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This thread is to give your impression on what is a main, perhaps the main, identifying topic for your church. Or where your church stands out amongst others in emphasizing an area of Christianity.

I'll begin.

In my Pentecostal upbringing it was being baptised in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

I'm not part of a denomination.

But in the kingdom Christian/Anabaptist faith tradition where I circulate, the emphasis is on "following Jesus".

Ernie wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:31 am I'm not part of a denomination.

But in the kingdom Christian/Anabaptist faith tradition where I circulate, the emphasis is on "following Jesus".

We should all be honest and say what our denomination is, even if our denomination doesn’t like to be called a denomination. My own church doesn’t and instead just wants to say it is the “church”. But other people claim it’s a denomination and call it one.

Likewise, most Christians would probably agree their main emphasis is on “following Jesus”. That is hardly distinctive.

Josh wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:33 am

Ernie wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:31 am I'm not part of a denomination.

But in the kingdom Christian/Anabaptist faith tradition where I circulate, the emphasis is on "following Jesus".

We should all be honest and say what our denomination is, even if our denomination doesn’t like to be called a denomination. My own church doesn’t and instead just wants to say it is the “church”. But other people claim it’s a denomination and call it one.

Likewise, most Christians would probably agree their main emphasis is on “following Jesus”. That is hardly distinctive.

I would agree that generally speaking many, if not most, Christian churches would say they emphasize "following Jesus".

When I was young, the main identifier of most Baptist churches I thought was their belief in 'eternal security'. Some emphasize the 5 TULIP points of Calvinism. Others see their most distinctive feature is water baptism by immersion which is not only followed by them (i.e. Pentecostals).

To me, the most distinctive feature of Conservative Anabaptists is their dress requirements.

Sudsy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 2:19 pm
To me, the most distinctive feature of Conservative Anabaptists is their dress requirements.

I would personally say

This thread is to give your impression on what is a main, perhaps the main, identifying topic for your church. Or where your church stands out amongst others in emphasizing an area of Christianity.

isn’t the Anabaptist dress requirements.
I would say that following the quoted, it would be nonresistance

Josh wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:33 am

Ernie wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:31 am I'm not part of a denomination.

But in the kingdom Christian/Anabaptist faith tradition where I circulate, the emphasis is on "following Jesus".

We should all be honest and say what our denomination is, even if our denomination doesn’t like to be called a denomination. My own church doesn’t and instead just wants to say it is the “church”. But other people claim it’s a denomination and call it one.

Likewise, most Christians would probably agree their main emphasis is on “following Jesus”. That is hardly distinctive.

Sort of like the name Mennonite. Sometimes we are given a label by others that is not of our own choosing, and it just sticks. Eventually, it almost becomes disingenuous to try to say that I am not a Mennonite. But hey, maybe its worth a try.

RZehr wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 3:50 pm

Josh wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:33 am

Ernie wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:31 am I'm not part of a denomination.

But in the kingdom Christian/Anabaptist faith tradition where I circulate, the emphasis is on "following Jesus".

We should all be honest and say what our denomination is, even if our denomination doesn’t like to be called a denomination. My own church doesn’t and instead just wants to say it is the “church”. But other people claim it’s a denomination and call it one.

Likewise, most Christians would probably agree their main emphasis is on “following Jesus”. That is hardly distinctive.

Sort of like the name Mennonite. Sometimes we are given a label by others that is not of our own choosing, and it just sticks. Eventually, it almost becomes disingenuous to try to say that I am not a Mennonite. But hey, maybe its worth a try.

Good luck. the Mormons keep insisting that they are not "Mormons" but that doesn't seem to be sticking either.

Ken wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:23 pm

RZehr wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 3:50 pm

Josh wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 11:33 am

We should all be honest and say what our denomination is, even if our denomination doesn’t like to be called a denomination. My own church doesn’t and instead just wants to say it is the “church”. But other people claim it’s a denomination and call it one.

Likewise, most Christians would probably agree their main emphasis is on “following Jesus”. That is hardly distinctive.

Sort of like the name Mennonite. Sometimes we are given a label by others that is not of our own choosing, and it just sticks. Eventually, it almost becomes disingenuous to try to say that I am not a Mennonite. But hey, maybe its worth a try.

Good luck. the Mormons keep insisting that they are not "Mormons" but that doesn't seem to be sticking either.

Case in point.

I am a member of an Anabaptist church and I would suggest the distinguishing feature of Anabaptistism to be it's doctrine of the kingdom of Jesus.

We push back hard on abortion and homosexuality.