Mennonites are a group of Anabaptist Christian communities with origins in the Radical Reformation period. Their name comes from Menno Simons (1496–1561), a cleric from Friesland in what is now the Netherlands, who became a leading figure in the Anabaptist movement. Simons was a contemporary of Martin Luther (1483–1546) and Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560). His writings formalized and expanded upon the teachings of earlier Swiss Anabaptist leaders and established key Mennonite beliefs centered on the mission and ministry of Jesus. Formal Mennonite doctrines were solidified in the Dordrecht Confession of Faith (1632), which emphasized believers' baptism, foot washing as a symbol of servanthood, church discipline, and nonresistance, among other principles. Mennonites are known for their commitment to pacifism and their emphasis on early Christian teachings in their beliefs, worship, and lifestyle. Globally, Mennonite congregations vary widely, from Old Order Mennonites, who avoid modern technology, to Conservative Mennonites, who adhere to traditional practices but use modern conveniences, and mainline Mennonites, who blend in with the general population. Mennonites are present in 87 countries across six continents, with significant populations in Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, and the United States. They also have communities in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia, and the Mennonite Church continues in the Netherlands, where Simons was born. In Latin America, Mennonite settlement has been linked to environmental impacts, particularly deforestation in the Amazon rainforest due to land clearance for agriculture.

Mennonites - Wikipedia