Questions about Mennonite denominations

[barkhausen102]

Hello I am in the process of looking for a Mennonite church to join that is more on the conservative side. There are a few churches near me that I am considering. The 3 churches I am considering to visit are part of the Midwest fellowship, Nationwide fellowship or Holdemans. I am wondering if anyone knows whether the Nationwide fellowships allow internet use? Or is internet use strictly forbidden in that fellowship? Especially for things like online shopping or online banking or e-mail use?

Also does anyone know which fellowships still speak German? There are some Plautdietsch speaking churches that are a little bit further away from me, but they seem more modern and less conservative. I do speak some hochdeutsch and would be willing to put in the time to learn plautdietsch. Is it correct that the Plautdietsch churches are more modern and less conservative?

I am trying to get an idea for the theology and practice differences between the various fellowships. I want to find a Mennonite church because I feel the other denominations are too much involved in "Babylon". Only the Mennonites seem to be able to keep separate from Babylon and really follow the Bible.

So if anyone could help me with the theological and practice differences between the different groups I would appreciate any advice. Thank you.

[Soloist]

Wife: I think nationwide is working through that process, but is mostly Internet free. I don’t know for sure about email, they don’t typically allow shopping unless that’s changed, although it also depends on where you live possibly, since I think there might be some variations in churches. The one we knew of in Utah was discussing allowing Internet for certain business reasons like farm permits, but I don’t know where they came out on that

None of those groups would speak German during church services. You would probably have to find old order Amish or Tampico or possibly some old order Mennonites. Someone with more experience with the Mennonites might be able to tell you somewhere more specific.

My personal opinion is that of the three, you might like nationwide best. They speak English in the service so that they can reach out to outsiders, and I’m guessing a lot of them don’t even know how to speak Pennsylvania Dutch anymore, but they do seem really serious about their beliefs and care about helping people. Obviously, every church is different, but that has been my experience so far.

[Praxis+Theodicy]

Holdemans tend to be their own denomination unto themselves and have less fellowship with other Christians, even Mennonites.

I highly recommend you look at the first post in the "Anabaptist church finder" pinned at the top of this forum. Ernest Eby has written a few very helpful documents to people just beginning to look into joining conservative Mennonite churches, especially his PDF "Overview of the Plain People."

[Neto]

I am Plautdietsch, but grew up in a Mennonite Brethren congregation, and they switched to all English during WWII, due to intense suspicion and distrust in the English-speaking community in that time period, and for decades after. But there is also a very wide range of conservative vs modern within what is more commonly referred to as 'Russian Mennonite' congregations, going from those who avoid the use of automobiles to those that most people could not identify as Mennonite at all, from their outward appearance.

I have never visited a Nationwide congregation - none even in this area as far as I know - but I have a business relationship with a non-Mennonite background member who is a computer programmer. He lives in another state, so I've never met him in person. I can just say that he DOES have email, but does not use other forms of internet service, except that he has some sort of upload process whereby I am able to download his program installers.

There are also congregations that are somewhat difficult to classify, as they may not 'belong' to any larger group. The ones I have worked with in computer use, etc. - I would classify as very like the Beachy Amish-Mennonites were 30 to 40 years ago (all black vehicles, wear plain clothes, men wear suspenders, etc.). I suspect they all speak Datsch (Pennsylvania Dutch') in their daily interactions and at home. They have attracted some Plautdietsch people who are from Kleine Gemeinde background. So I don't know if some of these congregations may use more English, or if those non-Swiss Brethren background people have learned Datsch.

Depending on where you live, and what other languages you speak, there are also some conservative-dress conferences that are associated with the Mennonite Brethren, immigrant congregations from both Ukraine and Russia. (Large numbers of Russian 'Baptists' immigrated around 1980, settling especially in the American North West and down into California. There are also Ukrainian MB congregations scattered around in the same areas, especially in northern California.) Many Plautdietsch people never left Russia after the fall of the Czarist Empire, and were not allowed to leave during the earlier Soviet era. Many formerly German-speaking Mennonites became Russian or Ukrainian Baptists after communism took over, and the Russian Baptists are, as a whole, much more conservative in dress and practice than any of their "American counterparts".

[JohnH]

Hello I am in the process of looking for a Mennonite church to join that is more on the conservative side. There are a few churches near me that I am considering. The 3 churches I am considering to visit are part of the Midwest fellowship, Nationwide fellowship or Holdemans. I am wondering if anyone knows whether the Nationwide fellowships allow internet use? Or is internet use strictly forbidden in that fellowship? Especially for things like online shopping or online banking or e-mail use?

Also does anyone know which fellowships still speak German? There are some Plautdietsch speaking churches that are a little bit further away from me, but they seem more modern and less conservative. I do speak some hochdeutsch and would be willing to put in the time to learn plautdietsch. Is it correct that the Plautdietsch churches are more modern and less conservative?

I am trying to get an idea for the theology and practice differences between the various fellowships. I want to find a Mennonite church because I feel the other denominations are too much involved in "Babylon". Only the Mennonites seem to be able to keep separate from Babylon and really follow the Bible.

So if anyone could help me with the theological and practice differences between the different groups I would appreciate any advice. Thank you.

I go to a Holdeman church and my brother goes to a Mid-West church.

Nationwide generally avoids Internet use and finds alternatives, which could range from a neighbor ordering things on Amazon for you to going to a travel agency to get plane tickets instead of buying them online. They do have some limited smartphone use but the phones basically can do the weather app, maps, texting, and phone calls. They buy them from a third party that locks them down. As far as email goes, some have a special email only Internet service, others use a fax to email service.

In my church a few people over the age of 80 speak Plat and one girl from Bolivia. In my wife’s family her grandma speaks it but she’s also 103 years old.

In a Mid-West church you will find less interest in separation from the world in terms of things like filtered Internet and so on. At Nationwide there is a rather high degree of such. Holdemans would be a bit more middle of the road, but have a lot less focus on clothing.

The last German language service I attended was in Spencer, TN.

[Ernie]

Holdemans tend to be their own denomination unto themselves and have less fellowship with other Christians, even Mennonites.

I highly recommend you look at the first post in the "Anabaptist church finder" pinned at the top of this forum. Ernest Eby has written a few very helpful documents to people just beginning to look into joining conservative Mennonite churches, especially his PDF "Overview of the Plain People."

https://towardthebetter.org/wp-content/ ... e-2022.pdf

[temporal1]

Holdemans tend to be their own denomination unto themselves and have less fellowship with other Christians, even Mennonites.

I highly recommend you look at the first post in the "Anabaptist church finder" pinned at the top of this forum. Ernest Eby has written a few very helpful documents to people just beginning to look into joining conservative Mennonite churches, especially his PDF "Overview of the Plain People."

https://towardthebetter.org/wp-content/ ... e-2022.pdf

i think this is the link to the Anabaptist church finder:

Conservative Anabaptist Church Finder & Information
viewtopic.php?t=147

[barnhart]

Hi barkhausen102,
I have confidence God will direct you, he truly is the good shepherd who knows how to guide his sheep. I have some advice that I would give to nearly everyone joining most churches, join to be formed by the church not the other way round. A pick and choose consumer approach is not healthy for the "consumer" and not good for the existing church either. One of the benefits of being formed by the church is it can unlock gifts that lie within undeveloped and often unknown.

[barkhausen102]

I am Plautdietsch, but grew up in a Mennonite Brethren congregation, and they switched to all English during WWII, due to intense suspicion and distrust in the English-speaking community in that time period, and for decades after. But there is also a very wide range of conservative vs modern within what is more commonly referred to as 'Russian Mennonite' congregations, going from those who avoid the use of automobiles to those that most people could not identify as Mennonite at all, from their outward appearance.

I have never visited a Nationwide congregation - none even in this area as far as I know - but I have a business relationship with a non-Mennonite background member who is a computer programmer. He lives in another state, so I've never met him in person. I can just say that he DOES have email, but does not use other forms of internet service, except that he has some sort of upload process whereby I am able to download his program installers.

Thank you for your input. The plautdietsch churches I was considering are some of the ones located in Seminole, Texas. They offer services in both english and plautdietsch. However, my understanding, and please correct me if I am wrong, is that these churches have no dress code, no head covering, and divorce is considered permissible. So it appeared to me that they are typical evangelical protestant churches, but with plautdietsch services.

The nationwide seems very good but that would be a real challenge for me to give up the internet. Especially for shopping, banking and online books.

Thank you for your input and suggestions.

[barkhausen102]

I go to a Holdeman church and my brother goes to a Mid-West church.

Thank you. Do you happen to know what the Midwest fellowship believes on eschatology? For example are they premillenial or amillenial? My understanding, and please correct me if I am wrong, is that the Holdeman church is amillenial in eschatology?