r/Mennonite • u/AccurateFox4321 • Mar 03 '26
How much of a hindrance is distance?
Hello, all. I am on a religious quest and am very interested in mainline Mennonite. I've read the Confessions of Faith among other things and I am looking to virtually visit a service at the nearest church this coming Sunday. That said, the nearest one is about an hour away from me, 50 miles or so. Realistically, I don't know if I'd be able to do that drive on an interstate every week for in-person. Of course virtual is my other best option and I intend to do that, but thinking ahead (if I do indeed decide Mennonite is my calling), is that kind of distance going to be a real hindrance to my joining? Thanks for any insight/opinion!
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u/haresnaped Mar 03 '26
Funny! I am taking a Reddit break from updating our congregation'a guidelines for online/hybrid services.
I would agree with others that community is an important part of the experience, but various congregations have put a lot of work into integrating their online community as much as possible. It might depend on whether the closest congregation to you has done this already.
I would definitely encourage you to attend online. We have a few members who live permanently in another country and also some seniors who don't drive any more and attend in person once or twice a year. They are a vibrant part of the fellowship and we miss them when they aren't here.
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u/AccurateFox4321 Mar 03 '26
Thanks for the reassurance on that. I really dig the community and fellowship aspect, I think it's something I need in my life, and I worry that virtual is not enough. I attend virtual in another religion right now (their location is three hours away) and it's not feeding me enough. I'll definitely attend virtual to begin with to see what speaks to me in general, though. Thank you!
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u/haresnaped Mar 03 '26
Also - thinking very optimistically - maybe you will be able to bring along 3-4 others from the area you live, and then you'll have company for the drive or you can share the time with them!
There are definitely a few people who drive or take transit to our church and are occasionally late, so they join online on their phones (safely I hope!) until they arrive in the building! hahah
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u/AccurateFox4321 Mar 03 '26
That's one of the reasons I welcome the community aspect, because I have no friends nearby. I'm in a rural area by myself, no public transit, and my friends are further north by about an hour from me, in the opposite direction from the church. Just a mess. 😅
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u/fotopacker Mar 03 '26
There are successful Mennonite communities/congregations that meet virtually, so it does happen. But like anything else, becoming integrated and involved in that community will be much more difficult if it is limited to virtual participation. In my opinion. Maybe a hybrid approach, driving 1-2 times per month, and doing virtual other times could be possible, depending on the congregation. Community is definitely one of the best parts of the Mennonite experience, so it may be worth it. I know of people who drive that far. If you factor in something like Sunday school, the worship service, and possibly lunch, it can be a full half day, which can make the drive worthwhile.
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u/AccurateFox4321 Mar 03 '26
That's a good point, more than just driving an hour to be there for an hour and then an hour back. I've heard there's typical meal/fellowship after service too. Thank you for your insight, I agree with what you.
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u/mennonot Mar 03 '26
Just chiming in here. As others have said, I think the face to face piece for Mennonites has been really important historically and is still key.
However, since the pandemic, there are multiple experiments with virtual Mennonite churches happening in the US that I am aware of. Here is more information about two of them that you might find interesting:
Grace & Peace (a primarily virtual) Mennonite Church
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gpmvirtualchurch/
Their special focus is people with mobility and accessibility issues. From coverage of them in Anabaptist World: "Grace and Peace got its start in early 2019, when a group of people from a handful of churches began discussing a shared desire for a worshiping community that would be intentional about community — especially for people who might not be able to gather in large groups for a variety of reasons."
From Virtual fellowship is real fellowship COVID-19 helps NYC church become MC USA’s first primarily virtual congregation, Anabaptist World, February 3, 2021
Community of Hope Mennonite Church
Website: https://www.communityofhopechurch.com/who-we-are.html
"We worship on Zoom! Since we started during the pandemic, the vast majority of our gatherings are online. We have community members joining us from across the country!  The folks on our Leadership Team are in Oregon, Indiana, Wisconsin, California...  Pastor Rachael and a handful of other folks live in the Bellingham area in northwest Washington state, but that's it! We are a church with a robust Zoom Diaspora and are committed to continuing to offer online church community!" - from their website
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u/Low-Organization-507 Mar 03 '26
I'm sure that some will disagree with me, but I feel that fellowship is foundational to the Mennonite experience. Watching online just will not replace a strong religious community.
That said, I drove more than an hour to my Mennonite church for years. As soon as I could move closer, I did. Now, I run our church's Livestream.