How does one join a Beachy church?
For those who do not have Anabaptist cultural ancestry attend a Beachy church for a comfortable amount of time. For some people, this is short, maybe two months; for others, this may be many years. (Personally, I took two years.) After evaluating the church and deciding if this is a commitment the person wants to make (both spiritually and culturally), the individual then approaches the bishop to inquire about membership. What follows is a six month proving period where the individual is instructed in the church beliefs and practices, which may include review of the church guidance and statements of faith, such as Dortrecht Confession of Faith (1633). After the six months, if there are no issues for either the individual or the church, the person will be accepted into the congregation. If the person had not been baptized before, then at this point he will be baptized.
