Christian communities: common purse, Hutterites, all things in common, etc.

[Praxis+Theodicy]

I'd like to bump this topic back up to ask if anyone knows of any intentional communities in the conservative Anabaptist sphere, particularly Mennonite or closely related. I know about Hutterite and Bruderhof communities. I also know of Reba House in Chicago, but they are MCUSA affiliated, more liberal and less biblical by my own personal taste. A similar experiment in Chicago is Jesus People USA, but they are affiliated with Evangelical Covenant Church, not an anabaptist denomination.

[Josh]

I'd like to bump this topic back up to ask if anyone knows of any intentional communities in the conservative Anabaptist sphere, particularly Mennonite or closely related. I know about Hutterite and Bruderhof communities. I also know of Reba House in Chicago, but they are MCUSA affiliated, more liberal and less biblical by my own personal taste. A similar experiment in Chicago is Jesus People USA, but they are affiliated with Evangelical Covenant Church, not an anabaptist denomination.

You should look into the Caneyville Christian Community (or what’s left of it), the Common Brethren Community in Dayton, Ohio (which last I heard had merged with Caneyville), and the Delano type of Hoover Mennonites who are near Athens, TN.

If you’d like to get in touch please PM me.

[MaxPC]

I'd like to bump this topic back up to ask if anyone knows of any intentional communities in the conservative Anabaptist sphere, particularly Mennonite or closely related. I know about Hutterite and Bruderhof communities. I also know of Reba House in Chicago, but they are MCUSA affiliated, more liberal and less biblical by my own personal taste. A similar experiment in Chicago is Jesus People USA, but they are affiliated with Evangelical Covenant Church, not an anabaptist denomination.

You should look into the Caneyville Christian Community (or what’s left of it), the Common Brethren Community in Dayton, Ohio (which last I heard had merged with Caneyville), and the Delano type of Hoover Mennonites who are near Athens, TN.

If you’d like to get in touch please PM me.

I do not know if it would fit P&Ts preferences but there is that community in Waco, Texas called Homestead Heritage.

There have been a few Hutterian type communities that are no longer in communion with the Hutterites. One such would be the Fort Pitt Farms Christian Community.

[Josh]

I do not know if it would fit P&Ts preferences but there is that community in Waco, Texas called Homestead Heritage.

Good call, Max - that particular community is interesting (they attended AIC once, where I got to meet some of them). Their standards do meet any reasonable definition of "Anabaptist".

There have been a few Hutterian type communities that are no longer in communion with the Hutterites. One such would be the Fort Pitt Farms Christian Community.

The Christian Communities are effectively their own leut, consisting of Altona, Elmendorf, Grand River, the group in Tasmania that moved to Paraguary (I do not know what their new name is), Fort Pitt, and a neighbouring community to Fort Pitt (which may be shut down by now). In the Hutterite directory they are listed on the last page under "Independent colonies".

Like most other moderate-conservative Anabaptist groups, this particular group has been undergoing rapid change including a loss of young people who choose the world.

[Ken]

Good call, Max - that particular community is interesting (they attended AIC once, where I got to meet some of them). Their standards do meet any reasonable definition of "Anabaptist".

They are pretty open about their statement of faith and beliefs: https://www.homesteadheritage.com/beliefs/

I've visited them perhaps a dozen times over the years, mostly for their Thanksgiving fairs and for their cheese and bread shop. They aren't really my cup of tea but I didn't find them much different from any more traditional plain Anabaptist groups that I've been familiar with. But I also haven't dived deep into their beliefs.

[MaxPC]

I do not know if it would fit P&Ts preferences but there is that community in Waco, Texas called Homestead Heritage.

Good call, Max - that particular community is interesting (they attended AIC once, where I got to meet some of them). Their standards do meet any reasonable definition of "Anabaptist".

That is good to know. I agree, they do seem to meet many of the reasonable definitions that have been mentioned on MN. Waco is one of those population growth areas as well. If you like warm climate, that is the place to be.

There have been a few Hutterian type communities that are no longer in communion with the Hutterites. One such would be the Fort Pitt Farms Christian Community.

The Christian Communities are effectively their own leut, consisting of Altona, Elmendorf, Grand River, the group in Tasmania that moved to Paraguary (I do not know what their new name is), Fort Pitt, and a neighbouring community to Fort Pitt (which may be shut down by now). In the Hutterite directory they are listed on the last page under "Independent colonies".

Like most other moderate-conservative Anabaptist groups, this particular group has been undergoing rapid change including a loss of young people who choose the world.

I am sorry to hear of that separation of the Schmiedeleut. I went to the Hutterite website and it appears that some progress has been made in reconciliation but they are still not quite there yet.

[ken_sylvania]

Good call, Max - that particular community is interesting (they attended AIC once, where I got to meet some of them). Their standards do meet any reasonable definition of "Anabaptist".

How so? They are pretty open about their statement of faith and beliefs. What is it about these standards do you find "do not meet any reasonable definition of anabaptist." They are right here: https://www.homesteadheritage.com/beliefs/

I've visited them perhaps a dozen times over the years, mostly for their Thanksgiving fairs and for their cheese and bread shop. They aren't really my cup of tea but I didn't find them much different from any more traditional plain Anabaptist groups that I've been familiar with. But I also haven't dived deep into their beliefs.

Wow! You quote Josh's statement, pretend he said exactly the opposite of what he said, and then argue with what you are pretending that he said! Is it is slow news day in Washington?

[Ken]

Good call, Max - that particular community is interesting (they attended AIC once, where I got to meet some of them). Their standards do meet any reasonable definition of "Anabaptist".

How so? They are pretty open about their statement of faith and beliefs. What is it about these standards do you find "do not meet any reasonable definition of anabaptist." They are right here: https://www.homesteadheritage.com/beliefs/

I've visited them perhaps a dozen times over the years, mostly for their Thanksgiving fairs and for their cheese and bread shop. They aren't really my cup of tea but I didn't find them much different from any more traditional plain Anabaptist groups that I've been familiar with. But I also haven't dived deep into their beliefs.

Wow! You quote Josh's statement, pretend he said exactly the opposite of what he said, and then argue with what you are pretending that he said! Is it is slow news day in Washington?

Sorry, I misread Josh, apologize, and stand corrected. Apparently I'm partly dyslexic! I can't delete my post so I edited it.

[Josh]

Homestead’s background (as far as I know) is in Jesus-only Pentecostalism. But they have moved quite far into Anabaptist fundamentals being more important than that.

[Ken]

Homestead’s background (as far as I know) is in Jesus-only Pentecostalism. But they have moved quite far into Anabaptist fundamentals being more important than that.

My own take after talking with a few of them over the years is that they basically wanted to found their own quasi-Amish and plain Anabaptist sort of community but without being tied to any larger denomination or conference and without the cultural history/baggage that comes with being Mennonite or Amish. In terms of things like having the right last name and being able to trace your family roots back to the Palatinate or Ukraine, etc. And also, but starting from scratch, they could basically pick and choose and adopt whatever specific beliefs and customs that they wanted from whatever groups that they wanted without being tied to any one specific existing group.

Similar perhaps to what they are doing at Sattler College. Not that their beliefs are identical. But that they are basically carving out their own path largely independent of other existing groups, even though they might rhyme with them in many ways.