Name This Religion

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3DOCTORS

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I’m curious about the religion a friend of mine’s mom practices and I’m trying to figure out what it is without being too nosy. Maybe someone will recognize this and be able to clue me in.

Here are my observations. When she speaks, she says they “have church.” This may be at different locations, I’m not sure they even have a church building. They have ministers of both sexes. They are morally quite conservative, and the women generally wear modest skirts and blouses and their hair long and done up in a knot. Almost remind me of Amish or Mennonite but not with the cap.

They seem very much into Sola Scriptura, and when I have asked her she says they are “non denominational.” I’ve wondered if they might be a traditional Quaker sect of some sort. This lady is from somewhere in Michigan originally. Studies the Bible quite a bit and is very knowledgeable about it, remembers who was who in the Old Testament and the New very well.

She often goes to what she calls “convention” which sounds like church camp. Oh, and she said she doesn’t celebrate Christmas, and I think maybe she doesn’t believe in celebrating some of the other liturgical holidays in the same way as Catholics and mainstream Protestants do. Possibly Easter. But she’s not Jehovah’s Witness, I know that.

Any clues? :confused:
 
sounds like a less strict sect of Mennonites or United Brethren
where is this?
 
Most conservative Brethren and Mennonite women wear the “prayer cap”. I’m thinking she may be part of the Apostolic Church or a Holiness sect…if she worships on Saturday…I’d think she’d be 7th Day Baptist perhaps.
 
Holiness sects do enjoy “conventions”…aka “camp meetings”.
 
there are independent baptists sects that are like what you described . They can also be penticostel holy .(those members go to churches called "church of God ) they could also be what is known as Christian fundamentalists.They do are very strict ,always quoting scripture dress codes and also wouldn’t think of going to a Catholic church
 
Sounds like your average “Non-denominational” Church, A protestant denomination which tends to be ultra conservative and claims they aren’t a denomination but the actual church.
 
Nine_Two said:
Sounds like your average “Non-denominational” Church, A protestant denomination which tends to be ultra conservative and claims they aren’t a denomination but the actual church.
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They share that with the Orthodox…the Church exists where those who have covenanted with Christ…various sacramental theologies not withstanding. Does not the Orthodox church believe they are the “actual church”?

I believe I too am part of the “actual Church”…not the only congregation of the Church…but part of the “Actual Church”.

I know where the Church is…just don’t know where it is not.
 
If she also has the Saturday Sabbath, I’d go for one of the Church(es) of God, one of the off shoots of the Worldwide Church of God. As #4 suggested check Herbert W. Armstrong. I think the actual Worldwide Chruch of God founded by HWA may now have adopted Sunday worship but the off-shoots haven’t.
 
Publisher said:
They share that with the Orthodox…the Church exists where those who have covenanted with Christ…various sacramental theologies not withstanding. Does not the Orthodox church believe they are the “actual church”?

I believe I too am part of the “actual Church”…not the only congregation of the Church…but part of the “Actual Church”.

I know where the Church is…just don’t know where it is not.
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Perhaps I didn’t phrase it correctly, it isn’t that they claim to be the actual church, but that they claim not to be a distinct group. The non-denominational claim is that they are base Christians, and an independent umbrella group. This claim is of course contradicted by the fact that they tend to be quite strict that everyone conform to the beliefs of their pastor (though not all non-denominational churches) and they are quite quick to kick people out (I know one individual who was kicked out of a non-denom church held in his own living room).

I suspect this is hard to describe to someone from a feelgood church such as the Quakers. My basic issue with them, however, is that they are baptists who claim to not be Baptists.
 
3DOCTORS said:
I’m curious about the religion a friend of mine’s mom practices and I’m trying to figure out what it is without being too nosy. Maybe someone will recognize this and be able to clue me in.

Here are my observations. When she speaks, she says they “have church.” This may be at different locations, I’m not sure they even have a church building. They have ministers of both sexes. They are morally quite conservative, and the women generally wear modest skirts and blouses and their hair long and done up in a knot. Almost remind me of Amish or Mennonite but not with the cap.

They seem very much into Sola Scriptura, and when I have asked her she says they are “non denominational.” I’ve wondered if they might be a traditional Quaker sect of some sort. This lady is from somewhere in Michigan originally. Studies the Bible quite a bit and is very knowledgeable about it, remembers who was who in the Old Testament and the New very well.

She often goes to what she calls “convention” which sounds like church camp. Oh, and she said she doesn’t celebrate Christmas, and I think maybe she doesn’t believe in celebrating some of the other liturgical holidays in the same way as Catholics and mainstream Protestants do. Possibly Easter. But she’s not Jehovah’s Witness, I know that.

Any clues? :confused:
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Man, I would just ask her. 🙂

Your friend
Sufjon
 
United Brethren fits in some ways . . .

I have tried asking her but her answer doesn’t really tell me much . . . she’s an older lady and like I said, I don’t want to seem pushy or disrespectful. :nope:

I’m just curious because that’s my nature and because religion is important to me. There are probably lots of sects that may “fly under the radar” of religious polls or studies - especially if they don’t want to give a name to themselves . . .? That could be the case here.
 
I think you’re just making this a bit too hard. She sounds like a friend of mine. Their family goes to a church about an hour away from where they live. It’s a non-denominational church called “Straight Gate”. They exhibit the same stuff you are describing.

If asked, they would simply say they are Christian… hence the non-denominational status. They would say they are Christians and they attend Straight Gate church. If their Pastor went against scripture, the congregants would either find a different church to worship at, or they would replace the Pastor.

Try not putting her in a box. Chances are, she wouldn’t be able to tell you what box to put her in in the first place! 😉

Steph
 
Since this “mom” is from one of your friends, have you asked this question of your friend regarding his/her moms religion…??? :confused:
 
3DOCTORS said:
I’m curious about the religion a friend of mine’s mom practices and I’m trying to figure out what it is without being too nosy. Maybe someone will recognize this and be able to clue me in.

Here are my observations. When she speaks, she says they “have church.” This may be at different locations, I’m not sure they even have a church building. They have ministers of both sexes. They are morally quite conservative, and the women generally wear modest skirts and blouses and their hair long and done up in a knot. Almost remind me of Amish or Mennonite but not with the cap.

They seem very much into Sola Scriptura, and when I have asked her she says they are “non denominational.” I’ve wondered if they might be a traditional Quaker sect of some sort. This lady is from somewhere in Michigan originally. Studies the Bible quite a bit and is very knowledgeable about it, remembers who was who in the Old Testament and the New very well.

There is a church in my city that sounds a lot like what you describe (clothing, hair, etc.), except they have a building and a school. They call their church The Bible Way.

She often goes to what she calls “convention” which sounds like church camp. Oh, and she said she doesn’t celebrate Christmas, and I think maybe she doesn’t believe in celebrating some of the other liturgical holidays in the same way as Catholics and mainstream Protestants do. Possibly Easter. But she’s not Jehovah’s Witness, I know that.

Any clues? :confused:
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I’m not sure if what I just posted went through, so here it is again.

There is a church in my city that sounds a lot like what you describe, (clothing, hair, etc.), except they have a building and a school. They call their church The Bible Way.
 
JustaServant said:
Sounds very much like a cult.
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I’d say more of a sect, I don’t know - just the connotations of the word maybe - and the fact that it seems more comprised of old-fashioned elderly though there are some younger folks with families. There also doesn’t seem to be the total rejection of the outside world that I associate with a cult, nor does the lady try to proselytize me in any way. My Catholicism is probably not something she approves of but she never says anything negative about it either.
 
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