Robyn Lebron The Ordnung discourages members from joining public organizations or service clubs in their communities Some ǡ owever, are members of local volunteer fire companies and emergency medical units Members agree to obey the Ordnung at the time of baptism, with the clear understanding that they will be subject to church discipline, and perhaps excommunication, if they break that vow Major Differences Between Amish and Mennonite Although there are no absolutes, generally speaking, the Amish lean toward the more conservative rules in all things The Mennonites hold many of the same beliefs as the Amish, although they tend to be less conservative than their Amish neighbors Most Mennonites have relaxed dress codes and have gotten away from farmrelated occupations While old-order Mennonites still drive their allblack carriages, most Mennonite groups permit the use of cars and electricity However, some groups require that car bodies and trim be painted black Many people mistakenly think that all those who look Amish are Amish In fact, many plain-dressing groups have Anabaptist roots but are not Amish There are numerous plain-dressing Mennonite groups, including some who use horse-and-buggy transportation and others who use cars, tractors, electricity, and other forms of modern technology in their homes, farms, and businesses Various Brethren groups such as the ǡ ǡ ǡ wear plain clothing and practice a traditional lifestyle Like some of the Plain Mennonites, members of these groups also own cars and tractors and use electricity and other forms of modern technology in their homes, farms, and businesses The men in some of these Brethren groups wear beards, which easily leads to confusion with the Amish Most of these plain groups forbid divorce and the ordination of women They typically select laymen to lead their congregation They not use musical instruments in their worship services and seek to uphold traditional patterns of religious ritual Most, but not all, of the plain groups worship in meetinghouses, but they are simple, modest buildings without steeples, stained glass, and ornate furnishings It is risky to talk about the Amish and to make generalized statements about all Amish groups in North America based on one ~ 34 ~