The total population of Old Order Mennonites can be estimated to be between 72,000 and 84,000 in 2021. Very conservative Plautdietsch-speaking Russian Mennonites, who may have a similar belief and lifestyle, are normally not called Old Order Mennonite.
What is the difference between the Amish and the Old Order Mennonites?
Old Order Mennonites allow technology in the home, as well as the use of cell phones. In addition, Old Order Mennonites worship in meetinghouses. Amish people tend to avoid electricity, and almost every sect chooses to worship in the home instead of a meetinghouse. Modern Mennonites are even more different.
In the United States, most Old Order Amish and all "horse and buggy" Old Order Mennonite groups speak Pennsylvania Dutch, except the Old Order Mennonites of Virginia, where German was already mostly replaced at the end of the 19th century.
Common distinctives among all three groups include belief in the Dordrecht Confession of Faith (Mennonite, 1632), usage of the King James Version of the Bible, general separation from secular North American culture, a strong emphasis on community, and belief in Anabaptism as a third way, between Protestantism and ...
Congregations worldwide embody various approaches to Mennonite practice, ranging from Old Order Mennonites (who practice a lifestyle without certain elements of modern technology) to Conservative Mennonites (who hold to traditional theological distinctives, wear plain dress and use modern conveniences) to mainline ...
In North America and Europe, the majority of Mennonites have been white, rural and middle class–but that's rapidly changing. We are increasingly multicultural; many congregations worship in languages other than English.
Old Order are those Mennonite groups of Swiss German and south German heritage who practice a lifestyle without some elements of modern technology, still drive a horse and buggy rather than cars, wear very conservative and modest dress, and have retained the old forms of worship, baptism and communion.
Mennonites became active in England in 1952 through a ministry to international students studying in England and in need of housing. Today, the Mennonite Centre Trust is a resource agency with two main objectives: To provide support and resources for the wider Anabaptist movement.
Although the age at marriage among Mennonites also declined prior to the 1970s, there has been no upward trend since then. For Mennonite males, the average age at marriage went from 23.4 in 1972 to 23.2 in 1989; for females, from 21.7 to 21.3; thus, a slight decline.
One fail-safe indicator in determining whether a family is Amish or Mennonite is to look at their method of transportation. Unlike the Amish, Mennonites are not prohibited from using motorized vehicles. In addition, Mennonites are also allowed to use electricity and telephones in their homes.
Apostolic Constitutions likewise declared "Then let the men apart, and the women apart, salute each other with a kiss in the Lord." Among Conservative Anabaptists, such as the Conservative Mennonite churches and the Dunkard Brethren Church, the holy kiss is counted as an ordinance of the Church.
For the most part, there are no problems with Mennonites dating non-Mennonites, particularly if the other person is a Christian. The more conservative groups would be more restrained as far as dating outside the denomination goes, but in the more modern Mennonite church, it's generally considered a non-issue.
While the exact time may vary depending on individual preferences and the specific demands of their work or community, it is common for the Amish to go to bed between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM.
The Amish practice strict shunning (Meidung), which involves social exclusion of members who violate community rules. Mennonites may practice excommunication but are generally more lenient and less uniform in enforcing shunning.
Black Mennonites live in Africa, the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. Black Mennonite communities have existed in the United States and Canada since the late 1800s. Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are home to the second and fourth largest populations of Mennonites in the world.
Anabaptists. The Mennonite movement was a reform movement of Anabaptist origins begun by Swiss Brethren and soon thereafter finding greater cohesion based on the teachings of Menno Simons, and the 1632 Dordrecht Confession of Faith.
Mennonites are no strangers to wealth. Perhaps they were predisposed to do well. Hard work, thrift, and an aversion to luxury have often led to financial well-being.
There are also Mennonite groups who believe that it is wrong to celebrate Halloween because they believe that it has evil connotations–the celebration of evil spirits, etc. The most conservative groups would not celebrate Halloween because they would consider it foolish and a “worldly activity.”
Their emphasis was on grace and the assurance of salvation. Ministers as well as bishops could officiate. Members passed the bread and the cup through the rows. They celebrated the supper monthly (baptisms were often arranged for communion Sundays) and on Good Friday.
The Old Order Mennonite women continue to wear dress modestly in a long ankle-length dress which is made of sturdy, plain material and an apron over their dress. Her long hair will traditionally be tied up in a bun with a bonnet covering her head.
While most Amish and Old Order Mennonites are of Swiss ancestry, nearly all speak Pennsylvania Dutch, an American language that developed in rural areas of southeastern and central Pennsylvania during the 18th century.
There is a high degree of inbreeding, resulting in a high frequency of recessive disorders, many of which are seen rarely or are unknown outside of this population. Extensive genealogical records are available, and the average family size is large.
