Mennonite AMA: Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With Your God.

Welcome to the Mennonite AMA. I will expand this post by editing as I proceed, and as the other volunteers join.

Background:

Mennonites are anabaptists. Menno Simons is not viewed as a guru or founder as much as someone who wrote clearly and convincingly about anabaptist principles. (Here is an aside on this based on a comment, below, that was deleted before I could respond.) In particular, Mennonites may have claimed the name because the name they were regularly called by in German, "wiedertäufer," just means "Anabaptist," but had gotten a bad rep because of fiascos like the Münster Rebellion.

The church's theology is based on a completionist, Arminian reading of the New Testament. Although Mennonites have very different views on this as individuals, the traditional view is that one cannot know whether one is saved, but merely "work, and hope."

Mennonites have traditionally tried to read the New Testament, especially Jesus's teachings, as the most important part of the Bible, and to follow exactly what they think the New Testament says.

Although the list is not exclusive, generally the Mennonite differences (or "distinctives" as they are called) are:

• Simplicity
• Community
• Peace

Mennonite views of community and simplicity have created some beauty in the world, as Mennonites have formed small and rural farming communities, focused on helping each other and living as "die Stille im Lande" or "the quiet in the land." Mennonites' focus on simplicity and community has helped them keep a focus on Christ in the middle of a cultural landscape that is corrosive, at best. However, to my mind, it also raises questions about how the church can reach outside of its strong and robust communities to help heal a broken world.

The Mennonite view of peace is, traditionally, non-resistance, based on the biblical command not to resist one who is evil. The church's peace stance ranges from traditional non-resistance to political pacifism, to a wide swath of the church who have adopted American cultural values on both military force and personal weapons.

Historically, there have been two major strains within Mennonite Church USA, my denomination, which is also related to Mennonite Church Canada. "Old Mennonite" congregations came directly from Switzerland and the Palatinate, and Alsace-Lorraine in what was then Germany but is now France. Those congregations tended to speak Pennsylvania Dutch, and settled in Pennsylvania and Virginia, later in Ohio and points west.

The other group migrated from Germany east, to Russia under Catherine the Great, and then left the Soviet Union in the wake of World War II. These settled in Canada and the northern United States, and were the old General Conference Mennonite Church, now merged into MC USA and Canada. They tended to speak Mennonite Low German which is different from Pennsylvania Dutch. Many of these congregations are more conservative, and settled in Mexico and South America. An example of this kind of community -- and their language -- can be seen in the moderately successful movie Stellet Licht or "Silent Light" in Mennonite Low German.

Resources:

Third Way Cafe is a great place to get down-to-earth answers about Anabaptism and Mennonites.

MC USA has a church finder here, but be aware that many, many anabaptist and Mennonite congregations are not tech savvy. They may not even say what they are -- the local Mennonite-Amish church in my area just calls itself a Christian fellowship. So in your area, you might do worse than to ask someone wearing plain clothes or a head covering, if you're looking to visit. Don't worry, your question will be received with warmth and welcome.

Your Volunteers:

u/vongutenmaechten: I am an academic in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I am a member of an MC USA (Mennonite Church USA) congregation, and am active both in our congregation and hold positions within the broader church body. I represent the traditional ethnic Mennonite: I speak German, I value traditional anabaptist theology, and I live in a rural setting.

u/Sxeptomaniac: I'm not what they call "ethnically Mennonite"; I was raised in Presbyterian and Baptist churches, but ended up attending a Mennonite Brethren University, and joining that denomination, in the process. I picked up a BA in Biblical Studies at the university, and spent a year attending the Mennonite Brethren Seminary, but decided not to complete my studies there. I currently work as a system administrator. I've now been attending a multi-ethnic Mennonite Brethren church for close to two decades.

u/that_harlots_blade: I am a Mennonite convert (MCUSA), although the vast majority of my mother's family is either Mennonite or Amish, so I'm not completely an outsider. I am not seminary-educated, but I will do what I can to answer what I can!

I will add information about other AMAers as they DM me their deets.

Ask us anything!