[93], Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), founded on September 27, 1920, in Chicago, Illinois,[94] provides disaster relief around the world alongside their long-term international development programs. By contrast, in the Netherlands, the Mennonites enjoyed a relatively high degree of tolerance. Political rulers often admitted the Menists or Mennonites into their states because they were honest, hardworking and peaceful. The ethos of the denomination accents integrity of relationships above proclamations of truth, process more than specific guidelines, praxis rather than doctrine and seeking the mind of Christ rather than setting exact expectations. The original church building was built in 1883 and added onto in 1944. The Church of the Brethren is the largest of the groups; others include The Brethren Church and the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. [120], Mennonites have been portrayed in many areas of popular culture, especially literature, film, and television. After May 1943, as a labour shortage developed within the nation, men were shifted into agriculture, education and industry. Often republished. The oldest Mennonite meetinghouse in the United States is the Hans Herr House in West Lampeter Township. Hershberger, Guy F., The Pennsylvania Quaker Experiment in Polities, M.Q.R., X (1936), 4: 187221Google Scholar. Crouse admitted the validity of baptism by immersion, but maintained that as baptism is only a symbol, the Mennonite For fuller treatment of this point, see Durnbaugh, , The Genius of the Brethren, pp. In the contemporary accounts, Sauer refers to himself as a Separatist and is so referred to by others. 18. However, disagreements in the United States and Canada between conservative and progressive (i.e. Feature Flags: { In 1536, Menno Simons, a former Dutch Catholic priest, joined their ranks, rising to a leadership position. During expropriation, hundreds of Mennonite men, women and children were murdered in these attacks. Mennonites believe in the importance of a church built on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Anti-war History of the Brethren and Mennonites, the Peace People, of the South, during the Civil War, 18611865. 23, 26, and Horst, Irvin B., Joseph Funk, Early Mennonite Printer and Publisher, M.Q.R., XXXI (1957), 4: 260277Google Scholar. : Brethren Publishing House, 1899)Google Scholar; Sachse, Julius F., The German Sectarians of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: The author, 18991900), 2 volsGoogle Scholar., which must, however, be used with caution. [8], Switzerland had 2350 Mennonites belonging to 14 Congregations which are part of the Konferenz der Mennoniten der Schweiz (Alttufer), Confrence mennonite suisse (Anabaptiste) (Swiss Mennonite Conference). In most forms of worship and practice, they differ very little from many Protestant congregations. Edwards, Morgan, Materials toward a History of the American Baptists (Philadelphia: Joseph Crukehank and Isaac Collins, 1770), I, 66Google Scholar. (1955). [5], The majority of the early Mennonite followers, rather than fighting, survived by fleeing to neighboring states where ruling families were tolerant of their belief in believer's baptism. Many Russian Mennonites actively collaborated with the Nazis, including in the rounding up and extermination of their Jewish neighbors, although some also resisted them. Called the "First Keepers of the Old Way" by author Stephen Scott, the Reformed Mennonite Church formed in the very early 19th century. Europe has seen a slow and accelerating decline in Mennonite membership since about 1980.[101][102]. Memoirs of Samuel M. Janney, Late of Lincoln, Loud on County, Va. A Minister in the Religious Society of Friends (4th ed., Philadelphia: Friends' Book Association, 1890), pp. 54. Today, Mennonites also reside in Kishacoquillas Valley (also known as Big Valley), a valley in Huntingdon and Mifflin counties in Pennsylvania. The distinguishing characteristics of moderate Mennonite churches tend to be ones of emphasis rather than rule. [122] In 1975 Victor Davies composed the Mennonite Piano Concerto and in, 1977, composer Glenn Gould featured Manitoba Mennonites in his experimental radio documentary The Quiet in the Land, part three of his Solitude Trilogy. Over the centuries many Amish individuals and whole churches left the Amish and became Mennonites again. 59. Robert Herr and Judy Zimmermann Herr, "Building peace in South Africa: A case study in the Mennonite program in, Association of Evangelical Mennonite Churches of France, Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Soviet program of mass internal deportations, Alliance of Mennonite Evangelical Congregations, U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight, "Bolivian Reforms Raise Anxiety on Mennonite Frontier", "Nuevos alemanes en la selva de Peru, Los Menonitas llegaron a colonizar la selva (Reportaje)", "Aus Montevideo: Galizische Mennoniten in Uruguay", "Paraguay's Mennonites resent 'fast buck' outsiders", "Menonitas en Colombia: as vive la misteriosa comunidad religiosa en los Llanos Orientales", "Member Churches Mennonite Church in the Netherlands", "Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (CGC)", "Holdeman Mennonites discuss 'challenges of entertainment', "Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective", "CNN - Mennonite church expelled for accepting gays - Nov. 5, 1997", Delegates vote to allow space for differences, Delegates repeal Membership Guidelines, pass LGBTQ-affirming resolution, "Ukrainian Mennonite General Conference GAMEO", Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online, "The Real History of the Mennonites and the Holocaust", "Mennonite-Nazi Collaboration and Coming to Terms With the Past: European Mennonites and the MCC, 1945-1950", "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania", "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Hans Herr House", "10 things to know about Mennonites in Canada", "Paso Robles First Mennonite Church (Paso Robles, California, USA)", "San Marcos Mennonite Church (Paso Robles, California, USA)", "Lancaster's distancing shrinks roll: A few churches want to stay with MC USA; others are dropped from denomination's membership number", "2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Study", "Homosexual and bisexual orientation among Mennonites", "Mennonites leaving Quebec after government closes school", "Townsfolk sad to see Mennonites move away", "Faith-Based Education May Result in Loss of House and Home in Quebec", "Old Order Mennonites, church groups find ways to adapt to COVID-19", "Waterloo Region, COVID surges in old order Mennonite communities", "Public health intervenes to limit COVID-19 surge among old order Mennonites", "Critical threat to Old Order Mennonite community forced order by Public Health", "Mennonite Community of Manitoba, Bolivia", "A Verdict in Bolivia's Shocking Case of the Mennonite Rapes", A Beloved Canadian Novelist Reckons with Her Mennonite Past, "The rapes haunting a community that shuns 21st Century", 2018 Mennonite Church Membership Statistics, "Member Churches Mennonite Church in Germany", "Literature, North American Mennonite (1960s2010s)", "Motion Pictures and Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites", "The Groenings, the Simpsons and the Mennonites", "Satire news site pokes fun at Mennonite quirks", Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, in Pennsylvania, Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO), Pilgrim Ministry: Conservative Mennonite church directory, The Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mennonites&oldid=1142674749, Protestant denominations established in the 16th century, Religious organizations established in the 1530s, Articles incorporating a citation from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia with Wikisource reference, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2010, Articles needing additional references from January 2022, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Renunciation of the oath (swearing as proof of truth), Horse and Buggy Old Order Mennonites came from the main series of Old Order schisms that began in 1872 and ended in 1901 in Ontario, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Midwest, as conservative Mennonites fought the radical changes that the influence of 19th century American Revivalism had on Mennonite worship. 2427.Google Scholar. Irouically, those copies of theMartyrs' Mirror still on hand at the time of the Revolutionary War were seized by the American forces over the protests of the pacifist Ephrata Brethren, and used for wadding in cartridges. Weber, Samuel E., The Charity School Movement (Philadelphia: W. J. Campbell, 1905)Google Scholar; Bell, Whitfield J. Jr, Benjamin Franklin and the German Charity Schools, Studies on Benjamin Franklin: The Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of his Birth, January 17, 1956 (Philadelphia: The American Philosophical Society, 1955), pp. #3. mennonites and brethren 1775. luke huard texas a&m salary; simchart 84 post case quiz; mennonites and brethren 1775. regional theatre auditions; mennonites and brethren 1775. mike birbiglia podcast; dream of funeral evangelist joshua; phonte questlove supreme; colonel frank o'sullivan interview; Title: Mennonite Brethren in Christ fonds. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The Tunkers (Dunkards) believed almost exactly as the Mennonites on war and the state and, being small in numbers, before the Revolution, identified themselves with the Mennonites in most of their public actions. (p.25). 1. At that time some remaining Mennonite Brethren moved from Ukraine to the republics of Soviet Central Asia. The Mennonite Brethren were also in contact with and influenced by German Baptists J. G. Oncken and August Liebig. Corrections? They teach the symbolic understanding of the Lords Supper, and, in imitation of Jesus, some practice foot washing. 28. Yoder maintained: From similarity in beliefs and practices, the Brethren, who came to Pennsylvania, and settled among the Mennonites, have absorbed the general plain Mennonite patterns and dress and living from their Mennonite naighbors. (p. 50) and Certain outward influences from the Quaker world penetrated into the German dialect-speaking plain world. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. This was the last straw for the Quaker assemblymen. Associate Professor of Church History, Bethany Theological Seminary, Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. The organizational structure is divided into five regional conferences. The early history of the Mennonites starts with the Anabaptists in the German and Dutch-speaking regions of central Europe. In the late 20th century, however, there were many signs of experiment in worship similar to those found in other denominations, including the use of organ music. Larger groups of Dutch/North German Mennonites came to North America from the Russian Empire after 1873, especially to Kansas and Manitoba. Ammann's followers became known as the Amish Mennonites or just Amish. See also Steckel, William R., Pietist in Colonial Pennsylvania: Christopher Sauer, Printer (unpub. However, they refrain from forcing their Mennonite faith on their children, allow their children to attend public schools, and have permitted the use of automobiles. The largest single body is the (Old) Mennonite Church; next in size are the General Conference Mennonite Church, the Mennonite Brethren, and the Old Order Amish. A rediscovery of their history also gave new meaning to contemporary urban social relationships. "Unlike Mennonites who descend directly from the 16th century Anabaptists, the Brethren claim a mixed parentage of German Pietism and Anabaptism. 29. MC Canada participates in the Canadian Council of Churches, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and the Mennonite World Conference. Some migrated from Germany and Switzerland . Total membership in Mennonite Church USA denominations decreased from about 133,000, before the merger in 1998, to a total membership of 120,381 in the Mennonite Church USA in 2001. 5758Google Scholar. [40] Some progressive Mennonite Churches are part of moderate Mennonite denominations (such as the Mennonite Church USA) while others are independent congregations. About nine thousand departed for the United States (mainly Kansas and Nebraska) and seven thousand for Canada (mainly Manitoba). [14], Though Mennonites are a global denomination with church membership from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, certain Mennonite communities with ethno-cultural origins in Switzerland and the Netherlands bear the designation of ethnic Mennonites.[15]. Mennonites are committed to nonviolence, nonresistance, and pacifism. They also have Sunday school, hold revival meetings, and operate their own Christian schools/parochial schools. The Mennonite Brethren Church is an evangelical Mennonite Anabaptist movement with congregations. This was reflected both in the home and at church, where their dress and their buildings were plain. Founded in 1886, it has 27 Congregations with 5,724 members and is part of the larger "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mennonitischer Gemeinden in Deutschland" or AMG (Assembly/Council of Mennonite Churches in Germany),[115] which claims 40,000 overall members from various groups. (Especially the ones that could converse in German and Swiss version German and Dutch version German. "useRatesEcommerce": false Formal Mennonite beliefs were codified in the Dordrecht Confession of Faith in 1632,[4] which affirmed "the baptism of believers only, the washing of the feet as a symbol of servanthood, church discipline, the shunning of the excommunicated, the non-swearing of oaths, marriage within the same church", strict pacifistic physical nonresistance, anti-Catholicism and in general, more emphasis on "true Christianity" involving "being Christian and obeying Christ" however they interpret it from the Holy Bible. "An Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups", Intercourse PA 1996, pages 122123. Many German-Russian Mennonites who lived to the east (not in Ukraine) were deported to Siberia before the German army's invasion and were also often placed in labor camps. Still another movement, the Hutterian Brethren, emerged under the leadership of Jakob Hutter (died 1536). [25] In 2022, the organization would have it would have 109 member denominations in 59 countries, and 1.47 million baptized members in 10,300 churches. Hostname: page-component-7fc98996b9-pxj8b The Mennonite World Conference counts 47,202 baptized members within 7 organized bodies in 2015. In 1860 a small group of Mennonites in Russia underwent a religious awakening and demanded stricter discipline for church members. Outreach and help to the wider community at home and abroad is encouraged. Anabaptist groups originating in Western Europe. The Mennonites believe in a closed society and pacifism, which few if any Baptists believe in. There are hundreds or thousands of Mennonite churches and groups, many of which are separate from all others. In the 20th century, North American Mennonites put new emphasis on higher education, especially by supporting their own colleges and seminaries, while continuing to maintain secondary and Bible schools. Unable to persuade the rest of the Amish, they separated and formed a number of separate groups including the Conservative Mennonite Conference. [110][111] Another 78,892 of that number are from the Mennonite Church USA. They stress strict separation from "the world", adhere to "strict withdrawal from and shunning of apostate and separated members", forbid and limit cars and technology and wear plain clothing. The first schism in America occurred in 1778 when Bishop Christian Funk's support of the American Revolution led to his excommunication and the formation of a separate Mennonite group known as Funkites. Most notably, they went further from the Catholic teachings and were often as at odds with the Protestant rulers as they were with the Catholics. [122] Rhoda Janzen's memoir Mennonite in a Little Black Dress was a best-seller. Both Brethren and Mennonites, along with the Amish, Holdemans, and Hutterites, trace their history to the Anabaptist movement, which started in Switzerland at the beginning of the 16th century and soon spread to other parts of Europe. Available On-line at, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 19:49. God brings us into right relationship without coercion. Bender, Harold S., John Horsch, M. E., II, 814Google Scholar; Friedmann, Robert, John Horsch and Ludwig Keller, M. Q. R., XXI (1947), 3: 160174Google Scholar. 5 For these Anabaptists, charismatic expressions did not necessarily conflict with the tradition's other beliefs and practices. They resigned. Published online by Cambridge University Press: This anabaptist religion is named after Frisian Menno Simons, who was responsible for formalizing the teachings of other earlier Swiss founders. Moderate Mennonites include the largest denominations, the Mennonite Brethren and the Mennonite Church. Arts & Life Life & Style Faith Report on vaccine hesitancy among Mennonites 'misleading'. 21, 250, 275. But let a Government once give away the Power of bestowing its own favors, and let all Sects and Persuasions be equally favor'd, equally independent of the Constitution, how shall they be influene'd or how rul 'd? They have 121 congregations with 10,200 members according to the World Council of Churches,[14] although the Mennonite World Conference cites only 7680 members. It also prompted a new search for identity as a distinct group in the modern world, through study of their denominational history, sociological analysis, and theological interaction with other groups. The Penington quotation is found in Bainton, Roland A., Christian Attitudes toward War and Peace (New York and Nashville, 1960), P. 153.Google Scholar. There is a list of pamphlets which influenced German Migration in Meynen's, EmilBibliography on German Settlements in Colonial North America (Leipzig: O. Harrassowitz, 1937), pp. Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. Eventually a group of colony men were caught in the act. Address: 845 W Arrow Hwy Upland, CA 91786 County: San Bernardino In the United States, Civilian Public Service (CPS) provided an alternative to military service during World War II. Some of the followers of Zwingli's Reformed church thought that requiring church membership beginning at birth was inconsistent with the New Testament example. In 1785 the Orthodox Reformed Mennonite Church was formed, and other schisms occurred into the 21st century. Evans, 5703, 6256; Seidensticker, pp. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. Banning is rarely practiced and would, in any event, have much less effect than in those denominations where the community is more tightly knit. Some groups use horse and buggy for transportation and speak German while others drive cars and speak English. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Between 1874 and 1880 some 16,000 Mennonites of approximately 45,000 left Russia. Martyrs Mirror, published in 1660, documents much of the persecution of Anabaptists and their predecessors, including accounts of over 4,000 burnings of individuals, and numerous stonings, imprisonments, and live burials. [62] In 2016 it had fallen to 78,892 members after the withdrawal of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. 1775 Mennonite and Brethren petition to the Pennsylvania General Assembly: "We have dedicated ourselves to serve all Men in every Thing that can be helpful to the Preservation of Men's Lives, but we find no Freedom in giving, or doing, or assisting in any Thing by which Men's Lives are destroyed or hurt. In the 1870s, a large group of Russian Mennonites from Ukraine moved to southern Manitoba. [17] This meeting marks the beginning of the Anabaptist movement. It was reprinted in 1834, 1850, 1853, 1861 and in English translation, 1851, 1853, and 1890. Melchior Hofmann led a group of Anabaptists in Strasbourg and developed the teachings that would influence the extremist group in Mnster. A strong emphasis on "community" was developed under these circumstances. In 1775 they addressed a statement to the Pennsylvania Assembly that read: Donald Kraybill's guide on the Amish, a people known for their simplicity, and commitment to peaceful living. [55] This group settled farther west than the first group, choosing less expensive land in the Lancaster area. The Quaker Meeting house with its two doors, its axis through the short side of the house, its shutters and general resemblance to a Georgian house rather than a church was copied by Mennonites and Brethren and spread west, south, and north with the Dutch [German] Diaspora. Many of the modern churches are descended from those groups that abandoned traditional Mennonite practices. 31 Jones, Rufus M., Like the Stauffer or Pike Mennonites (origin 1845 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania), the, Harder, Helmut and Miller, Larry, "Mennonite Engagement in International Ecumenical Conversations: Experiences, Perspectives, and Guiding Principles,". is a program of the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests. Obituaries. The world's most conservative Mennonites (in terms of culture and technology) are the Mennonites affiliated with the Lower and Upper Barton Creek Colonies in Belize. [125] Other films depicting Mennonites include I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight, as well as All My Puny Sorrows and Women Talking, both based on Miriam Toews novels. [8] There is the Nationwide Fellowship Churches (UK) and the larger Brethren in Christ Church United Kingdom. Simons rejected the Catholic Church's teachings and joined the Anabaptists, a new movement known for re-baptizing adult believers, according to the Mennonite history website. The best analysis of this problem, based on extensive archival research, is that of James, Sydney V., A People Among Peoples: Quaker Benevolence in Eighteenth-Century America (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1963), pp. Presbyterians took over the assembly. There were more than 27,000 adult, baptized members of Old Order Mennonites in North America and Belize in 2008/9. Other AMG member groups include: Ruland-Deutschen Mennoniten, Mennoniten-Brdergemeinden(Independent Mennonite Brethren congregations), WEBB-Gemeinden, and the Mennonitischen Heimatmission. Jacob Gottschalk was the first bishop of this Germantown congregation. [7] Mennonites can be found in communities in 87 countries on six continents. Mennonites become Brethren And Brethren become Mennonites Frank L. Reed In the early days of Mennonites and Brethren in North America many Mennonites became Brethren. Some churches are members of regional or area conferences. Krahn, Cornelius, Gingerich, Melvin & Harms, Orlando (Eds.) In 1775 they addressed a statement to the Pennsylvania Assembly that read: It is our principle to feed the hungry and give the thirsty drink; we have dedicated ourselves to serve all men in everything that can be helpful to the preservation of mens lives, but we find no freedom in giving, or doing, or assisting in anything by which mens lives are destroyed or hurt. Durnbaugh, Donald F., ed., Two Early Letters from Germantown, The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, LXXXIV (1960), 2: 219233.Google Scholar, 22. 25. New interest in the faith of early Anabaptists was fostered by the scholarly work of both Mennonite and non-Mennonite historians. Stauffer Mennonites, or Pike Mennonites, represent one of the first and most conservative forms of North American Horse and Buggy Mennonites. For instance, near the beginning of the 20th century, some members in the Amish church wanted to begin having Sunday schools and participate in progressive Protestant-style para-church evangelism. Nebst beygefgten Kurzen und cinfltigen Antworten auf diesclben ([n.p. They baptize by trine (3 times) immersion and emphasize the importance of the Love Feast (similar to communion.) The reason was very simple. Over the years Mennonite farmers and businesses were very successful. He associated with many Mennonite leaders, including Leonhard Sudermann. 7981Google Scholar, with reference to the publication of the same petition in the Pennsylvania Archives. During the 1880s, smaller Mennonite groups settled as far west as California, especially around the Paso Robles area. Do not do anything, says the other, except your own quiet work; the truth will triumph of itself if you do not obstruct (pp. Romans 13:13 (NIV), Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. [114], On the other hand, the Mennonite World Conference cites only 33,881 Mennonites organized into 14 bodies in Mexico. See the Journal of the Committee of Observation of the Middle District of Frederick County, Md. Maryland Historical Magazine, X (1915) 4:301ffGoogle Scholar., for information on how a typical committee followed the regulations. From 1812 to 1860, another wave of Mennonite immigrants settled farther west in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Some progressive Mennonite Churches place a great emphasis on the Mennonite tradition's teachings on pacifism and non-violence. Ironically, the Brethren and Mennonite pietists who eschewed all forms of conflict wound up in the center of a heated battle. For more information, contact Annabeth Roeschley at the BMC office or email bmc@bmclgbt.org. In 1783 Mennonites in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, were accused of treason for feeding destitute British soldiers during the American Revolution. For the major recent discussions of predominant influences in the formation of the Brethren see Durnbaugh, Donald F., Brethren Beginnings: The Origins of the Church of the Brethren in Early Eighteenth-Century Europe, (unpub. Their main concern was to be allowed to worship God according to their conscience and pacifist tradition. "[5], In 1911, the Mennonite church in the Netherlands (Doopsgezinde Kerk) was the first Dutch church to have a female pastor authorized; she was Anne Zernike.[34]. Unlike Mennonites who descend directly from the 16th century Anabaptists, the Brethren claim a mixed parentage of German Pietism and Anabaptism. They became well known as artists, writers, and patrons of social programs. In virtually every case, a dialogue continues between the disciplined congregations and the denomination, as well as their current or former conferences.[72]. Evans, Charles, American Bibliography (Chicago: 19031933), 5971Google Scholar; hereafter cited as Evans., 26. As the Mennonite population has become urbanized and more integrated into the wider culture, this visible difference has disappeared outside of Conservative Mennonite groups. In the spirit of the times, other groups came to preach about reducing hierarchy, relations with the state, eschatology, and sexual license, running from utter abandon to extreme chastity. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct;for it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:13-16 (NRSV), It is Gods willthat you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own bodyin a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lustlike the pagans,who do not know God. In 1966 they joined the Evangelical-Baptist Unionan umbrella organization tightly controlled by the Soviet government. Because of growing pressure by the Czarist government and later because of the political turmoil of the Russian Revolution, significant numbers of the Mennonite Brethren moved to the United States, Canada, Paraguay, Brazil and Mexico.