The Ohio Wisler Mennonite Churches, also called Ohio Wisler Mennonite Conference, are a group of churches with a Mennonite tradition, that formed in 1973. They are not considered to be Old Order anymore, but are widely seen as Conservative Mennonites. Stephen Scott lists them as "Ultra Conservative" (Mennonites).[1]

History

In 1973 a large group of Wisler Mennonites in Ohio split from the Ohio-Indiana Mennonite Conference, a car-driving Old Order Mennonite group, and formed the more modern Ohio Wisler Mennonites.[2][3]

Customs and beliefs

After the division from the Ohio-Indiana Mennonite Conference, the Ohio Wisler Mennonites adopted Sunday Schools and a more aggressive approach to outreach.[4] They have altered the manner of worship from the Old Order form.[5]

Members and congregation

In 1995 the Ohio Wisler Mennonite Churches had 131 households in four congregations.[6] In the year 2000 they had 421 adherents with a total population of about 800 people in five congregations, all in Ohio.[4] According to website of the Mennonite World Conference they had 322 adherents in four congregations in 2018.[7]

References

  1. ^ An Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups, Intercourse PA 1996, page 162.
  2. ^ Ohio Wisler Mennonite Churches at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.
  3. ^ Ohio-Indiana (Wisler) Mennonite Conference at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.
  4. ^ a b Donald B. Kraybill, C. Nelson Hostetter: Anabaptist World USA, Scottdale PA, 2001, page 168.
  5. ^ An Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups, Intercourse PA 1996, page 177.
  6. ^ An Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups, Intercourse PA 1996, page 178.
  7. ^ Mennonite World Conference, Congregations: Ohio Wisler Mennonite.
Categories