Conservative Mennonites

Conservative Mennonites include numerous groups who identify with the more conservative or traditional element among Mennonite or Anabaptist groups but not necessarily Old Order groups. Those identifying with this group would drive automobiles, have telephones, electricity and some may have personal computers.

History

"The first of these conservative withdrawals from the Mennonite Church occurred in the 1950s, and they continue in the 1990s. Many independent single congregations developed from this exodus."^[1]

The main body of what are termed Conservative Mennonites have their origin from withdrawals from the main body of the (Old) Mennonite Church Conferences in the United States and Canada. "Independently and almost simultaneously, conservative minorities in widely scattered regional Conferences of the Mennonite Church came to the point where they had had enough of what they considered compromise and apostasy. They were disenchanted with the Conference structure and its failure to deal with drift. They decided to launch out on their own."^[2] Beginning in late 1958 through 1960 a large number of individuals and congregations withdrew from various Mennonite Conferences forming congregationally governed or independent Mennonite congregations. These later informally began what is called the Nationwide Fellowship Churches. In Ontario a group formed what is called the Conservative Mennonite Churches of Ontario or CMCO. Their website is http://www.cmcopublications.org. These individuals and congregations felt that the mainstream Mennonite churches were no longer holding to the traditional and conservative values of the Anabaptist Mennonite tradition.

Congregations

There are a number of congregations which have splintered or moved away from these beginning groups and have formed different fellowships. The earliest group began to be associated informally together in what was called the Conservative Mennonite Fellowship beginning in 1956. Most of these congregations were of Amish Mennonite Origin coming from the Conservative Mennonite Conference. They began the earliest mission worked among the conservative groups in the early 1960s in Chimaltenago, Guatemala (on the Eastern side). What remained of these congregations joined the Nationwide Fellowship Churches in 1997.

Another group was the only Conference to remain conservative namely, the Washington County, Maryland/Franklin County, Pennsylvania Conference (founded in 1790) centered mostly around Hagerstown, Maryland. In recent years they also have begun publishing under the name Brotherhood Publications. Their history to 1960 has been published.^[3]

A third grouping peacefully requested to withdraw from the Lancaster Conference (located centrally in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) in 1968 requesting to keep the 1954 discipline that was being revised. This group bears the name of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. They operate their own publishing house offering Curriculum for home and traditional classroom settings and other books and are located in Ephrata, Pennsylvania - Eastern Mennonite Publications. They offer Spanish publications and Bible Studies through their Spanish publishing house in Guatemala - Quetzaltenango Mennonite Publishers QMP.

Another group geographically centered in York and Adams Counties in Pennsylvania withdrew later from the Lancaster Conference in the early 1970s under the direction of their bishop Richard Danner. They are called the Conservative Mennonite Churches of York and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania.

Another group located geographically in Wayne, Medina, Columbiana, Richland County areas of Ohio have their origin in the Wisler Conferences of Ohio and Michigan (an Old Order grouping). In more recent years they have identified with the values of the Conservative Mennonites. They are called the Ohio Wisler Mennonites.

Over the years there have been various regroupings among these groups with numerous independent congregations forming and reforming.

The most conservative groups do not have Television, Radio and shun or do not use the Internet. There are some websites nevertheless arising among those following this group, anabaptistmennonites.org would be one such example. Finding external links or publications of this group online are rare because of their various stands.

The most conservative groups operate the following publishing house: Rod and Staff Publishers in Crockett, Kentucky USA, offering both a full Christian (Conservative) Curriculum for home and traditional classroom settings as well as a complete Bible Study/Sunday School Curriculum. They publish mostly in English and Spanish with some German language publications. Lamp and Light Publishers offers free Correspondence Courses in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. They are located in Farmington, New Mexico. Neither publisher has a website.

Mission outreaches of these groups can be found in Haiti, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines, Bolivia and the beginnings of work in England, Tasmania, Australia, and Argentina/Bolivia.

This group would share similar beliefs and values as the Mennonite Christian Fellowship group and the more traditionally conservative group like the Tennessee Brotherhood Churches.

Beliefs

These are sometimes referred to as Distinctives

• 1) Authority of the Scriptures
• 2) Their view of Christ
• 3) Distinctive view of the Christian
• 4) High view of the Church including discipline
• 5) The Two Kingdom Concept
• 6) Liberty of Conscience
• 7) Voluntary Church membership
• 8) Believer’s Baptism
• 9) Discipleship
• 10) Separation of Church and State
• 11) Nonresistance
• 11) Non swearing of oaths
• 12) Separation and Nonconformity to the World in many areas including clothing
• 13) Innocence of children
• 14) Evangelistic zeal
• 15) Simplicity in lifestyle
• 16) Simplicity of worship. This includes A Capella Singing, Segregated Seating and Kneeling Prayer.
• 17) Lay Leadership and the Plural Ministry
• 18) Christian Woman's Veiling - 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 still applies today.

England and Ireland

In Ireland, there is a Beachy Amish Mennonite Church in Dunmore East. They are not affiliated directly with Conservative Mennonites but share similar beliefs.

In England:

1. United Kingdom Mennonite Ministry, no website, part of the Nationwide Mennonites from Wisconsin (USA) with meetings in Old Sodbury, England.Publishers of the Rod and Staff books.

Intermediate and Moderate Conservative Mennonite Groupings

These groups do not share the same level of strictness as the most conservative ones mentioned above but have similar origins or have withdrawn from the groupings above (like making the use of the radio optional or allowing more usage of the internet).

Southeastern Mennonite Conference officially began upon their withdrawal from Virginia Conference in June 1972.

Others have formed from their withdrawal from the groups mentioned above. These would include much smaller groups like (but not limited to): Bethel Fellowship, Mid Atlantic Fellowship, and Midwest Mennonite Fellowship, and numerous unaffiliated congregations.

Notes

1. ^ Stephen Scott, An Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups, Good Books, Intercourse, Pennsylvania, 1996, p. 159
2. ^ Scott, p. 167
3. ^ Daniel R. Lehman, Mennonites of the Washington County, Maryland and Franklin County, Pennsylvania Conference, Eastern Mennonite Publications, Ephrata, Pennsylvania, 1990.

References

Scott, Stephen (1996). An Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups. Intercourse, PA: Good Books.

External links

• Conservative Mennonites (Swiss-High German, Pennsylvania) in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.