History Orthodox Mennonites

1 history

1.1 formation of orthodox mennonites
1.2 division , partial reunification
1.3 influx other groups

history

the orthodox mennonites have complicated history because did not separate 1 other old order mennonite group have complicated history of splits , mergers of different old order groups.

the formation of orthodox mennonites

in 1953 there unrest among david martin mennonites in waterloo region in canada, resulted in excommunication of numerous people. in 1954, group of 25 people, attended rainham old order mennonite church, started separate david martin mennonites. joined subgroup of stauffer mennonites around ministers titus , noah hoover , enoch habegger of merged titus hoover , reformed amish christian church. parts of group around noah hoover later became noah hoover mennonites. merger group around titus hoover , others partly successful , majority left group after time, while ones stayed in titus hoover group moved pennsylvania, titus hoovers located.

those did not merge titus hoover group sought unity reidenbach mennonites of lancaster county, pennsylvania under leadership of anson hoover, merger not successful. during time plautdietsch-speaking mennonites mexico, in ontario find better economic situation there, joined group.

in 1956 minister elam s. martin excommunicated david martin mennonites , joined group. when elam s. martin became bishop group became known elam martins . in 1957 peter o. nolt , him in pennsylvania joined group. third group, consisting of 50 people, had left david martin church under leadership of deacon samuel horst, entered union in 1958. on april 6, 1958, merged groups held first united communion meeting , chose call orthodox mennonite church.

division , partial reunification

in 1974 orthodox mennonites divided, on question if wearing of beards should enforced or not. beard wearing group, included bishop elam s. martin, moved howick, ontario en masse beginning in 1979. called elam martin group , nicknamed gorries , more correctly referred orthodox mennonite church, huron county, ontario. other group, named anson hoover group, remained in waterloo region , referred orthodox mennonite church, wellesley township, ontario.

in 1976 anson hoover group excommunicated acting bishop, anson hoover, , amos sherk advanced acting bishop. in 1987 majority of hoovers, 70 members, went david martin mennonites. amos sherk in 1986 excommunicated. remaining families, few exceptions, united again elam martin group, split of 1974 largely overcome, , majority of orthodox mennonites single group again. hoover, or elam m. martin mennonites, under legal name of orthodox mennonites, wellesley township, remain under leadership of minister david e. m. martin.

influx other groups

after 1989 orthodox mennonites joined conservative families ontario old order mennonite conference, because parent group decided allow telephones in home. influx continued , until 2001 37 families had made transition orthodox mennonites. between 1999 , 2005 orthodox mennonites joined 4 local groups of old order mennonites, 1 of them coming phares s. stauffer group, subgroup of stauffer mennonites , 1 henry hoover group, subgroup of reidenbach mennonites. in 2009 half of elam m. martin mennonites (see above), relatively small group of old order mennonites in waterloo region in ontario, canada joined huron orthodox mennonites.