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Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:22 pm
by steve-in-kville
Josh's quote made me question this.
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".
Lancaster County is the same way. They look and act like Charity, but they claim they are not.
Please expound. I may chime in later with some thoughts.
Re: Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:31 pm
by Soloist
Well it really depends on who is defining it again.
We called the church we attended to be a charity church, but it was quite conservative.
There is a new fellowship that they are part of which would be the conservative “charity” if they even could be called that at this point.
They wore veils and had church standards. What do I know
Re: Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:35 pm
by Ernie
I don't think there ever was a Charity Church other than Charity Christian Fellowship in Leola. Anybody who wanted to affiliate with them could and did and some referred to themselves as "part of the Charity churches". Over the time that Charity imploded about 15-20 years ago or so, some congregations quit identifying as such.
Today, some still call themselves "part of the charity churches", some say they related to Charity churches but other groups as well, and some have basically severed ties and call themselves Agape Fellowship.
Agape Fellowship is similar to other Anabaptist fellowships in that there are specific things you need to be supportive of and on board with, in order to join the fellowship.
My understanding but stand to be corrected...
Re: Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:37 pm
by Josh
steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:22 pm
Josh's quote made me question this.
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".
Lancaster County is the same way. They look and act like Charity, but they claim they are not.
Please expound. I may chime in later with some thoughts.
I’d like to hear others as well.
Charity Christian Fellowship still exists.
There are numerous Charity type of churches near me. One can quickly see with whom they affiliated.
For example, Berea in Leetonia, Ohio would affiliate with Finger
One Charity church actually joined BMA.
Grace Christian Fellowship, Lisbon, Ohio would be aligned with River of Life, Shreve, Ohio
A new one has popped up that is more conservative (I don’t know it’s name yet)
In my own circles we call these people “doily people”.
Re: Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:39 pm
by steve-in-kville
Ernie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:35 pm
I don't think there ever was a Charity Church other than Charity Christian Fellowship in Leola. Anybody who wanted to affiliate with them could and did and some referred to themselves as "part of the Charity churches". Over the time that Charity imploded about 15-20 years ago or so, some congregations quit identifying as such.
Today, some still call themselves "part of the charity churches", some say they related to Charity churches but other groups as well, and some have basically severed ties and call themselves Agape Fellowship.
Agape Fellowship is similar to other Anabaptist fellowships in that there are specific things you need to be supportive of and on board with, in order to join the fellowship.
My understanding but stand to be corrected...
This was the impression I had. We have Harmony Christian Fellowship in our area and they split the church a few years ago due to size. Oasis, maybe? Anyway, I am unsure if they affiliate with anyone any more.
Re: Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:55 pm
by Soloist
Ernie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:35 pm
I don't think there ever was a Charity Church other than Charity Christian Fellowship in Leola. Anybody who wanted to affiliate with them could and did and some referred to themselves as "part of the Charity churches". Over the time that Charity imploded about 15-20 years ago or so, some congregations quit identifying as such.
Today, some still call themselves "part of the charity churches", some say they related to Charity churches but other groups as well, and some have basically severed ties and call themselves Agape Fellowship.
Agape Fellowship is similar to other Anabaptist fellowships in that there are specific things you need to be supportive of and on board with, in order to join the fellowship.
My understanding but stand to be corrected...
I can never remember the group’s name. I think you are right.
Re: Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:02 pm
by Ernie
steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:39 pm
Ernie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:35 pm
I don't think there ever was a Charity Church other than Charity Christian Fellowship in Leola. Anybody who wanted to affiliate with them could and did and some referred to themselves as "part of the Charity churches". Over the time that Charity imploded about 15-20 years ago or so, some congregations quit identifying as such.
Today, some still call themselves "part of the charity churches", some say they related to Charity churches but other groups as well, and some have basically severed ties and call themselves Agape Fellowship.
Agape Fellowship is similar to other Anabaptist fellowships in that there are specific things you need to be supportive of and on board with, in order to join the fellowship.
My understanding but stand to be corrected...
This was the impression I had. We have Harmony Christian Fellowship in our area and they split the church a few years ago due to size. Oasis, maybe? Anyway, I am unsure if they affiliate with anyone any more.
Harmony, Oasis, and Living Hope are all Agape I think.
Re: Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:07 pm
by Ernie
Ernie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:35 pm Over the time that Charity imploded about 15-20 years ago or so...
I should have said, Over the time that "the Charity movement" imploded... I'm not sure what actually happened at Charity Leola.
Re: Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:11 pm
by Josh
Ernie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:07 pm
Ernie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:35 pm Over the time that Charity imploded about 15-20 years ago or so...
I should have said, Over the time that "the Charity movement" imploded... I'm not sure what actually happened at Charity Leola.
It split into Charity CF and Ephrata CF. I only know people nowadays who would attend the latter.
Overall, the Charity movement now is similar to the liberal end of RNC - it seems to accommodate people with last names of Yoder who wish to abandon coverings, have women wear pants, vote, carry firearms, etc. but don’t want to have women preachers.
Interestingly the more liberal Beachy congregations around here have women wearing tiny doily type coverings almost identical to what was in vogue in CMC a decade or two ago. Which begs the question of why not just affiliate with RNC already instead of forming the new ADC organisation.
Re: Does the "Charity Church" really exist anymore?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2023 11:32 am
by Dan Z
Josh wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:11 pm
Ernie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 5:07 pm
Ernie wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 3:35 pm Over the time that Charity imploded about 15-20 years ago or so...
I should have said, Over the time that "the Charity movement" imploded... I'm not sure what actually happened at Charity Leola.
It split into Charity CF and Ephrata CF. I only know people nowadays who would attend the latter.
Overall, the Charity movement now is similar to the liberal end of RNC - it seems to accommodate people with last names of Yoder who wish to abandon coverings, have women wear pants, vote, carry firearms, etc. but don’t want to have women preachers.
Interestingly the more liberal Beachy congregations around here have women wearing tiny doily type coverings almost identical to what was in vogue in CMC a decade or two ago. Which begs the question of why not just affiliate with RNC already instead of forming the new ADC organisation.
What is RNC?
I've been disconnected with the Charity Movement for about 10 years now, but had regular contact with them for about 20 years prior (including attending Charity in Leola for a while), and I never remember Charity churches being defined by "abandoning coverings, women wearing pants, voting, carrying firearms, etc." If this is true it is a radical shift in direction, since the movement historically stood pretty strongly against most of these things.