Beachy Amish

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Dirk Willems (picture) saves his pursuer. This act of mercy led to his recapture, after which he was burned at the stake near Asperen (etching from Jan Luyken in the 1685 edition of Martyrs Mirror
Dirk Willems (picture) saves his pursuer. This act of mercy led to his recapture, after which he was burned at the stake near Asperen (etching from Jan Luyken in the 1685 edition of Martyrs Mirror).
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The Beachy Amish Mennonites are an Anabaptist group of churches with Amish roots.[1] Although they have retained the name "Amish" they are quite different from the common idea of Amish: they do not use horse and buggy for transportation, with a few exceptions they do not speak Pennsylvania German anymore, nor do they have restrictions on technology except for radio and television. In the years 1946 to 1977 a majority was transformed into an evangelical revivalist denomination.[1]The traditionalists who wanted to preserve the old Beachy Amish ways then withdrew and formed their own congregations. Today they are known as Midwest Beachy Amish Mennonites or Old Beachy Amish.[1]

They form a loose association of churches without a central governing body; therefore, few common characteristics are shared by all Beachy congregations. Some similarities include adhering to the Dordrecht Confession of Faith and practicing varying degrees of Anabaptist practice, such as nonresistance, separation from the state, and adult baptism.

History[]

The Beachy church arose from a 1927 division in the (Casselman) River Old Order Amish congregation in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.[2] Bishop Moses M. Beachy led the congregation during that time and his name became associated with the faction. The Beachys favored a milder discipline for members whose only offense was transferring membership to other Anabaptist churches, specifically the conservative Amish Mennonite congregation that broke from Moses Beachy's congregation (then not under Beachy's leadership) in 1895.[3][better source needed]

The Beachy Amish were transformed at mid-20th century into a more evangelical group by both the incorporation of revivalist Amish who had left their original churches and joined the Beachy Amish and by a growing revivalist influence within the Beachys.[1] One especially influential man in Lancaster County was an Amish (and later Beachy Amish) evangelist from Oklahoma, David A. Miller. Through his and other revivalist influences an Amish youth group evolved known as the "Goodies" due to their emphasis on a renewed spiritual life and avoiding the period of rumspringa as experienced in many Amish youth groups. Many of the "Goodies" eventually joined the Beachy Amish community in Lancaster County.[4]

Distinctives[]

In contrast to the Old Order Amish, the Beachys have meetinghouses, Sunday School, and a Bible School for young adults, and most also support missionary work. Excommunication is used less frequently and accompanying bans are even rarer.

Most Beachy churches today more closely resemble the Conservative Mennonites (which see for fuller discussion of beliefs/distinctive under that entry) rather than the Old Order Amish. The practices and lifestyle still similar to the Old Order Amish include:

  • Women wear head covering
  • Married men have beards in most congregations
  • Television and radio are forbidden

Practices that distinguish the Beachy church from the Old Order Amish include:

  • Filtered Internet is permitted by most congregations
  • Men wear ready-made clothing
  • Ownership of personal automobiles.
  • Most do not speak Pennsylvania Dutch.[5]: 422 

Population and distribution[]

In 2006, there were 11,487 Beachy members in 207 churches,[6] with the highest representation in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio.[7] International Beachy churches or mission work can be found in El Salvador, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Ireland,[8] Ukraine, Romania, Kenya, Australia, and Canada. Mission work is sponsored by Amish Mennonite Aid (AMA), Mennonite Interests Committee (MIC), or individual churches.

See also[]

Literature[]

  • Cory Anderson and Jennifer Anderson. The Amish-Mennonites across the Globe. Acorn Publishing, 2019.
  • Cory Anderson: The Amish-Mennonites of North America: A Portrait of Our People. Ridgeway Publishing, 2012.
  • Alvin J. Beachy: The Rise and Development of the Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches. Mennonite Quarterly Review, Vol. 29, No. 2, 1955, pages 118-140.
  • Aaron Lapp: Weavertown Church History. Sugarcreek: Carlisle Printing 2003.
  • J. B. Mast: Facts Concerning the Beachy A. M. Division of 1927. Meyersdale, PA 1950.
  • Mennonite Church Information 2007. Harrisonburg: Christian Light Publications 2007.
  • Devon Miller: Amish Mennonite Directory. Millersburg, OH 2008. A directory of all US and Canadian Amish Mennonites, including the Beachys.
  • Dorthy Schwieder and Elmer Schwieder: The Beachy Amish in Iowa: A Case Study. Mennonite Quarterly Review, Vol. 51, No. 1, 1977 p. 41-51.
  • Elmer S. Yoder: The Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship Churches. Hartville, OH 1987.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Anderson, Cory (5 September 2021). "Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship". Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  2. ^ Yoder, Elmer S. (1987). The Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship Churches. . ISBN 978-0-940883-01-7.
  3. ^ Beachy, Alvin J. (14 May 1952). "The Amish of Somerset County, Pennsylvania: A study of the rise and development of the Beachy Amish Churches. A Thesis submitted to The Hartford Seminary Foundation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Sacred Theology" (PDF).
  4. ^ Stoltzfus, Chris (2019-10-18). "The Amish Goodie Gang of the 1950s: A Story of Changing Identity and Spiritual Renewal". . 7 (1): 44–53. ISSN 2471-6383.
  5. ^ Kraybill, Donald B. (2013). The Amish. Karen Johnson-Weiner, Steven M. Nolt. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-1-4214-0914-6. OCLC 810329297.
  6. ^ "2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches". The National Council of Churches. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  7. ^ "2000 2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Study". Glenmary Research Center. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  8. ^ Langan, Sheila (2021-03-19). "Did you know Ireland has an Amish community?". . Retrieved 2021-09-05.

External links[]

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