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Hutterites in North America Winter 2016 | vol 25, no 2 Hutterites in North America Why support Menno-Hof? by Arie and Daniel Hochstetler, Goshen, Ind. by Susan Miller Hutterites, like the Mennonites and Amish, trace their origins managing director to the Swiss Anabaptists in the 1520's. Due to persecution At times we all ask ourselves they fled eastward through Tirol, Austria, and the country of the question of where and in Moravia where the movement gained many followers but also what way we can best share suffered major persecution and martyrdom. The name derives the gifts that God has given from Jakob Hutter, an early leader (not a founder), who then us. This can pertain both to was burned at the stake in 1536, the year the Dutch Menno how we spend our money or Simons left the priesthood. how we use our time. We all Like some German Mennonites, these Anabaptists also know that there are hundreds eventually went to Ukraine where they prospered for a time. of organizations clamoring Their history is the for our attention. (Just check story of ups and your wastebasket after downs, and they sorting through a days’ worth have a strong of mail.) Some questions I awareness of their ask myself before I contribute: Anabaptist origins. Does this organization meet From the early real needs? Does it bring times, as an benefits for eternity? Is the expression of faith- main office taking a huge fulness, they prac- chunk for “administrative ticed expenses?” community of Of course you know goods or where I am going with this. I communal living in feel blessed to be involved production and with Menno-Hof as part of consumption, and the staff. Naturally, I feel the are strongly benefits of supporting nonresistant. Menno-Hof are right at the In the 1870's a top of the list. By giving a few remnant hours per week, month, or immigrated from year to share our heritage, Ukraine to the Dakota Territory in North America and settled Daniel, top our story, you will have left, visits helped give visitors a glimpse in three colonies from which have developed several distinct with into another culture that may groups. Hundreds more, with the same ethnic and religious Hutterite even change their worldview. background, didn't settle in colonies, but merged with friends while It may help them ponder their Mennonites or other groups. Today there are over 500 young own faith journey and hunger communal Hutterite colonies scattered from Minnesota to the children eat after something more. Pacific and in the Prairie Provinces of Canada. a meal Volunteers at Menno-Hof In 1963 Mennonite sociologist Dr. John A. Hostetler together get the privilege of invited Daniel to apply to teach at a Hutterite colony in separate interacting with visitors from Montana and both of us assist him as informal field workers from adults. down the road, or from in research for his "Education and Marginality" study. This Armenia or Vietnam (two of included an analysis of how children are prepared to become the 64 countries represented a part of the colony church and community, and of the here in 2015). (cont. on page 2) process and result when a small percent choose to leave the colony. cont. on page 2 Hutterites in North America (cont. from front) Hutterites all speak a German dialect related to Daniel taught the English school at a their sojourn in Tirol, Austria, but their church Dariusleut Hutterite colony near Grass Range services are in Luther's High German. Children where he had 19 students in six grades. The and teenagers have regular German school by the next year he taught the school at a Lehrerleut sessions where they learn to read and write in numbers colony near Choteau, Montana, where there German, and memorize songs and Scripture. 2015 were 34 students in all eight grades. Like the Young people are baptized as members before ……. Amish, Hutterite young people do not they can get married. While families are a priority, commitment to the community is also 18,318 usually finish high school or attend college. visitors from In each colony we lived in a "teacherage" near fundamental. Due to their distinctive homemade clothes, in many ways they have 64 the residences, communal dining room and more similarity to the Amish than to most different church house. With three small children Arie countries and had many opportunities to relate to the Mennonites. Besides the Sunday worship service, all 50 United colony women and families, and observe their Hutterites have a short service most evenings States. way of life and talk about life and faith in our That makes families and in our churches. just before the group meal. No hymn books are used, as the minister chants out each line 942,322 Besides becoming acquainted with the before the congregation sings that line. All visitors to-date people and colonies where we lived, on (since weekends we visited most of the 21 Hutterite sermons are read from texts written in a past Menno-Hof colonies in Montana at that time, plus a few century. Their view of shunning, if necessary, opened in colonies in Alberta, Canada, and a is very similar to the Amish belief. While 1988)! Schmiedleut colony in South Dakota for a closed communion is observed, they have no wider perspective. In addition to doing some history of practicing foot washing. Ministers interviewing and other projects, we mostly are elected from the membership, and each colony has a "head preacher," with a role similar to an Amish bishop. There is also a "second preacher" who becomes a head preacher when a colony has passed its optimum size and divides into two colonies. During the two years we lived in Montana we developed a close relationship with quite a few people and have kept in regular contact with a number of them. We have gone back to visit several times, but by now Daniel's students and our other friends are living in quite a number of colonies due to periodic "branching out." In September 2014 we drove a rental car 1,000 miles and visited nine colonies and found most of Daniel's students. Since girls live in their husbands' colonies, some of them were living in Canada or too scattered to locate (if their husbands had come from some other colony). While Menno-Hof, for obvious reasons, Women at observed colony life through the seasons and features primarily the history, life and faith of work how the formal and informal activities Mennonites and Amish, it is well to remember preparing contributed to the life and well-being of the that there is a large branch (cont. on page 3) food in the community. communal Hutterites, also known as Hutterian Why support Menno-Hof? (cont. from front) Hutterite Brethren, live in diversified agricultural It is too bad that we need money to do kitchen. The communities consisting of 50 to 150 people. everything but that is just the way it is in today’s large polka Their highly structured lives reflect their long world. You can no longer go to the market to dot scarves past, but they have seen considerable barter. No one will take that old computer off identify changes in the past century as they cope with your hands in exchange for a month’s water these as technology and the pressures of the culture. supply! Whether we like it or not, we all need members of While many of the colonies do grain farming, money to function. the ranching, or have large poultry or hog I want to thank all the faithful volunteers that Lehrerleut operations, more are going into some kind of have been, and still are, so dedicated to keeping group. farm-related manufacturing or sales. While the story alive here at Menno-Hof! You have they all use modern farming equipment and gone the second and third mile to be supportive transportation, some other aspects of their with your money and your time and I agree with lives are more like a past century. you—it is a worthy cause! 2 Thank you for serving! THANK YOU! The Menno-Hof staff and board members would host & hostess like to express gratitude to Dorothy Hostetler, Beginnings & endings | Roselawn Conservative Mennonite Church, for Al Mortenson, Louisville, Ky. | March her years of service as a board member. Dorothy shared her gifts generously and made important Frederick & Sandra Gingerich, Au Gres, Mich. | April contributions to the ministry of Menno-Hof during her terms. We pray that God will bless her in her Dick & Annie Boshart, Lebanon, Pa. | May life endeavors. Thank you, Dorothy! Tim Gascho, Twin Falls, Idaho | May Welcome! Bill Yoder joined the Menno-Hof staff as part-time facility and grounds associate in December 2015. Hutterites in North America (cont. from page 2) Prior to Menno-Hof, Bill was self-employed as a woodworker. In his free time, he enjoys riding his of our Anabaptist family in the Northwest that low rider bicycle on trips of 20 miles or more. Bill shares a common history and faith. and his wife, Gladys, live in Shipshewana and are Many Hutterites welcome friendly visits, members of the Old Order Amish Church. They although due to their more isolated way of life have five children and 13 grandchildren. Bill joins have much less contact with the outside world Don Miller who also works part-time maintaining than we are the facility and grounds at Menno-Hof. Bill’s familiar with. woodworking talents have already been put to Many good use at Menno-Hof and he has jumped right Mennonites in and helped where needed.
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