The Amish and the Mennonites in the United States
Introduction:
The Amish and the Mennonites puzzle many people. They appear to be of
another time and another culture. The Amish, particularly, keep to themselves
and do not marry those of different faiths. While Mennonites seem slightly more
connected with the world at large, they, too, seem disconnected and far-removed
from the way most of the United States lives. The Amish avoid the use of
electricity and most modern conveniences. The Mennonites use such things
selectively. They are, by their own description and wish, “Plain People.” They
seek simplicity in how they live and how they worship. The idea that the Amish
and the Mennonites, as Christian sects, do not change with the times is untrue.
They came to this country settling largely in Pennsylvania and Ohio in the 1720s
and 1730s but they dress as if they were still living in the rural 19th century. The
difference between these sects and other protestant Christian groups is that
these change with the times extremely slowly and with great caution. Anything
that does not add to their simple life and faith is rejected. Their clothes seem like
costumes to most Americans with women in their cloth bonnets shielding their
faces and long straight skirts, men, as with women, usually wearing black or
other dark colors with beards, but no mustaches.
There is a reason for all that they do. They take the Bible literally word for
word and put their faith before all else. This paper will introduce the reader to the
Amish and the Mennonites, shedding light on their unusual way of life, by
reviewing their histories and also the differences between these similar sects of
the Christian church.
The Beginnings in Europe:
The Amish have their roots in the original Mennonite community. Both
were part of the Anabaptist movement, which began in the 16th century in
Europe, about the time of the Reformation. The Anabaptists took a firm stand
against the Roman Catholic church’s practice of infant baptism, in favor of
believer’s baptism after the age of accountability and knowledge of what baptism
meant in the life of a Christian. Because of the stand against infant baptism were
mockingly called Anabaptists from the Greek word ‘ana’, which means to look
backwards or against (“Why Amish and Mennonites?” 1999).
The Anabaptists were most plentiful in those days in Zurich, Switzerland.
They believed that there were huge differences between the Bible and the
Catholic’s doctrines, the most powerful church of the time throughout Europe.
They taught against the Catholic teachings of indulgences (money charged for
prayer), worship of relics, images and saints and other doctrines.
The Anabaptists and other reformers of the day such as Martin Luther
believed that reformation meant a return of the church to its first-century ways. It
justified the name Anabaptist because the movement did look backwards to the
early church’s example. According to An Introduction to Mennonite History,
“Somewhere along the way the church had fallen and needed to return to a virtue
it had once possessed” (Dyck, 1993, p.15). The Anabaptists rejected the
sacramental system as a way of salvation and accepted the words of Jesus as
final authority. Again, according to Dyck, “Called the Sermon on the Mount
Christians by friend and foe alike, they believed that word and deed belong
together in Christian living” (Dyck, 1993, p. 16).
About the same time, a Dutch Roman Catholic priest named Menno
Simons (1496-1561) had been studying his Bible and comparing it to the
teachings of the church. Based on the teachings of the Bible, he was forced to
come to the conclusion that the Anabaptists already had, which pointed him back
to the way of life in the early church. Menno knew he had to obey the words of
Christ to, “deny himself, take up his cross and follow” Jesus openly, even if it cost
him his life. Menno Simon’s disciples were called Mennonists, and later,
Mennonites (“Why Amish and Mennonites?”). Surprisingly, Menno Simon is not
considered the founder of the Mennonite Church nor the most articulate
spokesman of early Anabaptist theology. His greatness lay in the leadership he
gave to northern Anabaptism during its formative first generation. He is revered
for his calm, biblically oriented approach and through his writings, which helped
to consolidate the movement (The New Encyclopedia Britannica, 1986, vol. 8, p.
16).
A century later, in the late 17th century, a man named Jakob Amman, a
Swiss Mennonite bishop, believed that worldliness and complacency were
becoming part of the Anabaptist church. Resistance to his efforts caused a split
in 1693. Although Jakob Amman and Menno Simons shared most beliefs, this
split was largely over two practices: Foot Washing and Avoidance. Amman
introduced foot washing to his followers’ worship service, but the Mennonites did
not.
The practice of Avoidance is based on the verses found in Matthew 18,
verses 15-17 which read:
Moreover if thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his
fault between thee and tell him alone… But if he will not hear thee,
then take with thee one or two or more…And if he shall neglect to
hear them, then tell it onto the church; but if he neglect to hear the
church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.”
In the Mennonite churches, a non-conforming member would be shunned
and the community would terminate all contact with him. However, Amman took
this one step further and required the spouse of a person under the ban to
neither sleep nor eat with them, until they repented and changed their behavior
or beliefs. The Mennonites and Amish to this day maintain the same perspectives
that they did in the 17th century, with the Amish being stricter on the issue of
Avoidance (“The Amish: Beliefs, Practices and Conflicts”, Religious
Tolerance.org).
Those who followed Amman were then called Amish Mennonites. Later,
the name Mennonite was for the most part dropped. However, both the
Mennonites and the Amish were to suffer persecution and martyrdom by the
predominant and powerful Catholic Church and retain a similar quality of faith.
The churches were based largely in Switzerland, Alsace (France), Germany,
Russia and Holland. Migration to the United States began in the early 18th
century.
The Amish and The Mennonites in the United States:
The first Mennonites emigrated from Europe to North America in 1663 to
preserve the faith of their fathers, to seek economic opportunity and to escape
religious persecution and, as peaceable people who refuse to bear arms or fight
in wars, European militarism. Until the late 19th century, most Mennonites lived in
rural communities and were successful farmers. They retained their German
language, partly as a religious symbol and partly as insulation against their new
environment. Their main concern was to be left alone to worship God according
to their conscience and tradition.
In 1775 they addressed a statement to the Pennsylvania Assembly, which
said:
It is our principle to feed the hungry and give the thirsty drink;
we have dedicated ourselves to serve all men in everything that
can be helpful to the preservation of men’s lives, but we find no
freedom in giving, or doing, or assisting in anything by which
men’s lives are destroyed or hurt. (The New Encyclopedia
Britannica, 1986 vol. 8, page17.)
Some Amish migrated to the United States in the early 17th century as a
result of William Penn’s famous “Holy Experiment” in religious tolerance. William
Penn (1644-1718) is known as the person the state of Pennsylvania was named
after. As a Quaker, he believed in religious tolerance and has been described as
the first city planner in the New World with his design of Philadelphia. His goal
was to establish a society that was godly, virtuous and representative of
humanity, “…That an example may be set up to the nations as… a holy
experiment” (“Penn’s Holy Experiment: The Seed of a Nation”, Quakers and the
Political Process, 2000).
The Amish and the Mennonites and many others in Europe followed
Penn’s call to set up his Utopia of religious tolerance. Many Amish and
Mennonites started settling in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania during the 1720s.
Other groups moved to or settled in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and
Ohio, and Iowa.
American Amish and Mennonites Today:
Today Amish and Mennonite groups can still be found in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and Kansas. In Canada, Mennonites and
Amish can be primarily found in the province of Ontario (“Conservative
Mennonites –Swiss-High German, Pennsylvania”, Mennonite Encyclopedia,
2000, Vol. 5, pp. 199-200).
Most of the groups in Canada and the United States using the name
Conservative Mennonite trace their origin to the Amish, rather than the
Mennonites. The Amish and the Mennonites, in fact, are rather difficult to
identify. Some are almost exclusively Amish, while others are exclusively of
Mennonite origin. They also tend to be limited in their contacts and fellowship
with each other.
Today Mennonites are divided into three categories: the Old Order
Mennonites, the Conservatives and the Contemporary. The Old Order
Mennonites are similar in appearance to the Amish. Men, women and children
dress modestly in dark colors (usually black and blue) and seek to avoid any
form of vanity. Men wear no neckties or buttons on their clothes. Women wear
long skirts and small bonnets, and tie their hair (which is never cut) in buns.
Neither men nor women wear wedding rings or any other sort of jewelry. Old
Order Mennonites are still strongly attached to the land and are usually farmers
or in the dairy business. However, despite the fact that their mode of
transportation is still the horse and buggy or bicycle, mechanical pumps and
state-of-the art medicines are used. Children do not attend school past the 8th
grade.
Conservative Mennonites have shed many of the restrictions of the Old
Order, and although women still dressed in skirts and bonnets, they are allowed
to wear colors freely. Some Conservative Mennonites own cars but limit the
colors to white or gray. There is restricted access to modern electric equipment
such as radios and televisions, but video games, movies and high-speed Internet
service providers are not popular. Most Conservative Mennonites are still
connected to the agricultural industry, and usually run country stores where
Mennonite goods are sold.
Contemporary Mennonites can be difficult to distinguish from the average
American. They have no restrictions on clothes, the media or computers. These
Mennonites do not restrict their children from continuing their education. They
are also free to interact in mainstream society. Members of this group are in
charge of Mennonite universities all over the United States.
Despite the differences in the three groups of Mennonites, they share a
strong sense of spiritual brotherhood and all affirm that living the faith is more
important than simply believing it. They all believe in emulating Jesus Christ in
their daily lives and reject all forms of violence. American Mennonites are a
strong missionary force around the world, particularly in Africa and Asia (“What
are Amish Mennonites & Anabaptists”, Author-Anonymous).
Membership in the main Amish church, the Old Order Amish Mennonite
Church is not reported. The other Amish groups are relatively small. Probably
the total of all Amish groups is approximately 100,000 in 22 states, including
45,000 in Ohio and small numbers in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and New
York. There are approximately 1,500 Amish in Ontario, Canada. The majority
are descendents of Amish parents, with converts at less than 10% of the total
membership.
The Amish are a very conservative Christian faith group with many of their
beliefs identical to those of Fundamentalists and other Evangelistic churches.
They share, for example, the belief in remaining separate from the world, the
rejection of involvement with the military or warfare. However, each district is
autonomous and there is no centralized Amish organization. The Amish
traditionally have avoided attempts to seek converts, though in recent years
some Amish groups have become active in evangelism (“The Amish: Beliefs,
Practices, & Conflicts”, www.religioustolerance.org/amish.htm).
The Amish are much like the Old Order Mennonites in their practices. The
Amish believers usually speak a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch. High
German is used in worship. English is learned in school.
The teaching of children within the Amish community has had
entanglements with the law because of the restrictions imposed. Schools are
one-room buildings run by the Amish. Formal education beyond the 8th grade is
discouraged, although many young people are given further instruction in their
homes after graduation. The Amish insistence of terminating formal schooling
after the 8th grade conflicted with many state laws, which require children to be
educated until their mid-teens. Some Amish migrated from Pennsylvania to other
states like Missouri, which had more relaxed laws. However, a ruling by the US
Supreme Court in 1972 recognized the Amish’s right to limit the education of their
children (“The Amish: Beliefs, Practices & Conflicts”,
www.religioustolerance.org).
Marriages outside the faith are not allowed. Men follow the Hebrew
Scriptures with regard to beards. They do not grow mustaches because of the
long association of mustaches with the military.
Men usually dress in a plain dark suit and a straw broad-brimmed hat.
Women usually wear a plain colored dress with long sleeves, bonnet and apron.
Hooks and eyes and some buttons are used instead of zippers. The Amish feel
that these distinctive clothes encourage humility and separation from the world.
To them, their clothing is not a costume, but instead, an expression of their faith.
At death a woman is usually buried in her wedding dress, which is often purple or
blue.
Religious services are held in the homes of members on Sunday. They
meet in a different home each week. Funerals are conducted in the home without
a eulogy, flowers or any other display. The casket is plain and unadorned. The
tombstone is also kept very simple.
Family is the core element in the Amish church. Choosing a mate is the
most important decision in a young Amishman’s life. Boys and girls begin their
search for a mate when they turn 16 years of age. Both must join the church and
are baptized in the Amish faith. They are responsible for following the Ordnung,
which is a written (and unwritten) set of rules for daily living. It is believed that
joining the church formally prepares the young people for the seriousness of
setting up their own home (“The Amish, the Mennonites, and the Plain People”,
The Pennsylvania Dutch Welcome Center, PaDutch.com).
Concluding Comments:
The Amish and the Mennonite communities as representatives of their
faith have fascinated most of us for a long time. It is fascinating, too, to try to
understand them, to learn why they choose the way they live. For those of us
living in contemporary Southern California or, in fact, any modern city, such a life
seems incomprehensible. However, it does cause us to stop and question how
we as individuals choose to live and express our own faith. Studying these two
groups has brought its own satisfaction because it causes one to consider more
deeply the question of faith and how it should be lived.
RESOURCES
Author’s Name Omitted by Request, “What are Amish Mennonites &
Anabaptists?”, http://inin.essortment.com/mennonitesamish_rfue.htm.
Author Unknown, “The Amish: Beliefs, Practices & Conflicts”, 1996, http;//www.
religioustolerance.org/amish.htm.
Dyck, Cornelius J. An Introduction to Mennonite History: A Popular History of
the Anabaptists and the Mennonites. Third Edition, 1993.
Meyers, Tom. “Variations in Ordnung”, http;//www.goshen.edu/~lonhs/
GCPUBLICATIONS/Tom_Meyer_Amish/Meyers_amish1
Mennonite Historical Society. Mennonite Encyclopedia, vol. 5, pp. 199-200,
Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press, 1996.
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