Conservative Anabaptism includes theologically conservative

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...

denominations, both in doctrine and practice. Conservative Anabaptists, along with Old Order Anabaptists and mainline Anabaptists, are a subset of the Anabaptist branch of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...

. Conservative Anabaptists adhere to Anabaptist doctrine, such as the belief in

nonresistance Nonresistance (or non-resistance) is "the practice or principle of not resisting authority, even when it is unjustly exercised". At its core is discouragement of, even opposition to, physical resistance to an enemy. It is considered as a form of pri ...

and the observance of

plain dress Plain dress is a practice among some religious groups, primarily some Christian churches in which people dress in clothes of traditional modest design, sturdy fabric, and conservative cut. It is intended to show acceptance of traditional gender ...

(including the headcovering), while making judicious use of modern technology. Ordinances commonly observed in many Conservative Anabaptist churches include "

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

communion Communion may refer to: Religion * The Eucharist (also called the Holy Communion or Lord's Supper), the Christian rite involving the eating of bread and drinking of wine, reenacting the Last Supper **Communion (chant), the Gregorian chant that ac ...

, footwashing,

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

, anointing with oil, the holy kiss, and the prayer covering." Conservative Anabaptists have

Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. S ...

, hold

revival meeting A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held to inspire active members of a church body to gain new converts and to call sinners to repent. Nineteenth-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said, "Many blessings may come ...

s, and operate their own

Christian schools A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization. The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country, according to the religious, educational, and political cultures. In some count ...

(

parochial school A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The wor ...

s). Additionally, Conservative Anabaptist fellowships are highly engaged in evangelism and

missionary work A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

; a 1993 report showed that Conservative Anabaptist denominations in general grew by fifty percent overall within the previous fifteen years. Among Conservative Anabaptists are the

Dunkard Brethren Church The Dunkard Brethren Church is a Conservative Anabaptist denomination of the Schwarzenau Brethren tradition, which organized in 1926 when they withdrew from the Church of the Brethren in the United States. The Dunkard Brethren Church observes t ...

and

Conservative Mennonites Conservative Mennonites include numerous Conservative Anabaptist groups that identify with the theologically conservative element among Mennonite Anabaptist Christian fellowships, but who are not Old Order groups or mainline denominations. Con ...

(inclusive of the Beachy Mennonites), as well as the

Bruderhof Communities The (; 'place of brothers') is an Anabaptist Christian movement that was founded in Germany in 1920 by Eberhard Arnold. The movement has communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Paraguay, and Australia. The Bru ...

Apostolic Christian Church The Apostolic Christian Church (ACC) is a worldwide Christian denomination from the Anabaptist tradition that practices credobaptism, closed communion, greeting other believers with a holy kiss, a capella worship in some branches (in others, si ...

and the Charity Christian Fellowship. Conservative Anabaptists form 15% of Anabaptist Christianity as a whole. In response to a perceived laxity in adherence to Anabaptist doctrine and practice, certain Conservative Anabaptist denominations, such as the

Biblical Mennonite Alliance __NOTOC__ Biblical Mennonite Alliance (BMA) is an organization of Conservative Mennonite, Conservative Mennonite Anabaptist congregations located primarily in the eastern two thirds of the US and Canada, with some international affiliates. The BMA ...

and the

, were formed after adherents separated from their parent (usually mainline Anabaptist) bodies; on the other hand, the Beachy Mennonites are composed of individuals who left

Old Order Anabaptist Old Order Anabaptism encompasses those groups which have preserved the old ways of Anabaptist Christian religion and lifestyle. Historically, an Old Order movement emerged in the second half of the 19th century among the Amish, Mennonites of ...

groups and "were deeply committed to evangelism and mission work." Other Conservative Anabaptist denominations, such as Charity Christian Fellowship, have been organized by people from diverse backgrounds. ''Beside The Still Waters'' is a

daily devotional A daily devotional is a Christian religious publication that provide a specific spiritual reading for each calendar day. Many daily devotionals take the form of one year devotional books, with many being tailored specifically for children, teenage ...

widely used by Conservative Anabaptists.

References

External links

Conservative Anabaptist Places

Pilgrim Ministry: Conservative Mennonite Anabaptist churches

Biblical Mennonite Alliance

Beachy Amish

Dunkard Brethren Church

Charity Christian Fellowship

Apostolic Christian Church

Apostolic Christian Church (Nazarean)

Statement of Beliefs - Anabaptist Disciples of Christ

Christian Aid Ministries
{{Anabaptists Anabaptism Conservative Anabaptists

References

Further reading

External links