The Beachy Amish Mennonites, also known as the Beachy Amish or Beachy Mennonites, are a
Conservative Anabaptist tradition of Christianity.
Commonalities held by Beachy Amish congregations include adhering to the
Dordrecht Confession of Faith and practicing
Anabaptist distinctives, such as
nonresistance,
plain dress
Plain dress is a practice among some religious groups, primarily some Christianity, Christian churches in which people dress in clothes of traditional modest design, sturdy fabric, and conservative cut. It is intended to show acceptance of trad ...
, separation from the state, and
believer's baptism
Believer's baptism (also called credobaptism, from the Latin word meaning "I believe") is the practice of baptizing those who are able to make a conscious profession of faith, as contrasted to the practice of Infant baptism, baptizing infants. C ...
.
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.
The Beachy Amish originated as a schism from the
Old Order Amish
The Amish (, also or ; ; ), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss and Alsatian origins. As they maintain a degree of separation from surrounding populations, and ho ...
over practices related to
church discipline and
revivalism, though over time, people from various backgrounds have come to join Beachy Amish congregations. 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
The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...
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
To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...
.
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.
History
The Beachy church arose from a 1927 division in the (Casselman) River
Old Order Amish
The Amish (, also or ; ; ), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss and Alsatian origins. As they maintain a degree of separation from surrounding populations, and ho ...
congregation in
Somerset County,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. 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
Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism'; , earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...
churches, specifically the conservative
Amish Mennonite congregation that broke from Moses Beachy's congregation (then not under Beachy's leadership) in 1895.
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.
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.
Beliefs and distinctives
In contrast to the Old Order Amish, the Beachys have meetinghouses,
Sunday School
]
A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes.
Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...
, and a Bible School for young adults, and most also support
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
work.
Excommunication
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in Koinonia, communion with other members o ...
is used less frequently and accompanying bans are even rarer.
Many Beachy churches identify as being a part of the
Conservative Mennonite tradition,
though they have retained certain practices and a lifestyle still similar to the Old Order Amish include:
* Women wear
head covering
Headgear, headwear, or headdress is any element of clothing which is worn on one's Human head, head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protective clothing, protection against t ...
* Married men have beards in most congregations
* Television and radio are forbidden
Practices that distinguish the Beachy church from the Old Order Amish include:
* Ownership of personal automobiles.
* Most do not speak Pennsylvania Dutch.
*
Filtered Internet is permitted by most congregations
* Men wear ready-made clothing
Beachy Amish Mennonites differ from other
Conservative Mennonites
Conservative Mennonites include numerous Conservative Anabaptist groups that identify with the theologically conservative element among Mennonite Anabaptist Christian fellowships, but who are not Old Order groups or mainline denominations.
Co ...
in that their congregations usually have more autonomy, as opposed to a stronger centralized governance.
Denominations
Branches off of the Beachy Amish Mennonite Church include more conservative denominations, such as the Ambassadors Amish Mennonite Churches, the Maranatha Amish-Mennonite Churches, and the more traditional
Old Beachy Amish, also called Midwest Beachy Amish-Mennonites, who retained much of the traditions of 1940s and 50s, including the use of the
German language
German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...
in church and everyday life.
The Tampico or
Kauffman Amish Mennonites also retained much of the old Amish traditions, including
Pennsylvania Dutch
The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...
and
Hochdeutsch.
Population and distribution
According to a graph at beachyam.org, an unofficial website of the Beachy Amish, the membership had risen from less than 3,000 in 1957 to more than 11,000 in 2009.
In 2006, there were 11,487 Beachy members in 207 churches.
In 2020, the states with the highest representation were
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
,
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
and
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
. However, the county with the highest proportion is
Macon County, Georgia
Macon County is a County (United States), county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 12,082. The county seat is Oglethorpe ...
, with 3.41% of the population in 2020 being Beachy Amish adherents. International Beachy churches or mission work can be found in
El Salvador
El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
,
Belize
Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
,
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
,
Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
,
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
,
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. Mission work is sponsored by Amish Mennonite Aid (AMA), Mennonite Interests Committee (MIC), or individual churches.
In 2017, there were 9,310 Beachy Amish members in 154 churches worldwide according to the
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO). There were churches in the US, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ireland, Kenya, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Romania and Ukraine.
Worship
The most common hymnary used by the Beachy Amish is the
Christian Hymnary (1972). The hymn book, ''Hymns of the Church'', (2011), edited by John D. Martin, is gaining in popularity among the denomination.
See also
*
Weavertown Amish Mennonite Church – Oldest existing Beachy church
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 118–40.
* 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 pp. 41–51.
* Elmer S. Yoder: ''The Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship Churches''. Hartville, OH 1987.
References
External links
A Beachy Amish Mennonite information websitePilgrim Ministry: Beachy Amish churches*
Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies', Vol. 7, Issue 1: Special issue about the Beachy Amish-Mennonites
in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia online
Profile of the Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches on the Association of Religion Data Archives website
{{Amish
Mennonitism
Evangelical denominations in North America
Conservative Mennonites
Subgroups of Amish
Christian denominations founded in the United States