Brother and Sister
 

Do you prefer church folks call you brother or sister? Why/why not?

Re: Brother and Sister
 

Maybe the first few times its all right but to formal. John said "greet the friends by name".

Re: Brother and Sister
 

I prefer to be called brother. I haven't thought about it that much, but I just feel that sister would be a little inappropriate.

Re: Brother and Sister
 

No. Please don't precede my name with brother.
As a matter of fact I sometimes like to call people by their first name at church because many just look at me like "I can't believe u didn't call me brother or sister first. I just like messing with religious traditions that folks cling to and consider almost a heaven or hell thing if you don't go along.

Gets me also how new folks come to church and those in the church introduce themselves by saying "hello, I'm Brother or sister so and so.

Re: Brother and Sister
 

I don't mind calling older folks "Brother" or "Sister". It sort of replaces Mr or Mrs to me. But I really don't like using it for anyone else outside of the lodge where I have no problem saying "Brother Kramden" or "Brother Norton".

Re: Brother and Sister
 

It's an interesting tradition. Do other churches do this, or is it a UPC thing?

Re: Brother and Sister
 

A lot of other churches say Brother and Sister not just UPC. Btw, I've never been to a UPC...

Re: Brother and Sister
 

Granted not calling someone "brother" or "sister" is not a sin but pride is.:thumbsup

Yes, it's a tradition, but it's a tradition based in scripture.

"Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity" 1 Timothy 5:1-2

I refer to most as "sister" or "brother" who are in the faith, I refer to the older women as "mother", who are in the faith. I do so out respect not out of necessity. For those who don't hold to that tradition, I'm fine with, but making an effort not to in order to attract attention is pretty prideful to me.

To those of you that have achieved this heightened level of scripture knowledge as to where you can look down on all of us silly apostolic folks and our traditions, I warn you, pride comes before the fall (Proverbs 16:17).

Re: Brother and Sister
 

PAW, PCAF, COOLJC I know for a fact all three. Most every COGIC and African American Pentecostal Church does as well OP or not. I know also some Assemblies of God and Charismatic churches do. Most African American Baptist churches and some black Methodist churches. A whole chunk of the protestant movement does this. It's a VERY common practice in evangelical christiandom.

Re: Brother and Sister
 

There is also the Water Buffaloes, the Royal Order of the Racoons, and the Grand Mystic Royal Order of the Nobles of the Ali Babel Temple of the shrine.