Whatsit Wednesday: Mennonites

We have often explained that ‘Pennsylvania Dutch’ isn’t Dutch at al. It is “Deutsch” which is German. It is the Amish in Pennsylvania who are most well-known for the clothing restrictions, horse-and-buggy, and family values. Interestingly, the Amish are a subset of a group known as Anabaptists. Mennonites come from the same theological and historical foundations. 

Whereas the Amish are named after the Swiss leader Jacob Amman, the Mennonites are named after Menno Simons. And all of it begins back in the 16th century at during the reformation. Menno Simons came from Friesland, an area in the Netherlands, and began as a Catholic priest. After his brother was killed for his religious beliefs, and after examining his own beliefs and coming to the conclusion that he could no longer be a Catholic, Menno joined the anabaptist movement. 

As the movement progressed, despite severe persecution, followers ended up taking Menno’s name. They became Mennonites. In the Netherlands these groups of believers were called “doopgezinden’ or baptist-minded. They were persecuted and even killed because they believed that people needed to be able to believe in Jesus Christ before they could be baptized. The anabaptists (which also included Zwingli, the Amish, the Mennonites and the Hutterites) believed similarly that one needed to be re-baptized as an adult, even if one was baptized as a baby (which was what was happening in the Catholic Church as well as the protesting Lutheran and Calvinist churches). 

I remember following a tourist tour in Haarlem and the tour guide pointing out the anabaptist church which was hidden behind other houses. The church members had to meet in secret or they could be caught and persecuted. Their property would be taken from them and they could be executed. This struck me at the time as quite strange, since this all took place in the religiously tolerant country of the Netherlands. But it has always been clear that all cultures can become quite intolerant at times. 

The main beliefs of the anabaptists and thus the Mennonites have remained the same throughout the centuries. They have been staunch pacifists, perhaps because of the very violence they experienced and were at first willing to use. Menno’s brother was killed for his beliefs, while the anabaptists in Münster (in Germany) were willing to force people to be re-baptized in order to establish the New Jerusalem. But the Mennonites have been known for their pacifistic views for quite some time. They did not fight in the First or Second World War (or in the American Civil War). They also are unwilling to accept oaths, since Jesus says: Let your yes be yes and your no no (Matthew 5:37). 

Because of these views and the persecution that came with their faith, Mennonites have often moved around the world, seeking more peaceful places. As they went, they took the gospel with them, often choosing to move somewhere in order to preach, knowing that they would never return. They have a strong mission emphasis in their teaching and lives. 

Besides these views, they also believe in simplicity of life and an emphasis on the family structure that God created - in the nuclear family as well as in society and the church. Although the Amish, which was a more conservative group of anabaptists, eschew technology, Mennonites do not. They do emphasize that things should not take our lives over, focusing on God and people rather than things. 

Most recently in my experience, I have noticed that Mennonites also emphasize and excel in a capella singing. This is interesting considering the history of singing in the Netherlands. But that is for another time, another topic.