The Beachy Amish Mennonites   

Mennonites   

Charitable Organizations

Amish Mennonite Aid began as a response to the secular direction MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) was taking during the post-WWII era. MCC was run by the General Conference Mennonites at that time, which was also taking a turn towards a mainstream direction and away from certain core Biblical values and practices upheld by the church until this point. The first mission work was in West Berlin. AMA set up several relief centers to help refugees fleeing from East Germany. After

Native Kenyan church members gather for encouragement before going out to testify of Christ.

the construction of the Berlin Wall, the mission changed its focus to ministering to local physical and spiritual needs. The mission has since discontinued formal ties with AMA. For a more detailed story about the Berlin missions, please read David and Marie Yoder’s  The Berlin Story.

In 1962, Hurricane Mitch devastated parts of Central America. AMA was invited to help with the rebuilding efforts in Belize and El Salvador. After reconstruction efforts, AMA stayed in these two countries, establishing further missions to meet physical and spiritual

needs of the native population. Additional Beachy communities have since sprouted in both countries, and several native pastors have been ordained to the ministry. The El Salvadorian churches still deal with threats and occasional kidnappings, but the Lord has been faithful in protecting the missionaries. For more details about the El Salvadorian churches, please read Herman Bontrager’s Triumph of Faith (2MB pdf).

During the height of outreaches and evangelization by colonization efforts in the Beachy church, a colony was started in Paraguay near an Old Colony Mennonite settlement. The outreach effort began with a clinic to meet rural health needs and a communal farm to provide income for the clinic's operation. Missionary efforts were expanded in 2001 to an Old Order Amish community that had settled in Paraguay. The expansion was in response to inquiries made by some Amish members who requested spiritual assistance and teachings.

 

In the early 1990s, missionary efforts began in western Kenya. Because of the native's overwhelming interest in the Christian message, the number of churches grew. Lamp and Light Bible courses are distributed to natives, and after completing the course, the students receive a Bible. There is a possibility that regular missionary efforts may soon expand into neighboring Uganda. Like the El Salvadorian churches, the  Kenyan churches have been at times recipients of hostility, inflaming rumors, red tape, and beatings, but God has faithfully delivered the churches from uncertainty many times. The account of each mission as well as numerous stories are found in the book Bringing in the Sheaves.

Missions Interest Committee (MIC) began as a missionary movement among the Old Order Amish in the 1950s. As it was not received warmly among many Amish, the movement gravitated to the Beachy church. For more information about the early development of MIC, including the work of Russell Maniaci, a former Catholic from Detroit who attempted to arouse Amish interest in missions, as well as a compilation of early minutes from MIC meetings, click here. MIC receives most of its funding from the operation of Hillcrest Home (external link), an elderly residential care unit in Arkansas.

A native Kenyan minister teaches an instruction class to baptismal candidates while another native interprets.

Hillcrest is staffed primarily by single Beachy young people.

MIC supports several missions in developed countries. Early mission efforts were focused on establishing several outreach churches in northwest Ontario as a spiritual witness to the westernized native Americans in the region. Many of the native people face struggles with witchcraft and strong drink. MIC expanded its efforts in the early 1980s to Belgium. The early history of this mission is available in the pamphlet European Project (PDF Format, 0.5

A missionary poses with two of the Native American girls from a community in western Ontario.

MB). Another European mission was established in Ireland as a result of the influence of Beachy minister William McGrath.

Faith Mission Home (FMH) is a residential training facility for mentally handicapped children and adults.  Located in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Faith Mission Home has been home to more than 225 residents since it was established in 1965 during the height of Beachy church plantings and missions.  Its purpose is to provide the mentally handicapped with the highest quality of life possible by teaching them life skills in a structured Christian environment. Faith Mission Home is staffed by volunteer families and individuals from supporting Conservative Anabaptist Churches and operates under the joint leadership of Amish Mennonite Aid and Mission Interests Committee. FMH was featured in the December 3, 1990 issue of People magazine.

A group of single staff gather in the kitchen for a spontaneous hymn sing. While staff are mostly occupied during the day with the residents or various chores around the premises, evenings are often a time of relaxation. FMH is one of several voluntary service units young people may opt to work at for about a year.

Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), based in Ephrata, PA, is a para-church organization that provides relief efforts in disaster areas. While CAM is not exclusively a Beachy organization, the Beachys were instrumental in its founding and ongoing operation. Various conservative groups, including the Old Order Amish and various conservative Mennonite conferences, support and volunteer in CAM's efforts. Historic disaster responses has been made to several hurricanes that hit Central America. A sample of recent efforts include rebuilding in the gulf area after Hurricane Katrina, helping with flood relief along the Mississippi River, and rebuilding in a remote part of Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake .

CAM volunteers assisted in reconstruction of numerous houses in Pakistan. Here, two Beachy volunteers help the natives in the construction of one house.

The village of Ghanool is in a remote part of northern Pakistan. Some urban Pakistanis told the crew that they were crazy to go there, as there are terrorists, but the love of Christ showed through in the workers' lives; the villagers were receptive and God kept the workers safe.

Other Missions. Several other mission churches or efforts have been established under other organizations or through individual efforts. One cluster of churches is in eastern Europe, one church in Romania and two in Ukraine. The Romanian church operates an orphanage home, and the Ukrainian churches sponsor a seed program for farmers. The Cold Spring Mennonite Church in South Carolina also sponsors programs in India, though no outreach church has been established. The Beachy churches in Costa Rica are sponsoring a couple outreaches in Guatemala, with a developing interest in ministering to remote villages of Native Americans. Montezuma Amish Mennonite in Georgia has had a long-standing interest in mission work in Australia and is currently sponsoring a program to minister to the needs of and encourage the seekers there. The mission is Australian Christian Brotherhood (external link).

Left: A Ukrainian family that joined the Beachy church.

 

Right: Singing at the church in Ukraine

 Eighty years in God’s service: June 26, 1927 — 2007

Mountain View Nursing Home is a 40 bed nursing care facility sponsored by the Oak Grove Mennonite Church of Aroda, Virginia. Like Hillcrest Home and Faith Mission Home, Mountain View provides an opportunity for young people in Beachy and conservative Anabaptist settings to spend 12 or more months volunteering to a worthy cause. For more information, see Mountain View’s website.

Please note: BeachyAM is not a formal representative of any above named organization or ministry. All  content is included for informative purposes, and an organization’s inclusion on this site implies neither BeachyAM’s endorsement of an organization nor an organization’s endorsement of this site’s content.