Trust of the congregation by the ministry in conservative Mennonite Churches

[eccentric_rambler]

Perhaps something similar? In our congregation, a person younger than 18 may be baptized and become a member, but voting is restricted to 18 and older.

I have a sense of discomfort with two-tier membership like this.

For the typical young person whose parents are members, at what age is the young person joining the church? Does the Holdeman church use voting to decide issues?

[JohnH]

For the typical young person whose parents are members, at what age is the young person joining the church? Does the Holdeman church use voting to decide issues?

14 - 16 is typical, some people join a bit younger, some older.

Any member can vote, although usually the younger youth don't bother and often none of the women will vote on an issue. If whoever is presiding over the meeting feels the women's input is important, and no women vote at all, he might ask for a re-vote and ask them to participate.

The congregation votes to affirm an excommunication (it doesn't have to be universal but it needs to be nearly so), and also whether to accept a supplicant or penitent's Christian experience (also known as testimony) into membership.

[Neto]

Our leadership team proposed a change relating to church membership for the very young and it was rejected by the members so it faded away.

Perhaps something similar? In our congregation, a person younger than 18 may be baptized and become a member, but voting is restricted to 18 and older.

I have a sense of discomfort with two-tier membership like this.

I've wondered about it as well, because I was baptized before 18 myself, and on the first communion after that I was passed by. I don't know if the brother just didn't remember that I'd been baptized, or if he may have thought that someone of my age at that time wasn't ready for communion.

Which way would you go to "fix" that - withhold baptism until an older age, or withhold membership until later? Or do you think that young people should be a part of the voting? But maybe the main difference is that the MB church is congregationalist, where the voting of the membership more greatly determines the decisions of the congregation than in a more strictly ministry-led congregation.

[JohnH]

I've wondered about it as well, because I was baptized before 18 myself, and on the first communion after that I was passed by. I don't know if the brother just didn't remember that I'd been baptized, or if he may have thought that someone of my age at that time wasn't ready for communion.

Which way would you go to "fix" that - withhold baptism until an older age, or withhold membership until later? Or do you think that young people should be a part of the voting? But maybe the main difference is that the MB church is congregationalist, where the voting of the membership more greatly determines the decisions of the congregation than in a more strictly ministry-led congregation.

If you don't trust young people with the future of the congregation, then why on earth would you consider baptising them?

Whereas fully entrusting them with the future of the congregation teaches them great responsibility. And the truth is, most young people are not that interested in voting on decisions anyway.

[eccentric_rambler]

I've wondered about it as well, because I was baptized before 18 myself, and on the first communion after that I was passed by. I don't know if the brother just didn't remember that I'd been baptized, or if he may have thought that someone of my age at that time wasn't ready for communion.

Which way would you go to "fix" that - withhold baptism until an older age, or withhold membership until later? Or do you think that young people should be a part of the voting? But maybe the main difference is that the MB church is congregationalist, where the voting of the membership more greatly determines the decisions of the congregation than in a more strictly ministry-led congregation.

If you don't trust young people with the future of the congregation, then why on earth would you consider baptising them?

Whereas fully entrusting them with the future of the congregation teaches them great responsibility. And the truth is, most young people are not that interested in voting on decisions anyway.

I understand where you are coming from but I think maturity should be considered as well. Either way, I tend to like the OO model of leaving membership until later in the teen years.

[JohnH]

Well, it's not like they are a majority of church membership. We generally have a "flat" membership model. Once you are a member, you can do member things, and that doesn't change.

[ken_sylvania]

Well, it's not like they are a majority of church membership. We generally have a "flat" membership model. Once you are a member, you can do member things, and that doesn't change.

When one of our young people is baptized, the officiating bishop will tell them that they are now a member of the church with all the attendant privileges and responsibilities.

[eccentric_rambler]

Well, it's not like they are a majority of church membership. We generally have a "flat" membership model. Once you are a member, you can do member things, and that doesn't change.

When one of our young people is baptized, the officiating bishop will tell them that they are now a member of the church with all the attendant privileges and responsibilities.

But some of those privileges and responsibilities are behind an age wall. Nominating candidates for ordination, or getting married, for two examples.

[ken_sylvania]

Well, it's not like they are a majority of church membership. We generally have a "flat" membership model. Once you are a member, you can do member things, and that doesn't change.

When one of our young people is baptized, the officiating bishop will tell them that they are now a member of the church with all the attendant privileges and responsibilities.

But some of those privileges and responsibilities are behind an age wall. Nominating candidates for ordination, or getting married, for two examples.

If there is an age criteria for nominating candidates for ordination I couldn't even say what it is.
I wonder if there is an official minimum age for weddings. Somehow I never thought to ask!

[JohnH]

But some of those privileges and responsibilities are behind an age wall. Nominating candidates for ordination

I'm not aware of an age requirement for ordination that is biblically based. It says the husband of one wife and children who aren't unruly so there's that.

, or getting married, for two examples.

Nor am I aware of some biblical age limit for marriage. There may be cultural customs that congregations in certain areas would feel they prefer to abide by.