Editing Mennonites (section)

== History ==
{{Main|Radical Reformation}}
[[File:Spread of the Anabaptists 1525-1550.png|thumb|Spread of the early Anabaptists, 1525–1550]]

The early history of the Mennonites starts with the [[Anabaptist]]s in the German and Dutch-speaking regions of central Europe. The German term is ''Täufer'' (Baptist) or ''Wiedertäufer'' ("re-Baptizers" or "Anabaptists" using the Greek ''ana'' ["again"]), as their persecutors called them.<ref>Donald B. Kraybill, ''Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites'', JHU Press, US, 2010, p. 12.</ref> These forerunners of modern Mennonites were part of the [[Protestant Reformation]], a broad reaction against the practices and theology of the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. Its most distinguishing feature is the rejection of infant [[baptism]], an act that had both religious and political meaning since almost every infant born in western Europe was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=February 2024}}. Other significant theological views of the Mennonites developed in opposition to Roman Catholic views or to the views of Protestant reformers such as [[Martin Luther]] and [[Huldrych Zwingli]].

Some of the followers of Zwingli's [[Reformed churches|Reformed church]] thought that requiring church membership beginning at birth was inconsistent with the [[New Testament]] example. They believed that the church should be completely removed from government (the proto–[[free church]] tradition), and that individuals should join only when willing to publicly acknowledge belief in [[Jesus]] and the desire to live in accordance with his teachings. At a small meeting in Zurich on 21 January 1525, [[Conrad Grebel]], [[Felix Manz]], and [[George Blaurock]], along with twelve others, baptized each other.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Strasser |first=Rolf Christoph |year=2006 |title=Die Zürcher Täufer 1525 |trans-title=The Zurich Anabaptists 1525 |url=http://texte.efb.ch/wparchives/zh1525.pdf |access-date=28 January 2012 |publisher=EFB Verlag [[Wetzikon]] |page=30 |language=de |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224162503/http://texte.efb.ch/wparchives/zh1525.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> This meeting marks the beginning of the Anabaptist movement. 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]]. These movements are together referred to as the "[[Radical Reformation]]".

Many government and religious leaders, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, considered voluntary church membership to be dangerous—the concern of some deepened by reports of the [[Münster Rebellion]], led by a violent sect of Anabaptists. They joined forces to fight the movement, using methods such as banishment, torture, burning, drowning or beheading.<ref name="Murray">{{Cite book |last=Murray |first=Stuart |title=The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith |publisher=Herald Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-8361-9517-0}}</ref>{{rp|142}}

Despite strong repressive efforts of the state churches, the movement spread slowly around western Europe, primarily along the [[Rhine]]{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=February 2024}}. Officials killed many of the earliest Anabaptist leaders in an attempt to purge Europe of the new sect.<ref name="Murray" />{{rp|142}} By 1530, most of the founding leaders had been killed for refusing to renounce their beliefs. Many believed that God did not condone killing or the use of force for any reason and were, therefore, unwilling to fight for their lives. The non-resistant branches often survived by seeking refuge in neutral cities or nations, such as [[Strasbourg]]. Their safety was often tenuous, as a shift in alliances or an invasion could mean resumed persecution. Other groups of Anabaptists, such as the [[Batenburgers]], were eventually destroyed by their unwillingness to fight. This played a large part in the evolution of Anabaptist theology.  They believed that Jesus taught that any use of force to get back at anyone was wrong, and taught to forgive.{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=February 2024}}

[[File:Menno Simons.jpg|thumb|Menno Simons]]
In the early days of the Anabaptist movement, [[Menno Simons]], a Catholic priest in the [[Low Countries]], heard of the movement and started to rethink his Catholic faith. He questioned the doctrine of [[transubstantiation]] but was reluctant to leave the Roman Catholic Church. His brother, a member of an Anabaptist group, was killed when he and his companions were attacked and refused to defend themselves.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carey |first=Patrick W |year=2000 |title=Menno Simons |journal=Biography Reference Bank}}</ref> In 1536, at the age of 40, Simons left the Roman Catholic Church. He soon became a leader within the Anabaptist movement and was wanted by authorities for the rest of his life. His name became associated with scattered groups of nonviolent Anabaptists whom he helped to organize and consolidate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Menno Simons {{!}} Dutch priest |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Menno-Simons |access-date=1 February 2019 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |archive-date=15 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215231437/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Menno-Simons |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Mark Juergensmeyer, Wade Clark Roof, ''Encyclopedia of Global Religion, Volume 1'', Sage, 2012, p. 129 {{ISBN?}}</ref>

=== Fragmentation and variation ===
[[File:Altkirch, Église Évangélique Mennonite.jpg|thumb|An Evangelical Mennonite Church in [[Altkirch]]]]
[[File:TMP Stage 2018.jpg|thumb|[[Worship service (evangelicalism)|Worship service]] at [[The Meeting Place (church)|The Meeting Place]] in [[Winnipeg]], [[Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches]]]]
During the 16th century, the Mennonites and other Anabaptists were relentlessly [[Persecution of Christians|persecuted]]. This period of persecution has had a significant impact on Mennonite identity. ''[[Martyrs Mirror]]'', published in 1660, documents much of the persecution of Anabaptists and their predecessors, including accounts of over 4,000 [[death by burning|burnings of individuals]], and numerous [[stoning]]s, [[imprisonment]]s, and [[premature burial|live burials]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hostetler |first=John A. |title=Mennonite Life |date=1955 |publisher=Herald Press |location=Scottsdale, Pennsylvania |page=4}}</ref> Today, the book is still the most important book besides the Bible for many Mennonites and Amish, in particular for the Swiss-South German branch of the Mennonites. Persecution was still going on until 1710 in various parts of Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite CE1913|wstitle=Mennonites}}</ref>

In 1693, [[Jakob Ammann]] led an effort to reform the Mennonite church in Switzerland and South Germany to include [[shunning]], to hold communion more often, and other differences.<ref>Donald B. Kraybill, ''Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites'', JHU Press, US, 2010, p. 13.</ref> When the discussions fell through, Ammann and his followers split from the other Mennonite congregations. Ammann's followers became known as the [[Amish]] Mennonites or just Amish. In later years, other schisms among Amish resulted in such groups as the [[Amish|Old Order Amish]], [[New Order Amish]], [[Kauffman Amish Mennonite]], [[Swartzentruber Amish]], [[Rosedale Network of Churches|Conservative Mennonite Conference]] and [[Biblical Mennonite Alliance]]. For instance, near the beginning of the 20th century, some members in the Amish church wanted to begin having [[Sunday school]]s and participate in progressive Protestant-style para-church evangelism. Unable to persuade the rest of the Amish, they separated and formed a number of separate groups including the Conservative Mennonite Conference. Mennonites in Canada and other countries typically have independent denominations because of the practical considerations of distance and, in some cases, language. Many times these divisions took place along family lines, with each extended family supporting its own branch.

Political rulers often admitted the Menists or Mennonites into their states because they were honest, hardworking and peaceful{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=February 2024}}. When their practices upset the powerful state churches, princes would renege on exemptions for military service, or a new monarch would take power, and the Mennonites would be forced to flee again, usually leaving everything but their families behind. Often, another monarch in another state would grant them welcome, at least for a while.

While Mennonites in [[Colonial America]] were enjoying considerable religious freedom, their counterparts in Europe continued to struggle with persecution and temporary refuge under certain ruling monarchs. They were sometimes invited to settle in areas of poor soil that no one else could farm. By contrast, in the Netherlands, the Mennonites enjoyed a relatively high degree of tolerance. Because the land still needed to be tended, the ruler would not drive out the Mennonites but would pass laws to force them to stay, while at the same time severely limiting their freedom. Mennonites had to build their churches facing onto back streets or alleys, and they were forbidden from announcing the beginning of services with the sound of a bell.

A strong emphasis on "community" was developed under these circumstances. It continues to be typical of Mennonite churches. As a result of frequently being required to give up possessions in order to retain individual freedoms, Mennonites learned to live very simply. This was reflected both in the home and at church, where their dress and their buildings were plain. The music at church, usually simple German chorales, was performed ''[[a cappella]]''. This style of music serves as a reminder to many Mennonites of their simple lives, as well as their history as a persecuted people. Some branches of Mennonites have retained this "plain" lifestyle into modern times.

=== Statistics ===
The [[Mennonite World Conference]] was founded at the first conference in [[Basel]], Switzerland, in 1925 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of [[Anabaptism]].<ref>J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ''Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices'', ABC-CLIO, US, 2010, p. 1859.</ref> In 2022, the organization had 109 member denominations in 59 countries, and 1.47 million baptized members in 10,300 churches.<ref>Mennonite World Conference, [https://mwc-cmm.org/about-mwc About MWC] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305201523/https://mwc-cmm.org/about-mwc |date=5 March 2021 }}, mwc-cmm.org, Canada, retrieved 5 November 2022</ref>