Revivals and Renewals

[JohnL]

Has your church or congregation experienced a revival or a renewal in the past 10 years. (Definition of revival/renewal for this thread: a special effort to get back to the basics of the Bible and the vision of your group's founders.)

[JohnH]

Yes. We have revivals every year. They are normally planned for late January.

[mike]

We are typically revived each October.

[Neto]

If the importance of teaching the veiling and the accompanying teachings count, then yes. One of our ministers and his wife had slowly drifted away from belief in this area, and when it sort of "came to a head" our senior minister gave a sermon on it again, and the other minister left the congregation for another group where they could do as they had come to believe.

[Valerie]

If the importance of teaching the veiling and the accompanying teachings count, then yes. One of our ministers and his wife had slowly drifted away from belief in this area, and when it sort of "came to a head" our senior minister gave a sermon on it again, and the other minister left the congregation for another group where they could do as they had come to believe.

Did they explain why they changed their belief about it?

[Neto]

If the importance of teaching the veiling and the accompanying teachings count, then yes. One of our ministers and his wife had slowly drifted away from belief in this area, and when it sort of "came to a head" our senior minister gave a sermon on it again, and the other minister left the congregation for another group where they could do as they had come to believe.

Did they explain why they changed their belief about it?

I didn't hear his interpretation presented, as the actual discussion apparently all took place within the ministers meetings. As far as a public statement goes, as I recall now, he just said that they had decided that they no longer believed it was a literal instruction for this time and age. He didn't want to cause division, so they just moved on. I do not remember about his wife, but I know that he had been raised Amish. The thing is, their daughter was one that judging from what I had seen and heard, I had a great deal of respect for. I got the impression, however, that the change started with her - that she asked questions, and her dad found that he couldn't justify it. He was/is a very kind-hearted man, and it seems that sometimes it's those who are too easily swayed. But I really do not know how it came about for him.

[JayP]

I always found the concept of revivals gave me shivers on the back of my neck. It is amazing how Anabaptists ignore this being a straight fundamentalist influence into their church. I have no objections to the service, but it always seemed silly to me how revivals was when youth ready to join church were suddenly “inspired” or “moved by the spirit”. I do not think the Holy Spirit needs to wait on each congregation’s revival schedule to convict folks it’s time to join. Those same convicted youth magically quelled their conviction if the revival minister got delayed and revivals are pushed back two weeks.

[Valerie]

If the importance of teaching the veiling and the accompanying teachings count, then yes. One of our ministers and his wife had slowly drifted away from belief in this area, and when it sort of "came to a head" our senior minister gave a sermon on it again, and the other minister left the congregation for another group where they could do as they had come to believe.

Did they explain why they changed their belief about it?

I didn't hear his interpretation presented, as the actual discussion apparently all took place within the ministers meetings. As far as a public statement goes, as I recall now, he just said that they had decided that they no longer believed it was a literal instruction for this time and age. He didn't want to cause division, so they just moved on. I do not remember about his wife, but I know that he had been raised Amish. The thing is, their daughter was one that judging from what I had seen and heard, I had a great deal of respect for. I got the impression, however, that the change started with her - that she asked questions, and her dad found that he couldn't justify it. He was/is a very kind-hearted man, and it seems that sometimes it's those who are too easily swayed. But I really do not know how it came about for him.

Thank you Neto- their explanation sounds similar to our former pastor’s - I think he felt it just lost its meaning in the mix of worldly hats, etc,

[JohnH]

I always found the concept of revivals gave me shivers on the back of my neck. It is amazing how Anabaptists ignore this being a straight
fundamentalist influence into their church.

The majority of Anabaptists were quite aware of this fundamentalist influence and rejected it, along with Sunday school, prayer meetings, crisis-conversion experiences, mission boards and mission societies, protracted meetings, establishment of high schools, colleges, and seminaries, and other things I've forgotten by now.

[barnhart]

More people have been joining the church in the last several years, maybe that could qualify as a quiet revival. The last baptism included five men which hasn't happened in a while.