Anabaptists are Missing in the UK

Have you noticed that you never see a Mennonite church in the UK? Let's discuss why.

[BramptonAnglican]

Can you compare Canada and the USA please? Would love to see denominational differences between our countries

[radiopal]

Better question... where are the anabaptists in Europe? Since most Anabaptists are from German speaking Europe.

[jasonjohnston]

It is sad to see smaller denominations, disappearing in the UK. The same thing is happening here in the US. Among my small denomination, the Primitive Baptists, our numbers are also getting fewer and fewer. Out of those who don’t outright abandon faith, many are gravitating towards Southern Baptist, Independent Baptist, Sovereign Grace, or Bible churches. It’s tough to hang on when you are few in number.

[joshuajeffery]

My parents occasionally attend the craven arms church. Before this was established my family were the only conservative mennonites in the country. We joined the Church of God in Christ Mennonites (aka the Holdemans) back in Brazil and were excommunicated shortly after we moved to the UK for taking communion with non members.

[nhmooytis]

My Anabaptist ancestor from Zurich went to Pennsylvania in the 1750s. I found his gravestone in an old churchyard.

[maximilianusofmarchaorient]

In German we call the Täufer (directly translated meaning those who baptize) the groups emerging in Tyrol and other regions later moving to Moravia and Ukraine and eventually America. In America they are called Anabaptists because the Baptists there have a completely different origin. This always confused me a lot. There also were two men with similar names Jakob Hutter (from Southern Tyrol) but also Hans Hut. The Hutterites are named after either both or only one of them it would seem. It would be nice to compare Baptists and Anabaptists as you have done with the Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Some day.

[alex-qeqn]

Of the Anabaptists here in the UK not murdered or driven out by the Establishment, many blended into General Baptists etc. One of the difficulties of Anabaptism for the British was their absolute pacifism, which never sat well with the British sense of (even) reluctant self-defence and the defence of others.

[EcclesiastesLiker-pyts]

Very informative. I use to get Plowshare magazine here in the UK, but stopped a while back to save money. I never considered myself Mennonite.

[JoeyC]

I'm a Brit. Definitely wrong that immigration is the greatest hope for growth here for churches. Our gospel-preaching baptist church is growing, like many others. We welcome immigrants too of course.

The mainline denominations have abandoned the Bible and are experiencing massive decline. Gospel preaching churches are often growing here.

[revcc]

Fascinating. For many years in Canada the largest Canadian church was the Meeting House, a multi-site anabaptist congregation.

[letitiajeavons]

Maybe you should do a video about Anabaptists in the U.S. versus Germany and Switzerland.

[michaelg]

So, does this data support the idea that baptists came from the Anglican Church / Puritans / Congregationalists, as opposed to stemming from the Anabaptists?

I'd like to learn more about the baptist / anabaptist origins if anyone could provide me with some info :)

[colinbugby]

I'm struggling to understand the difference between anabaptist and Baptist. Most towns in the UK have Baptist, churches as well as Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and Salvation Army. Less common we also have independent, reformed, brethren and quakers too. We have non Christian religions too of course.

[CandyCinema]

Small correction:
The Bruderhof actually went to the UK well before the 70s. They were kicked out of Germany by the Nazi party and fled to England, where they founded a community and attracted tons of native English counterculture Christians and pacifists who did not feel it right to participate in the growing conflict (WWII). But then the UK made them leave, so all the German-born members and some of the English members had to flee to Paraguay for a few decades. The community in England still existed, and it was a source of tension within their church after the Paraguay members moved up to America and tried to reconnect with their UK brethren.

[chrisfields]

I’ve recently heard of “the missionary church” denomination. Would love to see a video on them

[Ggdivhjkjl]

Having met Mennonites in Australia, I'm surprised to see your map says there aren't any.

[RyanAA]

The former pastor of the Gospel Standard Baptist Church in Choteau, Montana, USA, was a dear friend of mine. They last I knew what he was yet living had opened or were looking at opening a fourth church in the US but don't know if they did; they did plant several congregations in Australia & Canada.

That church was founded by a Henry Baouma. I have one of his books I bought from the bookstore.

They are a quite sweet-natured people, even if I now disagree with their theology.

[joshgaudr]

Anabaptists are quite common in Canada too, I wish you had talked about that a bit

[davidtholdsworth]

There is an Anabaptist Mennonite Network in the UK. Also there are links between Brethren, Baptist, Quaker and Anabaptist schools of thought.

[deanjacobs]

Where? My guess is Lancaster County Pa.