Who are the Mennonites?
They are a group of believers who believe in living out what the Bible teaches.
The name Mennonite comes from a man named Menno Simons. Menno Simons was a priest in the Catholic Church in the Netherlands during the 1500s.
As Menno Simons read his Bible, he became aware of some of the inaccuracies of the Catholic Church. He left the Catholic church along with other people who wanted to live out the teachings of the Bible. The authorities mockingly called this group Mennonites. While Menno Simons served as a pastor in this group, his focus was on complete obedience to the New Testament rather than the words of man.
Here are some of the differences in belief that set Mennonites apart from the other churches of their day. The conservative Mennonite believers still adhere to these principles today.
- Adult believer’s baptism
- Separation from the world in thought, goals, actions, fashions, and other areas of life
- The brotherhood and community of the church
- The Bible as the final authority for faith and practice
- Non-resistance, non-violence
- No swearing of oaths
- Living in victory over sin, and church discipline for sin
- Embracing the historic Anabaptist understanding of Christianity that emphasizes faith, repentance, discipleship, brotherhood, and obedience to the New Testament of the Bible.