Mennonite Evolution: 6 Key Events for Christian Denomination Since It Began

Mennonites were considered radicals by other Christians when they were formed in the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation in Europe. They emerged from the Anabaptist movement, which believed in the re-baptizing of adults, who were old enough to choose their religion. Mennonites took their name from their early leader, Menno Simons, a former Catholic priest from the Netherlands.

Here are six events that helped develop the religion:

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1. The Mennonite church shared many values with those who would become Amish. The Amish split from the Mennonites in 1693 to form their own group. They believed in separating from the world to fully practice their beliefs. Both the Mennonites and the Amish suffered from similar persecution and eventually settled in Pennsylvania when first coming to America.

2. Mennonites faced severe opposition while forming congregations throughout Europe. Many members from Switzerland and Germany left for North America, settling in Pennsylvania and then throughout Midwestern states in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their populations continue to thrive in these areas.

3. Other Mennonites fled Western Europe because of persecution and moved to Russia. Unfortunately, they too faced opposition and many of them had to flee throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, eventually reaching North America where the population continues today.

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4. Divisions erupted among Mennonites in the 1800s with some preferring to explore new ways of practicing their faith and others holding onto traditional methods. Groups began developing new denominations from 1847 to the turn of the century.

5. The more conservative members of Mennonites seem similar to the Amish. Known as Old Order Mennonites, they moved to areas that kept them separate from the social and political unrest throughout the world. They continued to speak Pennsylvania Dutch and use horses and wagons as transportation in locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Ontario, Canada.

6. Many divisions of older times were resolved in the 21st century when a conference was held to unite denominations. Two major denominations were formed for the U.S. and Canada in 2002. They became known as Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada.

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