Amish Mennonites came into existence through reform movements among North American
Amish
The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churc ...
mainly between 1862 and 1878. These Amish moved away from the old Amish traditions and drew near to the
Mennonites
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...
, becoming Mennonites of Amish origin. Over the decades, most Amish Mennonites groups removed the word "Amish" from the name of their congregations or merged with Mennonite groups.
In the latest decades the term "Amish Mennonite" is sometimes erroneously used to designate horse-and-buggy
Old Order Mennonites, whose lifestyle is more or less similar to the Old Order Amish. Sometimes the term "Amish Mennonite" is used to designate all groups of Amish, both the Old Order Amish and the Amish Mennonites and also the Amish before this division in the second half of the 19th century. The
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online uses the term "Amish Mennonite" in this sense.
History
Division 1850–1878
Most Amish communities that were established in North America did not ultimately retain their Amish identity. The major division that resulted in the loss of identity of many Amish congregations occurred in the third quarter of the 19th century. The forming of factions worked its way out at different times at different places. The process was rather a "sorting out" than a split. Amish people are free to join another Amish congregation at another place that fits them best. Between 1862 and 1878 yearly ''Dienerversammlungen'' (ministerial conferences) were held at different places, concerning how the Amish should deal with the pressures of modern society. By the first several meetings, the more traditionally minded bishops agreed to
boycott the conferences.
The more progressive members, comprising approximately two-thirds of the group, became known by the name Amish Mennonite, and eventually united with the
Mennonite Church, and other Mennonite denominations, mostly in the early 20th century. The more traditionally minded groups became known as the Old Order Amish. The
Egli Amish had already started to withdraw from the Amish church in 1858. They soon drifted away from the old ways and changed their name to "Defenseless Mennonite" in 1908. Congregations that took no side in the division after 1862 formed the
Conservative Amish Mennonite Conference in 1910 but dropped the word "Amish" from their name in 1957.
Because there was no division in Europe, the Amish congregations remaining there took the same way as the change-minded Amish Mennonites in North America and slowly merged with the
Mennonites
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...
. The last Amish congregation in Germany to merge was the
Ixheim Amish congregation, which merged with the neighboring Mennonite Church in 1937. Some Mennonite congregations, including most in
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
, are descended directly from former Amish congregations.
Early conferences
The Amish Mennonites formed regional conferences in the late 1880s after the division. During the early 20th century, most of these original Amish Mennonite groups merged with regional Mennonite conferences and lost their Amish identity.
*The Indiana-Michigan Amish Mennonite Conference, organized in 1888 and merged with the
Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference in 1916.
*The Western District Amish Mennonite Conference, organized in 1890 and merged with the Western Mennonite Conferences in 1920-1921.
*The Eastern Amish Mennonite Conference, organized in 1893 and merged with the Ohio Mennonite Conference in 1927.
*The Ontario Amish Mennonite Conference, organized in 1925, assimilated into the Mennonite mainstream in the 1950s and early 1960s and changed their name to Western Ontario Mennonite Conference in 1963.
*The
Stuckey Amish (Mennonites) of Illinois, emerged from a split in 1872, organized as a conference in 1899 and joined the
General Conference Mennonite Church
The General Conference Mennonite Church (GCMC) was a mainline association of Mennonite congregations based in North America from 1860 to 2002. The conference was formed in 1860 when congregations in Iowa invited North American Mennonites to join ...
as a district conference in 1945. In 1957 it merged with the Middle District Conference to form the Central District of the General Conference Mennonite Church.
*The
Egli Amish, also known as the Égly Amish, were organized in 1865–1866 and changed their name to Defenseless Mennonite Church in 1908. They adopted the name
Evangelical Mennonite Church
The Fellowship of Evangelical Churches (FEC) is an evangelical body of Christians with an Amish Mennonite heritage that is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. It contains 60 churches located in Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, ...
in 1949 and became mainstream. While Evangelical Mennonite Churches currently exist, in 2003, a broader group of Mennonites became the
Fellowship of Evangelical Churches
The Fellowship of Evangelical Churches (FEC) is an evangelical body of Christians with an Amish Mennonite heritage that is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. It contains 60 churches located in Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, ...
.
Later conferences
The "Conservative Amish Mennonite Conference" was born several decades after the original Amish Mennonite movement. In 1910, leaders from three unaffiliated Amish Mennonite congregations met in Michigan to discuss the formation of a conference that allowed for congregational autonomy yet would be able to assist individual churches with problems. This conference was to be more conservative than the aforementioned Amish Mennonite conferences. Nonetheless it moved closer to mainstream Mennonite groups, eventually losing its Amish identity. In 1954, a majority vote called for the removal of the "Amish" part of the Conservative Amish Mennonite Conference (CMC) name, which was implemented in the 1957 constitution revision. Proponents suggested that "Amish Mennonite" conferences were obsolete. During the 1960s, concern rose among some about the lax practice on issues such as the women’s head veiling and cut hair, television, and clothing items. Individual churches began to differ greatly in practice. Since the concerns in the 1960s, conference has abandoned a stand on the aforementioned practices, resulting in the
Biblical Mennonite Alliance __NOTOC__
Biblical Mennonite Alliance (BMA) is an organization of Conservative Mennonite Anabaptist congregations located primarily in the eastern two thirds of the US and Canada, with some international affiliates. The BMA congregations are organ ...
in 2000, which continues to uphold the practice of
headcovering for women.
Leading the process of assimilation further the "Ohio Mennonite and Eastern Amish Mennonite Joint Conference" became the "Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference" in 1955 and the "Ontario Amish Mennonite Conference" became the "Western Ontario Mennonite Conference" in 1963.
Kauffman Amish Mennonite
The
Kauffman Amish Mennonite
The Kauffman Amish Mennonites, also called Sleeping Preacher Churches or Tampico Amish Mennonite Churches, are a plain, car-driving branch of the Amish Mennonites whose tradition goes back to John D. Kauffman (1847-1913) who preached while being ...
s, also called Sleeping Preacher Churches or Tampico Amish Mennonite Churches, are a
Plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...
branch of the Amish Mennonites whose tradition goes back to John D. Kauffman (1847-1913) who preached while being in trance. In 2017, they had some 2,000 baptized members and lived mainly in Missouri and Arkansas. In contrast to other Amish Mennonites they have largely retained the
Pennsylvania German language
Pennsylvania Dutch (, or ), referred to as Pennsylvania German in scholarly literature, is a variety of Palatine German, also known as Palatine Dutch, spoken by the Old Order Amish, Old Order Mennonites, Fancy Dutch, and other descendants of ...
and other traditions from the late 1800s. They allow some modern conveniences, such as electricity and cars. The Kauffman Amish Mennonite congregations are one of a few groups that clearly identifies itself as an Amish Mennonite constituency.
[''Sleeping Preacher Churches''](_blank)
at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.
Beachy Amish Mennonites
The largest and most dominant contemporary Amish Mennonite group are the
Beachy Amish Mennonites
The Beachy Amish Mennonites, also known as the Beachy Mennonites, are an Anabaptist group of churches in the Conservative Mennonite tradition that have Amish roots. Although they have retained the name "Amish" they are quite different from the ...
. The Beachy Amish received their name from
Moses M. Beachy Moses M Beachy (December 3, 1874 – July 7, 1946) was the founding bishop of the Beachy Amish Mennonite churches in 1927 and a former bishop in the Old Order Amish churches.
Early life and family background
Beachy was born near Salisbury, Somer ...
, a former Old Order Amish bishop in
Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset County (Pennsylvania German: ''Somerset Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 74,129. Its county seat is Somerset. The county was created from part of Bedford County on A ...
. Beachy refused to administer a strict form of shunning against members whose only offense was transferring membership to the nearby Conservative Amish Mennonite congregation. Half of the congregation sided with Beachy, and the other half sided with co-ministers Yoder and Yoder. Beachy's congregation affiliated with a similar Amish Mennonite congregation in Lancaster County, today known as the
Weavertown Amish Mennonite Church
Weavertown Amish Mennonite Church is a Beachy Amish Mennonite congregation located in the village of Weavertown, between the somewhat larger villages of Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
History
Weavertown shares ...
. During the 1940s, a number of other factions emerged in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Virginia from Old Order Amish groups. The congregations sought affiliation with the Beachy constituency.
Today, the Beachy Amish vary widely in practice, as the constituency is a fellowship with congregational autonomy separate of a governing conference. Most have retained conservative, plain practices, but this is becoming increasingly questioned, especially in more mainstream churches in predominantly Old Order Amish areas, though not exclusively confined to these regions. New standard allowances in the more mainstream congregations include the radio and DVD or video watching. Clothing is also less distinct in these congregations, especially among the men; however, women's dress has become less distinguishable with a tighter fit and the wearing of sweaters or jackets, and coverings undergone abbreviation. In light of these trends, certain Beachy Amish Mennonite congregations organized into fellowships to retain the traditional emphasis on plain dress and nonconformity to the world, including the Maranatha Amish-Mennonite Churches, Ambassadors Amish Mennonite,
Mennonite Christian Fellowship The Mennonite Christian Fellowship churches, or just Fellowship churches, are an Amish Mennonite constituency within the conservative Anabaptist faith and tradition. The group is theologically and historically similar to the Beachy Amish Mennonite ...
, Berea Amish-Mennonite Churches, and Midwest Beachy Amish-Mennonite.
The most conservative of Beachy congregations use German in services, refuse to have their photograph taken, and dress similar to the
New Order Amish. Between these two range points is a wide variety of practice.
Mennonite Christian Fellowship
The
Mennonite Christian Fellowship The Mennonite Christian Fellowship churches, or just Fellowship churches, are an Amish Mennonite constituency within the conservative Anabaptist faith and tradition. The group is theologically and historically similar to the Beachy Amish Mennonite ...
churches, also known as the "Fellowship churches", originated from several congregations separating from the Old Order Amish in the 1950s and 1960s. The congregations resembled the more conservative end of the Beachy Amish Mennonite constituency at that time. The two groups shared fellowship to the extent that these churches were incorporated into the Beachy affiliation. In 1977, however, some of the ordained men in these churches expressed concern about perceived worldly trends among the Beachy Amish. They met with other ordained Beachy Amish men. Some concerns included members baptized without a true Christian conversion, worldly fads in clothing and lifestyle, and churches conglomerating in communities instead of spreading out. After this meeting, the concerned men decided to withdraw from the Beachy Amish church fellowship, and organize the Mennonite Christian Fellowship. In 1978, these churches started holding their own annual Minister’s Meetings. They operate their own Christian day schools and use Sunday School materials printed by Rod and Staff Publishers of Crockett, Kentucky. They have sponsored missions in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Paraguay. In 2006, the Fellowship churches had 1,518 members in 34 congregations.
Other congregations
A number of other Amish Mennonite congregations exist in an independent, unaffiliated setting. Most identify themselves in name as
Conservative Mennonites
Conservative Mennonites include numerous Conservative Anabaptist groups that identify with the theologically conservative element among Mennonite Anabaptist Christian fellowships, but who are not Old Order groups or mainline denominations.
Co ...
or conservative Amish Mennonite and may hold fellowship with various
Beachy or conservative Mennonite congregations.
Two newer affiliated groups include ''Berea Amish Mennonite Churches'' and ''Ambassador Amish Mennonite Churches''. There is also a small group of
Old Beachy Amish
The Old Beachy Amish or Old Beachy Amish Mennonites, also called Midwest Beachy Amish Mennonites, are a Plain, car-driving Beachy Amish group, that preserves the old ways of the Beachy Amish including the German language. They live in Kentucky and ...
congregations which still use the German Language.
Membership and congregations
Around the year 2000 there were 13 Amish Mennonite congregations in five states of the US. Membership of these congregations was 1,222. There were also 16 unaffiliated Amish Mennonite congregations in nine states with 737 members.
[ Donald B. Kraybill and C. Nelson Hostetter: ''Anabaptist World USA'', Scottdale, PA 2001, pages 147/8]
Directory
The ''Amish Mennonite Directory'', published by Abana Books, lists Amish Mennonite congregations within Beachy, Fellowship, and unaffiliated constituencies. The directory includes detailed information, including household demographic and occupational data. The directory was published in 1993, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, and 2011.
See also
*
Anabaptism
Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...
*
Subgroups of Amish
*
Conservative Mennonites
Conservative Mennonites include numerous Conservative Anabaptist groups that identify with the theologically conservative element among Mennonite Anabaptist Christian fellowships, but who are not Old Order groups or mainline denominations.
Co ...
*
Biblical Mennonite Alliance __NOTOC__
Biblical Mennonite Alliance (BMA) is an organization of Conservative Mennonite Anabaptist congregations located primarily in the eastern two thirds of the US and Canada, with some international affiliates. The BMA congregations are organ ...
*
List of Amish and their descendants
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
References
Literature
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* (2001 edition)
* (This book is about the Amish Mennonites in the sense of the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online, see above.)
{{Amish
Mennonite denominations
Amish
Religious organizations established in 1862
Anabaptist organizations established in the 19th century
Protestant denominations established in the 19th century