Perth East Amish and Mennonites
This article has been written in celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Amish Mennonites in the province of Ontario, and the 150th Anniversary of the same in Perth East, Perth County, in 2024.
As of 2024, there are 8 distinct Amish and Mennonite groups in the Township of Perth East in Perth County, Ontario.
1) Old Order Amish; This is the largest and oldest Amish community in Canada, with over 1,300 people in 11 congregations (church districts). The Township of Perth East (Milverton-Millbank) is considered the centre of 'Amish Country' in the province of Ontario. Amish Mennonites came from Europe and settled in Wilmot Township 200 years ago in 1824. They expanded into Mornington Township (now Perth East) 150 years ago in 1874.
2) Old Order Mennonites; The Klearview Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse in Perth East was built in 1990. Old Order Mennonites originated in 1889, as a division from the Mennonite Conference of Ontario (now Mennonite Church Eastern Canada).
3) Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference; Nicknamed 'Markhams', this conference began as a division in the Markham, Ontario Old Order Mennonite settlement in 1931. When several Old Order Mennonites in Waterloo County also embraced cars and telephones, they joined with the Markham Old Orders to become the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference in 1939. Their Fair Haven meetinghouse is located near Newton.
4) Conservative Mennonites; The Brookside Conservative Mennonite Church in Carthage was established in 1974. It is a congregation of the Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario, which originated as a division from the Mennonite Conference of Ontario in 1960.
5) Church of God in Christ (Mennonite); Nicknamed 'Holdeman Mennonites' after their founder, the Sunrise Church of God in Christ was organized in 1992, and eventually built its present meetinghouse in Hesson.
6) Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC); A part of Mennonite Church-Canada, MCEC was the result of Mennonite conference mergers in 1988. Poole Mennonite Church has been in the hamlet of Poole since Amish Mennonites expanded into Mornington Township (now Perth East) from Wellesley Township 150 years ago in 1874. The Mornington congregation built a meetinghouse in 1886, which caused a division between progressive and traditional Amish Mennonites, the latter becoming the genesis of the Milverton Old Order Amish. The Amish Mennonites eventually changed their congregation's name to Poole, and they became one of the original members of the 'Ontario Amish Mennonite Conference', established in 1925. This conference changed its name to the 'Western Ontario Mennonite Conference' in 1963. As Poole Mennonite Church, the congregation is now a part of the Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, established in 2001.
7) Beachy Amish Mennonites; Fairhaven Amish Mennonite Church was established 50 years ago in 1974. Conservative members of the Mornington Amish Mennonite congregation, including the Bishop Nicholas Nafziger, divided from the Mornington (now Poole) church in 1903, over issues of language, Sunday schools, and worship. The conservative group began a new congregation just west of Poole, also named Mornington Amish Mennonite Church, commonly called the Nafziger Church. This group eventually affiliated with the Beachy Amish Mennonites, which were established in Pennsylvania in 1927. After revivalistic influences in the 1950s and 60s, most Beachy Amish became focused on Mission and other ministries, as well as evangelical values of Christian holiness. These changing ministries and values caused division in the Mornington congregation. Minister Melvin Roes of the Mornington church became Bishop of the new Fairhaven Amish Mennonite Church when it was established in 1974, and they built a meetinghouse between the Mornington and Poole congregations.
8) Old Colony Mennonites; The Old Colony Mennonite Church in Carthage is a recent addition to Perth East, with several members of their congregation living in nearby Milverton. Old Colony Mennonites from Mexico began migrating to Ontario in the 1950s, first settling in Aylmer. The Old Colony Mennonites are named after the Chortitza Mennonite 'Old Colony' in the Ukraine, established in 1789.
