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Ontario Mennonite History Is Published Semi-Annually by the Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario, Conrad Grebel College

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Ontario Mennonite History Is Published Semi-Annually by the Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario, Conrad Grebel College MY RELATIVES: Ultra Conservative Mennonites Ontario by Charlotte Martin Mennonite History THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MENNONITE HISTORICAL A farm near Linwood belonging to a member of the David Martin Mennonites. Large hip roof barns with roof SOCIETY OF ONTARIO 'chimney' ventilators are common . Mennonites, for different people, conjure life. However, in studying the history of up different images in the mind . To some, the David Martin Mennonites, I have they are simply a religious group much like started to understand my ancestry and the most other religious groups in Canada. To effects it has had on our family and on my VOLUME XVI others, they are people with a strong social own childhood . Their history is one of conscience who are involved in relief work major church splits over seemingly minor NUMBER 1 in many parts of the world. To others still, issues followed by many excommunica- they are very conservative people, farmers, tions and the cruel practice of shunning . who live without modern conveniences like It is the story of families being torn apart MAY 1998 electricity and indoor plumbing and cars . and alienated from each other for seem- It is this latter image that best describes ingly trivial reasons . It is the story of my my relatives and ancestors . maternal ancestry. The separation of my I remember often hearing, as I was own family from the David Martin ISSN 1192-5515 growing up, about the David Martin Mennonites reflects their general history Mennonites, the group of ultra conserva- which is a fascinating story of uncompro- tive Mennonites in which my mother was mising splits and separations . raised .' They are a small group of The David Martin group of Mennonites Mennonites who broke away from the began in 1917 when my great-great-grand- Old Order Mennonites because the latter father Minister David B. Martin, and his were becoming too worldly and who dis- son Deacon David W. Martin, and another associated themselves from all Mennonite one of my great-great-grandfathers conferences . They live very simply in Minister Daniel Brubacher joined together Waterloo County of Southern Ontario and separated from the Old Order around the towns of St . Clements, Mennonite group to which they previously Wallenstein, Hawkesville and Linwood. belonged . One of the motivations for those The history of the David Martin who left was the issue of owning bicycles . Mennonites is the story of a people who David W. Martin was a young man believe that they should be in the world who had been a deacon in the Wisler sec- but not of it . They have struggled to put tion of the Old Order Mennonite church into practice what they believe the Bible since 1913 . At the time, bicycles were not to teach when it admonishes believers to allowed within the group but some men "love not . the things that are in the had them anyway. When they were told to world." Although I have often heard the put them away, they refused. David was stories about my mother's childhood in the asked to visit them and persuade them to David Martin group, they never seemed to give up bicycles, but he didn't want to do have any connection or relevance to my this unless he could use the ban on those Page 2 who still refused. The Bishop disagreed united with Minister Daniel Brubacher. Brubacher served as the new group's lead- and thought that David wanted too much Daniel had been a minister in the ers, but the group was without a bishop. authority for a young man. Conestogo Old Order Mennonite Church A bishop is needed to perform all the The ban is a form of excommunication since 1876, but he left it in 1909. The important ceremonies such as communion, and complete shunning of any who does reason for his withdrawal is uncertain baptism, marriages and funerals. He can not confess his/her sins. A sin could be although there are some hints of a racy only be a man who has already been a anything from keeping company with scandal involving his son. Since his minister and has proven himself to be someone outside the group to sitting in departure, he had been holding indepen- effective so that he can oversee numerous the wrong pew in the meeting house to dent meetings in his home. ministers and numerous churches. This disagreeing with a particular rule/tradition . Church leaders can only be men and problem was solved on Ascension Day of Users of the ban believe that when people are chosen in the David Martin group by 1918 when Daniel Brubacher was chosen leave their church and are excommunicat- lot, as in other conservative Mennonite as Bishop. The David Martin Mennonites ed, they are lost and will not enter Heaven groups. A day is set aside for members to were now an autonomous group. unless they rejoin the group. Among the choose candidates before the Bishop. The With their new Bishop, they were able David Martin Mennonites, people who bishop then reads off the names, and the to hold their first communion that spring, have erred are given the chance to confess following Tuesday or Wednesday every- on 26 May, with a total of forty-eight in church before they are banned . The one comes together for the ordination . members, all of whom are listed in the deacon calls on them individually and asks As many books as there are candidates are "General Records of the Orthodox them if they confess before God that they set aside in a private room. The deacon Mennonite Church ." Many of the original have sinned and want forgiveness. If the places a piece of paper in one of the books members did not end up staying with the person responds positively then he/she is and hands them all over to another deacon David Martin Mennonites and only seven able to sit back down and continue within or minister. This leader then mixes up the of David B . Martin's thirteen children the group otherwise he/she is put out of books and hands them on to the bishop remained a part of the group. This includ- the church and turned over to Satan. who shuffles them again. By this time it is ed my great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Apparently, the split between the obviously impossible to know which book John W. Martin, and their eleven children, Old Order Mennonites and the David holds the paper. Each candidate takes a the second oldest of which, twelve year Martin Mennonites also involved an issue book from the pulpit where they have been old Lovina, became my grandmother. My with a government drainage ditch in the placed and the bishop delivers a short great-grandfather Peter P. Martin, his wife Three Bridges area near the Conestogo prayer. The books are then handed, one Lydia Brubacher (daughter of Daniel Church . The ditch went through the by one, to the bishop who finds the Brubacher), and seven of their nine property of some of the Mennonites who one containing the paper. The candidate children, were also original members of were therefore supposed to help pay for it. whose book held the paper becomes the this group although Lydia died 7 February The Old Order Mennonites thought they new minister or deacon. 1918, before the first communion was should simply obey the government and There are often three or four ministers held. Their son, my grandfather Peter pay the price, but those who went with the as well as several deacons within one B . Martin, was only fifteen years old David Martin Mennonites refused and a David Martin church. The deacon is a ser- at the time . law suit followed. vant of the church who does not do any The following years brought many new It was as a result of these issues, in the preaching but looks after finances and peo- members to the group as new people joined spring of 1917, that David W. Martin left ple in need and is also involved in some of and young people were baptized, although the Old Order Mennonites with his father, the ceremonies . A man becomes a leader funerals and excommunications also who had been a minister in the Wisler sec- for his lifetime, whether he is good at it or occurred. Baptisms are performed on young tion since 1889. These men, with a follow- not, and he cannot decline the leadership people, around the age of seventeen or eigh- ing of about 45 members, wanted more position. The leaders have never been to teen, who have decided to make a personal rigid discipline and shunning. They had a Bible School or Sunday School or had any decision to become a member of the church. fear that the Old Orders were becoming formal Bible teaching . Many can hardly The young people are given a catechism too moderate and tolerant and they wanted read German, the language in which all book which they are supposed to read a more conservative leadership with an preaching is done. Their mother tongue is although few can because it is in German uncompromising stand. a German dialect known as Pennsylvania which they are not taught to read. For six The new group had no meeting house Dutch and they learn English at school but weeks before the baptism they attend of their own. They held a meeting in the they do not know high German. It is there- services on Sunday afternoons where they South Peel meeting house where both fore easy to understand how their teaching learn the eighteen or so lessons in the cate- Davids had served regularly, but after- is not really based on scripture but rather chism.
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