Who are the Old Colony Mennonites, and why are the Amish helping them improve their schooling? Ohio Amish church member Rebecca Miller returns today with some background on the people, and how the Amish became involved in educational outreach south of the border. A few quick points about this Anabaptist group, related to the Amish: They live in countries including Mexico, Bolivia, Paraguay, Belize, and Canada…
Have you ever visited an Old Order Mennonite community? One of our readers recently did, and shares a look at an off-the-beaten-path Ontario settlement in today’s post. Old Order Mennonites are spiritual kin of the Amish. Similarities include language, plain dress, cultural values, and of course an Anabaptist religious heritage. Amish and Old Order Mennonites live side-by-side in some places (like Lancaster County and the Nappanee, Indiana area),…
How does Hutterite technology use compare to the Amish? What tech-related challenges do they face? Which two issues concern them about their children’s use of technology? Linda Maendel, member of a Manitoba Hutterite colony, adresses those questions today (if you’re new to the Hutterites, an Anabaptist people related to the Amish, you can catch up at these posts: Hutterite Overview | Life on the Colony | Language |…
Do Hutterites go to high school? Who teaches in Hutterite classrooms? Is Hutterite schooling similar to Amish education? You asked Linda Maendel a number of questions on education on our Hutterite questions post. Linda, who happens to be a teacher in her Manitoba colony, addresses that topic today. — On Hutterite Learning Each colony has its own school and for most of these non-Hutterite teachers come in and teach the…
What do Hutterites speak? The Anabaptist cousins of the Amish communicate in a German dialect, but it differs from what you hear from the Amish. Manitoba Hutterite Linda Maendel explains her native tongue in today’s post. — Hutterisch – the Mother Tongue of the Hutterites Hutterisch, as Hutterites fondly call their language, is the Carinthian German dialect spoken by all Hutterites in Canada and the United States and some…
How do Hutterites dress? How does Hutterite clothing compare to that of the Amish? What are the differences in clothing across the three Hutterite groups? On our recent Hutterite questions post, some of you were curious about Hutterite clothing. Hutterite Diaries author Linda Maendel answers these questions and more in today’s post. — Hutterite Dress Hutterites, like the Amish, dress modestly. As you can see on the cover of…
Two weeks ago we asked for your questions for Linda Maendel, member of a Manitoba Hutterite community and author of the upcoming Hutterite Diaries. Linda has answered many of them and we’re sharing the first of those today. Wendy asked: Hutterites live “communally”. Explain how this differs from Amish. Do they share all meals together? Do males and females live separately or do they live…
What would it be like to share all your goods in common with your neighbors? Linda Maendel is a schoolteacher in a Hutterite colony in Manitoba, and could answer that question firsthand. Linda is also the author of an upcoming book called Hutterite Diaries: Wisdom from My Prairie Community. I’m happy to let you know that Linda will be sharing a look into Hutterite faith and life here on Amish America as…
If you’ve traveled through northern Lancaster County at any point in the last 168 years, you might have noticed a structure of religious importance lying just feet from the current Route 322. The Pike Mennonite Church is shared by two groups of Mennonites (Stauffer and Weaver), who use it on alternate Sundays. Unlike most Amish, Old Order and Conservative Mennonites worship in church structures. 168 years is how long…
There’s another Plain program on the airwaves, but this one isn’t about the Amish. National Geographic Channel’s Mennonite Made (despite the name, not a response to Amish Mafia) is about building things–log homes, to be precise. From the Nat Geo website: Mennonite Made follows a tight-knit crew of traditional Mennonites, who practice craftsmanship passed down through generations to build one-of-a-kind log homes. Spearheading the log home…