Whats the difference between Mennonites and Amish?
We find that many people asking about Mennonites are actually thinking of the Amish or Old Order Mennonites. Mennonites and Amish come from a Protestant tradition known as Anabaptism (meaning to be baptized again) begun in the 16th century. The first Anabaptists separated from the state church because of their belief that a relationship with Christ is an adult choice and baptism must come out of an adult decision to follow Christ in every aspect of life. At that time, infant baptism was the accepted practice. (See “How did the Mennonite church begin?”) Besides their common historical roots, Mennonite and Amish groups all stress that they should live out their beliefs in daily life. While the groups agree on basic Christian doctrine, their differences come in interpreting how those practices should be lived out. The original difference in opinion came in 1693, when Jacob Ammann, a Swiss Anabaptist leader, felt that the church leaders were not holding to strict separation from the world
