Buildings Plain Anabaptists Use for Church Endeavors

[R7ehr]

While people may look at the issue of preachers and wives wearing different clothing as the rest as wrong headed, and perhaps on the balance it may be a net negative, there is a rational behind it.
First, understand that rules, or more accurately "standards" are not the same thing. A rule tells you what you must or must not do. A standard, tells you what the acceptable level, or quality is. Now you may think that I'm splitting hairs, and I am, but sometimes there is benefit from splitting hairs.
Second, the old fashion word of "standard" is what used to apply on this topic - not rule - even though colloquially speaking, it may be often referred to as a "rule". The old phrase "double standard" might be applicable.
Thirdly, church standards, while often viewed as rules, are originally intended to be standards - hopefully standards of excellence.
Fourthly, if a church views their standards as a good thing, and as a standard, not a rule, and if they on occasion remind their people things such as "You are free to live above the standards" and "Don't view the standards as the bare minimum", then -
Fifth, the preachers are, by living above/beyond the standards, and are obeying the teaching in found in 1 Timothy 4:12 in setting an example to other believers in not only speech, love, faith and purity, but specifically conduct regarding standards.

And while it feels weird to need five points to make the connection, and it feels like a reach, well, these churches just may be starting from the fifth point, and working their way from there.

[JohnH]

Fifth, the preachers are, by living above/beyond the standards, and are obeying the teaching in found in 1 Timothy 4:12 in setting an example to other believers in not only speech, love, faith and purity, but specifically conduct regarding standards.

One wonders what, exactly, the standard is that is being presented by a minister's wife wearing an apron to church, particularly since, generally speaking, kitchen activities aren't conducted in the middle of church services.

[R7ehr]

Fifth, the preachers are, by living above/beyond the standards, and are obeying the teaching in found in 1 Timothy 4:12 in setting an example to other believers in not only speech, love, faith and purity, but specifically conduct regarding standards.

One wonders what, exactly, the standard is that is being presented by a minister's wife wearing an apron to church, particularly since, generally speaking, kitchen activities aren't conducted in the middle of church services.

I think you could probably hazard a good a guess as myself.

[Judas Maccabeus]

I wonder how many folks know why you did not want to use the special sink.

Are ther stained glass windows? Do not just chuck them if you remove them. Regardless if there is money to be made, there are folks that would love to have them


I am not criticizing, just analyzing and trying to understand. My perception is that folks from LMC that were “Keystone” minded may align in theory, but do not must fall across a wide spectrum in terms of practices ( from dress to things like radio and tv). I can understand how like minded folks can START together but the road takes a lot of twists and turns. FWIIW, even before we joined a Mennonite setting our family did not have TV. I would have to think issues like “I DO not want my kids exposed to kids that watch TV” or cell phone usage, etc. has to be even harder to handle in such settings than the problems so called conservative Mennonite churches are dealing with.


I wish the best, but I do not see how a standard for say dress only applying to the ministry becomes (pardon the humor) no different than the funny hat the Pope wears.

We went out of our way to avoid offending people from the RCC. I am on one of the boards driving this, and as soon as I knew what was completed, I pushed to have inserted into the contract language that all items of "spiritual significance "must be removed before the property is transferred to us. This was agreed to, and as we entered after the settlement, almost all of the stuff we would consider "offensive " had indeed been removed. The Archbishop actually issued a letter to that effect:

https://www.archbalt.org/wp-content/upl ... .06.25.pdf

They left a whole bunch of Hymnals that we collected, boxed up, and took down to the Cathedral building, and turned them over to the person I think is the Archdeacon. Actually, the stained glass windows have two small elements that we would consider problematic; we are engaging an expert to alter or remove those elements. What we thought was a mural turned out to be some inexpensive printed cardboard that can be easily removed.

As to the Sacrarium , or "special sink," we removed it, as it was useless to us, and taking up space. I am likely the only one in our church who would know what any of this stuff is. So we went out of our way.

What you see referenced is not "special" dress for the ordained; what we do is encourage our leaders to set an example. What I can say is we encourage leadership to set an example. Our wives do not have aprons, other than the Old Order Amish does anyone do that?

[barnhart]

We went out of our way to avoid offending people from the RCC. I am on one of the boards driving this, and as soon as I knew what was completed, I pushed to have inserted into the contract language that all items of "spiritual significance "must be removed before the property is transferred to us. This was agreed to, and as we entered after the settlement, almost all of the stuff we would consider "offensive " had indeed been removed.

Now I am curious about what you found offensive, statuary?

[Ernie]

Fifth, the preachers are, by living above/beyond the standards, and are obeying the teaching in found in 1 Timothy 4:12 in setting an example to other believers in not only speech, love, faith and purity, but specifically conduct regarding standards.

One wonders what, exactly, the standard is that is being presented by a minister's wife wearing an apron to church, particularly since, generally speaking, kitchen activities aren't conducted in the middle of church services.

I think you could probably hazard a good a guess as myself.

It is for modesty reasons. In some places where they are required, a reason given is that aprons allow women to wash feet without leaving the public assembly while still being modest. That might seem like a stretch to those on the outside.
But if you think about it from the inside, there are certain things the rest of us consider modest, that those on the outside see as a stretch.
For example, the majority of people attending our Sunday service (international people) think that expecting sleeves on blouses and long skirts for modesty reasons is a stretch.

[JohnH]

What you see referenced is not "special" dress for the ordained; what we do is encourage our leaders to set an example. What I can say is we encourage leadership to set an example. Our wives do not have aprons, other than the Old Order Amish does anyone do that?

A handful of the Lancaster Conference was still doing this in the 1960s.

Hoovers, Old Orders, basically anyone else that isn't part of the fundamentalist side of the fundamentalist-OO split would still wear aprons. In a place like Delano they are a standard part of women's everyday attire.

[Judas Maccabeus]

We went out of our way to avoid offending people from the RCC. I am on one of the boards driving this, and as soon as I knew what was completed, I pushed to have inserted into the contract language that all items of "spiritual significance "must be removed before the property is transferred to us. This was agreed to, and as we entered after the settlement, almost all of the stuff we would consider "offensive " had indeed been removed.

Now I am curious about what you found offensive, statuary?

Statues, a mural of angelic beings bowing down in worship before a wafer, a depiction of the "Immaculate Heart of Mary" which proclaims her as being born and living life without sin.

All of these teach doctrines contrary to our faith.

[Judas Maccabeus]

What you see referenced is not "special" dress for the ordained; what we do is encourage our leaders to set an example. What I can say is we encourage leadership to set an example. Our wives do not have aprons, other than the Old Order Amish does anyone do that?

A handful of the Lancaster Conference was still doing this in the 1960s.

Hoovers, Old Orders, basically anyone else that isn't part of the fundamentalist side of the fundamentalist-OO split would still wear aprons. In a place like Delano they are a standard part of women's everyday attire.

I have seen these on OOA and some old order Mennonites. Would the apron match the dress, or be a different color?

[Ernie]

Our wives do not have aprons, other than the Old Order Amish does anyone do that?

Old Order Mennonites, Old Order River Brethren, Old German Baptist Brethren, Washington/Franklin Conference

I have seen these on OOA and some old order Mennonites. Would the apron match the dress, or be a different color?

Same color.