“M” is for Mennonites. The Mennonites of South Carolina are a Protestant group descended from the Anabaptists of the Reformation. The Anabaptists insisted on a conscious choice to join the church [adult baptism], a disciplined church in which members were responsible to each other, and a sharing church in which material needs were met by fellow members. They rejected union of church and state and the validity of oaths and self-defense, including military service. Mennonites began migrating to South Carolina in the late 1960s. They established twelve churches, including Fair Play Church and Foothills Fellowship in Oconee County to minister to at-risk juveniles in a camp setting. By the early 21st century there were more than seven hundred Mennonites in South Carolina, concentrated primarily in Abbeville, Aiken, Barnwell, and Oconee Counties.
“M” is for Mennonites
