Amish Mission to Europe
British viewers who have been following ITV’s series following the group of Amish young people who came to the UK for four weeks to experience ‘rumspringa’ may be interested to learn a little bit more about the missionary activities of one of the Amish groups that has had a commitment to mission from their communities in the USA to several European countries.
Amish mission in Ukraine
One of the earliest mission presences was that of Amish Mennonite Aid, active in West Berlin during the late 1950s and into the early 1960s where it was responsible for several centres offering support and aid to refugee East Germans. After the Berlin wall was erected and the flow of refugees stopped, the mission switch its focus to local physical and spiritual needs. Between 1956v and 1977, 49 Amish missionaries worked in the Berlin mission. More about the story of the Berlin mission can be read online.
In the 1950s the Missions Interest Committee emerged out of the Old Order Amish and as a result of reservations in those communities, the Beachy Amish churches took up the responsibility for Amish mission through the IMC. The IMC’s early work focussed on the USA but in the early 1980s it developed a mission programme in Belgium, later expanding into Ireland. Amish missions in Ireland currently focus around a congregation in Dunmore East. The early establishment of this work from the Alsace region of France is described in James Yoder’s European Project.
In addition there have been a number of other Amish mission activities in the Ukraine (two churches) and Romania (one church). These have been either as a result of individual efforts or in partnership with other organisations. Each of these churches is involved in its own mission care for local people, including providing a seed programme for Ukrainian farmers.
In other parts of Europe, the Beachy Amish now co-operate with anabaptist mission organisations such as Christian Aid Ministries.
You can read more about the Beachy Amish on their website.
Explore posts in the same categories: Amish, Belgium, europe, Germany, Ireland, mission
September 6, 2010 at 3:48 pm
I think the belgian mission stopped a few years ago. If what I read was true, a couple and his children went back to America, other people join anabaptist or evangelical local churches. I searched to contact them, but no response. I’ll have to go on place to verify…
Bob (Belgium)
December 5, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Hi Bob,
Just got a question from Amish friends living in Tennessee if there are still any amish people in Belgium? Where did you try to contact them? Where did they live?
Thanks,
Chris / Antwerp
June 30, 2011 at 11:13 am
This is an answer one year later…
The Amish Church was (still is ?) based in Poperinge. I found three different adresses to write to, never get an answer, and one mail came back to me.
Ik zal deze zomer in Poperinge gaan om te begrijpen wat gebeurt.
September 6, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Bob,
Thanks for this clarification of the current status of the Belgian mission. Our reference to the Belgian mission could have been clearer in making the point that James’ Yoder’s book is already some fifteen years old. It serves to show that countries such as Belgian are tough places for cross-cultural missionaries although some sense of satisfaction must remain that former members of the congregation found homes in other anabaptist and evangelical congregations.
June 30, 2011 at 11:11 am
Thanks for this answer. In 2011, the Amish Mission is still recorded as a member of Evangical Churches in Belgium.
I’ll go on place this summer to see what happens
August 17, 2011 at 11:18 pm
And Bob? How was it in Poperinge?
Chris
October 10, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Not yet went there… But I’ve got a free week-end, and a new adress
December 12, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Dear people,
I come back, with a bad news. In fact, I finally received an anwser to my questions, via the Mennonite Center of Brussels. The Paul Yoder’s family (Beachy Amish Mission in Belgium) came back to the USA in 2008.
It’s sad to say, but there is no more Beachy or other Amish in Belgium
I’ll have to find if hte Ireland congregation exists yet. Please notice ther is one congregation in Poland; Eric wrote about it in AmishAmerica blog.
Have yourself a merry Christmas,
Bob.
December 25, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Dear Bob and others,
The mission in Ireland is still strong and growing. In fact, we as a Dutch family are moving over there next month to join them. We moved to England a couple of years ago and through various contacts discovered that the Conservative Anabaptist way is Gods way. God bless you all.
Robert
February 24, 2012 at 11:28 am
Fantastic ! Shall you give us some news, via your blog or any other way ?
Thank you so much !
Bob.
PS : There is a Conservative/Evangelical Anabaptist community in Courtiron, France. Not met yet
May 15, 2012 at 8:07 am
I’m grateful for this thread and the article. Some while ago I posted a piece on my blog under the title of ‘Amish in the Uk’: http://radref.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/amish-in-uk.html
It could have been a short article, because at the moment there aren’t Amish in the UK. I am a member of Wood Green Mennonite Church in London. On a personal basis for some years I have been publicly welcoming of the possibility of Amish communities in the UK. Anabaptist history is a painful story here in Britain. Without persecution it is likely that a full spectrum of Anabaptist-Menonite and Hutterite communties would be thriving here. I’m not in possession of any great resources but I would be willing to offer what support I could to Amish communities considering life and mission in Britain. I am also very much interested in seeing Mennonite churches and communities keeping in touch more closely in the British Isles. Shalom, Philip Wood
September 30, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Hello Philip;
perhaps you could have a contact with the Waterford Amish Mennonite community in Ireland ? I just read an article about them here : http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/unique-irish-community-the-amish-of-dunmore-east-2940332.html
I juts dreamed about the come back of Amish in Europe; you said the anabaptist history was painful : numbers of histories from the Martyrs Mirror come from our land. Here Anabaptists were persecuted by both Catholics, and Protestants ! We are of course not proud at all about that…
Today, there are a few mennonite communities in Belgium, and I think some Brethren also. Another research subject::)
have a nice end of the week,
Bob.
January 1, 2013 at 12:23 am
Hi my name is Veronica I live in France and I would like to know if there is an Amish family here in Europe who’ll need some help , I can learn very fast , its just that I would like to join you how can I do to join you from here?
Thanks for your answers
April 8, 2013 at 1:04 pm
Bonjour Véronica,
hélas, il n’y a plus d’Amish en France, mais bien plusieurs communautés de frères, des communautés anabaptistes, etc.
Le centre mennonite de Paris pourra par courrier, mail ou téléphone, te donner toutes les informations utiles à ce sujet
Bonnes recherches !
Bob.