Spring 2013 | vol 22, no 3

Do the Amish use banks?

The story of Menno-Hof: Part I

by Harvey Chupp

After graduating from seminary and moving to Shipshewana in 1972, I became a part-time pastor at

Shore Mennonite Church. I also worked part-time at a

local hardware store. I soon became aware of the unique

makeup of the Shipshewana community with the influx of

tourists every summer drawn by the area flea market and the

large Amish community. Questions by the tourists about the

community – and answers by the locals – both fascinated and

troubled me. Questions like: “are the Amish Christians?” “do

Amish people use

banks?” “Where can I

find a real Amish

community – what we

see are fake Amish for

the tourists.” Imagine the look on a tourist’s face

when I extended my

hand after he said, “I

would like to meet a real

Mennonite.” After

listening to answers by

the locals to questions of

faith and history about

Amish and Mennonites,

I saw a real opportunity

and challenge to engage our visitors in a positive way.

It all began when I received permission from Robert

Lambright, then owner of the Shipshewana Auction and Flea

Market, to place a number of signs and a table in the market inviting people to Shore Church for a slide presentation on the

Anabaptist Mennonite/Amish story. I invited Steve Dintamin, a

Goshen College student, to assist in engaging our guests. The

first day we had one Catholic family show up. Women from the

church served coffee and donuts and interacted with our

guests.

Soon word spread about the presentation at the church and

bus companies, schools and other groups made it a regular

“must-see” when visiting Shipshewana. We received a real

boost when the Chicago Tribune and the Toledo Blade featured

our lecture in their Sunday travel section.

When I received invitations to speak at universities,

churches, rotary clubs, etc., the ministry outgrew what I could

manage. I invited Tim Lichti, then pastor at Marion Mennonite

Church, Shipshewana, to assist. Tim became a key person in the ongoing ministry to tourists, later becoming the first

director of Menno-Hof.

We began regularly renting a booth at the flea market

1972: Signs were posted

at the Shipshewana

Flea Market inviting

tourists to Shore

Mennonite to hear a lecture

about the Amish and

Mennonites.

Menno-Hof Milestones

1972 Curiosity about the Amish combined with a fledging flea market draw increasing numbers of tourists to Shipshewana. A slide-lecture program is conducted for visitors at nearby Shore Mennonite, Shipshewana, to communicate accurate information about the Amish and Mennonites.

1981 Local Mennonite groups organize an information booth at the rapidly expanding Shipshewana Flea Market. They begin with 40 books and pamphlets spread out on two halves of an old ping-pong table.

1984 Increasing demand challenges the Mennonite groups to look for a more effective setting to tell their story.

1985 A decision is made to establish a permanent visitor center. The current site is chosen and the land donated.

1986 An Amish crew and approximately 200 volunteers raise the entire structure of Menno-Hof during six days in late October.

1988 Menno-Hof opens to the public on May 2.

cont. on page 2

2

Do the Amish use banks? (cont. from front)

where we displayed books for sale and staffed it

with persons who interacted with the tourists.

With our experience at Shore Church, and

encounters beyond our community, there was

still a sense that more could be done. We were

challenged by the reception of high school groups

from Indiana and Michigan, university classes,

church groups, Catholic friends from Notre

Dame, and many from our Mennonite/Amish

church families. The vision of a central location

began to emerge. How do we create a vision that

moved beyond just several individuals?

We decided to hold several meetings for

interested people that shared our vision. The

next step was to take those interested to visit

The Meeting Place in St. Jacobs, Ontario,

Canada. Later, board members were taken to

visit Kaufman Museum, Newton, Kansas;

People’s Place and Mennonite Visitors Center, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Following one of these

visits, Robert Lambright said “we can do this in

Shipshewana.” Lambright then donated the land

and presented the board with a $500,000

matching grant challenge. Robert Hartzler, a

supporter, was then asked to oversee a fund drive

– approximately 60 volunteers participated. With

the Lambright donation and challenge, a board

was formed and plans were made to move ahead.

Faith connection: a partner congregation Townline Conservative Mennonite Church Shipshewana, Ind.

We support Menno-Hof because it aligns with our mission statement by exemplifying Christ’s love to people from all over the world - telling the stories of how Christ changed the hearts and lives of our Anabaptist fore fathers. This should encourage each of us to evaluate our own walk with Jesus, and seek to follow Him in our daily lives. Having a resource like Menno-Hof for our young people is very valuable to us. We do not want them to forget what it means to follow a way of peace and to let it influence their thinking and way of living every day. Our congregation has been impacted by the enthusiasm of the people that volunteer at Menno-Hof and the stories that they share of their interaction with visitors. Menno-Hof is a local mission doing global missions and we want to be part of that!

If your congregation is interested in becoming a church partner

with Menno-Hof, contact Jerry or Susan for more information.

The next phase was consultation. We gathered

over 30 individuals during the next few months,

seeking counsel from educators, theologians,

ministers, lay people, elementary teachers and a

number of persons with other-than-Anabaptist

backgrounds. The input from a variety of people greatly shaped the program content.

We also met with nine Amish ministers and

bishops, hoping to gain their blessing but

knowing that the use of multimedia would

prevent them from serving as board members. Our

goal was to form a board from five representative

groups: Mennonite Church, General Conference

Mennonite Church, Conservative Mennonite

Church, Amish Mennonite and Brethren in Christ.

Milo Shantz spearheaded and funded The Meeting

Place in Ontario, Canada, and told us it would

never work. He had trouble getting one conference

to support his vision. How did we think we could

get five groups to agree on anything? We respectfully chose to ignore this counsel and the

past 25 years bear witness to our faith that local

church groups can be a model for the larger body

of believers to work together in harmony for a

common cause. Our Canadian friend was the first

to affirm us in making it work.

We set out to provide a safe setting where three

groups could be challenged to deepen their faith

commitments. First, Menno-Hof was to be a place

where all Anabaptist church families could

discover and deepen their understanding of their

own rich heritage. Second, to challenge other

communities of faith to take more seriously the

words of Christ as the heart of the Gospel in the areas of peace and justice. Third, to encourage the

non-believer to consider joining us in discovering

what it means to follow Christ. ~to be continued~

Harvey and his wife, Carolyn, live in Shipshewana and attend Emma

Mennonite Church.

Top: Interested visitors from the Shipshewana Flea Market listen to a lecture at Shore Mennonite about the Amish and

Mennonites.

Above: Visitors browse a table of informational books and brochures following a

lecture.

3

Menno-Hof

wish list:

~sofas for volunteer

apartments

~washer & dryer

for apartments

~8 ft. lightweight

tables

If you are interested in

donating any of the listed items,

contact Jerry or Susan at

260-768-4117. Monetary

contributions can be sent to:

Menno-Hof PO Box 701

Shipshewana, IN

46565

My road to decision: an impersonation of Menno Simons

By Gerald Brunk

Saturday, July 13, 2013, at Menno-Hof | 6:30 p.m. | RSVP requested (260.768.4117 or info@mennohof.org)

Dr. Brunk, a history professor at Eastern Mennonite University, portrays the Dutch Anabaptist leader who will tell how he came to leave the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church and become overseer of his followers

nicknamed “Menists.”

5th Annual Singspiration

Sunday, September 8, 2013, at Menno-Hof | 5 p.m.

Come and enjoy a cappella singing on the Menno-Hof lawn. There will be ice cream and pretzels and more sing-ing inside following the worship service. Bring lawn chairs for seating. Rain location: Farmstead Inn pavilion,

Shipshewana (just north of Menno-Hof).

Menno-Hof 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

Guest Speaker: Donald B. Kraybill, Ph.D., Elizabethtown (Pa.) College Thursday, October 3, 2013 | more details coming later

The board of directors spent more than two years planning and sharing ideas for the Menno-Hof project before the building began.

The first board of directors (l to r): Harry Yoder, Winford Jones, Paul Miller, Elsie Miller, Doug Nisley, Tim Lichti, Harvey Chupp, Bob Lambright, Sam Bontrager. Not pictured: Daniel Bontrager,

Robert W. Hartzler

Upcoming Events . . .

Welcome!

Don Miller joined the Menno-Hof staff as part-time facility and grounds associate in March 2013. Prior to coming to Menno-Hof, Don was self-employed digging ponds. His interests include being outdoors, sports, and fishing. Don is married to Bernie and they attend First Mennonite,

Middlebury, Ind. They have one married daughter and an eight-month-old grandson they are thoroughly enjoying. Don has been a volunteer tour guide at Menno-Hof since 2011 and still enjoys doing that a half day a week. “I am thankful I can contribute to Menno-Hof in various ways.”

Daniel B. Miller, Goshen, Ind., has agreed to serve on the Menno-Hof Board of Directors as a Beachy Amish representative. Board members took action to affirm him to this position at their April meeting. Dan currently serves as one of the pastors at Fairhaven Amish Mennonite Church, Goshen. Prior to that he was a

pastor at Woodlawn Amish Mennonite Church, Goshen, for 13 years. Dan also delivers RVs part-time. Dan and his wife, Mary Ann, have six children and 20 grandchildren. “I feel blessed to be asked to serve. My prayer is that I will be an asset to the Menno-Hof Board.”

Menno-Hof staff:

Jerry Beasley, executive director Susan Miller, managing director Charlotte Long, program and communication associate Don Miller, facility and grounds associate

Board of Directors:

Larry Chupp, president, Shipshewana, Ind. Lovina Rutt, vice-president, Goshen, Ind. Andrew Eversole, Goshen, Ind. Rachel Nafziger Hartzler, Goshen, Ind. Dorothy Hostetler, Shipshewana, Ind. Donna Jones, Shipshewana, Ind. Orie E. Lehman, Shipshewana, Ind. Daniel B. Miller, Goshen, Ind. Wayne Schrock, Millersburg, Ind. Don Stauffer, Union, Mich. Alvin J. Yoder, Shipshewana, Ind. Fern Yoder, Millersburg, Ind.

Hours:

Monday—Saturday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.

Summer hours (June, July, August) Monday—Friday: 10 a.m.—7 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.

DIRECTOR’S DESK

H ere at Menno-Hof we have many treasures that have

contributed to the effectiveness of our witness to those

visiting our facility. Dedicated board members, staff, financial supporters and especially volunteers are some of

these treasures.

Over the years I have had the pleasure and opportunity

to work with volunteers in a variety of settings. None of my

experiences have been more meaningful than here at

Menno-Hof. As most of you know, Menno-Hof could not operate without our volunteers. We’re aware that each of

these individuals could choose any number of other locations to

volunteer their time and it is difficult to fully express our appreciation and

gratitude that they choose Menno-Hof. There is something special about

individuals who are willing to share their time and talents in this way. Our local tour guide

volunteers are effective and

reliable and make it possible for

us to share our story with visitors

six days a week. Other volunteers

that assist with the facility and grounds have taken their tasks

seriously and are providing

pleasant, safe and interesting

surroundings for our visitors. Our

live-in hosts and hostesses participate in a variety of tasks

creating a welcoming atmosphere

for our visitors. We are truly

thankful and routinely thank God

for Menno-Hof volunteers!

May 19 we honored our volunteers with a service at Shore

Mennonite and dessert at

Menno-Hof. This initiative was

just one way to recognize and

thank all those who volunteer here. We will continue praying for

past, current and future Menno-

Hof volunteers. Thank you to all!

Jerry Beasley

executive director

Beginnings and endings

Menno-Hof hosts & hostesses:

Jim & Bonnie Beachy

Paoli, Ind. | May 5-11

Bill & Marilyn Goossen

Beatrice, Neb. | June

Charles & Leone Byers

Walsingham, ON Canada | June

Rob & Rosie Claassen

Lawrence, Kan. | July

Dorothy Logan | Harrisonburg, Va. | July

Tillie Yoder | Harrisonburg, Va. | July

Jim & Miriam Juhnke

Witchita, Kan. | August

Ora & Rhoda Mast

Lancaster, Pa. | August

Thank you!

NON-PROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

PAID

SHIPSHEWANA, IN

46565

PERMIT NO 17

Reunion is published quarterly to keep

our friends informed of happenings at

Menno-Hof. Send questions or

comments to director at

info@mennohof.org

Menno-Hof Amish-Mennonite

Visitors’ Center

PO Box 701

510 S Van Buren St, SR 5

Shipshewana, IN 46565

Tele: (260) 768-4117

Fax: (260) 768-4118

E-mail: info@mennohof.org

Web site: www.mennohof.org