This is really interesting. Somehow I (mistakenly, I’m sure) received an email newsletter called “Things Hutterite,” from a Tarrel “Terry” Miller. I don’t know much about Hutterites. They live in colonies and hold all things communal, to my understanding, and I think have some ties to very conservative Mennonite/Amish.
I saw that Hutterite movie once, “How to get to Heaven in Montana.” The thing I remember was being astounded at how a large segment of them completely disregarded salvation! Very strange.
This newsletter doesn’t have a very formal “news” feel. Rather, it comes across as speculative and gossipy, hinting at possible situations in certain colonies, theorizing about various and sundry hidden meanings, and reading in between the lines. Then they take on Peter Hoover!
I don’t know Peter Hoover, but I’ve heard stories about what a charismatic and interesting man he must be. I believe he has written quite a bit also (he authored Secret of the Strength). Evidently the last few years he’s turned Hutterite. Unless I’m getting a lot of things mixed up.
Anyway, half of this newsletter is taken up with a rant spent ripping on Pete! It’s quite astounding, to me anyway, and pretty much gets rid of any credibility or self-respect the newsletter might have had in the first place. Very odd. I know next to nothing about Pete, I don’t have any idea if the criticism is justified or not, but I’m really surprised that this kind of a thing would get sent out to (I assume) a good-sized group of people as an official newsletter. On and on he goes at poor Peter’s expense. I sure wonder how I became the recipient of this.
I’ve joked about having a big Amish following here on ITF, do you suppose there’s also a Hutterite one?!
6 Responses
November 18th, 2005 at 10:57 am
Could be. Stranger things have happened, no?
November 18th, 2005 at 2:57 pm
The first two people to comment are canadians. Your reach spans across the border. Well, not literally but when we move we’ll just pass ITF along. So, with ITF’s popularity, there’s about a *79.6% chance that you have a large group of Hutterite fans. Or the guy got the wrong e-mail address. Either way, we read about it.
-Kaitlyn
*statistics given by “Things Statistized by Non-Hutterites for Hutterites”
November 18th, 2005 at 4:05 pm
tom, myabe they’re trying to convert you.
November 20th, 2005 at 11:02 pm
I know a lot of hutterites!! I grew up in Alberta, and there are many many colonies up there. In fact my brother’s wife has hutterite back-round.
November 20th, 2005 at 11:05 pm
One more thing…I know Peter Hoover personally. He IS a very interesting and charismatic man.
November 22nd, 2005 at 1:31 am
We have colonies all through the area here and one actually is just over a mile from our place. We also sold at the Farmer’s Market a few years back where probably half the vegetable producers were Hutterites. Various colonies “specialize” in certain trades and they all have bosses over the shop, animals, etc.
I’d really be surprised if very many of them were saved. We’ve tried to talk about salvation to some of them but they are so ingrained in their religon it is hard for them to think/see outside of it.
I don’t think many are conservative though it probably depends what group (Schmiedeleut, Dariusleut, or Lehrerleut) they are of. I know the ones around here drink, smoke, swear, etc. and certainly don’t try to hide it.