M genealogical glossary terms: Difference between revisions

A group of Protestant churches originating in 1525 in Zurich, Switzerland, out of the Anabaptist (rebaptizer) movement.

Mennonites believe in a separation of church and state. They believe the Bible forbids going to war, swearing oaths, and holding offices that might require the use of force. They reserve baptism for those who are mature enough to commit to their beliefs and who have demonstrated sincerity in choosing their way of life.

Persecution forced many members to emigrate. Some went to Polish West Prussia in the 1500s. From there, some moved to Russia in the late 1700s. Many moved to Pennsylvania in 1683 and became part of the Pennsylvania Dutch movement. In the 1870s many moved to Canada and the Great Plains states in the United States.

The Amish originated in the Mennonite faith.

Meritband, Sweden: Swedish army pension records. Also called handlingar.

Mestizo: A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian (1/2) and Spanish Caucasian (1/2). Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.<br>Metes-and-bounds system:

A Protestant religion that formed in England during the 1700s as a movement to reform the Church of England. The Methodists broke away from the Church of England in 1795, after which Methodism spread rapidly throughout Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Methodism is based on the teachings of John Wesley, who emphasized the need for personal religious experience and methodical study and devotion.

Many churches split off from the Methodist Church, including the Methodist New Connexion, Independent Methodists, Bible Christians (Bryanites), and Primitive Methodists. The Nazarene and Pentecostal churches also grew out of Methodism.

In Wales, the Methodist Church was founded by George Whitefield. It was more Calvinistic than its English counterpart and had a presbyterian form of government.

In the United States from 1820 to 1920, approximately one-third of the Protestant population was Methodist. Methodism has no central organization, but many denominations are part of the World Methodist Council.

A gathering held in 1816 in Ireland in which it was decided that Methodists should be baptized by, be married by, and receive communion from their own ministers rather than by the ministers of the Church of Ireland. This decision resulted in a division among Methodists. The group who agreed with and followed this decision was known as the Wesleyan Methodists. The Primitive Methodists chose to continue associating with the Church of Ireland. Other groups that split away included the New Connexion and the Primitive Methodist Connexion. In 1878 the Primitive Methodists and the Wesleyan Methodists united. The two Connexion groups rejoined the main body of Methodists in 1932.

<br> Métis, Canada:

Representatives from several genealogical societies that focus on genealogical issues in Michigan.<br>