Who are the Mennonites?

Mennonites trace their history to the Radical Reformation in the 16^th century.  The Mennonites of the 16^th century were derisively given the name “Anabaptist” because of their insistence on adult, believer’s baptism.  This term is still broadly used to refer to both Mennonites and Amish.  While the great rallying cry of the mainline reformers was “faith,” the keyword of the Anabaptists was “following”—in other words, a faith that results in a life of faithful obedience to Christ and His Word.

Mennonites emphasize:

• Salvation through faith—our way of life flows from the fundamental understanding that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and that we can never earn God’s favor through good works.
• A simple, straightforward understanding of Scripture—we make an honest effort to live in obedience to Christ and His Word.  While some may consider our hermeneutic overly simplistic, our attempt is to obey rather than explain away the difficult teachings of Christ and the apostles.
• Community—we believe a strong sense of community is essential to a life of faithfulness in an increasingly secular world.  We prioritize weekly church attendance, informal interactions throughout the week, and mutual accountability.
• Evangelism—we want to share the Good News of the gospel with others
• Family values—we recognize that strong families are essential to flourishing communities.  Children are a valued and appreciated part of our community, and many are either homeschooled or educated in private schools where Christian values are embedded in every track of study.
• Suffering love—we take seriously Jesus’ teaching to love our enemies.  For this reason, we attempt to find ways other than military service to show our commitment to live as good, honorable, and productive citizens.