The Anabaptists were one of the larger religious groups that came out of the Reformation in sixteenth century Europe. The Anabaptists believed:

· Adult baptism after confession of the faith

· Separation of church and state

· Worship services in the home rather than at a church

A Dutch Anabaptist leader named Menno Simons (1496-1561) was the founding father of the Mennonites. Because of religious persecution, the Mennonites migrated to Switzerland and other remote areas of Europe. The Amish resulted from a split from the Swiss Mennonites in the late seventeenth century. Jacob Amman led the separation based on differences over two religious practices: foot washing and avoidance (known as "shunning.")

The Amish began to migrate to the United States in the early eighteenth century. Many settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the 1720s. Other groups moved further west into Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Iowa. Today, there are approximately 100,000 members in twenty-two states, including 45,000 in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Ontario Canada has about 1,500 members.

As a summary, the Amish would be considered a conservative Christian religious group. They believe in the following:

· Baptism

· Literal interpretation of the Bible

· Separation from the world

· Absolutely no association with the military or warfare

· No centralized Amish organization

· Does not seek converts