🌾 City Slicker Walks into Amish Country for Mennonite Church

Рет қаралды 13,535

Күн бұрын

So... this video shows the before and after reactions of a socially awkward city slicker attending a plain Mennonite church in the middle of Amish country. Seven notable observations:
1) Parking lot consisted of 30-or-so vehicles - ALL DARK and parked the same way. My colored Jeep stuck out like a King Kong-sized sore thumb.
2) Inside, genders are segregated. Women on the left with white bonnets and Little House on the Prairie dresses (girls had pigtails), men on the right with the same dark haircuts, white buttoned-up dress shirts, black matching pants and shoes.
3) Never before had I seen so many men taking care of babies.
4) Conformity and unity was the main theme for this type of brotherhood. Even the preaching was about herding in unison towards a common goal. Using a testimony of bringing in an outside herd of goats, the preacher warned congregants to be cautious of the dangers of outside herds coming in and sabotaging the flock. I picked a bad day to visit with that comment.
5) Despite coming close to blending in with my white dress shirt and gray pants, EVERYONE and their grandmother (lots of grandmothers were there BTW) knew I was an outsider. My tie and trimmed facial hair probably gave it away. They were friendly, had a smile on their face, and I even made a friend who gifted me a CD of their a cappella choir. He asked if I had a CD player. Apparently, that's a luxury item for these plain folk.
6) No cross or Christ symbolism inside the meetinghouse that I saw. Instead, there was a clock directly above the preacher's head. You want to know how to make church more boring? Put the clock above the pulpit and try NOT to look at it during the entire sermon.
7) Last observation was the sheer curiosity from children. They huddled together after service near the doors, SILENT with open stares towards my fuzzy, bald-headedness as I walked to my bright colored Jeep.
In the video, I mention there are three different sets of Mennonites ("worldly" Conference, Conservative, and Old Order). I concluded this was conservative, but it may have been a branch of Old Order nicknamed "Black-Bumper" Mennonites. Still more to learn.
Definitely felt like church from a different century.
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▶️ Timestamps:
0:00 Before Walking In
2:06 Sights and Sounds Inside
2:53 First Impressions After Mennonite Service
6:54 Preaching Reaction
13:06 Reaction to Outsider After Service
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🎵 Background Music:
Artist - Infraction
Track - "Cowboy (Country)"
Listen on KZfaq: • Country Acoustic Folk ...
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#mennonite #mennonitechurch #52churchesin52weeks #mennonitemom #davidboice #amishcountry #amishchurch

Пікірлер: 79

@52churchesin52weeks 2 жыл бұрын

For you reading this, thanks for watching the video and hope this peak into the Amish-Mennonite worship lifestyle was interesting to you. LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to stay tuned for the next visits. You can also read the first "52 Churches in 52 Weeks" on Amazon at 📚 amzn.to/3DKry4q

@boba.6478 Жыл бұрын

Hi David. A very good friend of mine was conversing with a Mennonite brother in a local community; in the conversation it was pointed out that there were two different Mennonite churches in the same town. My friend asked what is the difference between the two. The Mennonite brother explained matter-of-factly, "they trim their beards; we don't." There is a place, I believe, for rules, standards, and guidelines; but it is a very nuanced thing. This past Sunday, my daughter was getting ready for church. She had on a miniskirt. I told her, "go put on your jeans; we're going to church." The irony in that statement, for many who attend the church I attend jeans would be inappropriate. For me, I'm like, "hey, at least she doesn't look like an anime character. you'll be fine." I do agree with the Mennonites that we need to put forth great effort to stay away from worldliness, but unlike them I believe we ought not to abandon the world (that's the the nuanced bit). David, I for years dreamed of one day being able to purchase some remote land (in my fantasy, an island in a lake surrounded by trees; what is missing - people). one very special day while I was pondering on this, the Holy Ghost told me, "You will never have that home, and if you do, you will be completely useless to me." So I have my own rules, standards, and guidelines to keep me out of the filth, but I absolutely want to be in the game and share the message of Christ with anyone who will listen. I want to be like my Master, and He was/is not a hermit or a recluse. Much love Brother.

@DanFilipi Жыл бұрын

A bright orange jeep will stand out about anywhere

@irishbygrace9472 Жыл бұрын

Boy that is for sure

@Our_Patterns 2 ай бұрын

😂😂😂😂 so true

@joeschmoe487 2 жыл бұрын

Out of curiosity I once attended a mennonite service and had an identical experience (I was prepared for the segregated seating however). What amazed me the most was how all the kids managed to stay perfectly quiet and still through the whole service.

@52churchesin52weeks 2 жыл бұрын

100% true. Any other church where children are in attendance during the service, the restlessness becomes inevitable. Not here. Very well-behaved, and that goes much in tandem with the brotherhood/herd mentality.

@Benjamin-jo4rf Жыл бұрын

@@52churchesin52weeks that's because they brainwash and abuse their children. I've seen them hold their hand over a crying child's mouth and nose so the child couldn't breath during a Sunday service. This was done to a child not a year old yet and as a punishment for being restless during the teaching. This is child abuse and is common amongst the Anabaptist folks

@FreeSubtitlesAI Жыл бұрын

@@52churchesin52weeks And probably from the lack of using technology

@ShannonCarpenterTHMCoach 2 жыл бұрын

This is my heritage! I have a lot of Amish and conservative Mennonite in my family. My father was raised Amish. It’s something I’m used to, but an interesting perspective from an “outsider/city slicker”.

@PhrygianCat 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for highlighting that there is a spectrum within the Mennonite church, and that you're only describing one kind. In fact, the spectrum is very wide. I hope you're not enforcing it creating a stereotype, and that your audience understands that this is just one sample and one congregation - the worship style, music, sermon, governance/structure, theology, etc. There can even be variations between congregations within the same church conference. Generally, that "Little House on the Prairie" dress is called a cape dress. And the "bonnet" is called covering. And there are different types of coverings.

@Joshua-on2du 3 ай бұрын

I grew up Mennonite so this was interesting!

@jereburkholder5137 Жыл бұрын

The first 20 years of my life was spent at Owen Mennonite Church. My dad was the pastor there. I heard my parents singing in the video lol. I have since left the church to pursue a post secondary education, which they do not allow

@itsalwaysagoodtime8083 Жыл бұрын

Dad, is that you?

@Lauren-vd4qe Жыл бұрын

i guess your family dinners back home are not very cozy

@loganseals3927 Жыл бұрын

This is very interesting - my Mennonite church is a Beachy AM church but I am able to attend college. This church is definitely a little more conservative though- we don’t have segregated seating and out women’s head coverings are less conservative than these. Shows how different churches can be even though they are Mennonite

@PsychoBible 2 жыл бұрын

As someone who grew up in Lancaster County, and as a home schooler, I had a lot of Mennonite friends. So, this video amused the heck out of me!

@KimOmana Жыл бұрын

What a brave journey you are on! I can totally relate to being introverted and feeling awkward, so definitely an achievement to overcome that.

@virdenchristianfellowshipl8422 Жыл бұрын

I've seen a lot of Mennonite in our province and have no idea how their Church worship. Thanks for sharing this, at least I've learned their program in your video. Bless you brother

@albertadriftwood3612 9 ай бұрын

Ivan recognized your awkwardness and did his best to make you feel comfortable. You were very much welcomed by that effort. Children haven't yet learned to conceal their curiosity, but I'm fairly certain everyone in that congregation shared in their interest of you. Mennonites are beautiful, Christian people born out of the Reformation with a rich history. They sing really good too.

@IrvinGalang 2 жыл бұрын

you got me on this bro hehehe "Put the clock above the pulpit and try NOT to look at it during the entire sermon. " Thanks for sharing this vid, keep it coming :) - new subscriber here

@tracyensleyharp 2 жыл бұрын

I learned something new - did not know they segregated their seating!!

@jayoby7402 4 ай бұрын

Depends on the the group.

@NiquiCarltonMusic 2 жыл бұрын

What an interesting investigation! Looking forward to more of these.

@olatomideolatunde4547 2 жыл бұрын

I'm learning something new, it good to know this... Thanks for sharing

@natsariminspiration 2 жыл бұрын

Cool concept

@kinafoodart8052 Жыл бұрын

Never heard of this church before. Thank you for sharing your experience.

@johnminnow3569 2 жыл бұрын

It's so exciting experience in the ministerial work.God bless you.Hoping for more

@CanadianAnglican 6 ай бұрын

I love your videos.

@custem257 Жыл бұрын

Good for Ivan to give a heads up on the military spin and drop 😂

@EncouragementToGo7IME 2 жыл бұрын

This was a very interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

@ForTheLoveOfHomes 2 жыл бұрын

New subscriber here. Watching from Oklahoma. Love the channel idea!

@SingForMeEntertainment 2 жыл бұрын

New subscriber here. Very interesting to see how others worship and what they believe.

@rhemasartspace 2 жыл бұрын

It's interesting that you have seen a Mennonite service first hand. Well presented even though the video materials were very minimal. You have clearly described what goes in there. 👍

@Gypsy839 Жыл бұрын

I’m so enjoying your videos you have a very open heart I don’t know you and you don’t know me but I love you and I think we all need to hear that in our lives❤️

@52churchesin52weeks Жыл бұрын

Thanks Connie, appreciate the kind sentiment very much!

@rickmitton6971 2 жыл бұрын

Nice vid! Very respectful review.

@52churchesin52weeks 2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate it, thanks Rick!

@williamhunt2629 Жыл бұрын

This is probably my sixth or seventh video of yours I have seen. Thank you for what you are doing. Too often, when I hear discussions of faith traditions, people compare their best with another’s worst. You don’t do that. You simply share what you experience without judging the value of the faith even if you don’t understand what you see. I think that is great. I have taken my children to other churches, synagogues and a mosque because I don’t want to bear false witness. If my child wants to know what a Jewish person believes, they need to ask a Jewish person. I feel you are doing the same. I am an adult convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because I felt this faith had the answers I was seeking. You are doing a service for those who are seeking, and they are many. Thank you. Wil

@jonathankipps9061 Жыл бұрын

I'm a member of a slightly-different stripe of 'Mennonite', called 'Beachy-Amish'. We're technically an outshoot of the Amish, but we look a lot more like Mennonites. We usually just call ourselves Mennonites for simplicity reasons. The best way to describe our church culture, is that it revolves around the children. The number of children in our congregation is staggering. We have a Sunday morning attendance of 225, with ages from newborn to 90; but the average age in attendance is 16. The church-run school is just next door, and is bursting at the seams. Plans are in place to build a new school building in a few years.

@prezzle208 2 ай бұрын

Lol mennonites had to take some grain to one for chicken feed. They were really fun to talk to.

@corrystucki3874 Жыл бұрын

Here's something I bet you couldn't have believed, but as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are also segregated with women on the right and men on the left in the temple.

@52churchesin52weeks Жыл бұрын

That's interesting, didn't know that!

@rachelvictor3380 Жыл бұрын

Not Amish Mennonite.This is an Eastern Mennonite church, very conservative. I recognized by women's coverings, Cape dresses and building style, men's shirts and style of haircut as well as their signature choral sound. I went to an Eastern Menn school for 4 years. Were you invited to Sunday dinner? Ha, they all back in to park in PA too!

@52churchesin52weeks Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the clarification. I was told by locals it was "Amish-Mennonite," but must be confusion. I also saw the term "black-bumper" Mennonite with the dark color of the vehicles. After your comment, it started bugging me to call, so gave a ring and the gentleman who answered said they were part of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. No Sunday dinner, though that partly may have been due to my nerves. Still, have a newfound appreciation, and still to this day, can't get enough of their singing!

@rachelvictor3380 Жыл бұрын

So they were Eastern! After watching this and hearing the angelic music I miss so much. I went back to visit my old church.

@marciasloan534 Жыл бұрын

“Weird ?” How about replace that word with Different,unusual. Thanks for 52 different church visits❤️

@cinnamondan4984 8 ай бұрын

I had a roommate who was MENNONITE once. It was a curse and a blessing.

@mkneile2055 Жыл бұрын

The after-meeting time of visiting (15-30 minutes) is a Mennonite tradition. I'm surprised you didn't receive a dinner (midday meal) invitation. We (old order) don't have any clocks visible in our meetinghouse. From the time of the Reformation, the use of crosses, images, relics, and icons has been opposed as idolatrous.

@ozarkview928 Жыл бұрын

I was raised in a very conservative Mennonite circle (horse and buggy ) my husband and I are part of an independent, meaning non conference, Mennonite church . You would find our church much more chaotic 😅No offense but the Eastern Menn conference runs one of the tightest ships .There are so many stripes of Mennonite that outsiders have no clue how to identify them . We can tell by dress even just by the minute details of usually the ladies coverings ( you would call it a bonnet) . We really are friendly then we appear 😊.

@jonathankipps9061 Жыл бұрын

I'm a member of a Beachy church that also runs a voluntary-service nursing home with mennonites, amish, and brethren of all stripes arriving to work. Your use of the word "chaotic" describes our church to a tee! There's frequently a few community folks there on an average sunday, and the children don't even notice. The best descriptor of our church culture is that it's geared around children. The amount of children in the church is staggering, and so much of what we do is based on what's best for them.

@loganseals3927 11 ай бұрын

@@jonathankipps9061would you happen to be in Harrison Arkansas? There is a large voluntary service nursing home there run by the beachys and I’m curious if this is the one you are talking about??

@jonathankipps9061 11 ай бұрын

@@loganseals3927 I know the place you're referring to, and I have visited there. But I'm in Virginia. Our church is a sister church of theirs, and our nursing home program is very similar as well.

@loganseals3927 11 ай бұрын

@@jonathankipps9061 oh awesome- I’m in Harrison and my church would I guess be a daughter church of theirs

@monus782 4 ай бұрын

Growing up in Mexico my hometown wasn’t too far away from some of the Mormon and Mennonite colonies that were established in the northern part of the country decades ago, however I don’t remember seeing the Mennonites who came shopping for stuff dress as conservative as the ones in the community you went to (the men wore jeans and looked more like the average American farmer) but not too long ago when I returned for a visit I did see a group that looked more like the Amish so who knows what’s going on in these colonies.

@MrRagingrapid 4 ай бұрын

It’s good to understand an outsider perspective on us Mennonites. You walked into an ultra conservative Mennonite church (could be EPMC or possibly Nationwide). There’s a spectrum on levels of separation from the world. These would be at the most conservative before Old Order Mennonites (which are black bumper or horse n buggy).

@adams1625 Жыл бұрын

Interesting! What is the whole idea behind this channel? Are you just searching or do you belong to any certain denomination?

@adams1625 Жыл бұрын

Ahh I see you are protestant. I'm not sure I completely understand the doctrines of protestants, but I would like to know. I most closely identify with independent fundamental Baptists. Its fascinating to me to learn about the different denominations, but at the same time I also hate that they all exist lol. The differences (many times subtle) between doctrines have been very frustrating to me. Even within a certain denomination, there will be doctrinal differences between churches, but there shouldn't be

@keithwiebe1787 9 ай бұрын

I'm Mennonite and have never been in a segregated congregation.

@juliedemarchi8767 5 ай бұрын

Did you not do any research prior to attending? 😂

@52churchesin52weeks 5 ай бұрын

Nope :) Try to do as little research prior to visiting to avoid biases.

@kathycowan2221 2 ай бұрын

I have a question. Mennonites are much like the Amish in many ways. Animal advocates are aware and against the amish for their puppy mill practices. Do Mennonites do the same things?

@LansingLawnServiceLLC Жыл бұрын

Not all conservative Mennonite churches are created equal. I grew up in and still attend a conservative Mennonite church in Michigan. We do not separate the women from the men, we do worship songs and hymns. I personally wear jeans to church. Conservative Mennonites are egalitarian so many of the pastors are men who are called by the church to be the pastor. Many times the pastor has little to no ministerial education. Also, many conservative Mennonite pastors are bi vocational which mean the pastor works a full time job and pastors the church. Many conservative Mennonite churches are not “black bumper” Mennonites. The main difference is in 1) egalitarianism 2) nonresistance 3) Anabaptists (which means re-baptizer) do not baptize babies or children. Anabaptists believe that baptism should only be done at the age of understanding when someone can truly understand what salvation is. Those are the main things that separate Mennonites from other mainline denominations.

@cjjenson8212 Жыл бұрын

Is it just me or do most of these churches you visit look at you as an interloper?

@52churchesin52weeks Жыл бұрын

Definitely for the close-knit churches who aren't accustomed to visitors. I have a buddy who lives close to this area, and joked this church is still probably talking about this visit.

@NaaSydnia 2 жыл бұрын

I find the concept of visiting different churches interesting. But, what is your purpose for doing so? Are you seeking a better understanding of those around you? We traveled through an Amish community while I was on tour in Ohio. Our guide explained that the community is peaceful but, they kept to themselves. It felt strange to go around a horse and buggy on a tour bus.

@52churchesin52weeks 2 жыл бұрын

It's very strange driving around those horse-and-buggies, especially due to the contrasts in lifestyle. Lot of great questions, and there's a lot of answers. Reader's Digest cliff notes reason is to reach out to believers and ex-believers who gave up on church. So many are born into church at a young age, and if that church/member relationship fails, so many throw-in the towel on church and faith altogether. There's other churches out there. What are they doing that may be a better fit for someone.

@m.v.5425 Жыл бұрын

The Mennonites around north central Phoenix are the very worldly type.

@marthatroyer3021 Жыл бұрын

You need to visit other Mennonite churches. They don't all have segregated seating and dress like that. Ours is more like a Baptist church than it is like the one you visited.

@52churchesin52weeks Жыл бұрын

Definitely, maybe not as segregated like this, but curious to visit others.

@loganseals3927 Жыл бұрын

No they definitely aren’t all the same. My Mennonite church does not have segregated seating and our women wear a different kind of head covering.

@broz1488 Жыл бұрын

Jesus said that in heaven there are no husbands and wives, thus the congregation sits separately as brothers and sisters in the Lord and not as husbands and wives as the world does. The Sunday gathering for worship as the bride of Christ, the ecclesia, in which Jesus is present as the groom, is the closest we come to being in heaven in this world. Which is why male members wear white shirts and the sisters white head coverings, and in stricter congregations like the Amish the women also wear only black and white clothing, because Jesus tells us that the faithful will wear white garments in heaven, thus white is worn for Sunday gathering of the Church.

@ajstutz69 10 ай бұрын

Looks like it was Beachy-Amish. This is how k grew up.

@Straycathollow 2 ай бұрын

There is nothing attractive about this meeting. I attended a similar type meeting years ago Very cold.

@joeschmoe487 2 жыл бұрын

There is a 4th kind of mennonite that is between the very liberal mennonite church usa and the conservative church you attended. See Megan fox's videos here on KZfaq for an example.

@52churchesin52weeks 2 жыл бұрын

At first, you had me wondering why the Megan Fox from Transformers. Then I see...oooookay, Megan Fox Unlocked - the Mennonite. Interesting to see that.