Reidenbach Old Order Mennonites, also called Thirty-Fivers, comprise about 15 Old Order Mennonite churches, which emerged from a split of the Groffdale Old Order Mennonite Conference in 1942 and subsequent splits. The people who formed the Reidenbach Mennonites Church were more conservative than the members of the Groffdale Conference. The original name of the new church in 1946 was "Reidenbach Mennonite Church".
History
During World War II around the year 1942 there was a conflict among the Groffdale Conference Mennonites about the question if members of the Conference should send their male youth to government-run Civilian Public Service camps or if the young males should rather go to jail. Dozens of members refrained therefore from communion and many of them tried to join other like-minded groups. After some years, 35 of these about 60 church members who opted against Civilian Public Service camps on May 30, 1946, formed a separate church and built a meetinghouse in 1947 close to Reidenbach, an unofficial place name in Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where there is a Reidenbach Road. Since then they became known as Thirty-Fivers, Fimfunddreissiger, Reidenbachers, Reidenbach Mennonites or after their many divisions obtained new names after leaders, influential members, patriarchs or bishops. The Thirty-Fivers naming still dominates and even is used by themselves.
Their later history is characterized by a long series of splits, the major one being a division in 1977 about the use of bottled gas, which left the 158 members in two groups, one of 90 members, the John J. Martin group, who forbade bottled gas, and one of 68 members, the Amos Martin group, who allowed it. The John J. Martin group later saw several further splits.Karsten-Gerhard Albertsen: The History & Life of the Reidenbach Mennonites (Thirty Fivers). Morgantown, PA 1996, pages 84-95. Reidenbach Mennonite Church (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA) in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
Splits
The table below lists all splits of more than one family until the middle of the year 1996:Karsten-Gerhard Albertsen: The History & Life of the Reidenbach Mennonites (Thirty Fivers). Morgantown, PA 1996, page 450.
Name of the group Membership in July 1996 Date of split or begin Parent group Amos Martin Reidenbach 126 30 May 1946 Groffdale Conference Peter O. Nolt Reidenbach 31 Early 1956 Amos Martin John J. Martin Reidenbach 48 17 Nov. 1977 Amos Martin Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde 37 21 June 1981 John Martin Henry M. Hoover Reidenbach 24 19 Oct. 1985 John Martin Aaron Z. Martin Reidenbach 28 22 Feb. 1987 John Martin Rufus Z. Martin Reidenbach 19 10 Dec. 1987 Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde
The reasons behind these splits have been published in a book, they can for short being described as "The Role of the Worldly Government split" in 1956, "The Bottled Gas" split in 1977, "The Fancy Carriage split" in 1981, "The Holy Kiss among Women split" in late 1985, "The Appointment Question split" in early 1987, "The Matthew, 12,36 Split" in late summer in 1987. These splits created groups of more than one family, separated families have to be added to it which also have a story of splits behind their formations.
Since 1996 some more splits occurred and new splinter groups were started, some one-family units by now.
The Rufus Z. Martin group split up in mostly family circles, there is just one group now having several families which is led by Eli M. Hoover. The Aaron Z. Martin group of Wenzel Road split in 2004, forming the Wayne H. Martin group, the latter moved down to Kentucky. The afterwards again grewn Aaron Z. Martin Gmay(now under bishop Nathan H. Martin, his son) split again in about 2023, 2/3 joined the Paul F. Martin group(now under bishop Mark Martin). Also the Wayne H. Martin group of Fairview, Ky split up in 2023, it almost dissolved. Most members( it had then over 30 couples) try or were successful in joining the local Martin Fivers group. The Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde/Little Reidenbach Church dissolved in 2004 after many splits, their church house is not used for twenty years. One of their former groups called Amos W. Hoover group/LLoyd Hoover´s group grew up to 8 couples up to 2025. Also the Henry M. Hoover group dissolved: One part joined the Gorrie Mennonites, one united with the Wayne H. Martin group in 2004, some joined the Martin Fivers. The John Martin Group split in 2007("The Sabbath/Ten Commandment Split"). Their former bishop Daniel Hoover with his group moved to Kentucky after 2010. In late 2009 they became known as "strict 35ers" when local news reported about them in a "kidnapping case/custody case". Their former church group, the John Martin group was then already locally known as Paul F. Martin´s group, now their bishop is Mark Martin. They experienced an exponentially growth afterwards, and are over 40 couples in 2026. This Daniel Hoover group, just being two years down in Kentucky, split again in 2012, these families joined later in 2014 a Vevay Amish, IN group, so there are now even "Amish Fivers" existing. In late 2024 Daniel´s group again split, forming the Ivan Hoover group (The Sermon-non-Confirmation Split).
Time will tell what happens next, but so far the story continued to split and split again, oftentimes in cases, when they reached a good size of member couples. The difference to former years is, that there is really a shifting of memberships from group to group and are not anymore many young people who stay with their parents when they split and accept what had been formerly expressed to one son whose parents split: "Es ist der Harr sei Wille, es dir ledig bleiwet!" (It´s the Lord´s will that you stay single/unmarried!". They now rather seek company in some of the bigger 35er groups instead of accepting, having no company for "Rumschringe" at all.
Two of the Reidenbach Mennonite groups had grown until 2026 to a good size of membership families: The Amos Martin group (big church/Gross Gemee) has now at least three settlements and over 100 families. It is the most liberal Reidenbacher church attracting many members from conservative sides. Due to its big size and three separated settlements, two in Penna, one in Kentucky, the Amos Martin group started to print own directories. Their first one is known as printed in 2013, almnost every other year, lately 2025. And the John Martin group (now Mark Martin´s) grew to almost 40 couples up to 2026. Their growth however really started after their late split in 2007. It was reported a new way of leadership was mostly the reasoning behind it.
The last updated and calculated list of Reidenbach Mennonites shows eight groups with more than one family belonging to in 2022:
Name of the group Membership in 2022 Date of split or begin Parent group Amos Martin Reidenbach 321 30 May 1946 Groffdale Conference Peter O. Nolt Reidenbach 28 Early 1956 Amos Martin Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde 0 21 June 1981 John Martin Henry M. Hoover Reidenbach 0 19 Oct. 1985 John Martin Aaron Z. Martin Reidenbach <59 22 Feb. 1987 John Martin Rufus Z. Martin Reidenbachers <34 10 Dec. 1987 Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde Amos W. Hoover Reidenbach 34 1998 Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde Wayne H. Martin Reidenbach* 98 2004 Aaron Z. Martin* John J. Martin Reidenbach, now Paul F. Martin >68 2007 John Martin Daniel M. Hoover Reidenbach, "strict 35er"(2009) 61 2007 John Martin
As of 2026, there were these following known separated Reidenbach Mennonite families + some singles who consider themselves as independent gatherings/churches/groups: David M. Hoover´s most kids and widow, the couple of David Z. Hoover, Earl H. Hoovers, Jonas H. Hoovers, Leon H. Hoover(alone), Jesse H. Martins and Rufus H. Martin´s group(mostly his mom and some siblings). Memberships vary between 1+ and abt 20+ in these groups by now.
This calculation took in reference that "Unterricht" (Unnerricht in Pennsylvania German, Instruction class for baptism and church membership) normally starts with 18 years when young people start to desire church memberships. There are hardly young people joining after being 20 yrs. Therefore, one can assume and count people of 18 years as members. For some families the data are not complete. Many data are from the Muddy Creek Farm Library's family lists of Mennonites, then Zimmerman Family book as a source, the standard work of Albertsen, requests by letters and interviews.
Church Houses
Many groups of the Reidenbach Mennonites do not have separate church houses, but so far known the Reidenbach Mennonite bigger groups have these church houses:
Old bishop Amos Martin's group, Gross Gemeinde, Gross-Gemay, Big Reidenbach Church:
1) Lancaster County, Pa on 131 Martin Road, New Holland (the original house since 1947, remodeled in 1970)
2) Montour-/Northumberland-County, Pa: Limestone Mennonite Church, 2nd church (late 1980s)
3) Christian-/ Todd-County, Ky: new built church, 2229 Roger Q Mill Road, Pembroke (Mennonite Church), 3rd church (2019)
Henry Hoover group(dissolved):
1) first church in houses and local parochial school at Hoover Lane, Hopkinsville (1989-2002)
2) then building of Fairview Mennonite church (2002-2006)
3) "Gorrie Fivers" meet in old bulk food store at the late Henry Hoover´s place
Kleine Reidenbach Gemeinde, Little Reidenbach Church(dissolved):
1) Snyder Drive church house, for years unused, as church dissolved (1981/2-abt 2004)
Aaron Z. Martin group(now Nathan H. Martin bishop)
1) about 14 years house services (1987-2001)
2) then Wentzel Road: Black Creek Mennonite Church (since 2001)
John F. Martin group, Paul F. Martin group:
1) used alternately old church with Amos Martin group, 1977-2007
2) house services, old church building used by Daniel M. Hoover group meanwhile, 2007-2010
3) after moving of Daniel M. Hoover group down to Kentucky, they became again users of old church house, since 2010
Daniel M. Hoover group:
1) used old church house, shared with big group, 2007-2010
3) house service until church house was built, 2010-2012
2) Grayson County, Ky: Clearfield Mennonite church, since 2012
Wayne Martin group, later Samuel Hoover grou p(Fairview Mennonite Church):
1) Wentzel Road church: Black Creek Church (shared with Aaron Z. Martin group), 2004-until moving
2) Fairview Mennonite Church, Ky 2006-2023, several times horsesheds attached
3) Fairview Mennonite Church not anymore used (late 2023)
So at all there are seven Reidenbach Mennonite church houses:
1) Amos Martin group: 3 (original one shared)
2) Aaron Z. Martin group: 1 (alone)
3) Daniel M. Hoover group: 1 (shared with new group of Ivan Hoover)
4) Paul F. Martin group: 1 (shared with 1))
5) Wayne H. Martin group: 1 (until 2023, closed)
6) Little Reidenbach group: 1 (alone, closed since 2004)
Customs and belief The belief of the Reidenbach Mennonites almost does not differ much from other Old Order Mennonites, except in the Meidung (shunning) issue and in a greater emphasize of keeping rules.
Reidenbach Mennonites emphasize complete removal of memberships combined with strong shunning in social matters unless Wenger Mennonites, who rather exclude members from taking communion if expelled, but do not shun much socially.
Another issue is their understanding that technological backwardness is a strong helping tool for stepping up the heavenly ladder, keeping and holding on to material rules became very much a matter of salvation: One former Henry Hoover Mennonite deacon p.g. expressed to another member, who had a crawler:
Such and other expressions, a strong connection of what is allowed and where it would lead to (hell or heaven) are manifest and solid grounded in their understanding of living a Christian life. Being "zurickhaltig", "humble and backwards minded" in technological areas is very much connected to earning a much more than living hope of salvation.