Happy Father’s Day

above is extremely rare photo of my father at 6 years of age (on the left) with his only brother at our old homestead

pic above is of little ole me standing in almost exactly the same place on the old homestead as my father.

In Memory of my beautiful father on Fathers Day which for me is 365 days per year.

I deeply miss my dearly departed father more than ever. He passed away on Christmas Eve 2002. My dear father was also my best friend and in many ways even though it has been 15 years since he died, in many, many ways my dear father is still MY BEST FRIEND! Many say that it takes only a few years till the face of a deceased love one becomes vague in ones memory, however in my case my dear fathers face is still as vivid as if he was still living right here at the old homestead. Maybe it is because my fathers face did not seem to ever really age much, till Parkinson’s Disease took his life, maybe my memory of Dad is so vivid because he as a individual never changed much in all the years I knew him… because he was solid as a rock. My dear father was a very quiet but incredibly strong and strict moral man. He was so gentle and peaceful… which is why those “trips to the woodshed” were even more painful for both of us! As for my feelings, my rear end would feel like it was literally on fire…I will cover firewood in more detail later. Even when dad became an elder he would always sit in the background of a room and just listen to everyone else speak, while he would only speak when directly addressed. He always said “opening the mouth exposes the fool” Ironically right now I cannot recall my father ever using the actual words “I love you” , maybe it was because we spoke PA German at home… but don’t worry he showed me with his actions and deeds, regularly and constantly and consistently just how much he truly loved me and my siblings and Mom. I got to know Jesus was real because of my Dad and I believe this more than ever even though my earthly father passed away 15 years ago.

the above photo is the only color photo we have of this era and it was taken by a relative who was a modern Mennonite and could justify the cost. I well remember getting a lecture from my parents when as a youth I spent all my savings to buy Dad a fancy pocket watch for Christmas, Ironically when my father passed away and long before probate was complete both my dear brother and I were given one old plain pocket watch each which had been owned by my father…and low and behold In addition to receiving 1 plain pocket watch, I also got back the very same fancy pocket watch I gave to my father some 30 years previously. If you look carefully at the photo below you will see this pocket watch in my home.

The only thing that has a more prominent spot in my homestead is the Moses Martin Family German Bible which has been handed down through all these generations to me. What a privilege it is to hold this heavy Reformers Bible and comparing the most important German text to my modern English Bible. My father got permission from all of his siblings before this old 1860’s Bible displayed below was handed to me. To this very day I often ask myself was it because my father loved me or was it because I purchased the old homestead from him or was it both? I was also so privileged and blessed to be able to provide my dear parents lifetime Living Rights on the homestead which is something that all my Mennonite ancestors did for their parents going back as far as the early 1700 records, of which I have copies in my possession. In fact I possess copies of the last 250 years of every one of these patriarchal wills and deeds going directly back from my father to when the original Martin Family Patriarch came to Weaverland from Switzerland in 1727.

My dear father was a true servant leader type Christian. He loved those around him like Jesus loved those he ministered to. My fathers father (Grandpa Martin) died when Dad was only 24 so I guess that might explain why Dad would regularly read  “Acts” and seemed to be especially fascinated by this part of the Bible his whole adult life. I distinctly remember one time when Dad stayed home from communion services and even though he was not feeling very good, he asked me to read Acts from the very beginning to him out loud. I did this and before noon came that day I had read the whole book of Acts to him. He became very happy afterwards and a look of joy came over his face even though his eyes were still moist with tears. My dearly departed father was a strict moral follower of Jesus and the early Christian Congregations as described in the Bible. My father literally followed Jesus and the first Christians in that he did not feel worthy to do anything but that. My Dad was also a very strict and loving father as well. I knew my whole adult life that Dad would have and did lay down his life for Mom and every one of his children. The way Dad lived his life I am convinced he would have willingly gave up his life for any of his friends and neighbor’s if he could have saved them from losing theirs. A True Christian man! As the famous county western song goes “they just don’t make men like this anymore”.

(Pic above) Dad always said the only thing we must absolutely ALWAYS  be ready for EARLY;  is to go to church and to die!

“Good Line Fences Make Good Neighbors” was one of Dads sayings. My father would always encourage the neighbors to work with Dad and jointly build any new line-fence (not right on the line) but just slightly but very deliberately onto our property with the fencing installed on our neighbors’ side of the posts. My father was strictly against the sin of “coveting” and when we used to travel down the public roads he would instruct me to keep my eyes on the roadway and thus never to covet someone else’s property. I remember when my father bought me a pony that there was a path with gates at all the line-fences that separated my fathers farm from Three Bridges School and The Conestoga. I used to traverse this path through many many farms with my pony every weekend and this way I got to know very personally all the very old patriarchs of the neighborhood who were all old order Mennonites as well. Interestingly my father even hired me out part -time for $1.80 per hour to work alongside these dear old Christian patriarchs, some of them who were born between 1880 and 1900 era. I confess I used to be slightly offended that my father would charge these neighbor’s so little for my time… but then it was my father who sat me down on a haybale one time and told me what The Bible teaches about goodwill- the Christian way…and this was long before the modern world books touted their (fake and false version) of goodwill in all the self help and business books. Ironically when I “ran away from home” in 1976 to see what “the world” had to offer…these paths I referred to above between all the old farms in our neighborhood were closed and where the old gates used to hang these sections were filled in with regular line fencing just like the rest. It looked like the gates had never existed. Ironically now that in most cases it is the 3rd generation (I knew personally) who are farming these neighboring farms only one of these line fences has been reopened and a gate installed and that occurred between my next door neighbor and me and what is most ironic these neighbors went with the David Martin Church 3 generations ago which is the absolute strictest and most orthodox group in Ontario. One of the secrets that I must confess is that no matter how strict the regulation of the David Martin Church was/is I can testify that when I was very young my father and I would be welcomed to have meals and fellowship with our dear neighbor who was/is from this extremely orthodox David Martin Church…and I also recall during the haying season how much we would enjoy having these very same people share meals and fellowship at our dining room table. Dad was so right “Good Line Fences make good neighbours”  and when one possesses “true Christian goodwill” unbiblical barriers between Christian churches can be removed because of Christian Love of ones neighbor. Like Dad always said though, good gates swing both ways and both me and my neighbor agree.

Another one of the most valuable lessons my father taught me happened over a long course of time…in 1888 as a Registered New Home Builder I spent a year building a very large custom home in the City Of Waterloo. My father came from Elmira one time to see what I was up to. He offered to help me work but I was proud and asked him to enjoy watching me work. Instead of doing exactly that, he ending up walking around all day long watching me but I noticed he was constantly stooping down to pickup bent spikes that were discarded during me and my crew doing the framing.  When it became chore-time at the family farm Dad was long gone and I thought nothing more about that day. Ironically many many years later when I had taken over the day to day management of the Homestead Dairy Farm business I was frantically renovating all sorts of damage in the back of the barn and  it was an urgent matter that we complete the job so that we could bring the cows in from the pasture and get them back into the barn to be milked. Unbelievably I ran out of spikes and worst yet the stores were closed and to top it all off Dad knew I was too proud to go to the neighbor’s and ask for spikes. Low and behold as I was about to scream in pure frustration my dear father came around the corner with a little old metal paint pail and he handed it to me and said “don’t worry son” Amazingly my father had gone home in 1988 with all the bent spikes he had picked up from the ground and I was shocked to be holding onto the very same spikes which my dad had lovingly and painstakingly bent straight… “just in time” !

In my family we never believed in saying goodbye, we would always say “Vita sayn” which translated means “we will seeyou again” . This traditional saying is very common among old order Mennonites. When Parkinson’s disease began to really disable my father in almost every way possible and for many months he did not seem to get better or worst (he had not been able to speak for months however he could hear and understand clearly as we used hand squeezing signals to communicate with him and to prove he could hear and understand)  my dear mother who had struggled by Dads side for so long stated that “poor father did not want to give up his life because he was “still worried” for his children” and that that was the only thing he ever was seriously concerned about. How this broke my heart because I had been a Christian for 7 years at this point. The hardest thing I ever did was go to see my dear father that same evening and I distinctly remember telling him everything that I was thinking and what was in my heart and using our hand squeeze signals (like 3 times) to make sure he understood every word I had said…and then somehow by the Grace Of God I received the strength to actually say “goodbye”  because… he “fell asleep” and died that very same night. He fell asleep peacefully and instantly did not breath in or out at all, not even a gasp or sigh. Oh Jehovah God how I give praise to you!

I have attached in next line below a English Transcription of my dear fathers funeral sermon in the Elmira Mennonite Meetinghouse which you can read if you wish. My father and grandfather and great grandfather and great great- grandfather are all now all buried in Gods Acre here. Other than when I was baptized, this funeral was the only time I have ever wept in public. I did NOT care at the time if it was NOT the old ORDER way…I wept sitting in the front row right in front of the pulpit because this is exactly what I was feeling at the time… and the preacher preached.

Dads Funeral

When I was younger and before I became a Christian when my father would talk to me about his death someday I would cry inside and deny that he would ever die and tell Dad I could not and would not discuss it with him…Many many years later my dad pleaded with me before he died that,  1. I would NOT advocate for a big fancy tombstone. First he gave me the speech about what a true Christian and Mennonite would do and when this not get the enthusiastic reception he hoped for, he shrewdly convinced me by reasoning with me stating” ok son look at it this way, when the vandals come into the old cemetery which gravestones do you think they will vandalize, the big fancy ones or the plain simple ones?” Needless to say my parents have a very plain (but high quality) gravestone and the only “fancy” thing about it, which I am sure potential vandals will not notice, is that we added their date of marriage to their gravestone. and 2. he pleaded with me to promise that I would NOT advocate that his remains would be buried right next to all his predeceased forefathers right next to the meetinghouse, (because “he did NOT feel worthy” and he had met with the caretaker and he had chose a burial spot far back from the meetinghouse and off to the side and also directly in behind the old cemetery workshop/shed. Oh I could never count the number of times I have hopped out of my big ole black SUV parked in the chain linked horse tie-up gravel parking lot and ever so efficiently walking straight only 3 steps and stepped sideways thru a 2 foot split in the fence and taken only 2 steps forward and turned left 1 step and there is my dear parents plain gravestone which my dear brother and I personally helped the cemetery caretaker level and cement in place after my father’s remains had been buried. May father and mothers remains rest in peace until satan and death are destroyed forever! Amen

I am blessed to vividly remember 36 years of my Father living day by day with literally everything he did having a deeply Biblical meaning for him and him inculcated us using Biblical references as to why absolutely everything was to be done a certain way according to scripture, whether it was work or church or family related or how we should relate with all people and circumstances around us. Dad was so much more than just a good Mennonite, he was a True Christian. As I became an adult and Dad counseled me to join the Church I remember telling Dad, I could never ever be “perfect like him”  Dad replied that he was a sinner. I even asked him, what sin (s) did/do you commit? I can still remember  how he would become suddenly very uncomfortable and tell me that he too “was a sinner” and I also remember how uncomfortable I became because I had no idea what possible sin(s) he was actually talking about. To this very day some 35 years later I still do not know what sin(s) my father was referring to.  (mind you, one time he did say a slightly bad word when he hit his thumb with the hammer, however even this word was NOT a swear word)  As for me, I did not end up joining the old order Mennonite Church, I joined a more modern Mennonite church when I became a Christian as a 35 year old. My dear father was there when I was fully submerged in the name of The Father and The Son and The Holy Ghost” and ironically even though it was not at the old order church, and afterwards right in front of almost a thousand people my father barely knew, my father gave me the biggest and most long lasting hug and he wept profusely with pure happiness. This was the only time my father got so emotional that he hugged me as an adult and only 1 of 2 times I ever seen my dad actually weep sobbing. The other time my dad wept was one time when he came outside with me after he had been nominated for Deacon in the church. My father had been in the lot 2 other times, once for deacon and once for minister. Irregardless of his other experiences this time when he came outside the meetinghouse and it was just him and I and we were away from his peers, he suddenly broke down and began weeping…I was absolutely shocked to see my father crying and I asked him what is wrong dad??? He just kept repeating “I am so unworthy, I am so unworthy”

Believe it or not I was not convinced the Bible/God was real until I was 35 years of age. (some 20 years ago) Ironically I realize when I became a Christian that it was my father who actually proved to me that Jesus was real. To this day I have not been fortunate enough to meet many men like my father. My father took care of me from 1961 to this very date. Whether it is your earthly father or your Heavenly Father it is easy and quite normal to Love them when you owe them everything! The good news is that I became a Christian in 1995 and am extremely blessed to have spent/invested all the years from 1982 to Christmas Eve 2002 very closely associated with my best friend, my father. I am still associated with my father through my Heavenly Father!

 

Dad and I and Jenni in the photo above   I remember vividly when Jenni got run over by a car and all her ribs were smashed in. I stayed out in the haymow till late at night and lay with Jenni as she was dying and I still remember how much I cried.  When my dad found us he quickly gathered me up in his arms and took me to the house and he promised me he would go right back out in the barn and “help” poor Jenni go to sleep”  Jenni had “disappeared” by morning light when I went out to see her. Dad assured me that Jenni went asleep but I did not understand completely so I secretly searched for her for days. A few days after Jenni “fell asleep and disappeared”  Dad showed up in the barn (with a brand new puppy of course). Since the old homestead is right on the main corner of 2 main roads right next to the town of Elmira I can remember we lost many dogs in a similar fashion.

Above is a recent view from the back porch of the homestead where I still  reside. My fathers death was so difficult for me to handle I just simply could not handle doing all the grieving at the same time and move forward, so as I have told all my friends I grieve a little at a time so I can handle it better.  Some people who may not be the “Spiritual” type may not believe it, but after my father passed away in 2002 I have been blessed with the most vivid and realistic dreams where my father councils me just like he used to do and in these dreams we are having detailed and complete conversations no different that the “good talks” we always had. There is nothing weird or spooky ever happened during these dreams. What is compelling is that there is no doubt in my heart or mind that the inspiration (Spiritual  Guidance) I have been blessed with, in these dreams  comes from Love from Father, but which Father?  Because most all of these dreams involve real-time and current practical problems (in great detail) and outcomes as well as Spiritual up-building.  I have to testify that I feel both my earthly father’s love and that Love from my Heavenly Father is VERY VERY REAL!

No seatbelts here! as Dad and I are going out to the bush to make firewood. Dad always said making firewood was a huge blessing because it made you warm twice, once as you were splitting the firewood and the second time as it was being burnt in the old “octopus” furnace in the basement of the old homestead. This old octopus cast iron furnace heated or somewhat warmed most all the 11 bedroom homestead. Dad told us children were blessed that insulation had been added to our bedrooms because when he was a child the bedroom was so cold that he used to take heated bricks to tuck in under the covers. Ironically after I purchased the home farm through my father’s committee the old double insulated chimney was found unsafe and at the time was cost-prohibitive to replace and so since at the time propane and propane furnaces were less money I replaced the whole heating system. I do not use the propane furnace too much nowadays or my fancy and now old Diesel Pickup Truck. Dad always knew that we are better off to take care of ourselves the simple and natures way and trust Gods creations and NOT rely on modern world inventions. Dad was right!

My Dad absolutely loved horses and even some 15 years after we became  “black car Mennonites” he still kept one of the heavy team of workhorses and a light team. Dad showed a loyalty and love to his old horses that never showed for any man made machinery, no matter how shiny or expensive it was. Dad always said “it is better to work for nothing than to have nothing for work”  Our family farm had been handed down from father to son since 1830 and had always been cared for with Christian stewardship but I remember picking stones with dad and I would complain and ask “why are we stooping down to pick up much smaller stones than our neighbors would bother picking” and  he would turn to me and say “I do not know for sure, but what if we do not pick them up and they started growing? I chuckle a little nowadays about this statement however when I look over the land that I have been blessed with I am so thankful now for every single stone that was picked. I also cannot help but notice that the flat grade of the back fields of the two oldest farms (including ours) drops down around 2 feet right at the property lines to the farms behind us and to me it is obvious that a whole lot of manure has gone into the soil over the years.

Another time after many years of Dads 2nd farm (50 acre woodlot and farmland) having been gifted to my mom and me thinking it would not remain in the family long-term found the guts to tell my dad that I did not want to help clean it up each and every fall and winter like we always did. Because I was an adult at this time Dad sternly told me that I can do what I want, but I might someday really regret it. I did not think about it long, I told him no. From that day forward I worked on only the main farm and I no longer went out to the woodlot/bush to work at all. I pretended I was not connected to this land at all. Low and behold that was in 1982 and long after dad died in 2002 my dear mother died of cancer in 2009 my mothers estate decided to sell moms 50 acres by Real Estate Broker to the general public. Yup you guessed it, in 2010 I bought the 50 acre woodlot/ bush and oh boy oh boy what a mess I had to clean up. Yes much like the home farm I had to pay market value on it. It was like a jungle with all the weaker trees and ice and storm damaged full grown maple trees crashed down and over top of each other and intertwined with the undergrowth and weeds up to 9 feet tall (due to the virgin black soil).  It took a labor of love over the last 7 years (and wrecking 2 clutches in 2 tractors) just to get caught up and as always Dad was proven right. I even repaired the shell of the old sap shanty even though the sap boiling equipment had long ago been removed. After I got finally caught up, in honor of my Heavenly father and my earthly father and my dear mother I decided to carry on and convert the bush I had cleaned up into a park like setting, knowing all along that no normal real estate investor would want to reimburse me for any of the uncountable hours gone into raking and mowing the frontage of the bush property and picking up the small fallen branches. After all it is just a woodlot and the value is in the land whether or not it is raked and mowed or not. Ah but for me it is ALL ABOUT THE FATHERS LOVE! Amen

 

Dad (on the left) loved his horses and the hired men all got on Dads good side by doting on the horses.

I too got on my Dads good side by loving the pony we named “Fancy” that Dad bought for me right after all our big horses were gone. I fondly know now that he had very reluctantly gave up the heavy team when they got old and he had also sold the light team to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at about the same time…so I am pretty sure when Dad “splurged” on the pony and the pony’s sleigh that this whole scenario served a dual purpose. Oh did I cry when my poor pony “Fancy” became old because by then I knew what Dad meant when he would say that “it is time” for our pony “Fancy” to go to sleep. Even Dad had a tear in his eye when he told me that unlike humans, It is Gods Will that we must let her go BEFORE she suffers.

Above photo is a very rare photo I have of Dads first car which he purchased before marriage. Dad never expressed any admiration for automobiles or tractors. I believe he simply used them so he could have more time to be devoted to the purebred Holstein Herd.

Above if you look carefully at Dads facial expression you can clearly see that Dad would have rather been driving his horses…Tractors never impressed him.

The old late 1800’s harness shed had to be removed to make way for the new millhouse when  Dads purebred Holstein cows became so productive that a milk cooler had to be installed. Just prior to this, milk had to be take to the cooler at local dairy and prior to that milk was kept in salt/ice storage. Dad was one of the first farmers in Waterloo County to start breeding and milking exclusively Purebred Holsteins and testing for milk production with DHI. Dad was a big believer in striving for purity in everything he was involved with.  Unlike the other buyers at the auctions dad never tried to buy the best and most highly desirable cows, what he would do is purchase the cows almost nobody else wanted to buy but yet had very good pedigrees. Dad turned 3 of these pitiful old cows that nobody wanted into “Star Brood” cows due to the fact that their Progeny almost all turned out to be Very Good Cows with awesome milk production to boot. (Frankly I have often compared myself directly to this exact same scenario) I well remember when modern big production methods using “grade” (non-purebred)  Holsteins became popular, just to increase the bottom line profits. Dad stuck steadfastly for the rest of his life with Purebred Holstein cows and always said “if you take care of your purebred Holstein herd – they will take care of you. My father was a very wise man.

Above is my father on our once a year all day long “Trip” He enjoyed “going out” ONLY because us children did, he was always happier at home and now I am exactly the same way he used to be.  Dad always said “son please do not go to town any more or any longer than you absolutely  have to…”no matter which way you go when you get to the end of the long farm laneway, there is nothing but trouble out there, it does not matter if you go right or left, there is NOTHING but trouble out there” As I became a young adult and sometimes I would give Dad my “opinion” in the most rebellious Pennsylvania German, Dad always laid down Biblical Law as his final decision, however he would ALWAYS add, “in my house the door automatically swings both ways and the next decision is up to you”. Hey folks nobody know better than a genuine prodigal son and I am extremely blessed among those. Dad believed whole heartedly in every single word he understood from The Bible and I believe my father loved me MORE than the father of the prodigal son in the Bible.

Above is an extremely rare photograph of my Grandpa and Grandma and I am sad that I never even met Grandpa because he died before my father was even married and before I was born. Grandma and Grandpa were Charter Members of the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference. After Mom and Dad were married, both my dads mother and my moms mother lived in the old homestead.

My homestead was where (My great-great-great grandpa Moses W. Martin 1832-1887)  the deacon of the Elmira old order Mennonite meetinghouse pioneered and began clearing the land here at my homestead in 1855 as per Historian Isaac G, Martin. Moses’s father Johannes (John) had purchased this property for him in 1830. (for the real diehard Mennonite Church history buffs old Johannes Z. Martin an immigrant from Weaverland Pennsylvania was the father of Bishop Abraham W. Martin and old Johannes Martin was buried the very first spot right next to the doors of Martin’s Mennonite Meetinghouse in Waterloo and yes as our old books state it was old Johannes (John) who hosted the fateful meeting at his farm where he counseled the ministry and deacons and his son the Bishop that “Parents are responsible to teach their children” and not a Sunday School Teacher! After this pivotal conference meeting tensions rose in the whole Ontario Conference of Mennonites and The great Schism of the Mennonite Church Of Ontario happened as a result in 1888. Due to Johannes (John’s) experiences, no wonder Johannes was buried in the first spot outside the front door of the men’s entrance of Martin’s Mennonite meetinghouse in Waterloo. Nothing like this happens by accident. After Moses W. Martin was ordained deacon of the Elmira congregation in 1867 AND he also became one of the trustees for the founding of the North Woolwich old order congregation and the building of their first meetinghouse in 1872.  Deacon Moses W. Martin was first married to Mary. S. Brubacher the daughter of Deacon John W. Brubacher of the Berlin/Kitchener old order Mennonite congregation and when she died very young, Moses W, Martin married Mary Cressman the sister of David Cressman who was the deacon of both Geiger old order Mennonite and the Biehns old order Mennonite Congregation.  Moses W. Martins wife Mary Cressman also had a brother who was Preacher Menno S. Cressman of the Biehn old order Mennonite congregation. To add to the mix Moses W. Martin was not only the brother of the Mennonite Bishop of Waterloo Twp. his sister also Mary was married to the son of Bishop Henry Shantz who was the Bishop of the Mennonite Congregations of Wilmot Twp. Even more interestingly Moses’s other sister Anna Martin was married to Deacon Amos Cressman of Wilmot Twp. who became Bishop of Wilmot Twp. Mennonite congregations when Bishop Henry Shantz became elderly.  Now many non-Mennonites would say that all this connections are because the Mennonite congregations were very small back in 1888 but in reality in 1888 all the congregation meetinghouses mentioned above were mostly always filled to near capacity with most all original Mennonite families being fairly represented much as they are to this day. None of these ancestors above married their first cousins. After my ancestor deacon Moses W. Martin died his elderly widow married the old deacon of the South Peel old order meetinghouse congregation John Nahrgang and when old John Nahrgang died as a very old man in 1915 his body was taken by a horse and carriage and a very long procession of horse and buggies some 45km (by highway today) to burial at Geiger old order Mennonite Meetinghouse which is now called Wilmot Mennonite Church in New Hamburg On, which is actually where Old John Nahrgang had originally been ordained as their deacon in 1877 and had served there until 1888/1889 when the group now known as old order Mennonites separated from what was/is the big Mennonite Conference. Interestingly John Nahrgang was also serving as deacon at the south Peel old order meetinghouse in the period of the major schism by the David Martin group which actually began at South Peel and not Woolwich as modern historians state. Even more interesting is that when my moms paternal ancestor Noah Bearinger died his widow who was also a sister to Deacon Moses W. Martin  married the second time to Franklin Housser who left the old order Mennonite church and actually became  deacon of the David Martin Conference of Congregations. Only the most serious local Mennonite Church historian would understand that my grandma Lucinda Martin was from the Waterloo  “Deacon David Z. Martin family and community of Waterloo” whereas her husband (my grandpa Clayton Martin) was of the Woolwich Twp Martins who came after Deacon Moses W. Martin)

Since 1855 when my direct paternal ancestor Deacon Moses W. Martin arrived in Woolwich Twp. from Waterloo Twp. my old homestead was in the center of so many interesting Mennonite stories and I have records/old diary notes that shows that even Bishop Jonas H. Martin of the Weaverland Mennonites visited at our old homestead while in Ontario Canada for Conference.

I must confess that even some family researchers and fellow church historians think I am a bit eccentric in my passion/pilgrimage, but one must understand that my farm deed went from father to son from 1830 to myself, which is extremely humbling AND the fact that I regularly get to actually walk on ALL the farmland which my ancestors farmed here in Canada AND Weaverland PA AND attend services at all 3 meetinghouse and the adjoining burial grounds which all of my forefathers were/are so connected to for the past  (2 of these old Mennonite Meetinghouses are located really close to My Fathers Farm homestead in Canada)  However most important of all, the more I research and document the Spiritual Pilgrimage of these forefather and  ancestors, the more I am humbled and impressed all at the same time, because I have become acutely aware that I am surely “the least” among these! Please read Ecclesiastes 2:18 for TRUTH.

Above are my parents on the day that they announced their marriage plans. This rare photo makes me chuckle a bit because I cannot imagine my Dad ever wearing a tie. After marriage my dad’s ties actually “disappeared” and he would always wear a plain black suit with a full closed collar and after marriage my moms prayer covering strings were changed from white to black. One of the main reasons I never joined their old order Mennonite church was that I just did not want to be as “plain” as my parents. Now when someone asks me what my Mennonite parents looked like. I proudly say “my parents were absolutely beautiful parents” !

So from a paternal genealogical perspective my direct line to American Pioneer Christian Martin 1669-1749 who was imprisoned in Switzerland for 17 years because he would not recant his faith and David Martin 1691-1784 and Bishop Henry Martin 1741-1825 and Canadian Pioneer Peter Martin 1769-1831 and John Martin 1806-1879 and Deacon Moses W. Martin 1832-1887 and Moses C. Martin 1861-1934 and Clayton Martin 1897-1952 and my dearly departed father Ornan M. Martin 1927-2002.

If you look carefully at the photo above you will see (tucked in discretely BEHIND the modern gravestone) the original very small granite grave marker of my paternal ancestor who came from Switzerland to Weaverland PA in the early 1700’s.

Out of all of these above 10 generations and myself included we all have in common and are separated by only 4 actual home farms (4 separate home addresses) and only 3 burial grounds in 249 years. This is why I wholeheartedly embrace the Biblical term of “Goodly Heritage” Dad and Mom always chuckled when I used to say, well then my plan is to trace my ancestry all the way back to Adam and Eve. Please read my blogs on The Reformation (where my Paternal great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather came from) and especially my blogs about the Disciples because dad was right. (about everything)

 

Thank You Dear Heavenly Father for giving us Your Holy Spirit which unites all of us so; Please God let EVERY SINGLE DAY be Happy Father’s Day for all of us because even if our earthly fathers were/are not perfect due to Adam and Eve’s fall from grace,  YOU oh  Jehovah-God are our Perfect Heavenly Father and through YOUR SON Jesus, Eternal Hope and Eternal Love is Real and True, Forever and Ever; AMEN

 

The REFORMATION and The Anti-Reformation Of Religion If the PUBLIC DOES NOT Know History…IT Will REPEAT ITSELF

The REFORMATION and The Anti-Reformation Of Religion

If the PUBLIC DOES NOT Know History…IT Will REPEAT ITSELF

The issues in the reformation are still relevant today because GOD has NOT changed and neither has the Truth and neither has the adversary.   Due to ALL the “signs of the times”, it is more critical than ever to seek the Truth and adhere to THE TRUTH.

I will discuss evidence and documents in this memo of both the good news (The Reformation) AND the bad news (The Anti-Reformation)

Do not be naïve or blind or foolish, satan is the ruler of the world through freewill decisions of the majority and the most power hungry. In addition the major issues in the Christian Churches today are; apostasy and lukewarmness and false teachers.

The Vatican and especially the Jesuits (Anti-Reformation) will never give up their version of the bible and they will never give up their commitment of being the dominant world religion church. Signs of greater Christian Unity in the future? Mennonites and True Christians certainly cannot align with coercive and subversive conferences like the World Council Of Churches without becoming apostates and at the very least, lukewarm.

The TRUTH stated and stipulated in The Bible are more apparent than ever; because individuals universally are using their freewill to side with Satan AGAINST GOD and many things that were prophesied thousands of years ago are coming true right now. 1. There are but 2 Spirits in this world, Holy Spirit and Evil Spirit, and 2. no one can serve 2 Spiritual masters… The narrow gate and the narrow path was defined for us thousands of years ago and what was predicted is now in full force. TRUE!

I feel bad for those that are seeking peace in “this world” because they are deceived. John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Roman Empire and Control of Europe

The Romans under General Titus in 70 AD invaded Jerusalem and destroyed the Jewish Temple. Islam was established in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 632 AD and from 691 AD until this very day the Dome Of The Rock Mosque has dominated the Holy Site. (what is strange is that Mecca is located some 1000 miles away from Jerusalem). Most scholars and theologians are aware that Rome has always exercised some form of control and still covets this Holy Site and the fact that a Islamic and Muslim Shrine occupied this spot from 691AD instead of a regular Roman Structure is overwhelming evidence of a conspiracy between Islam and the Vatican world power. In fact The truth is, that none of the above are a coincidence. Do you think it is just a coincidence that “The DARK Ages” was so named??? On May 26, 2014 (In the Middle of the Jewish Passover) Pope Francis held Catholic Mass at Jerusalem in “the upper room” which is the site of Jesus’s Last Supper and sits directly over the Tomb Of King David. NOTHING stated above was a coincidence!

In 632 AD the Qur’an, aka the Koran was created by an illiterate man called Mohammed under Jesuit influence. This Jesuit influence is obvious when one researches and reads translated documents and books written. Mohammed’s personal connection with Khadijah and her cousin named Waraquah is the best key linking evidence. After analysis of many theological and historical writings; It is obvious from the very beginning of the Qur’an that Islam was created and united with the Roman Vatican in their hated and persecution of both the Jews and True Christians. Almost 1400 years later has anything really changed for the better? I think NOT!

Evidence and documents have become public that the Vatican (through their ANTI-REFORMATION Jesuit agents) (ANTI-REFORMATION) created Islam. Not only did the Vatican-motivated Jesuits create Islam, Islam was created to combat and undermine True Christianity and in fact is the ANTI-REFORMATION religion of the Catholic Vatican.  Many people are so confused nowadays they think it was the other way around. In fact, when the new Israel took control over the Dome Of The Rock part of Jerusalem after the Six-Day War in 1967, Israeli leaders allowed an Islamic religious trust to have authority over the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock as a way of helping “keep the peace”. On its face this must seem extremely bizarre. This is not surprising only when one realizes the influence and the connections of the Vatican with Modern Israel.

The most powerful AND wealthy places in the world are located in 3 Sovereign City States; Washington DC and The City of London and Vatican City which was once a part of the City of Rome. All 3 of these are “Sovereign” and separate from the countries they are in and they have their own laws and courts and armed enforcement.

The Eastern Orthodox Churches who were very Roman Catholic-like from the very beginning actually claim that their roots are from the Biblical Antioch Church. There was a schism in 1084 AD (even though the Orthodox Church always remained very Catholic-like but Interestingly what is NOT common knowledge; is the fact that these 2 huge groups were officially reunited on December 7, 1965 and are once again officially under the rule of the Roman Pope of the Vatican.

History is clear that from 1440 to 1740 it was the Roman Catholic “HAPSBURG” family who ruled the whole Holy Roman Empire thru the office of Holy Roman Emperor. The office Of Holy Roman Emperor even ruled over the European Kings and Queens during this time period. It is very ironic to note that it was not until 1742 that a NON-Hapsburg Family Holy Roman Emperor come into power (Charles VII). It is a fact that from 1742 AD period forward to this very date, persecution of True Christians in Europe greatly decreased.

In addition to all the above, old historical writings clearly indicate that the Popes of Rome have always exercised control and dominated/ruled over the Kings and Queens of the World for 1260 years from 538 AD to 1798AD. The most obvious and Powerful advocate for a single Global Religion and a One World Government to this very date is the current Pope. The current Pope is the first actual Jesuit Pope and of course he is happy to publicly advocate that his office should become the head of all World Religion and Government. The fact is both temporal power and religious power keys (aka keys to heaven and earth) have been in the Popes regalia and official crest for over a 1000 years. After many years research it is obvious that the Jesuits (Anti-Reformation Agents) have ALWAYS had way more influence than Freemasons and Illuminati. The very critical thing one must become aware of is that directly behind all major worldly power and organizations and even Presidents, Prime Ministers and Kings/Queens, are Jesuit educated and influenced individuals. Many Presidents and Prime ministers have made public statements verifying the facts I have laid out above. So much of the truth is still obfuscated from the common man/woman ie; Israeli-Palestine politics in the modern mainstream is a red herring diverting from the real power struggle going on.

Some of The most important PROTESTant’s In Chronological Order

1384 John Wycliffe c1330-1384 a Priest and Seminary Professor at Oxford University in England. Wycliffe worked on translating the Vulgate Bible into middle English in 1382 and it is now known as the Wycliffe Bible. Wycliffe rejected “purgatory” and the Eucharist and the selling of indulgences and the “praying to saints” It is said that Wycliffe advocated predestination rather than the “visible Catholic Church” . From 1366 to 1378 Wycliffe waged a political struggle with Rome while from 1378 to his death in 1784 his battle with Rome was more of a religious battle. Wycliffe’s battle against what he saw as an Imperialized Papacy and the Friars who were motivated by material gain. On May 22 1377 Pope Gregory XI (the last French Pope) sent five copies of a bull against Wycliffe to the Authorities in England. The Council Of Constance declared Wycliffe a heretic on May 4, 1415 and that his works should be burned. and that his remains should be burned as well. Wycliffe died of a massive stroke on December 31, 1384 in Lutterworth England. This order was confirmed by Pope Martin V in 1428 (43 years after his burial) and Wycliffe’s corpse was exhumed and burned and the ashes cast into the River Swift. was carried out in in 1428. I believe it is extremely important for us Swiss and German Mennonites and Amish to remember Wycliffe and realize that he lived and ministered and died a Martyr’s death over 200 YEARS BEFORE so many of our Mennonite and Amish were Martyred and also Wycliffe was in England and not Switzerland or Germany or the Netherlands! Wycliffe’s cause and teachings were taken up by John Hus 1360-1415 as defined below.

Why did almost all of the Reformation Bible Translators and Preachers get killed?

John Hus 1360-1415 was very well educated and in 1400 he was ordained as a priest. John Hus was greatly influenced by the writings of John Wycliffe c1330-1384 and John Hus decided to try to reform the Roman Catholic church. He preached against the Pope or Bishop “taking up the sword in the name of the church” and he preached that “a man obtains forgiveness of sin by true repentance, not by paying indulgences! John Hus was burned at the stake. WIKIPEDIA States; “An Italian prelate pronounced the sentence of condemnation upon Hus and his writings. Hus protested, saying that even at this hour he did not wish anything, but to be convinced from Scripture. He fell upon his knees and asked God with a low voice to forgive all his enemies. Then followed his degradation — he was dressed in priestly vestments and again asked to recant; again he refused. With curses, Hus’ ornaments were taken from him, his priestly tonsure was destroyed, and the sentence of the Church was pronounced, stripping him of all rights, and he was delivered to secular authorities. Then a tall paper hat was put upon his head, with the inscription “Haeresiarcha” (i.e. the leader of a heretical movement). Hus was led away to the stake under a strong guard of armed men. At the place of execution, he knelt down, spread out his hands, and prayed aloud. The executioner undressed Hus and tied his hands behind his back with ropes, and bound his neck with a chain to a stake around which wood and straw had been piled up so that it covered him to the neck. At the last moment, the imperial marshal, von Pappenheim, in the presence of the Count Palatine, asked Hus to recant and thus save his own life. Hus declined thus: God is my witness that the things charged against me I never preached. In the same truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught, and preached, drawing upon the sayings and positions of the holy doctors, I am ready to die today. Anecdotally, it has been claimed that the executioners had trouble intensifying the fire. An old woman then came to the stake and threw a relatively small amount of brushwood on it. Upon seeing her act, a suffering Hus then exclaimed, “Sancta Simplicitas!”. The phrase’s Czech equivalent, “Svatá prostota!” (vocative form: “Svatá prostoto!”, Translated “Holy simplicity!”) is still used today when commenting on a person’s stupid action and naïveté. It is said that when he was about to expire, he cried out, “Christ, son of the Living God, have mercy on us!” Hus’ ashes were later thrown into the Rhine River.”

1517 The PROTESTant REFORMATION officially began in 1517 when Martin Luther 1483-1546 challenged the Roman Catholic Church and nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Many nowadays are not aware that Luther’s main problem with the Catholic Church was “indulgences” and Luther did NOT stand against infant baptism at all. Luther may have been a reformer but his big protest against the Roman Church was that he was against paying “indulgences” to the priests and to the Roman Catholic church. 1521 It is said that in November 1521 Martin Luther began a culturally based study group with 10 men. The men named are “Simon Stumpf, George Binder, Conrad Grebel, Valentine Tsuchude, J.J. Amman, and Felix Manz. Reublin, Blaurock, Brotli, and Balthasar Hubmaier were also most likely in the group.” (I imagine all my Amish friends will readily recognize the Amman Family name disclosed above. Obviously this study group association with Luther did NOT last very long.  Old Writings clearly indicate that Martin Luther was against indulgences being paid, however both Martin Luther and The Lutheran Movement soon turned completely AGAINST the Anabaptists. WIKIPEDIA states; “In two of his later works, Luther expressed antagonistic views towards Jews, writing that Jewish homes and synagogues should be destroyed, their money confiscated, and liberty curtailed.”  Long after reformation began Luther remained completely in favor of Infant Baptism and he spoke out repeatedly that Adult Baptism was NOT necessary. This is completely opposite of Menno Simon’s group (Mennonites) who separated from the Luther Group and The Reform Church and the Catholic Church and passionately condemned infant/child baptism and advocated for ONLY Adult Baptisms. Based on all my research and old writings I am not at all convinced that the famous Martin Luther was a Genuine True Christian. In addition it seems so strange and alien to me that my Martin Mennonite Family Bible from 1800’s which has been passed down for many generations which I actually possess, is a German Translation of the Holy Bible by non other than the very same Martin Luther…This does not sit well with me and I will disclose more later. Martin Luther did NOT die a Martyr’s death.

Ulrich Zwingli has often been referred to as a great reformer, however I beg to differ because (unlike ALL the ones who died a Martyr’s Death) Ulrich Zwingli was lukewarm in his works and overall positions which he actually took a firm stand on. Ulrich Zwingli became the Peoples Priest in 1519 at the Grossmunster Church in Zurich. Zwingli did NOT die a martyr’s death.

On the other hand, The Radical Anabaptists who became known as “Mennonites” advocated that Biblical references to being separate from the world and the worldly was absolutely necessary to be a True and Genuine Christian. Not accepting Infant Baptism also meant that these people who abstained or refused, lost all their rights as citizens of their country. Ironically Mennonites were separated all right; they were absolutely hated and scorned by “the world” and “the worldly” and in fact the ANABAPTISTS were passionately hunted and persecuted and demonically tortured and killed and their property was confiscated.

The Following is a chronological sorted list of ANABAPTIST Martyr’s

1525  January 30 1525 George Blaurock, Felix Manz & a couple dozen colleagues were brought to Zurich from Zollikon and imprisoned in the old Augustine cloister.

1526 Conrad Grebel c1498-1526 Since Conrad Grebel was not martyred according to history and my research I will not say much about him in this memo other that he was an original follower of Zwingli but separated from Zwingli’s movement and became a co-founder of The Anabaptist Movement along with Felix Manz who died for his faith and whom I detail below)

Felix Manz C1498-1527 (is said to be the first Martyr of the Radical Reformation or as some say; he was the first Martyr at the hands of other protestants. He was drowned January 5, 1527. Was the co-founder of the   Swiss brethren Anabaptist Congregation in Zurich…the Radical Anabaptists. The following is from the website GAMEO—————-“Felix Manz was born and died in Zürich, where his father was a canon of Grossmünster church. Though records of his education are scant, there is evidence that he had a liberal education, with a thorough knowledge of Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Manz became a follower of Huldrych Zwingli after he came to Zürich in 1519. When Conrad Grebel joined the group in 1521, he and Manz became friends. They questioned the mass, the nature of church and state connections, and infant baptism. After the Second Disputation of Zürich in 1523, they became dissatisfied, believing that Zwingli’s plans for reform had been compromised with the city council. Grebel, Manz and others made several attempts to plead their position. Several parents refused to have their children baptized. A public disputation was held with Zwingli on 17 January 1525. The council declared Zwingli the victor. After the final rebuff by the city council on 18 January, in which they were ordered to desist from arguing and submit to the decision of the council, and have their children baptized within eight days, the brethren gathered at the home of Felix Manz and his mother on 21 January. Conrad Grebel baptized George Blaurock, and Blaurock in turn baptized the others. This made complete the break with Zwingli and the council, and formed the first church of the Radical Reformation. The movement spread rapidly, and Manz was very active in it. He used his language skills to translate his texts into the language of the people, and worked enthusiastically as an evangelist. Manz was arrested on a number of occasions between 1525 and 1527. While he was preaching with George Blaurock in the Grüningen region, they were taken by surprise, arrested and imprisoned in Zürich at the Wellenburg prison. On 7 March 1526, the Zürich council had passed an edict that made adult re-baptism punishable by drowning. On 5 January 1527, Manz became the first casualty of the edict, and the first Swiss Anabaptist to be martyred at the hands of other Protestants. While Manz stated that he wished “to bring together those who were willing to accept Christ, obey the Word, and follow in His footsteps, to unite with these by baptism, and to purchase the rest in their present conviction”, Zwingli and the council accused him of obstinately refusing “to recede from his error and caprice”. At 3:00 p.m., as he was led from the Wellenburg to a boat, he praised God and preached to the people. A Reformed minister went along, seeking to silence him, and hoping to give him an opportunity to recant. Manz’s brother and mother encouraged him to stand firm and suffer for Jesus’ sake. He was taken by boat onto the River Limmat. His hands were bound and pulled behind his knees and a pole was placed between them. He was executed by drowning in Lake Zürich on the Limmat. His alleged last words were, “Into thy hands, O God, I commend my spirit.” His property was confiscated by government of Zürich, and he was buried in the St. Jakobs cemetery. Manz’s execution predates the Münster Rebellion which officially began in 1534. Manz left written testimony of his faith, an eighteen-stanza hymn, and was apparently the author of Protestation und Schutzschrift (a defense of Anabaptism presented to the Zürich council).”

1527 Michael Sattler 1490-1527 was born in Staufen Germany and became a Benedictine Monk at St Peter Abby, and it is said he likely became prior. Sattler left the monastery in 1525 and went to Zurich Switzerland. Michael became associated with the Anabaptists and was probably re-baptized as an adult in the summer of 1526. Michael was involved in missionary work … AS PER WIKIPEDIA “He was involved in missionary activity around Horb and Rottenburg, and eventually traveled to Strasbourg. In February 1527 he chaired a meeting of the Swiss Brethren at Schleitheim, at which time the Schleitheim Confession was adopted. In May 1527, Sattler was arrested by Count Joachim of Zollern, regent of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, along with his wife and several other Anabaptists. He was tried and sentenced to be executed as a heretic in Rottenburg am Neckar. The sentence to execution read, “Michael Sattler shall be committed to the executioner. The latter shall take him to the square and there first cut out his tongue, and then forge him fast to a wagon and there with glowing iron tongs twice tear pieces from his body, then on the way to the site of execution five times more as above and then burn his body to powder as an arch-heretic.” The other men in the group were executed by sword, and the women, including Margaretha, were executed by drowning. A memorial plaque at the site of his execution near Rottenburg am Neckar reads: “The Baptist Michael Sattler was executed by burning after severe torture on 20 May 1527 here on the “Gallows Hill”. He died as a true witness of Jesus Christ. His wife Margaretha and other members of the congregation were drowned and burned. They acted for the baptism of those who want to follow Christ, for an independent congregation of the faithful, for the peaceful message of the Sermon on the Mount.”

1529 September 6, 1529 George Blaurock c1491-1529 Was the co-founder of the Swiss brethren in Zurich On September 6, 1529 George Blaurock and Hans Langegger were burned at the stake near Klausen. From GAMEO======== “Jörg vom Haus Jacob (Georg Cajacob, or George of the House of Jacob), commonly known as George Blaurock  (c. 1491 – September 6, 1529), with Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz, was co-founder of the Swiss Brethren in Zürich, and thereby one of the founders of Anabaptism. George Blaurock was born in 1491 in Bonaduz in Graubünden, Switzerland. He was educated at the University of Leipzig and served as a priest of the Roman Catholic Church until his conversion to evangelical Anabaptism. Blaurock had evidently departed from the Catholic Church before he arrived in Zürich circa 1524, for he had already taken a wife. Though he came to see Huldrych Zwingli, he soon became attached to the more radical followers of Zwingli. These radicals insisted on following only that which had Biblical support. They rejected the mass, images, and infant baptism. The city council condemned their position, ordered them to desist from their meetings, and ordered all unbaptized babies to be baptized within eight days. On January 21, 1525, the despondent group held a secret meeting at the home of Felix Manz. These believers went to their knees in prayer for guidance. Arising from the prayer, George Blaurock requested Conrad Grebel to baptize him upon a confession of faith in Christ. Grebel did so, and afterwards Blaurock proceeded to baptize the others who were present. George Blaurock worked closely with Felix Manz until Manz was martyred in Zürich on January 5, 1527. On that same day, Blaurock was severely beaten and permanently expelled from Zürich. He kept moving, laboring at Bern, Biel, the Grisons, and Appenzell. After his arrest and fourth banishment in April 1527, Blaurock left Switzerland never to return. From here he turned to the Tyrol. In 1529 he became the pastor of the church in Adige Valley, after their former pastor, Michael Kürschner, was burned at the stake. Blaurock conducted a very successful ministry in Tyrol. Many believers were baptized and churches founded. In August he and Hans Langegger were arrested by Innsbruck authorities. While in captivity they were tortured for information. On September 6, 1529, Blaurock and Langegger were burned at the stake near Klausen. The only writings left by Blaurock were a letter and two hymns written during his last three weeks of life. The hymns are entitled Gott Führt Ein Recht Gericht (God Holds a Righteous Judgment) and Gott, dich will ich loben (God, You I Will Praise). Both hymns are preserved in the Ausbund, an old Anabaptist hymnal still used by the Amish.”

1536 Jacob Hutter 1500-1536 Hutter was sentenced to death by fire and burned at the stake on 25 February 1536 in Innsbruck in front of the Golden Roof. According to the Hutterian Chronicle, a total of 360 Anabaptists were executed in Tyrol.

The Following are some Early England (English) Martyr’s

1536 William Tyndale 1494-1536 burned at the stake        John Rogers was influenced by William Tyndales’ teachings and even assisted Tyndale in his Bible translations …John Left the Catholic Church.

CRITICAL INFO   In 1539 The Jesuits were founded by St. Peter Faber 1506-1546 and St. Francis Xavier 1506-1552 and Saint Ignatius Of Loyola became the first Superior General. The initial main agenda was to destroy the Protestant Reformation. The Jesuits were officially approved by Poe Paul iii in 1540 as a zealous military religious order. (Masters Of The Hegelian Dialectic) The Pious Jesuits are the advisors and educators of almost all the Elite of the world who are in the most powerful positions! If you are serious about knowing the Truth about the ANTI-REFORMATION movement who controls the world and the “worldly” all the evidence and proof you will ever need is publically available.

Thomas Cromwell c1485-1540 King Henry VIII failed to obtain the Pope‘s approval for the annulment in 1534, so Parliament endorsed the king’s claim to be Supreme Head of the Church of England, giving him the authority to annul his own marriage. Thomas Cromwell was a member of the English Elite an a minister to the King, but whenever he preached about the sins of Popery and especially when he preached about the sins of the English Royalty he was risking his very life. It is suggested by many authors that Cromwell was actually doomed by false testimony by fellow elite members of his society and not even the Reformation he waged against The Catholic Church. WIKIPEDIA INFO IS “Cromwell was arrested at a Council meeting on 10 June 1540 and imprisoned in the Tower. His enemies took every opportunity to humiliate him: they even tore off his Order of the Garter, remarking that “A traitor must not wear it”. His initial reaction was defiance: “This then is my reward for faithful service!” he cried out, and angrily defied his fellow Councillors to call him a traitor. A Bill of Attainder containing a long list of indictments, including supporting Anabaptists, protecting Protestants accused of heresy and thus failing to enforce the Act of Six Articles, and plotting to marry Lady Mary Tudor, was introduced into the House of Lords a week later and passed on 29 June 1540. He was also connected with ‘sacramentarians’ (those who denied transubstantiation) in Calais. All Cromwell’s honours were forfeited and it was publicly proclaimed that he could only be called “Thomas Cromwell, cloth carder”.^[45] The King deferred the execution until his marriage to Anne of Cleves could be annulled: Anne, with remarkable common sense, happily agreed to an amicable annulment and was treated with great generosity by Henry as a result. Hoping for clemency, Cromwell wrote in support of the annulment, in his last personal address to the King. He ended it with the plea “Most gracious Prince, I cry for mercy, mercy, mercy.”Cromwell was condemned to death without trial and beheaded on Tower Hill on 28 July 1540, the day of the King’s marriage to Catherine Howard.^[48] After the killing, his head was set on a spike on London Bridge. Edward Hall, a contemporary chronicler, records that Cromwell made a speech on the scaffold, professing to die, “in the traditional faith” and then “so patiently suffered the stroke of the axe, by a ragged and Boocherly miser, which he very ungoodly perfourmed the Office” “   It is said that the King later realized that Thomas Cromwell had been convicted with false testimony.

1534 Martin Luther 1483-1546 of Lutheran Church died of natural causes.

1553 In 1553 The Zurich aka Zwingli Bible was printed in Zurich SZ. There were quite a few Radical Anabaptists (and later Mennonite and Amish) who knew the truth that this Bible was MORE accurate that Martin Luther’s version.

John Rogers C1505-1555 John was the Vicar of St. Sepulchre’s, and Reader of St. Paul’s, London, England.  John Rogers published under the pseudonym Thomas Matthew who published an English Bible in 1537. Even though John Rogers was known to NOT be a friend of the Radical Anabaptists due to his stand against “Babylon The Great” and his martyrdom an honorable memorial is required.  John Rogers “confirmed in a sermon the true doctrine taught in King Edward’s time, and exhorted the people to beware of the pestilence of popery, idolatry, and superstition.” John Rogers was burned at the stake on February 4, 1555 at Smithfield.. This Bible was the first Authorized English Bible by British King Henry VIII and published under Thomas Cromwell’s supervision.

Hugh Latimer c1487-1555 a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and Bishop of Worcester before the Reformation, and later Church of England chaplain to King Edward VI. In 1555 under the Catholic Queen Mary he was burned at the stake, becoming one of the three Oxford Martyrs of Anglicanism was burned at the stake in 1555, as per Wikipedia “driven into the ground with fagots of firewood piled high at its base. Two men were lead out and fastened to the stake by a single chain bound around both their waists. The older man was Hugh Latimer, the Bishop of Worcester, one of the most powerful preachers of his day, and the other Nicolas Ridley, the Bishop of London, respected as one of the finest theologians in England. More wood was carried and piled up around their feet. Then it was set alight. As the wood kindled and the flames began to rise, Bishop Latimer encouraged his companion: “Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” Hundreds in the crowd watching the burning of these bishops wept openly. The place of their execution is marked today by a small stone cross set in the ground in Broad Street, while nearby in St. Giles stands the imposing Martyrs Memorial, erected 300 years later in memory of these two men and of Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who 4 months after their execution suffered the same tortured death by burning, in the same place, and for the same reason.”

Thomas Cranmer 1486-1556   Wikipedia states;  Thomas Cranmer “was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which was one of the causes of the separation of the English Church from union with the Holy See. Along with Thomas Cromwell, he supported the principle of Royal Supremacy, in which the king was considered sovereign over the Church within his realm. During Cranmer’s tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury, he was responsible for establishing the first doctrinal and liturgical structures of the reformed Church of England. Under Henry’s rule, Cranmer did not make many radical changes in the Church, due to power struggles between religious conservatives and reformers. However, he succeeded in publishing the first officially authorised vernacular service, the Exhortation and Litany.”  AND “ When King “Edward came to the throne, Cranmer was able to promote major reforms. He wrote and compiled the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer, a complete liturgy for the English Church. With the assistance of several Continental reformers to whom he gave refuge, he changed doctrine in areas such as the Eucharist, clerical celibacy, the role of images in places of worship, and the veneration of saints. Cranmer promulgated the new doctrines through the Prayer Book, the Homilies and other publications. After the accession of the Roman Catholic Mary I, Cranmer was put on trial for treason and heresy. Imprisoned for over two years and under pressure from Church authorities, he made several recantations and apparently reconciled himself with the Roman Catholic Church. However, on the day of his execution, he withdrew his recantations, to die a heretic to Roman Catholics and a martyr for the principles of the English Reformation. Cranmer’s death was immortalised in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and his legacy lives on within the Church of England through the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles, an Anglican statement of faith derived from his work.

Menno Simons 1496-1561 I will write much more about Menno later however at this time I want to mention that even though Menno was hunted by the ANTI-REFORMATION agents for almost 23 years (had a price on his head) but apparently never caught and apparently he died a natural death. Wikipedia states; “Menno Simons’ influence on Anabaptism in the Low Countries was so great that Baptist historian William Estep suggested that their history be divided into three periods: “before Menno, under Menno, and after Menno”. Menno is especially significant because of his coming to the Anabaptist movement in the north in its most troublesome days, and helping not only to sustain it, but also to establish it as a viable Radical Reformation movement.”

In 1563 John Foxe’s Book of Martyres was first published in English by John Foxe c1516-1587 and the life and death testimonies are absolutely amazing.

1648 By 1648 the Thirty Years War ended by the Treaty Of Westphalia (sometimes called the Treaty Of Munster) This treaty actually united 1. the Catholic’s and 2. the Lutherans and 3. the Reformed Church into a united league of  persecuting power. Lets be clear, the Lutherans and the Reformed Church were united with the Catholics in their persecution of the Anabaptists.

In 1660 Martyrs Mirror was first published in Holland in 1660 by Thielman J. van Braght 1625-1664. This is the second most favorite book in Mennonite and Amish homes for the past 300 years. The full title of the book is The Bloody Theater or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of Jesus, their Saviour, from the time of Christ to the year A.D. 1660. The life and DEATH testimonies by True and Genuine Christians in this old book are absolutely amazing and are some of the most vivid and blunt and honest and plain Christian Testimonies we will ever read apart from the Bible.

ABOUT The ANTI-REFORMATION

The following are all quotes out of published books: and I only underlined the numbers of deaths attributed to The ANTI-REFORM AGENCY

“From the birth of Popery in 606 to the present time, it is estimated by careful and credible historians, that more than fifty millions of the human family, have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy by popish persecutors”  — “History of Romanism,” pp. 541, 542. New York: 1871. (Author John Dowling)

Also, in another work Dr. Brownlee states; “Papal Rome has shed the blood of fifty millions of Christians in Europe!” — The Roman Catholic Religion viewed in the light of Prophecy and History, New York, Charles K. Moore, 1843, page 60.

And later in the same work, “The best writers enumerate fifty millions of Christians destroyed by fire, and the sword, and the inquisition; and fifteen millions of natives of the American continent and islands; and three millions of Moors in Europe, and one million and a half of Jews.  Now, here are sixty-nine millions and five hundred thousands of human beings, murdered by “the woman of the Roman hills, who was drunk with the blood of the saints.”  And this horrid list does not include those of her own subjects, who fell in the crusades in Asia, and in her wars against European Christians, and in South America!”  — page 97.

“These quotations make it clear that the figure of 50 million refers only to Christians in Europe, and does not include Christians killed elsewhere.  It is also clear that Brownlee is taking these figures not from just one person, but from at least two, “the best writers,” and ignoring others that he feels are less qualified.  Many others must have been convinced of the reputation of these individuals as well, judging from the frequency with which the figure of 50 million is quoted. Dr Brownlee further comments on the number killed by the Papacy in another work as follows:  When Laguedoc was invaded by these monsters, one hundred thousand Albigensees fell in one day! “ See Bruys vol. iii. 139. — page 346

“There perished under pope Julian 200,000 Christians: and by the French massacre, on a moderate calculation, in 3 months, 100,000.  Of the Waldenses there perished 150,000; of the Albigenses, 150,000.  There perished by the Jesuits in 30 years only 900,000.  The Duke of Alva destroyed by the common hangman alone, 36,000 persons; the amount murdered by him is set down by Grotius at 100,000!  There perished by the fire, and tortures of the Inquisition in Spain, Italy, and France 150,000. … In the Irish massacres there perished 150,000 Protestants! To sum up the whole, the Roman Catholic church has caused the ruin, and destruction of a million and a half of Moors in Spain; nearly two millions of Jews South America in Europe.  In Mexico, and , including the islands of Cuba and St. Domingo, fifteen millions of Indians, in 40 years, fell victims to popery.  And in Europe, and the East Indies, and in America, 50 millions of Protestants, at least, have been murdered by it!” — W. C. Brownlee, Letters in the Roman Catholic controversy, 1834, pp. 347-348.

“Thus the church of Rome stands before the world, “the woman in scarlet, on the scarlet colored Beast.”  A church claiming to be Christian, drenched in the blood of sixty-eight millions, and five hundred thousand human beings!” W. C. Brownlee, Letters in the Roman Catholic controversy, 1834, pp. 347-348)

“Alexander Campbell, well known religions leader of the nineteenth century, stated in debate with John B. Purcell, Bishop of Cincinnati, in 1837 that the records of historians and martyrologists show that it may be reasonable to estimate that from fifty to sixty-eight millions of human beings died, suffered torture, lost their possessions, or were otherwise devoured by the Roman Catholic Church during the awful years of the Inquisition.  Bishop Purcell made little effort to refute these figures.”  (Citing A Debate on the Roman Catholic Religion, Christian Publishing Co., 1837, p. 327.)

Walter M. Montano, a former Catholic priest, asserts in his book, “Behind the Purple Curtain that it has been estimated that fifty million people died for their faith during the twelve hundred years of the Dark Ages.”  (Citing Walter M. Montano, Behind the Purple Curtain, Cowman Publications, 1950, page 91.)   — The Shadow of Rome, by John B. Wilder; Zondervan Publishing Co., 1960, page 87.

“For professing faith contrary to the teachings of the Church of Rome, history records the martyrdom of more then one hundred million people. A million Waldenses and Albigenses [Swiss and French Protestants] perished during a crusade proclaimed by Pope Innocent III in 1208. Beginning from the establishment of the Jesuits in 1540 to 1580, nine hundred thousand were destroyed. One hundred and fifty thousand perished by the Inquisition in thirty years. Within the space of thirty-eight years after the edict of Charles V against the Protestants, fifty thousand persons were hanged, beheaded, or burned alive for heresy. Eighteen thousand more perished during the administration of the Duke of Alva in five and a half years.”  — Brief Bible Readings, p. 16.

“This great antichristian power robbed the church of its gospel light and plunged the world into the Dark Ages.  It put to death and thus took away the lives of from fifty to one hundred millions of the saints of the Most High.” — Bunch, Taylor, The Book of Daniel, 1950, p. 170.

“One thousand years covers the crest of the persecutions when from 50,000,000 to 150,000,000 martyrs died of the sword, at the stake, in dungeons, and of starvation because of the confiscation of their earthly possessions.”  — Bunch, Taylor, The Book of Daniel, 1950, p. 185.

“In like manner the blood of a hundred million martyrs cries for justice to the One who says, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord.”  Rom 12:19. — Bunch, Taylor, Studies in the Revelation, 1933?, p. 105.

The only thing I can add to all the above is; May God Bless us AND protect us…FOREVER

 

Whatever Happened with the Apostles and the First 70 Disciples of Jesus Christ

Hello Fellow Pilgrims;

I intend to deal with the facts about The Reformation and the corresponding Mennonite History in one of my next blogs however it is quite beneficial and necessary to start with much earlier history, beginning with the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ and the life and deaths of various Biblical authors as well as some of the first 70 Missionary Disciples.

Most Christians are aware that the Apostate Apostle Judas committed suicide after he betrayed Jesus and also that the Apostle John was banished to the Isle of Patmos. What many Christians are NOT AWARE of, is that other than Judas and the Apostle John: EVERY SINGLE ONE of Jesus’s Apostles died horrific Martyr’s Deaths according to early manuscripts and also recent Catholic Church and Orthodox Church Records.

Not only did these ORIGONAL Christians die horrifically violent deaths, but after death the remains of many of Jesus’s  Apostles and some of the more famous original 70 missionaries/disciples were morbidly desecrated by separating the body parts of the corpses.  Many body parts such as the Apostles and Disciples sculls and bones ended up under the alters in Catholic and Orthodox churches.

These facts and the following facts are well documented in the above 2 church’s own archives and public sources now widely available. There were also numerous writings done by third parties in the first 300 years after Jesus was crucified, corroborating the unconscionable  events that took place. The 1611 Authorized Bible does not give all the exact details; however true Christians believe that the Bible also makes it clear that all the deaths recorded that did not involve resurrection, are of individuals who at death, sleep in death and simply cease to be aware of anything  and cease to exist until the resurrection and Judgment date will occur.

Oh I am well aware that many will try to argue and dispute everything including a Trinity style and the Triune God but quite frankly; things in the religious world have become so evil that even “Headship Issues” are actively being fought over to this very day. I will be dealing with the Truth about the Reformation also in the near future in a upcoming blog.  When it comes to the Truth and the dark ages and the Reformation, a lot could be stated right here, but first things first.

The Authorized Version of The Bible was completed in c 1611 however as Mennonites and Amish folks know, already in 1563 John Foxe’s Book of Martyr’s had been published by John Foxe in England and by 1660 Martyr’s Mirror had been published in Dutch by Thielman J. Van Braght. The fact that these 2 original manuscripts were authored by 2 completely separate individuals and in the different countries and in different languages has been quite revealing to me, upon comparing the two books.

Moderns scholars generally agree that Jesus was crucified between AD 30 and AD 36 and many recent studies have narrowed it down to the exact date of Nisan 14th which anniversary this year falls on April 11, 2017.

The Apostle John: [as per Martyrs Mirror John was banished to the Isle of Patmos by Emperor Domitian in 97 AD.] John was the only one of the original disciples not to die a violent death. Instead, he passed away peacefully in Patmos in his old age, sometime around 100 AD… FOXE’S Book of MARTYR’S states: John the “beloved disciple,” was brother to James the Great. The churches of Smyrna, Pergamos, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira, were founded by him. From Ephesus he was ordered to be sent to Rome, where it is affirmed he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. He escaped by miracle, without injury. Domitian afterwards banished him to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. According to all the information I have found it is possible and quite probable that the Apostle John may have actually died a natural death, unlike ALL the other Apostles.

According to Catholic Files…St. John the Apostle: buried in the St. John Lateran Archbasilica in Rome, or alternatively  Basilica of St. John in Ephesus Turkey

In almost every case the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church claim to be in possession of the body and or body parts of the Apostles and the First 70 Disciples and missionaries. I will get into the nitty gritty details of the much more recent deliberate and purposeful Spiritual War against Jesus Christ and the True Christians in a separate, upcoming blog dealing with the PROTESTant REFORMATION.

The Basilica of St. John was a basilica in Ephesus. It was constructed by Justinian I in the 6th century. It stands over the believed burial site of John the Apostle. It was modeled after the now lost Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.^[1]

in 32 AD 32 (in the year proceeding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ)  John The Baptist, son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the man who baptized JESUS  (NOT John The Apostle) was first imprisoned in Castle/Fort Mancheru aka Machaerus and beheaded at the command of King Herod Antipas, in AD 32. King Herod Antipas after rejecting his own wife had married his brother Philip’s wife Herodias (who was the daughter of Aretas, King of Arabia) and after John The Baptist had reproved this unlawful marriage and after his new wife’s daughter had danced for King Herod Antipas in celebration of his birthday the King foolishly promised her anything she wanted and she stated “give me here John (the) Baptist’s head in a charger” After the beheading the Apostle John’s head was given to Herodias, the Kings new wife.

Most scholars agree with the Bible that the body (minus the head) of John The Baptist was buried by his Christian associates, however it is a fact that both the Catholic and the Orthodox Church claim that they have the head of John The Baptist and several Cathedrals claim to have parts of Johns head. There are at least 3 other Church locations who claim that they have John’s “right hand” as well as others who claim they have Johns left hand. Probably the most recent claims are by Rome’s Church of Pope Silvestro in Capaite, Italy and the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus ,Syria. Why on earth are John The Baptist’s  body parts under these Catholic Church alters and Orthodox Church alters??? Just google this to be mind-boggled!

69 AD or 76 AD The Apostle Peter (Simon-Peter) was crucified “with his head downwards during the reign of Emperor Nero. Jesus spoke about Peters future death in the Bible and the ancient writers Hegesippus and Jerome gave details on how Emperor Nero condemned Peter to death and how Peter requested to be crucified upside down because he considered himself “unworthy to be crucified as Jesus was”

The Catholic Church claim that “St. Peter” is buried in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, Italy.

c70 AD The Apostle ANDREW (who was the biological brother of  Peter -Simon-Peter as above) was put to death by the Roman Proconsul Aegeates in c70 AD  after a religious debate with him. Apostle Andrew was the son of Jonas. It is also stated that Governor Aegeates had also been enraged when the Apostle Andrew had previously converted Maximillia (Governor Aegeates’s wife) to Christianity. The Apostle Andrew was “scourged and then tied (rather than nailing) to a cross, so that he would suffer a long time before dying”… “Andrew lived for 2 days, during which he preached to passersby”. It is also stated in ancient writings by “Baudart” that Andrew was crucified on a cross, “the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground” at Edessa/Patrus aka Patris a city in Achaia in Greece.

The Catholic Church Claims that “St. Andrew is buried in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Patras, Greece and another source states Andrew is buried at Cathedral of Amalfi in Italy.

45 AD 45  The   Apostle James  (son of Zebedee and Salome , AKA James the Greater): Acts 12:1-19 says that James was killed (by beheading, in Jerusalem in 45AD) with a sword. The newly-appointed governor of Judea, Herod Agrippa, decided to ingratiate himself with the Romans by persecuting leaders of the new sect. After the Apostle James was arrested and led to place of execution, his unnamed accuser was moved by his courage. He not only repented and converted on the spot, but asked to be executed alongside James. A Roman executioner obliged, and both men were beheaded simultaneously. Ancient writers Clemens aka Clements Alexandrinus and Eusebius Pamphilius wrote about The Apostle James’s life and death.

The Catholic claim that  St. James, son of Zebedee: buried in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia (Spain) and another source states The Apostle James is buried at Church, Compostela, Spain and another source states he is buried at Holy Apostles Basilica.

In AD 54 AD The  Apostle Philip: Philip, the first of Jesus’ disciples, became a missionary in Asia. Martyrs Mirror sates that “The Holy Apostle Philip, bound with his head to a pillar, and stoned at Hierapolis, in Phrygia, in 54 AD and in another place it states that he was nailed to a cross and then stoned to death….FOXE’S Book of MARTYR’S states: Was born at Bethsaida, in Galilee and was first called by the name of “disciple.” He labored diligently in Upper Asia, and suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis, in Phrygia. He was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards crucified, A.D. 54.

According to the Catholic St. Philip: buried in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome or possibly Hierapolis, near Denizli, Turkey^[20] and another source states Philip is buried at Church of the Dodici in Rome, Italy.

The Apostle Bartholomew: Martyrs Mirror states Bartholomew the Holy Apostle was first greatly tortured, then flayed alive and finally beheaded in Armenia by King Astyages aka Astiages  in about 70 AD. ) Bartholomew is said to have preached in several countries, including India, where he translated the Gospel of Matthew for believers. In one account, “impatient idolaters” beat Bartholomew and then crucified him, while in another, he was skinned alive and then beheaded…

Catholics claim that  St. Bartholomew is buried in the Basilica of Benevento, Italy, and other public information states the Apostle Bartholomew is buried at  Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island, Rome, Italy aka St Bartholomew Church, Rome.

The Apostle Thomas: (Martyrs Mirror states Thomas The Holy Disciple was tormented with red hot plates, cast into a furnace and his side pierced with spears/darts by the savages, at Calamina about 70 AD.) Apparently Thomas preached the gospel in Greece and India, where he angered local religious authorities, who martyred him by running him through with a spear.

The Catholics say that  St. Thomas: buried in the Basilica of St. Thomas the Apostle in Ortona, Abruzzo, Italy or in the San Thome Basilica in Madras, India aka Cathedral Of St Thomas Mylapore India

The  Apostle Matthew: [as per Martyrs Mirror Matthew The Holy Evangelizer was nailed to the ground, and beheaded at Nad-Davar, under King Hytacus about 70 AD ] According to some tradition, the former tax collector turned missionary was martyred in Ethiopia however the Martyrs Mirror states Matthew was martyred in INDIA , where he was supposedly stabbed in the back by an swordsman sent by King Hertacus, after he criticized the king’s morals…

Official Catholic INFO  states  St. Matthew: buried in the Salerno Cathedral, Salerno, Italy while another official Website; states that Matthew is buried at St Matthew’s Cathedral, Messina, Sicily

In AD 63 AD  THE Apostle James (son of Alphaeus, AKA James the Less): (according to Martyrs Mirror James was a brother of Jesus and he was cast down from the temple at Jerusalem , stoned and beaten to death with (sticks) a club in 63AD. )According to Foxe, James, who was elected by his fellow believers to head the churches of Jerusalem, was one of the longest-lived apostles, perhaps exceeded only by John. At the age of 94, he was beaten and stoned by persecutors, and then killed him by hitting him in the head with a club…

St. James, son of Alpheus: buried in the Cathedral of St. James in Jerusalem or the Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome aka Holy Apostles Cathedral, Rome Italy

THE Apostle Thaddaeus, AKA Lebbaeus, Judas or Jude: According to several old manuscripts, he was crucified at Edessa (the name of cities in both Turkey and Greece) in 72 AD. [Martyrs Mirror states that Judas Thaddeus and his brother Simon The Zealot were killed in Persia by wicked heathen priests]… FOXE’S Book of MARTYR’S states: Jude, The brother of James, was commonly called Thaddeus. He was crucified at Edessa, A.D. 72.St.

Jude Thaddeus: buried in St. Peter’s Basilica under the St. Joseph altar with St. Simon, two bones (relics) located at National Shrine of St Jude in Chicago, Illinois

THE Apostle Paul As per Martyrs Mirror Paul, The Apostle Of Christ, solely persecuted and finally beheaded at Rome, under the Emperor Nero in 69AD… FOXE’S Book of MARTYR’S states: Paul, the apostle, who before was called Saul, after his great travail and unspeakable labors in promoting the Gospel of Christ, suffered also in this first persecution under Nero. Abdias, declareth that under his execution Nero sent two of his esquires, Ferega and Parthemius, to bring him word of his death. They, coming to Paul instructing the people, desired him to pray for them, that they might believe; who told them that shortly after they should believe and be baptised at His sepulcher. This done, the soldiers came and led him out of the city to the place of execution, where he, after his prayers made, gave his neck to the sword.

St. Paul: relics located in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome

THE Apostle Simon the Canaanite AKA the Zealot: Simon preached in Mauritania on the west coast of Africa, and then went to England, where he was crucified in 74 AD.[Martyrs Mirror states that Simon Zelotes was scourged and crucified] …FOXE’S Book of MARTYR’S states: Simon, surnamed Zelotes, preached the Gospel in Mauritania, Africa, and even in Britain, in which latter country he was crucified, A.D. 74.

St. Simon: buried in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome under the St. Joseph altar with St. Jude-Thaddeus other source states : Alter of The Cusifiction the Vatican…

APOSTATE Apostle Judas Iscariot: (Judas was the son of Simon Iscariot) According to Matthew 27:3-6, the treacherous apostle quickly felt remorse over his betrayal of Jesus and went to the Temple to recant. When the high priests ignored his plea, he threw down the 30 pieces of silver that he had been paid, and went off and hanged himself.  But Acts 1:15-20, gives a different and even grislier version of Judas’ demise. He says that Judas used the blood money to purchase a piece of land and then fell headlong from a high place there, so that “he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.” Jerusalem residents subsequently named the place Aceldama, which means “the field of blood.” … Judas Iscariot: remains located in Akeldama, near the Valley of Hinnom, in Jerusalem, Israel

The 13th Apostle After the death of Judas, Matthias became the 13^th apostle and Matthias was tied on a cross upon a rock, stoned and then beheaded in 70AD.

As per Martyrs Mirror…St. Matthias: buried in the Saint Matthias Benedictine Abbey in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. (aka St Matthews Abbey, Trier Germany)

Stephen (not one of the 12 initial Apostles BUT one of the 7 Deacons of the Church at Jerusalem, STONED without the gate of the city by the Libertines 34AD, shortly after the death of Jesus…

Barnabas, a companion of Paul was dragged out of the City and burned at Salamina In Cyprus in 64 AD

TIMOTHY  FOXE’S Book of MARTYR’S states: TIMOTHY  was the celebrated disciple of St. Paul, and bishop of Ephesus, where he zealously governed the Church until A.D. 97. At this period, as the pagans were about to celebrate a feast called Catagogion, Timothy, meeting the procession, severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated the people that they fell upon him with their clubs, and beat him in so dreadful a manner that he expired of the bruises two days later.

As per wikipedia In the 4th century, the relics of Timothy were transferred to Constantinople and placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles near the tombs of St Andrew and St Luke.^[9… The original church of the Holy Apostles was dedicated in about 330 by Constantine the Great, the founder of Constantinople, the new capital of the Roman Empire. The church was unfinished when Constantine died in 337, and it was brought to completion by his son and successor Constantius II, who buried his father’s remains there. The church was dedicated to the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and it was the Emperor’s intention to gather relics of all the Apostles in the church. For this undertaking, only relics of Saint Andrew, Saint Luke and Saint Timothy (the latter two not strictly apostles) were acquired, and in later centuries it came to be assumed that the church was dedicated to these three only. ——For more than 700 years, the church of the Holy Apostles was the second-most important church in Constantinople, after that of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia). But whereas the church of the Holy Wisdom was in the city’s oldest part, that of the Holy Apostles stood in the centre of the newer part of the much expanded imperial capital, on the great thoroughfare called Mese Odós (English: Central Street), and was the city’s busiest church. Most emperors and many patriarchs and bishops were buried in the church, and their relics were venerated by the faithful for centuries. The return of the relics of St. John Chrysostom to the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. The church’s most treasured possessions were the skulls of Saints Andrew, Luke and Timothy, but the church also held what was believed to be part of the “Column of Flagellation”, to which Jesus had been bound and flogged. Its treasury also held relics of Saint John Chrysostom and other Church Fathers, saints and martyrs. Over the years the church acquired huge amounts of gold, silver and gems donated by the faithful.

At this point I must interject that in future Blog I will show documentation and evidence showing the exact historical links and connection between the Muslims and the Vatican and Islam!!! As the evidence clearly shows Rome is indeed the ‘mother church” of these.

64 AD Mark the Holy Evangelizer was “dragged to the stake at Alexandria” , however he died on the way 64 AD

As per Wikipedia…the Copts believe that the head of Saint Mark remains in a church named after him in Alexandria, and parts of his relics are in Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo. The rest of his relics are in Venice.^[1] Every year, on the 30th day of the month of Paopi, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the commemoration of the consecration of the church of Saint Mark, and the appearance of the head of the saint in the city of Alexandria. This takes place inside St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria.^[35]

In June 1968, Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria sent an official delegation to Rome to receive a relic of Saint Mark from Pope Paul VI. The delegation consisted of ten metropolitans and bishops, seven of whom were Coptic and three Ethiopian, and three prominent Coptic lay leaders.

The relic was said to be a small piece of bone that had been given to the Roman pope by Giovanni Cardinal Urbani, Patriarch of Venice. Pope Paul, in an address to the delegation, said that the rest of the relics of the saint remained in Venice.

BIBLICAL Author LUKE …FOXE’S Book of MARTYR’S states: Luke The evangelist, was the author of the Gospel which goes under his name. He travelled with Paul through various countries, and was , by the idolatrous priests of Greece.

So now do you really think it just a coincidence that the Anabaptist and Mennonite History of The Reformation in Europe some 1500 to 1600 years after the deaths of all the Apostles and the first 70 Disciples AND Missionaries later led to the exact same, and in some cases even worst persecution and grisly torture and deaths of the TRUE CHRISTIANS???  1000’s of these more recent cases in the 16th and 17th Century of Martyrdom are extremely well documented and copies of many of their actual last statements and last testaments and Statements Of Faith are in print today.

The Apostles of Jesus and the writers of the Holy Bible were obviously amazing individuals however after 1500 years had passed is it not an absolute fact that The Anabaptists and The Reformers must have known the TRUTH as well? BOTTOM LINE: I find it extremely difficult to accept, however it is painfully evident exactly what has happened to the Old Anabaptist Churches  including the Mennonite Church in just the period from 1845 until now. The modern Mennonite Church overall, is losing the Spiritual Battle and it is OUR OWN FAULT. Many of us have thought that we have more Biblical knowledge and wisdom than our ancestors and it is obvious based on ALL the evidence that we DID NOT!

A TRUTH SEEKER

Delmer B. Martin

Things That “This Mennonite” Is Thankful For

Things That This Mennonite Is Thankful For

JESUS CHRIST, because He died for my sins and I know nobody comes to The True God except through His Son Jesus (Jesus is the NARROW GATE)  as in John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” And  Romans 10:4 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” And  Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” And John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”   Both, Jesus and my earthly father did this for me and I was/am just the prodigal son.

HOLY SPIRIT, because when I listen to The Holy Spirit and follow The Holy Spirit I stay on The Straight and Narrow Path as in 2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” AND John 6:63  “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” and 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Psalm 119:104-105 “104. Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 105. NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

The HOLY BIBLE and the Gospel Of Jesus Christ which is The ABSOLUTE TRUTH

TRUTH as in John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” And Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” and John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” and Hebrews 4:17 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”and Ephesians 5:9 “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)”

The BREATH OF LIFE which God and my dear departed parents gave to me. As in Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

LOVE AS GIVEN BY GOD AND DESCRIBED BY HIM. as in 1 John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

CHRISTIAN FAMILY and MARRIAGE and ASSOCIATES and a “goodly heritage” as in Psalms 16:6 “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” ((And on behalf of my wise earthly father who is dearly departed)) Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 “ Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun…”

FREEDOM including Freewill; as in Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  and 2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” and John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” and Acts 13:39 “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” and Romans 8:1-2   “1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

HOPE IN GOD that fills my heart with Joy and Peace as in Psalm 31:24 “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” and Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”and Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” and Romans 8:25 “But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

FORGIVENESS FOR and OF SINS as in 1 Corinthians 1:4 “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;” and 1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

FAITH as in Hebrews 11: 1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” and Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

CREATION and the Future NEW EARTH as in Romans 8:22 “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” AND  Revelations 21:1 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” and  2 Peter 3:13 “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” and Revelation 11:15 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” and Isaiah 66:22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.” and Isaiah 65:17 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” And Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” and Revelations 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” and Psalm 37:29 “For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” Ecclesiastes 1:2 “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.”

All The Good Things that are all Gifts From God such as food and water and restful sleep as in Ecclesiastes 3:13 “And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”  And Psalm 127:2 “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” And Ecclesiastes 5:18 “Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.”

LIBERTY as in Jeremiah 34:15 “And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:” and Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”

An Abundant Life as in John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

The Gift Of DISCERNMANT as in Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” And 1 Corinthians 12:10 “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:” and Philippians 1: 9-10 “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and [in] all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ”   and Hebrews 5:14 “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” And Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” And Acts 2:17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:” And 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

ETERNAL LIFE as in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (death conquered) and Matthew 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” And Revelations 14:13 “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

Matthew 25:21 “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” ~~~ And repeated again almost verbatum just a few verses later at Matthew 25: 23 “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

May EVERY DAY BE “CHRISTMAS” for ALL OF US ~~~ Forever and Forever AMEN

Delmer B. Martin

 

 

 

Things Dad Did NOT Tell me

Things Dad NEVER Told Me

I lost my earthly father  Christmas Eve 2002 and it is one of the biggest losses that I have ever suffered because he was the most awesome Christian I have ever known and he was an extremely wise man and also my best friend! My dear dad would often quote 1 Corinthians 10:26 ” For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof“. However there were many things that my dearly departed father NEVER told me…The truth is, the world would be a wonderful place IF everybody accepted Jesus and served God accordingly. After a long delay in blogging and a lot of soul-searching I have decided to publish this blog in an effort to hopefully connect with people of Mennonite or Amish background who have received the great “awakening” and are aware of the dark side of truth.

1. How satan controls “the world” thru humans free-will choices.
2. The degrees of difference between Liberty and Freedom and TRUTH.

In my pilgrimage I have been passionately researching Schisms and Mennonites to determine my own identity, as someone who grew up old order Mennonite and yet never 100% embraced everything I was inculcated to, as a boy and teenager. I felt compelled to submit this blog due to the urgent times we are experiencing and personally due to convictions by the Holy Spirit. In my search for truth and after having spent many 100’s of hours every year for some 30 years in State and Provincial Archives and libraries and more recently, a number of years being employed by an International Security Corporation, IRONICALLY, I became acutely aware and informed about “ways and means” that have shaped the world we live in, that is the opposite of being Mennonite or Amish and certainly “ways and means” that are anything BUT Christian. After a long delay I have decided to publish this blog in an effort to maybe connect with people of Mennonite or Amish background who have received the great “awakening” and are aware of the dark side of truth.

2 Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Ephesians 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

My Dad NEVER told me about; Globalists or Neo-cons or eugenicists, instead my father told me to read Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

My dad never told me about the “Cognitive Dissonance Theory” and on the other hand he sure never told me anything about the “Cloward-Piven strategy” either. My dad NEVER told me that mainstream media and entertainment are nothing more than paid lobbyists for the power elite and big corporations.  My dear dad would be shocked to know truth about “social engineering” …because he was a man of little knowledge about details outside of our Mennonite Community and he was a man of  STRONG faith and of course my parents had no radio, TV or internet and in fact refused to even read the local or national newspapers. Dad always said all he/we needed to know was in the Bible! and he would quote Ephesians 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

My Dear Dad never told me about Nathan Rothschild or David Rockefeller and he certainly never mentioned  Maurice Strong or Zibignew Bresynski or Henry Kissenger or George Soros or Margaret Sanger or Smedley Butler… Both my parents would simply tell us kids, as far as worldly people and politics is concerned, Hitler was evil and Queen Elizabeth was good. They would both be shocked to have heard “what” Prince Charles wants to be reincarnated as…

Dad NEVER told me what, the first line in the “Georgia Guidestones” stipulates, and he never told me about  “Agenda 21” or “Common Core” or “The Strong Cities Network” or “Sanctuary Cities” and of course he never told me about “The Council On Foreign Relations” or the CFR or “The Royal Institute of International Affairs” or the “World Conservation Bank” , or the difference between NATO and NASA. Dad would just say; watch out for those “treehuggers and animal rights people” because they do not actually love or serve the idols that they wrap their arms around…and NEVER join a secret society!

Dad NEVER told me how the “City Of London” and the District Of Washington and the Vatican relate to the United Nations and the “World Council Of Churches” and the IMF and the BIS. Even I used to think that The Federal Reserve was “a Federal Reserve” My father always said black is black and white is white and up is up and down is down and yes means yes and no means no…and 1+1=2 .

Dad always told us that we must give to the poor of the world, how come we never ran into anyone from the Soros Foundation or the Rockefeller Foundation or the Ford Foundation or the Carnegie Foundation??? My dear dad passed away in 2002 with his yellowed share certificates in “Barings Bank” still in his old safe, poor dad never gave up on Mr.  “Nick Leeson” because Dad said that Gods Grace Is Amazing!

One of the wisest statements I remember which my Dad always told me was “Son, please be careful, it does NOT matter if you turn right OR left, at the end of our long farm laneway…there is BIG TROUBLE in both directions ! Obviously I know now, that this was just Dad’s way of describing the false left–right paradigms that completely surround us all.

Dad did NOT know everything but he knew THE TRUTH!

I will NEVER give up!

liberty + truth = The TRUTH leading to LOVE and Life Forever!!!

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

I “Had a Dream”

True Story;   “I Had a Dream”   A NIGHTMARE!

A man came to my home and asked to speak with me personally, he spoke my language and he told me I do NOT know him…but he knows me.

He told me that he loves me and I am to follow him and attend a very urgent meeting. It was a matter of Life and death for all mankind.

I followed this man and I attended what appeared to be a normal meeting and I was seated at one end of a long boardroom table and it was apparent that people from all over the place were in attendance.

As I looked around at all the participants they were all very passionately engaged in discussion and debate and everyone had big smiles on their faces.

However I became more and more nervous the longer the meeting continued, as I was simply unable to understand what was being discussed. All sorts of thoughts raced through my brain as I tried to understand all the words that were being relayed back and forth from all of the many participants who spoke at the meeting. I could discern what was being said was really important, but I simply could not comprehend what they were talking about.

All of a sudden the discussions and the debates ended abruptly and the man who brought me to the meeting proclaimed loudly in such a way that I clearly understood: “I have Good News, we are ALL in complete agreement and OUR DECISION IS UNANIMOUS” and “WE HAVE DECIDED THE PATH YOU SHOULD TAKE” and then the whole room went deathly quiet, not another word was said by anyone. NOTHING! I was completely shocked because I desperately wanted to understand what had taken place.

I woke up abruptly, drenched in sweat and my whole body was tingling when I realized the truth.  There had certainly been a meeting and I sure was in attendance and there sure was a wide variety of people gathered around…there was only one problem, nobody during the meeting actually spoke my language.

It has been 2 days since this nightmare, however the truth has set me free. In all my decades of research I have never been more disappointed with the majority of those people who call themselves Mennonites. (My dear People) All one has to do is pay even the slightest bit of attention to what is published by the large majority of the people, to discern without a shadow of a doubt that the big Canadian Conference of Mennonites and the large USA Conference of Mennonites is in BIG TROUBLE all for the very same reasons.

I have researched the various Mennonite Conferences and congregations in Canada and USA for many, many years and I am absolutely shocked to be witnessing with my very own eyes and ears, a majority movement deliberately and methodically causing a brutal and chaotic division in the whole church. This majority that I am speaking of is NOT shunning the world/satan even remotely, they are actually embracing it/him. There is nothing Christian OR even Mennonite about any of these things we have been forced to hear so much about. The majority of my dear people are now also on the “broad road leading to destruction” as per Matthew 7: 13-14.

As of this very moment there is still time to make things right. We still possess free will… and ironically, BOTH Jesus AND satan came to this world to divide: Jesus came to divide the good from the bad as in Luke 12:49-53 and in Matthew 10:34 and Satan came to deceive/divide the bad from the good as in John 8:44 and 2nd Thessalonians 2: 10-12 and Mark 3: 24-26 and Romans 16: 17-18.It only makes sense to go with the one who loves us and NOT the one who hates us!

It is critical to understand what is really going on in our associations and communions. There is only one decision to make…Whose side are you on? Jesus or satan?

We are in BIG TROUBLE, wake up my dear people…before it is TOO late! It is obvious that Ephesians 6:10-12 is TRUE   “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”

Getting back to my nightmare, it is obvious and urgent that we speak to and listen to people that are able to communicate language we actually understand; first and foremost! Or we will surely not survive, spiritually or physically. We will cease to exist!

We are now in far worst times than  at any point of any and all of our past schisms/splits/divisions because nowadays; The MAJORITY of our/my dear people are now on the “broad road leading to destruction” exactly as defined in Matthew 7: 13-14.

Whose SIDE have you chosen? It is not TOO late YET!

just another pilgrim in Truth

Schism and or Split and or Separation or Shunned or Excommunicated or Banned from the Mennonite and Amish and other Christian Churches. What is the difference? Does it really Matter?

Schism and or Split and or Separation or Shunned or Banned from the Mennonite and Amish and other Christian Churches. What is the difference? Does it really Matter?

I am just a 14th. generation farmer, etc. What do I know really?

Wikipedia states: “ In biology, culling is the process of segregating organisms from a group according to desired or undesired characteristics.”

Most of us already know that the government uses hunting licenses and bounties to cull our wild animals.

Dogs are considered man’s best friend and my dear father always said that the “best dogs” are extremely intuitive and they will leave their owner and sneak off when it is time to die. Very True) on the other hand some of my most foolish farm dogs ran away and many of them got run over out at the busy highway and I always cried when I buried them. I always regretted not chaining up those that got killed on the highway! Truth is I loved all my dogs and I have had many of them.

My dearly departed father taught me so well the art of “culling” the Purebred Holstein Herd in our barn. I remember starting to learn this skill at the age of 5 about this serious part of the business. My father would say to me, now son just stand here just outside of the fence and be very quiet and still and just watch and listen to the herd. (become like a fence post)  and do the following;

1. Make careful note of any animal that acts different/looks different/stands out in any way…Does any animal look or act sick in any way? Is any animal acting too aggressive? or alternatively, is any animal acting too lazy-like/lethargic ? 2. Is any animal making strange noises? 3. Is any one animal always tending to separate itself from the herd? 4. Identify the specific animal by its ear tag number and write a note in the Herd Health record book accordingly. 5. Observe the suspected animals under daytime and night conditions and before feeding and after feeding and observe and report findings of specific animals in your Herd Health Record Book. Keep close track of size and weight and production and conception rates of each and every animal and make note of every animal that is below the median and make special note of any and all animals that are negative.

Just before the predetermined “butchering day” : Read over your Herd Health Record Book and determine specifically which animal is statistically the worst animal (the least valuable) in the herd based on size and weight and production and conception rates and age … and then go to the fence and observe your whole herd one more time and if none of the animal statistics and facts have changed…walk right into the herd and pick out the animal that must be “culled” to improve the overall Herd Heath and purity of the breed and bind the animal for slaughter.

Even the slaughter of animals was not done universally, we would butcher pigs and chickens right on the farm and eat them after the meat was prepared…but when it came to our Purebred Holsteins we never killed them here on the farm, we would call our local cattle transport company and have them shipped to the stock yards or meat packer.

The only time we would ever personally kill a Purebred Holstein was if it got too sick to live and it was starting to suffer. Interestingly only in my latter years do I understand why 1. Dad had a single shot rifle with mushroom bullets and 2. Why he always asked me as a youth if I would “please put that animal out of its misery” instead of doing it himself.

Oh it’s not all bad news; because for every animal culled, we would use the same statistics and observations to pick out the most outstanding/the best animal and we would separate it from the rest of the herd, bring it into a special spot in the stable to be treated special, over and above the whole herd. Ironically though when one of our best cows became a “downer cow” (a cow that got sick and mostly recovered and not suffering but unable to get up and walk by itself after being laying down for several days…we would call our veterinarian and they would make the final decision of the prognosis and if it was bad news we would call a “down cow” specialist who was dispatched to the farm and using fancy and expensive and humane equipment the cow would be immediately be lifted and handled and transported without causing any pain to a special butchering facility.

A professional Purebred Animal Breeder/Farmer knows that one can get in all sorts of serious difficulties if one does NOT “cull properly” Everything is at risk and at stake in this world! The difference between animals and people is that God gave us dominion OVER the animals. Is it not absolutely awesome that we are going to be Righteously Judged and not just going to be arbitrarily “culled” by humans? I removed myself physically from the old order Mennonite group before becoming a member in 1979 however I am more committed than ever, to what is being done in Truth strictly according to scripture. Not only is “the world” very sick, so are MANY so-called Christian Congregations.

Ironically, the most successful elite breeders will cull an animal out of their herd for simply not meeting the median standard or “not looking right” I sometimes think that this culling intuition and instinct runs really deep in the veins of the old order community I left, however I am more committed than ever, to what is being done in Truth strictly according to scripture and the true Christian Love the majority of the old order Mennonites and Amish are participants and recipients of.

The real difference can be found in the fruits of the Spirit, when I was a youth I was so foolish I actually did not mind (it did not bother me) to shoot the sick animal who could not be saved and was beginning to suffer…My dearly departed wise father would always shed a tear when the trigger would have to be pulled…and nowadays I am the same way! Praise God.

My father was a better Purebred Holstein Farmer than I turned out to be. Where does this leave me, because when I was 39 years of age I had to let the purebred herd go…OR was it that I separated myself from it, or was it a bit of both…You be the judge.

Once a candidate for culling comes under scrutiny of the professional farmer, breeder or the government, the odds of its survival are decimated. As a prodigal son and a pilgrim of many years I have a deep passion to understand everything Christian first and then everything Mennonites and Amish and I have a passion for Mennonite and Amish people who are lost or have been Biblically mistreated and were/are the lost sheep just like I used to be. We are in a spiritual war now more than ever and I believe that people like me and others desperately need God’s Grace and the love of True Christians!

My own personal saying is “sometimes (we Mennonite/Amish Christian) need to fight just a little bit more… till we experience truth AND receive peace.” Most of the world has wholeheartedly decided with their own freewill to serve satan…but I wholeheartedly believe that Mennonites and Amish are also of the “Goodly Heritage” that the Bible speaks of. God Loves farmers and especially shepherds, I just consider myself a sheep-dog who loves my Creator and my Saviour and The Truth.

I still believe in “culling” but now rather than eliminating the weak ones, I would rather keep seeking the TRUTH and stand AGAINST the ones that Lord It over Over’s with no Love and the false teachers and the false churches as per Romans 16:17 “ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” I am so different than my dear father but we AGREE THAT WE should seek THE TRUTH and we are to test the spirits and we can judge the fruits and be secure under the headship of Jesus. My father (my best friend and the first True Christian I ever knew) and my dear mother have died a mortals death and their bones are lying in a row with so many of my ancestors… yet I am still here and so are YOU!

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

REUNIONS after a Schism

Update

Low and behold after my last blog I realized that after the schisms of 1872 and 1893 and 1888 and 1908 and 1925-1927 era a significant union occurred in 1939 when here in Ontario my parents and grandparents were part of the founding of a new conference called Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference in Ontario. (old order Mennonites who specifically allowed a black automobile and the telephone)

The Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference group and their congregations have flourished here in Ontario Canada but what I failed to report is that (as noted on the mage entitled Church House Maps inside the cover of the Directory of the Weaverland Conference Mennonite Churches)  who are primarily based in the good old Weaverland PA area as well as in Virginia, Missouri, New York, Wisconsin and Iowa AND   Associated Mennonite Conferences are the Ohio-Indiana Conference located in Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota; an the Markham-Waterloo Conference in Ontario, Canada.

Even though I never joined this group when I became of age; I must commend them on their new free association with the other conferences mentioned as they build each other up in North America. I also recalled that have personally met with a few of the ministry and members of the group in PA and I found them to be very much like my own parents. (and very old order but driving black cars and having telephones) It is very interesting to see such a large and widespread UNION lasting now over 77 years coming out of those earlier divisions.

Even though I was never a baptized member of any of these conferences I must confess the truth, It is better to see a union of brothers and sisters peacefully with no bad results, than it is to see worldly corruption of the Christians in any church by coercion from satan! Satan aka wordly warlike strategies of “divide and conquer” are to be feared!  because even though I do not agree with all of their old order RULES; being corrupted by the world and the worldy will ALWAYS be lukewarm christianity on the broad road leading to destruction. I just find it shocking when a so called Mennonite and or Christian loves their neighbour MORE than God and His WORD, no matter if one is old order or modern. God is NOT mocked and His commands cannot be corrupted or altered; as per His Judgement. True Christians should all be far more united and evil should be shunned. Mennonites should all be on one side with all true Christians. What is “going on” in this wicked world…What else can I say other than recollect what was inculcated in my brain and now my heart from   Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. AND   1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  Abstain from all appearance of evil.

 

 

SCHISMS and DIVISIONS and SEPARATIONS in the Mennonite Church

DRAFT ONLY     Work In Progress   (please forgive errors and omissions)  Please pray and use your Christian Discernment before you do anything with the personal information in this blog) Please send me your comments.

ORDINANCES (see the 1858 section)

For My Most Passionate Opinions pertaining to Schisms see the last part of the 1849 section.

For My Martin family Ministry connections see 1999-89 and 1893 sections

NOTE: My Personal Summation is on the last few pages.

START OF DRAFT

In 1525 Conrad Grebel c1498-1526 separated from the royal-state religion when he advocated against infant baptism and passionately advocated for Adult baptism. Conrad Grebel was anything but a typical Mennonite or Anabaptist prior to his complete life-change!!! See the excellent info online at; http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grebel,_Conrad_(ca._1498-1526)

above pic of Conrad Grebel found online at gameo.org (an excellent Mennonite Website)

In 1545 Menno Simons (where the name Mennonite came from) separated from the royal-state religion when he advocated against infant baptism and passionately advocated for Adult baptism. Menno Simon was anything but a typical Mennonite or Anabaptist prior to his complete life-change!!! See the excellent info online at; http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Menno_Simons_(1496-1561)

From 1527 to 1597  Anabaptist’s (including all Mennonites) were aggressively hunted and officially executed by the Royal-Catholic Church.

From 1598 to c1740 Anabaptist’s (including all Mennonites) continued to be hunted and persecuted and imprisoned and tortured AND their property was confiscated by the State and its rulers. Especially in the latter part of this era, the state and its supporters were just as covetous of the Anabaptist’s productive farmland and property as they were in getting rid of the Anabaptist religion, while at the same time the Catholics would appear more “politically correct” by not relying primarily on “Official Executions” I personally am completely convinced that there were more far more deaths of Anabaptist’s from 1598 to c1740 than the whole previous period, simply due to the extreme deprivation and degradation that was forced upon them and their families and because the Anabaptist’s exploded in numbers of individual converts and adherents from 1598 to 1740.

From 1598 to 1700 many Anabaptist’s (and most all Mennonites and those who would become Amish) literally fled “into the hills” and out of Switzerland into areas of Europe where the Royal rulers and The State Catholic Religion were not exercising complete dictatorial control.

1632 According to the Postscript to the Foregoing 18 Articles (Confession of Faith) found on page 33 of “First Edition Published by The Weaverland Conference 1996” and also Published by the “committee Old Order Mennonites” (in Ontario in 1989) I scanned and copied text as follows;
***begin of scan/copy***
Postscript to the foregoing 18 Articles
“From an authentic circular letter of the year 1557, from the Highland to the Netherland churches, it appears that from the Eyfelt to Moravia there were 50 churches, of which some consisted of from 500 to 600 brethren. And that there were about that time, at a conference at Strasburg, about 50 preachers and elders present, who discoursed about matters concerning the welfare of the churches.
These superintendents of the nonresistant christians endeavoured earnestly to propagate the truth; so that like a “grain of mustard seed” of small beginning, it grew against all bloody persecution, to the height in which it is to be seen in so many large churches in Germany, Prussia, the Principality of Cleves etc., and particularly in the United Netherlands.
But finally, alas! there arose disunion amongst them about matters of faith, which so deeply grieved the pleaceably disposed amongst them, that they not only thought about means to heal the schism, and restore union, but did also take the matter in hand, and concluded at Cologne, in the year 1591, a laudable peace between the Highland and Netherland churches. Still the schism was not fully healed. Consequently in the year 1628 and 1630, it was deemed necessary at a certain conference, by some
lovers of peace, to appoint another conference, in order to see whether they could come to an understanding, and the schism be fully healed. Consequently, in order to attain this object in
the most effectual manner, their assembled at Dort, from many of the churches in Holland, on the 21st of April, 1632, 51 ministers of the word of God, appointed for said purpose; who deemed it advisable that a scriptural confessions of faith should be drawn up, to which all parties should adhere, and on which this peace convention and the intended union should be founded and built. Which was then accordingly drawn up, publicly adopted, confirmed, signed, the so much wished for peace obtained, and the light again put on the candlestick, to the honor of non-resistant Christianity.” ***end of scan/copy***

From 1700 to 1750 massive numbers of Anabaptist’s (including most all Mennonites and some Amish) immigrated to the eastern coast of what is now the United States and moved inland and immediately banded together as pioneers and worshiped together, in their respective Amish Groups and Mennonite Groups. Many of the first leaders in America had been successful leaders in Europe before immigrating. Immediately upon arriving in the Land of The Free, the Mennonites organized themselves completely both as Christians and as Pioneers. I will give credit to these individually in a future blog.

1693 NOTE:  1. even before, the out and out persecution of the Anabaptist’s had subsided in Europe AND 2. Within only a few years after distinct and separate Mennonite congregations had been organized and leaders had been ordained, satan started to cause trouble from within. The  Amish schism occurred in 1693 in Europe when a Mennonite Preacher Jacob Ammann and his supporters separated themselves from Mennonite Bishop Hans Reist and his supporters. The separation occurred because of irreconcilable differences related to key Bible verses compared to the Mennonite Confession of Faith and specifically on the subject of “shunning”! … From the original documents which have been preserved to the present date, it is clear that Jakob Ammann’s attempt to force the elders in the Emmental (canton of Bern) to accept the Meidung, i.e., the shunning or avoidance of excommunicated persons, was the chief if not full cause of the division, although several minor issues were mentioned. As per; author Milton Gascho (Mennonite Quarterly Review, October 1937) which is considered as one of the authoritative descriptions:

From 1683 to 1690 Quakers and Mennonites who had immigrated to Germantown PA together, actually worshiped together. (I find it very interesting that author David D. Hall wrote that “in 1686 a common meetinghouse was built by the Mennonites and the Quakers” )

In 1690 the Mennonites withdrew from this fellowship with the Quakers due to primarily,conflict of interest and within just years, the Mennonites built their own meetinghouse  and ordained preachers and deacons and even a bishop. Within just a few years, very successful congregations and leadership emerged in the Skippack (Franconia Mennonite Conference) and Conestoga, later known as Lancaster Mennonite Conference communities…………………. and as per Mennonite Jacob Gotschalk, the Mennonites met in the house of Isaac Jacobs van Bebber. In the same year (1690) under the guidance of the Krefeild church (Hamburg-Altona Congregation), the Germantown Mennonites ordained the following Ministry; William Rittenhouse was ordained the first Minister and Jan Neus was ordained as Deacon.

On October 08, 1702 Jacob Gotschalk was ordained as minister and on the same day Hans Neus was ordained as minister. Apparently neither one of them were gifted public speakers and they would minister to the congregation by reading only. Some researchers have stated that the two groups split due to a conflict of interests and that the Mennonites wanted a minister, and the Quakers did not. I have also found information confirmed by the excellent Author John Ruth that Deacon John Neuss’s brother was the minister Hans Neuss and this Hans Neuss had a disagreement with an Arnold van Fossen who resided on the William Rittenhouse property and we know that Hans Neuss quit as minister and never associated with the church again as a result.

1708 as per Wikipedia “The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination with origins in the Schwarzenau Brethren (German: Schwarzenauer Neutäufer “Schwarzenau New Baptists”) that was organized in 1708 by Alexander Mack in Schwarzenau, Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas during the Protestant Reformation. The first of its churches in the United States was established in 1723. These church bodies became commonly known as “Dunkards,” and more formally as German Baptist Brethren. The denomination holds the New Testament as its only creed. Historically the church has taken a strong stance for non-resistance or pacifism—it is one of the three historic peace churches, alongside the Mennonites and Quakers. Distinctive practices include believers baptism by trine immersion; a threefold love feast consisting of feet washing, a fellowship meal, and communion; anointing for healing; and the holy kiss. The Church of the Brethren represents the largest body descending from Mack’s Schwarzenau Brethren church. The German Baptist Brethren suffered a major division in the early 1880s, creating three wings: traditionalists such as the Old German Baptist Brethren, progressives led by The Brethren Church, and the conservatives, who adopted the name Church of the Brethren in 1908. The church had 122,810 members as of June 2010[2] and 1,047 congregations in the United States and Puerto Rico as of August 2010.[1] There are six liberal arts colleges and one seminary (Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Indiana) related to the Church of the Brethren. General offices and the Brethren Press are located in Elgin, Illinois. In 1948 the Church of the Brethren joined the World Council of Churches as a charter member and was a forming member of the National Council of Churches in 1950. ” The above whole section is from the WIKIPEDIA website at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Brethren

I, Delmer B. Martin am EXTREMELY concerned about ANBAPTISTS or Mennonites being “yoked together” with, or supporting; World Religion or a National Council Of Churches or the Catholic Church or worldly (Non-Godly) governance. If you are a Christian and  “wide awake” to the NWO and understand what I am talking about, I would especially love to hear from you!

In 1719, 59 Dunkard families left Germany for America and in 1729 a larger group of Dunkards followed. The first group of Brethren, known as “Dunkers” (after their manner of baptism—threefold immersion) arrived on the ship Allen in 1719. The leader was Peter Becker, a weaver, who settled at Germantown. These Brethren organized a congregation on Christmas Day, 1723 after “newly awakened” candidates for baptism had come to Germantown. The Germantown Brethren did not build a house for worship until 1770. It is located at 6611 Germantown Ave Germantown PA and last I heard, it is still used for worship today. A somewhat strange and mysterious individual, Conrad Beissel emerged as a very controversial leader in the Dunkard Brethren group and he ended up separating from this group and forming what became the Ephrata Cloister and yes there were quite a few Mennonites who became involved at the Cloister and in fact several are buried in their old cemetery, even an old Mennonite Minister John Bear 1723-1778 and his wife. . The Ephrata Cloister members have often been referred to as “Seventh Day Dunkers”.——- The Tunkers I have researched in Canada and the USA, really believed in the “Great Commission” as their ACTS reveal AND the/a Love Feast and for many years the Dunkards/Tunkers were a plain folk like the Mennonites and they often worshipped together. The Tunkers were in Canada by 1788. The Dunkards aka German Baptist Brethren in USA and The Tunkers in Canada and the United States had considerable associations with the Mennonite Pioneers In Canada and the USA and these praiseworthy relationships should be greatly researched and published in my opinion as Gods Love and the fruits of The Spirit were often shared passionately as Christian Brothers and Sisters should. I feel that it is a shame what we have lost! This is precisely why I bring the Tunkers/Dunkards into the discussion. I personally have been researching and documenting a missing and unidentified and almost completely unmentioned joint Mennonite-Tunker Congregation which began in Blair, Waterloo County Ontario in the year 1800. It all started many many years ago with a single old map drawn by an old Mennonite Minister Joseph Oberholtzer Bauman 1766-1849 who was a Mennonite Minister who had been ordained in Berks Co. PA and had immigrated to Canada in May 1816 and settled on a farm in Blair and who drew a map showing 2 meetinghouses in his area, one of them identifying the location of the missing Mennonite-Tunker meetinghouse.

From 1700-1775 Mennonites associated and attended meetings on occasion, with the German Reformed Group and the Moravian Group and sometimes even the Lutherans. (Especially the ones that could converse in German and Swiss version German and Dutch version German.

1725 Great Mennonite Conferences were held with preachers and bishops consisting of both the Franconia Mennonite Group and the Conestoga Mennonite Group/later know as Lancaster Mennonite Group up from 1725 to at least 1735. The most important thing that emerged is that 16 Mennonite leaders of the 1725 ministry Conference (including Bishops) of both Franconia and Lancaster groups signed documentation officially accepting The Dortrecht Mennonite Confession Of Faith which had been signed by 51 of the leaders and teachers of the time at the Great Mennonite Conference on April 21, 1632 and also affirmed on February 4, 1660 by 6 Ministers and 8 elders representing the Alsacre Mennonites as well as many other Mennonite Conferences in Germany etc. I started some 25 years ago trying to collect all the books and articles ever written by and about both these conferences and their ministry and congregations. I have done the same for Mennonites in Ontario. About 10 years ago I started collecting books on all the related conferences. What a pilgrimage! Often just the smallest bit of information is absolutely amazing in especially the 1800-1900 books because in our past the norm would be: Name______born_______died_______ and that’s it!  There is so much more that needs to be said. Ah yes I was one who would leave Canada and regularly travel to PA etc.and go from meetinghouse to meetinghouse and use my new camera to photograph what I thought was important…for posterity’s sake and then low and behold the internet became mainstream…and I admit I feel a tad bit foolish now. On the other hand some of the dearest Mennonites and Amish I have ever met were from Weaverland etc and are still in my memory.

1775 The next schism we should research and think about ocurred in the 1775 era when Mennonite ordained preacher Martin Boehm 1725-1812 experienced what he called “more light” into the Scriptures. He was excommunicated by the Mennonites some time later (1777) and he eventually united with Philip William Otterbein, a German Reformed minister whom he had met in 1765. Together they started the United Brethren in Christ Church. Their first formal conference was held in 1789. Methodists (also known as United Brethren) formed a class at Martin Boehm’s home about 1775, and his wife was one of the first to join. In 1791, a chapel was built on land which had belonged to the Boehm’s which is still standing today. In 1802 Martin Boehm joined the Mennonite Evangelical Church at BOEHM’S CHAPEL, although this did not interfere with his relationship to the United Brethren. The fellowship between English-speaking Methodists and German-speaking United Brethren was very cordial and they frequently shared in one another’s services. *** source of info,  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~boehm/data/biographies/1725_Beam_Martin_bio.html

above pic of Preacher Martin Boehm found online at gameo.org  an excellent Anabaptist info website

I find it very interesting and extremely thought provoking that the conference did NOT dis-fellowship Preacher Boehm much earlier”

1778 Funkites The next schism we should research and think about, is the so called Funkite Schism/Separation which occurred in 1778 when Mennonite Bishop Christian Funk 1731-1811 of Franconia Twp. PA and about 51 of his followers were separated from the Franconia Mennonite Conference for their stand against the conference regarding the Revolutionary “War Tax” as per website noted below “When the Revolutionary war was in progress, the State of Pennsylvania levied a special war tax upon its citizens of three pounds and ten shillings apiece, to help carry on the war. Many of the Mennonites joined the Quakers in their position, that they could no more give of their means to carry on war than they could give themselves. Christian Funk protested against this attitude, declaring that the war tax should be paid. Funk was excommunicated in 1778, and organized a small body known as “Funkites,” which continued to exist until about 1850. ***info in the above paragraph from https://archive.org/stream/cu31924006701985/cu31924006701985_djvu.txt

There are all sorts of articles written about the Funk family…Just imagine what might have happened if these Funks had resided in a different neighborhood…

Most Mennonite historians are not aware, that here in Ontario Canada the Mennonite Conference and some of the congregations were deeply affected by the the Funkite Group in PA because another one of the Funkite preachers from Franconia Twp. PA (Jacob Detweiler 1778-1858) immigrated to Canada in 1822 and was a key figure in founding the Detweiler Mennonite Congregation as well. During this era the Hallman Mennonite congregation also became organized and they erected a meetinghouse very close to Detweilers…there was some competition for members which did not turn out so good for the Hallman congregation. There is lots of information available about Detweilers Congregation and very little about Hallmans.  Jacob Detweiler’s influence (perhaps due to his experience as a past Funkite) was so strong that for quite a few years his congregation in Ontario was NOT in fellowship with the Ontario Conference and was NOT listed in the churches Calendar of Preaching Appointments accordingly. My direct ancestor Bishop Henry Shantz 1804-1877 was the first Bishop for the District that included Detweiler Mennonite and another one of my ancestors Bishop Shantz was also married to another one of my ancestors Lydia Z. Martin 1810-1899 of the Canadian Pioneer Martin family. Bishop Shantz was often under pressure to be more progressive. I think we should intensify our efforts and publish much more info about Hallman’s Mennonite congregation where the only remains left for many many years has been a bunch of broken  headstones on a small vacant square of land. (what a shame)

1812 The next schism/separation we should think about, is what occurred in 1812 when the Reformed Mennonite Division occurred, originating out of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Founder of the Reformed Mennonites was Francis Herr 1748-1810 who was married to Fanny Bear the daughter of Mennonite Minister Martin Bear c1715-1784. Francis Herr was also the son of Mennonite Minister John Herr 1720-1797. I have found that much detail has been written and published about this group so at this time I will not add much, except to state that the Reformed Mennonites were very active in Ontario Canada since Bishop John Herr of PA visited Canada in 1833 and received a group of 70 persons into the Reformed Mennonite Group. This Group was very focused on the purity of their congregations and were very strict on staying separate from the world and all other religions, even from other Mennonites, both progressives and conservatives. What the true cause of this schism, really doctrine? or was it personality clashes between very influential people? Sometimes the Holy Spirit moves mountains using weak individuals and sometimes using very strong individuals.

1845 Next schism/separation we should meditate on, is the Stauffer/Pike Schism/Separation that occurred in PA in 1845. The original Stauffer Mennonites were formed due to a schism/division from the Lancaster Mennonite Conference in 1845 due to a disagreement over the discipline of couples who accused and who freely admitted abuse of their step-children and the use of “the ban” on them. Bishop Jacob W. Stauffer 1811-1855 and Minister Jacob Weaver 1796-1860 of the Groffdale Mennonite Congregation of The Lancaster Mennonite Conference did not agree with the decisions of the Bishops Council of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference on the proper discipline of offending members of Groffdale Mennonite congregation so eventually Stauffer and Weaver and their supporters separated from the Lancaster Mennonite Conference and formed a separate congregation and later group called Stauffer Mennonites. I believe due to the diversity and all the movements of this group there are members? and ex-members of this group online that could really contribute on much more volumes of accurate and balanced information on this group. ..

I believe it is the Global Anabaptist Enyclopedia Online at http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Old_Order_Mennonites,_Pennsylvania that gives the following paragraph of info: In 1987 this group was located in Lancaster and Snyder Counties, Pennsylvania; St. Mary’s County, Maryland; and Dallas County, Missouri, USA). In 1987 a settlement began in Kentucky. This group had about 500 members. If the name Stauffer Mennonite is used in the broad sense of the word, it can refer to at least nine different groups, each of which had in a measure descended from the original 1845 Jacob Stauffer group. The groups usually were named after their founding bishops. These groups were the Jacob Stauffer, Phares Stauffer, Joseph Brubaker, Noah Hoover, Titus Hoover, Aaron Martin, Allen Martin, Martin Weaver, and Jonas Weaver groups.

1847 The next schism/separation we should really meditate on is the John H. Oberholtzer 1809-1895 led schism which culminated in many, many Mennonites and congregations being separated from each other and the founding of the Eastern District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church) This very large schism/separation is well documented and explained well online at http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Oberholtzer,_John_H._(1809-1895)

It is clear that Oberholtzer’s newly proposed Mennonite WRITTEN Constitution was at the very core of the split. There are a lot of well written, detailed books available from the General Conference Mennonite perspective whereas there are less from the original Franconia Mennonite Conference of Pennsylvania perspective. Details on this schism are so readily available to the public on this division that I do not feel I would add much other than to state that we can all learn much if we meditate using accurate and detailed information and hindsight. One of my favorite sayings is “we can obtain wisdom 2 different ways, we can learn it from others (for free) or we can find out the hard way, by experiencing great pain as we learn the hard way” This schism and the noted 1888-89 schism and the noted 1893 schism are perfect examples of massive and  mind-boggling events in our Church History that we MUST learn from.

above photo of preacher John H. Oberholtzer as found online at http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Oberholtzer,_John_H._(1809-1895)

More notes on Oberholtzer led schism;
1847 on October 28 1847 John H. Oberholtzer 1809-1895 of Eastern Pennsylvania, led a very large schismatic faction which included 16 other ministers and deacons (eight ministers and 8 deacons) which had withdrew from the Franconia Mennonite Conference in 1847 and the new group became the “General Conference of the Mennonite Church of North America”. Otherwise also known as the “New School Mennonites” and the Oberholtzer Group.

NEW MENNONITE GROUP
Bishop John Hunsicker 1773-1847
Bishop Isreal Beidler excommunicated by the new Conference in 1851
Bishop Abraham Hunsicker 1793-1872 excommunicated by the New Conference in 1851
Bishop Christian Clemmer
Minister John H. Oberholtzer 1809-1895 ordained 1842 at the Swamp Congregation
Minister William Landis
Minister Joseph Shantz
Minister William Shelley
?Minister Daniel Geisinger
?Minister Samuel Moyer
Minister Moses Godshall
Minister Henry Johnston
Deacon John Detweiler
Deacon William Godshall
Deacon Henry B. Shelley
Deacon Daniel Geisinger
Deacon Samuel Moyer
Deacon Peter Young
Deacon John Latshaw
Deacon Samuel Kaufman
Deacon John Bauman
Deacon Jacob Benner
Deacon Nathan Pennypacker
Deacon David Taylor
Deacon Abraham Grator excommunicated in 1851

This ministry group detailed above took about 1/3 of the whole Franconia Mennonite Conference group with them, in the schism. This included the majority of the membership of 6 congregations and the remaining adhering members of the Franconia Mennonite Conference either agreed to share in the existing meetinghouses or they had to build new meetinghouses.

Samuel F. Pannabecker states in his book that the following old congregations united with the Oberholtzer group and the meetinghouses were taken over by the Oberholtzer group… Upper Milford, Schwenkesville, Skippack, East Swamp, West Swamp, and Flatland and there were 7 meetinghouses where the Oberholtzer group received partial use of the old meetinghouses and they were Saucon, Springfield, Providence, Worcester, Hereford, Boyertown and Rockhill. At Deep Run a small group of the Oberholtzer group was refused the use of the meetinghouse and they soon erected a building of their own. Samuel states about ¼ of the Franconia Mennonite Conference group united with Oberholtzer.

1848 A Schism occurred at Bowmansville Mennonite a congregation under oversight of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference, over a lawsuit challenging the compulsory school law. This was a smaller schism, however things got quite nasty and extremely un-Christlike on both sides. The dissidents established a new congregation “The Pine Grove Mennonite Congregation” and they later joined the Franconia Mennonite Conference. I have several ancestors who came from the Bowmansville Mennonite Congregation to Canada in the early 1800’s and they were very active Mennonites and Ministers.

1849 The next schism/separation we should really think about, is what occurred c1848 and 1849 involving mostly Vineland aka Moyers Mennonite Congregation and Mountain aka Campden Mennonite Congregation and  Jordan Mennonite Congregation and Rainham Mennonite Congregation and South Cayuga Mennonite Congregation all located near Vineland (near Niagara Falls) and South Cayuga area of Ontario Canada.

Key figures were  Mennonite Minister Daniel Hoch 1806-1878 PRIMARILY and Mennonite Bishop Jacob Gross 1780-1865 to a much lesser degree. Mennonite Minister Daniel Hoch aka High was a very intelligent, passionate, blunt, and controversial preacher and individual. This was not a straight forward type schism where there were simply 2 differing points of view where members lined up either for one side or the other and then after not being able to reconcile they split up and moved on… This schism clearly involved only 1 very key individual; Minister Daniel Hoch, who “traveled A LOT!” and was not afraid to speak his mind. Some would say it was a serious flaw and some would say that it was a gift. In this schism pertaining to what was occurring in these aforementioned few congregation in Ontario, there were little pockets of very strong opposition and little pockets of very strong defense for Daniel Hoch in his ministry. This schism grew and suddenly involved disputation directly with the Mennonite Conference of Ontario, Canada at the highest level.

I have ample, detailed, documented evidence which  proves that Daniel Hoch our Canadian Preacher had a major influence on Bishop John H. Oberholtzer of USA and the New General Mennonite Conference AND VISA VERSA. Most intriguing is that the actual trouble in the select Ontario congregations, surrounded “Sunday School” issues and NOT written constitutions for Mennonites at all.

In addition, another strange thing is a very large number of members were involved in the Oberholtzer Schism in USA and yet in Canada, Minister Hoch’s supporters and detractors did not involve most congregations and only small and sporadic pockets of  members here and there. One possible explanation is, that the Mennonite congregations in Canada were less independent than those in PA and more dependent on each other and their leadership… simply due to less members and congregations being involved and the pioneer atmosphere and circumstances in a colony that had NOT been established for more than 49 years as compared to the Pennsylvania Mennonites which was established for 150 years or so.

In addition, The Hoch Controversy involved a very complex web of family ties and relationships between Daniel Hoch and the Moyers/Meyers who were a well established Mennonite family with many leaders and connections in Canada and the United States. Both the Moyer/Meyer and High Families in the USA had many generations and years of leadership in various Mennonite congregations. The more I have worked on this “jigsaw puzzle” it just keeps on growing!   The only sidenote is that I have also been able to establish that the miller Samuel B. Bowman 1802-1883 of Blair Waterloo County was very involved and very influential in the Hoch/ New Mennonite Controversy and a very vocal correspondent with Bishop Benjamin Eby of the Mennonite Conference of Ontario.

In 1855 an organization was organized called “Conference Council of the United Mennonite Community of Canada West and Ohio” in the formation of which Daniel Hoch took a leading part. The end result in Canada was the creation of what became known as the “New Mennonite Group” and the Evangelical Association of Canada as well as the Brethren in Christ Group as well as the Pentecostal church. The John H. Oberholtzer 1809-1895 led group of PA and also the William Gehman 1827-1918 led group from Pennsylvania (and even William Gehman directly) had a lot of influence on the above mentioned movements in Canada and it is well know that Canadian Mennonite Daniel Hoch 1806-1878 was made a bishop by Bishop Oberholtzer of the USA and Daniel Hoch regularly attended and participated as a leader in Oberholtzers Conferences in Pennsylvania. Previously ordained Ministry from the Ontario Mennonite Conference that joined this New Mennonite Group were as follows; Minister Daniel Hoch 1806-1878 of the Jordan Mennonite Congregation and Minister Samuel Schlichter 1821-1873 of the Blenheim Mennonite Congregation and Minister Ulrich Geiger 1797-1864 of The Geiger Mennonite Congregation and Deacon Jacob Burkholder 1797-1872 a deacon from the Wideman Mennonite Congregation and also perhaps the Schmitt Mennonite Congregation in Vaughan Twp. ON and Minister David Habecker 1791-1889 of The Sanborn Falls NY Mennonite congregation who used to often minister to the Niagara area in Canada and Minister Christian Troyer 1798-1883 from the Schmitt Mennonite Congregation in Vaughan Twp. ON and Abraham Ramer 1814-1891 who is said by B.I.C. Historian Huffman to have been ordained in the Old Mennonite Church in Markham area. Bishop John Lapp 1797-1878 of the Clarence Centre Mennonite congregation for some time worked with Daniel Hoch and the New Mennonites but after 1860 he was back with the original Mennonite Conference as Bishop and Minister Jacob Krehbeil 1835-1917 of Clarence Centre NY State Mennonite Congregation across from the Niagara Canada border and Deacon Jacob Albright 1789-1879 of the Vineland Mennonite Congregation and Deacon Jacob Huber 1817-1890 of the Blenheim Mennonite Congregation…In 1849 when the Hoch controversy exploded Bishop Jacob Gross 1780-1865 of Vineland Mennonite Congregation and Minister Joseph Nash 1830-1898 of the South Cayuga Mennonite congregation left the Ontario Mennonite Conference and joined the United Brethren aka the Evangelical Mennonites whom some called Methodists.

Above pic is of Preacher Daniel Hoch found online on gameo.org website  (an excellent Mennonite Info Site!)

The effects and affects of The Hoch+Oberholtzer Group+Gehman Group were very unique in my opinion,because there were problems and mini-disputes involving small pockets of people and small pockets of leaders from all over the place in Canada and the USA  and things went on and on and on – there were mini-schism after mini-schisms over and over and on and on (long after the initial leader’s deaths) and evidentally to this very day ,nothing has been resolved, things continue to evolve and deviate in a very chaotic and un-orderly manner !!! WHAT IS THE TRUTH? Where did it come from??

The schism led by Minister Daniel Hoch (aka High) in the Ontario Mennonites was in the works parallel with the Oberholtzer Schism in PA but unlike so many other schisms it is evident in BOTH of these schisms, that”keeping house” and or “keeping order” and or  “making order” or a separation to ensure  Holy Communion was NOT very visible on the agenda.  The truth is that the “divide and conquer theory ” in full anticipation of  “offering to make order out of chaos” is one of satan’s most powerful weapons of war! against us and GOD!  False Peace is NO Peace! and I personally feel that it is just as bad or worst than outward war…

Maybe before I reported all of the above I should have started by confessing that I was once asked by a very dear friend to give advice on based on hindsight and the peace achieved… how we/I got thru a very serious long running family dispute in multiple churches related dispute/ 3 different Mennonite church committees also involved…I knew my friends situation well and my honest response to him was “sometimes you HAVE to fight just a little bit longer, before real true peace can be achieved” IRONICALLY  in this same situation I was once in the middle of, with my only true ally being my dearly departed father…I will never forget the day after almost 5 years of what even the 3 different Mennonite Church Committees  finally admitted to us members that the differences were deemed by them to be “irreconcilable” In desperation I met with Dad while my Mom went to communion and asked my wise earthly best friend (My Father) I said Dear Father you know what the committees have announced and you know we have ALL been praying for years and pleading God to help us…what do I have to make peace with my enemy??? I was hoping against hope that my father would provide me with a simple, orderly, highly intelligent and exceedingly wise surprise solution…my fathers blunt answer shocked me; he said “give them EVERYTHING they want, and just a little bit more!” a few weeks later after the most intense pressure of my whole life and even dare i admit “trying” to struggle with God in prayer, I did exactly what my father told me to do!!! and was absolutely shocked (not devastated) when my  enemies admitted they were not satisfied…

OK so now imagine this; 1. all three church committees had walked away from the table and  2. My own church committee (3 very senior people in the conference) had met with me privately after the final 3 church committees joint meeting and told me  2 things (a) they could NOT with a clear conscience recommend that I give my enemy what was demanded and (b) they urged me not to go to court  3. I had offered up everything that my enemy had demanded of me and yes just a little bit more into my enemy’s hands and my enemy simply responded with “NO!” What do you think? happened next?

I started right back at the beginning and I alone went and directly confronted my  enemies and told them that  1. I am not changing the final position I had reached and 2. I would not give up till they accepted the very exact thing they had demanded of me along with a bit more which I had offered up. It took several more months and ALL I DID WAS STICK WITH THE TRUTH and in the end… the exact terms described above were exchanged and the arguments ceased and the doors closed!

The small portion of my personal life story I describe above happened between 1995 and 2000 and had nothing directly to do with doctrine or church business but it hopefully will explain why I have such passionate feelings about Mennonite Church Schisms…

1855 I have been informed that another schism/separation  occurred in 1855 when The Old Order River Brethren originated from the Brethren In Christ Churches. I am NOT an expert on the history of these people and I would like to know so much more about their history. I would love to have more information on the Old Order River Brethren since over the last 10 years or so I have a very small file on this group whereas I have a large file on the B.I.C. I am especially interested in any and all info pertaining to any Old Order River Brethren in Ontario. Please?

1858 The next schism/separation we should consider, is what occurred in 1858 when John Holdeman 1832-1900 was the key leader in another schism in 1858 in Wayne County, Ohio, and organized the Church of God. Another source The Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, also called Holdeman Mennonite, is a Christian Church of Anabaptist heritage. Its formation started in 1859 under its first leader John Holdeman (1832-1900), who was a baptized Mennonite. This group is very similar to Conservative Mennonites but has stayed away from other Conservative Mennonites because of its “true church” doctrine and its practice of expelling.[1] In 2010 the church had 22,779 baptized members. I know for a fact that there people on the internet nowadays who could add volumes to these few lines of information and I welcome it. Most info from
http://churchofgodinchristmennonite.net/en/who_we_are official website and Gameo.org online

I have been “on the inside” in  2 very distinct groups (one which was completely non-Mennonite) that believed  “they were GODS CHURCH” and one of these groups  even will admit publicly that that they are exclusively Gods Church, and ALL others are excluded. So WHO is telling the TRUTH??? In addition I also became a member of one of the more modern Mennonite group and my congregation evolved from a solid Biblical basis to a very wishy-washy and by Biblical standards, lukewarm. I examined by own imperfectness first and then the congregation and I decided that could not agree to the changes taking place from either a macro or a micro analysis and so stopped attending without any fuss whatsoever. This happened in 2000 and to this day I feel I did the right thing, while having to admit I still feel pain for this congregation AND I because of the TRUTH! So for all of you that believe you are in Gods Church and or the Church Of Jesus and believe that their just might be at least one or two people that you have never even met that are “a genuine member in THE True Christian Church”, I feel love for you! I do NOT think we have to (or should) give up our “goodly heritage”…However I am completely convinced every seeker and every believer including all us Mennonites and Amish need to focus on our personal relationship with GOD (Love of God) thru Jesus FIRST and foremost!

1858 The next schism/separation we should meditate on, is what occurred in 1858 in the General Conference Mennonites which had originally separated from the Franconia Mennonite Conference in PA in 1847. This NEW 1858 Organization became know as the Evangelical Mennonite Society (known as the Gehman Group and the Evangelical Mennonites) The founders were William Gehman, William Shelly, David Henning, Henry Diehl, David Gehman, Joseph Schneider and Jacob Gottschall . These Pennsylvania-based Evangelical Mennonites merged with the Indiana and Ontario-based United Mennonites in 1879 to form the Evangelical United Mennonites which four years later helped to form the Mennonite Brethren in Christ as per Global Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. The main leader in the 1858 Schism/separation was William Gehman 1827-1918 years ago was a close associate of John H. Oberholtzer. By 1858 William Gehman and 23 members were at odds with the General Conference and the issue at the center of the schism/separation was “PRAYER MEETINGS” Mennonite Minister William N. Shelly was a key supporter of William Gehman and Minister Musselman was also a very important leader afterwards.

Above is photo of William Gehman from gameo.org website

What most Mennonite Historians have NOT detailed is the important influence William Gehman had on Ontario Canada Mennonites in the Hespeler and Blair area and North Dumphries Township congregations. The Detweilers and Gehmans and Bowmans and Hageys and Bechtels families in the Blair and North Dumphries area were deeply affected by the Hoch Controversy and the Evangelical Movement. Many might be surprised to know that Preacher William Gehman preached at services and Conferences in Canada.

The effects and affects of The Hoch+Oberholtzer Group+Gehman Group were/are very unique in my opinion,because there were problems and mini-disputes involving small pockets of people and small pockets of leaders from all over the place in Canada and the USA  and things went on and on and on – there were mini-schism after mini-schisms over and over and on and on (long after the initial leader’s deaths) and evidently to this very day ,the issues have not been resolved, things continue to evolve and deviate in a very chaotic and un-orderly manner !!! WHAT IS THE TRUTH? Where did it come from?

1859 The Johnson Mennonite group split… Originally the Skippack congregation
of the Franconia Mennonite Conference had been split by the Oberholtzer division of 1847 with the Oberholtzer group keeping the meetinghouse. This group then had a second schism when leaders, Abraham Hunsicker, Abraham Grater, and Henry Hunsicker were excommunicated. There was yet a third schism at the congregation who worshiped at this gracious old Skippack meetinghouse. Henry G. Johnson, now bishop at Skippack, strongly favored the practice of foot washing. The new conference considered the practice acceptable, but decreed that it should be kept optional. Johnson was dissatisfied with this decision, and stopped attending conference. In 1859 he was censored for this action, and in 1861 he was expelled. Most of the Skippack congregation supported Johnson and seceded from the conference with him. They retained the Skippack Mennonite meetinghouse and became known as Johnson Mennonites. Credit for this summary of info on the Johnson Mennonite Group and their meetinghouse goes to Author Beulah S. Hostetler who wrote the good book entitled American Mennonites and Protestant Movements: A Community Paradigm.

ORDINANCES (ACTS) Experienced by Mennonites of my family as members of the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference (old order Mennonites who in 1939 allowed automobiles and telephones.) Both my paternal and maternal grandparents were charter members of this conference.

Above is the only color photo of my dear parents and myself when I was a child. (taken by my aunt in town)

I was completely shocked when I found out during my previous research, when I heard that the Franconia Mennonite Conference did NOT observe feet washing in the 18th century up until the early 19th century.

Here in Waterloo County, Mennonites from 1800 to this very date, in my parents church and other old order groups in Canada still practice; feet-washing, right after members participate in Holy Communion (partaking in a broken off chunk of bread and wine out of a common cup), the Holy kiss, private members only Inquiry and Council Meeting and also a public service prior to holding Holy Communion, public congregational statements of repentance at regular church services by repentant members who have committed a blatant/major sin against God and the congregation after becoming baptized, public announcements of the setting back of un-repentant members, a series of instruction services on Sunday afternoons for the whole congregation and especially the candidates for Adult Baptism , Adult Baptism Services with water and Marriage ceremonies after the anticipated marriage is announced at 3 separate Sundays and Private Nominations given to the elders in Conference for Ministry and nomination services and Ministry candidate interviews and Inquiry of candidates after member input and Ordination Services including “by lot” if more than one candidate is nominated and meets Biblical requirements, Bishop ordination is done using the same method with the potential nominees out of the current Ministry roster. Ministry including deacons ordained to serve for life with no salaries. Funeral Services and a special Thanksgiving Service in the fall after harvest and two separate services commemorating both the death of Jesus and also to commemorate Jesus’s Ascension back to Heaven and a physical prayer covering for female members and males acceptance of their full submission to Jesus Christ’s HEADSHIP. (Personally I believe we can reconcile what Gods purpose is for women, if we understand and accept the man’s responsibility first.) And yes, for those that are curious, both my mother and my grandmother wore their full coverings all day long and took it off after prayers at nighttime once they went to bed. Both of them were buried with their covering on and the black strings tightly tied. (I offer up the following based on my personal observations and personal knowledge of my own family members however I am not vouching for anyone else) It is the amazing personal faith of my both my Grandmas who lived with us as widows especially because they both wore their coverings daily all day till their deaths. My dad’s mom lived with us pretty well, her whole life and she died in 1986 after being a widow for 34 years and my mom’s mom lived with us on the farm after she was widowed in 1954 and she died in 1964. Neither one of these ladies nor my mom ever cut their hair and during the week it was kept clean under the fine white netting covering and usually on Saturdays (or as needed hygienically) when nobody outside of the immediate family was around, they would “let down” their ankle length hair and wash it and dry it naturally (it would take them hours) My father would go to great lengths to ensure that he and us boys would do the dirty smelly work around the farm because of his reverence and love for his wife. Please do not get me wrong, I personally believe being obedient to Gods HEADSHIP Principles for our hearts and minds outlined in the Bible are ultimately more important than adult baptized females simply wearing a white covering on their heads for any and all reasons not found in the Bible. Anointing of oil is very rarely practiced and its done in private by special request and exceptional circumstances at a members request and is performed by the elders. My dear mother had an “anointing of oil performed by the elders” a few weeks before her death of untreated cancer and she told me the night before she died that the anointing gave her the True Peace about her upcoming death she had asked God for, in her prayers…My dear mother died after my father and her last words to me just before she died was “Delmer, everything WILL be allright!”) my parents were Christians First and good Mennonites obviously, as a result. In 1995 I took over the home farm (where I was raised) and most of my life I either lived with my parents or they lived in the doddy house on the farm, so I believe only God our Father, remembers them better than I. This was a awesome Christian couple who never once argued… not even once! My Father loved my dear mother very much like Jesus loves HIS Church. He certainly loved her more than he loved himself. It is no wonder, I struggle to this date with my many errors and weakness. This whole section of my blog is based on my own memory.

1865 The next schism/separation we Mennonites absolutely must research and study and meditate on, is what occurred in 1850-1865 era when The Amish church divided into 1. The Amish Mennonite and 2. The Old Order Amish. I am committed to learning so much more about these dear brethren and sisters of ours, both the old order and the progressives, because their problems are OUR problems just like the Bible states. I have a lot of background information on these dear people and some of the best personal spiritual conversations I have every enjoyed in Pennsylvania have been with old Amish folks as I met them traveling up/down the back-roads of PA doing Mennonite research. What is absolutely amazing to me is how many times when I stopped to speak with elderly Amish (including Ladies) their countenance changed and they got tears in their eyes when they told me they “recognized my dialect” as being “more old and original and undiluted than the dialect that their children and grandchildren speak” nowadays in PA. I found these interactions to be a really Spiritual Experience and I am completely intrigued by our human AND Spiritual connections. (we here In Ontario call it Pennsylvania German or Pennsylvania Dutch)

1872 The next schism/separation we should meditate on, is what occurred in 1872 Wisler Division in Ohio and Indiana aka Wisler-Ramer Group became more formally known as the Ohio-Indiana Mennonite Conference. This division also occurred in Canada in 1888 and in Pennsylvania in 1893 and in Virginia in 1901, however here most people call it the “old order”division. As the http://www.gameo.org states ; The Old Order Mennonites in Indiana were the first of all Old Order groups among Mennonites. They emerged in 1872, when there was a wave of modernization, led by Daniel Brenneman and John F. Funk.  Jacob Wisler (1808-1889), bishop in Indiana since 1851, was a staunch conservative who clashed with the modernizers, who tried to silence him. In 1867 they were successful and Jacob Wisler’s ministry was suspended. In 1872 Jacob Wisler and preachers Christian Bare and John Weaver were expelled from the Indiana Mennonite conference. About 100 members sided with them and formed the Old Order Mennonites of Indiana, who became known under the name of Wisler Mennonites or just Wislers. Later they were joined by Mennonites from Ohio.

From the website gameo.org…Mennonites from Canada settled in Elkhart County, Indiana, beginning in 1839. In 1849 the first Mennonite log meeting house was built near the village of South West, and it was named Yellow Creek after a stream nearby. (my note; What most Mennonite Historians have not written about is that ……from Canada….) Bishop Martin Hoover, who moved to Indiana at age 85, died in 1850 and was replaced by Jacob Wisler, ordained bishop in 1851. In 1861, the congregation required a larger building and built a new structure across the road. Daniel Brenneman, known for his more evangelical theology, and John F. Funk, founder of the Herald of Truth, moved to the Elkhart area in 1864 and 1867 respectively. These two ordained men were known as able preachers and often preached in English, rather than the German language. Because of his skill in English, Brenneman was in great demand in frontier Indiana for funeral services.[1] Difficulties between the progressive and the conservative preachers, including Jacob Wisler (1808-1889), Daniel Brenneman, John Funk, as well as Joseph Rohrer and Joseph Holdeman, resulted in the expulsion of the conservative preachers, first Rohrer and Holdeman, and then Wisler in 1872. Jacob Wisler was then instrumental in the forming of the Ohio-Indiana Mennonite Conference, also called Wisler Mennonites. About 100 church members sided with Jacob Wisler. [2] In 1874 Daniel Brenneman was also expelled.[3]John F. Funk was ordained bishop in 1892, serving for a decade until 1902 when church politics forced him to retire from active preaching.[4] After this division, the Wisler and Funk branches shared the Yellow Creek building, holding services there on alternating Sundays until 1912.[4]

What most Mennonite historians do not seem to write about is the fact that numerous Mennonites who had only been in Canada for 1 generation and had been ordained in ONTARIO Canada decided to move back to the USA and continue in their ordained office there. They were all among the first pioneers of Elkhart Indiana USA. These include;
1. Minister Martin Hoover 1760-1849 who had been ordained minister in the Markham Mennonite congregation in Ontario Canada. Martin had been born in Europe and immigrated to Philiadelphia in 1764 and had immigrated from PA to Markham Ontario in about 1804. Martin Hoover was ordained as Bishop in the USA. and is also buried at the Yellow Creek Mennonite meetinghouse.
2. Minister Benjamin Hershey 1826-1905 of Welland County Ontario Canada Mennonite Conference who was ordained as minister in 1844 in Ontario and who moved to Indiana in 1850 and later became a bishop in Sterling Illinois USA.
3. Minister Daniel Brundage 1812-1895 who was ordained as minister at Schmitt Mennonite Congregation in Ontario in 1845, who moved to Indiana in 1858
4. Deacon Benjamin Huber c1778-1866 who was ordained deacon for Rainham-Stony Creek Mennonite Congregation approximately in 1815 and Deacon Huber immigrated from Ontario to Indiana USA and is also buried at the Yellow Creek Mennonite meetinghouse.
5. Deacon David Good 1805-1864 was ordained as deacon for Martin’s Mennonite Congregation in Waterloo Ontario before 1842. Deacon Good immigrated to Indiana USA and is also buried at the Yellow Creek Mennonite meetinghouse. (his old farm in Ontario was real close to my farm now)

In summation it is critical to understand that the less written about 1872 Wisler Schism/Division in Elkhart Indiana laid the groundwork and was the precursor to the very large 1893 “old order” schism/division in Pennsylvania in the Lancaster Mennonite Conference led by Bishop Jonas H. Martin and the very large 1888/1889 “old order” schism/division which occurred in Ontario Mennonite Conference in Canada and was led by Bishop Abraham W. Martin.

1875 UNION One of the first really interesting unions occurred in 1875, and through this the so called “New Mennonites” and a small group who were also called Reformed Mennonites were brought together. (please note that these Reformed Mennonite were NOT the same group that was founded in 1812.)The next union was between these “United Mennonites”, as they now later called themselves, and the “Evangelical Mennonites of Pennsylvania”, the name assumed being “Evangelical United Mennonites”. These again united with the “Brethren in Christ” and the present name, “Mennonite Brethren in Christ”, taken. The Brethren in Christ was the first branch formed. It split off from the River Brethren in 1838. (I am NOT an expert in these groups and I would dearly like to have so much more knowledge and documentation about these dear people) Another version from unknown source …The River Brethren were found entirely in the United States, and united to form the Mennonite Brethren in Christ in 1883. The Evangelical Mennonites were the second body to appear. They came entirely from Pennsylvania, and broke away from the Oberholtzer (later, General Conference) Mennonites in 1857, uniting to form the Evangelical United Mennonites in 1879. The remaining two bodies were the New Mennonites and Reformed Mennonites. I do not know all the dates for the separation of the New Mennonites, as they left the old church at various times in different places. Probably all the different congregations had separated before 1865. The Reformed Mennonites separated in 1874, and the union of the two occurred in the following year. The last two originated in Canada, though the Reformed Mennonites afterward spread to Indiana, and was the largest body. (I am NOT an expert in all these groups and I would dearly like to have so much more knowledge and documentation about these dear people)

1881 In 1881 the Old Order German Baptist Church developed from the Church Of The Brethren

1883 UNION (DETAILS ) December 27, 1873 Origin of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ About the year 1882 the Brethren in Christ and the Evangelical United Mennonite formed an acquaintance with each other, and soon desired to form a union between the two bodies, which was effected through a special conference held Dec 27, 1883.

1878 to 1874 Schism In Juniata County PA  (from the gameo.org website) A division occurred among the Lancaster Conference Mennonites in Juniata county from 1878 to 1884. Some dissatisfaction developed among the members with the leadership of Jacob Graybill, bishop of the Upper District. Samuel Winey 1822-1882 was ordained in 1873 to assist Bishop Jacob S. Graybill 1817-1892 and took leadership of the Lower District. In 1882 Bishop Winey ordained Thomas Graybill 1824-1900 and William Bergey 1846-1920 to the ministry. Both were chosen through lot, the method the Mennonites used in selecting or finding God’s will in choosing new ministers. Winey died shortly thereafter. Bishop Graybill, Samuel Oberholtzer, and Abraham Brubaker are on record for questioning the late Samuel Winey’s authority to ordain ministers. The Lancaster Conference supported Graybill and rejected Winey’s ordinations. This angered some of those in disagreement and could no longer tolerate Graybill’s leadership. To alleviate tension and strife, they withdrew from the Lancaster Conference. In 1884 the dissenters formed their own congregation and in 1928 joined the General Conference Mennonite Church.

***considering the above, combined with the evidence in my congregational file this schism was caused by personal disputes and not really doctrinal or definitive Ordinance issues. ***

1888-1889 The next schism/separation we should consider is what occurred in 1888 and 1889 when the old order division occurred in Ontario Canada right in the heart of my community in which the key person was my ancestor Bishop Abraham W. Martin 1834-1902 who led the “old order” group out of the main Mennonite Conference of Ontario along with 2 other Bishops and 9 ministers and 8 deacons. There were 2 Bishops and 15 ministers and 10 deacons who stood with the oldest established Mennonite Conference of Ontario which had become the more progressive group and still is. This and the following 1893 massive division in PA USA was a MAJOR division of both leaders and their followers and to this date I believe defines the division of the old order and the Modern Mennonites.What is so ironic is that both the “old order group” in USA and the “old order group” in Canada in 1889 and 1893 actually formed conferences independently and separate from their originating conference that had begun in 1800 in Canada and in early 1700 in the USA.  It has now been over 123 years since these schisms and what have we learned??? As the old saying goes, is the glass half full or is it half empty?? Who was right? Who was wrong? Were they both wrong or were they both right? or as others would say, does it even matter?

Many of the Bishops and Ministers and deacons (on BOTH sides of the 1888-1889 separation ) are in my direct lineage ancestral family tree with the key person being my great-great grandfather Bishop Abraham W. Martin. I also searched for years to find the grave stone of Bishop Martins s father’s gravestone. His name was John Z. Martin and it is written in Mennonite History that he was a very influential and respected Mennonite. Low and behold one time I was just walking around the front corner of the old Martins Mennonite Meetinghouse by St. Jacobs/Waterloo and I noted that the one gravestone and burial-spot closest to the old meetinghouse had the name Johannes Z. Martin in old script and was so surprised when I realized this was the marker I had been looking for. Johannes died many years after those buried further away from the meetinghouse so either he asked for his space to be reserved or someone else reserved it for him. Burials had begun here in c1830. Of course Johns wife Anna Weber is buried right next to him. In a direct comparison when I was speaking with my own dear father (about old burials) before he passed away, he specifically told me that he had requested the caretaker’s records for the Elmira Mennonite Meetinghouse indicate that he DID NOT want to be buried next to the meetinghouse…in fact he requested to be buried behind the caretakers shack in the cemetery, which is exactly where the remains of my parents are today. My dear father was nominated three separate times for the ministry in 2 different congregation (deacon twice and minister once) and all 3 times “the lot” passed over him. In 1995 it was my own dear father who was the very first Christian who proved that GOD was real to me. I often gaze at the long row of my other Martin Ancestors buried up the row right beside the old Elmira Mennonite meetinghouse and then I get completely immersed as my eyes go way to the left and behind the shed and “the TRUTH sets me FREE”

The photo below is the meetinghouse of my childhood and the home meetinghouse and burial ground of my parents and Grandparents and Great grandparents and Great-Great Grandparents This is West Woolwich Mennonite Meetinghouse (now known as Elmira Mennonite Meetinghouse) in Elmira Ontario

The meetinghouse below is where my Great-Great-Great Grandparents and Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents worshiped and where they are buried. This is called Martin’s Mennonite Meetinghouse and is located just down the road from Elmira Ontario at St Jacobs/Waterloo

1893 The next schism/separation we should carefully consider and meditate on, is what occurred in 1893 when the Weaverland Conference Mennonites was founded October 6, 1893 after a massive schism occurred. (as per gameo.org website) “Weaverland Conference Mennonites are an Old Order Mennonite group that began in Weaverland, in East Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was founded on 6 October 1893, when Bishop Jonas H. Martin (of my ancestory) and Deacon Daniel Burkholder, with several hundred followers, withdrew from the Lancaster Mennonite Conference (MC). It was founded as a measure of protest against the innovations that came into the Mennonite Church at that time, especially Sunday schools, solemnizing marriages of nonmembers, church charters, and modern church furnishings and buildings. In 1987 the Weaverland conference still adhered to its founding principles. This group had made some concessions in favor of worship in the English language, modern farm machinery and black automobiles. Its members did, however, held to the usual Old Order Mennonite principles of nonresistance and nonconformity and used the Dordrecht Confession. This conference worked closely with the (Old Order) Mennonite conference of Ohio and Indiana (Wisler-Ramer group) and the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference of Ontario. The Weaverland conference had daughter congregations in numerous counties in Pennsylvania, and also in the states of Virginia, Missouri, New York, and Wisconsin. In 1987 the Weaverland conference had 4,200 members, 69 ordained leaders, and 28 meetinghouses. In 2005 as per Directory of the Weaverland Conference Mennonite Churches” ***end of gameo.org info***

The Best Place I could ever live is PARADISE FOREVER, and my 2nd most cherished home would be “my  earthly fathers home” (which I purchased from him for full market value) and my 3rd. most cherished place on this earth is Weaverland PA.  Please read Ecclesiastes 2:18 for TRUTH

The key person in this schism was Bishop Jonas H. Martin 1839-1925 of my familial ancestry and he was directly related to Bishop Abraham W. Martin 1834-1902 who was the key person in the “old order” schism in Canada in 1888 and 1889 and also directly related to another one of my relatives Bishop Amsey M. Martin 1899-1985 who was a key leader in the more amiable formation of the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference in 1939 in Ontario Canada. The “old order’ Mennonite bishop who succeeded Abraham was Bishop Paul S. Martin 1849-1914 who was followed by Bishop Ezra L. Martin 1849-1914 All of these Martin’s are from the patriarch Christian Martin 1669-1749. Tradition has been handed down from generation to generation that this Christian Martin was an Anabaptist minister who was imprisoned for his faith (for “Religious differences – beliefs contrary to the State Church and imprisoned in Trachselwald Castle in Switzerland from July 1717 to 1732, before being able (he was probably banished) to immigrate to America on September Sept. 21, 1732, when he arrived at Philadelphia aboard the Ship Plaisance. Christian was reunited with his sons in Weaverland, who had all immigrated to America before him. This Christian Martin was the grandfather of Bishop Henry Martin 1741-1825 who in 1809 was ordained bishop of all the Lancaster Mennonite Conference congregations including Weaverland and Groffdale of the state of Pennsylvania. (this was the era before the bishop district was sectioned off into smaller districts.)

To my amazement when I traced back to the above-mentioned Swiss Anabaptist Mennonite Christian Martin 1669-1749; I have realized that in 348 years of my Martin family direct paternal line/history there are only 4 homestead farms and only 3 burial grounds and only 3 old meetinghouses that have ever joined/separated/supported all 10 generations of me and all my forefathers going all the way back to the year 1727 in “Weberthal” Pennsylvania. I must confess that even some family researchers and fellow church historians think I am a bit eccentric in my passion/pilgrimage, but one must understand that my farm deed went from father to son from 1830 to myself, which is extremely humbling AND the fact that I regularly get to actually walk on the farmland which my ancestors farmed here in Canada AND Weaverland PA AND attend services at all 3 meetinghouse and the adjoining burial grounds which all of my forefathers were/are so connected to (2 of which are really close to my farm in Canada) [and amazing little snippets of history ie; when I found a diary listing which shows old Bishop Jonas H. Martin 1839-1925 of PA actually coming to my farm at Elmira Ontario Canada to visit my great-grandfather and the widow of my great-great-great grandfather Deacon Moses W. Martin) However most important of all, the more I research and document the Spiritual Pilgrimage of these same ancestors, the more I am humbled and impressed all at the same time, because I have become acutely aware that I am surely “the least” among these!  Please read Ecclesiastes 2:18 for TRUTH

1900 The Mennonite Church in Virginia USA was faced with schisms in 1853 and in 1900 . The Wisler /Old Order division in Virginia was led by Gabriel D. Heatwole 1834-1922 and then Bishop John Dan Wenger. Bishop John Dan Wenger 1871-1967 was originally from Weaverland PA and well connected with Bishop Jonas H. Martin. The problems in Virginia were very similar and doctrinally related, to the 1888 schism in Canada and the 1893 schism in PA . Without getting into details yet, old order Bishop John Dan Wenger who moved to Virginia expressed himself very bluntly in the letters he wrote to the leadership and his friends in Weaverland. There are some excellent Mennonite writers emerging re; Virginia Mennonites and I would love to hear more detail from them.

1907 The next schism/separation we should consider, is what occurred in 1907 when “the Old Order Mennonites of Ohio and Indiana split into two factions. (as per gameo.org website) The group that was less traditional kept the name of Wisler Mennonites, but took the formal name Ohio-Indiana Mennonite Conference, while the more conservative fraction became known under the name of John W. Martin Mennonites. The central conflict was about telephone use and the English language in preaching, which a majority of the Wisler group wanted to be allowed. In the year 1924 the Wisler group also allowed the ownership of cars. A large group of more modern Wisler Mennonites in Ohio split from the Ohio-Indiana Mennonite Conference and formed the Ohio Wisler Mennonite Conference in 1973.” —- Bishop John W. Martin 1852-1940 was succeeded in his office by his son Joseph F. Martin 1888-___ at the Yellow Creek Mennonite Meetinghouse.

I do not have much personal knowledge about this schism re; these groups in Ohio and Indiana, but is is evident that the Wisler Group seems parallel/similar  with the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference where I was raised. As far as the John W. Martin Group, they appear to be similar/parallel  to the 1927 Wenger Group (Groffdale Old Order) of PA.

1917 The next schism/separation we should study, is what occurred in 1917 when the David Martin Group was founded…by David B. Martin 1838-1920 and his son David W. Martin 1873-1959. David B. Martin had been ordained in the “old order” Mennonite Church for Elmira Mennonite and then he moved to South Peel congregation. The Dave Martin group is very unique in Canada because leaders David B. Martin and his son David Jr and their followers actually left the “old order” horse and buggy group claiming that they were NOT strict enough in following the Ordinances! This new Dave Martin group was extremely strict (some say orthodox) and this David Martin Group  experienced numerous traumatic divisions causing extremely great hurt to its closely connected members and their families.  I tip my hat to some awesome local authors like Sam Steiner at https://ontariomennonitehistory.org/tag/david-martin-mennonites/ and gameo website   and http://gameo.org/index.php?title=David_Martin_Mennonites_(Ontario,_Canada) and
Charlotte Martin at http://www.mhso.org/sites/default/files/publications/Ontmennohistory16-1.pdf
And Peter Hoover as at http://gameo.org/index.php?title=David_Martin_Mennonites_(Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=114116
And Barb Draper who wrote the Excellent and detailed book entitled The Mennonites of St Jacobs and Elmira – Understanding the Variety

Interestingly numerous authors discuss the “ditch dispute” that was one of the causes of the Dave Martin Schism/division… I must disclose that Municipal Drain 1 and Municipal Drain 2 actually meet on my farm about 150 feet from my old 1855 farmhouse. My next door neighbor to the west is from a prominent family who joined the Dave Martin Congregation in the very beginning. Ironically I have a close neighbour  relationship with this neighbor not much different than my other neighbors who are actually “old order” Mennonites, and I knew his father and grandfather well and in actual fact we were in the same “hay gang”. I can testify that The David Martin Group have been the hardest working Mennonite or Amish Group in the last 50 years…they actually promote this extreme, hard work spirit amongst themselves more than any other group does…and trust me when I tell you; my experiences as a youth with the impromptu wrestling matches in “the hay mow” at local auctions etc. these Dave Martin lads were overall physically superior to all the other groups. On a more serious note, I have found evidence that has never been published, of the legal actions and that the origin of this so-called ditch dispute are not in the early 1900’s at all, but go way back to 1890 and also miles and miles up the creek to Peel Twp. So consider this fact and realize that neither of the 2 Dave Martin’s had even been ordained yet in 1890. (food for thought)  As far as other schism issues others have discussed in articles, the whole Metzger dispute was far more complicated and involved than what anyone has disclosed publicly so far. There is no doubt that the  David Martin Schism involved very passionate personal disputes as well.

What is mind-boggling is that right after 1917 and in the exact same neighborhood where the Dave Martin Schism was occurring, a polar opposite reaction/movement was happening simultaneously and the result was out of the same old order congregations where the Dave Martin group came out of, and even included a few of their own members… a progressive group emerged and joined together in a progressive modern non-Mennonite congregation who became what we know as the Wallenstein Bible Chapel. My dear Uncle (an awesome Christian Friend) who once served on my committee was one of the earlier members of Wallenstein Bible Chapel.  I personally have family in all 3 of these completely separate churches. In addition what most of my immediate living family are not even aware of is; my great grandma’s second marriage was to deacon of the Dave Martin Group, while my other great grandma’s second marriage was to the old order deacon of the very same South Peel old order Mennonite congregation noted above. This Deacon Nahrgang (who came from the Wilmot congregation in the 1888 schism) actually resided on my farm homestead after he married my widowed great-grandma. Oh, if the huge old cast iron bell in the little belltower on the top of my old 1855 farmhouse could talk… us local Mennonites would ALL be mind boggled! (Unlike what some outsiders might think, all the local Mennonite (non-city) congregations have always been very large comparatively and no, first cousins are NOT marrying each other) However; for instance just by coincidence, this same great-grandma mentioned above was originally married to Moses W. Martin 1832-1887 who was the Deacon of The Elmira Mennonite congregation and a trustee of The North Woolwich meetinghouse when erected and my Grandpa Moses died right before the 1888 schism/separation occurred. Ironically Great-Grandpa Moses was a brother to the Bishop Abraham W. Martin (who has come up so many times in my blog above) and my Great Great Grandpa was Deacon David Z. Martin 1815-1894 of the Martin’s Mennonite congregation in St Jacobs/Waterloo who was still very much alive and well at the 1888 schism and his son Peter M. Martin 1820-1902 was the preacher at Elmira Mennonite meetinghouse . For the sake of analysis I must state that when the Mennonite shareholders of the “German Company” which was founded in Pennsylvania decided to purchase the 60,000 acres in Canada by deed and the additional 45,000 acres in the tract Two  deed, the Martin family were very minority shareholders, compared to the Eby and Erb and Weber and Brubacher and Wisler Families even though the original Canadian Pioneer with the last name of Martin had 17 children. Even though all of the Pioneer Peter F. Martin children went on to own their own farms, the evidence clearly shows that my Pioneer Martin family was far more involved in the Mennonite Ministry than just being farmers and land owners. Oh and I must also add here that 2 of these 17 Martin children were married and stayed behind in PA. One of them was Barbara Z. Martin 1795-1853 who just happened to be married to Minister David S. Martin 1790-1865 of Slate Hill Mennonite Congregation in PA. and the other daughter who was married and stayed behind in PA was Maria Z. Martin 1796-1875 and ironically she was married to Christian Zimmerman 1793-1869 whose family was at the very heart of the infamous Zimmerman-Lichty Mennonite Meetinghouse fiasco that also involved Bishop Jonas H. Martin of Weaverland. I must say that what happened at Lichty Mennonite is very worthwhile examining all on its own merit but that chapter will be dealt with another day…Just for record, I do NO believe that a true Mennonite and or a true Christian should be a “door mat” for any person Nor should they be bloodthirsty warriors.

1924 A large group of Wisler Mennonites in Ohio withdrew in 1973 and organized the Ohio Wisler Mennonite Conference. I would love to receive more info on this schism but if I do not have any response I will sort out my research and blog later…

1924 The next schism/separation we should research and study, is what occurred in 1924 when Stirling Avenue Mennonite was formed out of the First Mennonite Church in Kitchener. This is a critical schism to study if one is very interested in the “headcovering” issue because this was the core issue and the cause of this schism/separation. In addition it is additionally relevant, because the First Mennonite Congregation in Kitchener Ontario dates back all the way to 1809 and has always been a congregation at the center of the History of Canadian Mennonites. If you would like to study more about this issue, just compare what happened above to what happened in 1959 when the he Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario emerged. I have included some photos in this section.

1927 (Horning Group) led by Bishop Moses G. Horning 1870-1955 of the Mennonite Conference of Old Order Mennonites-later changed to Weaverland Mennonite Conference. This Horning Group is the sister conference and equivalent to the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference where my parents and grandparents were members for all their lives. Without getting into all the nitty gritty yet, (see 1939 listing) they are plain “old order” folks who in the thirties allowed their members to own black cars and use telephones. My dear father (even though he bought a car) kept both his light team and his heavy team of horses for almost 20 years after these conferences changed the rules and regulations. If you look at my main photo on the blog you will see little ole me on the back of the sleigh behind the light team. This light team ended up in the RCMP as one of their police horses.

The Horning Group and The Wenger Group shared meetinghouses on alternative Sundays which also mirrors arrangements made by the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference to share meetinghouses here in Ontario on alternative Sundays with the old order group who did NOT accept automobiles. What is very interesting is that many refer to the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference schism as “the amiable division”  and the “friendly division” . (much food for thought)

1927 Groffdale Horning division continued… (aka Wengers) Old Order Mennonite Conference led by Joseph O. Wenger as per website info from gameo.org…”Groffdale Conference Mennonites were a body of Old Order Mennonites also known as Wenger Mennonites, so named after the group’s first bishop, Joseph O. Wenger. The Groffdale Conference is often thought of as a sister conference to the Weaverland Conference. Both of these conferences share a common legacy, and many of the meetinghouses of both conferences are used in common. The Groffdale conference was founded on 8 April 1927 by the withdrawal of the conservative element of the Weaverland conference from the more progressive portion (THE HORNING GROUP) which had accepted automobiles. The Groffdale conference prefers horse and buggy for conveyance, and in 1987 excluded ownership of rubber-tire tractors and automobiles. They tenaciously adhered to the German language in worship and home life (dialect literature and speech). The membership of this conference was estimated to be 4,200 in 1987. It had 32 meetinghouses and 65 ordained men. This conference had daughter settlements and was affiliated with similar groups of independent origins in numerous Pennsylvania counties and in the states of Missouri, Ohio, New York, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Indiana (Wisler-Martin group). Associate conferences exist in Virginia and Ontario.”

1927 The next schism/separation I would like to have a lot more information on, occurred in 1927 when Beachy Amish Mennonite Division happened. I have heard about the John B. Mast booklet, however I have this gut feeling there are individuals who are online who could give excellent written reports on this schism, and I look forward to reading their reports.

1939 The next schism/separation to consider is what occurred in 1939 when the Markham-Waterloo division occurred here in Ontario…It is referred to locally as one of the most peaceful Mennonite schisms, ever. This was my parents and grandparents Conference and I have referred some to it in the section about the sister Conference which began in 1927 in Lancaster Co. PA and was called the Horning Group and also called Weaverland Mennonite Conference. Because the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference is where I was raised and my close adult relationship with my father …my file on this conference is a work in progress…and I imagine I will give out details if/as things move forward in this blog as The Spirit leads me.  Discernment is a two edged sword…some days I feel like screaming the TRUTH on the highest mountains while other days I feel I need to “flee to the hills” in fear of the Spiritual war that is now raging in the world.

1946 The next schism/separation we should think about, is what occurred in 1946 when the Reidenbach Group withdrew from the Groffdale old order Conference. In 1946 about 35 members of Groffdale Conference of the Old Order Mennonites left the conference over the issue of participation in service at government run CPS camps as an alternative to being drafted into the army. The ones that left the conference to form the new group known as the Reidenbach Group felt strongly that a real Mennonite would rather go to prison as a completely neutral pacifist than participate even in a work camp run by the Civilian Public Service (CPS) These 35 members asked Bishop Wenger to disfellowship anyone who would not take the hardline position and accept prison rather than participation in the non-combatant CPS work camps. Bishop Wenger felt that each member had the right to decide whether to go to prison or accept a completely non-compatant pacifist position as a worker at a CPS camp. Gameo.org website states “Wenger refused the demand of the group. He allowed the drafted men and their families to decide whether to go to a CPS camp or go to prison. To the traditionalists, this response suggested that Wenger was acting as a dictator because the congregation was not allowed to vote on whether to accept Wenger’s policy of leaving the choice about CPS up to individuals and their families. The Thirty-Fivers refused to attend services. Martin and her son-in-law, David B. Hoover, withdrew from the Groffdale Conference and established their own congregation.”
This group was known as the Reidenbach Group or Reidenbachers or the “Thirty-fivers” and in 1956 this small congregation suffered another division when 17% of the group left over Minister Peter Nolt’s teaching on church and the state pertaining to Romans 13. This Nolt Group from PA affiliated for some time with an Orthodox Mennonite group in my area of Ontario Canada. None of these people seemed afraid to become what I would call real pilgrims.

1953 in 1953 another division in the old order group in Virginia occurred… see 1901 for more details…

1959 The next schism/separation we should meditate on, is what occurred in 1959 when The Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario was founded. In1959 the following 6 Ministry and their supporters withdrew from the Mennonite Conference of Ontario;
1. Bishop Moses Roth 1897-1878 (photo below found online at gameo.org)

2. Bishop Curtis Cressman 1894-1971 see photo below Wedding photo of Curtis Cressman and Amanda Byler Cressman, 1919. Family photo(photo below found online at gameo.org)

3. Minister Moses Baer 1913-1978 (see photo and description below found online at Author Sam Steiners excellent website https://ontariomennonitehistory.org/2015/12/07/dissension-and-the-conservative-mennonite-church-of-ontario/

Dress codes reflected in this 1947 photo of the Biehn Mennonite Church Summer Bible School teachers and pastors. Moses Baer (left) and Curtis Cressman (right) wear the plain coat, with women in cape dresses. In Search of Promised Lands photo. Photo Credit for photo found online goes to Sam Steiner who wrote the excellent Mennonite History Book called In Search of Promised Lands.

4. Minister Elmer Grove 1925-1987 His wife was Ella Wideman and her photograph which I found on findagrave is below;

5. Deacon Andrew Axt

6. Deacon Clarence Huber who relocated in the 1940’s with several families from Virginia USA to help form a nucleus for this new congregation on the outskirts of the Mennonite community. 4 families left the small Berea congregation in 1959/60 to join the new Conservative Mennonite church.

The gameo.org website gives the following information; “The reason for the group’s withdrawal from the Mennonite Conference of Ontario (MC) was the desire to return to earlier biblical standards of nonconformity to the unequal yoke in regard to politics, immodest attire (dress), women’s hair cutting, and wearing of jewelry. They wanted closer adherence and obedience to scriptural church ordinances. Their appeal to the conference was ineffective, resulting in their withdrawal.”

1976 In 1976 a further schism occurred when a number of Ministers of the above detailed Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario and their respective congregations determined that they wanted to refine their association with congregations within what was the existing Conference and expand their association of congregations to include a large number of congregations in the USA and so they all banded together and formed a defined brand new Conference of Congregations called The MIDWEST MENNONITE FELLOWSHIP according to gameo.org   “The Midwest Mennonite Fellowship grew out of a number of ministers’ desire for fellowship for themselves and their congregations along with the need of a winter Bible School for their young people. Most of these ministers were from the midwestern United States. A few were from eastern Ontario. On 1 October 1976, 15 of these interested ministers gathered at Fairview, Michigan for a day of fellowship and sharing of concerns. Out of this meeting grew an interest in including others unaffiliated with a conference. At this meeting a committee of three were elected to plan the next meeting. The three brethren chosen were Samuel Yoder (Minnesota, USA), Leighton Martin (Ontario, Canada), and Roman Schlabach (Michigan, USA)…….. “In 2011 the fellowship had 36 congregations with a total membership of 2,166. Although Canada has only 25% of the congregations, it has about 50% of the membership.”

My own brother (and dear Christian Brother) is a member of the Midwest Mennonite Fellowship. I could be biased a tad) so I will rely on the number of members and the number of congregations,  accomplished in such a short length of time, in these Conservative Mennonite Conferences which speaks for itself.

Above photo is of Bishop Leighton Martin and his wife Florence which I retrieved online from the excellent author, Sam Steiners website at https://ontariomennonitehistory.org/2015/12/21/origins-of-the-midwest-mennonite-fellowship-in-ontario/

1969 SCHISM   (from Jean-Paul Benowitz) The Lancaster Conference had decided in 1968 that members could choose, independent of their bishops, whether to live according to the broad approach advocated in the 1963 Mennonite Confession of Faith or to abide by the Conference’s more specific Rules and Discipline. Certain bishops who had organized at the beginning of the decade as the Mennonite Messianic Mission, felt this would allow members too much latitude and so refused to cooperate with the 1968 decision. Thus, in 1969 the last significant schism occurred in the Lancaster Conference with the establishment of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. 127 Two years later the Lancaster and Franconia Conferences officially joined the General Assembly of the Old Mennonite Church. Now, rather than being distinguished as the “old” Mennonites with the General Conference the “new” Mennonites, the Old Mennonites referred to themselves as “the” Mennonite Church. (from Jean-Paul Benowitz)

 

MY SUMMATION Below

Mennonites leaders in the past were really good at discerning the issues that were in the hearts and minds of their members.

Members and families in those old congregations had a much closer relationship than most all of our larger modern Mennonite congregations have, nowadays.

The old schisms were caused by the following two problems 1. The conservatives were too conservative and the progressives were too progressive (all at the same time) At each and all of the major schisms, valid arguments came from both sides as dispute/debate was initiated…but at the point of separation/expulsion/schism I find 1. there was a lack of CHRISTIAN LOVE on both sides and for “orders sake” they simply separated.

A critical thing to bear in mind; in those old Mennonite congregations (in all three of the big conferences in both Canada and in the USA) communion would NOT be held in the affected congregations IF the majority were NOT “at peace”… There had to be peace amongst all those individuals who were prepared to partake in this highly anticipated event – HOLY COMMUNION – Both Spiritual peace and peace amongst the potential partakers was extremely important and in many cases a pre-requisite. I am certain that NOT BEING ABLE to participate in HOLY COMMUNION (regularly scheduled a year ahead on pre-determined dates) would create a very high level of anxiety for these poor folks and there would have been a lot of Spiritual pressure AND peer pressure on everyone, especially the leaders and the ministry to get Gods Church “In Order” as per Gods Purpose. This pressure caused these DIVISIONS and SEPARATIONS so that the communing members could be at peace with GOD AND the other members of the Congregation Of GODS CHURCH whom had decided by freewill and division and separation exactly which members including which ministry they were at peace with.

Using hindsight it seems clear to me that none of those old schisms/separations should have actually happened if obedience to Mark 26 :28-31 had been applied “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”     satan laughed when he was able to get his way..

ON THE OTHER HAND, in the extremely wicked modern world and the spiritually weak congregations we experience nowadays, (many fake and lukewarm Christians) where it is clear to me that the SPIRITUAL WARFARE is intensifying at an alarming pace and there comes a point where it is GODS PURPOSE that a True Christian is separate from an irreconcilably bad situation. Seek THE TRUTH!                Our modern problem is simply a reverse scenario of the old days. Many Mennonites nowadays are all caught up with the fact that the great commission was sadly neglected in the past and so many are trying to make up for lost time by being oh so “politically correct” and “all inclusive” with our fellow sinful humans, that satan is laughing once again IF we reverse the FIRST and the Second Great Commandments of Mark 26… satan is the great deceiver and he also knows his time is short.

To summarize I must confess; what I have found with BOTH the Old Order Mennonites and the modern Mennonites, leads me to one conclusion, we must be Christians FIRST and be Mennonites secondarily and we must focus more on Bible TRUTH and Genuine Christian Love in seeking HOLY COMMUNION and (not so much our doctrine and our ordinances and maybe we should NOT be too focused, on just the things that have given us a good name as Mennonites and Amish in the past. In other words we must stay focused on GODS COMMANDMENTS and NOT fixate on congregationally disputed doctrine. We must be followers of JESUS’s Ministry First!! and Menno’s ministry second!

We must remember that both satan and Jesus Christ came here on this earth to create division. (one with Gods Love and the other with hate for God) as JESUS stipulated at Luke 12:51 “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division” and at Matthew 10:35 where JESUS stipulated ; “For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” And this is all because of the gift of FREE-WILL as a result that GOD would never FORCE anyone to Love Him! And MOST adult humans by personal freewill decisions are on the broad road leading to destruction…facilitated by satan the great deceiver who has great hatred for GOD and His creation, US!

I must also confess that I have tried so hard, to be even half as good a Mennonite as all my forefathers were, but now after many many years I must confess that I am just a prodigal son and a fellow pilgrim striving to be A TRUE CHRISTIAN based on THE BIBLE while constantly being reminded how critical Gods Grace is to our life everlasting.  I associate daily and am surrounded for miles in every direction with many Old Mennonites and New Mennonites and I am convinced generally speaking that the Old Order group is too ordinance (ACTS) oriented and the Modern Mennonites are too worldly. I accept that the two groups (MY people) have very strong strengths and weaknesses and I personally was torn in the middle for many, many years. Both the conservative and the progressive groups are drifting further and further apart. Do not get me wrong in this response, I have a heartfelt love for my people, the Mennonites and the Amish, especially the dear older wiser ones, since many of them really do “ACT” like Christians. Mennonites in the past have been recognized among the most honest and trustworthy and hardworking people in both Canada and the USA…but I am afraid (very afraid) satan is focused on attacking the remnant of “good and right hearted” people in GODS and CHRIST’s CHURCH en-mass nowadays; using BOTH schisms AND false hearted-lukewarm-unity, SIMULTANEOUSLY!!!

May GOD Bless US AND Protect us from evil!

Delmer B. Martin (Please pray and use your Christian Discernment before you do anything with the personal information in this blog) Please send me your comments.

DRAFT ONLY     Work In Progress   (please forgive errors and omissions)

 

Who Are the Real Mennonites

WHO ARE THE REAL MENNONITES???
Is it the largest Conference? the biggest congregation? the fastest growing group or congregation? the group with the least amount of divorces? the ones with the most missionaries? the plainest group? the largest outreach budget? the most charismatic worship services? those that adhere closest to the Schleitheim and Dordrecht Confession of Faith? or those that adhere to the most modern version of a Confession of Faith? Is it the “Old Order” way or alternatively those Mennonites and Amish who embrace the “Great Commission” more so than being really separated from the world?

What is a real historically based Mennonite or Amish? Can I give you the answer in one single sentence or will it take a whole book??? Please respond and let me know what your thoughts are, my dear fellow pilgrims.

My “one line answer”  would be;  Genuine Mennonites and Amish are; Awesome Christians with a passionate focus on certain parts of the Bible with regards to being separate AND different from “the world”.

The Beginning Starting in the 16th Century
Back in the Reformation era the Mennonites were formed out of those who categorically refused to baptize their children as infants. In those days the kings, queens and their subordinates and designates and the State Religion stipulated infant Baptism was law. So course you can imagine how horrified the rulers and the designated Church leaders were when they found out that the so called Anabaptist’s not only refused to baptize their infants, but they actually advocated passionately for ADULT baptism!

After the 17th. And 18th. Century
After this separation from state religion and after the Amish and the Mennonites became settled in a more religiously free country they decided to NOT ONLY stay separate but to make rules and regulations amongst themselves to keep order within their congregations. This was in addition to adhering to the ancestors Confession of Faith (the 1527 Schleitheim Articles and the Dordrecht Confession of 1632)

The most influential verse from the Bible which Mennonites and Amish have focused on AFTER THE REFORMATION , is from Romans 12:2 which states “ And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Most Mennonites and Amish are also very keenly interested in the book of ACTS AND look to their leaders for deep Biblical wisdom.

I find it so ironic that it took me personally almost 45 years before I would invest any time studying Ezekiel or Daniel and especially Revelations. I admit my thoughts were, that I was simply not wise or intelligent enough to be able to understand. (not proper or good reasoning at all)

In my “55 year plus” pilgrimage, I have documented and actually walked on all the property/land where my Mennonite ancestors farmed, from my dearly departed father directly backwards in time for 11 generations and I have visited all their meetinghouses. As a matter of fact because I speak the “old dialect” I even had the distinct pleasure of joining worship services atin the meetinghouses where all of these ancestors worshiped. I have documented proof that every single one of my paternal forefathers going back to 1669 were Mennonite Farmers. I am Blessed to reside and own my father’s farm which was the homestead farm for many generations (since 1830) from the Martin Mennonite Family who came to Canada in the early 1800’s from Weaverland PA.

So the question, does everything I have explained above make me a genuine Mennonite? Certainly from a pedigree perspective I am a Genuine Mennonite…and I should be Genuine Mennonite especially if one considers all the MARTIN Mennonite Bishops and ministers and deacons included my direct paternal and maternal lines. In my paternal line alone, these include Bishop Henry Martin 1741-1825 and Bishop Jonas H. Martin 1839-1925 of the Lancaster Mennonites and Canadian Bishop Abraham W. Martin 1834-1902 and Bishop David B. Martin 1838-1920 and Bishop Paul S. Martin 1849-1914 and Bishop Ezra L. Martin 1858-1939 and Bishop Jesse B. Martin 1897-1974 and Bishop Amsey M. Martin 1899-1985 and Bishop Leighton M. Martin of the Ontario Mennonites. The most influential Ontario Deacons were David Z. Martin 1815-1894 and Moses W. Martin 1832-1887. My own dear father was nominated deacon and for minister and went through the lot 3 times and he actually told me that he was spared by God of the weighty responsibility which he felt he was unworthy of. Every single generation of these ancestors were amazingly good people and they all left a good legacy both materially and spiritually…Now for the bad news

THE BAD NEWS
Here is the bad news if one wants to call it that…I always felt dwarfed, substantively and spiritually by my father and all the Mennonites around me in all directions and all my ancestors. More bad news, I did not even become a Christian till 1988…(about 11 years later than what is considered normal) On a personal note; I resided with my parents on the home farm for almost my whole life and quite frankly my parents had such an awesome Christian marriage that there was actually only one single time I am aware where they did not automatically agree about everything…and it was one time/one day when something came up about me. My parents NEVER disagreed, so this one time, when they did not automatically agree shocked me. (another story for later) More bad news, my dear father and mentor and my best friend died Christmas eve 2002 and my dear mother died Nov. 2009. The 11 bedroom homestead is really empty nowadays and I have been relegated to having someone else farm my forefathers land as of late. More bad news…I have NEVER been into any form of political correctness. If you are looking for a “passive Mennonite blog” my page will probably disappoint you. I personally, am completely convinced that the Biblical reference “turning the other cheek” does NOT MEAN mean being someone’s door-mat (or to facilitate any worldly domination)!

I have always known that I AM NOT a typical good “Old Order” Mennonite AND I am not a typical good “New Mennonite” however since I became a Christian, I deeply cherish and respect Mennonites and Amish and being separate from the world. Mennonites and Amish indeed have a really goodly heritage just like the Bible states at Psalm 16:6 “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage”.

HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS
I cherish being separate from “the world” and I wholeheartedly embrace “the great commission”.

Ironically I did not realize the TRUTH till another 10 years after my belated baptism. IT TOOK ME MANY YEARS to realize that I was supposed to be a GENUINE CHRISTIAN, above everything else (including being Mennonite). This is Gods Purpose for me and ALL Mennonites and Amish as well.

TRUTH = FREEDOM and may God Bless YOU and me and Protect You and me from evil!