Mennonites are everywhere
Mennonite history is rooted in the Anabaptist movement launched in the Netherlands and northern Germany by Menno Simons. Like Simons himself, Anabaptists or Mennonites only accept baptism on the basis of a personal confirmation that can only be written after the age of eighteen. What is more, Mennonites are against every form of violence and have traditionally included numerous conscientious objectors.

Diaspora
This broader view of baptism and aversion to violence have been the main grounds for the spread of Mennonites all across the globe. In the sixteenth century, dissenters were apt to be outlawed and Anabaptists were the target of torture and persecution. The promise of freedom of religion and exemption from military service made it attractive for many Mennonites to settle in developing regions like Prussia and what is now the Ukraine.

Due to the Russian Revolution and World War Two though, the Mennonites felt they could no longer live there. There was only one way to escape being drafted into the armed forces, and that was by emigrating again. Many Mennonites found a new home

in North and South America, where their brethren were already living. They were the ones who had fled persecution in Switzerland and southern Germany.

1,500,000 Mennonites
It was not only political factors that caused the spread of Mennonism all across the globe. There are also quite a few Mennonites in Asia and Africa. They are often people who came into contact with Mennonites in one way or another and then decided to become Mennonites themselves. There are a total of about 1,500,000 Mennonites in the world today.

Equality
Of course there are differences between all the various Mennonite fellowships, especially in the extent of free thinking. But Mennonites still share certain important values. Pacifism and freedom of religion have already been cited. Integrity and equality - every member of a fellowship is of equal value - are important points for Mennonites.

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