How could transitional Anabaptists stop being that way?

[Josh]

I should note that cousin marriage partners are actually the dominant marriage system in most of the world. (And they just tolerate genetic disorders like it’s not big deal.)

Not marrying a relative is a quirk of the West, mostly due the Catholic Church’s decisions around 700 years ago.

[Ken]

I should note that cousin marriage partners are actually the dominant marriage system in most of the world. (And they just tolerate genetic disorders like it’s not big deal.)

Not marrying a relative is a quirk of the West, mostly due the Catholic Church’s decisions around 700 years ago.

Well, I don't know about most of the world. Perhaps the Muslim world and India. This is from Wikipedia and shows the percentage of marries that are cousin marriages by country. They are defining cousin marriage as 2nd cousins and closer so I'd expect the numbers to be a lot smaller for first cousins

[Josh]

I should note that cousin marriage partners are actually the dominant marriage system in most of the world. (And they just tolerate genetic disorders like it’s not big deal.)

Not marrying a relative is a quirk of the West, mostly due the Catholic Church’s decisions around 700 years ago.

Well, I don't know about most of the world. Perhaps the Muslim world and India. This is from Wikipedia and shows the percentage of marries that are cousin marriages by country. They are defining cousin marriage as 2nd cousins and closer so I'd expect the numbers to be a lot smaller for first cousins

Wikipedia may not be the best source of information; for example it’s missing rural China in that chart (officially, China doesn’t allow cousin marriages; in reality they are the dominant system outside of the more modern cities).

[Ernie]

Are there any plain groups other than the Old Orders that don’t have significant feeder groups? Just anecdotally, it appears to me that most plain groups are constantly having members join from plainer churches. Basically what this thread is about.

Well, one that came to mind was Washington-Franklin. Do they have "feeder groups"?

Mike, maybe Ernie can better speak to the contemporary state of this, but living over here in Franklin Co and interacting with a lot of them for the better part of a decade, the WashCo's seem to be a feeder group themself as much or more than receiving influx from others...

Washington/Franklin Conference (W/F) is functionally an Old Order group with Ultra-Conservative theology and leanings. Very few people join W/F that did not grow up W/F. But the conference has produced 100's of teachers and church leaders for other groups over the last century.
The conference was making lots of changes in the late 1800's early 1900's. (Sunday school, English preaching, Protracted meetings, missions, etc.) Around 1920 they began "freezing" everything and have made few changes since then. For example, when prayer meetings began, they did not adopt this practice and they continue to resist the idea to this day (even though others in their constituency, Eastern, Nationwide, etc. continue prayer meetings without fail. Another thing they never adopted was "cottage meetings".

[Josh]

My group is quite similar in that we never adopted prayer meetings. We have all the other stuff you listed, although the appetite for protracted meetings is that they now not protract past 9 or so PM.

What are “cottage meetings”?

[Ernie]

It’s interesting that there are genetic consequences for not having outsiders join or marry in.

I say that genetic disorders are sometimes a punishment for being to ingrown.
But a minister in one such setting thought of it as a small price to pay for keeping the church separated from the world (and from other Anabaptist conferences/fellowships who might introduce new ideas or traditions.)

Do you think there are plain groups other than the old orders which have been similarly insular, but not as long, who will develop more of these sorts of genetic disorders in the coming years?

Perhaps I should use the word "consequence" instead of punishment. I don't know that African tribes with genetic disorders are being punished but rather they are suffering natural consequences.
However, Christians are told to go into all the world and make disciples. If a group of Christians doesn't do that, then they can't experience the blessings that would come from obeying Jesus in this regard, and they do need to experience the natural consequences.

Genetic disorders are on a scale from least likely to most likely.

I think genetic disorders are most likely whenever the gene pools are small and people live in close proximity. So any group of churches that does not have new genetics coming into the church and few are marrying outside of the gene pool, is a group that is ripe for more genetic disorders rather than less.

[ohio jones]

What are “cottage meetings”?

A small group meeting for an informal worship service in a "cottage", which curd be the home of someone who is elderly or finds it difficult to go awhey. In some groups they are an organized activity such as on a Sunday evening, with several simultaneous meetings and people assigned which one to go to.

[RZehr]

What are “cottage meetings”?

A small group meeting for an informal worship service in a "cottage", which curd be the home of someone who is elderly or finds it difficult to go awhey. In some groups they are an organized activity such as on a Sunday evening, with several simultaneous meetings and people assigned which one to go to.

It is not uncommon for the host to serve a simple snack afterward - maybe just cheese and crackers.

[Josh]

What are “cottage meetings”?

A small group meeting for an informal worship service in a "cottage", which curd be the home of someone who is elderly or finds it difficult to go awhey. In some groups they are an organized activity such as on a Sunday evening, with several simultaneous meetings and people assigned which one to go to.

Ah. I believe such cottage meetings are nearly extinct in the CA circles I have been. Long ago, when I attended an MC USA (now FEC) church, there was a thing in the bulletin about "cottage meetings", but I never went to any.

[Marylander]

Well, one that came to mind was Washington-Franklin. Do they have "feeder groups"?

Mike, maybe Ernie can better speak to the contemporary state of this, but living over here in Franklin Co and interacting with a lot of them for the better part of a decade, the WashCo's seem to be a feeder group themself as much or more than receiving influx from others...

Washington/Franklin Conference (W/F) is functionally an Old Order group

So I don't think this is correct. They are an Old Mennonite group, not an Old Order group. They had nothing to do with the Old Order division. So riding around in a horse and buggy is a foreign concept and they know very little about the Amish cuz they aren't in their area either.