Bench - Revision history

SamSteiner: Text replacement - "[[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches" to "[[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches"

2023-08-08T19:13:03Z

Text replacement - "[[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches" to "[[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches"

SamSteiner: Text replacement - "[[Lancaster Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)" to "[[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches"

2023-08-08T18:59:30Z

Text replacement - "[[Lancaster Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)" to "[[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches"

SamSteiner: corrected formatting (last part of text was in italics

2013-11-21T19:14:32Z

corrected formatting (last part of text was in italics

GameoAdmin: CSV import - 20130823

2013-08-23T13:53:39Z

CSV import - 20130823

GameoAdmin: CSV import - 20130820

2013-08-20T18:46:58Z

CSV import - 20130820

GameoAdmin: CSV import - 20130816

2013-08-16T18:42:03Z

CSV import - 20130816

New page

[[File:John%20Ruth%20at%20Detweiler.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''John Ruth behind

long pulpit at

dedication of

restored Detweiler

meetinghouse,

Roseville, Ont. in

Sept. 1999.

'']] In the early days the Mennonites in the eastern [[United States of America|United States]] seated their ordained men during the Sunday service on a long bench at one side or end of the meetinghouse behind a table. Later, when a pulpit was introduced to replace the table, it was made of sufficient length to completely cover the bench. From this bench (1) the deacon rose to conduct "the opening," i.e., to read a Scripture, offer comment, and lead in prayer; (2) the preacher appointed for the morning rose to preach the sermon; (3) all other ordained men present "gave testimony,'' seated, in order of seniority. Thus all the men "on the bench" took part in every service. The term "the bench" came to refer to the official ministerial body of the congregation including bishop, preachers, and deacons. To be "on the bench" came to mean to have official responsibility in the congregation, and an ordained man who moved into the congregation was not "on the bench" until officially voted in by the congregation, and might remain "off the bench" all his life. The "bench" is not a formal official term, but only a customary expression. It was in the 1950s, however, still commonly used in the [[Lancaster Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Lancaster]], [[Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Franconia]], and [[Washington County (Maryland) and Franklin County (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Conference|Washington-Franklin]] (MC) conference districts as well as by the [[Old Order Mennonites|Old Order]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church|Stauffer]], and [[Reformed Mennonite Church|Reformed]] Mennonites in the [[United States of America|United States]] and [[Canada|Canada]]. It is used only in the absence of a one-pastor system.

{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 1, pp. 272-273|date=1953|a1_last=Bender|a1_first=Harold S|a2_last= |a2_first= }}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:John%20Ruth%20at%20Detweiler.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''John Ruth behind long pulpit at dedication of the restored Detweiler meetinghouse, Roseville, Ontario in Sept. 1999.'']]
-In the early days the Mennonites in the eastern [[United States of America|United States]] seated their ordained men during the Sunday service on a long bench at one side or end of the meetinghouse behind a table. Later, when a pulpit was introduced to replace the table, it was made of sufficient length to completely cover the bench. From this bench (1) the deacon rose to conduct "the opening," i.e., to read a Scripture, offer comment, and lead in prayer; (2) the preacher appointed for the morning rose to preach the sermon; (3) all other ordained men present "gave testimony," seated, in order of seniority. Thus all the men "on the bench" took part in every service. The term "the bench" came to refer to the official ministerial body of the congregation including bishop, preachers, and deacons. To be "on the bench" came to mean to have official responsibility in the congregation, and an ordained man who moved into the congregation was not "on the bench" until officially voted in by the congregation, and might remain "off the bench" all his life. The "bench" is not a formal official term, but only a customary expression. It was in the 1950s, however, still commonly used in the [[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster]], [[Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Franconia]], and [[Washington County (Maryland) and Franklin County (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Conference|Washington-Franklin]] (MC) conference districts as well as by the [[Old Order Mennonites|Old Order]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church|Stauffer]], and [[Reformed Mennonite Church|Reformed]] Mennonites in the [[United States of America|United States]] and [[Canada|Canada]]. It is used only in the absence of a one-pastor system.
+In the early days the Mennonites in the eastern [[United States of America|United States]] seated their ordained men during the Sunday service on a long bench at one side or end of the meetinghouse behind a table. Later, when a pulpit was introduced to replace the table, it was made of sufficient length to completely cover the bench. From this bench (1) the deacon rose to conduct "the opening," i.e., to read a Scripture, offer comment, and lead in prayer; (2) the preacher appointed for the morning rose to preach the sermon; (3) all other ordained men present "gave testimony," seated, in order of seniority. Thus all the men "on the bench" took part in every service. The term "the bench" came to refer to the official ministerial body of the congregation including bishop, preachers, and deacons. To be "on the bench" came to mean to have official responsibility in the congregation, and an ordained man who moved into the congregation was not "on the bench" until officially voted in by the congregation, and might remain "off the bench" all his life. The "bench" is not a formal official term, but only a customary expression. It was in the 1950s, however, still commonly used in the [[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster]], [[Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Franconia]], and [[Washington County (Maryland) and Franklin County (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Conference|Washington-Franklin]] (MC) conference districts as well as by the [[Old Order Mennonites|Old Order]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church|Stauffer]], and [[Reformed Mennonite Church|Reformed]] Mennonites in the [[United States of America|United States]] and [[Canada|Canada]]. It is used only in the absence of a one-pastor system.
 {{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 1, pp. 272-273|date=1953|a1_last=Bender|a1_first=Harold S|a2_last= |a2_first= }}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:John%20Ruth%20at%20Detweiler.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''John Ruth behind long pulpit at dedication of the restored Detweiler meetinghouse, Roseville, Ontario in Sept. 1999.'']]
-In the early days the Mennonites in the eastern [[United States of America|United States]] seated their ordained men during the Sunday service on a long bench at one side or end of the meetinghouse behind a table. Later, when a pulpit was introduced to replace the table, it was made of sufficient length to completely cover the bench. From this bench (1) the deacon rose to conduct "the opening," i.e., to read a Scripture, offer comment, and lead in prayer; (2) the preacher appointed for the morning rose to preach the sermon; (3) all other ordained men present "gave testimony," seated, in order of seniority. Thus all the men "on the bench" took part in every service. The term "the bench" came to refer to the official ministerial body of the congregation including bishop, preachers, and deacons. To be "on the bench" came to mean to have official responsibility in the congregation, and an ordained man who moved into the congregation was not "on the bench" until officially voted in by the congregation, and might remain "off the bench" all his life. The "bench" is not a formal official term, but only a customary expression. It was in the 1950s, however, still commonly used in the [[Lancaster Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Lancaster]], [[Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Franconia]], and [[Washington County (Maryland) and Franklin County (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Conference|Washington-Franklin]] (MC) conference districts as well as by the [[Old Order Mennonites|Old Order]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church|Stauffer]], and [[Reformed Mennonite Church|Reformed]] Mennonites in the [[United States of America|United States]] and [[Canada|Canada]]. It is used only in the absence of a one-pastor system.
+In the early days the Mennonites in the eastern [[United States of America|United States]] seated their ordained men during the Sunday service on a long bench at one side or end of the meetinghouse behind a table. Later, when a pulpit was introduced to replace the table, it was made of sufficient length to completely cover the bench. From this bench (1) the deacon rose to conduct "the opening," i.e., to read a Scripture, offer comment, and lead in prayer; (2) the preacher appointed for the morning rose to preach the sermon; (3) all other ordained men present "gave testimony," seated, in order of seniority. Thus all the men "on the bench" took part in every service. The term "the bench" came to refer to the official ministerial body of the congregation including bishop, preachers, and deacons. To be "on the bench" came to mean to have official responsibility in the congregation, and an ordained man who moved into the congregation was not "on the bench" until officially voted in by the congregation, and might remain "off the bench" all his life. The "bench" is not a formal official term, but only a customary expression. It was in the 1950s, however, still commonly used in the [[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster]], [[Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Franconia]], and [[Washington County (Maryland) and Franklin County (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Conference|Washington-Franklin]] (MC) conference districts as well as by the [[Old Order Mennonites|Old Order]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church|Stauffer]], and [[Reformed Mennonite Church|Reformed]] Mennonites in the [[United States of America|United States]] and [[Canada|Canada]]. It is used only in the absence of a one-pastor system.
 {{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 1, pp. 272-273|date=1953|a1_last=Bender|a1_first=Harold S|a2_last= |a2_first= }}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:John%20Ruth%20at%20Detweiler.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''John Ruth behind
+[[File:John%20Ruth%20at%20Detweiler.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''John Ruth behind long pulpit at dedication of the restored Detweiler meetinghouse, Roseville, Ontario in Sept. 1999.'']]
+In the early days the Mennonites in the eastern [[United States of America|United States]] seated their ordained men during the Sunday service on a long bench at one side or end of the meetinghouse behind a table. Later, when a pulpit was introduced to replace the table, it was made of sufficient length to completely cover the bench. From this bench (1) the deacon rose to conduct "the opening," i.e., to read a Scripture, offer comment, and lead in prayer; (2) the preacher appointed for the morning rose to preach the sermon; (3) all other ordained men present "gave testimony," seated, in order of seniority. Thus all the men "on the bench" took part in every service. The term "the bench" came to refer to the official ministerial body of the congregation including bishop, preachers, and deacons. To be "on the bench" came to mean to have official responsibility in the congregation, and an ordained man who moved into the congregation was not "on the bench" until officially voted in by the congregation, and might remain "off the bench" all his life. The "bench" is not a formal official term, but only a customary expression. It was in the 1950s, however, still commonly used in the [[Lancaster Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Lancaster]], [[Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Franconia]], and [[Washington County (Maryland) and Franklin County (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Conference|Washington-Franklin]] (MC) conference districts as well as by the [[Old Order Mennonites|Old Order]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church|Stauffer]], and [[Reformed Mennonite Church|Reformed]] Mennonites in the [[United States of America|United States]] and [[Canada|Canada]]. It is used only in the absence of a one-pastor system.
 {{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 1, pp. 272-273|date=1953|a1_last=Bender|a1_first=Harold S|a2_last= |a2_first= }}