David Bercot to Speak on Anabaptism in Holmes

[Judas Maccabeus]

He told of him & his wife’s journey from Jehovah Witness to Anabaptism but I do not know why he left out the part where he also was an Anglican priest on his journey which is not a small detail.

I'm not suggesting he is trying to hide this part of his journey, but I've got the impression he is not particularly proud of the Anglican priest detour in his journey to Anabaptism. It was motivated by his embrace of apostolic succession as a result of his research on the early church. Perhaps some Anabaptists might hold this against him and see him susceptible to theological errors.

And quite a few former Anabaptists really like his earlier works, and also become obsessed with apostolic succession, "real presence", and eventually infant baptism and all the other heresies one finds in Istanbul.

or Rome for that matter.....

[Valerie]

He told of him & his wife’s journey from Jehovah Witness to Anabaptism but I do not know why he left out the part where he also was an Anglican priest on his journey which is not a small detail.

I'm not suggesting he is trying to hide this part of his journey, but I've got the impression he is not particularly proud of the Anglican priest detour in his journey to Anabaptism. It was motivated by his embrace of apostolic succession as a result of his research on the early church. Perhaps some Anabaptists might hold this against him and see him susceptible to theological errors.

And quite a few former Anabaptists really like his earlier works, and also become obsessed with apostolic succession, "real presence", and eventually infant baptism and all the other heresies one finds in Istanbul.

Actually those are not considered heresies according to the definition of heresies, because they were commonly taught.
I used to not understand those particulars, like I don’t understand head covering so it does help to read the early Church fathers who were defending the faith against heresy, and they did not argue against those.

[Valerie]

... or, more relevantly, in Canterbury.

So far, quite a few seekers of Anabaptism I have known have drifted east, and a smaller number west - so far none have drifted northwest.

Not just seekers to Anabaptist went East but I’ve known and have known of actual Anabaptist who went EO, & no I didn’t bring that up in the Q & A. One Elderly Amish man brought up that they are getting to lax on Church discipline.

[Valerie]

We went and it was interesting, we were among the handful that weren’t Amish, which there were lots of Amish.

I wish I would have taken notes.

He told of him & his wife’s journey from Jehovah Witness to Anabaptism but I do not know why he left out the part where he also was an Anglican priest on his journey which is not a small detail.

I'm surprised the Amish were attending. That's a new one on me. Maybe he left out the Anglican aspect because it would be a distraction from his main message? I'll have to get to the library and check out some of his books. It sounds to me like he's got an interesting perspective in his focus on the early church. I'm not afraid to disagree with an author and like Nomad mentions we can all be susceptible to theological error.

So far, quite a few seekers of Anabaptism I have known have drifted east, and a smaller number west - so far none have drifted northwest.

What about north to Alaska?

Seriously there's always been what I call the Searchers, people are spend their faith life searching for authentic truth or authentic tradition and so forth.

I had a lengthy response to this & system logged me out probably to spare you all

[PeterG]

He told of him & his wife’s journey from Jehovah Witness to Anabaptism but I do not know why he left out the part where he also was an Anglican priest on his journey which is not a small detail.

I'm not suggesting he is trying to hide this part of his journey, but I've got the impression he is not particularly proud of the Anglican priest detour in his journey to Anabaptism. It was motivated by his embrace of apostolic succession as a result of his research on the early church. Perhaps some Anabaptists might hold this against him and see him susceptible to theological errors.

Bercot discusses his experience as an Anglican in this episode of Anabaptist Perspectives.

[Neto]

.... there's always been what I call the Searchers, people are spend their faith life searching for authentic truth or authentic tradition and so forth.

That reminds me of when I was a first year Bible institute student. You know how, when you met a lot of new people at that young age you asked them what their dad does for work. One guy said "He's studying to find his Spiritual gift." That was the oddest thing I'd ever heard as an answer to that question. I wondered, "How can a husband and father afford to quit working to find his spiritual gift?"

[I hadn't heard about Bercot being here in Berlin. My wife and I were to a banquet meeting with India Evangelical Mission. People here in Holmes County have been supporting this work for around 40 years. My father-in-law was heavily involved, and he went to India years ago with a group of men from the area, mostly from the B.A-M congregation.]

[Valerie]

[I That was sent to me- what he says is true at least for many trying to buy homes (like my friends daughter who was beat out every time by cash buyers. I assumed they were all investors. Hugh & Janelle were able to buy with no competition against cash buyers? That is unusual these days- thank the Lord, I hear that problem all the time here & it is making it so hard for first time home buyers to finally get into a house, it’s unprecedented hadn't heard about Bercot being here in Berlin. My wife and I were to a banquet meeting with India Evangelical Mission. People here in Holmes County have been supporting this work for around 40 years. My father-in-law was heavily involved, and he went to India years ago with a group of men from the area, mostly from the B.A-M congregation.]

I was glad to have heard him & been there but your event was a worthy cause. I’m trying to understand what prompted David Bercot to do this particular talk- it was mostly about him & his wife’s journey more than anything but also he pointed out the similarities between early church beliefs & Anabaptists. I didn’t want to debate him on that but there are vast differences as well. I wondered since it was mostly Smish, if they valued the talk, although it is probably encouraging to them to be compared to early Church but he “gently “ mentioned a couple of things that weren’t things to praise, but I think we can find that in all faith groups

[Valerie]

It is interesting. I shared with one of our EO friends who said it was a tape he listened to in 1992 or 1993 that had convinced him of infant baptism. He said David made a pretty compelling case for it and quoted 4 early Church fathers, Polycarp, Iraneus , Hippolytus, & Origen.
This friend has Anabaptists heritage (as does his wife) but it is not line he can go back & pretend he wasn’t convinced by Bercot (& since, his own research) that the early Church indeed baptized their children.

Since Bercot brought up the early Church fathers at his talk, I asked him about Origen stating it as “fact” that the Apostles taught to baptize their children- Origen had his own “ideas” in theology BUT he stated that as FACT that Apistles had taught to baptize infants/children.

His reply to my question caused me to feel he is not convinced it’s wrong but more he has to stick with where he is now.

[JohnH]

It is interesting. I shared with one of our EO friends who said it was a tape he listened to in 1992 or 1993 that had convinced him of infant baptism. He said David made a pretty compelling case for it and quoted 4 early Church fathers, Polycarp, Iraneus , Hippolytus, & Origen.
This friend has Anabaptists heritage (as does his wife) but it is not line he can go back & pretend he wasn’t convinced by Bercot (& since, his own research) that the early Church indeed baptized their children.

Since Bercot brought up the early Church fathers at his talk, I asked him about Origen stating it as “fact” that the Apostles taught to baptize their children- Origen had his own “ideas” in theology BUT he stated that as FACT that Apistles had taught to baptize infants/children.

His reply to my question caused me to feel he is not convinced it’s wrong but more he has to stick with where he is now.

Huh? He doesn't have to "stick" anywhere.

Infant baptism is obvious nonsense. If we are to baptize infants, we should start baptizing cats, dogs, jackasses, and horses.

[Soloist]

Partly on my request and likely others, he since has made an updated talk on infant baptism. I’d suggest Valerie listens to it.