The Beachy Amish Mennonites   

Mennonites   

Beachy A.M. Online Library

-History-

Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship History articles by Alvin J Beachy and Elmer S Yoder from the Mennonite Encyclopedia External Link

Facts Concerning the Beachy A. M. Division of 1927 by John Mast (1950)
Online text            PDF Format (2.25 MB)

The Amish Settlement in Somerset County, Pennsylvania by Alvin J Beachy (October,1954) from the Mennonite Quarterly Review PDF format (3 MB)

The Rise and Development of the Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches by Alvin J Beachy (April,1955) from the Mennonite Quarterly Review
Online text             Word document

The Amish of Somerset County, Pennsylvania: A Study of the Rise and Development of the Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches by Alvin J Beachy (May 1952). Thesis for Master of Sacred Theology. PDF format (23 MB)

Alvin J. Beachy (1913-1986) was the ninth son of Moses Beachy, after whom the Beachy church is named. He left his boyhood setting and pursued theological inquiry in an academic setting. Out of this direction in life came the above research, which without would have left a large hole in early Beachy history. The primary work was his 1952 thesis he worked on at the Hartford Theological Seminary. Two abbreviated articles based on this thesis were published in the Mennonite Quarterly Review and are frequently cited. However, the thesis provides further valuable information, but has remained obscure. Hopefully, its availability here will change the obscurity. –C.A.A.

The Youth Fellowship Meeting: What It Is, and How It Came to Be by Harvey Yoder
Online text

-Demography-

Birth Rates, Contraception Usage, and Demographic Data Relating to the Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches by Cory A. Anderson Primary research involving interviews, surveys, and extensive statistics construction and analysis. In preparation for journal submission. Fourth revision in progress.
Third edition, March 2006
Online text

Table of Beachy Amish Mennonite Membership, Church Numbers, Births, and Marriages by Year. Online text.

-Geography-

The Diffusion of Beachy Amish Mennonite Congregations in the US South: A Regional Chronicle and Spatial Analysis by Cory A. Anderson (2006). First full edition.
The paper chronicles the spread of Beachy churches throughout the US South (south of the Mason-Dixon Line and Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River) and discusses some of the spatial trends that are unique to this region. Includes maps.
Online text

The Spatial Development and Organization of an Old Order Amish - Beachy Amish Settlement: Nappanee, Indiana by James E. Landing (1967) PDF Format (9.25 MB)

The Failure of Amish Settlements in the South by James E. Landing (1970) from the Mennonite Quarterly Review PDF Format (1 MB)

-Sociology-

A Study in Four Segments of a Beachy Church Youth Group by Cory A. Anderson (April 2004); a term paper written while at Eastern Mennonite University Online text

An Analysis of Amish Mennonite Aid's Development Paradigm by Cory A. Anderson (March 2004); a term paper written while at Eastern Mennonite University Online text

The Role of Women in Old Order Amish, Beachy Amish and Fellowship Churches by Karen Johnson-Weiner (2001) PDF Format (1.75 MB)
While this article has many informative observations and mini-case studies, I wish to express reservation about some conclusions the author draws. I question if the observations made can correlate with the conclusions drawn, when placing an incompatibility of feminist ideology over the moderately varying applications of Christian headship order in the three studied groups. -C.A.A.

-Psychology-

Family Integration and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adult Beachy Amish by Emerson Lesher (1983) PDF Format (6 MB)

An Examination of Child Abuse in Five Beachy Amish Congregations: An Application of Korbin's Cross-Cultural Model of Child Abuse by Bradley J. Morris (1994) PDF Format (6.5 MB)
In order to minimize incorrect perceptions because of the title, please note that the study demonstrated a minimal presence of the predetermined factors leading to child abuse in the sample Beachy settings.

-Church Philosophy-
A Beachy Amish Perspective on the Anabaptist Vision by M. Burt McGrath (1994) PDF Format (1.25 MB)


The Development of Missional Vision in a Midwestern Amish Mennonite Congregation
by Samuel E Matthews (2001) PDF Format (11.5 MB)

An Experimental Report of an Internship with the Nottawa Christian (Beachy Amish) Day School by Daisy Marie Allabach (1977) PDF Format (not yet available)

-Congregational Histories and Features-

Understanding Mennonitism: A Visual Ethnography of the Beachy Amish Mennonites of Lott, Texas by Susan Melinda Gaetz (1994) PDF Format (18.5 MB)

The Amish-Mennonites of Kempsville, Virginia: 1900-1970 compiled by Leon R. Zook and edited by Leroy Miller (1995) Kempsville page
This book has lots of stories and photographs, including a chapter on Yoder’s Dairies!

Mountain View Mennonite Church, Salisbury, PA: 50th Anniversary Celebration program, includes history, timeline, photos, and statistics (2003). PDF Format (6.2 MB)

Several articles about the Beachys in Montezuma, GA, from the Georgia Magazine (June 2004) PDF Format (10 MB)

An article about the Beachys in Catlett, VA, from the Fauquier Magazine (May 1992) PDF Format (2.5 MB)

 

Text Box: The Beachy Amish Mennonites

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

Text Box: General Information
Text Box: Online Library
Text Box: Calvary Bible School
Text Box: Missions
Text Box: Literature and Publishing
Text Box: Other Amish Mennonite Groups
Text Box: For Beachys: News and Announcements
Text Box: Frequently Asked Questions
Text Box: Locate a Beachy or Mennonite Church
Text Box: About this Website and Site Personnel

Recommended Books and Literature

An overview of recommended books pertaining to Beachys and related groups. Books are available for purchase online.

 

External Links

Several websites pertaining to Beachys

External Links

General Links

General History Article from the Mennonite Encyclopedia

Church Homepages and Articles/Features about
Particular Beachy Churches and Institutions

For more information about visiting these and other Beachy churches, click here

Faith Christian Fellowship; Virginia
The official webpage

Bastrop Mennonite Fellowship; Texas
The official webpage

Pilgrim Christian Fellowship; Virginia
The official webpage

Faith Mennonite Fellowship; Texas
Photo Journal by Susan Gaetz

Lyndon Amish Mennonite; Kansas
Article and photo clips/sound byte or a video news clip of a shop, the Selighoff Bakery & Deli, owned by a Beachy A-M family from the Lyndon, KS congregation.

Montezuma Amish Mennonite Church; Georgia
Feature article from the Georgia Magazine

Calvary Fellowship; South Carolina
Feature article from the Augusta Chronicle

Faith Mission Home; Virginia
Early history feature article of the Beachy-sponsered mentally handicapped children's home, from the Charlottesville Area Real Estate Weekly

Cold Springs Mennonite Church; South Carolina
Photo Journal of Quilting and Art, a "work in progress"

Kempsville Mennonite Church; Virginia
Feature article from the Virginian Pilot, and preserved online by the Virginia Tech library
A photograph and caption of the old meeting house

Casey Amish; Kentucky
Article about the church's request to not be photographed for driver's licenses and the state's response

Other Beachy-Related Links

Hillcrest Nursing Home–Hillcrest is an elderly home volunteer service unit for Beachys operated under the auspices of MIC.

Mountain View Nursing Home–MVNH is an elderly home volunteer service unit for Beachys operated under the auspices of Oak Grove Mennonite Church.

Mountain Anthems of Mountain View Mennonite Church, PA– Prominent Beachy choir

Beachy Forum–Though run by a Beachy, most members are not Beachy.

Photo Documentary–of Amish and Beachy settlement in Illinois

 

Other Conservative Anabaptist Links

Anabaptists–Tracts and other writings, including a selection of Anabaptist books available for purchase

Faith Builders Educational Programs–An conservative Mennonites institute of higher education, located in Guys Mills, PA.

Christian Light Publications–One of the two largest and most important conservative Mennonite publishing houses, located in Harrisonburg, VA.

Amish Research at Young CenterDeveloped by the Young Center with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the site provides accurate information on the Amish of North America for students, scholars, journalists, and the general public.

Christian Aid Ministries–A para-church relief organization endorsed by the Beachys and many other conservative Anabaptist groups, including Old Order Amish and various conservative/Old Order Mennonites. (The conservative Anabaptist’s parallel of MCC.)

Order a Copy Here
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Recommended Books and Other Readings

 

The following books are recommended for further reading. Each listing is accompanied with a link that forwards you to one of two dealers from which you can purchase the book. The dealers are Amazon and Christian Light Publications, the latter being a Mennonite publishing house.

By Stephen Scott

 

Beachy Amish Mennonites are closely related in practice to many of the conservative Mennonite groups. This book expounds upon the beliefs, culture, and daily life of the conservative Mennonites, and explains the recent history of the Mennonites with an emphasis on the ongoing struggle of the Mennonites to maintain a Biblical way of life. Scott further discusses how the main body of Mennonites moved toward mainstream Christianity in the twentieth century, abandoning distinctive practices and the efforts conservatives took to maintain Biblical applications and fundamental theology.

Section One: The Old Order Mennonites

1. The Beginnings of the Old Order Mennonite Movement

2. Traveling Slowly in the Straight and Narrow Way: The Horse-and-Buggy Old Order Mennonites

3. Traveling More Rapidly in the Straight and Narrow Way: The Automobile Old Order Mennonites

4. An Old Road with Many Branches: Stauffer Mennonites

5. The First Keepers of the Old Way: The Reformed Mennonites

Section Two: The Conservative Mennonites

6. The Conservative Mennonite Conference

7. Blending the New and the Old

8. The Growing Conservative Mennonite Movement

9. The Conservative Way

 

 

Pages: 252

Publisher: Good Books

Year: 1996

Table of Contents