Clean up our sticky threads?

[Crazy Liz]

Someone mentioned the Anabaptist forum SoF (statement of faith), so I went to look at it. Couldn't find it as a sticky thread, but I did see this locked sticky:

http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=3223435

I wonder if this thread should be removed, edited or unstuck. The Calvinist slogans in the siggy rub me the wrong way. It never felt like a real welcome message, since we knew at the time it was something like "welcome to your new prison," or "welcome to your new ghetto."

I wonder if newcomers who read it without knowing the history will also be misled just because the Calvinist content so far outweighs the Anabaptist/Friends content. What do you think?

Our other sticky thread is also locked:

http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=3226012

While nothing in it is inaccurate, it is not a good description of who belongs in the Anabaptist forum, since there is no mention of Friends or other similar groups.

Our sticky threads do not represent us well, IMHO.

Any suggestions for changing them?

Perhaps the "What is an Anabaptist?" thread could be unlocked so others could post there? Perhaps the title should be changed to "What is an Anabaptist? What is a Quaker?"

Only a staff member can make this kind of change. I thought about asking our mods to unstick and/or open them, but decided it wouldn't be wise to request that without asking for input.

Does anyone else have thoughts about what should be done to update our sticky threads?

 

[Crazy Liz]

Also, our prayer chain thread is not locked, but ZiSunka started and ended it, and I think anyone who knew her prefers not to post after her. Should it remain sticky, even though it's no longer active? Should it be locked?

 

[Crazy Liz]

How about if we asked TPTB to change our forum name to Anabaptists and Friends (pun intended)?

 

[MrJim]

How about if we asked TPTB to change our forum name to Anabaptists and Friends (pun intended)?

Love it..

There's so few folks that come here (I stop in regularly) that I'm sure as a Senior member anything done will be ok. The prayer thread is a nice idea..

 

[CelticRose]

CrazyLiz, I think that's an excellent idea all round. I should like to see the SOF mentioned as I hunted for ages when I first joined & having known ZiSunka I now avoid the prayer thread; perhaps we need a new one? I'm not good at the politics game but I would support the changes you mention.

 

[Crazy Liz]

Does our forum have a SoF? IIRC, we never made one. Having just been excluded from a larger forum, a significant number of us did not want to participate in writing a document that would further exclude. When those who wanted to write one realized some of their ideas would exclude long-time members, they backed off.

How about if for now we just ask our mods to unstick the "Welcome" thread (which is anything but), and of the remaining threads, open the closed thread and close the open one? Then we can take some time to add to the descriptive threads and see if a consensus develops.

 

[Crazy Liz]

I just sent this PM to our mods:

Would you all mind taking a look at this thread:

http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=7235560

Our stickies are way out of date, and some of us would like to make some changes. We're not a big group, but everyone who has posted so far agrees, and no one has disagreed. There is nothing radical about the changes. Of our 3 stickies, we want one open one to be closed, one closed one to be opened, and one to be unstuck. This will give us an opportunity to work on more changes in our stickies that will truly reflect consensus of the members.

Thanks for taking a look at the thread. Please post and let us know if you can do these things.

Thank you,

Crazy Liz

 

[FreeinChrist]

The discussion of the Statement of Faith and FSGs needs to handled by an admin so I will contact one today.

 

[synger]

FreeInChrist sent me a note about your interest in a Statement of Faith. This forum has always been very open in who they welcome to post, and what the discussions can be about. You have never had Forum-specific Guidelines (FSGs) like some of the other forums. The only time you need admin input in your Statement of Faith is if it is part of your FSGs.

Let me explain.

FSGs set out who can be considered a "member" of the forum. Basically, they help identify those who can "discuss, teach, and debate". Non-members may post "fellowship" posts. These definitions are codified in the Congregation-wide Guidelines. Then, they formulate a Statement of Faith to be part of their FSGs, which outlines the specific doctrines of the members of a forum.

If a forum needs the protection of Forum-specific Guidelines, they are very useful. Some forums, like yours, have opted not to bother with FSGs. You don't HAVE to have them. They just help your mods identify who is allowed to debate, teach, and discuss is your forum. If you don't want any limitations on that, then you don't need FSGs.

Now, that being said, you may have a "What do Anabaptists Believe" sort of thread, and sticky it, and have it not connected to FSGs or "members" or "non-members" or any of that stuff. If that's all you want, you don't need admin involvement at all. You know your history and doctrine better than I do. *grins* Just come up with some links and text that help differentiate what makes Anabaptists different from, say, Calvinist believers, or Baptist believers, or Salvationists, or Orthodox. Explain the peace churches, or provide links to information about them. Stuff like that.

However, if you have a sticky that is merely for history/information, you must understand the expectation... all people will still be allowed to post in this forum whether they agree with your history and doctrine or not.

If you wish to LIMIT discussion in your forum, you will need to develop official FSGs. With those, you'll need admin help. I'd be happy to assist you in developing them, if you wish them.

But if you don't need them, don't bother. Just create a history/doctrine sticky for informational purposes.

Does that help clarify things a little?

 

[FreeinChrist]

Thanks for posting and letting us know.

So then this thread could be removed and then either make up a new one or just use the thread What are Anabaptists as a welcome, this is what we beleive thread?

the current welcome thread has alot oc Calvinist comments - but that is in RNMommyof7's signature and not removable that I know - so deleting it would be best

 

[Crazy Liz]

Thanks for posting and letting us know.

So then this thread could be removed and then either make up a new one or just use the thread What are Anabaptists as a welcome, this is what we beleive thread?

the current welcome thread has alot oc Calvinist comments - but that is in RNMommyof7's signature and not removable that I know - so deleting it would be best

You can unstick it & let it fall down to the end of the forum if you want. It's part of our history. Being "welcomed" into our shiny new ghetto by someone advertising so prominently that she was not one of us has always felt like a kick in the teeth. But it shouldn't be deleted. That welcome was part of what led to us being as we are today.

It was the first thing a lot of us saw when arriving here. We don't want to deny that past, but we also don't want others to receive the same kind of UNwelcome we received.

Please just unstick it, rather than deleting it.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Ok