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.

New Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1986. Vols. 1 &8.

Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center. “The Amish, the Mennonites, and

the Plain People”. 2002. http:www.800padutch.com/amish.shtml.

Third Way Café. “The Mennonites”. Mennonite Media, 2002. http;www.thirdway

.com/menno/FAQ.asp?F_ID=9

Quakers and the Political Process. “Penn’s Holy Experiment: The Seed of a

Nation”, 2000, http;//www.pym.org/exhibit/p078.html.

“William Penn, Proprietor”. 1999. http;//xroads.Virginia.edu/~CAP/PENN/

pnintro.html.
“Why Amish & Mennonites?”, 1998,

http;www.montanasat.net/rickv/Amish%20&%20Mennonites.html.