what is a mennonite?

There are many diverse expressions of the Mennonite faith throughout the world.  There are also many different denominational structures that fall under the umbrella of Mennonite.  We are a part of Mennonite Church USA, which is a modern community of believers. In fact, you likely already know Mennonites, even though they don't wear distinctive clothing or drive horse drawn buggies.

What do Mennonites believe? Mennonites are Christians who adhere to common orthodox Christian beliefs. You can read our confession of faith here.

Where do Mennonites come from? Historically, Mennonites are a part of the radical reformation - a group of protestant reformers who broke from both the Roman Catholic Church and other Protestant reformers. They shared the same concerns as Protestant reformers concerning the Roman Catholic Church.  Yet, they broke company with those same Protestant reformers over things like the relationship between the church and state. Mennonites believed that the church should be free from the influence of the state.  They believed the church was a separate and Holy community made up of believers in Jesus.  This belief is common today as it became a central part of the U.S. Constitution in the 1st Amendment.

What makes Mennonites unique? What make's Mennonite faith unique is a radical commitment to follow the plain teaching of Jesus in all areas of life.  This stands out most clearly in the Mennonite commitment to follow Jesus' teaching concerning violence.

Is the Mennonite church a closed community?  By no means. All are welcome!  Even though we have some clear theological commitments that may be different than some, by the very nature of our faith understanding, we accept and include any and all who wish to be a part. That doesn't mean we won't teach our clear convictions and live out our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.  It does mean that we don't exclude others simply because they disagree with our teaching on things like simple living, serving others and practicing peace.  Our biggest concern is that we are all moving towards Jesus and maturing in our ability to follow Him faithfully. We help each other, recognizing that we are all at different places in our journey towards being like Jesus.

What is Anabaptism?  If you are around Mennonite churches for very long, you will hear the words Anabaptist and/or Anabaptism.  No, we're not saying, "Anti-baptist" or "Anti-baptism", even though it may sound like that.  Anabaptist is a particular stream of theological thought. An accessible introduction to Anabaptist theology is a book entitled The Naked Anabaptist by Stuart Murray. Anabaptism shares some of the same roots as Evangelicalism and Protestantism more broadly.  However, it does have some distinctive elements such as non-hierarchical leadership, service based upon giftedness not gender or other identity markers, reading the whole Bible through the lens of Jesus, mutual discernment in what the Bible means and how to apply that in life, mutual accountability and mutual aid.

How can I become a part of Metamora Mennonite Church?  It's simple, just join us in worship and stick around for a while. You'll get to know folks through shared meals, Sunday school class, small groups, special services, and times of service to others.  There are many ways to get involved on Sunday morning and during the week.  Keep in mind that the Mennonite way of following Jesus can be different, it might look and feel different than what you are used to, but it is a learned rhythm of Christian living that leads to a fruitful Christian walk over time.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at metmenno@mtco.com