Beachy Amish

Beachy Amish
Beachy Mennonites
ClassificationAnabaptist
OrientationConservative Anabaptism[1]
ScriptureKing James Version
LanguageEnglish
Origin1927
Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States
Congregations154
Members9,310

The Beachy Amish Mennonites, also known as the Beachy Amish or Beachy Mennonites, are a Conservative Anabaptist tradition of Christianity.[1][2][3][4]

Commonalities held by Beachy Amish congregations include adhering to the Dordrecht Confession of Faith and practicing Anabaptist distinctives, such as nonresistance, plain dress, separation from the state, and believer's baptism.[1] They form a loose association of churches without a central governing body. Other Beachy congregations have organized into denominations, such as the Ambassadors Amish Mennonite Churches and the Maranatha Amish-Mennonite Churches.[5][6]

The Beachy Amish originated as a schism from the Old Order Amish over practices related to church discipline and revivalism, though over time, people from various backgrounds have come to join Beachy Amish congregations.[7] Although they have retained the name "Amish" they are quite different from the Old Order Amish: they do not use horse and buggy for transportation, with a few exceptions they do not speak Pennsylvania Dutch anymore, nor do they have restrictions on technology except for radio and television. In the years 1946 to 1977 a majority of the Beachy Amish incorporated certain elements of revivalist practice, such as the preaching of the New Birth.[2] 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.[2]

  1. ^ a b c "Beachy Amish Mennonites". Mennonite Archives of Ontario. 29 September 2017. The Beachy Amish Mennonites are a conservative Anabaptist denomination with Old Order Amish origins. They have supported the 1632 Dordrecht Confession of Faith and also maintained a set of distinctive practices and limits on lifestyle choices. However, they are not as strict in their practices as the Old Order Amish and have been evangelically oriented, prompting them to engage in outreach and mission programs. The Beachy denomination has been congregational but with many service programs stitching the individual churches together. While the formal Beachy denomination is the largest Amish Mennonite constituency, several other constituencies have their roots in the Beachy movement, including Maranatha Amish Mennonite, Ambassadors Amish Mennonite, Berea Amish Mennonite, Midwest Beachy Amish Mennonite, and Mennonite Christian Fellowship.
  2. ^ a b c Anderson, Cory (5 September 2021). "Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship". Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  3. ^ Gilbert, Glenn G. (2006). Studies in Contact Linguistics: Essays in Honor of Glenn G. Gilbert. Peter Lang. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-8204-7934-7.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Anderson2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Anderson2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Anderson2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Amish orders". Ohio's Amish Country. Retrieved 22 April 2024.