Disciplined Church Life

[mike]

Maybe my family is weird and unique and this sort of thing isn't representative of other families and churches. I have no idea honestly. But it does color my experience. We also had a lot of weird and intense COVID-related family drama but that is a whole other story.

Yea that helps to explain where you're coming from. That's not the way Christians ought to behave.

It is also why I found this forum and then stuck around few years ago. Not the LGBT thing specifically. But to get a better sense of where some of my family is coming from. Like, for example, why some of my CMC cousins are such complete gun nuts*. Since it is really hard or impossible to have these discussions in real life. And I have learned a tremendous amount here that I would never have really understood in any other way.

Interesting. Thanks for posting this. Even though I disagree with you on a lot of things, there are areas of agreement, and I've learned some things from you as well.

[steve-in-kville]

Indeed. I can’t think of very many Mennonite families where what Ken described is remotely the norm, and that includes families I know who are spread between FEC, MC USA, CMC, and the more conservative groups.

What is FEC? I'm not familiar with that one.

[HondurasKeiser]

Indeed. I can’t think of very many Mennonite families where what Ken described is remotely the norm, and that includes families I know who are spread between FEC, MC USA, CMC, and the more conservative groups.

What is FEC? I'm not familiar with that one.

Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, formerly Evangelical Mennonite Church also know as the Defenseless Mennonite Church and the Egly Amish. There's not much that's Mennonite or Amish left in that group I am afraid.

[Josh]

Indeed. I can’t think of very many Mennonite families where what Ken described is remotely the norm, and that includes families I know who are spread between FEC, MC USA, CMC, and the more conservative groups.

What is FEC? I'm not familiar with that one.

My former MC USA church left the Ohio Conference and joined FEC a year later. One of the more interesting changes with going to FEC was a stronger emphasis required on pacifism and restoring footwashing. (This was a church where the youth pastor got up and talked in church about how he conceal carries after he got mugged in a nearby city.)

[ohio jones]

For a more complete history of the FEC, refer to the 2016 MQR article (PDF). The suggestion therein is that absorbing evermore previously-MCUSA congregations may steer the FEC in a more Mennonite direction. I haven't observed that yet, but my frame of reference is the older, larger, established FEC churches in my area. Some of which have lobby displays of their members who are in the military.

[steve-in-kville]

Indeed. I can’t think of very many Mennonite families where what Ken described is remotely the norm, and that includes families I know who are spread between FEC, MC USA, CMC, and the more conservative groups.

What is FEC? I'm not familiar with that one.

Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, formerly Evangelical Mennonite Church also know as the Defenseless Mennonite Church and the Egly Amish. There's not much that's Mennonite or Amish left in that group I am afraid.

Thank you. I never heard about them until now.

[Neto]

What is FEC? I'm not familiar with that one.

Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, formerly Evangelical Mennonite Church also know as the Defenseless Mennonite Church and the Egly Amish. There's not much that's Mennonite or Amish left in that group I am afraid.

Thank you. I never heard about them until now.

HK,
What is their heritage or ethnic background? I've heard of them before, and knew a guy from Bible Institute who was Evangelical Mennonite Church background (back in 1974-75 school year), but I guess I wasn't curious enough at the time to ask him any questions. (I don't remember his name at all anymore, so I don't know his surnane, either.) There weren't any of these congregation in the area where I grew up (N.E Oklahoma); this guy was from Minnesota, as I recall.

There is (was?) also a group called Evangelical Mennonite Brethren, so I assumed that both groups were from Dutch Mennonite heritage. I really know nothing about either group.

[ohio jones]

The originator of the FEC group, Henry Egly, was of Swiss Amish background. I think most of the older churches are generally of that origin. The EMB does appear to have Dutch/Russian roots.

The names get a little confusing because they are so similar:
Defenseless Mennonite Church became Evangelical Mennonite Church and is now Fellowship of Evangelical Churches
Defenceless Mennonite Brethren in Christ became Evangelical Mennonite Brethren and is now Fellowship of Evangelical Bible Churches

[Ken]

The originator of the FEC group, Henry Egly, was of Swiss Amish background. I think most of the older churches are generally of that origin. The EMB does appear to have Dutch/Russian roots.

The names get a little confusing because they are so similar:
Defenseless Mennonite Church became Evangelical Mennonite Church and is now Fellowship of Evangelical Churches
Defenceless Mennonite Brethren in Christ became Evangelical Mennonite Brethren and is now Fellowship of Evangelical Bible Churches

What is the actual meaning of the word "Defenseless" in this context?

[ohio jones]

What is the actual meaning of the word "Defenseless" in this context?

Nonresistant