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Historical Committee

Christlicher Ordnung or Christian Discipline

Being a Collection and Translation of Anabaptist and Amish-Mennonite Church Disciplines (Artikel and Ordnungen) of 1527, 1568, 1607, 1630, 1668, 1688, 1779, 1809, 1837, and 1865, with Historical Explanations and Notes,

Prefatory Note

The writer has, after considerable research, been able to collect and translate the main Anabaptist and Amish-Mennonite Church disciplines of the past 400 years. I have felt that this was necessary because I have noticed that many of our fellow believers are entirely or partially ignorant of what our forefathers actually taught and required in their churches. We realize that even the best rules and regulations cannot of themselves produce Christians. Christians are made by God Who regenerates and transforms those who repent of their sins and take Christ as their Saviour and Lord, according to the narrow way of life revealed in the Word of God. Yet we also realize that the church is authorized by the Word of God to bind and loose and to make rules and regulations based upon the never-changing principles of the Word. Therefore the Christian recognizes gratefully the value of church disciplines, rules and regulations, to help him on the way of spiritual pilgrimage. The spiritually-minded Christian knows he cannot base his salvation on keeping rules and regulations but only on keeping yielded to the control and ruling power of Christ. Yet we know too that a road without fences, without sign-posts, without guide-lines, and without any straightness or direction is a road on which one can easily get lost; so is a church without standards, without rules and regulations- a church in which one may easily get lost. Let us study the old landmarks and seek the old paths.

For the convenience of the reader, we have numbered the articles of these ten disciplines of our forefathers both separately as they come in each discipline and also successively altogether from beginning to end. (These latter numbers appear in the margins, and altogether there are a total of 94 articles, for your convenience in referring back to them in order.) In considering obedience to rules and regulations, remember that our Anabaptist forefathers had two very wise principles-first that true obedience comes from the willing love and readiness of the heart rather than the grudging fear of punishment, and secondly, that whoever would be able to come up with a better and more Spiritual rule, they would accept it from him at any time. By these wise principles they avoided the dangers of slavish, hypocritical legalism and cold, dead, petrified formalism. May we follow them as they followed Christ.

Introductory 

Ever since the first councilor conference of the Apostles, recorded in Acts 15, ministers, bishops and deacons of the Christian Church have from time to time met together to draw up rules and regulations applying principles of the Scripture to the problems of the times. They have done this to settle con- troversies, banish confusion, and establish a clear standerd. They have done this with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who authorized His disciples in Matthew 16 :17-19 and 18 :15-19 to "bind and loose," that is, to make applications of the eternal Scriptural principles. Applications change over the centuries to.. meet the changing issues of the times, but the principles of Scripture are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

There have been rebellious voices raised from time to time, which claim the Church has no authority to regulate applications of doctrine and practice. But the Bible says: "Obey God; obey the Scriptures; obey the church; obey overseers; obey parents; obey magistrates." Now if obey the church and obey overseers means only in the things expressly mentioned in the Bible, then by the same process of reasoning, children do not need to obey parents in anything not expressly mentioned in the Bible and citizens do not need to obey magistrates and civil laws, except in what is expressly stated in the Scriptures. As magistrates have divine authority to make laws and ordinances not expressly mentioned in Scripture for civil welfare, and parents have divine authority to make rules for their children, not expressly
mentioned in the Bible, for the welfare of the home, just so the church has divine authority to make rules and restrictions not expressly mentioned in the Scriptures, for the spiritual welfare of her members and ministers.

It would be strange indeed if every other social group had the right to make rules and regulations for its own welfare, and only the church could not. Those who would try to make such  a foolish claim would be robbing the church of her God-given authority, and binding the church helplessly to the rules and traditions of the world. For it is not a question of whether or not we shall have rules and regulations, but only whether they shall be dictated by the church or by the world, whether they shall be applications of Scripture or merely worldly customs.

There have been a few persons in the past who tried to maintain that church rules and regulations should never be written down or printed up, perhaps assuming that standards would be easier to uphold if they were only passed on by word of mouth. The trouble with such a view is that it leaves too much room for confusion, forgetfulness, and error. For this reason, our forefathers have for centuries passed on written and printed rules and regulations adopted at special ministers' meetings (Diener-Versammlungen). Because of their concern and foresight, we are not in ignorance of the past, as though we had been born yesterday and could not profit from the experience of our forefathers. Collections of these church disciplines have been made from time to time, some printed and some handwritten, but to the best of our knowledge this present collection is the most complete and comprehensive of its kind. It ranges from 1527, two years after our forefathers first organized an Anabaptist congregation, to 1865 when one of the last important Amish Diener-Versammlungen was held. Each of these disciplines has been carefully researched, various editions have been compared, and careful translations have been made, in the interest of clarity and accuracy.

This collection of Amish-Mennonite church disciplines is published now in the hopes of calling our people back to the faith of our forefathers, for many have strayed far from the old paths and the righteous standards. We realize that rules and regulations do not and cannot make unconverted people into Christians, but we realize that those who have been converted desire to live by holy standards rather than by worldly customs. If we have to make a choice between the worldly traditions which have crept into our churches gradually over the years and the godly traditions and standards which our forefathers upheld, may we not hesitate to choose the right. Too often we hear old evils defended by ignorance claiming, "We always have done it so." When we look at the actual facts of the record, "always" in some cases only means during the past 80 or 90 years an evil custom has crept in and become tolerated which was originally forbidden by our forefathers. Search out the old paths; prove all things by the Word of God.

Anabaptist and Amish-Mennonite Church Disciplines (Artikel Und Ordnungen)

For the 1527 SCHLEITHEIM CONFESSION of 7 Articles, the first in this collection, see the Schleithim page.

1568: THE STRASBURG DISCIPLINE of 23 Articles

More than forty years of persecution followed the Schleitheim conference, but the faith of our forefathers spread over much of Europe and thousands were converted. Because there were now so many Anabaptist congregations, there began to be some different convictions and practices, and attempts were made to get together on a common church discipline to which all could agree. In 1554, Menno Simons and several of his co-workers had a meeting at Wismar, in Mecklenburg, Germany and drew up nine resolutions dealing with shunning, courtship, lawsuits, nonresistance, and the ordaining of ministers. But these Wismar resolutions were not all clear and were not accepted by Anabaptists in southern Germany and Switzerland. Accordingly, in 1568 a large conference of preachers and elders from many places met in Strasburg and adopted the following 23 articles of church discipline. Article 20 on the question of nonconformity in dress has been attacked by critics in recent years who have wanted to say that this article could not have required a uniform garb because supposedly our forefathers did not at that time have a distinctive attire as yet; however, this contention is contrary to the evidence of contemporary outside sources who reported that already in 1531 the Anabaptists insisted, on modest apparel, condemned outward adornment and had a ruling even on how many pleats the apron must have (Bullinger and Franck). Again in 1561, Bullinger reported that the common Anabaptists "make rules about clothing, whereof, of what form and shape, and how long, wide or big they shall be." There is no doubt that our forefathers maintained a regulation attire for many centuries, believing it to be a sound expression of a conscientious faith in Christian principles. The following 23 articles are translated from a collation of several sources:

8     Article 1: Those who are neglecting or leaving the meeting, especially during preaching and teaching, and without godly causes, are to be warned and admonished to be attentive and attend during the service.

9     Article 2: Ministers shall visit neighboring congregations, and supply as far as possible any lacks and console the brethren and sisters by the wholesome teaching; with them ordained elders shall also travel, by whom the oncoming elders may be instructed in how to keep house in the church.

10     Article 3: The ministers and elders shall visit, provide for and comfort the wives and children of those ministers who travel in danger or are in prison (or the widows and orphans of those who have died), so that eyeryone in need might be provided for and those that are absent rest in the confidence that their loved ones are cared for.

11     Article 4: All those who are sent out from the congregation into such work, shall be provided and furnished with all the necessities.

12     Article 5: Orphans shall be remembered and taken in before other responsibilities, and brought up in the fear of God, disciplined as one's own children and not despised or cast out.

13     Article 6: The poor, immature orphan children of the brethren and elders of the congregation shall be brought up as opportunity affords from the common property; the well-to-do orphans however shall be brought up from their own property for a reasonable allowance.

14     Article 7: The ordained elders shall travel through the congregations, fill all the offices, and wherever there are no ministers and elders, shall ordain such with the laying on of hands.

15     Article 8: There shall be no fixed rule in communion as to the method of breaking the bread, except that it be done in unity and with a blameless conscience, that there might be one Body. No one shall be forced to accept another procedure, and each shall commune in the congregation in which he is.

16     Article 9: The humbling and kneeling down of those who have sinned, and then return with hearts already repentant shall take place first in the heart before God but the actual kneeling down before the church shall not be omitted.

17     Article 10: The avoidance (Meidung) shall be practiced toward those who have forsaken the truth of the gospel and the brotherhood, causing reproach to the name of God and the brotherhood. Therefore we desire that the church in all temperance and humility withdraw from those who have fallen away, according to the teaching of the Apostles.

18     Article 11: The brethren and sisters, each to each, shall greet each other with the kiss of the Lord; those however who have not been received as members shall not be greeted with the kiss but with the words, "May the Lord come to your help."

19     Article 12: Those who wish to enter into holy matrimony, shall do so with the prior counsel and knowledge of the ministers and elders, and it shall be undertaken in the fear of God and with the consent and permission of their parents.

20     Article 13: If believers are persecuted and driven from their homes by an unbelieving husband or wife, they shall be admonished to continue steadfast in earnest prayer to the Lord for patience until He shall show a way out. In order to avoid this danger, believers shall marry only in the Lord and not be yoked with unbelievers, and only to willing youths or maidens (previously unmarried), or to godly widows or widowers.

21     Article 14: As regards the doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ, we should (not dispute over speculations.) but abide by what the Holy Scriptures say, as Paul testifies that He is the Son of God after the Spirit and the son of David after the flesh, and as Peter confesses: Him, the Son of the living God, and as much as possible avoid and withdraw from all disputing (on the details of the Incarnation) .

22     Article 15: All those who wish to unite with us, but have been baptized by others, shall be diligently examined as to whether they have been baptized after repenting and believing on Christ-and if this is the case, should not be rebaptized. 

23     Article 16: No brother shall engage in buying or building or entering into any other large financial undertaking (or business dealing) without the counsel, (prior) knowledge and consent of the brotherhood and elders. (This provision was to protect the church from having the responsibility for repaying the debts of members who plunged into unwise business ventures.)

24     Article 17: If a brother or sister becomes puffed up with pride or rebellion against the ministry and elders, causing trouble and unrest, such shall be warned and censured by the preaching and application of the Gospel; such gossip and backbiting shall not be allowed to anyone, nor shall it be accepted by any brother or sister, either from those of other congregations or from local members, but shall be dealt with according to the regulations.

25     Article 18: Also if anyone in the congregation shall rebel against the ministry and elders, he shall be silenced and set back by the elders, lest the ministry become timid and discouraged.

26     Article 19: Anyone among the brethren who wants to be shooting or trapping game, shall be warned to hunt only where it is lawfully permitted; and if they disobey this, they shall be expelled with the ban.

27     Article 20: Tailors and seamstresses shall hold to the plain and simple style and shall make nothing at all for pride's sake. The brethren and sisters shall remain steadfastly by the present standard of our regulations concerning apparel, and shall make nothing for pride's sake. ** (Furthermore, shaving off the beard ,or trimming the hair of the head in stylish ways shall not be permitted.) **This last sentence is omitted in some modem copies of the 1568 Discipline, but the Mennonite historian, John Umble, confirms that this rule was adopted in 1568 at Strasburg, and reaffirmed in 1752 at Steinselz and in 1755 at Essilllgen. See Mennonite Encyclopedia, Volume 1, Page 255.

28     Article 21: If a brother or sister has money or valuables and wishes to entrust them to someone, they shall give them to brethren and sisters and not entrust them to the world.

29     Article 22: If a brother (or sister) has worldly people owing him debts, he may allow the law to demand their repayment and allow them to make terms, but may not thereafter let anything be seized by force.

30     Article 23: If a brother is required to watch or guard in village, field, wood, or forest, he may hire a substitute if it serves for betterment or he may himself guard, however in no way such as to bring harm to anyone and also not to carry any weapon (such as a spear or the like).

The foregoing 23 articles of discipline deal with the practical applications and outworking of the Gospel doctrines of nonresistance and nonconformity, the ministry, Christian marriage, and the maintenance of a clean church through ban and excommunication. They cover the very same subjects treated by Menno Simon's resolutions, of Wismar in 1554, but clarify them and go into more detail on practical applications. Taken together with the Schleitheim discipline of 1527, which spelled out the basic principles of a pure church upholding nonconformity and nonresistance, they present us with a remarkably complete picture of what our Anabaptist forefathers believed and practiced. In the centuries that followed, sections of the church began to gradually compromise and drift away so that today there are those who claim that the Anabaptists did not practice strict nonresistance, nonconformity in attire, and the excommunication and shunning of rebellious members. This they claim because they themselves have long since surrendered these Scriptural doctrines and practices. Calling the doctrines and practices of  our forefathers "legalism," they today boast of a supposed higher spirituality which leaves everything up to the individual conscience; consequently, such compromising churches have become like the world and are no longer recognizable as spiritual descendants of the Anabaptists. May our churches never stoop to such folly! 

1607: THE STRASBURG DISCIPLINE Adds Three Articles I

In 1607, another important conference of Anabaptist ministers met in Strasburg, confirming and renewing the 23 articles of the discipline adopted in 1568 and adding to them another 3 articles to deal with new issues. Since the last conference of 1568, the use of tobacco had begun to spread in Europe, and one of these additional articles was to regulate this new fashion.

31     Article 1: If necessity should require it, a brother or sister is permitted to borrow and pay interest on money secured by mortgaging his or her property, household goods and personal possessions, however in no way such as to obligate or involve the church.

32     Article 2: Concerning the use of tobacco and strong drink, it is decided that the public use of tobacco and strong drink is a scandalous offence and for that reason will not be permitted. If such were to be necessary for medical purposes, then it should be used in secret, and with discretion.

33     Article 3: It is recognized that ministers of the divine Gospel are responsible to put their God-given talent to use, and on that account must at times neglect their temporal nourishment and business; since they also therefore more than others have demands upon their time, sometimes having to remain out in service for three or four days or even several weeks at a time, therefore it is recognized that the church is responsible to share with them the temporal means of living as an expression of love (especially those of whom so much is demanded that their own business and making a living has to suffer neglect).

We notice by these articles that our forefathers as late as 1607 still expected their ministers to travel much in the preaching of the Gospel, and still were careful to provide support for such traveling ministers. We also notice that as early as 1607 tobacco and strong drink were forbidden except for medicinal purposes, and then only to be used in secret. Churches which today have departed from this standard of our forefathers are worldly in these points and should reform.

1630: THE HOFFINGEN DISCIPLINE Adds Four Articles

In 1630, on Oct. 10, the Anabaptist ministers assembled in another major conference at which they confirmed and renewed all the preceding articles adopted at Strasburg and added to them another four articles to settle current problems.

34     Article 1: If a brother or sister have committed a public transgression (God forbid), then they must be publicly punished.

35     Article 2: If someone wishes to move away because of persecution, it shall not be permitted without a godly reason.

36     Article 3: No one shall let himself be brought into a court of law or cause anyone else to be brought into such a court, on account of money debts.

37     Article 4: Any ordained minister, of good testimony and in the esteem of the people, may take charge of communion, baptism, marrying, punishing and expelling, in a case where no ordained bishop is at hand, hindered from coming for some good cause.

1668: OBERSULZEN DISCIPLINE of Four More Articles

In 1668, another general conference of ordained men was held (March 5) at Oibersulzen, in the Palatinate, Germany. The preceding regulations were once more confirmed and renewed, and an additional four articles were adopted to deal with the new questions and issues, as follows.

38     Article 1: Those who are ministers of the Word but not yet fully confirmed with the laying on of hands, shall carefully refrain from any claim to baptize or distribute communion or perform marriages, and particularly from taking any action in excluding or cutting off sinners and transgressors, except it be in the case of the absence of elders, ministers or bishops, and that then such a minister be ordered and required to do it by the whole congregation.

39     Article 2: If some difficulty in the congregation shall arise to be dealt with, whether it be a matter of strife or a matter of business between brother and brother, then shall the elders and deacons judge and settle the matter and spare the ministers of the Word from involvement.

40     Article 3: If one is accompanying a corpse to burial (whether among the brethren or outsiders), one shall refrain from going with them into the church, and shall walk by.

41     Article 4: Those feasts which by the world are served up and held at the baptism of young children, shall be abhorred and not attended by those who are members in our churches.

1688: OFFENSTEIN DISCIPLINE of Five Additional Articles

In 1688 at Offenstein (or Offstein) , Germany, another major conference assembled and the ordained men once again met and adopted an additional five articles on keeping order in the churches. This was during a time of much laxity on the part of some congregations and liberalism and neglect on the part of some church leaders. Because some churches refused to keep house on the basis of the old regulations, Jacob Amman and others endeavored to reform the churches and return to the old regulations during the period from 1693-1711. This led to a division; The 1688 conference was the last major conference before the division.

42     Article 1: Ministers and elders should comport themselves as good examples in teaching, living, business, and walk, in conformity with the Gospel and teachings of ,Christ and the apostles, so that they may be a light to other brethren and sisters to follow after in life and walk.

43     Article 2: The ministers of the divine Word in every congregation shall sharply reprove and ward off whatever is contrary to the Gospel and the teaching of Christ and His apostles, whether it be in life or walk, brethren or sisters, or in such things as intemperate eating and drinking, in pride, in long hair, in the wearing of vain clothing, in backbiting, strife and disobedience, or whatever else is worthy of correction as unscriptural.

44     Article 3: The elders and ministers must diligently attend to and take care to deal with those who will not follow our admonitions; they should first try with scriptural discussion to move the disobedient and bring them back to obedience; where this fails, then they must in all fairness and according to the teaching of Christ be disciplined so that other members may not be aggravated or be given room to sin.

45     Article 4: If someone have sinned and through disobedience have to be excommunicated by the ministers and elders with the consent and knowledge of the congregation, and then should begin to run here and there complaining in other congregations, as though an injustice had ,been done to them, they shall not be accepted by any minister, elder, brother or sister nor even be given a hearing, but they shall be admonished to repent and reform.

46     Article 5: Should a minister fall into difficulty or come into strife, his story or complaint should be accepted first; if, however, he is not to be completely trusted, then a quiet and thorough investigation should be conducted at the place where the trouble is supposed to have taken place, and no mere hear-say or rumor be raised up or caused (lest the flocks become yet more stiff-necked), and great expense and trouble be saved. Let all ministry and members observe these rules.

1693-1711: THE AMISH AND MENNONITE DIVISION

A few words of explanation should be here given for those who are uninformed on the causes and particulars of the Amish and Mennonite division which took place among the Swiss, South German, and neighboring congregations of the Anabaptists. While both sides seem to have failed in keeping the right attitude at all times, the basic issue was not a matter of personality clashes. The basic issue at stake was whether or not the congregations would continue to uphold and practice the Anabaptist faith as it had been defined by the foregoing disciplines and articles and the 1632 Confession of Faith. As anyone can notice from studying the foregoing articles of discipline, and the 1632 Confession of Faith, (which specifically mentions feet-washing and shunning, among other articles), the orthodox Anabaptists upheld and practiced separation from the state churches, believer's baptism, excommunication and shunning, feet-washing, nonresistance, nonconformity in attire and appearance, and regulated separation from the world in many ways. However, by 1690, the orthodox Anabaptist faith was becoming forgotten and neglected in many Mennonite churches. Drift, compromise, neglect, and indifference had led to the loss of the rigorous Anabaptist view of the church.

Jakob Amman was an Alsatian Mennonite elder who felt that the general condition of the church was crying out for a reformation. He sought to introduce this needed reformation by practicing a strict church discipline backed up by ex-communication and shunning. He was strongly in favor of a uniform nonconformity in attire, feet-washing, holding communion twice yearly, a stricter attitude .of separation from the Protestant churches, and a strong disciplining of erring church members. Hans Reist was a prominent Swiss Mennonite elder who seems to have felt the church did not need a reformation, shunning or Meidung was unnecessary, uniform attire should be left to the individual conscience, feet-washing was unnecessary, communion once a year was sufficient, it was permissible to attend state-church services (and that the Protestant churches might contain saved Christians), and that a loose church discipline was best. Thus these two men became the leaders of two opposing factions, and finally the church divided into an Amish brotherhood and a Reist brotherhood.

It is interesting to note that today most of the Amish Mennonite churches still try to adhere loyally to Jakob Amman's orthodox Anabaptist standards, while most of the other Mennonite churches throughout the world have surrendered uniform nonconformity in attire, feet-washing, shunning, church discipline of the strict type, and by and large have already lost or are now in the process of losing their nonresistance. The most conservative Mennonites have adopted the orthodox Anabaptist standards held to by Jakob Amman, including feet-washing, communion twice yearly, and a uniform nonconformity in attire. The most careless descendants of the Anabaptists today have forgotten that their forefathers strongly based their view of the church on a membership which was required to be born again before baptism and have also forgotten that their fore-fathers were strongly opposed to the use of tobacco, to bed- courtship, and other worldly practices which have crept in over the years. The following church disciplines of the Amish-Mennonite forefathers show how today once again we are in need of a reformation because many have drifted away from the old spiritual paths. My personal conviction is that Jakob Amman was correct in his convictions (although guilty of using rash methods), while Hans Reist was incorrect in his loose, liberal convictions which ran counter to the orthodox Anabaptist standards (and he was equally rash and stubborn in his methods in clashing with Amman).

At the time of the Reist-Amman split, both parties wore hooks-and-eyes and beards; these things did not become marks of difference until much later. Today we see a lamentable need of reformation both in the Amish-Mennonite and in the Mennonite groups. There is too much drift and neglect and apostasy and compromise with the world. In both groups there is too much lack of concern for a pure church separate from the world unto God, separate for the purpose of holiness as well as the purpose of calling all men to become converted and follow Christ. May we be able to humble ourselves and turn back to God and recapture the Anabaptist faith, practices and witnessing. We need today to recover not only the Anabaptist simplicity of life and outer separation from the world, but also the inner born-again spiritual life which produced the outer. 

1779: ESSINGEN DISCIPLINE of Sixteen Articles 

After the division between the Amish Mennonites and Reist Mennonites was completed in 1711, we know that at least two major Amish-Mennonite conferences (Diener-Versammlung) took place in 1752 at Steinselz and in 1755 at Essingen, at both of which the earlier articles of discipline dating from 1568 to 1688 were renewed and confirmed. Thus the Amish-Mennonite group placed itself on record as being loyal upholders of the orthodox Anabaptist discipline. We do not know if the Reist Mennonites drew up any discipline (Ordnung) after the division, as their emphasis was more on the individual following his own conscience. However, again in 1779, the Amish Mennonites assembled in a major conference at Essingen, in the German Palatinate. At least 22 Amish Mennonite congregations were represented, with 48 ordained men present. Copies of this discipline (Ordnung) were sent to the like-minded congregations in Holland, Russia, and America.

47     Article 1: Concerning the Christian Confession of Faith, just as our forefathers confessed and held to the 33 Articles Confession as it is found in Martyrs' Mirror, so do we also hold to the same, together with the Word of God and the Christian Discipline (Ordnung), and each one shall diligently meditate upon the same and live up to it.

48     Article 2: Concerning the Incarnation of Christ, one should remain, by the Holy Scriptures as Paul testifies, a Son of God after the Spirit and a Son of David after the flesh, and as Peter confesses the Son of the living God, and so much as possible we should avoid and refrain from the vain disputing, as Peter admonishes us to be ready to give an account of our faith to whoever demands to know the ground of the hope which is in us- this is sufficient for the Christian.

49     Article 3: If one brother or several: begin to raise up revolt against the ministers and elders either in word or in deed, such shall be punished according to the Gospel way; their slander and backbiting shall not be accepted by any brother or sister. If it be however a real cause for complaint they shall first reveal the matter to their own ministers and elders in their own congregation (according to Christian love and order) and then if it  
cannot be brought to peace and rest, the matter can be brought to the ministers and elders of the neighboring congregation; if even they cannot then become united, it shall be allowed each party to choose whichever ministers of our faith in whom they have most confidence, and then both sides agree to abide by the decision given by the non-partisan result.

50     Article 4: When the ministers of a congregation die, or through other causes are removed, so that they have no more ministers, the ministers of a neighboring congregation shall serve and care for them, until further arrangements can be made, so that no one shall be neglected.

51     Article 5: Elders should travel throughout the congregations, supplying every lack and seeking to improve each with the Word of the Lord, and where necessary supply the congregation with elders by ordination; with them they should take along young or newly-ordained ministers or elders so that they might be instructed in the housekeeping of the congregation of the Lord.

52     Article 6: The ministers and elders shall serve in their callings from the Lord and His congregation not in pride or as lords but in humility and lowliness, with sincerity and great care truly serving in the Gospel way, and nothing new or strange bringing in so that they be not removed from the simplicity which is in Christ.

53     Article 7: No brother shall engage in any great buying, building, or other large business, or give himself to any unnecessary profiteering usury, without the counsel, fore-knowledge, and consent of the brethren and elders.

54     Article 8: When a brother or sister desire to marry, it shall take place with the prior knowledge and consent of the ministers, and also with the knowledge of their parents, but this marriage shall be only in the Lord and not with the world.

55     Article 9: The shunning (Meidung) shall be used 011 all those who forsake the truth of the Gospel, or leave the brotherhood, so that the Name of God and the Brotherhood may not have any harm added to it; on this account we require that all apostates shall be withdrawn from, with all good moderation and temperance according to the foundation of the apostles.

56     Article 10: Each brother (or sister) shall greet each other brother (or sister) with the kiss of the Lord, but those however who are not yet received as members shall not be greeted with the kiss of the Lord but rather by saying "May the Lord come to your help."

57     Article 11: We also require that the poor, the widows and the .orphans shall be remembered and cared for, and in the nurture of orphans no prejudice shall be displayed, but all alike shall be raised in Christian moderation and fatherly love so that each shall .be able to rejoice over the fatherly love shown.

58     Article 12: All evil practices (Misbrauch) such as tobacco smoking or snuff-taking and such-like shall be stopped.

59     Article 13: All the young men who take off the beard with the razor shall be warned and admonished that if they do not stop, they shall be punished with the ban, as likewise those who cut the hair of the head according to the worldly style.

60     Article 14: In clothing, no worldly style shall be practiced but lowliness and humility shall be diligently applied (as we have already noted in the articles of the discipline of 1752); here especially we forbid the three-cornered neckerchiefs, silken of gauze (transparent) capes, or flowered or checked clothing, or loud blue or any red colors, the pointed or high-heeled shoes or boots made after the vain style of the world and such-like. 

61     Article 15: All ministers and elders shall be wide-awake in exercising teaching, admonition, baptism and communion, and in maintaining Christian order (Ordnung) and discipline without respect of persons, and according to the content of the Holy Gospel shall exercise better supervision. If then any minister cannot succeed in keeping order in his congregation, he shall call for assistance from others of our congregations, and this help shall be given him.

62     Article 16: Hired men and maids who are brethren and sisters of the congregation should be hired before outside servants, and they should not have to hire themselves out to people of other faiths.

These 16 Articles can and should be read every year by the ministry before the communion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1809: THE PENNSYLVANIA DISCIPLINE Adds Nine Articles

The next Amish-Mennonite discipline that we have record of was adopted in Pennsylvania in 1809. At that time, Amish lived only in Berks, Chester, Lancaster, Mifflin, and Somerset counties in any numbers (although a few had begun to move to Holmes County, Ohio as early as 1807). The first scattered Amish settlers had arrived in the U. S. from Europe as early as 1720. Back in Europe, some Amish settlers had emigrated to Holland and Russia but their settlements there either eventually joined the Mennonites, died out, or moved again (to America). Gradually the German and Swiss Amish lost their distinctive identity and merged with the Mennonites. Those who would not compromise emigrated gradually from 1720 to 1874 to America, where they spread out from the east to the mid-west, with some scattered settlements moving to the south and the far west. The conference (Diener-Versammlung) of 1809 was held in Pennsylvania on October 17, and attended by 23 ordained men. They drew up the following nine articles:

63     Article 1: That all those members who leave us and join themselves to other churches, shall be recognized as apostate persons according to the Lord's Word and the discipline (Ordnung), and shall be separated and regarded as deserving the ban.

64     Article 2: He who desires to preach at a funeral according to Christian order may do so within the brotherhood, but not outside.

65     Article 3: We have no grounds in Scripture for excluding any member from the council of the church.

66     Article 4: That the shunning (Meidung) shall be held towards those who have been excommunicated according to the teaching of Christ and the apostles. In eating, drinking, business and social life until they are again received by the congregation.

67     Article 5: And whoever transgresses this rule of shunning out, of weakness or ignorance, can be reconciled by confession before the congregation that he has erred; but he who disobeys knowingly out of insolence but does not remain obstinate when he is approached, he must make a full confession; but whoever stubbornly refuses to hearken to admonition must be excommunicated too.

68     Article 6: Whoever swears an oath knowingly and frivolously shall be excommunicated; but whoever swears out of inexperience need only make a full confession.

69     Article 7: Concerning the shaving of the beard or the style of cutting the hair, it is decided that no one shall be accepted unless he demonstrates the full fruit of obedience, and all those who are already in church and will not obey or conform to this ordinance (Ordnung) shall be dealt with according to Christian discipline.

70     Article 8: Concerning jury service, it is decided that it shall not be tolerated or permitted for brethren of the church.

71     Article 9: Proud attire in coats, and stylish pants (for men), flats and ornamental hair combs (for women) and other such-like worldly dress shall not be tolerated.
In conclusion, all the adopted articles shall be observed and carried out in good 'Christian order (Ordnung) and patience.

1837: PENNSYLVANIA DISCIPLINE of an Additional 12 Articles

On March 18, 1837, another Amish-Mennonite ministers' conference was held in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at which an additional 12 articles were adopted. During this time, (and the years preceding and following) Amish-Mennonite settlers were pushing on into the mid-west, following the frontiers. It has been remarked that many of the early Mennonite congregations in Ohio became extinct after a generation or two because of their inability to keep their young people. The Ohio Amish churches, on the other hand, have been remarkably successful in keeping many of their young people and increasing their churches. One of the chief reasons for this was the different attitude of Mennonites and Amish towards the plain garb. Mennonites dressed their children like the world until they were ready to join church (usually about the age of 20) and only then expected them to suddenly change their ways and begin to dress plain. The Amish, on the other hand, dressed their children in plain garb from early childhood, and thus the plain garb was no barrier when they united with the church. It is a historical fact that most of the Mennonite churches of Ohio even today are largely made up of people from Amish background, as those of original Mennonite stock have in most places become extinct or absorbed into other denominations. As churches become more like the world, they compromise so much that their young people receive less and less Christian training and finally see little value in joining a church which is so much like the world. If Amish churches today were all as consistent and conscientious as their Anabaptist forefathers in training up their children in the way they should go, they would keep even more of their young people than they do now. Notice in the following articles of 1837 that even at this early stage some careless and worldly minded members were allowing their young people to practice bed courtship, and notice how this was then strictly prohibited. Truly there has been a sad falling away (Abfall) in many areas today. May we recognize the need of turning back to God, back to the Bible, and back to the faith of our forefathers. May God in His mercy grant us a reformation in our days!

72     Article 1: It has been observed that decline has set in because God's order (Ordnung) of the ban has been much neglected. Therefore it is resolved that the ex-communication and shunning of all disobedient members shall be used without respect of persons, whether man or woman.

73     Article 2: It is apparent that there is terrible pride in clothing, namely in silken neck-cloths and neck-ties, and mothers eyen bind them on their children's clothing and shirts and even permit their daughters to wear men's hats to church and other places, and even have them themselves. We decree that such things shall not be permitted.

74     Article 3: Decided that there shall be no vain display in houses, namely building (fancy) houses, or painting with various colors, or furnishing them with showy furniture, namely with wooden, porcelain and glass dishes and cupboards (for display) and mirrors on the wall and such-like.

75     Article 4: Decided that worldly politics are not to be served, namely jury serving or voting for the election of officials.

76     Article 5: Decided that immoderate sleigh, driving or (excessive driving) of other vehicles shall not be allowed, and also not those decorated with showy or two-tone colors, as too often has happened.

77     Article 6: Decided that those who marry outside are no longer to be received again so lightly into fellowship, unless it be that they bring their marriage partners with them into Christian order, after true repentance and conversion.

78     Article 7: Decided that when two persons who are outside of the church and want to be accepted into church, the ministers shall make plain to them the obligations of Christian marriage according to godly order (Ordnung) , and when they are received they shall promise before God and the brotherhood to fulfill the obligations of Christian marriage according to Christian order.

79     Article 8: Decided, that the Sabbath is to be kept holy, that one's business shall be accomplished during the six days of the week according to the ordinance, and Sunday is to be kept to the honor of God (except in some case of emergency).

80     Article 9: Decided, concerning the excesses practiced among youth, namely those youth taking liberties to sleep or lie together without any fear or shame- such things shall not be at all tolerated. And if such things take place with the knowledge of the parents and something evil happens on account of it, the parents themselves shall not go unpunished.

81     Article 10: Decided, that our tailors are to make no new or worldly styles of clothing for members of our church, but are to stay by the old style as is defined by the ministers and elders of the church.

82     Article 11: Likewise, cabinet-makers are not to make proud and fancy house furnishings, nor to decorate furniture with loud or gay colors.

83     Article 12: In conclusion, all of the above articles are to be observed according to Christian order (Ordnung) and patience.

1865: DISCIPLINE OF 11 ARTICLES Adopted in Holmes County, Ohio

From 1862 to 1878, a series of general conferences (Diener-Versammlungen) was held annually (except in 1877) by the Amish congregations of America, for the purpose of trying to reconcile differences in practice which had arisen. General agreement was not finally reached, and the Amish congregations divided into three main groups-the liberal Amish (who later came to include the Stucky Amish, Egli Amish, and the various Amish Mennonite conferences); the conservative Amish; and the Old Order Amish. The liberal Amish all organized strongly centralized conferences and became swallowed up by the Mennonite churches. The conservative Amish included those who were in favor of more Bible study and revival preaching, and more adjustment to modern machinery of farming, but at the same time to conserve the separation from the world in dress and other ways. Among the non-conference conservative Amish groups today are the Beachy Amish, the Conservative Mennonite Fellowship, and various unaffiliated Amish. The Old Order Amish are still the largest group today and continue to multiply numerically, adhering to the older forms of worship and attire.

The last general conference before the division of the various Amish groups was the conference of 1865, meeting June 1st in Holmes County, and drawing up a discipline of 11 articles. For a hundred years now there has been no further general conference among the Old Order Amish. Presumably, those who want to uphold the faith of their forefathers still subscribe to the preceding disciplines from the Anabaptist times until 1865. However, in actual practice there have been omissions and additions. Those who desire to see a spiritual reformation and return to the faith of our forefathers can only work and witness and pray for a return to the sound principles of these disciplines and to the Bible upon which they are based. When any people loses touch with the faith of their forefathers, and with the Scriptural source of that faith, they are doomed to gradually decay and petrify into cold and formal fragments.

84     Article 1: When such things become manifest which we recognize as leading to pride and vain display, and leading away from God, and are harmful to the church, they are to be rooted out and are not to be tolerated in the church.

85     Article 2: Decided, not to allow attendance at worldly conventions, or fairs, or yearly fairs, or to take part in them, or to enroll our material possessions in (worldly) insurance companies, or to erect lightning rods on our buildings.

86     Article 3: Decided, not to allow gaily-colored, checked, striped, or flowered clothing made according to the fashions of the world, or parting the hair of man or woman after the worldly styles, or cutting the beard according to worldly styles, or carrying hidden on one's person photographic pictures of human likenesses or hanging them on the wall to look at in our houses.

87     Article 4: Decided, it is not allowed to wear overcoats made of oilcloth or rubber or other overcoats made according to worldly styles, likewise false shirt-bosoms, likewise merchandising after the worldly fashion (for the Saviour drove such out of the temple).

88     Article 5: Decided, likewise luxurious vehicles according to the world's pride and vanity are not to be allowed.

89     Article 6: Decided, it is altogether improper to hold the council of the congregation with open doors, permitting outside persons to sit in council, for council is only to be held with the members of the church.

90     Article 7: Decided, it is recognized as good that the ministers go into the council room (Abrath) before the meeting, as our forefathers did, and we are not satisfied when it is omitted. The apostle says, "Remember your teachers, who proclaimed to you the Gospel."

91     Article 8: Decided, that spiritual songs and spiritual tunes are to be used in the worship in the congregations and not notes, or fast tunes which belong to the world.

92     Article 9: Decided, we recognize it as improper for a Christian to mix the creatures of God, such as horse and donkey, by which mules arise, because the Lord God did not create such in the beginning.

93     Article 10: Decided, that we do not recognize it as allowed for members of the church to serve in worldly offices, especially those in which force is used such as in the military or offices dealing with crime.

94     Article 11: Decided that it is recognized as improper to decorate houses with all sorts of unnecessary and luxurious things such as gaily-colored walls, window curtains, and large mirrors and such like.

The above mentioned articles we consider to be right and good and in accordance with the Word of the Lord and our confession of faith, and as we have been taught and instructed by our forefathers, and intend to stay by the same as we promised when we were received into the church by baptism. And all those who confess the same with us, and work together, and manifest the same by deeds we are willing and ready to recognize as brethren and sisters and to give them the hand and kiss of fellowship, and to serve with them in preaching and teaching, and to maintain spiritual unity with them. For the Saviour says, "Whoever doeth the will of my father in heaven, the same is my brother and sister and mother." And the gate is pictured as narrow, but it is not therefore closed but stands open for all repentant souls, and as it says in Luke 14:33, "No one who is not willing to deny everything can be my disciple."

This last discipline was signed by 34 ministers and from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Canada.

All of the foregoing 94 articles of Christian Discipline (Christlicher Ordnung) have been collected and translated for the edification of serious readers. Everyone knows that rules and regulations cannot of themselves produce Christians, but that those who truly repent and are converted by the New Birth experience will walk the Christian life by the power of the Holy Spirit and the light of the Word of God and will not despise rules and regulations based on Scriptural principles, but rather regard them as friendly helps. May one and all sincerely follow and obey Christ, the Saviour and Lord; there is salvation in no other Name.

INDEX OF THE MAIN SUBJECTS DEALT WITH IN THE DISCIPLINES
(All numbers refer to the articles, numbered from 1 to 94, with Schleitheim comprising 1-7)

Attending worldly churches: 4
Ban (or excommunication): 2, 45, 63, 72
Baptism: 1, 22
Beard: 27, 59, 69, 86
Borrowing: 31, 53
Bundling (bed courtship): 80
Business, church control of: 23,55
Church troubles: 24, 25, 39, 43, 49, 61
Communion: 3, 15
Confession of faith: 1-7,47
Council of the church: 65, 89, 90
Courtship: 80
Discipline, maintaining Ordnung: 52, 61, 72, 83, 85
Disorder in the services: 8
Dress: 27, 43, 60, 69, 71, 73, 81, 86, 87
Fairs and conventions: 85
Feasting, worldly: 41, 43
Funerals: 40, 64
Furnishings and decorating of houses: 74, 82, 94
Hair, styles and trimming: 27, 59, 86 Hired servants: 62
Holy kiss: 18, 56
Hunting and poaching: 26
Immorality: 80
Incarnation of Christ: 21, 48
Investing money: 28
Insurance, worldly: 85
Jury service: 70, 75

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