young mennonites

It is Sunday in Zanesville, Ohio, and I am with a community of Mennonites who have welcomed me politely, though cautiously. Do I want to become one of them, they ask? I sit among them in church. They quietly inform me that this time is only between them and God. No pictures allowed. Later, I’m invited for a Sunday meal. A gathering of generations, but again, no pictures allowed.

The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptists, often mistaken for the Amish. They practice non-violence, believe in strong community and simplicity of life. Ohio is home to one of the largest Mennonite populations in the country. My time was spent in the southeastern towns of Zanesville, Logan and Carbon Hill. I was especially drawn to the young people, in how religion permeated all aspects of their lives.