Non-transitional Anabaptist churches

[Josh]

This thead is to discuss Anabaptist churches that are not transitional Anabaptist churches. Recalling my former definition of a "transitional Anabaptist church":

#1. The church sources most of its members from people who were previously members, or grew up in a family that was part of, an Anabaptist church that is more conservative, strict, plain, or traditional.

#2. The church sources most of the rest of its members from people who were born to a family part of its church.

#3. The church sources very few members who become long-term, multi-generational members from either churches that are less conservative, strict, plain, or traditional, or else from unchurched backgrounds.

#4. The church regularly sees members leave in order to attend a church that is somewhat less conservative, strict, plain, or traditional.

Discussion that Anabaptists are bad because they have so many church splits, that everyone would be better off embracing mainstream Western evangelical Christinaity, etc. are off-topic in this thread. Please take such discussion to a different thread, or start a new one.

[Josh]

Here are some examples of non-transitional church groups I have encountered:

"Dan Church / Danner / Dan g'me" (formally known as the Andy Weaver church): This is an Amish group that is part of the "strict shunning" groups, that is, it doesn't accept transfers of membership from members of other churches who are not in good standing or excommunicated until they are first restored to fellowship and in good standing at that church.

Swartzentruber Amish (various groups): Partly by definition as a more strict/traditional/plain/conservative Anabaptist church doesn't really exist, and the few candidates that do (Nebraska Amish) don't regularly see transfers to other similar groups. The different Swartzentruber divisions don't regularly see transfers between each other.

Scottsville, KY-type church ("Hoover Mennonites"), particularly as found in Delano/Athens, TN: Partly by definition due to being on the far end of being traditionalist. Maintains informal fellowship with Swartzentrubers. Will excommunicate and practice the avoidance with a member who leaves and ends up buying/driving a car.

Orthodox Mennonites (Ontario): This group has not lost a single member in recent memory; thus they cannot be categorised as "transitional".

Reformed Mennonites, Holdeman Mennonites: This groups practice express excommunication and avoidance in the case of Holdemans and strict shunning in the case of Reformed Mennonites if anyone abandons their membership and seeks membership at another church. In practice, this means very few people with a transitional life path choose to join this type of church due to the social difficulties faced in leaving.

Apostolic Christian Church, Nazarean ("sister church"): This group does not seem to source people from other Anabaptist backgrounds, and in its native lands of Eastern Europe, sources most members from non-Anabaptist (and not non-resistant) backgrounds. Members rarely eave for another plain church. This church is not OTC, strictly speaking, but in actual practice is very similar to Holdeman ecclesiology, marriage, and membership practices.

[Josh]

Now I'll talk about specific churches I have encountered that aren't transitional.

Anabaptist Brethren Fellowship (unclear on if that is the correct name), Linden, TN: This group has trended more strict over time yet is effective at acquiring members from less-conservative groups. This group holds the distinction of being on of the very few plain groups that has members from a Holdeman background.

Hebron (Conservative) Mennonite Church, Alliance, Ohio: This group had transitional origins from a separation from a transitional church, but tended away from that direction. This church's categorisation in Cory Anderson's database changed from "moderate-conservative" to "intermediate-conservative"; over time, this group adopted several practices that prevented transitionalism, and is thus a worthwhile case study in how transitional-Anabaptist churches could stop being that way.

They adopted a dress standard of no prints, which made membership transfers from more conservative (and not Beachy) churches much less likely. Pilgrim, Nationwide, etc. members express dissatisfaction at the idea of transferring to a church that doesn't allow prints. They also have some requirements around sleeve lengths that cause Beachys from more-conservative backgrounds to not desire to transfer there. To quote one person, "We would have gone to Hebron but we would have had to change our clothes."

The group freely fellowships with other intermediate-conservatives, with revival preachers, pulpit sharing, and the youth caucusing with Pilgrim, Hope, Western Fellowship, and the most conservative end of the mainstream Beachy church groups.

Some members have left this church and gone to a more-conservative Beachy church.

There have been multiple attempts by people from more-conservative backgrounds to join this church, but they never achieved membership, and eventually went to a less-conservative group and became members there.

Evermore Christian Fellowship, formerly Hartville Mennonite Church: This church used to be part of the Ohio Conference which eventually joined MC USA, and it is now part of FEC. This church's members mostly came from First Mennonite Church of Canton, Ohio, which was another Ohio Conference church, by people who were seeking cheaper rural land and decided they didn't want to continue city living near downtown Canton. It absorbed surprisingly few members from an Amish background, which is how almost the entire membership of the other two churches on its street, Maple Grove Mennonite Church (which is now part of the Ohio Conference and MC USA) and Hartville Conservative Mennonite Church, along with the Beachy church around 2 miles north, was sourced.

Few members have left for a less-conservative church, either. The church has not been visibly plain in over 50 years, but it has lost few members to people seeking a less-conservative, less-traditional church. The church itself has become slightly more conservative in terms of distancing itself from liberal theological movements at Ohio Conference and MC USA, with probably the best example of this being resumption of footwashing per FEC expectations.

[Ernie]

Very interesting case studies.

[joshuabgood]

Wouldn't a group like EPMC be mostly nontransitional?

And also where would you put a group like FOTW?

[GaryK]

Wouldn't a group like EPMC be mostly nontransitional?

And also where would you put a group like FOTW?

I don't believe FOTW consider themselves to be Anabaptist, do they?

[joshuabgood]

Wouldn't a group like EPMC be mostly nontransitional?

And also where would you put a group like FOTW?

I don't believe FOTW consider themselves to be Anabaptist, do they?

Oh right...sorry. I was just zeroed in on the concept of transitional...

[joshuabgood]

I think you could make a good argument that Woodland Hills Church in St Paul Minnesota is a nontransitional Anabaptist church. Greg Boyd openly takes on the mantle of Anabaptism.

(They aren't a plain group ... or ethnic group).

[Josh]

I think you could make a good argument that Woodland Hills Church in St Paul Minnesota is a nontransitional Anabaptist church. Greg Boyd openly takes on the mantle of Anabaptism.

(They aren't a plain group ... or ethnic group).

Yes, I would not classify them as a transitional-Anabaptist group.

[Josh]

Wouldn't a group like EPMC be mostly nontransitional?

And also where would you put a group like FOTW?

I don't believe FOTW consider themselves to be Anabaptist, do they?

FOTW is indeed transitional.

They almost entirely sourced their membership with people from conservative Anabaptist churches.

Many of those people have left for less-conservative churches.