Page:Mennonite Handbook of Information 1925.djvu/75

 Joseph Stuckey (an Amish Mennonite bishop of Illinois) and others about forty years ago. This church is credited with 23 bishops, 15 ministers, and 2874 members.

10. Amish Mennonites (Conservative)—a branch that separated from the main body of Amish Menno 1 nites and organized themselves into a conference" in 1911. They are credited with 15 bishops, 33 ministers, 16 deacons, and 2794 members.

11. Russian Mennonites.—Among the Russian Mennonites who have come to America since 1870 there are a number of separate bodies such as the "Brueder Gemeinde," the "Krimmer Brueder Gemeinde," the "Kleine Gemeinde" "Bergthal" congregations, etc. In view of the possibilities in the way of Russian Mennonite immigration into America in the near future, it is not unlikely that at some time the largest element of Mennonite population in America may be the descendants from these immigrants from Russia.

Counting all the different Mennonite bodies in America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) the total membership now approximates one hundred thousand. While we rejoice at the growth in numbers, we can not but share in the generally expressed regret that there are so many different bodies of Mennonites. Some have left the parent body on the ground that the Mennonite Church is too strict in its discipline, others on the ground that it is not strict enough. And while one would naturally suppose that the branches inclined toward more advanced conservatism would gravitate together and seek to unite into one body, and that there would