Old Order River Brethren

[MaxPC]

Are the OORB still in existence? Are they growing?

[Ernie]

1. There are four congregations who commune with each other. Two in PA, one in WV, and one in Iowa. (a single brother and sister from one of these churches work with us and ate supper at our house last evening so they definitely still exist. )

2. There is another more conservative congregation in PA that does not use internet.

3. And then there is on Old Order horse and buggy congregation in Kansas.

As far as I know, the first two are growing slowly.

[steve-in-kville]

1. There are four congregations who commune with each other. Two in PA, one in WV, and one in Iowa. (a single brother and sister from one of these churches work with us and ate supper at our house last evening so they definitely still exist. )

2. There is another more conservative congregation in PA that does not use internet.

3. And then there is on Old Order horse and buggy congregation in Kansas.

As far as I know, the first two are growing slowly.

I want to say there is one in Carlisle.

Ernie is right. Since I've been aware, they never really had explosive growth like other groups have in the past. Typically when other like-minded groups melt down, the others absolve those families.

[Ernie]

I want to say there is one in Carlisle.

There is one near Mt. Joy and two near Chambersburg. If you want to visit one, some of us plan to be giving a LifeQuest Community presentation at 7:00 PM at the Lemasters meeting house near Chambersburg on January 29.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Order_River_Brethren

https://lifeq.org/our-staff/

[Ernie]

One of the reasons this church grew slowly in the past was due to a lack of unified teaching and cohesiveness. They tolerated some rather bizarre behaviors in decades past "shouters" and they tended to be rather exclusive. Today the 4 congregrations that work together are becoming more mainstream conservative Anabaptist and they share pulpits with a wide variety of conservative Anabaptists.

Another reason for slow growth is that OORB did not try to put their people on a guilt trip for going to a different church than the one they grew up at. So, anyone wanting to go to a different church could do so with few repercussions. This happens in progressive-conservative churches as well, but progressive-conservatives do not ask their people to dress as old-fashioned.

[Heirbyadoption]

One of the reasons this church grew slowly in the past was due to a lack of unified teaching and cohesiveness. They tolerated some rather bizarre behaviors in decades past "shouters" and they tended to be rather exclusive. Today the 4 congregrations that work together are becoming more mainstream conservative Anabaptist and they share pulpits with a wide variety of conservative Anabaptists.

Another reason for slow growth is that OORB did not try to put their people on a guilt trip for going to a different church than the one they grew up at. So, anyone wanting to go to a different church could do so with few repercussions. This happens in progressive-conservative churches as well, but progressive-conservatives do not ask their people to dress as old-fashioned.

Ernie - I guess I've never asked any of them when we've attended with them, but do they have any formal written standard of practice and/or doctrine at this point? We grew up hearing them referred to as OGBBs without a Minute Book, but their unity of practice is pretty tight for not having anything in writing (although I suppose being a smaller size of group could explain it too)...

[Ernie]

One of the reasons this church grew slowly in the past was due to a lack of unified teaching and cohesiveness. They tolerated some rather bizarre behaviors in decades past "shouters" and they tended to be rather exclusive. Today the 4 congregrations that work together are becoming more mainstream conservative Anabaptist and they share pulpits with a wide variety of conservative Anabaptists.

Another reason for slow growth is that OORB did not try to put their people on a guilt trip for going to a different church than the one they grew up at. So, anyone wanting to go to a different church could do so with few repercussions. This happens in progressive-conservative churches as well, but progressive-conservatives do not ask their people to dress as old-fashioned.

Ernie - I guess I've never asked any of them when we've attended with them, but do they have any formal written standard of practice and/or doctrine at this point? We grew up hearing them referred to as OGBBs without a Minute Book, but their unity of practice is pretty tight for not having anything in writing (although I suppose being a smaller size of group could explain it too)...

I don't know but I can ask.

[Biblical Anabaptist]

One of the reasons this church grew slowly in the past was due to a lack of unified teaching and cohesiveness. They tolerated some rather bizarre behaviors in decades past "shouters" and they tended to be rather exclusive. Today the 4 congregrations that work together are becoming more mainstream conservative Anabaptist and they share pulpits with a wide variety of conservative Anabaptists.

Another reason for slow growth is that OORB did not try to put their people on a guilt trip for going to a different church than the one they grew up at. So, anyone wanting to go to a different church could do so with few repercussions. This happens in progressive-conservative churches as well, but progressive-conservatives do not ask their people to dress as old-fashioned.

Ernie - I guess I've never asked any of them when we've attended with them, but do they have any formal written standard of practice and/or doctrine at this point? We grew up hearing them referred to as OGBBs without a Minute Book, but their unity of practice is pretty tight for not having anything in writing (although I suppose being a smaller size of group could explain it too)...

I was at one of their meetings some years ago. They have a testimony time in their service. One young man giving testimony said someone had said to him about their many rules. He said he had never seen any written rules.

As to growth, the person who works with you, Ernie, told me some years ago that 10% of their members are from non-Anabaptist background. I believe there are few, if any, conservative Anabaptist churches that could claim that percentage.

When I was a boy (probably 55 years ago) I went with my parents to visit a love feast. I remember Myron Deitz giving testimony that day. He said as he looked around the tables that day, he didn't think there was anyone under 40 there. That has changed. They now seem to have a decent amount of young people who are members.

[steve-in-kville]

As to growth, the person who works with you, Ernie, told me some years ago that 10% of their members are from non-Anabaptist background. I believe there are few, if any, conservative Anabaptist churches that could claim that percentage.

And then there is Charity....

[Josh]

As to growth, the person who works with you, Ernie, told me some years ago that 10% of their members are from non-Anabaptist background. I believe there are few, if any, conservative Anabaptist churches that could claim that percentage.

And then there is Charity....

0%?