Elmendorf Christian Community

Last updated
Elmendorf Christian Community
USA Minnesota location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Elmendorf
Location within Minnesota
Coordinates: 43°52′00″N94°52′40″W / 43.866667°N 94.877778°W / 43.866667; -94.877778
Country Flag of the United States.svg  USA
StateFlag of Minnesota.svg  Minnesota
Branch Independent Hutterite
StatusActive
Founded1994
Excommunicated2003
Mother ColonyUpland Colony, SD
Daughter Colonies
List
Population
~160

The Elmendorf Christian Community (or Elmendorf Hutterite Colony) is an independent Anabaptist community of Hutterite tradition. Even though the majority of the members are ethnic Hutterites, there are also members from different other backgrounds in the community. They are located in rural Mountain Lake, Minnesota. As of 2024 the ministers are Gary Wurtz and Dwayne Wipf and the manager is William Wurtz.

Contents

History

The history of Elmendorf Christian Community goes back to the times of the Protestant Reformation, when Anabaptists under the leadership of Jakob Hutter established community of goods in Moravia in the 1530s. After a long and complicated history of migrations in Eastern Europe, Hutterites arrived in America in 1874, forming three communities, that practiced community of goods, of which one was Bon Homme Colony, the mother colony of all Schmiedeleut Hutterites. Because of population growth, Hutterite colonies frequently branch out to form new colonies.[ citation needed ]

Upland Hutterite Colony in Letcher, South Dakota, branched out in 1994 to form the Elmendorf Community. [1] Upland had branched out of Spring Valley Hutterite Colony, located at Wessington Springs, South Dakota in 1988, Spring Valley had branched out of Platte Colony in 1964, and Platte had branched out of Bon Homme in 1949. [2]

In 2003 Elmendorf was excommunicated from Schmiedeleut affiliation with the Hutterites and became an independent colony. It was soon followed by Altona, which was always in good standing with Elmendorf.[ citation needed ]

In 2006 Elmendorf Christian Community started a new community, named Detention River Christian Community, formerly known as Rocky Cape, between Smithton and Wynyard on the Australian island of Tasmania. In 2013/14 they started another new community, named Grand River, near the town of Jamesport in Missouri. [3]

Customs and belief

Belief

The doctrine of the Elmendorf Christian Community does not differ markedly from the doctrine of other Old Order or Conservative Anabaptists. Like other Hutterites, they believe in and practice community of goods and separate from the world [4]

Plain dress

They reject fashions of the world in clothing and hair styles and the wearing of jewelry. Women are expected to wear long hair and to keep it covered and not to wear trousers. Men and women are expected to dress in a "simple uniform way". [5] In practice their Plain dress is similar to the dress of other Schmiedeleut Hutterites.

Restriction on technologies

Like other Hutterites they have only few restrictions on technology, they mainly forbid public television and are careful with digital technology.They pool their ownership of cars because they live in a community of goods. [1] They operate their own website. [6]

Openness to outsiders

The Elmendorf Christian Community is much more open to outsiders, so-called seekers, than all other Hutterite communities. They welcome all visitors for at least one visit but "subsequent visits of an extended or indefinite duration should be petitioned for and arranged." [7]

Affiliation

They are affiliated with the Altona Christian Community at Henderson, Minnesota, and with the Fort Pitt Farms Christian Community. Elmendorf branched out to form Detention River Christian Community (formerly known as Rocky Cape) in Australia and Grand River Christian Community in Missouri. [8] [9] They do not belong to one of the four established Leut (branches) of ethnic Hutterites. Sometimes Elmendorf and Altona are listed as independent Schmiedeleut colonies and Fort Pitt an independent Dariusleut colony, because this is where they originally came from.

The 2016 Hutterite Directory of the James Valley Hutterite Colony lists Elemendorf along with Altona, Fort Pitt, Grand River and Detention River as "Independent" Hutterites. These same five "Independent" Hutterite colonies compose a group of Hutterites known as the Hutterite Christian Communities, which Elmendorf is associated with.

Population

In 2024 there were altogether some 155 people living in the community. [3] In 2016 there were some 155 people living in Elmendorf, some 60 in Grand River and some 25 in Detention River.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

Anabaptism is a Christian movement which traces its origins to the Radical Reformation in the 16th century. Anabaptists believe that baptism is valid only when candidates freely confess their faith in Christ and request to be baptized. Commonly referred to as believer's baptism, it is opposed to baptism of infants, who are not able to make a conscious decision to be baptized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mennonites</span> Anabaptist groups originating in Western Europe

Mennonites are a group of Anabaptist Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name Mennonites is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of the Holy Roman Empire, present day Netherlands. Menno Simons became a prominent leader within the wider Anabaptist movement and was a contemporary of Martin Luther (1483–1546) and Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560). Through his writings about the Reformation Simons articulated and formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss Anabaptist founders as well as early teachings of the Mennonites founded on the belief in both the mission and ministry of Jesus. Formal Mennonite beliefs were codified in the Dordrecht Confession of Faith (1632), which affirmed "the baptism of believers only, the washing of the feet as a symbol of servanthood, church discipline, the shunning of the excommunicated, the non-swearing of oaths, marriage within the same church", nonresistance, and in general, more emphasis on "true Christianity" involving "being Christian and obeying Christ" as they interpret it from the Holy Bible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hutterites</span> Ethno-religious group since the 16th century; a communal branch of Anabaptists

Hutterites, also called Hutterian Brethren, are a communal ethnoreligious branch of Anabaptists, who, like the Amish and Mennonites, trace their roots to the Radical Reformation of the early 16th century and have formed intentional communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hutchinson County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Hutchinson County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,427. Its county seat is Olivet. The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1871; it was named for John Hutchinson, first territorial secretary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain Lake Township, Cottonwood County, Minnesota</span> Township in Minnesota, United States

Mountain Lake Township is a township located in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population was 384. The township was organized in 1871.

Johann(es) Cornies was a Prussian Mennonite settler in the Russian Empire, who became an important agricultural and architectural reformer for the Mennonites, Hutterites and other minorities in the Russian Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plain dress</span> Clothing worn by some religious groups

Plain dress is a practice among some religious groups, primarily some Christian churches in which people dress in clothes of traditional modest design, sturdy fabric, and conservative cut. It is intended to show acceptance of traditional gender roles, modesty, and readiness to work and serve, and to preserve communal identity and separation from the ever-changing fashions of the world. For men, this often takes the form of trousers secured by suspenders, while for women, plain dress usually takes the form of a cape dress along with a headcovering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bon Homme Hutterite Colony</span> Hutterite Colony in South Dakota, USA

Bon Homme Hutterite Colony, located in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, is the mother colony of all Schmiedeleut Hutterite Colonies in North America and also the oldest Hutterite Colony in the world still in existence.

The Prairieleut, also written Prärieleut and sometimes also called Prairie People, were a branch of the Hutterite tradition from the immigration of the Hutterites to the United States in the 1870s until the about the middle of the 20th century, when they had almost totally assimilated into Mennonite congregations, especially into the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren or into mainstream society. The Prairieleut did not live in colonies, with community of goods, but on individual farms, mostly homesteads on South Dakota grasslands. During the 20th century the Prairieleut mostly lost their distinctive language Hutterisch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schmiedeleut</span>

The Schmiedeleut, also Schmiedeleit, are a branch of the Hutterites that emerged in 1859. It is divided into two subgroups.

The Lehrerleut, also Lehrerleit, are a branch of the Hutterites that emerged in 1877. They are the most traditional branch of the Hutterites.

A Seeker is a person likely to join an Old Order Anabaptist community, like the Amish, the Old Order Mennonites, the Hutterites, the Old Order Schwarzenau Brethren or the Old Order River Brethren. Among the 500,000 members of such communities in the United States there are only an estimated 1,200 to 1,300 outsiders who have joined them.

Fort Pitt Farms Christian Community is a Christian Community of Dariusleut Hutterite origin and of many Hutterite traditions, but that is fully autonomous since 1999. It is located in Frenchman Butte, Saskatchewan, Canada close to Fort Pitt Provincial Park. Its spiritual leaders are Reuben Walter and Ben Walter.

Altona Christian Community, called Altona Hutterite Colony by GAMEO, is an independent Anabaptist community of Hutterite tradition. Even though the majority of the members are ethnic Hutterites, there are also members from different other backgrounds in the community. They are located in rural Henderson, Minnesota. As of 2017 the minister is Richard Stahl and the secretary was Mark Wollman.

Detention River Christian Community, formerly known as Rocky Cape Christian Community was an Anabaptist Christian community, located between Smithton and Wynyard on the Australian island of Tasmania. The community was founded in 2005 by Elmendorf Christian Community in Minnesota, a community of Hutterite tradition. Detention River was affiliated with the Hutterite Christian Communities.

The Hutterite Christian Communities are an affiliation of independent Hutterite colonies that work closely together and also have their preachers delivering sermons in the other colonies of this affiliation.

Bon Homme Colony is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, United States, comprising the Bon Homme Hutterite Colony. The population was 97 at the 2020 census. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census.

Platte Colony is a Hutterite colony and census-designated place (CDP) in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census. The population of the CDP was 299 at the 2020 census.

Old Elm Spring Colony, formerly called the Old Elmspring Hutterite Colony, is a Hutterite colony and census-designated place (CDP) in Hutchinson County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 114 at the 2020 census. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census.

References

  1. 1 2 "Elmendorf Hutterite Colony (Mountain Lake, Minnesota, USA) at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online". Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  2. Bon Homme Hutterite Colony (Tabor, South Dakota, USA) at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
  3. 1 2 "First Hutterite Colony in Missouri Moves Here at The North Missourian". Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-11-07.
  4. "Elmendorf Christian Community: What We Believe and How We Live". Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  5. "Elmendorf Christian Community: What We Believe and How We Live". Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  6. "Elmendorf Christian Community's own website". Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  7. Elmendorf Christian Community: What We Believe and How We Live
  8. "Elmendorf Christian Community: Links to Christian communities". Archived from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  9. Peter Hoover’s Newsletters at scrollpublishing.com

43°51′54″N94°52′37″W / 43.865°N 94.877°W / 43.865; -94.877