Mennonite cultureMennonite culture
The word Anabaptist means one who baptizes again. Those of Anabaptist faiths believe it makes more sense to be baptized as an adult than as an infant.
Mennonites dress in plain clothing. They believed in total separation from the world. They did not believe in salvation. Women had no authority in the church. They are very conservative when it comes to modern conveniences and technology.[6]
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The Mennonite faith has split up numerous times throughout the centuries. Some stick to the old traditions, while others embrace some modern customs, such as driving cars. They practice moderate use of technology. They are involved in the outside world, providing a worldwide relief organization. Some Mennonite groups have even excommunicated Amish.[6]
Because Mennonites were pacifists, they were against all military activity. This was one factor prompting migration from Europe to the Americas. Mennonites who joined the military were excommunicated. Mennonites did not fight in the American Revolution. Some fed and cared for destitute soldiers, no matter what side they were on. Those who fed British soldiers were accused of treason. During the Civil War, Mennonites either hired substitutes or paid the exemption fee. During WWI, a conscientious objector status was allowed, giving Mennonites a legal way to avoid participating in the war.[1]
Mennonite languagesMennonite languages
Mennonites retained their German language. It held religious significance to them, and speaking German in an English-speaking county insulated them against their social environment.[1]
Many Mennonite Surnames have Russian, Prussian, or Swiss origins. The following surnames are common in Mennonite communities:[7]
- Bartel
- Brandt
- Bueckert
- Buhler
- Dyck / Dick / Dueck
- Enns
- Epp
- Ewert
- Fast
- Friesen
- Froese
- Giesbrecht
- Goertzen
- Harder
- Harms
- Isaac
- Janzen
- Klassen
- Krahn
- Neufeld
- Pauls
- Penner
- Peters
- Regier
- Reimer
- Rempel
- Schelerinberg
- Schmidt
- Siemens
- Toews
- Unrau / Unruh
- Vogt
- Voth
- Wall
- Warkentin
- Wiebe
- Wiens
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- Where's My Ethnicity?!: Why An Ethnicity Might Not Show Up In Your DNA (and How To Find Evidence Of It Anyway) at MyHeritage Knowledge Base
- MyHeritage Last Names Directory
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Britannica , Britannica, online encyclopedia (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mennonite : accessed 16 January 2025), Mennonite.
- ↑ Anabaptism. (2025, January 15). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabaptism
- ↑ Mennonites. (2025, January 12). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mennonites
- ↑ Britannica , Britannica, online encyclopedia (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mennonite : accessed 16 January 2025), Mennonite.
- ↑ Jean Kilheffer Hess, Active Peacemaking, Mennonite Life, 31 August 2021, viewed 16 January 2025, <https://mennonitelife.org/mennonite-ways/>.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Plain Folk: Researching Amish and Mennonite Families - Legacy Family Tree Webinars. (2023, August 18). Legacy Family Tree Webinars. https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/plain-folk-researching-amish-and-mennonite-families/
- ↑ FamilyTreeDNA - Genetic Testing for Ancestry, Family History & Genealogy. (2025). Familytreedna.com. https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/mennoniteand-amish-immigrants/surnames