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Among the more liberal Swiss Mennonites of the late seventeenth century, there arose a
party led by one Jacob Amman, a minister in the Emmenthal congregation (frikirkemenighet).
Because his family records have not been found, little can be said of him except for the
practices he promoted among both the Swiss Mennonites and the Swiss Brethren ("brødre").
Amman insisted upon a strict interpretation of dicipline. For his practices he appealed to
Menno Simons’ writings and to the Dordrecht Confession of Faith of 1632, which, as
for the Mennonites, has become the recognized statement of doctrine for both Amish and Old
Order Mennonites in America. The Dordrecht Confession says the Bible is the source of
belief, and places prime importance upon the believer’s direct encounter with the
living Christ and the work of the Spirit within them. The Dordrecht Confession insists
that the church is the basic society for the true Christian.
In his preaching, Amman stressed the practice of avoidance. A member whose spouse (ektefelle)
was under the ban (forbud) was either to eat nor sleep with him or her until the
ban was lifted. Amman also reintroduced footwashing. Non-religious customs of the period
– hooks and eyes instead of buttons, shoestrings instead of buttons, bonnets and
aprons, broad brimmed hats, and beards and long hair – became identifying
characteristics of the church and were seen in terms of religious conformity.
All of the Mennonites during Amman’s time were in a loose federation and strove to
remain of one mind. Amman’s strict interpretation of the "avoidance" clause
in the ban led to a division among the Mennonites, with some following Amman and
separating themselves from the others. Amman placed under the ban all who disagreed with
him. After a few years of separation, Amman and his associates tried to reconcile with the
other Mannonites, but the reconciliantion efforts failed. Since then, the Amish have been
independent of the Mennonites.
In the early 1700s, the Amish began to appear in America, the earliest congregation on
record being the one along North Kill Creek in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Coloniers were
later planted in eastern Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. Until recently,
their strengt in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.
The Amish represent a reactionary faction in the Mennonite movement. They have gone far
beyond a practice common to Western Christianity of making to actualize an apostolic
church. The Amish have attempted to freeze a culture, that of the late seventeenth
century. As time has passed and the ..ounding culture has disregarded more and more
elements of Jacob Amman’s nature, greater and greater pressure has been placed on the
Amish to conform with the modern world. Each generation has brought new issues to Amish
orders. Decisions must constantly be made on accommodating to the prevailing …ture of
different points. Public school laws, consolidated farming, atomobile-oriented road
systems, and tourists are just a few of the issues that have joined perennial (flerårige)
Amish problems such as breeding (avl). A lack of consensus on these issues has
produced the several schisms (splittelser) they have experienced.
In order to deal with the various "liberal" trends and local schisms, general
conference was held in Wayne County, Ohio, in 1862, followed by …ers annually for
several years. The conferences only accentuated the various trends. Before the conferences
were discontinued, the more conservative "Old Order" Amish withdrew and
organized separately. Others formed more general bodies which have moved toward the
Mennonites in practice.
Old Order Amish Mennonite Church
The Old Order Amish are in practice the continuation of the original Amish who settled
in America. They are strictly conservative and may be identified by their horse-and-buggy
culture. The men must grow beards but mustaches are forbidden. The plain black suit for
men and bonnet and apron for women are uniforms. There are no buttons on cloths. Marriage
with non-Amish is forbidden.
The Amish society is an agricultural community in which church life and wordly life are
not separated. Symbolic of their life are the Amish barn raisings in which the
congregation gathers to build a member’s barn, usually in a single day. Worship is
held in the homes of the members every other Sunday on a rotating basis. During the
three-hour sevice, the congregation is divided according to sex and marital status.
Schooling beyond the "3Rs" is frowned upon, and trouble with various state
governments has been a major cause of migration (both westward and out of the country).
Ministers are chosen by lot from a nominated few. Since this is not a missionary church,
new members must come into the community from the children. There were 14.720 Old Order
Amish in 1972 in 368 congregations spread out across the eastern half of the country from
Lancaster County, pennsylvania. There were 1.470 ministers.
Conference of the Evangelical Mennonite Church
In the mid 1860’s, Henry Egli, an Amish minister in Adams County, Indiana, began
to emphasize the necessity for a definite conversion experience for all church members.
Because of the inherited nature of the Amish culture and religion, few members could
honestly profess such a conversion. Egli also complained of the "too liberal
dress" of his brethren. In 1866, Egli and his followers withdrew and formed a new
congregation. His movement spread to Illinois.
The "Defenseless Mennonites", as they called themselves, were ultrastrict in
dress and rebabtized all who came into the movement who could not confess a true
conversion experience. They introduced optional immersion (dåp ved fullstendig
neddykking). Their strictness has lessened with the years, as has their
distinctiveness. The small movement is largely confined to illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
There are 20 congregations with 2.900 members. In recent years they have assumed the name
of the Conference of the Evangelical Mennonite Church.
Conservative Mennonite Conference
After the establishment of the Old Older Amish Mennonite Church, more liberal Amish
gradually began to separate from the church. Some of these congregations became associated
and, in 1910, met a Pegeon, Michigan, for a first general conference. These congregations
took the name Conservative Mennonite Conference. Innovations (forandringene)
included the use of meeting houses, Sunday schools, protracted (langvarige)
meetings, and English language services.
Conservative Mennonites are located primarily in the Midwest, but congregations are
located as far away as Florida, Arizona, and Delaware. There were, in 1972, 6.847 members
in 108 churches being served by 45 bishops and 116 ministers.
Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches
A split in the Pennsylvania Amish was occasioned by Bishop Moses Beachy’s refusal
to pronounce the ban and avoidance on some former Old Older Amish who left to join a
Conservative Mennonite congregation in Maryland. The conservative element withdrew
fellowship with the bishop, who then, with his supporters, separated and formed a new
association. The Beachy Amish have become more accommodating to modern culture. Churches
have been built, and in recent years, the automobile has been allowed, as are tractors and
electricity. Missionary-aid work for needy people has become a project in contrast to the
strictly separatist Old Older group. In 1972, there were 62 Beachy Amish Churches with
4.069 members being served by 35 bishops and 103 ministers. |
