The Beachy Amish Mennonites, also known as the Beachy Mennonites, are an
Anabaptist
Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, 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- ...
group of churches in the
Conservative Mennonite
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.
Cons ...
tradition that have
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 churches ...
roots.
Although they have retained the name "Amish" they are quite different from the Old Order Amish: they do not use horse and buggy for transportation, with a few exceptions they do not speak
Pennsylvania German
The Pennsylvania Dutch (Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spea ...
anymore, nor do they have restrictions on technology except for radio and television. In the years 1946 to 1977 a majority was transformed into an
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
revivalist denomination.
The traditionalists who wanted to preserve the old Beachy Amish ways then withdrew and formed their own congregations. Today they are known as Midwest Beachy Amish Mennonites or
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 ...
.
They form a loose association of churches without a central governing body; therefore, few common characteristics are shared by all Beachy congregations. Other Beachy congregations have organized into denominations, such as the Ambassadors Amish Mennonite Churches and the Maranatha Amish-Mennonite Churches.
Some similarities include adhering to the
Dordrecht Confession of Faith
The Dordrecht Confession of Faith is a statement of religious beliefs adopted by Dutch Mennonite leaders at a meeting in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, on 21 April 1632. Its 18 articles emphasize belief in salvation through Jesus Christ, baptism, no ...
and practicing varying degrees of
Anabaptist
Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, 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- ...
practice, such as nonresistance, separation from the state, and
believer's baptism
Believer's baptism or adult baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word meaning "I believe") is the practice of baptizing those who are able to make a conscious profession of faith, as contrasted to the practice of baptizing ...
.
History
The Beachy church arose from a 1927 division in the (Casselman) River
Old Order 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 church ...
congregation in
Somerset County,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. Bishop
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 ...
led the congregation during that time and his name became associated with the faction. The Beachys favored a milder discipline for members whose only offense was transferring membership to other
Anabaptist
Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, 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- ...
churches, specifically the conservative
Amish Mennonite
Amish Mennonites came into existence through reform movements among North American Amish mainly between 1862 and 1878. These Amish moved away from the old Amish traditions and drew near to the Mennonites, becoming Mennonites of Amish origin. Over ...
congregation that broke from Moses Beachy's congregation (then not under Beachy's leadership) in 1895.
The Beachy Amish were transformed at mid-20th century into a more evangelical group by both the incorporation of revivalist Amish who had left their original churches and joined the Beachy Amish and by a growing revivalist influence within the Beachys.
One especially influential man in Lancaster County was an Amish (and later Beachy Amish) evangelist from Oklahoma, David A. Miller. Through his and other revivalist influences an Amish youth group evolved known as the "Goodies" due to their emphasis on a renewed spiritual life and avoiding the period of
rumspringa
Rumspringa (), also spelled ''Rumschpringe'' or ''Rumshpringa'', is a rite of passage during adolescent, adolescence, translated from originally Palatine German language, Palatine German and other Southwest German dialects to English as "jumpi ...
as experienced in many Amish youth groups. Many of the "Goodies" eventually joined the Beachy Amish community in Lancaster County.
Beliefs and distinctives
In contrast to the Old Order Amish, the Beachys have meetinghouses,
Sunday School
A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West.
Su ...
, and a Bible School for young adults, and most also support
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
work.
Excommunication
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
is used less frequently and accompanying bans are even rarer.
Many Beachy churches identify as being a part of the
Conservative Mennonite
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.
Cons ...
tradition,
though they have retained certain practices and a lifestyle still similar to the Old Order Amish include:
* Women wear
head covering
Headgear, headwear, or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the elements, de ...
* Married men have beards in most congregations
* Television and radio are forbidden
Practices that distinguish the Beachy church from the Old Order Amish include:
*
Filtered Internet is permitted by most congregations
* Men wear ready-made clothing
* Ownership of personal automobiles.
*Most do not speak Pennsylvania Dutch.
Beachy Amish Mennonites differ from other
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.
Con ...
in that their congregations usually have more autonomy, as opposed to a stronger centralized governance.
Denominations
Branches off of the Beachy Amish Mennonite Church include more conservative denominations, such as the Ambassadors Amish Mennonite Churches, the Maranatha Amish-Mennonite Churches, and the Midwest Beachy Amish-Mennonites.
Population and distribution
In 2006, there were 11,487 Beachy members in 207 churches,
with the highest representation in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
and
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
.
International Beachy churches or mission work can be found in
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
,
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
,
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
,
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
,
Kenya
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,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Mission work is sponsored by Amish Mennonite Aid (AMA), Mennonite Interests Committee (MIC), or individual churches.
See also
*
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 ...
– Oldest existing Beachy church
*
Dunkard Brethren Dunkard may refer to:
*
* Dunkard Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania – administrative territorial subdivision in the United States
* Dunkard Creek
Dunkard Creek is a stream that flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset h ...
, a conservative Anabaptist group in the Schwarzenau Brethren tradition
Literature
* Cory Anderson and Jennifer Anderson. ''The Amish-Mennonites across the Globe''
Acorn Publishing 2019.
*Cory Anderson: ''The Amish-Mennonites of North America: A Portrait of Our People''. Ridgeway Publishing, 2012.
*Alvin J. Beachy: ''The Rise and Development of the Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches''. Mennonite Quarterly Review, Vol. 29, No. 2, 1955, pages 118–40.
* Aaron Lapp: ''Weavertown Church History''. Sugarcreek: Carlisle Printing 2003.
* J. B. Mast: ''Facts Concerning the Beachy A. M. Division of 1927''. Meyersdale, PA 1950.
* ''Mennonite Church Information 2007''. Harrisonburg: Christian Light Publications 2007.
* Devon Miller: ''Amish Mennonite Directory''. Millersburg, OH 2008. A directory of all US and Canadian Amish Mennonites, including the Beachys.
* Dorthy Schwieder and Elmer Schwieder: ''The Beachy Amish in Iowa: A Case Study''. Mennonite Quarterly Review, Vol. 51, No. 1, 1977 pp. 41–51.
* Elmer S. Yoder: ''The Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship Churches''. Hartville, OH 1987.
References
External links
A Beachy Amish Mennonite information websitePilgrim Ministry: Beachy Amish churches*
Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies', Vol. 7, Issue 1: Special issue about the Beachy Amish-Mennonites
in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia online
Profile of the Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches on the Association of Religion Data Archives website
{{Amish
Conservative Anabaptists
Mennonitism
Sub
Evangelical denominations in North America
Conservative Mennonites