Anabaptists are members of a Christian denomination that was formed during the 16th century. Anabaptists do not believe in infant baptism. Rather, they believe that only adults, who have confessed their religion, should be baptized. They reject the ideas of the larger society, such as civil government and taking oaths. Anabaptists also practice shunning, a discipline in which a church member who has sinned is banned from the church, until and unless he repents.
Descendents of the Anabaptist religion, the Amish, Mennonites, and Brethren, began coming to America during the early 1700s. The first Anabaptist immigrants settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Today, the majority of these communities reside in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, with the largest group living in Ohio.
The primary difference in these groups is the country where they originated from: Mennonites came from Holland, Amish came from Switzerland, and Brethrens came from Germany. Old Order Anabaptists wear plain clothes, travel by horse-and-buggy, do not pursue higher education, and do not have electricity. Some New Order Anabaptists do use electricity, telephones, and vehicles, but the extent of the use of these modern conveniences vary between different groups. Some Mennonite and Brethren groups also seek higher education.
Anabaptist genealogy can prove to be a challenge; however, several Internet databases have been established to help genealogists:
The Swiss Anabaptist Genealogical Association has a member-only database that contains records for Swiss, German, and Alsatian Anabaptists. There is a fee to become a member and access this site, but it is well worth it if you are researching Anabaptist ancestors from these areas.
MennObits is a database of more than 75,000 Amish and Mennonite obituaries. Obituaries come from the Herald of Truth, the Gospel Witness, the Gospel Herald, and weekly newspapers of the Mennonite Church in North America, The Mennonite and the Mennonite Weekly Review. In addition, The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online contains a great deal of information about Anabaptist history, faith, traditions, and more.