Beachy, Moses M. (1874-1946)
Moses M. Beachy was born 3 December 1874 near Salisbury, Pennsylvania, and was a lifelong resident of that community. His father, two brothers, and two sons were Amish ministers. Moses was ordained minister (19 May 1912) and bishop (1 October 1916) in the Old Order Amish church. He and Lucy S. Miller were married 17 February 1895, and became the parents of 14 children. Lucy died 25 November 1927. Moses married Mary E. Hershberger on 12 November 1928. He died 7 July 1946.
Meidung (avoidance of members under discipline) was an issue in Beachy's congregation, and Moses held a moderate position. After a decade of tension, about one-half of his congregation, calling for stricter application of the Meidung, withdrew in June 1927. Within two years Beachy's congregation approved the use of automobiles, electricity, and telephones. Moses Beachy and Bishop John A. Stoltzfus of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, began fraternal visits in 1929, and their two congregations became the leaders of the emerging Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship.
Moses was compassionate and ready to respond to requests for assistance from scattered congregations. He helped organize numerous "Beachy" congregations within a radius of 500 miles of his home. His influence and travels gave impetus to the use of the name "Beachy Church."
At the time of his death at age 71, Moses had served the Beachy Amish Mennonites 19 years. One indication of his stature among ministers was the presence of 23 Beachy ministers at his funeral.
Bibliography
Yoder, Elmer S. The Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship Churches. Hartville, Ohio: Diakonia Ministries, 1987: 253-54, 311-12, 360-67.
Moses Beachy collection, Archives of Mennonite Church USA
| Author(s) | Elmer S Yoder |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1987 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Yoder, Elmer S. "Beachy, Moses M. (1874-1946)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1987. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Beachy,_Moses_M._(1874-1946)&oldid=102053.
APA style
Yoder, Elmer S. (1987). Beachy, Moses M. (1874-1946). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Beachy,_Moses_M._(1874-1946)&oldid=102053.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, pp. 61-62. All rights reserved.
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