Moses M. Beachy - Amish Mennonite Division

Amish Mennonite Division

The Amish Mennonite division had its roots in differences among church leaders over a strict interpretation of the streng meidung, or strong ban, shunning, or avoidance of members under church discipline, which had come to effectively excommunicate church members who left the stricter Pennsylvania district of the church in order to transfer to the less strict Maryland district. Beachy favored a more moderate position. Since he was not united on this issue with other ministers and the retired bishop of his own congregation, he considered resigning his office, but was urged by at least one minister not to do so.

Unlike many Amish congregations which meet in homes, Amish church meetings in Somerset County were conducted in church buildings, customarily meeting at two alternating locations on different Sundays, but on 1927 June 26, after a decade or more of tension over the streng meidung issue, the more conservative group and the formerly retired bishop met at the Summit Mills meetinghouse, even though Beachy had previously announced that services were to be held that Sunday at the Flag Run meetinghouse. Effectively, there were now two congregations where previously there had been one, though they continued to share the same two church buildings on alternate Sundays.