Why have the Anabaptists FAILED at Reaching the Masses

[Valerie]

Maybe because when you go to Anabaptist benefit auctions like we frequent, all you here is PA Deutsch?
You're sitting across the table from them and they speak as if they don't live in America let alone sedm like they're interested in getting to know you. So if one feels drawn to check out what these people's faith are about, they may feel challenged.

Benefit auctions aren't intended as evangelistic outreaches.

America is a country where more than just English is spoken.

My point is, you say ethnicity is not a stumbling block- but it just may be to some as they appear to want to stay to themselves

[Josh]

Maybe because when you go to Anabaptist benefit auctions like we frequent, all you here is PA Deutsch?
You're sitting across the table from them and they speak as if they don't live in America let alone sedm like they're interested in getting to know you. So if one feels drawn to check out what these people's faith are about, they may feel challenged.

Benefit auctions aren't intended as evangelistic outreaches.

America is a country where more than just English is spoken.

My point is, you say ethnicity is not a stumbling block- but it just may be to some as they appear to want to stay to themselves

Now imagine how immigrants and other minority groups feel in America when they try to do, well, anything.

[Sudsy]

If we are talking about Christians joining a CA church and not unbelievers getting saved in an Anabaptist church, then my guess is the number one obstacle is the ethnic issue. In our area the ethnic issue is the most obvious and very few get beyond that except in those Anabaptist groups that especially focus on reaching others with the Gospel outside their ethnicity. We have two amongst many in our area and are closely associated with evangelicals and would not be regarded as CAs.

Some are holding unto a church name that includes 'Mennonite' and that in itself chases off many seekers of other ethnicities. As I mention before the MB church I attended, to work on this ethnic issue have changed their name from 'Mennonite Brethren' to 'Meadow Brook Church' short formed as 'MBC'.

That church still have a slight majority of the same ethnicity but over the past several years have reached the unsaved of various backgrounds and made them comfortable as the same as everyone. Last 3 pastors were selected from other ethnic backgrounds. This required special effort to play down anything ethnic to 'reach the masses'.

Sudsy, hundreds of Anabaptist churches have changed themselves to names like Sunny Glade Christian Fellowship, etc. - it makes almost no difference.

I'm not sure why people keep on bringing up ethnic background as some kind of stumbling block. Everyone has an ethnic background. A friend of mine became Catholic and felt uncomfortable in a suburban parish, mostly composed of people from a similar suburban background. He now feels at rest and content in a highly ethnic Romanian parish. He and his wife aren't Romanian but feel at ease there.

Yes, some have changed their names and that, imo, is one of many changes that can help in reaching out to all ethnicities. It isn't a matter of 'everyone has an ethnic background' but most everyone in many Mennonite churches are from the same ethnic background.

I recall my first Sunday visit to our local MB church years ago. My first introductions to people and they quickly wanted to know how my last name could possibly have Mennonite background. When I said it doesn't they looked at me like 'so why are you here ?' I was warned about this before hand so I was prepared for that question.

I was told this is called the 'Mennonite Game' and here is a song regarding it -

This reminds me of the Jewish believers in the NT and the struggle some had of accepting the Gentile believers.

[Ernie]

I'm not sure why people keep on bringing up ethnic background as some kind of stumbling block. Everyone has an ethnic background. A friend of mine became Catholic and felt uncomfortable in a suburban parish, mostly composed of people from a similar suburban background. He now feels at rest and content in a highly ethnic Romanian parish. He and his wife aren't Romanian but feel at ease there.

Just because a few friends don't find the ethnic thing a barrier doesn't mean that it isn't an issue for most people. For every person who does not find the ethnic matter an issue, there are 999 or 9999 or 99,999 who do.

[Ken]

I'm not sure why people keep on bringing up ethnic background as some kind of stumbling block. Everyone has an ethnic background. A friend of mine became Catholic and felt uncomfortable in a suburban parish, mostly composed of people from a similar suburban background. He now feels at rest and content in a highly ethnic Romanian parish. He and his wife aren't Romanian but feel at ease there.

Just because a few friends don't find the ethnic thing a barrier doesn't mean that it isn't an issue for most people. For every person who does not find the ethnic matter an issue, there are 999 or 9999 or 99,999 who do.

When my mother-in-law visits from Chile we often take her to the local Catholic mass. We made the mistake once in Texas of taking her to the local Spanish language mass. Big mistake. As an upper-class Chilean she has nothing in common with what were poor Mexican and Central American immigrants. With all the little kids running about. She wanted to go to the English mass with the proper old American Catholic ladies of Italian, Polish, German, etc. ancestry. Not immigrants. She made that very clear. They don’t even speak “proper Castillano (Castillian Spanish).

[Josh]

I'm not sure why people keep on bringing up ethnic background as some kind of stumbling block. Everyone has an ethnic background. A friend of mine became Catholic and felt uncomfortable in a suburban parish, mostly composed of people from a similar suburban background. He now feels at rest and content in a highly ethnic Romanian parish. He and his wife aren't Romanian but feel at ease there.

Just because a few friends don't find the ethnic thing a barrier doesn't mean that it isn't an issue for most people. For every person who does not find the ethnic matter an issue, there are 999 or 9999 or 99,999 who do.

I can understand that many people prefer to do things with their own ethnic group. However, there are some ethnic groups that don't have much (or any) of an Anabaptist population, which means someone seeking to follow the Lord thus will have to realise they need to give up the earthly, worldly desire to only be around people of their own ethnic group.

[mrbilliam]

I'm not sure why people keep on bringing up ethnic background as some kind of stumbling block. Everyone has an ethnic background. A friend of mine became Catholic and felt uncomfortable in a suburban parish, mostly composed of people from a similar suburban background. He now feels at rest and content in a highly ethnic Romanian parish. He and his wife aren't Romanian but feel at ease there.

Just because a few friends don't find the ethnic thing a barrier doesn't mean that it isn't an issue for most people. For every person who does not find the ethnic matter an issue, there are 999 or 9999 or 99,999 who do.

I can understand that many people prefer to do things with their own ethnic group. However, there are some ethnic groups that don't have much (or any) of an Anabaptist population, which means someone seeking to follow the Lord thus will have to realise they need to give up the earthly, worldly desire to only be around people of their own ethnic group.

Yes. We have to give up the isolated culture and allow Anabaptism to spread.

I can sit in 10,000 brother's meetings. We can discuss anything from how to part your hair, suspenders, and shoe color.... We'll make it a "church standard" or "ordnung".

Yet I've never seen a church standard that said
1) Because of Matthew 28's Great Commission, All brothers must go tell a new person every single week about Jesus Christ, your faith, and your church.

If this was followed like cape dresses are for the ladies or Black vehicles for Eastern PA conference, the Anabaptist faith would be all over the planet with multitudes of churches in every city.

What we have is internal cultural refinement and re-refinement. It's a inclusive club in a sense, with rules and bylaws. Of course the gospel matters but just not certain verses that don't fit the culture and way of life.

[RZehr]

With your talk about brethren’s meetings and the frustration with the church, I am just curious how many churches that you have been a part of?

[Ernie]

Yes. We have to give up the isolated culture and allow Anabaptism to spread.

I can sit in 10,000 brother's meetings. We can discuss anything from how to part your hair, suspenders, and shoe color.... We'll make it a "church standard" or "ordnung".

Yet I've never seen a church standard that said
1) Because of Matthew 28's Great Commission, All brothers must go tell a new person every single week about Jesus Christ, your faith, and your church.

If this was followed like cape dresses are for the ladies or Black vehicles for Eastern PA conference, the Anabaptist faith would be all over the planet with multitudes of churches in every city.

What we have is internal cultural refinement and re-refinement. It's a inclusive club in a sense, with rules and bylaws. Of course the gospel matters but just not certain verses that don't fit the culture and way of life.

While much of what you say has some truth in it, and I think Plain Anabaptists should be more interested in outreach, the reason that you know Plain Anabaptists, and associate with Plain Anabaptists, is because... well... they have stayed ethnically connected as a group. If they didn't do this, they would be like all the other non-plain Anabaptists, and you would need to go to other denominations or other countries to find the sorts of things you like about Plain Anabaptists. Strengths have their accompanying weaknesses. It's a package. Like it or lump it. That is what I eventually concluded many years ago.

[sojourner]

If this was followed like cape dresses are for the ladies or Black vehicles for Eastern PA conference, the Anabaptist faith would be all over the planet with multitudes of churches in every city.

Well I don't see black vehicles for Eastern's being followed very closely at all.
In my youth for a short period I attended an Eastern church. Very few black vehicles were in the parking lot.
Possibly you are confusing black vehicle requirements with some other group.