HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1963-09-05, Page 13Second in Series
BY PAUL S. BAUMAN
The Old Order Mennonites
The Anabaptist movement
was started by a young Swiss
university graduate, named
Conrad Grebel, in Januaryl525
near Zurich, Switzerland, One
of the basic beliefs of the Ana-
„I,aptist group was that infant
baptism was unscriptural and
that persons should attain the
age of accountability before
they could be properly baptiz-
ed. They drew their inspiration
from the Bible only and not
from the other religions of that
day, thus they became Bible
literalists, not mystics, Un-
fortunately Grebel died of the
plague in 1526, at age 28,
about a year after founding of
Anabaptism. Shortly after this,
in 1534, a similar group was
formed in holland, by the Leeu-
warden surgeon named Obbe
Philipps, Later in 1537 a for-
mer Dutch Catholic priest nam-
ed Merano Simons took over the
leadership of both groups and
they were called Mennonites,
Menno Simons married but
he and his family were always
poor in this world's goods, Be-
ing trained for the priesthood
and therefore an educated man,
he wrote many books during his
lifetime, which was spent in
Holland and Germany, He
thought that he had a sane and
baianeed program of promoting
both an evangelical faith and
a holiness of Iife. Menno Sim-
ons is no doubt the greatest
figure in the history of the
church which now bears his
name, On January 31, 1561,
he died.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH AND IMMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA
Severe persecutions forced
these people in Switzerland to
leave their homeland. Around
the year 1671 approximately
700 Bernese Mennonites fled
down the Rhine River and with
Dutch Mennonite aid establish-
ed themselves in the Palatine
in southern Germany. In 1709,
after a fresh outbreak of perse-
cution near Berne, the Swiss
refugees settled, in addition to
the Palatinate, in Holland and
in North America. By the year
1732 about 3, 000 of them had
emigrated from the Palatinate
to America. The main reasons
for these people to leave Europe
and settle in North America was
to gain religious freedom and
to improve their economic op-
portunities.
William Penn, the promin-
ent English Quaker, who had
secured a large tract of land in
America from the British Crown,
invited the Mennonites to settle
on it. The first permanent
settlement in North America
took place in 1683 at German-
town, Pennsylvania, near Phil-
adelphia. This group came
from Crefeld, Germany, and in
it were thirteen families, most-
ly Mennonites, with a few Qua-
kers. There were 35 persons in
this company. The first Men-
nonite minister in North Ameri-
ca was William Rittenhouse,
1644-1708, who preached in the
Germantown settlement, Their
first church was built at this
place in 1708. The first Am-
erican protest against slavery
came from this church group in
1688, only five years after they
arrived. Similarly in 1770,
Christopher Dock, a Mennon-
ite school master, finally
allowed his "German Treatise"
of 1750 - entitled "School
Management" to be published,
the earliest treatise on peda-
gogy in America.
Soon others from south Ger-
many and Switzerland joined
the Germantown settlement and
they spread into the counties of
Lancaster, Berks, Montgomery,
Bucks, etc. in Pennsylvania.
Many Mennonites also left Ger-
many and Prussia to settle in
the Ukraine in southern Russia
during the 80 years from 1790-
1870. Some of these later
came to Western Canada and
the central United States, where
their descendants still live to-
day.
ONTARIO HISTORY
The primary reason for mov-
ing into Upper Canada (now
Southern Ontario) seems to have
been their confidence in the
British Government, under
whose rule they had now lived
for about one hundred years.
Also they distrusted the new
Republic formed after the Am-
erican Revolution. Among the
secondary reasons were the den-
sity of population in the better
farming areas of Pennsylvania,
high prices of farms, and the
severe depressions and crop
failures of the early 1800's,
Most of the pioneer Mennon-
ites came to Waterloo County,
Ontario from the countries of
Lancaster, Montgomery, Berks,
Cumberland and Bucks in Pen-
nsylvania, during the years
1800-1835. About this time a
number of their members also
settled in Lincoln County and
in the Markham district, north
of Toronto, These pioneers
came in Conestoga wagons
bringing their simple and nec-
essary means of livelihood with
them. These included live-
stock, implements, furniture,
etc. , and they paid for their
land. They soon made arable
land from this province's virgin
forests, and by applying the
same thrift, industry and perse-
verance as ever to their work
together with their native abil-
ity for agriculture the wilder-
ness was soon transformed into
a prosperous farming area.
Their first church in Water-
loo County was a log building
erected in 1813 where the city
az
A PIGGYBACK SKIING demonstration was one of the
features of the water show on Sunday. Here Dave
Cameron and BoO Deyell come up the river with Sandra
Seddon and Bonnie Willie on their shoulders. -A -T
Photo.
of Kitchener is no',, located.
Benjamin Eby was the first
minister, was ordained a bish-
op when quite a yol,ng man,
but made his living as a farmer
also teaching in the firstschool
in the county, only during the
winter months, as he was not
paid for performing his church
duties.
Ever since its beginning the
Mennonite Church has had dis-
sention within it which resulted
in divisions or separations. The
four main divisions in Ontario,
including the dates and the
chief reasons for them are as
follows:
(1) The Hoch Division oc-
curred in 1849, the issue at
hand being the holding of pray-
er meetings. Minister Daniel
'Hoch left the main body of the
church because he accused it of
being dead and prayerless,
(2) The division of 1874
removed the most aggressive
element of the church when the
Mennonite Brethren in Christ
left because they believed in
baptism by immersion, emo-
tional conversions, English ser-
mons, and Sunday Schools
which the Church as a whole
was not yet ready to accept.
(3) In 1889 another separ-
ation took place when the
issues at stake again wore eve-
ning servies, English sermons,
Sunday Schools and evangelis-
tic meetings, The group known
as the "progressives" today in
the Waterloo district accept
the above changes, the Old
Order rejecting them.
(4) In the last major split
of around 1940, this Old Order
faction divided approximately
into half, the main issues be-
ing automobiles and telephones.
One group allowed their mem-
bers to use them, whereas the
Old Order or Conservative group
does not condone them even
today. It is the latter group
which will be dealt with in the
succeeding articles.
Wingham Advance -Times, Thursday, Sept, 5, 1963 Page 6
LAKLET
Mr, and Mrs. Harold lb1th
of Ayton visited with Mr. and
Mrs, Irvin Reidt on Sunday eve-
ning.
Mr, Laverne Webber of New -1
market spent the week -end
with Mr, and Mrs. Don Webber.
Mr, Lynn Ferguson of Mitch-
ell spent the holiday weeit-end
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs,
Jack Ferguson.
Mr, and Mrs, Robert McKee
of Teeswater visited with Mr.
and Mrs. Gordon McKee on
Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs, Jack Ferguson
and family visited with Mr. and
Mrs. Don Ireland at Teeswater
on Sunday.
Sunday visitors with Mr. and
Mrs. John Wright were Mr. and
Mrs. Gordon Wright and Mr,
and Mrs. Roy Ewers of Kitchen-
er,
Mr, and Mrs. George Ep-
worth and Larry of Harriston
visited with Mr. and Mrs. El-
mer Greenly on Sunday,
Messrs, Laverne and Jim
Greenly visited with Mr. and
Mrs. Lloyd Noble of London on
Sunday.
Sunday visitors with Mr. and
Mrs. Kenneth Dettman were
Messrs. Brian, Allan and Don-
ald Edwards of London, Mr. and
Mrs. Michael Stafford and Jen-
nifer of Kitchener and Mr. Ron
Miller of Waterloo.
Mr. Ronald Dickert of Kitch-
ener spent the holiday week-
end with Mr. and Mrs. Irvin
Dickert,
Mr. and Mrs. Herb Miller
of Waterloo visited with Mr,
and Mrs. Albert Dettman on
Sunday.
BLUEVALE
Mrs, William N. Robertson
has been a patient in the Wing -
ham and District Hospital the
past couple of weeks.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Mc-
Intosh of Kincardine were visit-
ors with Mr, Wm. N, Robertson
and family last Thursday eve-
ning.
BOX 390
The Editor,
The Advance -Times,
WINGIPAM, Ont.
Dear Sir:
It is our pleasure to express
the than+ts and appreciation of
Salvation Army leaders for the
excellent support which your
newspaper gave to the Red
Shield Appeal, and should also
like to have the opportunity
through the courtesy of your
columns to say to all donors and
helpers how grateful we are for
their generosity and for services
rendered.
With every good wish.
Yours sincerely,
Lt. -Col. L. Carswell,
National Campaign
Director.
BELGRAVE NEWS
Mrs. C. R. Coultes is again
a patient in the Wingham and
District Hospital.
Holiday visitors with Mr.
and Mrs. Herb Wheeler were
Mr. and Mrs, Goldie Wheeler
and family of London and Mr.
Torn Wilkinson and daughter
of Markette, Michigan.
Mr. and Mrs. Gibson Arm-
strong and family of London
visited with Mr. and Mrs, Dave
Armstrong, Mr. and Mrs. Her -
son Irwin, and Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Grasby for the holiday
week -end.
Mr. and Mrs. Athol Bruce
and family, also Mrs. Gordon
Ross, Bluevale, were guests at
the wedding on Saturday in
Midland of James Scott and
Miss Brenda Beardsall,
Mrs, Harry Garniss of Wing -
ham was a recent visitor with
Mrs, Julia McNall and Michael
Mrs. R. H. Buller of Mor-
peth and Mrs. A. M. Fear of
Blyth visited on Sunday with
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Fear and
family, and also called on Mrs.
George Martin in her new home.
IT'S R. A. CURRIE
�I
WALEIGH & ASSOCIATES
3 -SEATER CHESTERFIELD SUITE
NYLON FRIEZE CHOCOLATE REG.
FREE DELIVERY, EASY TERMS 5267
X181.
10 -PIECE SKLAR SUITE
LAMPS
STEP TABLES
536.00 DOWN
54.25 WEEK
COFFEE TABLE 10
FOAM CUSHIONS PC.
2
PC.
$341.
j191.
BARRYMORE
French Provincial CHESTERFIELD SUITE
QUALITY FOAM RUBBER CUSHIONS X149.
REGULAR 5272 TO GO
FASHION TREND 2 -PC. CHESTERFIELD
NYLON FRIEZE REG.
SWIVEL ROCKER 5158 $142.
SONS'
16 SUMMER
Triple Dresser 5 -Pc. BEDROOM Grouping -
WALNUT FINISH REG.
SEALY MATTRESS and SPRING 5273 $159.
KILGOUR Colonial BEDROOM SUITE
WITH SPRING AND SIMONA SMOOTH TOP MATTRESS
5REG.
267 NOW LL6. 527.00 DOWN
$ 3.10 PER WEEK
DEILCRAFT 5 -Pc. BEDROOM GROUPING
SMOOTH TOP MATTRESS AND SPRING
GUNSTOCK REG,
WALNUT S297.00
$238.
KNECHTEL 5 -Pc, BEDROOM GROUPING
TOASTED MAHOGANY FINISH REG. •
Simona Smooth Top Mattress, Spring $319 $114.
"IDEAL" 10 -Pc, BEDROOM GROUPING
AMERICAN WALNUT SI 9111 519.80 DOWN
OR SANDALWOOD IU7i 5 2.97 WEEK
TROISTER
2 -PIECE CHESTERFIELD SUITE
FOAM RUBBER BACK
FOAM RUBBER CUSHIONS
REG. $176. 5269
10 -PIECE SPECIAL BY GOLD MEDAL
4 -SEATER CHESTERFIELD
QUALITY LAMPS
STEP TABLES
COFFEE .TABLE
CHROME SMOKER
REG. 5249
197.
A REAL BUY!
EASY TERMS
526.00 DOWN
53.97 PER WEEK
10 -PIECE GROUPING
FITTON PARKER BEDROOM SUITE
$219.
SMOOTH TOP
MATTRESS AND SPRING
REG.
5267
$27.00 DOWN
5 3.97 WEEK
WATERLOO BEDDING
QUILTED MATTRESS
$49.95
55.00 ALLOWED ON
YOUR OLD MATTRESS
SEALY'S
"GOLDEN SLEEP"
$A4.45
POSTURPEDIC IMPERIAL
SEALY MATTRESS
QUILTED IN
SEALY FOAM 99
50
BOX SPRING
MATTRESS
$39.
CEDAR CHEST
CRIB
AS LOW AS $6230
BED CHESTERFIELD
BY TROISTER
COCOA BROWN
REG.
5197
$179.
CHAIRS SWIVELS ROCKERS
ALL TO CLEAR
27° 3&OO 22.75
TOP VALUES
NUMEROUS OTHER ITEMS NOT
LISTED HERE. TO BE CLEARED.
BUNK BEDS MIRRORS
PICTURES CHROME SUITES
SUMMER FURNITURE
15%
TERms
DISCOUNT
TO SUIT' YOUR BUDGET
AND SPRING
FILLED MATTRESS
$29i5