Buildings Plain Anabaptists Use for Church Endeavors

[JohnH]

The last OO service I visited was one where men would wear broad falls during the week.

The most traditional / plain / conservative OO groups tend to have the least distinction of laity vs clergy. As they get less conservative, there is more of a difference.

I remain baffled why any group of plain people would think a minister dressing like this is more pleasing to the Lord.

[ken_sylvania]

Respectfully, I do not agree a out the last several statements about Eastern.

Strings are far from extinct. Obviously “strings” is a lengthy long conversation.
Does Epmc in general identify with jo strings? Yes. In a sense they always have. Equally, they have a lot of folks from settings or family ties outside Eastern where it matters, so in some places some wear strings.

Black cars? The majority of members have black cars. I would like proof ministers dress differently. Not wearing the plain suit for church has always been frowned upon. Do they expect ministry to tightly uphold the standards. Yes.

Frock coat vs. clerical coat - EPMC ministry is expected to wear the frock coat, I don't think many of the laity wear the frock coat. This, to be sure, is not something that originated with EPMC. The expectation for the ordained to wear the frock coat factored largely in the John H. Oberholtzer division in 1847(?). My impression based on various old photos is that the regulation coat worn by conservative Mennonite laity of the 21st century is more similar to the frock coat worn by the ordained brethren than were their counterparts of the 19th century.

Covering strings - as you mentioned, it varies by congregation. A minister's wife is expected to wear covering strings while it might be optional for other women in the congregation with rate of use dependent on a variety of factors

Plain hat - for men, similar to the covering string situation for women. Some congregations/districts there would be a very strong pressure for wearing the plain hat, others would lean more toward "if you're going to wear a hat or cap for formal occasions, it must be a plain hat."

Black cars - you can't tell who is ordained based on their car. A high percentage of the vehicles driven by the laity are fully in compliance with anything that might be expected of the ministry.

[eccentric_rambler]

Black cars - you can't tell who is ordained based on their car. A high percentage of the vehicles driven by the laity are fully in compliance with anything that might be expected of the ministry.

How high a percentage - 25%? So far any of my friends who have been in the lot have had at least one not-black vehicle. Minister's vehicles (at least if driven for anything church related) must be black, correct?

[ken_sylvania]

Black cars - you can't tell who is ordained based on their car. A high percentage of the vehicles driven by the laity are fully in compliance with anything that might be expected of the ministry.

How high a percentage - 25%? So far any of my friends who have been in the lot have had at least one not-black vehicle.

Maybe 75% I would guess.

Minister's vehicles (at least if driven for anything church related) must be black, correct?

Never heard of such a thing. This is EPMC we're talking about, not Weaverland Conference, right?

[eccentric_rambler]

Black cars - you can't tell who is ordained based on their car. A high percentage of the vehicles driven by the laity are fully in compliance with anything that might be expected of the ministry.

How high a percentage - 25%? So far any of my friends who have been in the lot have had at least one not-black vehicle.

Maybe 75% I would guess.

Minister's vehicles (at least if driven for anything church related) must be black, correct?

Never heard of such a thing. This is EPMC we're talking about, not Weaverland Conference, right?

Yeah, maybe I misunderstood a district standard as a churchwide one, but I was pretty certain.

[ken_sylvania]

How high a percentage - 25%? So far any of my friends who have been in the lot have had at least one not-black vehicle.

Maybe 75% I would guess.

Minister's vehicles (at least if driven for anything church related) must be black, correct?

Never heard of such a thing. This is EPMC we're talking about, not Weaverland Conference, right?

Yeah, maybe I misunderstood a district standard as a churchwide one, but I was pretty certain.

Hey, could be. Not like I'd have any particular reason to know.

[HondurasKeiser]

I stumbled upon a certain Myron Horst (Mennonite name if ever I’ve heard one) who claims that God revealed to him that the Amish and Mennonite plain dress is a failed experiment leading people to perdition.

https://www.biblicalresearchreports.com ... xperiment/

He makes some similar arguments that a former poster (and former Mennonite) also used to make.

[JayP]

I am just stumped by the insistence that EPMC ministry wear frock coats. I do not deny some do. Vast majority do not. Although many have cars of a dark color most have black. Again, while I disagree with some of the posts I would stress the real issue is standards for ministry vs laity.

I do NOT disagree that ministry are asked to set the example and not stray from standards in EPMC. I would though argue there is not the gap between ministry standards and most laity that folks point out in some other settings.

But, I am not sure what we say really matters all that much.

[ken_sylvania]

I am just stumped by the insistence that EPMC ministry wear frock coats. I do not deny some do. Vast majority do not.

I keep thinking that sometime if the opportunity presents itself I'll check out what percentage of suit jackets in a crowd are frock vs. otherwise.

Although many have cars of a dark color most have black. Again, while I disagree with some of the posts I would stress the real issue is standards for ministry vs laity.

Are you saying "many have cars of a dark color" other than black, or are you including those with black cars in the "many."
Do you know of any ordained that regularly use light colored cars?

[JohnH]

The last time I went to an Eastern church (on the west coast) in Rochester (not New York), the clergy were not attired in morning dress (perhaps because it was the evening, but they weren't in white-tie either), I did not witness any black hats, plain hats, or hats at all, and the parking lot had few black cars.

Those of you from the MD days might remember a frequent poster who also attended there.