On Mennonites

[Guest paket]

This post is in response to a request I received in my testimony thread. Mr Grinch wanted to hear about the Mennonite faith, so here it is.

 

For those unfamiliar with them, the Mennonites are an ethnic group with roots stretching back to the Protestant Reformation. Basically, they thought that Martin Luther didn't go far enough with his 95 theses. Adult baptism and pacifism would become two central tenets of this new group, originally called Anabaptists. They spent a few hundred years traveling / fleeing through eastern Europe and into Russia. They would move into an area, usually enticed by promises of autonomy and religious freedom, and settle it. War would break out, as it is wont to do, and the authorities would attempt to conscript the Mennonites. A few would fight, but most would leave. This is how they ended up in Russia. Here they split again, as religious groups are wont to do. A leader named Jacob Hutter, who believed in communal living, took his group and became known as Hutterites. The rest of the anabaptists followed Menno Simens and are what we (well, some) know as Mennonites.

 

Mennonites value cultural traditions, traditional values and espouse a no-nonsense, nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic. The traditional language is a German dialect called Plautdietsch (or 'Low German' for the Engrish-speaking folks), and the food tends to be simple, typically some kind of meat cooked in some kind of lard. (Perhaps that's why they never gained a reputation for longevity)

 

Mennonites are a tight interweaving of faith and ethnicity. In theory, a Mennonite is one who prescribes to the Mennonite faith and belongs to a Mennonite church. In practice, it doesn't exactly work that way. As a people, they are very insular (like most ethnic groups, I suppose). A non-Mennonite moving into a 'Mennonite' town can expect to spend a long time working on complete social acceptance – like a decade or two. Perhaps less time for the younger crowd (say, 40 or less), or if there is family in the area. Perhaps more time, if ever, for older ones without any family connections.

 

Today, most modern Mennonite churches look and feel like a generic conservative Christian denomination. Usually the worship is divided between the traditional hymns and more contemporary choruses. Actually, the song mix is very representative of the battle that has been fought in Mennonite churches for the past few decades – old vs young. It probably started off when some pastors dared to preach in English, as opposed to German. (Big, big controversy, that one was. After all, everyone knows that God's chosen people really are the Mennonites, despite what the so-called 'historical' records say.) Today, a 'modern' Mennonite church will use the NIV (or similar) translation and sing contemporary choruses while the traditional ones will preach from the King James and sing hymns. Adult baptism, pacifism, inerrancy and divine inspiration of Scripture, and man's need for salvation through Jesus remain the core tenets of the Mennonite church.

 

It should be noted that:

- the Mennonite Disaster Service is the service arm of the Mennonite church, and is usually one of the first organizations on the ground with real aid when disaster strikes

- the high occurance of childhood sexual abuse, especially among the old-order Mennonites, is the dirty little secret that nobody talks about.

[Checkmate]

Paket, thanks again for the post. What you have said is confirmation of what I've read about the Anabaptists and Mennonites. It is good to have validation from someone who has had DIRECT experience with something. A first-hand resource, as it were.

 

Now when I speak about the subject of Anabaptists, I can be assured that my information is correct and not biased.

 

Peace.

[Guest paket]

Cool. If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

Paket, thanks again for the post.  What you have said is confirmation of what I've read about the Anabaptists and Mennonites.  It is good to have validation from someone who has had DIRECT experience with something.  A first-hand resource, as it were.

 

Now when I speak about the subject of Anabaptists, I can be assured that my information is correct and not biased.

 

Peace.

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[Godless Dave]

Do you know anything about a denomination called Church of the Brethren? I've read the Wikipedia article about them (and the two related Brethren denominations) but that's all I know.

 

I'm curious because my ancestors came to North America from Germany back in 1736 and there's some evidence they were connected with the Brethren, but I can't figure out when any Brethren came to North America.

[Checkmate]

Do you know anything about a denomination called Church of the Brethren? I've read the Wikipedia article about them (and the two related Brethren denominations) but that's all I know.

 

I'm curious because my ancestors came to North America from Germany back in 1736 and there's some evidence they were connected with the Brethren, but I can't figure out when any Brethren came to North America.

103585[/snapback]

"The Church of the Brethren" sounds vaguely familiar. I may have read something about them while I was reading up on Anabaptists/Mennonites. I think they are affiliated, even descended from the Anabaptists. I'll go check my sources and see what I can find.

 

edited to add:

 

Okay, I'm back. And rather than craft a whole new post, here is a link.

The Church of the Brethren.

Seems I was correct. They ARE of Anabaptist/Mennonite origins.

[All Gods Fail]

There's also many levels of division in the Mennonite faith - some denominations are relatively mainstream, some adhere to the 'Huck Finn' dress code but can drive cars (special 'black bumper' cars that have no shiny, worldly chrome - bumpers painted black). Some go whole hog like the Amish, with no electricity, tractors, etc.

 

The sect I got sucked into was a charismatic/fundy offshoot (modern - no outfits or restrictions on cars), that nonetheless was under the direct leadership of an official Mennonite authority. They also were closely tied to Maranatha ministries and had a lot of 'guest speakers' and study material produced by that wacko group.

 

As you can imagine, it was the worst of two worlds. Fucked my head up but good...

[quicksand]

To me, an outsider the whole Mennonite to Amish fundementalism seems alien and kinda cool. More so than the garden variety sulking their way to local church on Sunday in my neighboorhood. At the local farmers market we get people from the Mennonite community selling the jams they produce and breads - which are quite yummy, but they seem to me quite cold. I am a very curious person by nature and its usually expressed by humor and so naturally I try to engage them in conversation. No go. I have noticed that the gals of the community have quite powerful hands and forearms which makes my well-trained physicique look quite girlie-man and my hands too soft, cause they are calloused by my mouse.

 

Anyway, I didn't know what language they spoke and was too afraid to ask put-off by their coldness.

[Guest paket]

Do you know anything about a denomination called Church of the Brethren?

 

I do know that the Mennonite Bretheren (http://www.mbconf.ca/index.en.html) is one of the largest conferences of Mennonite churches. Close enough?

 

To me, an outsider the whole Mennonite to Amish fundementalism seems alien and kinda cool. More so than the garden variety sulking their way to local church on Sunday in my neighboorhood.

 

To their credit, the Mennonites (at least the ones I know/knew) believe that the faith ought to permeate the believer's entire life. "Sunday morning Christians" are viewed as backslidden.

 

...but they seem to me quite cold. I am a very curious person by nature and its usually expressed by humor and so naturally I try to engage them in conversation. No go.

 

Ahhh. Very much not surprised. The Hutterites, old-order, and the more conservative Mennonite groups take the "in the world, but not of the world" verse very seriously. They can't help being "in the world" but their mode of dress and agrarian lifestyle are their way of not being "of the world". Also, from childhood they are taught that too much contact with "worldly" things (this means you) could have a corrupting influence on them.

 

Anyway, I didn't know what language they spoke and was too afraid to ask put-off by their coldness.

 

Next time smile and say "Gun-dah" (hello)