I ask because it’s something I’ve never really seen, and I’m curious if it happens or if it’s even common. Do they have to leave the community if they do? Has anyone here had any experience with this or know someone who has? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Non denominational Protestant here. So I’ve heard many accusations from classical reformation denominations like the Reformed, Lutherans and Anglicans accuse Anabaptists of not being consistent with this passage.

The accusation that Anabaptists wanted a revolution and were the radical reformation as opposed to the moderate and conservative reformations.

It seems the Lutherans and reformed would say that Anabaptists restarted the church which contradicts this passage I’ve referenced. What is your take on this passage and how do you view the church?

The title is self-explanatory, I am wondering about what is the current state of Mennonites writing and reading in the Plautdietsch language, of course since Canada and Paraguay are so far away from another, one cannot generalize them, so their status and prevalence differs from place to place.

Since the vast majority of the Plautdietsch language learning material both on the internet and in physical format comes from Canadian Mennonites or Canadian websites, then I am assuming that the written and read Plautdietsch language is stronger in the United States and Canada, but what about Mexico, Belize, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay?, do the Mennonites in Latin American countries still predominantly read and write in the German language?

From what I heard, it seems that local newspapers and Bibles used by Mennonites in Paraguay are pretty much all written in the same modern standard German spoken in Germany, even if the communities themselves speak Plautdietsch.

I am just curious. Would it be possible to make a discord server for those interested in the faith or for those who are anabaptists/mennonites? If so, I am willing to connect with others to create the server.

My family used to make these soft white cookies with a coconut paste situation on top covered with chocolate. I’ve made the typical ones with white icing and coconut flakes on top, but was wondering if anyone had the recipe for the coconut paste ones?

Hello everyone, I am currently working on a book, and the main characters of the book grew up in rural pennsylvania and attended an evangelical mennonite church. I do not want to misinterpret anything, but I do have some questions. Is there anything basic I should learn first. Any tips? Thank you.

Hey, have any of you Mennonites ever dated someone from outside your community? What was that like? Did you notice any differences or experience any challenges? And for those who have dated a Mennonite, how was it? Share your stories!

I had a penpal in elementary school and loved learning about her religion and culture. I’m an Orthodox Jew, quite conservative and the mother of two small children. I’m married for a few years and I’m a speech therapist. I cover my hair, I love baking and cooking and I had a home birth. God is a big part of my life and who I am as a mother, wife and friend. I’m interested in having a Mennonite or Amish pen pal, I feel like many of our values are similar. How would I go about finding one? Thank you!

As the title says, I am a divorced single father of a 14 year old girl. I have full custody of her.

I think I am a decent man and I am very drawn to the Mennonite way of life, recently moving close to a community.

I previously made the mistake of being married to a nonbeliever who divorced me after 6 years.

My current understanding (please correct me if wrong) is that I'm welcome to join most Mennonite churches, as long as I am not remarried.

However, I truly hope to find a God loving woman to share my life with one day and I fear that joining a Mennonite church will condemn me to a life of solitude.

The Church I have been looking at joining has a website and the ladies do not wear coverings, so I feel pretty certain it is fairly liberal.

What are your thoughts?

Hello, most of the Mennonites I have seen are what I would describe as Amish with cars and less rules. I recently come across a certain Mennonite group that voted to allow gay marriage. Because of this decision, I would assume that they would be against more conservative beliefs of the Mennonites I know such as head coverings. Do both of these Mennonites groups have the same roots? If so, how long ago did they split? Also, how closely affiliated are they with each other despite these differences? Thanks in advance.

I live in Topeka Kansas. One day a group of 5-7 younger women (I'm guessing late teens to early 20s) randomly knocked on my door.

They all appeared to be wearing mennonite or Amish style clothing (from what little I know). I googled pictures and the clothing style and head coverings looked similar to what they were wearing.

They asked if I had any food that I could feed them.

Unfortunately that day I did not have any food to provide them and I found the entire scenario very perplexing. They were in the middle of a large (by Kansas standards) city and were knocking on doors in an apartment complex asking for food.

I had heard them knocking on other neighbors doors.

As far as I know there are no nearby mennonite or Amish communities, though I know there are some in other parts of the state.

I have always wondered, is this a cultural norm to ask strangers for food? How did they end up in the city, with no known nearby communities? Was there no fear of something bad happening to a group of young women wanting to go into the apartment of a man they never met? .

Any thoughts? For all I know they may not have even been mennonite or Amish, I am.just going off of their clothing.

Hi there! Looking for book suggestions on modern Anabaptism, could be personal accounts of faith or just general writings on how the Mennonite faith is lived in the 21st century. Thanks in advance!

If you've any experience with friends or acquaintances of different denominations and they do this, how do you respond to them? Often, just telling them it's not something you discuss or support just digs the conversation deeper ..

The title is self-explanatory, do the conservative Plautdietsch-speaking Mnnonites of Paraguay and Bolivia use the 1545 Martin Luther translation?, because the 2001 Reimer Plautdietsch translation is not that popular from what I can tell, and most of the local Mennonite newspapers in Paraguay are written in modern German instead of the spoken Plautdietsch.

I’m curious what you call the cap that Amish and Mennonite women/girls wear?

I’m paternally Mennonite, I can trace it back like 400 years but my dad and I were raised Catholic due to reasons. I’m not Catholic anymore. What do y’all believe?

I’m watching the beginning of the women’s soccer match against Japan and they’re playing the national anthem. It got me thinking about growing up Mennonite and not standing for the pledge or the anthem. My dad was a pastor and my mom wouldn’t even let me get Old Navy shirts with flags on them.

So, say a Mennonite is really good at a sport and they ascend to the Olympics. Would there be any space for their religion to be respected in terms of not being overly patriotic? Or would they be passed over since they couldn’t fulfill the seemingly compulsory patriotism of being at the Olympics?

Does anyone know if this has happened? Have any Mennonites gone to the Olympics?

And what would you do? I honestly don’t know if I could go along with all that patriotic stuff. My skin would crawl if I made myself stand for the anthem. But how could I miss out on such an incredible opportunity?!

Hi all! I’m not practicing but am taking a university course on Mennonite history to learn some more. I’m writing my final essay and would love some feedback or perspectives people have to offer. Im a little nervous because i’ve used incorrect wording and mislabeled things on past assignment. I’m writing on the mennonite approach to social justice which started as pacifism and has grown into active participation in social and political causes. What are some must mentions, things I should stay away from, or any articles/ journals recommended to do my research. I apologize in advance if this seems like an odd ask. Would love any pointers!!❤️

Black swamp relief sale is the fundraiser for the ohio/ Indiana? Area- everyone works year round to create things to donate for the auction. What's the weirdest / coolest thing someone you know made to donate for it or your areas equivalent of the auction. Mine is my friends dad and a friend built a wooden boat- the real deal think it carried 5 or 6 people?

Please forgive me if this is hurtful.

Something I’ve said, mostly as a joke since I read it in a joke once, but also kind of seriously: “Jesus said and did a lot of wonderful things, but God has a lot to answer for.”

I do kind of believe this. In my interpretations of the Bible and the world itself, I’ve found that Jesus said and did a lot of really beautiful things. He encouraged us to love each other regardless of background. He knelt and kissed the feet of sex workers who were seen as “bottom of the barrel” at the time. He worked in the fields and built houses alongside every other able bodied man he lived with. He grew as a boy into a man and died a brutally beautiful death. He rose again and continued to speak. He actively discouraged “followers,” and only sought friends and loved ones. He saw our humanity and his humanity and wanted us all, God and God-children, to be together.

I respect that so, so deeply.

What I struggle with is God… and yes I know of Eve and Adam, of the original Sin. But what about the Death of Jesus, who died to basically “pay our tab” as far as Sin goes. If all is forgiven, and the only Sin that (can be?) is committed is the product of Human Hubris - too close to the sun and all - why does He continue to enact suffering? If our sins were forgiven with the death and resurrection of Jesus how can we continue to be punished by things like childhood cancer and other such atrocities?

I am looking for a church to sink my life into and I am deeply sorry if this question isn’t welcome. I have a lot of faith, and just as many questions, about our Human relationship with God.

Thank you for reading.

I'm considering writing a post apocalypse story where most or all modern states fall as a result of an apocalypse, and I figure a cool faction would be an association of mennonite communities in the Saginaw valley that banded together and thrived due to their self dependence, and I think it'd be cool to base the government of this alliance/pseudo state on IRL mennonite communities. How are American mennonite communities operated? What is their informal government? Do they tend to have an informal council of elders? Democratic quasi anarchism? Do they have a group of powerful families? How would such communities evolve in the wake of an apocalypse?