1872 · event
Old Order Mennonite regional divisions
Old Order Mennonite fellowships developed through several regional divisions beginning in the later nineteenth century.
In 1872 Jacob Wisler and supporters formed separate Mennonite conferences in Indiana and Ohio after disagreements over innovations in church life. Related regional separations followed in Ontario in 1889, Pennsylvania in 1893, and Virginia in 1901. These dates describe a sequence of decisions among different communities, not one universal founding meeting.
The Old Order line on the exhibit names Wisler, Martinites, Wenger Mennonites, Woolwichers, and Horning Church. The linked regional histories distinguish the Indiana–Ohio Wisler development, Abraham Martin’s Ontario fellowship, and Jonas Martin’s Pennsylvania fellowship with its later Wenger and Horning divisions. Martinites was used in both Ontario and Pennsylvania; the shared name does not make the two communities one undifferentiated branch.
Sources for this history: [1] [2] [3]
