Comments on: Visit to Vineland Mennonite Church

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:46:00 +0000

Interesting take on a Mennonite church.… where I grew up.

By: Harold

Harold — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:58:00 +0000

My wife and I have been going to Centerville Mennonite Church here in Lancaster County. It's the same group as the Vineland Mennonite Church, just that all the members here were born Mennonite none are from "the outside world." My wife and I and our two children are the only ones attending every week that were not from growing up Mennonite with Mennonite heritage. So far I have learned a lot and it's been very good for us. It's a constant struggle just like anything else that would be worth it. I grew up in New Jersey and attended a Lutheran church. In the 80's I moved to PA where I attended a small bible teaching community church, Non Mennonite. I have been dealing with the Amish in the area for over 23 years. I never had any dealings with the Mennonites before. I did know one from another area at work where the boss was Amish. He was interesting to talk to. From where I came from and where I am now, I can see and understand what a tourists would see and know why they would think what they think. At the same time learning what I have learned living among the Amish and now of course my experience with the Mennonite group, I see it now from the inside as well having an understanding that goes beyond any other understanding to have unless you took my path. Now here is the shocker for you. I am a divorced and re-married man. We have two children, and I agree with what we are being teached and what I a am learning. Without writing a book let me say that this is a group of people that take the bible and go line by line trying to live exactly like the bible says to. Other churches have to blacken out lines in the bible in order to be able to function. It's not that they want to do that it's because they haven't been strong enough to stand against the "world." Now, I read some of this blog, not all of it because right now I don't have time but, yes this life is for you as well, it's for everyone. The devil uses all kinds of things to keep us from it. It will be easy for you to find reasons not to follow the Lord exactly like you should be. It's not impossible for you or anyone else. Mennonites draw a lot of anger from people just like we do based on just what we look like. Some of it is being afraid of the truth because you think the truth is going to make you have to do to much to change and no one likes change. Other reasons are being afraid you might find out your not a good parent and no one wants to hear that or that your living wrong when you can't see ever being able to change some things so you get defensive right off the bat. I can go on and on. Instead I will leave my email address if anyone has any questions for me, but I am not the one to answer all questions remember that. If you visit the Vineland church you can't just go once. In order for you to really understand it take a commitment to go for the bible is a big book. Even the Mennonites living with the bible all their life are still learning new things all the time. People say in this area that the Mennonites are possibly the only group on the face of the earth that are most accountable. I was confused on this issue then came to understand. This is because there is less to no excuse for them to live against the teaching of the bible, because of the exposure all their life to understanding the bible handed down from generation to generation. At the same time the Mennonites are just like everyone else, Sinners and they understand the bible says we are all sinners. I can answer questions in a lot of areas, especially in the area of "works" that other churches try to use against them. There is no way anyone can reject the understand of a God attending a Mennonite church on a regular basis. I'm sure that scares satin beyond understanding. Harold- TopMyDog@aol.com

By: Emele W.

Emele W. — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:50:00 +0000

I just took such a trip to a conservative Mennonite fellowship in my area! Only, they were having a group meal at the church that day. I really enjoyed myself, especially the singing as well. I also seemed to get the "It's nice to but not me" revelation out of the trip too. Lovely people, and I didn't know anyone but a woman took me under wing through the entire service. I'm glad to hear about someone else who is crazy like me to attend such a tight knit group service.

By: Bill Rushby

Bill Rushby — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 23:09:00 +0000

See Daniel B. Lee, *Old Order Mennonites, Rituals, Beliefs, and Community*, for further insights into the Eastern Pennsylvania group. No, they are not an old order church, but they are used in the book as a counterpoint to the Horning Mennonites. Lee’s study is very insightful.

After you visit the Norma Mennonite Church, you might try the Old German Baptist Brethren (especially Old Conference), who are in some respects more similar to old fashioned Orthodox Friends. Their closest congregation would be in Lancaster County.

By: Christine

Christine — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:44:00 +0000

I recall that my Brethren grandmother always invited newcomers for Sunday dinner. (So did my mother, for that matter). Although I thought of this as western (or mid-western) hospitality. It’s something I need to get back to.

I find a practical spirituality among both Mennonites and Brethren…loving neighbor as self is just who these folks are, no matter how hard it may be.

In teaching Quakerism at a rural meeting, I’m building on the innate hospitality of that meeting (which had a combined memorial for a friend of the Meeting with the local Mennonite community yesterday). We may differ in respect to outward ordinances, but can learn from each other in terms of more open spiritual and practical hospitality.

The difficult thing to do is to get Friends here to talk about their beliefs with each other. We don’t learn this by osmosis, or at least, I didn’t. Friends talked about what they believed — in Meeting, over lunch, and on hikes in the mountains. Some of the talk was quite plain, too… I was asked to wait to apply for membership until 1) I was settled in a community, and 2) had some work to do on learning about the variety possible among Friends.

The thankfulness may be in us all learning to pass this along. A Beachy Amish elder once advised that in order to take this into “the world”, we need to work on our innermost selves… whether this is forgiveness or hospitality or respect for others’ beliefs.