Draft:Old-Anabaptist Church Emmental / Mennonite (Alttäufergemeinde Emmental / Mennoniten)

Already before the reformation, there must have been several house gatherings in different valleys of the Emmental in Switzerland. Actually, there is no explanation, how suddenly in 1525 and the following years the house gatherings would have multiplied so fast. In the years 1534 until 1540 the Bernese government expelled 109 Anabaptist from their territory, in addition 26 got executed.[1] The records until 1571 show names of 40 Anabaptists that got executed in Bern. How many died on the galleys, in different stone walled prison towers like in the castle of Trachselwald and the Käfigturm in Bern of hunger, from the cold and were butchered we do not know of. Through different wars, rebellion of the peasants and famine many families left the Emmental. However, a remnant of the Old-Anabaptist (Alttäufer) movement persevered and called themselves the “old evangelical, defenseless baptistic-minded congregation in the Emmental”[2] (Altevangelische wehrlose taufgesinnte Gemeinde im Emmental). Around 1675 began the pietistic movement that continued for the next 200 years to have its influence on the Anabaptist in the Emmental and elsewhere.  Several dialogues took place at Friedersmatt during the years 1693 – 1698. Here the movement of the Amish began. Their emphasis was more on outward appearance and on church discipline, while the Old-Anabaptist were more concerned about their spiritual life. Over the years a few Amish returned to the Old-Anabaptist movement, while all others left Switzerland and emigrated.

In 1834, a total of 64 Old-Anabaptists left the church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper with persons from other regions of Switzerland. Through this and several discussions the first New-Anabaptist (Neutäufer) or Fröhlichianer church Giebel, in Langnau emerged. Today they are called Evangelische Täufergemeinden (ETG). This greatly weakened the Old Anabaptist church in Langnau, however it soon recovered with the help of Old-Anabaptist leaders from the Jura. Together with other Old-Anabaptist Congregations in Switzerland, the periodical Zionspilger was founded in 1882, and later edited in Langnau for many decades.

In 1888 the first  church building was  constructed in Langnau, the Kehr, with the financial help from Anabaptists in America. Some of the 45 meeting places began to meet in this new building. The church buildings in Aebnit in Bowil and Bomatt in Zollbrück were built only ten years later. The church kept on growing so that they needed to order 700 song books of the “Neues Gemeinschaftliederbuch” in 1950.   This congregation was seen  as a forerunner of social work.  Beside local evangelism and overseas work, they took care of the sick and helping the poor.

In 1885 the congregation called itself the Old-evangelical baptistic-minded  congregation Emmental (Alt-Evangelische Taufgesinnte Gemeinde Emmental.) In 1963 the name was  changed to Old-Anabaptist church Emmental / Mennonites (Alttäufergemeinde Emmental / Mennoniten).

Until the year 1900 the ministers were chosen by lot; later on by voting. In 1933 the first preacher, who graduated from the theological school St. Chrischona was elected. Ten years later, the first preacher received a 100% employment by the church. Over the next years most ministers in this congregation graduated from St. Chrischona,  promoting the pietistic theology in the congregation.

Around the year of 1925 the Alttäufer church saw the importance of Sunday School for children emphasizing biblical stories.  Remarkably twelve different locations were served by Sunday School teachers  with a total of 1085 children attending. In 1940 and the following years there were thirteen Sunday Schools. At one location 80 children regularly attended on Sunday mornings. This was a highlight over several years.

In 1938 the youth group was founded and in 1953 the youth bible study weekend (Jugendbibelkurs (JuBiKu)) was moved from Moosbad to the Langnau congregation. Today this yearly youth event continues by the name JuWeL – Youth Weekend Langnau.

1957 two sisters were commissioned to New Guinea as missionaries. Already in 1880 the first missionaries were sent to North America. Presently the Alttäufergemeinde Emmental has four families in overseas mission work.  Many a member left for theological studies to become a  pastor in other congregations or social institutions.

Over the years, this church had various evangelistic meetings, Bible studies, preaching points at up to 50 kilometers away, e.g. at Margelhof. The motivation to preach and teach, to help in difficult financial and family situations came from studying the Word of God, especially the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5-7. The Alttäufergemeinde Emmental /Mennoniten is most likely the oldest, independent of the state, still worshipping congregation in the world. Today a wide range of ministries are happening in this congregation as well as for the wider community promoting Kingdom building. More details https://www.atg-emmental.ch/

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[1] Die Taufgesinnten Gemeinden. S.H. Geiser. 1971. Page 194f

[2] History of the Bernese Anabaptists. Ernst Müller. 2010. Page 1 & 19

References

Die Taufgesinnten Gemeinden. Samuel H. Geiser. Courgenay. 1971

History of the Bernese Anabaptists. Ernst Müller. Translated by John A. Gingerich. Pathway Publishers. 2010.

Discover Anabaptism in Switzerland, Markus Rediger, Erwin Röthlisberger, Langnau, 2018

Daten zur Geschichte des bernischen Täufertums, Hanspeter Jecker, Bienenberg. 2005

Protokollauszug der Vorstandssitzung Alttäufergemeinde Emmental vom 23. September 1953

Jubiläum 100 Jahre Alttäufergemeinde Emmental, Ansprache von Pastor Hans Rüfenacht, 1988

Rückblick Hauertershaus by Fritz, 22.10.2019

Idea Schweiz, 28 Aug. 2024. Liestal.

Sonntagschulen im Oberemmental um das Jahr 1950. Collated by Fritz Röthlisberger and Hans Röthlisberger. Langnau, 2024

https://www.atg-emmental.ch/

https://www.wege-zur-freiheit.ch/wege-zur-freiheit

https://taeuferbewegung2025.de/  Dr. Astrid von Schlachta

https://www.trub.ch/leben-in-trub/freizeit/tourismus/taeuferversteck

https://mennonitengemeinde.de/2024b/samuel-froehlich.html

https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/religion/amish-origins/

https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Emmental_Mennonite_Church_(Kanton_Bern,_Switzerland)#mw-head

neo1 - mein Radio: Hans Hiltbrunner mit Geschichten aus dem Räbloch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoder

https://mennonitengemeinde.de/2024b/samuel-froehlich.html

https://toc.library.ethz.ch/objects/pdf/z01_1-932864-73-3_01.pdf

https://www.srf.ch/kultur/gesellschaft-religion/500-jahre-taeuferbewegung-kein-mitgliedermangel-was-die-taeufer-richtig-machen