Reidenbach Old Order Mennonites

During World War II around the year 1942 there was a conflict among the Groffdale Conference Mennonites about the question if members of the Conference should send their male youth to government-run Civilian Public Service camps or if the young males should rather go to jail. Dozens of members refrained therefore from communion and many of them tried to join other elseminded groups. After some years 35 of these church members who opted against Civilian Public Service camps on May 30, 1946 formed a separate church and built a meetinghouse in 1947 close to Reidenbach, Pa. Since then they became known as Thirty-Fivers, Fimfunddreissiger, Reidenbachers, Reidenbach Mennonites or after their many fragmentations got new names after leaders, influential members, patriarchs or bishops. The Thirty-Fivers naming still dominates, even is quoted by themselves. Their later history is characterized by a long series of splits, the major one being a division in 1977 about the use of bottled gas, which left the 158 members in two groups, one of 90 members, the John J. Martin group, who forbade bottled gas, and one of 68 members, the Amos Martin group, who allowed it. The John J. Martin group later saw several further splits.[1] [2]

The table below lists all splits of more than one family until the middle of the year 1996:[3]

Since 1996 some more splits happened and new splinter groups were started, mostly one family units by now.

For example, the Aaron Z. Martin group had a split shortly after they had built a meeting house on Wenzel Road, forming the Wayne H. Martin group. This group moved down to Kentucky and from a nucleus of around ten families it has now over 25 families. This group years later embraced alone standing 35er families in Lancaster County to join them. Rufus Hoover & wife for example joined them. Another example is its deacon Ivan W. Hoover. He was formerly bishop of the Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde, was taken in as laymen among the Aaron Z. Martin group, and again voted for an office and cast for deacon. In the split he went with the Wayne H. Martin side and moved down also.

Other groups dissolved: This is valid for the whole of Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde. It has been dissolved in the early 2000s after the last two families, neighbors on opposite street sides, separated from each other. The meeting house is not anymore used and not cared for well, its sheds are storing room for wood. Probably in some years it will be torn down and again a field area. Its location is Snyder Drive, New Holland, Pa. The last families, Leon H. Hoover and its neighbor David Z. Hoover formed one-family-units. These families were the remnants after many splits forming new small churches out of the Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde. After all these splits from and in the Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde there are just two groups left over with more than one family. These are the Rufus Z. Martin group and the "Amos W. Hoover group" (abt 3 complete families). The last group is very much reserved to speak to outsiders.

Also the Henry M. Hoover group dissolved, resulting from an internal movement joining the Gorrie Mennonites. Henry M. Hoover, its leader, finally joined with some families the Orthodox Mennonites of Gorrie, Huron County, Ontario, while staying in Kentucky. This had a complete impact on his lifestyle, even outlook: growing full beards, getting outhouses...This had also a positive effect on their growth and for their youth who could find more company beside the closest first cousins. The term Gorrie Fivers was quoted for this group. Over 22 couples can be counted now to this group, which have a direct 35er background and are mixed marriages between 35ers and Gorrie people of before. Some of Henry's group did not join, especially the Harvey Z. Martin side(his former best friend) and united with the Aaron Z. Martin group in Lancaster, which resulted in a new split at that time forming the Wayne H. Martin group(reasons were the fast ordination of Aaron Z. Martin when Henry was expelled as preacher). This is the current second line stemming from Henry M. Hoover. And finally the last of his group's families and single persons joined either the Amos Martin branch started in Kentucky at that time or the Groffdale Conference Mennonites and became "Städtler" ("Town people", joined the world). This dissolution was a voluntarian movement. Its main leader decided to join a bigger Old Order Mennonite group, some followed, others joined other Reidenbach Mennonites groups or even the Wenger Mennonites(Groffdale Conference) or disunited again with another Mennonite group.

The John Martin group split in 2007, which is described in a book from one side(Mark Z. Hoover: The Inside Story). Nowadays one side is (was) called the "strict 35er" or Daniel Hoover group (according to news reports in 2010). The other side is the Paul F. Martin group(John Martin's son). Daniel Hoover's group(or John W. Hoover's group its former name also) moved down to Kentucky after 2010 and built an own meeting house, while the Paul F. Martin branch still uses the Old Reidenbach meeting house. Both groups have 15-20 families by now. The Daniel M. Hoover group lost some families(two complete families, one husband with some children) shortly after they moved down. These persons joined a separate Amish group of Vevay, Switzerland Co., Indiana which had just 15 families itself(Girod-group). This splinter group of 35ers became Amish, while still having a separate identity. The term "Amish Fivers" would classify them well.

Beside these new or dissolved groups, many single family units exist, some holding church service in kitchens or living rooms, some just read from the Bible. On their children's side there is a weak, but growing tendency to leave, but still most hold to their parents and stay single because their parents separated from other families. By now there are some groups whose children reach now the late 40s and never married, had no chance, because their parents(in their eighties) separated some decades ago and stayed alone for so many years. They followed them.

One should quote also that there was a remarkable growth in two groups. The Amos Martin group (big church/Gross Gemee) has now at least four settlements and over 85 families. It is the most liberal Reidenbacher church. Certain single families or children of the conservative side even attend their church services, some children joined and intermarried again into their parents´ or grandparents´ mother group. And as above mentioned the Kentucky group around Wayne H. Martin(died 2018), grew up to thirty families by now.

In 2017 Reidenbach Mennonite memberships and groups were as follows: (its calculations is quoted beneath)

Separated, alone standing families are not listed, for each family one can assume 8-15 members, if not otherwise quoted in parenthesis: David M. Hoovers, Earl H. Hoovers, Ben H. Martins, John Z. Hoovers(2), Jonas H. Hoovers, Leon H. Hoovers, David Z. Hoovers

The belief of the Reidenbach Mennonites almost does not differ much from other Old Order Mennonites, except in the Meidung(shunning) issue and in a greater emphasize of keeping rules.

Reidenbach Mennonites emphasize complete removal of memberships combined with strong shunning in social matters unless Wenger Mennonites, who rather exclude members from taking communion if expelled, but do not shun much socially.

Another issue is their understanding that technological backwardness is a strong helping tool for stepping up the heavenly ladder, keeping and holding on to material rules became very much a matter of salvation: One former Henry Hoover Mennonite deacon p.g. expressed to another member, who had a crawler:

"„Dann wittscht du liewer de tractor hawwe wie in de Himmel kumme?“!"

(said to A.M.H. by A.H.M. and translated as: "Then you would rather keep the tractor then entering heaven?").

Such and other expressions, a strong connection of what´s allowed and where it would lead to (hell or heaven) are manifest and solid grounded in their understanding of living a Christian life. Being "zurickhaltig", "humble and backwards minded" in technological areas is very much connected to earning a much more than living hope of salvation. This is also valid for the other Old Order Mennonite and Amish groups, but in most instances hardly so openly expressed.

Reidenbach Mennonites have also a feeling of exclusiveness and righteousness: Former bishop Amos Martin expressed once:

"There is just one true church and that is the Reidenbach church"("Es ist just een rechte Gemeh und sell ist die Reidenbach Gemeh!"),

This is not unique to them, but it gives a reasoning for its group´s existence (other churches also define borderlines to other churches and therefore make it sure who is right and who consequently on the other side of the fence...but not so extremely, rather as a quiet kept issue with many inconsequencies if requested).

Old Order Mennonites are not spreading around that they feel saved, are new born etc. (an emotionally based faith), in that sense they see humbleness more important and even doubt these doctrinal interpretations of many mainstream churches, so they deny a doctrine of "once saved, always saved", "give your life to Jesus and you are saved(and nothing more has to be done)", Jesus is also Savior for them, he gave his life for them, but his Sacrifice does not mean to live a life without keeping rules.

Old Order Mennonnites are careful not to take God´s doomsday judgements into their own hands (knowing to be saved), but hope he will give salvation to them, they accept their sinfulness until life´s end and worthlessness ("Mir sin net würdig fer") for salvation. Consequently one looks for what can be done to have a stronger hope. Earning salvation by works attitudes grew as a result of emotionally not being certain to get God´s grace. There is one Reidenbach Mennonite group who emphasized (if still nowadays unknown) that just the unjustified would have to give answer on doomsday, while the justified would not need to, this created the Aaron Z. Martin group in 1987. That was so far the closest step to any kind of knowledge of salvation.

Another evidence of the strong connection of keeping rules and having therefore a better hope for salvation is the handling of people who disobey. After admonishings, successless demandings of confessions they are expelled with the words: You are "dem Teufel übergeben zum Verderben deines Fleisches" ("giving over to the devil" (´s side, the world, led by the devil, under control of the devil) for the spoilage of the flesh). The sinner is outcasted figuratively and now outside of God´s flock, he shall repent, accept his wrongdoings and there is hope he will obey in future to all these rules and come back and kneel down. This way of expulsion is defined as according to God´s will. Being expelled means if staying unrepentable being outside of any hope for salvation, as the church can loose and bind on God´s behalf on earth, which will also being accepted in heaven. There is biblical reference for this dealing.

Reidenbach Ordnungen (set of church rules) do not allow cars, rubber wheels on buggies, tractors for fieldwork, TV, radio, telephones and electricity from public lines. Pennsylvania German is the language used at home and with other Old Orders, children go to parochial schools and dress is a very conservative form of plain dress.[4] Their Ordnung is more conservative than that of mainstream horse and buggy Old Order Mennonites ("Wenger" and Ontario) but less conservative than the Ordnung of the "Pikers". All these Ordnung rules serve several issues: keeping a group together, increasing Gemeinschaft, keeping outside influence out, staying faithful to old ways and theology, preventing modern thinking entering (rules of women, in sexual matters, in doctrinal matters, in scientific matters..)

Due to the many split of Reidenbach Mennonites, their Ordnungen differ somewhat nowadays and have done different ways: The Ordnung of the Amos Martin group is somewhat relaxed for business men in regard of cell phone ownership and use. Also in clothes styles there is a growing difference, while the Daniel Hoover group looks rather like Pikers with unicolor shirts and some families emphasize getting more simple in lifestyle, the Amos Martin people, especially among the young are influenced by Cowboy fashion trends (boots, hats upfolded). Even in head coverings differences are now more visible. Formerly it was quoted the Wenger Mennonites were covering ears completely, Reidenbach Mennonites just covered half of the ear. This cannot be said anymore for the conservatives of the John Martin groups, the Daniel M. Hoover group, its coverings are even of heavier material and are white as linen While the mother group of all Reidenbach Mennonites the Groffdale Conference Mennonites is quoted as liberal, 35ers have such a tendency in life areas not expected, like having rather racing bikes then normal types.

At all, even their Ordnung is changing and adapting to outside pressure, new inventions are discussed if allowable or having to be forbidden. The Daniel M. Hoover group, its most conservative branch, allows solar panels of a certain size, and reloads thereby small batteries in their sheds, while many of them still use old-style outhouses. Henry M. Hoover's group had for example flushing water toilets allowed and get rid of them when a part were joining Gorrie Mennonites.

There are basically four family names among the Reidenbachs: Martin, Hoover, Reiff and Nolt, because there was only a small founder group. Over the years two names were added, one by a marriage with an outsider, one by a convert from the Wenger Mennonites, so that Reidenbach Mennonites are nowadays carry also names as Starr and Leid, both among the conservative groups. First cousin marriages are avoided among Old Order Mennonites, if it is possible, but in the first years of the Reidenbachs the small size of the group led to a high percentage of such marriages, as young members could not find partners inside the church who were less close related and marrying outside the church was no option because of the Ordnung (set of rules) of the church. This permissive step was even grounded by finding Old Testament examples supporting it, like in the case of Jacob.

From 1947 to 1965 83.3 percent of all marriages were first cousin marriages. The fast natural growth of the group improved the situation and from 1965 to 1977 only 5.9 percent of all marriages were first cousin marriages.[5] The split in 1977 aggravated the situation again and the old problem arose anew. Therefore, the Reidenbachs are in all likelihood the most inbred group of Anabaptists.

First cousin marriage are in many of the current conservative branches, but still also among the Amos Martin group happening, among the conservatives at least four group have some couples which are double cousins to each other. The rate of double cousin marriages go up from 10% to abt. 60 % in these groups. Two separate families should be added, so that six groups have double cousin couples. In one group there is already a single couple, whose grandparents were first cousins, their parents double cousins and they are also double cousins to each other. In most instances in all of these new formed groups with more than one family the rate of first cousin marriages increases fast over 30%. There is hardly any other choice. But even with this high degree of inbreeding, some families of the same condition genetically are affected hard, while others have just healthy children. Genetics call it clustering and ask why some are so much affected, others not at all.

Looking to diseases due to high inbreeding rates, some of them have Hirschsprung's disease and Maple syrup urine disease.[6] Financing hospital bills are becoming therefore for some groups a hard issue, even when other related groups help.

In 1994 there were about 300 adult members divided into 10 subgroups.[7] In 2008/9 membership was about 375 in 10 subgroups.[8] In 2015 the membership of all branches was 371 in 18 congregations[9] and the total population was 740.[10]

Here cited "current numbers" of 2015 are hardly showing real memberships at that time and are much too low and the congregation(= if understood as separate identities, not just church houses or meeting places) numbers too high.

As the Reidenbach Mennonites have a comparable high degree of growth like the Wenger Mennonites, their numbers are also doubling between every twenty and thirty years. There is a low loss of numbers to the world and even due to problems finding some marriage partners among some groups(or even having no chances at all), the membership numbers must be much higher than 371 after 21 years( from 1991 to 2015).

• The number should be closer to 550 in 2020, taking also some decrease due to lesser chances and dissolved groups in consideration. The number would rise if one includes the "Gorrie-Fivers" and "Amish-Fivers", but one should exclude these as they left the Reidenbach Mennonite circle and joined other Mennonite or even Amish movements, they are just interesting for having a background.

Just taking some numbers known for consideration:

• The Daniel Hoover group had with its abt. 15 families in 2016 51 members.
• The Wayne Martin group has 25-30 families, so at least 50-60 members by couple names + unmarried baptized children( a lower guess, as many members married currently, taking 20).
• The Amos Martin group had abt. 85 couples in 2017, so at least 170 members due to couples(mostly they are in the same group) + unmarried baptized children(guess: 80).
• Paul F. Martin´s group has also abt 15 families(in 2017), so at 30 members, almost same situation as for the Daniel Hoover group, which was reported at 51 members around that time, taking Paul F. Martin group as 50 members therefore.
• The Aaron Martin group(now led by Nathan Martin), has abt. 15 couples, which would count for at least 30 members, plus older children of the late bishop and other founder´s families, so one could also take at least fifty members, comparable to the Dan Gmay und Paul Martin´s Gmay(church, Gemeinde, Gemeh).

• Just taking these groups one counts abt. 480 members and still has to add missing non-counted smaller groups. At least 9 have to be added: six are quoted below + Peter O. Nolt group in Missouri(just older people), Rufus Z. Martin and Amos W- Hoover group, both in Lancaster County(some couples each).
• Some of these smaller groups are single family churches and have by now almost 8-15 members each, as children grew into adulthood and were baptized, taken in, by their Dads or ordained preachers.
• David M. Hoover´s, David Z. Hoover´s, Earl M. Hoover´s, probably also Leon H. Hoover´s, Ben H. Martin´s, Jonas H. Hoover´s family are such separate church identities, while the first two ones have the most grown-up kids and therefore also the highest numbers of internal family-baptised members.

• So at all all Reidenbach Mennonite groups will reach the number of 600 in combined memberships in some years.
• So at all one has to count 14 Reidenbach Mennonite groups or congregations which meet in houses or in church houses. The Amos Martin group is the only group of them who has three meeting places in three settlements.

• Karsten-Gerhard Albertsen: The History & Life of the Reidenbach Mennonites (Thirty Fivers). Morgantown, PA 1996.
• Mark Z. Hoover: The Inside Story. Leitchfield, KY 2011.
• Stephen Scott. An Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups. Intercourse, PA 1996.

• Reidenbach Mennonite Church (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA) in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online