CC: I grew up in the middle of Missouri on a dairy farm.  I was raised in the religion and culture of Old-Order Mennonite, also referred to as the Pennsylvania Dutch.  There are hundreds of kinds of Mennonites, but my story is about the Old-Order.  Like any other religion, Mennonites have extremely liberal branches whose members look and act like those of any other denominational church.  However, those of the Old-Order are the only Mennonites left driving a horse and buggy.  They are much stricter than all the other branches.  In fact, it is very difficult for the average American to distinguish these Pennsylvania Dutch (PA Dutch) from the Amish.

CC: Well, Old-Order Mennonites have large families and the more cousins there are at a family event, the more fun there is to be had.  Mennonite kids aren’t focused on the latest movie or video game.  They learn how to play well with one another, invent games, and let their imaginations run wild.  I swam in creeks with my brother and cousins and baked cinnamon rolls with my mom.  We went fishing and rode bicycles.  We had a huge garden that required the attention of the whole family all summer long.  We had lots of animals--“Old MacDonald” style--horses, pigs, chickens, cows, dogs, and cats. I can honestly say I had a very pleasant childhood. 

90&9: What were the particulars of daily life?

CC: Our clothes were also very distinct and were sewn by my mother.  PA Dutch women all wear the same style of dress and there are strict guidelines as to the kind of fabrics that can be used.  A soft white covering is worn at all times; older women even wear them to bed. A hard black bonnet is worn over the white covering in public. Men wear button-up shirts with suspenders, but their pants can be store-bought.  Black, wide-brimmed hats must always be worn in public.  Our lifestyles were very simple and family-centered. 

 

I grew up with electricity, a phone, and indoor plumbing.  We didn’t, however, have a car.  We drove a horse and buggy. We didn’t have the usual electronics found in a typical American household like TV, and radio. 

Spiritually, God is not involved in daily life.  There are no family devotions.  Children never hear their parents pray.  God’s name is hardly mentioned in the home as it is thought to be too holy to make common or personal.

90&9: What is the biggest misconception that people seem to have about the Amish and Mennonites? 

CC: People look at their lifestyles and think that the Amish and Mennonites lead simplistic, holy, and God-centered lives.  Not until you live on the inside could you ever understand the utter darkness in which they are confined.  The members are trapped by a fear of leaving; fear of losing their family and friends by the law of shunning; fear of the unknown.  They are uneducated and have never lived in the outside world. 

Even if members become dissatisfied with the church, there is no realistic escape.  Their culture (religion, lifestyle) is all they’ve ever known.  They are completely closed to any possible spiritual or religious alternatives other than the culture in which they live. 

My immediate family understands from experience how difficult it is to leave everything you’ve ever known and step into the foreign world around you.  I have no idea how or why it happened to me, but through God’s grace, here I am with the ticket to eternal life.  I am so blessed!

CC: I don’t think they are necessarily spiritual in nature, but there is a mindset that a person can glean from living in a small, PA Dutch-like community.  Family is the very center of their world and always takes priority.  If you need help in any way, you look to family or your neighbors.  If you’re looking for fun on a Friday night you can always find 10 or 20 people ready to play games, barbeque, or sit around a campfire…even if they are all family.  

Humility is only in effect when dealing with the outside world that expects a certain standard of behavior from Mennonites.  The spirits of pride and competitiveness run rampant within the community, much like in a large family with many siblings.  There really isn’t a willingness to be different either.  In the world they live in, everyone is the same.

90&9: How do PA Dutch perpetuate themselves? It would seem there wouldn’t be many converts from today’s world.  

CC: There are no converts.  The PA Dutch don’t believe in witnessing to the outside world.  They believe you should stay in whatever religion you were born.  For example, if you were born a Baptist, that must be where God wants you.  You have a chance at Heaven if you stay a Baptist.  If you become a Methodist, you’ll probably go to hell, even though all the Methodists that were born into it have a chance at Heaven.  I guess the problems come for those who were born into religions with different gods or no god at all.  Some Mennonites believe that atheists, Muslims, and Buddhists are only on the earth to show us how we should not be.  Shocking, huh?

They perpetuate themselves through the old-fashioned means of reproduction.  They don’t believe in birth control and large families have somewhat become their trademark.  Mennonite communities are growing exponentially with a skyrocketing rate of daily births.

90&9: Why and how did you leave this lifestyle?

CC: When I was 11 years old, my mother started going through some struggles that made her doubt her religion and the rules of the church.  A Mennonite isn’t taught the assurance of salvation.  They don’t believe there is even a plan of salvation.  They believe that if you abide by the rules of the Mennonite church there is a hope that you might be saved when you stand before God on Judgment Day.  You are not taught to read your Bible and ask questions, but rather follow the elders and obey the rules. 

My mother started praying and reading her Bible.  She asked the opinions of a few friends she had outside of the PA Dutch community.  She was invited to a special service in an Apostolic church and although we were all shocked (at the service), we decided to go back.  My mother said she felt something she had never felt before.  In her third Apostolic service, wearing her Mennonite dress and head covering, she was filled with the Holy Ghost and shouted the house down!  Our lives were forever changed.

90&9: Now how did she get invited? Did she work outside the community? 
CC: There are outside people who interact quite frequently with the PA Dutch; whether it’s through the PA Dutch small businesses, providing transportation for hire, or simply because they live in a small rural area. My mom did not work outside the community, but still had a few outside friends.

90&9: How did your Dad respond to all this? 

CC: My dad followed my mother’s decision.  As a result, he was disrespected among the community.  He was looked upon as being weak for not having control of his household.  Mennonite women usually don’t have this much say in things of the home, especially when it comes to matters of the church.

90&9: How did you respond initially? 

CC: Initially I was excited about the new changes; new clothes, new transportation, and even new friends.  I didn’t respond as well to the new church.  I thought Pentecostals were crazy.  A PA Dutch church service is silent, with no musical instruments, and lasts for about 2½ hours.  In Pentecostal services, the people clap their hands, shout out loud, and gather around the front to pray or “get delivered.” I had no idea what it all meant and I was terrified.  The only thing that was undeniable was the incredible difference that this “church” (the Holy Ghost) made in our lives.  There was no turning back.

CC: The most difficult thing for me was losing all of my friends and family.  I couldn’t hang out with them anymore.  I saw my closest friends every day in the public school a few of us attended.  They would turn and walk the other direction.  I knew it wasn’t their fault.  They had been instructed not to speak to me.  Our extended family shunned us.  Bishops and elders visited our house every week to try to change my parents’ minds.  I remember the elders sitting in our kitchen lecturing my mother harshly.  She was so stressed all the time.  Thank God that she was strengthened by His Spirit!

90&9: Did you have to move or did you stay in the community?

CC: We could have stayed, but our lives changed so much that a dairy farm just wasn’t practical anymore.  Also, we had no further use for the horses. We moved closer to town and my parents got new jobs.

90&9: What was the most difficult thing about adjusting to a new lifestyle? 
CC: Our world was turned upside down.  It took the help of our outside friends to shop for a new wardrobe.  We also bought a car, insurance, and had to get a driver’s license.  A radio introduced us to Christian music.  Our new friends meant a whole new connection with the outside world.  

I guess some of these things were probably more fun than difficult.  Our new church really made all the difference.  They knew what we had lost and took upon themselves the role of our new family.  They loved us and supported us through the whole adjustment.

 

90&9: Was it difficult not to go crazy and sin and do everything that was suddenly not forbidden? 

CC: No!  We were soon all filled with the Holy Ghost!  Besides, by the previous religious definition, everything was “crazy and a sin.”  We had radio and a car!  That meant we were a bunch of wild, backslidden, ticket-straight-to-hell, ex-Mennonites.  Seriously, we had enough “crazy” as it was.  The forbidden wasn’t even tempting.

90&9: How long was the transition (mentally) from PA Dutch to Apostolic Christian?

CC: From what I remember, the transition happened fairly quickly, but I was 13 when we left.  My mother has a different story of the struggles with removing deep-rooted traditions from her life.  She had lived those traditions for 33 years.

90&9: What do you miss about that life?
CC: Are you asking me if I miss long buggy rides in the middle of winter with no heater?  Do I miss long, boring church services in German?  Do I miss no education and three kids by age 22?  No.  No, I don’t miss those things.  I gained everything when we left. 

But, I lost family.  I guess that’s what I miss.  Not who they are now and what they’ve done to us, but who they were.  I miss them very much.

LIFE TODAY
90&9: How did you end up in Auburn Hills, Michigan? 
CC: Great Lakes University.  I heard of an Apostolic college that was opening and I jumped at the chance to be a part of it.  I had visited some friends at the university over the summer of 2004 and was completely blown away by what the administration was trying to accomplish. 

As a Mennonite, I would have had to quit school after 8^th grade.  When we left that community I went on to finish high school and college.  I love education and firmly believe we, as Apostolics, need to be educated to reach an educated world.  I am so excited about the opportunity to be a part of this project.  Every day I have to pinch myself and realize again that I could be living in a closed culture with no education and a less-than-bright future.  Instead I am helping pioneer the first ever, Oneness Apostolic, liberal arts institution!

90&9: Why do Mennonites have to quit after 8^th grade? 

CC: Because of worldly influence.  Most Mennonites attend their own one-room schoolhouses that only offer education through the 8^th grade level.  To continue to high school it would be necessary to attend the local public school.  Mennonites want to protect their teenagers from outside peer pressure during those vulnerable years.  

Also, higher education really isn’t needed for the typical Mennonite youth.  Parents teach their children all they need to know to be successful in life.  Boys learn family trades or how to run the farm.  Girls learn to sew, garden, cook, and raise children.

90&9: Do you still have a relationship with any of your family and friends from your early years? 

CC: Unfortunately we have not been allowed at any family gatherings or holiday events since we left the church.  A few of my cousins’ weddings have been the exception to the closely followed rule of shunning.  The fortunate thing is that over the past couple of years we have regained a functional and somewhat superficial relationship with some members of our family and a few friends.  I recently got married and a small group of family attended my wedding. Slowly things are getting better.  Showing love where possible and lots of prayer help us to gain more ground everyday.

90&9: What’s the best way to witness to a Mennonite?  
CC: Don’t be intimidated by their “holy” demeanor. Remember that they are truly no different than any other lost soul.  They are just as “worldly” as any other sinner on the street.  Their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes reflect those of a people in bondage.  They don’t know much about scripture and what they do know is twisted to conform to their own religious rules.  The best way to witness is to reach out to them in love.  Live the difference in front of them.  If you’re full of the Holy Ghost, they will recognize it!