JohnL wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 9:50 pm
Knoxville is just under 3 hours drive from us. Chattanooga is just over 4 hours from us. Both are large cities and too far to drive. So nope never heard anyone talk about them much less seen any of them.
So these folks don’t privately own their houses or their land. Do they own their own cars or buggies or whatever they decide is ok to use?
Can they switch to other Delano communities or do they have to stay in one place?
How do they avoid the shallow gene pool problem?
I suggest you stop by one of their communities and visit them.
Maybe one day. Where exactly are these communities?
JohnH wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 1:08 pm
- Requires about 10-15 acres of land per family as opposed to the 100+ that is typical for Amish farming communities.
How does this work? Sounds like this model would be less-threatened by high land values.
JohnH wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 1:08 pm
- Requires about 10-15 acres of land per family as opposed to the 100+ that is typical for Amish farming communities.
How does this work? Sounds like this model would be less-threatened by high land values.
More efficient use of land; produce is far more productive (in terms of profit) than row crops or growing hay. Horse breeds that are less optimised for speed, and generally need less hay or grass. Sharing of equipment and so forth which means each family has less economic pressure to try to make a lot of money to get by.
The flip side is that produce is more labour intensive, but since their goal is to engage in non-mechanised farming anyway, that doesn't matter, and the large family sizes also mean you need to find something for all those children to do. With that said, their lifestyle involves each person working fewer hours per day than I do.
There are some pictures there too of the produce markets.
Wow. So these are called “attractions” by TripAdvisor. At least it will drive customers their way. I can see the point about smaller acreage being more profitable. I know several folks who do small scale homestead gardens and produce a LOT of vegetables and fruits.
0 x
Free Will Baptist <-> Anabaptist
”Try hard not to offend. Try harder not to be offended.” Robert Martz
JohnH wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 1:08 pm
- Telephone calls are via a single payphone in the nearest town.
Does the town still have a payphone, or is this pay phone the property of the church community?
0 x
"The old woodcutter spoke again,
'You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments...
It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions.' "
JohnH wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 1:08 pm
A new Anabaptist movement is emerging in the context of Hoover Mennonites (also known as Scottsville-type churches). For lack of another term, I will refer to them as "Delano" Mennonites, after one of the congregations in Delano, TN.
"The old woodcutter spoke again,
'You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments...
It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions.' "
JohnH wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 1:08 pm
A new Anabaptist movement is emerging in the context of Hoover Mennonites (also known as Scottsville-type churches). For lack of another term, I will refer to them as "Delano" Mennonites, after one of the congregations in Delano, TN.
They are a subset of Hoovers. The Delano type churches have English language services, but other Hoovers generally preach in German. They are all in full communion.
JohnH wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 1:08 pm- Higher proportion of seekers (as high as ⅓ in some places), including in senior leadership such as ordained bishops.
Question: Does "seeker" in this sentence refer to nonbelievers or newly converted Christians? I ask because the following criteria is either very helpful or extremely hypocritical depending on what "seeker" refers to in the quoted context, referring to high-proportion members and inclusion in leadership.
JohnH wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 1:08 pm
- Young people not permitted to attend other types of church's weddings if Charity-type people will be there trying to "evangelise" them.
- Drivers cannot be Charity-type people or otherwise other less-plain groups that will try to "evangelise" them to persuade them to join a less-plain Charity group.
0 x
The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly.
-Søren Kierkegaard
JohnH wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 1:08 pm- Higher proportion of seekers (as high as ⅓ in some places), including in senior leadership such as ordained bishops.
Question: Does "seeker" in this sentence refer to nonbelievers or newly converted Christians?
Or does it refer to Christians who are seeking for "Anabaptist Christianity" rather than "Augustinian Christianity"?
0 x
"The old woodcutter spoke again,
'You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments...
It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions.' "
