The American Revolution and Mennonites: A Crisis of Conscience

Historic Rock Ford's Untold Stories of the Revolution Lecture Series welcomes Kenneth Sensenig as he presents “The American Revolution and Mennonites: A Crisis of Conscience.” In 1777, during the defense of Philadelphia, the peaceful Ephrata Cloister became an unlikely battlefield of conscience as wounded soldiers were brought there for nursing. Join us for an exploration of the story of John and Anna Baer, Mennonite pacifists who faced an impossible dilemma: how to care for wounded soldiers whose cause contradicted their deepest beliefs. From political tensions to the tragic involvement of their own son in horse trading with the British, the Baers’ story is one of unwavering compassion in the face of suspicion. Though they eventually gave their lives to the typhus epidemic, while nursing the wounded, their graves remained forgotten for over a century—until a chance discovery by a local farmer in 1980 changed everything.

This presentation will take place in the Langmuir Education Room on the first floor of the Rock Ford Barn. Admission is for the lecture only and does not include the Snyder Gallery or Hand Mansion.

About the presenter: Ken Sensenig has made a career of education, much of it through the international aid agency known as the Mennonite Central Committee. His perspectives have been shaped by years in Africa as well as by teaching in area schools. Ken displays a keen interest in local history and shares this interest in nearby retirement communities. Storytelling activities and projects on his little farm near Akron, Pennsylvania, occupy significant portions of Ken's early retirement time. Ken and and his wife Karen are parents of three young adult children scattered across the globe.