Note: For some parts, the information will be specific to Wingham Colony. However, when the facts relate to Hutterites in general, we will provide general information on the Hutterites and not just information relating to Wingham Colony. If you would like to know more about any area or an area that is not covered, be sure to contact us and we will do our best to respond.
Community of Goods
Wingham Colony is a Hutterite Community with approximately 70 members. We live in a rural community in
Manitoba and we have all things in common. That means that all our material things are shared and given to each member as he/she requires them. No member exclusively owns anything (except personal items) but everything partly belongs to him/her. This way of life originates from the bible. Acts 2:44-47 describe this:
"And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily, with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
Additionally, we follow the example set by Jesus and his disciple when they too shared a common purse. In a Hutterite community, a secretary is elected by the male members of the community and is designated to do the accounting and management for the entire community. Hutterite families do not have their own personal bank account. Only one is maintained by the elected secretary. Eigennutz, a method of collecting money for personal possessions is discouraged.
It is important to mention that living in a community is not a religious value; it is a commitment one makes from having a personal relationship with Christ. It can only be obtained when a person is born again and lives for Christ and Christ lives within. As a result of rebirth, we believe in helping one another in all ways (secular and spiritually) to live for the glory of God. We do not believe that we are saved by this way of life; rather, salvation comes only from the grace of God through a relationship with His son and recognition that Jesus has ultimately paid our debt on the cross.
Staying on a Hutterite community is voluntary. However when a person gets baptized, they show their seriousness and dedication to communal life. Mostly young people between the ages of 15 – 25 decide to leave and ‘explore’ the world outside their community. If they do so, they are allowed to come for visits but they have to have permission for each visit. Most who leave decide to rejoin the community after a few years. Approximately 95% of those who leave will return within four years. Some might never rejoin as they feel communal life is not for them. When a person decides to rejoin the community, they are put on a general trial to see if they act appropriately and according to the rules and regulations of the community. Most are successful and are then allowed to rejoin the community.
Religion
Before discussing religion and doctrine, it is important to note that there are three different groups of Hutterites living in
North America . The following are the three groups:
1. Schmiedeleut - Divided into two groups in 1992.
- Hutterian Brethren: Elder Jacob Kleinsasser residing in Crystal Spring Colony,
Manitoba .
- Committee Hutterites: A Committee of Elders.
2. Dariusleut - Elder Martin Walter residing in Spring Point Colony, Alta.
3. Lehrerleut - Elder John Wipf residing in Rose Town Colony,
Sask.
There are many different customs and traditions within the three main groups of Hutterites. There may be vast differences in values, dress, management, and education, but the doctrine is very similar. We will explain and examine the fundamental principles of the Hutterian faith. There may be slight differences from one group to the next but generally they should be alike.
Hutterites base all key decisions on the Bible and use it as a measuring tool to measure the degree of change acceptable. Most traditions and cultural identity issues are carefully compared to the standards acceptable in the Bible.
The Hutterites believe in pacifism and communal life because Jesus also shared and portrayed these characteristics in his daily life. Additionally, Hutterites do not believe in infant baptism because it is not biblical. The Bible does not record a single infant being baptized. Only believers who had placed their faith in Christ were baptized--as a public testimony of their faith and identification with Him (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4). Obviously, infants cannot place their faith in Christ or publicly declare their faith. Therefore we believe that a person should be baptized at an age of understanding and at an age where they can fully comprehend what they are professing as truth. Even if a baby is dedicated to the Lord, when he grows up he will still have to make a personal decision to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved. We also believe that baptism does not save a person. It also does not matter if you were baptized by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling--if you have not first trusting in Christ for salvation and are born again, baptism is meaningless and useless. Hutterites baptize by sprinkling because it is the most appropriate and easily carried out. Baptism is a step of obedience to be done after salvation as a public profession of faith in Christ and identification with Him. Hutterites are usually baptized when an individual feels he/she is ready to make this commitment. When a person proclaims the he/she wants to be baptised, they are instructed on the seriousness of this decision for six to seven weeks prior to the baptism ceremony. Baptism happens usually between the ages of 18 and 25 and occurs around easter time.
All baptised male members also have to make a proclamation and announce their intention of partaking in the Lord's Supper. The males do this on behalf of the baptised members within each family. The Lord's Supper is practised once a year at Easter and is done in rememberance of Christ's pain, suffering, and sacrifice on our behalf.
Hutterites do not believe or tolerate divorce. Marriage is considered for life and only baptized members can marry within the
Hutterian
Church . Young people have many opportunities to socialize. When a couple wants to marry, they will ask for permission from the elders and when both communities agree, a wedding ceremony is planned at the groom's colony. The bride will then move the the community where the groom resides. Other communities are often invited to partake in these ceremonies.
The Hutterites have a half hour church service before supper. The length can very slightly from one community to the next and some communities may have these church services more frequently than others. Usually it is dependent on the time of year and other situations at the time. A longer service is held every Sunday and is usually one hour and fifteen minutes long. These services are also held on special occasions like weddings, baptism, Pentecost, and other religious holidays on the Christian calendar.
The Hutterites also believe in the Apostle's Creed. Prior to baptism, one must recite the Apostle Creed and have accepted it as the truth.
Education
We have always been in support of education, and for the last eight years most of the young people graduate from highschool. Education begins when the children enter preschool or Kleineschule during the summer months at the age of three. They are then taught the basic skills like singing, praying, and group cooperation when they play together. They are usually taught by woman that have been elected for this job. When Hutterite children reach the age of five, they begin german and english classes in a school building on the community.
Not all Hutterite communities are in favour of education. In 1996, some of the more liberal thinking communities started the Brandon University Hutterian Education Project (BUHEP). The program was established to give Hutterite men and woman the opportunity to get their teaching certificate. Since then, about eighty members have graduated from the program thus allowing us to teach our own students on our communities. Having our own teachers allows us to have more Hutterite culture accepted and taught in the school. Wingham HB School is currently an independent school but most colony schools are part of a provincial school division.
Not many professional careers are pursued in Hutterite communities. Teaching and electrical are currently the few professional careers offered. However as the need becomes greater, more options are likely to open and be pursued in the future.
Leisure Time
Like most communities, our young people enjoy playing different sports in their free time. Our young people enjoy playing hockey in the winter and volleyball, baseball, football, and badminton during the summer months. Other colonies also enjoy soccer, however we have never really enjoyed playing it.
Many conservative colonies do not permit their young people to play sports. It may appear to 'worldly' and is forbidden. The liberal thinking colonies have allowed most forms of sports because they prefer to have their young people playing sports rather then choosing less appealing pastimes.
Singing has also been a favorite activity or pastime. Many communities have their own choirs that sing on Sundays and on special occasions like weddings and baptisms. The choir director may be from the community or a trained neighbour that may come for the evening choir practices. Guitars, piano, and a keyboard are the main music instruments played by Hutterites. A few older folks might also play the harmonica. It is important to note that musical instruments are not tolerated in all communities.
Agriculture and Business
Our community like many others is heavily involved in agriculture. On the 7800 acres we farm, We grow crops like wheat, barley, canola, oats, beans, and corn. The diverse selection of crops allocates the maturity dates of the crops to provide adequate time to harvest all the crops. Even though some years we may have a wet spring or an early winter, we usually manage to finish the harvest in time.Most of the grain is stored on the community in larger bins that you can see on the aerial photo and some is taken to the local grain elevators. In wet years, we have to depend heavily on a grain drier we built several years ago.
Wingham is also involved in hog production which is a main source of income. We are in partnership with Genetically Advance Pigs (GAP) to produce high quality breeding stock and genetic improvement in hogs. Breeding stock is sold to Canadian and US markets. The feed for the hog and turkeys operations is produced and manufactured on the farm feedmill facility.
Another source of income is turkey production.
Turkey production is limited to supply and demand quotas. We produce about 18 000 to 25 000 turkeys per year.
Turkeys are shipped to market every 14-16 weeks.
We also run a small honey bee operation to provide honey for the colony and to supply the neighbours. The rest is sold to commercial market. In addition the the honey bee operation, we have a small book binding shop to repair old warn books. Book are repaired for other colonies and anyone else who needs repairs.
Role of Women
Women have many responsibilities in the community. Women are responsible for cooking, baking, canning, garden work, and house work. Some are also involved in teaching either German or helping out in English classes where they can use their talents to teach the children in the community.
The diene, unmarried women, do most of the garden work. Strenuous work is done by the married women as well. The garden is managed by the minister and his wife and they make most of the garden related decisions. The greenhouse is used to get an early start on some plants and flowers during the cooler spring months. The diene plant the seedlings in the garden when the appropriate time comes. The community will grow all the vegetables they need during the summer months. Most of the time, there is an abundant supply of fruits and vegetables and they are sent to local market to be sold. Sometimes leftover portions can also be donated to other communities that had a less fortunate year. When that happens, the community diene will come and pick whatever is needed. This outing also provides for an opportunity for social experiences for the young people where they can visit with friends or make new ones.
As mentioned before, women do all the cooking and baking on a colony. Each colony also has a community kitchen where all the cooking is prepared by two cooks and a head cook. The head cook is usually the secretary’s wife because buying groceries is more convenient and it also aids communication. While the head cook is there for an extended period of time, the two cooks are replaced each week. Each pair of cooks has their own cook-week. After the cook-week, there is one week of baking and then the pair can wait until their turn to cook comes again. This wait can vary depending on the number of eligible female cooks. Cooking and baking are very important skills for all Hutterite women and the skill is learned of older, more experienced cooks and the head cook. Females start cooking and baking at the age of 17 and cook until age 45.
The following topics are covered in this page.