Hutterite Brethren
Founder: Jakob Hutter
Overview:
The Hutterite Brethren religion may follow some of the teachings of the Bible, just as other cults do; but they have not obeyed the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ...
"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2nd Thessalonians 1:8).
Lutherans, Calvinists and Hutterites all take their names from individual men; BUT, true Christianity upholds the free will of believers as the only sincere means for seeking God.
Hutterites trust in good works, baptism, and group membership for salvation. Peter Riedeman was a very important founding member of their church. His Confession of Faith is still an accepted authority on their beliefs and practices. The four most important points are adult baptism of believers, community of goods, non resistance and the separation of church and state.
No amount of religion or brotherhood can take one's sins away. Only the precious blood of Jesus can take our sins away (1st John 1:7; 1st Peter 1:18,19). Just like the Amish, Hutterites rely upon their self-righteousness to save them. It is a "works" religion. Romans 10:3,4 plainly condemns works salvation. Do Hutterites not understand the Words of Romans 4:5? ...
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
What wonderful Words! Truthfully, not one of us has enough self-righteousness to even get one foot into Heaven's gate! Listen to the Words of James 2:10,
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
Jesus paid a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. Any effort to merit salvation is a guaranteed road into Hellfire; but if we will trust upon the blood of Jesus to take away our sins, then Christ's righteousness will save us.
Romans 10:3-4 state, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2nd Thessalonians 1:8).
Lutherans, Calvinists and Hutterites all take their names from individual men; BUT, true Christianity upholds the free will of believers as the only sincere means for seeking God.
Hutterites trust in good works, baptism, and group membership for salvation. Peter Riedeman was a very important founding member of their church. His Confession of Faith is still an accepted authority on their beliefs and practices. The four most important points are adult baptism of believers, community of goods, non resistance and the separation of church and state.
No amount of religion or brotherhood can take one's sins away. Only the precious blood of Jesus can take our sins away (1st John 1:7; 1st Peter 1:18,19). Just like the Amish, Hutterites rely upon their self-righteousness to save them. It is a "works" religion. Romans 10:3,4 plainly condemns works salvation. Do Hutterites not understand the Words of Romans 4:5? ...
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
What wonderful Words! Truthfully, not one of us has enough self-righteousness to even get one foot into Heaven's gate! Listen to the Words of James 2:10,
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
Jesus paid a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. Any effort to merit salvation is a guaranteed road into Hellfire; but if we will trust upon the blood of Jesus to take away our sins, then Christ's righteousness will save us.
Romans 10:3-4 state, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Jakob Hutter
Though some Hutterites claim their roots began with earlier Anabaptist groups, the fact that they are labeling themselves with a man's name (i.e., Jakob Hutter) says it all. Nearly all Lutherans today will tell you they don't believe in Baptismal Regeneration (i.e., the heresy that one must be baptized to be saved), yet Martin Luther clearly taught it. So why do they call themselves "Lutherans" if they don't believe what Lutheran taught? The truth is that Lutherans today are in denial, and they are indeed trusting in Baptismal Regeneration to save them. To cover the matter, Lutheran ministers today teach Lutherans that the water itself doesn't save anyone; yet, they are saved through the water.
The Hutterites were founded by Jakob Hutter...
In 1889, Hutterites who had earlier fled Russia to the United States immigrated to Manitoba. The Hutterian Brotherhood, named after its first leader, Jakob Hutter, a Swiss leader of the Protestant Reformation, shared the early history of its origins with that of the Mennonites. Both were founded as Protestant sects in the 16th-century Anabaptist movement of Switzerland. Like the Mennonites, the Hutterian Brotherhood can be regarded as a “Peace Church,” believing there is a biblical prohibition against taking up arms against others. Their refusal to do military service caused them to flee military conscription in Switzerland, Moravia, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine before moving to the United States and Canada, where they practise communal farming. It is important to note that the Reformation centered more around changes in church authority and practice, than it did the truth of God's Word. Martin Luther, praised by many today as the leader of the Reformation, was a heretic who taught Baptismal Regeneration. ALL professed "Protestant" churches today teach the unbiblical practice of sacraments. So you see, Martin Luther may have come out of Catholicism, but Catholicism didn't come out of Martin Luther.
Acts 5:29 warns, "...We ought to obey God rather than men."
The days of the Reformation are over. Protestantism is not for Christians today. Let us be diligent to follow the Word of God, seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance. Every cult is started the same way ... when people start following a man instead of the Bible.
The Hutterites were founded by Jakob Hutter...
In 1889, Hutterites who had earlier fled Russia to the United States immigrated to Manitoba. The Hutterian Brotherhood, named after its first leader, Jakob Hutter, a Swiss leader of the Protestant Reformation, shared the early history of its origins with that of the Mennonites. Both were founded as Protestant sects in the 16th-century Anabaptist movement of Switzerland. Like the Mennonites, the Hutterian Brotherhood can be regarded as a “Peace Church,” believing there is a biblical prohibition against taking up arms against others. Their refusal to do military service caused them to flee military conscription in Switzerland, Moravia, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine before moving to the United States and Canada, where they practise communal farming. It is important to note that the Reformation centered more around changes in church authority and practice, than it did the truth of God's Word. Martin Luther, praised by many today as the leader of the Reformation, was a heretic who taught Baptismal Regeneration. ALL professed "Protestant" churches today teach the unbiblical practice of sacraments. So you see, Martin Luther may have come out of Catholicism, but Catholicism didn't come out of Martin Luther.
Acts 5:29 warns, "...We ought to obey God rather than men."
The days of the Reformation are over. Protestantism is not for Christians today. Let us be diligent to follow the Word of God, seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance. Every cult is started the same way ... when people start following a man instead of the Bible.
Hutterites and Works Salvation Heresy
Today, the Hutterite road to salvation is only achievable through good works within their own communities. Hutteritism is a religious mind control system of guilt perpetuated by the elders. It is engrained in the minds of Hutterite families... "If you leave the colony you're outside the will of God. You are condemned to hell. You are outside God's ark, outside his covenant. We are the only ones (the Hutterites) who are saved if we stay in the colony."
The Hutterites, generations past, gave their lives for Jesus Christ as martyrs; but now few acknowledge Jesus as their Savior anymore. Where is the Gospel? Hutterites today have traded Jesus, the Truth (John 14:6), for another savior, the colony. Hutterites, please don't believe the lies anymore! Your wayward elders refuse to tell you the truth. Salvation is not found in any religion; but rather, in a person--The Lord Jesus Christ! Your elders will not be able to answer for you when you stand before God (Romans 14:12). Jesus is the Savior of mankind, and not the Hutterite colony. Acts 4:10-12 plainly states...
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." -Acts 4:10-12
Imagine for a moment if Hutterites were told the truth, that they are not condemned to Hell if they leave a colony. How mind bending. How many of them would leave, if just one of the top three elders admitted the truth and gave his blessing instead of condemning them guilt and religious untruth?
Hutterites exclusively follow the ‘high German’ version of the Bible. They maintain a healthy disregard for any politics. They adhere to pacifism. Just as Jehovah's Witnesses, they refuse to fight in war. Colonies are very common in the state of South Dakota and Canada. The Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish and the Society of Brothers are all affiliated with the Anabaptist group of generations past. These cultic groups today have little doctrinal resemblance to the historical Christian faith. Christianity centers around the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ (1st Peter 1:18-19) and the saving power of the Gospel (Romans 1:16). Christianity, true to God's Word, teaches that men are woefully sinful (Romans 3:23), guilty (Romans 3:19), under the condemnation of God's Law (Romans 8:1), deserving of Hellfire (Revelation 20:11-15), and unable to perform any self-righteousness to save themselves (Titus 3:5). These quiet, rural, communal, religious groups today ... that draw the curiosity of a face-paced, hectic, and crazy world ... have fallen prey to apostasy themselves. I say this, not to be unkind, but to speak the truth with my neighbor...
Ephesians 4:25 states, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour..."
The truth is that the Hutterites are a false religion today. Jacob Hutter didn't die on the cross for you, Jesus did. Here is a Scripture that every Hutterite should ponder...
"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." -Psalm 118:8
The Hutterites, generations past, gave their lives for Jesus Christ as martyrs; but now few acknowledge Jesus as their Savior anymore. Where is the Gospel? Hutterites today have traded Jesus, the Truth (John 14:6), for another savior, the colony. Hutterites, please don't believe the lies anymore! Your wayward elders refuse to tell you the truth. Salvation is not found in any religion; but rather, in a person--The Lord Jesus Christ! Your elders will not be able to answer for you when you stand before God (Romans 14:12). Jesus is the Savior of mankind, and not the Hutterite colony. Acts 4:10-12 plainly states...
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." -Acts 4:10-12
Imagine for a moment if Hutterites were told the truth, that they are not condemned to Hell if they leave a colony. How mind bending. How many of them would leave, if just one of the top three elders admitted the truth and gave his blessing instead of condemning them guilt and religious untruth?
Hutterites exclusively follow the ‘high German’ version of the Bible. They maintain a healthy disregard for any politics. They adhere to pacifism. Just as Jehovah's Witnesses, they refuse to fight in war. Colonies are very common in the state of South Dakota and Canada. The Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish and the Society of Brothers are all affiliated with the Anabaptist group of generations past. These cultic groups today have little doctrinal resemblance to the historical Christian faith. Christianity centers around the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ (1st Peter 1:18-19) and the saving power of the Gospel (Romans 1:16). Christianity, true to God's Word, teaches that men are woefully sinful (Romans 3:23), guilty (Romans 3:19), under the condemnation of God's Law (Romans 8:1), deserving of Hellfire (Revelation 20:11-15), and unable to perform any self-righteousness to save themselves (Titus 3:5). These quiet, rural, communal, religious groups today ... that draw the curiosity of a face-paced, hectic, and crazy world ... have fallen prey to apostasy themselves. I say this, not to be unkind, but to speak the truth with my neighbor...
Ephesians 4:25 states, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour..."
The truth is that the Hutterites are a false religion today. Jacob Hutter didn't die on the cross for you, Jesus did. Here is a Scripture that every Hutterite should ponder...
"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." -Psalm 118:8
Cult Beliefs:
Community ownership
Hutterites practice a near-total community of goods: all property is owned by the colony, and provisions for individual members and their families come from the common resources. This practice is based largely on Hutterite interpretation of passages in chapters 2, 4, and 5 of Acts, which speak of the believers "having all things in common". Thus the colony owns and operates its buildings and equipment like a corporation. Housing units are built and assigned to individual families but belong to the colony and there is very little personal property. Meals are taken by the entire colony in a dining or fellowship room. Men and women sit at separate tables and the men eat first.
Daughter colonies
Each colony may consist of about 10 to 20 families, with a population of around 60 to 250. When the colony's population grows near the upper figure and its leadership determines that branching off is economically and spiritually necessary, they locate, purchase land for, and build a "daughter" colony. When an intercolony marriage occurs, the bride goes to live in the groom's colony, where she will be treated to a wedding celebration.
The process whereby a Colony splits creating a new daughter colony varies across the Branches of Colonies. In Lehrerleut, the process is much more structured while in Darius and Schmiedeleut the process can be somewhat less structured. For example in the Lehrerleut case, at the time of the split, the land will be purchased and buildings actually constructed before anyone in the colony knows who will be relocating to the daughter colony location. The final decision as to who leaves and who stays will not be made until everything is ready at the new location. During the construction process, a decision process will be followed by the colony leadership to split the colony up as evenly as possible, creating two separate groups of families. The two groups are made as close as possible to equal in size based on practical limits of family unit sizes in each group. In addition to splitting the people, the leadership must as evenly as possible split the business operations also. This means deciding which colony might take on either Hogs, or Dairy for example. There is a process allowed that gives colony members a chance to voice concerns about which group of two a family is assigned to, but at some point, a final decision is made as to which families belong in each of the two groups. This process has democratic aspects, but the net result is not negotiable, the colony is on course to be split. As might be imagined, this process can be very difficult and stressful for a colony as many political and family dynamics become matters that are discussed. Not everyone will be happy about the process or its results.
Once all decisions have been made, the two groups might be identified as "Group A" and "Group B". The last evening before a new group of people is to leave the "mother" colony to the "daughter" colony, there are two pieces of paper that are placed into a hat. On one piece of paper is something like "Group A" and the second piece says "Group B". The Minister will pray, seeking God's choice as to the piece of paper that is drawn from the hat, and proceed to draw one piece of paper. The name drawn will indicate which group is leaving to their new home at the Daughter colony location. The other group stays. Within 2 – 4 hours, the group that must move into their new home will fill a set of vehicles and drive to their new home. Within hours, the daughter colony inhabitants begin the process of settling a brand new colony site.
This very structured process varies dramatically from the process that might be used at some Darius and Schmiedeleut colonies where the split can sometimes be staggered over time with only a small group of people leaving to the new location and the split/daughter group.
Agriculture and manufacturing
Often, colonies own large tracts of land and, since they function as a collective unit, can afford top-of-the-line farm implements. Some also run state-of-the-art hog, dairy, turkey, chicken, and egg production operations.
An increasing number of Hutterite colonies are again venturing into the manufacturing sector—reminiscent of the early period of Hutterite life in Europe. Before the Hutterites emigrated to North America, they relied on manufacturing to sustain their communities. It was only in Russia that the Hutterites learned to farm from the Mennonites. Largely due to the increasing automation of farming (large equipment, GPS-controlled seeding, spraying, etc), farming operations are much more efficient and Hutterites are again looking to manufacturing to provide work for their people. Many of the colonies, who have gone into manufacturing, have realized that they need to provide their members with a higher level of education.
A major driving force for Hutterite leadership today is associated with recognizing that land prices have risen so dramatically (in Alberta and Saskatchewan specifically), driven by the oil and gas industry, which creates the need to have a greater amount of cash available to buy land when it comes time for a colony to split (see Daughter Colony in this Article). The splitting process for a colony requires the purchase of land and the construction of buildings. This can require funds in the range of $20 Million CDN in 2008 terms. Upwards of $10M for land and another $10M for buildings/construction. This massive cash requirement has now forced leadership to re-evaluate how a colony can produce the levels of funds needed to support expansion.
New ideas of projects that Colonies have engaged in include: Plastics Manufacturing, Metal Fabrication, Cabinetry and Stone/Granite Forming, just to name a few. Another unique project example came together in South Dakota. A group of 44 colonies joined together to create a Turkey Processing center where their poultry can be processed. The plant hired non-Hutterite staff to process the poultry for market. The plant secured demand for the colony poultry.
Use of technology
Hutterites attempt to remove themselves from the outside world (televisions, radios, tapes, CD's, etc. are forbidden), and up until recently, many of the Lehrerleut and Dariusleut (Alberta) colonies still only had one central phone. The Schmiedeleut had made this transition earlier, where each household had a telephone along with a central phone for the colony business operation. Phones are used for both business and for social purposes. Cell phones are also very common among all three groups today. Text messaging has made cell phones particularly useful for Hutterian young people wishing to keep in touch with their peers. Some Hutterite homes have computers and radios; a minority of communities (mostly, liberal Schmiedeleut colonies) have some filtered Internet access. Farming equipment technology generally matches or exceeds that of non-Hutterite farmers. Lehrerleut colonies have recently struggled with the proliferation of computers and have clamped down such that computers are no longer allowed in households and their use is limited to only business and farming operations including animal, feed, and crop management. But as the world evolves more and technology is used more and more for work and communication, many Hutterite young people use computers, photos and internet for keeping in contact with their friends, relatives and meeting new people outside the colony.
Education
Rather than send their children to an outside school, Hutterites build a schoolhouse onsite at the colony to fulfill a minimum educational agreement with the Province or State, which is typically run by an outside hired educator who teaches the basics including English. The "German" education of colony children is the responsibility of the "Assistant Minister" at some colonies, but most colonies elect a "German Teacher," who in most cases also takes care of the colony garden. His job entails training in German language studies, Bible teaching, and scripture memorization. The German Teacher will cooperate with the outside teacher in relation to scheduling and planning.
Traditionally, Hutterite children have left school at 15 years of age (after they have completed Grade 8) to fulfill their adult roles in the colony. This practice is still strictly maintained by the Lehrerleut and most of the Dariusleut colonies. However, an increasing number of Hutterites, especially among the Schmiedeleut, have graduated from high school. In addition, some of these young people have then gone on to attend university; many become teachers for their colonies. Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba, offers a Hutterite Education Program (BUHEP) to Hutterites who are willing to teach on Hutterite colonies. This program is only available to the Hutterite colonies on the less conservative side of the Schmiedleut split.
Major branches
Three different branches of Hutterites live in the prairies of North America, the Schmiedeleut, the Dariusleut and the Lehrerleut. Though all three "leut" are Hutterites, there are some distinctive differences. However, it should be noted that the original doctrine of all three groups is identical. The differences are mostly traditional and geographic.
Arnoldleut: Formerly called the Bruderhof Communities, Church Communities International is a group of more recent origin which, prior to 1990, were accepted by the Dariusleut and Lehrerleut groups as a part of the Hutterite community. The Schmeideleut were divided over the issue, but to this day they technically recognize the Arnoldleut as Hutterites.
Relations with neighboring communities
Although Hutterite society attempts to restrict the influence of the outside world on the colony's youth, it is not uncommon to see Hutterite teenage boys, easily recognized by their all-black pants and coats, shooting pool in nearby towns. The colony will often ignore minor offences such as these, allowing the young men to blow off steam. It is common to see Hutterites selling meat or produce from the back of a truck in nearby communities, and some colonies are locally famous for their bootleg rhubarb or dandelion wines. The efficiency and success of their agricultural methods occasionally leads to some minor jealously and resentment from local non-Hutterite farmers, but in general they enjoy good relationships with their neighbors, many of whom count Hutterites as close personal friends.
Photography
Alberta Hutterites had originally won the right to avoid having their photograph taken for their drivers' licenses. In May 2007, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that the photograph requirement violates their religious rights and that driving was essential to their way of life. The Wilson Springs colony based their position on the belief that images are prohibited by the Second Commandment. About eighty of the photo-less licenses were in use at the time of the decision. Besides the Alberta Hutterite groups (Darius and Lehrerleut), a handful of colonies in Manitoba (Schmiedeleut) do not wish their members to be photographed for licenses or other identity documents.
However, in July of 2009 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled 4-3 that a Hutterite community must abide by provincial rules that make a digital photo mandatory for all new driver's licences as a way to prevent identity theft.
Clothing
In contrast to the plain look of the Amish and Old Order Mennonites, Hutterite clothing can be vividly coloured, especially on children. Men's jackets and pants are always black. Most of the clothing is homemade. In the past, shoes were homemade but now are mostly store-bought.
Women and girls wear a scarf or other head covering which is usually black, but may have a small pattern (see photos above). Men wear hats outdoors.
Dialect
Just as the Amish and Old Order Mennonites often use Pennsylvania German, the Hutterites have preserved and use among themselves a distinct dialect of German known as Hutterite German or Hutterisch. Originally based on a Tyrolean dialect from the south-central German-speaking Europe from which they sprang in the 16th century, Hutterisch has taken on a Carinthian base due to their migratory history. In the years 1760 -1763, the Hutterites were joined by a large group of Lutherans who spoke a Carinthian dialect. Eventually, this led to the replacement of the Hutterite's Tyrolean dialect with the Carinthian dialect. Partly as a result of this, the Amish and Hutterite German dialects are not generally mutually intelligible. In their religious exercises Hutterites use a classic Lutheran German.
Hutterites practice a near-total community of goods: all property is owned by the colony, and provisions for individual members and their families come from the common resources. This practice is based largely on Hutterite interpretation of passages in chapters 2, 4, and 5 of Acts, which speak of the believers "having all things in common". Thus the colony owns and operates its buildings and equipment like a corporation. Housing units are built and assigned to individual families but belong to the colony and there is very little personal property. Meals are taken by the entire colony in a dining or fellowship room. Men and women sit at separate tables and the men eat first.
Daughter colonies
Each colony may consist of about 10 to 20 families, with a population of around 60 to 250. When the colony's population grows near the upper figure and its leadership determines that branching off is economically and spiritually necessary, they locate, purchase land for, and build a "daughter" colony. When an intercolony marriage occurs, the bride goes to live in the groom's colony, where she will be treated to a wedding celebration.
The process whereby a Colony splits creating a new daughter colony varies across the Branches of Colonies. In Lehrerleut, the process is much more structured while in Darius and Schmiedeleut the process can be somewhat less structured. For example in the Lehrerleut case, at the time of the split, the land will be purchased and buildings actually constructed before anyone in the colony knows who will be relocating to the daughter colony location. The final decision as to who leaves and who stays will not be made until everything is ready at the new location. During the construction process, a decision process will be followed by the colony leadership to split the colony up as evenly as possible, creating two separate groups of families. The two groups are made as close as possible to equal in size based on practical limits of family unit sizes in each group. In addition to splitting the people, the leadership must as evenly as possible split the business operations also. This means deciding which colony might take on either Hogs, or Dairy for example. There is a process allowed that gives colony members a chance to voice concerns about which group of two a family is assigned to, but at some point, a final decision is made as to which families belong in each of the two groups. This process has democratic aspects, but the net result is not negotiable, the colony is on course to be split. As might be imagined, this process can be very difficult and stressful for a colony as many political and family dynamics become matters that are discussed. Not everyone will be happy about the process or its results.
Once all decisions have been made, the two groups might be identified as "Group A" and "Group B". The last evening before a new group of people is to leave the "mother" colony to the "daughter" colony, there are two pieces of paper that are placed into a hat. On one piece of paper is something like "Group A" and the second piece says "Group B". The Minister will pray, seeking God's choice as to the piece of paper that is drawn from the hat, and proceed to draw one piece of paper. The name drawn will indicate which group is leaving to their new home at the Daughter colony location. The other group stays. Within 2 – 4 hours, the group that must move into their new home will fill a set of vehicles and drive to their new home. Within hours, the daughter colony inhabitants begin the process of settling a brand new colony site.
This very structured process varies dramatically from the process that might be used at some Darius and Schmiedeleut colonies where the split can sometimes be staggered over time with only a small group of people leaving to the new location and the split/daughter group.
Agriculture and manufacturing
Often, colonies own large tracts of land and, since they function as a collective unit, can afford top-of-the-line farm implements. Some also run state-of-the-art hog, dairy, turkey, chicken, and egg production operations.
An increasing number of Hutterite colonies are again venturing into the manufacturing sector—reminiscent of the early period of Hutterite life in Europe. Before the Hutterites emigrated to North America, they relied on manufacturing to sustain their communities. It was only in Russia that the Hutterites learned to farm from the Mennonites. Largely due to the increasing automation of farming (large equipment, GPS-controlled seeding, spraying, etc), farming operations are much more efficient and Hutterites are again looking to manufacturing to provide work for their people. Many of the colonies, who have gone into manufacturing, have realized that they need to provide their members with a higher level of education.
A major driving force for Hutterite leadership today is associated with recognizing that land prices have risen so dramatically (in Alberta and Saskatchewan specifically), driven by the oil and gas industry, which creates the need to have a greater amount of cash available to buy land when it comes time for a colony to split (see Daughter Colony in this Article). The splitting process for a colony requires the purchase of land and the construction of buildings. This can require funds in the range of $20 Million CDN in 2008 terms. Upwards of $10M for land and another $10M for buildings/construction. This massive cash requirement has now forced leadership to re-evaluate how a colony can produce the levels of funds needed to support expansion.
New ideas of projects that Colonies have engaged in include: Plastics Manufacturing, Metal Fabrication, Cabinetry and Stone/Granite Forming, just to name a few. Another unique project example came together in South Dakota. A group of 44 colonies joined together to create a Turkey Processing center where their poultry can be processed. The plant hired non-Hutterite staff to process the poultry for market. The plant secured demand for the colony poultry.
Use of technology
Hutterites attempt to remove themselves from the outside world (televisions, radios, tapes, CD's, etc. are forbidden), and up until recently, many of the Lehrerleut and Dariusleut (Alberta) colonies still only had one central phone. The Schmiedeleut had made this transition earlier, where each household had a telephone along with a central phone for the colony business operation. Phones are used for both business and for social purposes. Cell phones are also very common among all three groups today. Text messaging has made cell phones particularly useful for Hutterian young people wishing to keep in touch with their peers. Some Hutterite homes have computers and radios; a minority of communities (mostly, liberal Schmiedeleut colonies) have some filtered Internet access. Farming equipment technology generally matches or exceeds that of non-Hutterite farmers. Lehrerleut colonies have recently struggled with the proliferation of computers and have clamped down such that computers are no longer allowed in households and their use is limited to only business and farming operations including animal, feed, and crop management. But as the world evolves more and technology is used more and more for work and communication, many Hutterite young people use computers, photos and internet for keeping in contact with their friends, relatives and meeting new people outside the colony.
Education
Rather than send their children to an outside school, Hutterites build a schoolhouse onsite at the colony to fulfill a minimum educational agreement with the Province or State, which is typically run by an outside hired educator who teaches the basics including English. The "German" education of colony children is the responsibility of the "Assistant Minister" at some colonies, but most colonies elect a "German Teacher," who in most cases also takes care of the colony garden. His job entails training in German language studies, Bible teaching, and scripture memorization. The German Teacher will cooperate with the outside teacher in relation to scheduling and planning.
Traditionally, Hutterite children have left school at 15 years of age (after they have completed Grade 8) to fulfill their adult roles in the colony. This practice is still strictly maintained by the Lehrerleut and most of the Dariusleut colonies. However, an increasing number of Hutterites, especially among the Schmiedeleut, have graduated from high school. In addition, some of these young people have then gone on to attend university; many become teachers for their colonies. Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba, offers a Hutterite Education Program (BUHEP) to Hutterites who are willing to teach on Hutterite colonies. This program is only available to the Hutterite colonies on the less conservative side of the Schmiedleut split.
Major branches
Three different branches of Hutterites live in the prairies of North America, the Schmiedeleut, the Dariusleut and the Lehrerleut. Though all three "leut" are Hutterites, there are some distinctive differences. However, it should be noted that the original doctrine of all three groups is identical. The differences are mostly traditional and geographic.
Arnoldleut: Formerly called the Bruderhof Communities, Church Communities International is a group of more recent origin which, prior to 1990, were accepted by the Dariusleut and Lehrerleut groups as a part of the Hutterite community. The Schmeideleut were divided over the issue, but to this day they technically recognize the Arnoldleut as Hutterites.
Relations with neighboring communities
Although Hutterite society attempts to restrict the influence of the outside world on the colony's youth, it is not uncommon to see Hutterite teenage boys, easily recognized by their all-black pants and coats, shooting pool in nearby towns. The colony will often ignore minor offences such as these, allowing the young men to blow off steam. It is common to see Hutterites selling meat or produce from the back of a truck in nearby communities, and some colonies are locally famous for their bootleg rhubarb or dandelion wines. The efficiency and success of their agricultural methods occasionally leads to some minor jealously and resentment from local non-Hutterite farmers, but in general they enjoy good relationships with their neighbors, many of whom count Hutterites as close personal friends.
Photography
Alberta Hutterites had originally won the right to avoid having their photograph taken for their drivers' licenses. In May 2007, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that the photograph requirement violates their religious rights and that driving was essential to their way of life. The Wilson Springs colony based their position on the belief that images are prohibited by the Second Commandment. About eighty of the photo-less licenses were in use at the time of the decision. Besides the Alberta Hutterite groups (Darius and Lehrerleut), a handful of colonies in Manitoba (Schmiedeleut) do not wish their members to be photographed for licenses or other identity documents.
However, in July of 2009 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled 4-3 that a Hutterite community must abide by provincial rules that make a digital photo mandatory for all new driver's licences as a way to prevent identity theft.
Clothing
In contrast to the plain look of the Amish and Old Order Mennonites, Hutterite clothing can be vividly coloured, especially on children. Men's jackets and pants are always black. Most of the clothing is homemade. In the past, shoes were homemade but now are mostly store-bought.
Women and girls wear a scarf or other head covering which is usually black, but may have a small pattern (see photos above). Men wear hats outdoors.
Dialect
Just as the Amish and Old Order Mennonites often use Pennsylvania German, the Hutterites have preserved and use among themselves a distinct dialect of German known as Hutterite German or Hutterisch. Originally based on a Tyrolean dialect from the south-central German-speaking Europe from which they sprang in the 16th century, Hutterisch has taken on a Carinthian base due to their migratory history. In the years 1760 -1763, the Hutterites were joined by a large group of Lutherans who spoke a Carinthian dialect. Eventually, this led to the replacement of the Hutterite's Tyrolean dialect with the Carinthian dialect. Partly as a result of this, the Amish and Hutterite German dialects are not generally mutually intelligible. In their religious exercises Hutterites use a classic Lutheran German.
