The Book

Martin Lehman has provided us with a wonderful gift in his first volume of Roots and Banches. It is a testimony to the goodness of the Lord in leading Mennonites to the Southeast. As I reflected on the book I began to think of all the obstacles Mennonites had in developing church and mission in the Southeast. I note:

• differences between Amish and Mennonite settlers from the north who came to the Southeast.
• racial issues that divided people in the south, but Mennonites still worked at building churches.
• the strong southern Baptist and Methodist influence who claimed to be Christian but seemingly knew very little about a peace theology.
• The multitude of Mennonite conferences in the north from which Mennonites carried various views to church life in the Southeast. Despite all of these obstances the amazing story is that God is building the Anabaptist/Mennonite church in the Southeast.

Paul M. Zehr

“This is grassroots history at its best, telling the story of the men and women who nurtured an Anabaptist presence in Florida and Georgia.” —Richard K. Macmaster, Author,  Land, Piety, Peoplehood 

“Historians of the larger Mennonite scene will need this book for their own interpretive work.”  —John L. Ruth, Author, The Earth Is the Lord’s

Martin Lehman, now of Goshen, Indiana, spent much of his life serving Southeast Mennonite Conference in multiple pastoral and conference roles.