The Amish Mennonite church has its roots in the Reformation of 1517 and from the subsequent Anabaptist movement that started in Switzerland and spread to southern Germany.
The name Anabaptist means "second baptism" - followers believe in being baptised not at birth, but in later life when ready to give a personal commitment to Jesus.
In 1536, a young Dutch priest named Menno Simons joined the Anabaptists. His influence led to the Anabaptists eventually becoming known as Mennonites. In 1693, Mennonite minister Jakob Amman formed a movement to return to stricter teachings of the Bible. His followers became known as Amish.
Seen as a direct challenge to the authority of the Dutch state, Anabaptists were imprisoned and persecuted and many fled to the US.
Amish Mennonite is a fusion of the two churches. Followers believe that the Bible is the truth and that they should follow it in everyday life.
They believe the way in which they live is the true test of being a Christian, hence the values of modesty and simplicity. They see the church as a brotherhood based upon a personal commitment to faith and they believe in love and non-resistance.
The church has just one community in Ireland (in Dunmore East, Co Waterford) and missions in countries such as Liberia and central America, as well as Belgium and Romania. There are more than one million Mennonites in the world.
