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The Fellowship of Evangelical Churches has its roots in the Amish Church. Between 1683 and 1861, most of the Amish left Europe for North America, where they established communities that adhered to the Dortrecht Confession of Faith, enforcing a pattern of living that included clothing style, the cut of hair, separation from the world, and restrictions on technology. A man named Henry Egly was elected deach of an Indiana Amish church. Over a three year period, Egly experienced a call to the ministry and became persuaded that salvation is through grace, by faith. In 1858, he was elected bishop. Because of his insistence on a new birth experience, he was forced to withdraw as a minister and bishop. Half the congregation withdrew with him, forming what became known as the Egly Amish in 1866, although his congregation was the Berne Evangelical Mennonite Church. In time, new congregations were formed, and in 1908, they adopted the name of Defenceless Mennonite, as they desired to be known as Mennonite rather than Amish. During World War I, communication between members of the Defenceless Mennonites and their German relatives was severaly restricted, and German ceased to be the official language of the churches, and they began thinking of themselves as American rather than German. The Defenceless Mennonites were charter members in the founding of the National Association of Evangelicals in 1942. In 1948, their name was changed to the Evangelical Mennonite Church, to illustrate the growing importance of evangelism in their work. Following World War II, upward social mobility, increased personal incomes, urbanization and higher education changed the nature of its membership. With this changing constituency, they voted to be known as the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches in 2002. The FEC has churches in Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

 

 

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