Weaverland Old Order Mennonite Conference
The Weaverland Conference, also called Horning Church or Black-bumper Mennonites, is a Christian denomination of Old Order Mennonites who use cars.
Names
The popular name Horning Church came from Bishop Moses Horning, who owned a car bought for him by a parishioner.[1] The group is also known as Black-bumper Mennonites for their early custom of painting over the chrome on their cars for modesty, though in the modern day this custom is mandatory only for ministers.[1]
History
The Weaverland Mennonites have their roots in the
Anabaptist beginnings
The early history of the Mennonites starts with the Anabaptists in the German and Dutch-speaking parts of central Europe. These forerunners of modern Mennonites were part of the
Some of the followers of Zwingli's
Despite strong repressive efforts of the state churches, the movement spread slowly around western Europe, primarily along the Rhine. Officials killed many of the earliest Anabaptist leaders in an attempt to purge Europe of the new sect.
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. 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.
Migration to North America
In the 18th century, about 100,000 Germans mainly from the
During the Colonial period, Mennonites were distinguished from other Pennsylvania Germans in three ways:[3] their opposition to the American Revolutionary War, which other German settlers participated in on both sides; resistance to public education; and disapproval of religious revivalism. Contributions of Mennonites during this period include the idea of separation of church and state, and opposition to slavery.
From 1812 to 1860, another wave of Mennonite immigrants from Europe settled farther west in
Old Order Movement
The Weaverland Old Order Mennonite Conference emerged from the Old Order division, that occurred in 1893 in
Emergence of car driving Old Order Mennonites
There was another split in 1927 over disagreements over the use of automobiles. The Weaverland Mennonite then allowed the use of cars, but only with black bumpers. Those opposed to car usage formed a new church, the Groffdale Conference Mennonite Church, also called Wenger Mennonites. The remainder of the Weaverland Conference since then have also been known as the Horning Church because their bishop in the time of the split was Moses G. Horning (1871-1955) or "Black-bumper Mennonites" for their past custom of purchasing cars but covering up the flashy chrome with black paint.[5][1] In 2013, the Meadow Springs Old Order Mennonite Church Conference in Myerstown, Pennsylvania, with 289 members and four congregations, had divided from the Weaverland Old Order Mennonite Conference. The Meadow Springs split was over disagreements on the acceptance of technology and the internet and they also wanted more conservative dress standards.[6]
Customs and beliefs
Weaverland Conference Mennonites are
Ideologically this group shares many similar beliefs with
Membership and congregations
In 1927, after the Wenger Mennonites had left the congregation, there were about 500 baptized members in Weaverland Mennonite Conference and in 1957 there were 1,731 baptized members.[9] In 1994 the number of baptized members had risen to 4,767.[10] In 2008/9 membership was 7,100 in 40 congregations across 6 states. [11]
Publishing
The Weaverland Conference publishes a number of booklets and tracts under the name Weaverland Mennonite Publications.
See also
- Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference
- Wissler Conference
Link
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-271-02865-1. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ Strasser, Rolf Christoph (2006). "Die Zürcher Täufer 1525" [The Zurich Anabaptists 1525] (PDF) (in German). EFB Verlag Wetzikon. p. 30. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ Samuel Floyd Pannabecker: Open Doors: A History of the General Conference Mennonite Church, Newton, Kansas, 1975, page 12.
- ^ Stephen Scott: An Introduction to Old Order: and Conservative Mennonite Groups, Intercourse, PA 1996, pages 20-24.
- ^ Stephen Scott: An Introduction to Old Order: and Conservative Mennonite Groups, Intercourse, PA 1996, pages 29-31.
- ^ Mennonite World Conference: Membership: Meadow Springs Old Order Mennonite Church Conference at mwc-cmm.org.
- ^ Donald B. Kraybill (2010). Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hurtterites and Mennonites. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 247.
- ^ Stephen Scott (1996). An Introduction to Old Order: and Conservative Mennonite Groups. Good Books, Intercourse, PA. p. 77.
- ^ Old Order Mennonites at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.
- ^ Stephen Scott: An Introduction to Old Order: and Conservative Mennonite Groups, page 73
- ^ Donald B. Kraybill (2010). Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hurtterites and Mennonites. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 258.