellowship churches and Mennonite churches, but this still doesn't make them easy to find.

Is this a good place to discuss these churches, help others find out more about them, and ask for information? Or should I start a new thread?

Are these ‘Christian Fellowship’ churches the same ones who are called ‘Fellowship’ churches? of the conservative Beachy flavor?

Josh wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 12:04 pm

Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 11:01 am Hello.

In my search for Anabaptist churches, after many intentional months, I've found myself looking at "Christian Fellowship" churches. It was not easy!!! By the grace of God I came upon them through meeting people and hearing about these churches. But as you can guess, finding out about these churches is no easy task for a seeker. The name itself isn't very "Googleable", and they seem pretty averse to big denominational structures, so there isn't much of an umbrella organization with a website or any other accessible information. They are also averse to many labels, and don't like "Mennonite" as a label, but when pressed to define themselves, they have all offered the term "anabaptist" as a label. They cooperate with other Christian Fellowship churches and Mennonite churches, but this still doesn't make them easy to find.

Is this a good place to discuss these churches, help others find out more about them, and ask for information? Or should I start a new thread?

There is a database of such churches (if you send me a PM, I’ll be glad to look them up for you). For various reasons some churches don’t want to be searchable online.

My church group has two churches in upstate NY: one near Ithaca and one farther north. You can find out more information by calling the Gospel Tracts office at (620) 345-2533.

Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 1:11 pm

Josh wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 12:04 pm

Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 11:01 am Hello.

In my search for Anabaptist churches, after many intentional months, I've found myself looking at "Christian Fellowship" churches. It was not easy!!! By the grace of God I came upon them through meeting people and hearing about these churches. But as you can guess, finding out about these churches is no easy task for a seeker. The name itself isn't very "Googleable", and they seem pretty averse to big denominational structures, so there isn't much of an umbrella organization with a website or any other accessible information. They are also averse to many labels, and don't like "Mennonite" as a label, but when pressed to define themselves, they have all offered the term "anabaptist" as a label. They cooperate with other Christian Fellowship churches and Mennonite churches, but this still doesn't make them easy to find.

Is this a good place to discuss these churches, help others find out more about them, and ask for information? Or should I start a new thread?

There is a database of such churches (if you send me a PM, I’ll be glad to look them up for you). For various reasons some churches don’t want to be searchable online.

My church group has two churches in upstate NY: one near Ithaca and one farther north. You can find out more information by calling the Gospel Tracts office at (620) 345-2533.

Your church group includes Christian Charity churches? I thought you were Holdeman?

Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 1:10 pm

RZehr wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 12:36 pm

Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 11:01 am Hello.

In my search for Anabaptist churches, after many intentional months, I've found myself looking at "Christian Fellowship" churches. It was not easy!!! By the grace of God I came upon them through meeting people and hearing about these churches. But as you can guess, finding out about these churches is no easy task for a seeker. The name itself isn't very "Googleable", and they seem pretty averse to big denominational structures, so there isn't much of an umbrella organization with a website or any other accessible information. They are also averse to many labels, and don't like "Mennonite" as a label, but when pressed to define themselves, they have all offered the term "anabaptist" as a label. They cooperate with other Christian Fellowship churches and Mennonite churches, but this still doesn't make them easy to find.

Is this a good place to discuss these churches, help others find out more about them, and ask for information? Or should I start a new thread?

Are these ‘Christian Fellowship’ churches the same ones who are called ‘Fellowship’ churches? of the conservative Beachy flavor?

No; I am fairly sure it's the remains of the church planting efforts of Charity Christian Fellowship, or the Charity movement, or whatever it is/was. But honestly, there isn't much continuity anymore between the Charity church/movement and these Christian Fellowship churches today.

I think David Bercot's church in south central PA is a Christian Fellowship church, but it's not guaranteed that there is a continuity/connection there either.

Josh wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 8:37 pm To add to the confusion, my nearest Beachy affiliate recently rebranded as "Mennonite Christian Fellowship", after formerly being called "Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship", yet they have nothing to do with the Mennonite Christian Fellowship denomination, which is a very conservative (black car) wing of Beachyism. Long ago, someone decided they should refuse to use the nearest town name because it's named after a goddess. (I remain puzzled why it couldn't just have been "East Rochester Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship" or "Bayard Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship" or "Chambersburg Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship".

Josh wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 8:37 pm ___ Christian Fellowship is basically the "brand" of Charity type of churches around here. Note that most of these, if asked, will tell you either "We aren't a Charity church" or "We aren't a typical Charity church".

To add to the confusion, my nearest Beachy affiliate recently rebranded as "Mennonite Christian Fellowship", after formerly being called "Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship", yet they have nothing to do with the Mennonite Christian Fellowship denomination, which is a very conservative (black car) wing of Beachyism. Long ago, someone decided they should refuse to use the nearest town name because it's named after a goddess. (I remain puzzled why it couldn't just have been "East Rochester Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship" or "Bayard Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship" or "Chambersburg Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship".

Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Wed Jul 05, 2023 8:21 am

Josh wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 8:37 pm ___ Christian Fellowship is basically the "brand" of Charity type of churches around here. Note that most of these, if asked, will tell you either "We aren't a Charity church" or "We aren't a typical Charity church".

To add to the confusion, my nearest Beachy affiliate recently rebranded as "Mennonite Christian Fellowship", after formerly being called "Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship", yet they have nothing to do with the Mennonite Christian Fellowship denomination, which is a very conservative (black car) wing of Beachyism. Long ago, someone decided they should refuse to use the nearest town name because it's named after a goddess. (I remain puzzled why it couldn't just have been "East Rochester Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship" or "Bayard Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship" or "Chambersburg Amish-Mennonite Christian Fellowship".

The churches I've visited called "(Town Name) Christian Fellowship" have tended to not like the labels "Mennonite" or "Amish", and would offer up "anabaptist" when pressed for a defining label, and offer up a loose historical affiliation to Charity when pressed harder.

So a Beachy church that says "Christian Fellowship" but maintains "Mennonites" or "Amish-Mennonite" in the name is something entirely different.