Maybe you decided to visit Holmes county to catch a glimpse of the Amish. But aren't Mennonites simply Amish who drive cars? Not exactly.
Mennonites are Christian Anabaptists (meaning re-baptizers) who are named after Menno Simons (1496-1561), an early Anabaptist leader whose writings helped nurture persecuted believers. Mennonites hold several important beliefs in common with the Amish including community, simplicity, adult baptism, peacemaking, and daily following Jesus. These beliefs come through how we read the Scriptures. Generally, we believe that Jesus's ministry, death, and ressurection are the interpretive lens for how we read Scripture. Anabaptist theologian Palmer Becker writes about Mennonites that, "Jesus is the center of our faith, community is the center of our lives, and reconciliation is the center of our work."
While many Amish and Mennonites in Holmes County are descended from European immigrants, globally, most Mennonites outside of North America live in countries like Tanzania, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Paraguay, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
While this is a brief explanation, the best way to get to know the Mennonites is to start a relationship with us. For more web resources and information, visit http://thirdway.com/ or click on a link below