Difference between revisions of "Orthodox Mennonite Church, Huron County"

Revision as of 22:38, 17 December 2016

The Orthodox Mennonite Church, Huron County or "Gorries", as they are nicknamed, originated as a division from the Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites in 1974. After several changes, including men beginning to wear beards, and the Bishop Elam S. Martin beginning to liberalize his interpretation of the ban, the latter divided from their church to form their own group. In 1979, this new group moved to the Gorrie-Wroxeter area of Huron County, and legally registered as the "Orthodox Mennonite Church, Huron County". In practice, the Gorries are almost identical to their parent group in Wellesley Township. However, their more open interpretation of the ban keeps the two groups of Orthodox Old Orders separate. The Gorries have grown over the years to a much larger church than the Wellesley Orthodox, specifically in that they have taken in several of the more traditional members of the Old Order Mennonite Church. Because of this, they have expanded into other rural Ontario communities. In addition, they have come into full fellowship with small Old Order groups in the United States. The Gorries have a close relationship also with the Kinloss Old Order Mennonites, a small but growing conservative sub-division within the Old Order Mennonite Church in Ontario.

Genesis of the Huron Orthodox Mennonites

Regarding March 2, 1974, Amos Sherk(1947-), future Bishop of the Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites wrote, "A meeting was held at the home of Emanuel Sherks by the remaining members after the withdrawl of the greater part of the church members. Although heart broken it was agreed by the following to continue services and communion was held on April 14th."^[1] Among that group of Orthodox Mennonites was a minister named Noah Brubacher. On April 2, 1967, Brubacher, along with a small group of Old Order Mennonites, united with the Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites.^[2]They had parted ways with the Old Order Mennonite Church in Ontario in the late 1950s because of what they viewed as laxity in their church, and united with the John Dan Wenger division^[3] in Virginia. Brubacher had been ordained by Bishop Wenger, and was allowed to retain his office of Minister in the Orthodox group.^[4]

According to the current leader of the Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites, Minister Brubacher had quite an influence on his church over the next several years,^[5]and many members became uncomfortable with some of the new practices, including the fact that some of their men began to wear beards. Even their bishop, Elam S. Martin, began to change his views over similar matters, as well as his view of the ban.^[6] By late February of 1974, differences among the members of the church became divisive to the point of splitting the church almost down the middle. ^[7] Thus a new group of Orthodox Mennonites was formed, which to this day (2016), has not been fully healed.

Move to Huron County

Desiring to be further from the urban centre of the Waterloo Region, in 1979 the group relocated to the Gorrie-Wroxeter area (Howick Township) in Huron County, Ontario.^[8]Unfortunately, the move did not go as smoothly as they had hoped, and communion was cancelled in the Autumn of 1978, as well as in the Spring and Autumn seasons of 1979. ^[9]

In spite of the internal problems, or perhaps because of them, on 14 October, 1980, John Sherk (1939-), who was ordained as a Minister in 1978, was ordained as the second bishop of the Huron Orthodox.^[10] This was significant, in that his brother Amos Sherk had become bishop of their parent group, the Wellesley Orthodox, in 1976.^[11]This inter-relationship was to become very important for the future of both Orthodox groups.

Partial Reunification

As the1980s progressed, it became the earnest desire of the two brothers, Amos and John Sherk to reunite the Orthodox Mennonite churches which they led. Unfortuntely for them, the more traditional members of the 1974 division in the Wellesley Orthodox church were unhappy with any suggestion of reunification, and in 1986 they excommunicated their bishop Amos Sherk. ^[12] When the deacon released Sherk from the ban, the resulting confusion caused the almost total disintegration of the Wellesley Orthodox group. In fact, 70 percent of the members, along with the deacon, decided to leave the Orthodox Mennonites altogether, and reunite with the David Martin Mennonites, which they had left 30 years earlier, in the late 1950s.^[13]

Ultimately, all of the ordained ministry of the Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites left their church. Under Sherk's infuence, ministers Menno Brubacher (ordained in 1978) and Jesse Bauman (ordained in 1981)^[14] went long with the bishop and some other members to the Huron Orthodox church, and were taken in as members on April 25, 1987. ^[15]This reunion with the other part of the 1974 division prompted Amos Sherk, who "laid aside his bishop office", to joyously proclaim in capital letters in his church history, "There is now again only one Orthodox Mennonite Church in Ontario."^[16]Having left the few remaining families of their Wellesley Orthodox parent group, the now much larger Huron Orthodox church celebrated a special communion service of reunification on April 26th.^[17]

The Ban

Orthodox Mennonites confess the Dordrecht Confession of Faith (Mennonite, 1632) among their primary beliefs, along with the King James Version of the Bible. Although the belief in the ban among Anabaptists has been well explained elsewhere,^[18]it is important to understand that Orthodox Mennonites take Articles 16 and 17 (regarding the ban and shunning) as seriously as their traditional lifestyles. That said, however, the two groups of Orthodox Mennonites (Huron and Wellesley) remain separate primarily over their interpretation of the ban, which played heavily in the Wellesley Orthodox divisions of 1974 and 1986.

On May 24, 1982, Minister Edward Martin was put in the ban (excommunicated) by the Huron Orthodox.^[19]Martin, formerly a minister of the Old Order Mennonite Church in Ontario was accepted as a member and minister among the Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites on June 14, 1970.^[20]In 1974 Martin chose to affiliate with what became the Huron Orthodox church. Martin and his wife, before her death in June 1981, decided to once again affiliate with their original Old Order Mennonite Church.^[21]As a result, Martin was excommunicated from the Huron Orthodox.

Donald Martin writes in his book about the Old Order Mennonites of Ontario that, "he (Edward Martin) was later released from the ban by the (Huron) Orthodox Mennonites but not accepted as a member". ^[22]Thus the Huron Orthodox then, as is still practised by them, may release a former member from the ban without their automatic reception back into the church. This is the primary reason why the Huron Orthodox and the Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites are not united today.

References

↑ Amos Sherk: Unpublished history of the Orthodox and David Martin Mennonites (Primary Source), no date, Addendum.
↑ Ibid., page 22.
↑ Harry A. Brunk: Old Order Mennonites of Virginia., Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. Retreived 16 Dec 2016. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Old_Order_Mennonites_of_Virginia&oldid=117454.
↑ Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario: Gelassenheit, Discipleship, Brotherhood, Pandora Press, Kitchener, Ontario, 2003, page 180.
↑ Conversation with Minister David E.M. Martin, 2009.
↑ Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 180.
↑ Ibid.
↑ Ibid.
↑ Amos Sherk: Unpublished History, Addendum
↑ Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites in Ontario, page 343.
↑ Ibid.
↑ Ibid., page 183.
↑ Ibid.
↑ Ibid., page 342.
↑ Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, page 33. Menno Brubacher went on to become a Bishop of the group in 2002.
↑ Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, page 33.
↑ Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 184.
↑ Christian Neff: "Ban." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. Retrieved 17 Dec 2016. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ban&oldid=131389.
↑ Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, Addendum.
↑ Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 343.
↑ Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, Addendum.
↑ Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 183

[1] Amos Sherk: Unpublished history of the Orthodox and David Martin Mennonites (Primary Source), no date, Addendum.

[2] Ibid., page 22.

[3] Harry A. Brunk: Old Order Mennonites of Virginia., Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. Retreived 16 Dec 2016. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Old_Order_Mennonites_of_Virginia&oldid=117454.

[4] Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario: Gelassenheit, Discipleship, Brotherhood, Pandora Press, Kitchener, Ontario, 2003, page 180.

[5] Conversation with Minister David E.M. Martin, 2009.

[6] Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 180.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Amos Sherk: Unpublished History, Addendum

[10] Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites in Ontario, page 343.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid., page 183.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid., page 342.

[15] Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, page 33. Menno Brubacher went on to become a Bishop of the group in 2002.

[16] Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, page 33.

[17] Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 184.

[18] Christian Neff: "Ban." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. Retrieved 17 Dec 2016. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ban&oldid=131389.

[19] Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, Addendum.

[20] Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 343.

[21] Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, Addendum.

[22] Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 183

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 On May 24, 1982, Minister Edward Martin was put in the ban (excommunicated) by the Huron Orthodox.<ref>Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, Addendum.</ref>Martin, formerly a minister of the [[Old Order Mennonite Church in Ontario]] was accepted as a member and minister among the [[Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites]] on June 14, 1970.<ref>Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 343. </ref>In 1974 Martin chose to affiliate with what became the Huron Orthodox church. Martin and his wife, before her death in June 1981, decided to once again affiliate with their original Old Order Mennonite Church.<ref>Amos Sherk: Unpublished history, Addendum.</ref>As a result, Martin was excommunicated from the Huron Orthodox.
-Donald Martin writes in his book about the Old Order Mennonites of Ontario that, "he (Edward Martin) was later released from the ban by the (Huron) Orthodox Mennonite but not accepted as a member". <ref>Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 183 </ref>Thus the Huron Orthodox then, as is still practised by them, may release a former member from the ban without their automatic reception back into the church. This is the primary reason why the Huron Orthodox and the Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites are not united today.
+Donald Martin writes in his book about the Old Order Mennonites of Ontario that, "he (Edward Martin) was later released from the ban by the (Huron) Orthodox Mennonites but not accepted as a member". <ref>Donald Martin: Old Order Mennonites of Ontario, page 183 </ref>Thus the Huron Orthodox then, as is still practised by them, may release a former member from the ban without their automatic reception back into the church. This is the primary reason why the Huron Orthodox and the Wellesley Orthodox Mennonites are not united today.
 ===See Also===