Interested in learning about Holdemans

[theodoreclaudius]

We have CE as well which I believe was copied from another denomination. The volunteer service is actually a different event.

Josh, how strict are the Holdeman Mennonites about associating with other anabaptists. I know people will sometimes give me a hard time from other churches doctrinally but will the church forbid me having dinner with friends who are members of churches outside the holdemans for example? what is the general line of separation from other christians? The one true church doctrine does not offend me and I am open minded to it. I assume it would be improper for me to visit friends for a Sunday service or a prayer meeting.

[mike]

The "dress code" or "clothing tradition" of the Holdemans is on a completely different spectrum from conservative Mennonites. Cape dresses aren't a thing in our conference, neither are plain coats (I think they're called?) I've heard that most conservative mennonites call our clothing worldly and immodest (which in some cases, I think they might have a point)

I've been noticing a young Holdeman family recently at a place of business, and the husband wears jeans and a T-shirt and is virtually indistinguishable from say a construction worker on the street, while his wife wears a homemade dress (maybe not a cape dress) that is really tight and a very small black head-covering down on the back of her head. Many conservative Mennonites certainly would consider this kind of dress to be immodest and worldly.

[ABC 123]

We have CE as well which I believe was copied from another denomination. The volunteer service is actually a different event.

Josh, how strict are the Holdeman Mennonites about associating with other anabaptists. I know people will sometimes give me a hard time from other churches doctrinally but will the church forbid me having dinner with friends who are members of churches outside the holdemans for example? what is the general line of separation from other christians? The one true church doctrine does not offend me and I am open minded to it. I assume it would be improper for me to visit friends for a Sunday service or a prayer meeting.

It is up to you, of course, but your willingness to funnel down to that narrowness in regards to other Christians is concerning.

[Soloist]

Josh, how strict are the Holdeman Mennonites about associating with other anabaptists. I know people will sometimes give me a hard time from other churches doctrinally but will the church forbid me having dinner with friends who are members of churches outside the holdemans for example? what is the general line of separation from other christians? The one true church doctrine does not offend me and I am open minded to it. I assume it would be improper for me to visit friends for a Sunday service or a prayer meeting.

The Sunday service at other churches is a no go from what I understand, eating with friends I wouldn't know them to hold that line. I've ate with several of them. I would suspect that outside of services you would find the opposition to be greater the other way around. Even on Menno some events have specifically excluded them.

[unworthy]

Josh, how strict are the Holdeman Mennonites about associating with other anabaptists. I know people will sometimes give me a hard time from other churches doctrinally but will the church forbid me having dinner with friends who are members of churches outside the holdemans for example? what is the general line of separation from other christians? The one true church doctrine does not offend me and I am open minded to it. I assume it would be improper for me to visit friends for a Sunday service or a prayer meeting.

Forbid? No. I have been hanging out with a non-Holdeman Mennonite family on a regular basis for the last year, and no one has reproved me or shared any concern with me about it.

Now, making a regular practice of going to non-Holdeman youth deals or prioritizing your relationship with non-Holdeman church groups will be looked at with skepticism. Holdemans as a group do not generally associate with other Mennonites, but on an individual basis, it happens.

I assume it would be improper for me to visit friends for a Sunday service or a prayer meeting

It depends. Special occasions are totally acceptable. However, if you make a regular practice of visiting friends in the next town over once a month to attend their Sunday service, you might hear that someone is concerned about it.

[Sudsy]

We have CE as well which I believe was copied from another denomination. The volunteer service is actually a different event.

Josh, how strict are the Holdeman Mennonites about associating with other anabaptists. I know people will sometimes give me a hard time from other churches doctrinally but will the church forbid me having dinner with friends who are members of churches outside the holdemans for example? what is the general line of separation from other christians? The one true church doctrine does not offend me and I am open minded to it. I assume it would be improper for me to visit friends for a Sunday service or a prayer meeting.

I hope you are aware of how 'the one true church doctrine' is defined by the Holdeman Mennonite group when you say you are 'open minded to it'. Myself, this alone would make me steer quite clear from needing to embrace this doctrine. Mormons, JWs, International Church of Christ, SDAs and others make similar claims. Just saying, if you haven't check this out, it may be a 'deal-breaker'.

[Josh]

We have CE as well which I believe was copied from another denomination. The volunteer service is actually a different event.

Josh, how strict are the Holdeman Mennonites about associating with other anabaptists. I know people will sometimes give me a hard time from other churches doctrinally but will the church forbid me having dinner with friends who are members of churches outside the holdemans for example? what is the general line of separation from other christians? The one true church doctrine does not offend me and I am open minded to it. I assume it would be improper for me to visit friends for a Sunday service or a prayer meeting.

I regularly visit other types of plain people and non-plain people. Occasionally I go to another church’s hymn sing, school program etc.

Technically, what is forbidden is taking communion, becoming a member, or being baptised in a different denomination of church. If one attends another church regularly for Sunday services, it may raise concerns.

It is strongly discouraged (“being unequally yoked”) to be close business partners with someone who is not of like precious faith.

[Josh]

The "dress code" or "clothing tradition" of the Holdemans is on a completely different spectrum from conservative Mennonites. Cape dresses aren't a thing in our conference, neither are plain coats (I think they're called?) I've heard that most conservative mennonites call our clothing worldly and immodest (which in some cases, I think they might have a point)

I've been noticing a young Holdeman family recently at a place of business, and the husband wears jeans and a T-shirt and is virtually indistinguishable from say a construction worker on the street, while his wife wears a homemade dress (maybe not a cape dress) that is really tight and a very small black head-covering down on the back of her head. Many conservative Mennonites certainly would consider this kind of dress to be immodest and worldly.

Generally speaking, Holdemans are less “plain” in dress and always have been. They never adopted the cape dress (despite what a certain California academic claims in a research thesis).

Men don’t wear shorts or athletic pants, but blue jeans are appropriate for most occasions. If you go to a gym by yourself you might wear athletic pants but at youth functions etc. blue jeans are the norm.

Women wear dresses, usually handmade, never skirts and shirts. Some people buy store bought dresses if they can find ones that look “Holdeman enough”, but this is looked down on.

[Ken]

The "dress code" or "clothing tradition" of the Holdemans is on a completely different spectrum from conservative Mennonites. Cape dresses aren't a thing in our conference, neither are plain coats (I think they're called?) I've heard that most conservative mennonites call our clothing worldly and immodest (which in some cases, I think they might have a point)

I've been noticing a young Holdeman family recently at a place of business, and the husband wears jeans and a T-shirt and is virtually indistinguishable from say a construction worker on the street, while his wife wears a homemade dress (maybe not a cape dress) that is really tight and a very small black head-covering down on the back of her head. Many conservative Mennonites certainly would consider this kind of dress to be immodest and worldly.

Generally speaking, Holdemans are less “plain” in dress and always have been. They never adopted the cape dress (despite what a certain California academic claims in a research thesis).

Men don’t wear shorts or athletic pants, but blue jeans are appropriate for most occasions. If you go to a gym by yourself you might wear athletic pants but at youth functions etc. blue jeans are the norm.

Women wear dresses, usually handmade, never skirts and shirts. Some people buy store bought dresses if they can find ones that look “Holdeman enough”, but this is looked down on.

Are the men also expected to wear homemade clothes? Or is that just the women?

[joshuabgood]

I've been noticing a young Holdeman family recently at a place of business, and the husband wears jeans and a T-shirt and is virtually indistinguishable from say a construction worker on the street, while his wife wears a homemade dress (maybe not a cape dress) that is really tight and a very small black head-covering down on the back of her head. Many conservative Mennonites certainly would consider this kind of dress to be immodest and worldly.

Generally speaking, Holdemans are less “plain” in dress and always have been. They never adopted the cape dress (despite what a certain California academic claims in a research thesis).

Men don’t wear shorts or athletic pants, but blue jeans are appropriate for most occasions. If you go to a gym by yourself you might wear athletic pants but at youth functions etc. blue jeans are the norm.

Women wear dresses, usually handmade, never skirts and shirts. Some people buy store bought dresses if they can find ones that look “Holdeman enough”, but this is looked down on.

Are the men also expected to wear homemade clothes? Or is that just the women?

That is conveniently just for the women.