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Fellowship of Evangelical Churches

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The Fellowship of Evangelical Churches ( FEC ) is an evangelical body of Christians with an Amish Mennonite heritage that is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana , United States. It contains 46 churches located in Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

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102-657: In the first half of the 19th century, the time before the Amish split into Amish Mennonites and Old Order Amish, several members of the Amish Egly family immigrated from Baden , Germany, to North America. Among them was Henry Egly (1824–1890). Egly was elected deacon of a Berne - Geneva Amish church in Indiana . In 1858, Egly was then elected bishop of the Berne-Geneva Amish Church. Egly, who insisted on

204-454: A 2017 report by Canadian Mennonite magazine: The customs of Old Order Mennonites, the Amish communities and Old Colony Mennonites have a number of similarities, but the cultural differences are significant enough so that members of one group would not feel comfortable moving to another group. The Old Order Mennonites and Amish have the same European roots and the language spoken in their homes

306-471: A choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy. As a schismatic, you have torn and divided the body of Christ. Choose heresy every time." The word schism comes from the Greek word σχίσμα, Greek transliteration: schisma which means "cleft, division". In Buddhism , the first schism was set up by Devadatta , during Buddha 's life. This schism lasted only a short time. Later (after Buddha's death),

408-487: A competition for status goods, or photographs might cultivate personal vanity. Electric power lines would be going against the Bible, which says that you shall not be "conformed to the world" ( Romans 12:2 ). Amish church membership begins with baptism , usually between the ages of 16 and 23. It is a requirement for marriage within the Amish church. Once a person is baptized within the church, he or she may marry only within

510-666: A congregational form of governance. Local congregations elect delegates to a delegate body, which in turn elects the conference leadership. As of 2010, the conference was composed of 46 churches in the Midwest of the United States , with 9,193 members. 55 percent of the churches are located in Illinois and Indiana . All FEC ministries are funded by voluntary donations of congregations and individuals. These organizations have their own governing boards but are affiliated solely with

612-530: A degree of separation from surrounding populations, and hold their faith in common, the Amish have been described by certain scholars as an ethnoreligious group , combining features of an ethnicity and a Christian denomination. The Amish are closely related to Old Order Mennonites and Conservative Mennonites , denominations that are also a part of Anabaptist Christianity. The Amish are known for simple living , plain dress , Christian pacifism , and slowness to adopt many conveniences of modern technology, with

714-555: A form of Bernese German (Adams County, IN and daughter settlements) or a Low Alemannic Alsatian dialect (Allen County, IN and daughter settlements). Contrary to popular belief, the word "Dutch" in "Pennsylvania Dutch" is not a mistranslation, but rather a corruption of the Pennsylvania German endonym Deitsch , which means "Pennsylvania Dutch / German" or "German". Ultimately, the terms Deitsch, Dutch , Diets and Deutsch are all cognates and descend from

816-572: A greater extent, and were perhaps more likely to maintain a separate Amish identity. There are a number of Amish Mennonite church groups that had never in their history been associated with the Old Order Amish because they split from the Amish mainstream in the time when the Old Orders formed in the 1860s and 1870s. The former Western Ontario Mennonite Conference (WOMC) was made up almost entirely of former Amish Mennonites who reunited with

918-533: A horse and buggy. The Amish are known for their plain attire. Men wear solid colored shirts, broad-brimmed hats, and suits that signify similarity amongst one another. Amish men grow beards to symbolize manhood and marital status, as well as to promote humility. They are forbidden from growing mustaches because mustaches are seen by the Amish as being affiliated with the military, to which they are strongly opposed, due to their pacifist beliefs. Women have similar guidelines on how to dress, which are also expressed in

1020-584: A leader among the Emmentalers) argued that fallen believers should only be withheld from communion , and not regular meals. The Amish argued that those who had been banned should be avoided even in common meals. The Reistian side eventually formed the basis of the Swiss Mennonite Conference . Because of this common heritage, Amish and conservative Mennonites from southern Germany and Switzerland retain many similarities. Those who leave

1122-735: A lot of contact with more progressive Mennonites and the outside world, had the result that many of these men never joined the Amish church. In the 1950s, the Beachy Amish laid heavy emphasis on the New Birth , personal holiness and Sunday School education. The ones who wanted to preserve the old way of the Beachy became the Old Beachy Amish . In 1966, the New Order Amish were formed after certain congregations left

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1224-684: A matter of discipline, not of faith. The divisions that came to a head at the Councils of Ephesus (A.D. 431) and Chalcedon (A.D. 451) were seen as matters of heresy, not merely of schism. Thus the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy regard each other as heretical, not orthodox, because of the Oriental Orthodox Church's rejection and the Eastern Orthodox Church's acceptance of

1326-494: A related but distinct group. According to one scholar, "today, almost all Amish are functionally bilingual in Pennsylvania Dutch and English; however, domains of usage are sharply separated. Pennsylvania Dutch dominates in most in-group settings, such as the dinner table and preaching in church services. In contrast, English is used for most reading and writing. English is also the medium of instruction in schools and

1428-437: A reluctance to be forward, to be self-promoting, or to assert oneself. The Amish's willingness to submit to the "Will of Jesus ", expressed through group norms, is at odds with the individualism so central to the wider American culture. The Amish anti-individualist orientation is the motive for rejecting labor-saving technologies that might make one less dependent on the community. Modern innovations such as electricity might spark

1530-531: A role in the Old Order division of the second half of the 19th century. Telephones were the first important technology that was rejected, soon followed by the rejection of cars, tractors, radios, and many other technological inventions of the 20th century. Old Order Mennonites, Old Colony Mennonites and the Amish are often grouped together in North America's popular press. This is incorrect, according to

1632-783: A schismatic institution when Tanjore and the Wodeyars of Mysore went to war against each other. It is on record that in 1839 the Kumbakonam Mutt applied for permission from the English Collector of Arcot to perform the “kumbhabhishekham” of the Kamakshi temple in Kanchipuram. In 1842, the East India Company headquartered at Fort William, Calcutta appointed the head of the mutt as the sole trustee of

1734-476: A state of schism (since 1616) from the other Tibetan schools. The words schism and schismatic are used to denote splits within a church, denomination or religious body. In this context, "schismatic", as a noun, denotes a person who creates or incites schism in a church or a person who is a member of a splinter Church; as an adjective, "schismatic" refers to ideas and activities that are thought to lead to or constitute schism, and ultimately to departure from what

1836-473: A union of all Christian churches on earth. See also One true church and Great Apostasy . Protestant groups, lacking the stronger traditional authority-structures of (say) Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy, and often riven by politico-national divides (sometimes resulting from cuius regio, eius religio ), show a high degree of fissibility, which ecumenical efforts may only intensify. Schisms have occurred particularly frequently among Anabaptists , to

1938-500: A view neither to interrupt family time, nor replace face-to-face conversations whenever possible, and a view to maintain self-sufficiency. The Amish value rural life, manual labor, humility and Gelassenheit (submission to God's will). The Amish church began with a schism in Switzerland within a group of Swiss and Alsatian Mennonite Anabaptists in 1693 led by Jakob Ammann . Those who followed Ammann became known as Amish. In

2040-563: A year by all members of the church. Only if all members give their consent to it, Lord's supper is held. The Ordnung must be observed by every member and covers many aspects of day-to-day living, including prohibitions or limitations on the use of power-line electricity , telephones , and automobiles , as well as regulations on clothing . As present-day Anabaptists , Amish church members practice nonresistance and will not perform any type of military service. The Amish value rural life, manual labor, humility, and Gelassenheit , all under

2142-583: Is 'one of a handful of minority languages in the United States that is neither endangered nor supported by continual arrivals of immigrants.'" The Amish largely share a German or Swiss -German ancestry. They generally use the term "Amish" only for members of their faith community and not as an ethnic designation. However some Amish descendants recognize their cultural background knowing that their genetic and cultural traits are uniquely different from other ethnicities. Those who choose to affiliate with

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2244-544: Is a member of a splinter group. Schismatic as an adjective means pertaining to a schism or schisms, or to those ideas, policies, etc. that are thought to lead towards or promote schism. In religion, the charge of schism is distinguished from that of heresy , since the offence of schism concerns not differences of belief or doctrine but promotion of, or the state of division, especially among groups with differing pastoral jurisdictions and authority. However, schisms frequently involve mutual accusations of heresy, and also that of

2346-596: Is agreed upon – or changed – within the whole community of baptized members prior to Communion which takes place two times a year. The meeting where the Ordnung is discussed is called Ordnungsgemeine in Standard German and Ordningsgmee in Pennsylvania Dutch. The Ordnung include matters such as dress, permissible uses of technology, religious duties, and rules regarding interaction with outsiders. In these meetings, women also vote in questions concerning

2448-622: Is commonly called the Nicene Creed declares belief in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church . Some who accept this creed believe they should be united in a single Church or group of Churches in communion with each other. Others who accept this creed believe it does not speak of a visible organization but of all those baptized who hold the Christian faith, referred to as " Christendom ". Some churches consider themselves to be

2550-493: Is important because women are not allowed to wear jewelry, such as wedding rings, as it is seen as drawing attention to the body which can induce pride in the individual. All clothing is sewn by hand, but the way to fasten the garment widely depends on whether the Amish person is a part of the New Order or Old Order Amish. The Old Order Amish seldom, if ever, use buttons because they are seen as too flashy; instead, they use

2652-540: Is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, such as the Great East–West Schism or the Western Schism . It is also used of a split within a non-religious organization or movement or, more broadly, of a separation between two or more people, be it brothers, friends, lovers, etc. A schismatic is a person who creates or incites schism in an organization or who

2754-472: Is similar to the American average though they tend to eat more preserved meat. Amish cuisine is often mistaken for the similar cuisine of the Pennsylvania Dutch with some ethnographic and regional variances, as well as differences in what cookbook writers and food historians emphasize about the traditional foodways and intertwined religious culture and celebrations of Amish communities. While myths about

2856-535: Is the one to which I and my companions belong" (reported in Sunan al-Tirmidhi Hadith No. 171). Sunni Muslims , often referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h or Ahl as-Sunnah , are the largest denomination of Islam . The word Sunni comes from the word Sunnah , which means the teachings and actions or examples of the Islamic prophet , Muhammad ; therefore, the term Sunni refers to those who follow or maintain

2958-426: Is the same German dialect. Old Colony Mennonites use Low German, a different German dialect. Two key concepts for understanding Amish practices are their rejection of Hochmut (pride, arrogance, haughtiness) and the high value they place on Demut (humility) and Gelassenheit (calmness, composure, placidity), often translated as "submission" or "letting be". Gelassenheit is perhaps better understood as

3060-570: Is used in business transactions and often, out of politeness, in situations involving interactions with non-Amish. Finally, the Amish read prayers and sing in Standard German (which, in Pennsylvania Dutch, is called Hochdeitsch ) at church services. The distinctive use of three different languages serves as a powerful conveyor of Amish identity. "Although 'the English language is being used in more and more situations,' Pennsylvania Dutch

3162-405: Is usually considered to be complementary to orthodox Islam, although Sufism has often been accused by the salafi of being an unjustified Bid‘ah or religious innovation. By focusing on the more spiritual aspects of religion, Sufis strive to obtain direct experience of God by making use of "intuitive and emotional faculties" that one must be trained to use. One starts with sharia (Islamic law),

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3264-488: The Ordnung , the Amish version of legislation. They are to wear calf-length dresses, muted colors along with bonnets and aprons . Prayer kapps and bonnets are worn by the women because they are a visual representation of their religious beliefs and promote unity through the tradition of every woman wearing one. The color of the bonnet signifies whether a woman is single or married. Single women wear black bonnets and married women wear white. The color coding of bonnets

3366-467: The Ordnung . Bearing children, raising them, and socializing with neighbors and relatives are the greatest functions of the Amish family. Amish typically believe that large families are a blessing from God. Farm families tend to be larger, because sons are needed to perform farm labor. Community is central to the Amish way of life. Working hard is considered godly, and some technological advancements have been considered undesirable because they reduce

3468-693: The Anglican Communion involves responses to homosexuality . In 2018 Eastern Orthodoxy suffered a schism, the 2018 Moscow-Constantinople schism between the primatial See of Eastern Orthodoxy, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Russian Orthodox Church over the issue of Constantinople granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine . The Sringeri Matha, also called

3570-676: The Confession of Chalcedon about the two natures (human and divine) of Christ. However, this view has been challenged in the recent Ecumenical discussion between these two groups, classifying the matter of Chalcedon as a matter of schism, not of heresy. In its extended and final form (possibly derived from the First Council of Constantinople in 381 although only known from the Acts of the Council of Chalcedon seventy years later), what

3672-534: The Great Apostasy . In Roman Catholic teaching, every heresy is a schism, while there may be some schisms free of the added guilt of heresy. Liberal Protestantism , however, has often preferred heresy over schism. Presbyterian scholar James I. McCord (quoted with approval by the Episcopalian Bishop of Virginia , Peter Lee ) drew a distinction between them, teaching: "If you must make

3774-525: The New Order Amish , and the Beachy Amish —all of whom wear plain dress and live their life according to the Bible as codified in their church's Ordnung . The Old Order Amish and New Order Amish conduct their worship in German, speak Pennsylvania Dutch , and use buggies for transportation, in contrast to the Beachy Amish who use modern technology (inclusive of motor cars) and conduct worship in

3876-411: The New Order Amish , and the Beachy Amish —all of whom wear plain dress and live their life according to the Bible as codified in their church's Ordnung . The Old Order Amish and New Order Amish conduct their worship in German, speak Pennsylvania German , and use buggies for transportation, in contrast to the Beachy Amish who use modern technology (inclusive of motor cars) and conduct worship in

3978-537: The Proto-Germanic word *þiudiskaz meaning "popular" or "of the people". The continued use of "Pennsylvania Dutch" was strengthened by the Pennsylvania Dutch in the 19th century as a way of distinguishing themselves from later (post 1830) waves of German immigrants to the United States, with the Pennsylvania Dutch referring to themselves as Deitsche and to Germans as Deitschlenner (literally "Germany-ers", compare Deutschländ-er ) whom they saw as

4080-515: The al-Khulafā’ur-Rāshidūn or " Rashidun " (The Rightly Guided Caliphs). Sunnis believe that the position of Caliph may be democratically chosen, but after the first four Rightly Guided Caliphs the position turned into a hereditary dynastic rule. There has not been another widely recognized Caliph since the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923. Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam . Shia Muslims believe that, similar to

4182-624: The early Buddhist schools came into being, but were not schismatic, only focusing on different interpretations for the same monastic community. In the old texts, 18 or 20 early schools are mentioned. Later, there were the Mahayana and Vajrayana movements, which can be regarded as being schismatic in origin. Each school has various subgroups, which often are schismatic in origin. For example, in Thai Theravadin Buddhism there are two groups ( Mahanikaya and Dhammayut ), of which

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4284-489: The exoteric or mundane practice of Islam, and then is initiated into the mystical ( esoteric ) path of a Tariqah (Sufi Order). Kharijite (lit. "those who seceded") is a general term embracing a variety of Islamic sects which, while originally supporting the Caliphate of Ali , eventually rejected his legitimacy after he negotiated with Mu'awiya during the 7th Century Islamic civil war ( First Fitna ). Their complaint

4386-593: The hook and eye approach to fashion clothing or metal snaps. The New Order Amish are slightly more progressive and allow the usage of buttons to help attire clothing. Amish cuisine is noted for its simplicity and traditional qualities. Food plays an important part in Amish social life and is served at potlucks , weddings, fundraisers, farewells, and other events. Many Amish foods are sold at markets including pies, preserves, bread mixes, pickled produce, desserts, and canned goods. Many Amish communities have also established restaurants for visitors. Amish meat consumption

4488-464: The suppression of the German language in the US that eventually led to language shift of most Pennsylvania German speakers, leaving the Amish and other Old Orders as almost the only speakers by the end of the 20th century. This created a language barrier around the Amish that did not exist before in that form. In the late 1920s, the more change-minded faction of the Old Order Amish, that wanted to adopt

4590-469: The "Fellowship of Evangelical Churches", or FEC. The Defenseless Mennonite Conference published its Confession of Faith, Rules and Discipline in 1917. The confession of faith was revised in 1937, 1949, 1961, and 1980. It contains 12 articles of faith. The Lord's Supper is observed with open communion. The conference office is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana . The FEC organization is governed through

4692-411: The "Old Order" Amish, a conservative faction that separated from other Amish in the 1860s, are those who have most emphasized traditional practices and beliefs. The New Order Amish are a group of Amish whom some scholars see best described as a subgroup of Old Order Amish, despite the name. As of 2011, about 40 different Old Order Amish affiliations were known to exist. The eight major affiliations of

4794-675: The ' Tunga Sringeri Math' diverged after a schism with the Koodli Sringeri Matha during the 16th century after which the Tunga Math gained prominence. [1] The Kanchi Math was originally established as the Kumbakonam Mutt in 1821 by the Maratha king of Tanjore , Serfoji II Bhonsle , as a branch of the Sringeri Mutt , one of the four cardinal Shankaracharya Maths of the mainstream Smarta denomination. It became

4896-401: The 20th century, almost all Amish children attended Amish schools. In the last quarter of the 20th century, a growing number of Amish men left farm work and started small businesses because of increasing pressure on small-scale farming. Though a wide variety of small businesses exists among the Amish, construction work and woodworking are quite widespread. In many Amish settlements, especially

4998-458: The 300,000 figure from 2015, at the same time the total number of settlements grew from 501 to 675 (+35%), and the number of districts from 2,193 to 3,039 (+39%). The United States is the home to the overwhelming majority (over 98 percent) of the Amish people. In 2024, Old Order communities were present in 32 U.S. states. The total Amish population in the United States as of June 2024 has stood at 394,720 up 17,445 or 4.6 percent, compared to

5100-517: The Amish are usually baptized no earlier than 18 and children are not counted in local congregation numbers, estimating their numbers is difficult. Rough estimates from various studies placed their numbers at 125,000 in 1992, 166,000 in 2000, and 221,000 in 2008. Thus, from 1992 to 2008, population growth among the Amish in North America was 84 percent (3.6 percent per year). During that time, they established 184 new settlements and moved into six new states. In 2000, about 165,620 Old Order Amish resided in

5202-460: The Amish fold tend to join various congregations of Conservative Mennonites . Amish began migrating to Pennsylvania, then-regarded favorably due to the lack of religious persecution and attractive land offers, in the early 18th century as part of a larger migration from the Palatinate and neighboring areas. Between 1717 and 1750, approximately 500 Amish migrated to North America, mainly to

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5304-680: The Amish later emerged, started in circles around Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531) who led the early Reformation in Switzerland . In Zürich on January 21, 1525, Conrad Grebel and George Blaurock practiced believer's baptism to each other and then to others. This Swiss movement, part of the Radical Reformation , later became known as Swiss Brethren . The term Amish was first used as a Schandename (a term of disgrace) in 1710 by opponents of Jakob Amman , an Anabaptist leader. The first informal division between Swiss Brethren

5406-520: The Amish population passed the milestone of 400,000, with about 395,000 Old Order Amish living in the United States, and over 6,000 in Canada: a population that is rapidly growing. Amish church groups seek to maintain a degree of separation from the non-Amish world. Non-Amish people are generally referred to as "English" by the Amish, and outside influences are often described as "worldly". Amish church membership begins with adult baptism , usually between

5508-400: The Amish should deal with the tensions caused by the pressures of modern society. The meetings themselves were a progressive idea; for bishops to assemble to discuss uniformity was an unprecedented notion in the Amish church. By the first several meetings, the more traditionally minded bishops agreed to boycott the conferences. The more progressive members, comprising roughly two-thirds of

5610-459: The Church, understanding by "formal schismatics" "persons who, knowing the true nature of the Church, have personally and deliberately committed the sin of schism". The situation, for instance, of those who have been brought up from childhood within a group not in full communion with Rome , but who have orthodox faith, is different: these are considered to be imperfectly, though not fully, related to

5712-621: The Church. This nuanced view applies especially to the Churches of Eastern Christianity , more particularly still to the Eastern Orthodox Church . While they don't possess "full communion" ( communio in sacris ) with the Catholic Church, they are still considered much more linked to it than the Protestant ecclesial communities, which have markedly different theological beliefs and rejected the concept of apostolic succession (with

5814-635: The Dhammayut has its origin partly in the Mahanikaya, and is the new and schismatic group. Both Mahanikaya and Dhammayut have many subgroups, which usually do not have schismatic origins, but came into being in a natural way, through the popularity of a (leader) monk . Tibetan Buddhism has seen schisms in the past, of which most were healed, although the Drukpa school centred in Bhutan perhaps remains in

5916-558: The Fellowship of Evangelical Churches. Amish This is an accepted version of this page The Amish ( / ˈ ɑː m ɪ ʃ / , also / ˈ æ m ɪ ʃ / or / ˈ eɪ m ɪ ʃ / ; Pennsylvania German : Amisch ; German: Amische ), formally the Old Order Amish , are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss and Alsatian origins. As they maintain

6018-462: The German language. The members of these groups are largely of Amish origin, but they are not in fellowship with other Amish groups because they adhere to theological doctrines (e.g., assurance of salvation ) or practices ( community of goods ) that are normally not accepted among mainstream Amish. The Bergholz Community is a different case; it is not seen as Amish anymore because the community has shifted away from many core Amish principles. Because

6120-585: The Kamakshi temple. The protests of the traditional priests of the Kamakshi temple are well documented and preserved. Incidentally, Fort William is also the first Freemason lodge of India. Since then, the Math has maintained cordial relations with the British Raj though the main math at Sringeri fell sour with the colonial power Thus, the Kanchi Mutt can at best claim its origin to be in 1844. After

6222-523: The Mennonite Church in Canada. Orland Gingerich's book The Amish of Canada devotes the vast majority of its pages not to the Beachy or Old Order Amish, but to congregations in the former WOMC. Several other groups, called " para-Amish " by G. C. Waldrep and others, share many characteristics with the Amish, such as horse and buggy transportation, plain dress , and the preservation of

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6324-495: The Old Order Amish are listed below, with Lancaster as the largest one in number of districts and population: The table below indicates the use of certain technologies by different Amish affiliations. The use of cars is not allowed by any Old and New Order Amish, nor are radio, television, or in most cases the use of the Internet. Three affiliations – "Lancaster", "Holmes Old Order" and "Elkhart-LaGrange" — are not only

6426-482: The Old Order Amish due to issues regarding salvation and "the use of modern agricultural methods." The Old Order Amish believe that they have a "hope for salvation", believing that "joining with other church members to live according to the Ordnung and the Bible will give them the strength to lives worthy of salvation". The New Order Amish, on the other hand, affirm that a believer can have assurance —"that one can know

6528-791: The Old Order in the 19th century in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, a major split among the Old Orders took until World War I . At that time, two very conservative affiliations emerged – the Swartzentruber Amish in Holmes County, Ohio , and the Buchanan Amish in Iowa. The Buchanan Amish soon were joined by like-minded congregations all over the country. With Germany's aggression toward the US in World War I came

6630-670: The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. For instance, the Roman Catholic Church claims that title and considers the Eastern Orthodox Church to be in schism, while the Eastern Orthodox Church also claims that title and holds the view that the Catholic Church is schismatic. Some Protestant Churches believe that they also represent the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and consider the Catholic and Orthodox Churches to be in error, while others do not expect

6732-446: The Sunnah of Muhammad. The Sunni believe that Muhammad died without appointing a successor to lead the Ummah (Muslim community). After an initial period of confusion, a group of his most prominent companions gathered and elected Abu Bakr , Muhammad's close friend and father-in-law, as the first Caliph . Sunnis regard the first four caliphs – Abu Bakr , Umar (`Umar ibn al-Khattāb), Uthman Ibn Affan , and Ali (Ali ibn Abu Talib) – as

6834-662: The United States, of whom 73,609 were church members. The Amish are among the fastest-growing populations in the world, with an average of seven children per family in the 1970s and a total fertility rate of 5.3 in the 2010s. In 2010, a few religious bodies, including the Amish, changed the way their adherents were reported to better match the standards of the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. When looking at all Amish adherents and not solely Old Order Amish, about 241,000 Amish adherents were in 28 U.S. states in 2010. The Amish added 100,000 more adherents in just 9 years, reaching 401,000 in 2024 in comparison with

6936-553: The ages of 16 and 23. Church districts have between 20 and 40 families, and Old Order Amish and New Order Amish worship services are held every other Sunday in a member's home or barn, while the Beachy Amish worship every Sunday in churches. The rules of the church, the Ordnung , which differs to some extent between different districts, are reviewed twice a year by all members of the church. The Ordnung must be observed by every member and covers many aspects of Old Order Amish day-to-day living, including prohibitions or limitations on

7038-560: The appointment of prophets, Imams after Muhammad are also chosen by God. According to Shias, Ali was chosen by Allah and thus appointed by Muhammad to be the direct successor and leader of the Muslim community. They regard him as the first Shia Imam , which continued as a hereditary position through Fatimah and Ali's descendants. Sufism is a mystical - ascetic form of Islam practised by both Shia and Sunni Muslims. Some Sufi followers consider themselves Sunni or Shia, while others consider themselves as just Sufi or Sufi-influenced. Sufism

7140-650: The auspices of living what they interpret to be God's word. Members who do not conform to these community expectations and who cannot be convinced to repent face excommunication and shunning . The modes of shunning vary between different communities. On average, about 85 percent of Amish youth choose to be baptized and join the church. During an adolescent period of rumspringa ( lit. ' running around ' , from Pennsylvania German rumschpringe ' to run around; to gad; to be wild ' ; compare Standard German herum-, rumspringen ' to jump around ' ) in some communities, nonconforming behavior that would result in

7242-472: The authorities of a Church, and not every break of communion is necessarily about doctrine, as is clear from examples such as the Western Schism and the breaking of the communion that existed between Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens in 2004. However, when for any reason people withdraw from communion, two distinct ecclesiastical entities may result, each of which, or at least some members thereof, may then accuse

7344-559: The car, broke away from the mainstream and organized under the name Beachy Amish . During the Second World War , the old question of military service for the Amish came up again. Because Amish young men in general refused military service, they ended up in the Civilian Public Service (CPS), where they worked mainly in forestry and hospitals. The fact that many young men worked in hospitals, where they had

7446-479: The church, or young children raised in Amish homes, but too young to yet be church members, are considered to be Amish. Certain Mennonite churches have a high number of people who were formerly from Amish congregations. Although more Amish immigrated to North America in the 19th century than during the 18th century, most of today's Amish descend from 18th-century immigrants. The latter tended to emphasize tradition to

7548-616: The death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , there have arisen many Muslim sects by means of schools of thought , traditions and related faiths. According to a hadith report (collections of accounts of the life and teachings of Muhammad), Muhammad is said to have prophesied "My Ummah (Community or Nation) will be fragmented into seventy-three sects, and all of them will be in the Hell fire except one." The Sahaba (his companions) asked him which group that would be, whereupon he replied, "It

7650-685: The diffusion of shoofly pie are common subject matter for studies of American cuisine , food anthropologists point out that the culinary practices of Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish are innovative and dynamic, evolving across time and geographic spaces, and that not all the Pennsylvania Dutch are Amish, and not all Amish live in Pennsylvania. Distinguishing local myths from culinary fact is accomplished by dedicated anthropological field studies in combination with studies of literary sources, usually newspaper archives, diaries, and household records. The Amish fall into three main subgroups—the Old Order Amish,

7752-640: The division after 1862 formed the Conservative Amish Mennonite Conference in 1910, but dropped the word "Amish" from their name in 1957; in the year 2000 many congregations left to organize the Biblical Mennonite Alliance in order to continue the practice of traditional Anabaptist ordinances, such as headcovering . Because no division occurred in Europe, the Amish congregations remaining there took

7854-402: The exception of diet, and their per-person emissions has been estimated to be less than one quarter that of the wider society. Most Old Order Amish, New Order Amish and the Old Beachy Amish speak Pennsylvania Dutch, and refer to non-Amish people as "English", regardless of ethnicity. Two Amish subgroups – called Swiss Amish – whose ancestors migrated to the United States in the 1850s speak

7956-491: The exception of the Anglicans, which, however, are viewed by the Catholic Church as not having a valid priesthood). The First Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) distinguished between schism and heresy. It declared Arian and non- Trinitarian teachings to be heretical and excluded their adherents from the Church. It also addressed the schism between Peter of Alexandria and Meletius of Lycopolis , considering their quarrel to be

8058-510: The extent that divisions over even minute details of doctrine and theology are common and scholars have dubbed the phenomenon Täuferkrankheit or "The Anabaptist Disease". Emphasizing fully voluntary membership in the church, and without an established authority of hierarchical structure, Anabaptists, especially Mennonites have experienced dozens of schisms, resulting in the establishment of dozens of various unaffiliated Mennonite churches. A current dispute with an acknowledged risk of schism for

8160-411: The faith. Church districts have between 20 and 40 families and worship services are held every other Sunday in a member's home or barn . The district is led by a bishop and several ministers and deacons who are chosen by a combination of election and cleromancy (lot). The rules of the church, the so-called Ordnung , which differs to some extent between different districts, is reviewed twice

8262-609: The fourth century BCE, leading to rise of two major sects, Digambara and Śvetāmbara , which were later subdivided in further sub-sects. Major Jewish denominations are Orthodox Judaism and non-Orthodox: Reform , Conservative and Reconstructionist . In early Jewish history , the Jewish and Samaritan religions were the product of the schism during the Babylonian Exile (6th Century BCE). Schisms in Judaism included

8364-528: The group, became known by the name Amish Mennonite, and eventually united with the Mennonite Church , and other Mennonite denominations, mostly in the early 20th century. The more traditionally minded groups became known as the Old Order Amish. The Egli Amish had already started to withdraw from the Amish church in 1858. They soon drifted away from the old ways and changed their name to "Defenseless Mennonite" in 1908. Congregations who took no side in

8466-405: The larger ones, farmers are now a minority. Approximately 12,000 of the 40,000 dairy farms in the United States are Amish-owned as of 2018. Until the early 20th century, Old Order Amish identity was not linked to the limited use of technologies, as the Old Order Amish and their rural neighbors used the same farm and household technologies. Questions about the use of technologies also did not play

8568-517: The local language of the area in which they reside (with exception of the Old Beachy Amish who continue to use Pennsylvania German). Both the New Order Amish and the Beachy Amish emphasize the New Birth , evangelize to seek converts, and have Sunday Schools . Over the years, the Amish churches have divided many times mostly over questions concerning the Ordnung, but also over doctrinal disputes, mainly about shunning. The largest group,

8670-462: The local language of the area in which they reside. Both the New Order Amish and the Beachy Amish emphasize the New Birth , evangelize to seek converts, and have Sunday Schools . In the early 18th century, many Amish and Mennonites immigrated to Pennsylvania for a variety of reasons. Most Old Order Amish, New Order Amish and the Old Beachy Amish speak Pennsylvania Dutch , but Indiana's Swiss Amish also speak Alemannic dialects . As of 2024 ,

8772-580: The loss of identity of many Amish congregations occurred in the third quarter of the 19th century. The forming of factions worked its way out at different times at different places. The process was rather a "sorting out" than a split. Amish people are free to join another Amish congregation at another place that fits them best. In the years after 1850, tensions rose within individual Amish congregations and between different Amish congregations. Between 1862 and 1878, yearly Dienerversammlungen (ministerial conferences) were held at different places, concerning how

8874-682: The name "Defenseless Mennonite" on 6 November 1908 as the congregation wanted to be known as more Mennonite rather than Amish. In 1942, the Defenseless Mennonites were charter members in the founding of the National Association of Evangelicals. Later, in 1948, their name was changed to "Evangelical Mennonite Church" to reflect both their Anabaptist and Evangelical beliefs. On 2 August 2003, the Evangelical Mennonite Church voted to be known as

8976-567: The need for hard work. Machines such as automatic floor cleaners in barns have historically been rejected as this provides young farmhands with too much free time. Amish communities are known for traveling by horse and buggy because they feel horse-drawn vehicles promote a slow pace of life. Many Amish communities do also allow riding in motor vehicles , such as buses and cars. They also are allowed to travel by train . In recent years many Amish people have taken to using electric bicycles as they are faster than either walking or harnessing up

9078-627: The new birth experience, withdrew from the Amish church. Approximately half of the congregation withdrew as well. In 1866, the first Egly-Amish church was created in Berne, Indiana . In the beginning the Egly Amish church was very strict in regard to discipline and dress, but later developed in the same direction as the Amish Mennonites , that is towards the Mennonite mainstream, away from the Amish heritage. The Egly-Amish officially adopted

9180-424: The other(s) of heresy. In Roman Catholic Church canon law , an act of schism, like an act of apostasy or heresy , automatically brings the penalty of excommunication on the individual who commits it. As stated in canon 1312 §1 1° of the 1983 Code of Canon Law , this penalty is intended to be medicinal, so as to lead to restoration of unity. Roman Catholic theology considers formal schismatics to be outside

9282-544: The previous year. Pennsylvania has the largest population (92.7 thousand), followed by Ohio (86 thousand) and Indiana (65.5 thousand), as of June 2024 . The largest Amish settlements are in Lancaster County in southeastern Pennsylvania (43.6 thousand), Holmes County and adjacent counties in northeastern Ohio (40.4 thousand), and Elkhart and LaGrange counties in northeastern Indiana (29.2 thousand), as of June 2024 . The highest concentration of Amish in

9384-685: The region that became Berks County, Pennsylvania , but later moved, motivated by land issues and by security concerns tied to the French and Indian War . Many eventually settled in Lancaster County . A second wave of around 1,500 arrived around the mid-19th century and settled mostly in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and southern Ontario. Most of these late immigrants eventually did not join the Old Order Amish but more liberal groups. Most Amish communities that were established in North America did not ultimately retain their Amish identity. The major division that resulted in

9486-627: The same way as the change-minded Amish Mennonites in North America and slowly merged with the Mennonites . The last Amish congregation in Germany to merge was the Ixheim Amish congregation, which merged with the neighboring Mennonite Church in 1937. Some Mennonite congregations, including most in Alsace , are descended directly from former Amish congregations. Although splits happened among

9588-410: The second half of the 19th century, the Amish divided into Old Order Amish and Amish Mennonites ; the latter do not abstain from using motor cars, whereas the Old Order Amish retained much of their traditional culture. When people refer to the Amish today, they normally refer to the Old Order Amish, though there are other subgroups of Amish . The Amish fall into three main subgroups—the Old Order Amish,

9690-516: The shunning of an adult who had made the permanent commitment of baptism, may be met with a degree of forbearance. Amish lifestyle is regulated by the Ordnung ("rules") which differs slightly from community to community and from district to district within a community. There is no central Amish governing authority . Each Amish community makes its own decisions, and what is acceptable in one community may be unacceptable in another. The Ordnung

9792-485: The state of his soul while on earth". Until about 1950, almost all Amish children attended small, rural, non-Amish schools, but then school consolidation and mandatory schooling beyond eighth grade caused Amish opposition. Amish communities opened their own Amish schools. In 1972, the United States Supreme Court exempted Amish pupils from compulsory education past eighth grade . By the end of

9894-451: The three largest affiliations but also represent the mainstream among the Old Order Amish. The most conservative affiliations are at the top, the most modern ones at the bottom. Technologies used by very few are on the left; the ones used by most are on the right. The percentage of all Amish who use a technology is also indicated approximately. The Old Order Amish culture involves lower greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors and activities with

9996-618: The use of power-line electricity, telephones, and automobiles, as well as regulations on clothing. Generally, a heavy emphasis is placed on church and family relationships. The Old Order Amish typically operate their own one-room schools and discontinue formal education after grade eight (age 13 – 14). Most Amish do not buy commercial insurance or participate in Social Security . As present-day Anabaptists , Amish church members practice nonresistance and will not perform any type of military service. The Anabaptist movement, from which

10098-402: The user of the word considers to be the true Christian Church. These words have been used to denote both the phenomenon of Christian group-splintering in general, and certain significant historical splits in particular. One can make a distinction between heresy and schism . Heresy is rejection of a doctrine that a Church considered to be essential. Schism is a rejection of communion with

10200-487: The world is in the Holmes County community; nearly 50 percent of the entire population of Holmes County is Amish as of 2010. Schism A schism ( / ˈ s ɪ z ə m / SIZ -əm , / ˈ s k ɪ z ə m / , SKIZ -əm or, less commonly, / ˈ ʃ ɪ z ə m / SHIZ -əm ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination . The word

10302-542: Was recorded in the 17th century between Oberländer s ( those living in the hills ) and Emmentalers (those living in the Emmental ). The Oberländer s were a more extreme congregation; their zeal pushed them into more remote areas. Swiss Anabaptism developed, from this point, in two parallel streams, most clearly marked by disagreement over the preferred treatment of "fallen" believers. The Emmentalers (sometimes referred to as Reistians, after bishop Hans Reist ,

10404-510: Was that the Imam must be spiritually pure, whereas Ali's compromise with Mu'awiya was a compromise of his spiritual purity and therefore of his legitimacy as Imam or Caliph. While there are few remaining Kharijite or Kharijite-related groups, the term is sometimes used to denote Muslims who refuse to compromise with those with whom they disagree. Dates: The first schism in Jainism happened around

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