The Basics
You may know Mennonites best as those people who drive horses and buggies and live "off the grid" as a way of preserving their faith as a community. But most Mennonites don't live that way. At Rouge Valley Mennonite Church (RVMC), we're pretty ordinary folk and are not easily identifiable by what we wear or drive. We are part of a broad network of vibrant and growing Mennonite congregations, from small towns to major urban centres across North America and around the world.
Mennonites have been around for almost 500 years, part of a Protestant Reformation movement called Anabaptism that rejected the allegiance between church and state, emphasized personal transformation within community, and called for a radical way of living with peace, and compassion, following the way of Jesus in daily life.
To learn more, watch the following 4-minute video, "Who Are the Mennonites"
Adapted from an article by Ken Gingerich
You can learn more about Mennonite beliefs, values, culture and practices at these sites:
- Third Way Cafe
- Mennonite Church Eastern Canada
- Mennonite Church Canada
- Mennonite World Conference
- liveforpeace.org
- The Canadian Mennonite (national news magazine)
- The Quickest Ever DVD Guide to Mennonites and their Values (A funny, breathless 4-minute YouTube video produced by Mennonite Health Services)
- listeningchurch.ca (Listening to the stories of LGBTQ+ Mennonites)