Why have the Anabaptists FAILED at Reaching the Masses

[RZehr]

I believe that the single biggest hurdle “the masses” face with joining our conservative churches, is not “rules about clothes”, but instead divorce and remarriage. Many times people come, are interested in our church, but this issue is the problem. We won’t accept them their marriage as pleasing to God, and they won’t break up their marriage.
Or else they are divorced, and they find out that they would be expected to remain single the rest of their life, or reconcile with their first spouse.
Divorce is huge in the west. Can you show me one single growing denomination that takes an uncompromising stand on this issue as we do?

[Valerie]

I believe that the single biggest hurdle “the masses” face with joining our conservative churches, is not “rules about clothes”, but instead divorce and remarriage. Many times people come, are interested in our church, but this issue is the problem. We won’t accept them their marriage as pleasing to God, and they won’t break up their marriage.
Or else they are divorced, and they find out that they would be expected to remain single the rest of their life, or reconcile with their first spouse.
Divorce is huge in the west. Can you show me one single growing denomination that takes an uncompromising stand on this issue as we do?

When we were seekers, yes that was the issue. I had been through a divorce. We were guided by pastors that t hrough Scriptures, believed I was free to remarry given the situation. That was non-denom.
Actually the Anabaptists were first I had heard a rejection of the exception clause.
Our situation as seekers to Anabaptism we were told we would have to separate. We had been married I think about 17 years by then, 32 now. My issue was separating from a man who had lost most of his vision & other health issues. I couldn't see forsaking him & frankly they had no answers for that. My first husband had remarried long ago, before I did.
My first husband died 10 years ago. I guess that ended the adulterous marriage view but since then we're not feeling led that direction but still admirers.

I absolutely do feel the clothes are a big hindrance to being drawn by outsiders- I honestly feel most people who love the Lord find the clothing too strange in some. For the first time, I saw about every sect in one place & saw even more "different" required dress. I think that really baffles outsiders looking for Jesus people-

[Valerie]

I heard the "Protestant" way mentioned, but may I suggest that a read through the New Testament, that churches were started in every city- I don't think that is Protestant, EO, or Catholic mission- it was Apostolic

[Valerie]

I heard the "Protestant" way mentioned, but may I suggest that a read through the New Testament, that churches were started in every city- I don't think that is Protestant, EO, or Catholic mission- it was Apostolic & maybe the D& R issue would be less with Anabaptist influence in every city. Divorce was not that common 60 years ago, where were they then?

[RZehr]

I believe that the single biggest hurdle “the masses” face with joining our conservative churches, is not “rules about clothes”, but instead divorce and remarriage. Many times people come, are interested in our church, but this issue is the problem. We won’t accept them their marriage as pleasing to God, and they won’t break up their marriage.
Or else they are divorced, and they find out that they would be expected to remain single the rest of their life, or reconcile with their first spouse.
Divorce is huge in the west. Can you show me one single growing denomination that takes an uncompromising stand on this issue as we do?

When we were seekers, yes that was the issue. I had been through a divorce. We were guided by pastors that t hrough Scriptures, believed I was free to remarry given the situation. That was non-denom.
Actually the Anabaptists were first I had heard a rejection of the exception clause.
Our situation as seekers to Anabaptism we were told we would have to separate. We had been married I think about 17 years by then, 32 now. My issue was separating from a man who had lost most of his vision & other health issues. I couldn't see forsaking him & frankly they had no answers for that. My first husband had remarried long ago, before I did.
My first husband died 10 years ago. I guess that ended the adulterous marriage view but since then we're not feeling led that direction but still admirers.

I absolutely do feel the clothes are a big hindrance to being drawn by outsiders- I honestly feel most people who love the Lord find the clothing too strange in some. For the first time, I saw about every sect in one place & saw even more "different" required dress. I think that really baffles outsiders looking for Jesus people-

I suppose the ones who are interested, but are divorced, are a self selecting group. The ones who are turned away from the clothes, aren’t as apparent. Because unlike the divorce group, the clothes group simply don’t come in the first place.
Maybe clothes are bigger. But anecdotally, I’ve seen more divorced come then leave, than anything else.

Nevertheless, how much is divorce and remarriage a hinderance to “the masses” joining a mass? Or joining another denomination? Whether divorce is the biggest hinderance for us or the second or third biggest reason, it certainly doesn’t seem to be any issue for other groups. In fact for the Jehovah Witnesses, divorce seems to be the order of the day.

[Judas Maccabeus]

I, in 40 plus years of membership in a “Protestant “ church, cannot recall ANYONE being told they cannot remarry. I know what may be written down, but I cannot remember someone told they were not the aggrieved party. That includes at least one caught in open adultery, that simply went to another church.

With how ubiquitous divorce is, I suspect that it is a very large reason.

[Sudsy]

If we are talking about Christians joining a CA church and not unbelievers getting saved in an Anabaptist church, then my guess is the number one obstacle is the ethnic issue. In our area the ethnic issue is the most obvious and very few get beyond that except in those Anabaptist groups that especially focus on reaching others with the Gospel outside their ethnicity. We have two amongst many in our area and are closely associated with evangelicals and would not be regarded as CAs.

Some are holding unto a church name that includes 'Mennonite' and that in itself chases off many seekers of other ethnicities. As I mention before the MB church I attended, to work on this ethnic issue have changed their name from 'Mennonite Brethren' to 'Meadow Brook Church' short formed as 'MBC'.

That church still have a slight majority of the same ethnicity but over the past several years have reached the unsaved of various backgrounds and made them comfortable as the same as everyone. Last 3 pastors were selected from other ethnic backgrounds. This required special effort to play down anything ethnic to 'reach the masses'.

[Josh]

If we are talking about Christians joining a CA church and not unbelievers getting saved in an Anabaptist church, then my guess is the number one obstacle is the ethnic issue. In our area the ethnic issue is the most obvious and very few get beyond that except in those Anabaptist groups that especially focus on reaching others with the Gospel outside their ethnicity. We have two amongst many in our area and are closely associated with evangelicals and would not be regarded as CAs.

Some are holding unto a church name that includes 'Mennonite' and that in itself chases off many seekers of other ethnicities. As I mention before the MB church I attended, to work on this ethnic issue have changed their name from 'Mennonite Brethren' to 'Meadow Brook Church' short formed as 'MBC'.

That church still have a slight majority of the same ethnicity but over the past several years have reached the unsaved of various backgrounds and made them comfortable as the same as everyone. Last 3 pastors were selected from other ethnic backgrounds. This required special effort to play down anything ethnic to 'reach the masses'.

Sudsy, hundreds of Anabaptist churches have changed themselves to names like Sunny Glade Christian Fellowship, etc. - it makes almost no difference.

I'm not sure why people keep on bringing up ethnic background as some kind of stumbling block. Everyone has an ethnic background. A friend of mine became Catholic and felt uncomfortable in a suburban parish, mostly composed of people from a similar suburban background. He now feels at rest and content in a highly ethnic Romanian parish. He and his wife aren't Romanian but feel at ease there.

[Valerie]

If we are talking about Christians joining a CA church and not unbelievers getting saved in an Anabaptist church, then my guess is the number one obstacle is the ethnic issue. In our area the ethnic issue is the most obvious and very few get beyond that except in those Anabaptist groups that especially focus on reaching others with the Gospel outside their ethnicity. We have two amongst many in our area and are closely associated with evangelicals and would not be regarded as CAs.

Some are holding unto a church name that includes 'Mennonite' and that in itself chases off many seekers of other ethnicities. As I mention before the MB church I attended, to work on this ethnic issue have changed their name from 'Mennonite Brethren' to 'Meadow Brook Church' short formed as 'MBC'.

That church still have a slight majority of the same ethnicity but over the past several years have reached the unsaved of various backgrounds and made them comfortable as the same as everyone. Last 3 pastors were selected from other ethnic backgrounds. This required special effort to play down anything ethnic to 'reach the masses'.

Sudsy, hundreds of Anabaptist churches have changed themselves to names like Sunny Glade Christian Fellowship, etc. - it makes almost no difference.

I'm not sure why people keep on bringing up ethnic background as some kind of stumbling block. Everyone has an ethnic background. A friend of mine became Catholic and felt uncomfortable in a suburban parish, mostly composed of people from a similar suburban background. He now feels at rest and content in a highly ethnic Romanian parish. He and his wife aren't Romanian but feel at ease there.

Maybe because when you go to Anabaptist benefit auctions like we frequent, all you here is PA Deutsch?
You're sitting across the table from them and they speak as if they don't live in America let alone sedm like they're interested in getting to know you. So if one feels drawn to check out what these people's faith are about, they may feel challenged.

[Josh]

Maybe because when you go to Anabaptist benefit auctions like we frequent, all you here is PA Deutsch?
You're sitting across the table from them and they speak as if they don't live in America let alone sedm like they're interested in getting to know you. So if one feels drawn to check out what these people's faith are about, they may feel challenged.

Benefit auctions aren't intended as evangelistic outreaches.

America is a country where more than just English is spoken.