| Jacob Amman |
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In 1693 , Jakob Ammann took issue from out of Alsace with Swiss Mennonite leaders Hans Reist and Benedict Schneider in regard to what he saw as a lack of overall discipline in the Mennonite congregations. This lack of discipline, he believed, was exemplified with the shying away from the implementation of the ban against those who left the church after being baptised in the church. In 1693 disagreements over the implementation of the ban would come to a head between Hans Reist and Jakob Ammann and this would result in the Jakob Ammann faction splitting from the Mennonites. Amman was highly influenced by the Dutch Mennonite beliefs, and instituted the practice of Feet Washing in connection with Communion , which was not practiced by the Swiss Mennonites. He also increased holding communion to twice a year, differing from the Swiss practice of annual communion services. Later in life, Jakob Ammann would regret his actions and would make attempts for Amish reunification with the Mennonites, even apparently offering to ban himself from his own congregation in order to show his regret for the disunity that he believed he had helped cause. Despite admissions of being rash and overzealous, the Amish would not give up the belief of practicing the ban (or ''Meidung''). Because of this, the main body of Amish and the Swiss Mennonites were never able to reconcile. Most of the Amish left in Europe after the American migration reunited with the Mennonites. Some joined other bodies. Amish no longer exist as a European body. Actually, it is not enough to say that Amman's faction split with the Mennonites. For one, Hans Reist's faction would not have called themselves Mennonites. They would most likely have referred to their group as the Swiss Brethren. The factions were both sizable, and had different geographic makeups. Therefore, Amman's group did not simply break off from a main body; it was a fairly even split. Also, there are many other issues and factors that contributed to the split. An excellent source for information on the Amish division of 1693 is a book of letters between Amman's faction and Reist's faction translated by John D. Roth of Goshen College . EXTERNAL LINKS |
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