Church Outreach

[Ken]

If they were rife with flaws and heresies one can only speculate as to the state of all the others…

I expect she had things to say about the one we attended too She was never at a loss for opinions.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

That’s probably where I got it. At least I didn’t get my grandfather’s rigid doctrinaire conservatism! Anyway, back to your discussion. I think this is an interesting topic.

[MaxPC]

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

[steve-in-kville]

If they were rife with flaws and heresies one can only speculate as to the state of all the others…

I expect she had things to say about the one we attended too She was never at a loss for opinions.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

Easy there

Someone dug up the history on my paternal grandmother's side of the family. She died when I was quite young. She was described as being "socially, religiously and politically opiniated." Makes me chuckle a bit, as my dad can be likewise, and I can be, too, if I allow myself.

[steve-in-kville]

Is it only Menno or plain Menno churches that practice this sort of territorial exclusivity?

For example, just out of curiosity I google mapped Lutheran churches and found 21 of them within about a 20 minute radius of my house. So it's obviously not something the Lutherans do.

Out of pure curiosity, I googled local churches close to me, all within 15 minutes of my house. Of the Anabaptist sort:

1 Charity
3 Horning
1 KMF
1 BMA (maybe 2?)
1 Mid-Atlantic (maybe more?)
2 COB (current or former)
1 Nationwide
1 Hope Fellowship
3 Amish districts
As well as all the Grandpa Detweiler's Five & Dime Bible Fellowships (no rules- just right!) that I am forgetting about.

If we expand the list to 30 minutes, I could double the list and add PMC, EPMC, and all the in-between splits.

[RZehr]

What is a Grandpa Detweiler's Five & Dime Bible Fellowship?

[steve-in-kville]

What is a Grandpa Detweiler's Five & Dime Bible Fellowship?

Its a generic term I use (half serious, half in jest) for little one or two family "fellowships" that can't get along with anyone else. They want it to be just like wherever they broke away from, but perfect. Typically, they don't last long.

For example, going back some years, there were a few families among the EPMC crowd that wanted to homeschool and lashed out at the organized church school. They hopped around the Charity circles and various independents and tended to kick up dust at each one. Eventually a few families got together and were meeting in a garage somewhere.

Not sure where any of those people are anymore...