[4][5] Conservative Anabaptist fellowships are highly engaged in evangelism and missionary work, in addition to many congregations having an attached parochial school; a 1993 report showed that Conservative Anabaptist denominations grew overall by fifty percent within the previous fifteen years.
[6] The majority of seekers are young adults who are attracted to "having a strong community, being serious about following the Bible and leading a Christian life and a commitment to modesty".
[16] More people have tested Amish life for weeks, months or even years but in the end decided not to join.
[17] On the other hand, the Beachy Amish, many of whom conduct their services in English and allow for a limited range of modern conveniences, regularly receive seekers into their churches as visitors, and eventually, as members.
The ultra-conservative stance on technology combined with firm Biblicism, intense spirituality, and high morals standards have had a wide appeal.
[18]Contrary to popular belief Old Order groups do not simply stay as they always have been, but have to struggle in many ways to adapt to the modern world and to preserve traditions, that are important to them.
Because the Noah Hoover Mennonites have such a complicated history of splits and mergers, they are unable to rely on tradition in the same way other conservative groups like e. g. the Swartzentruber Amish do, so they have had to find out in a longer process how they wish to live.
In customary Old Order fashion they see their role as model for Christian seekers, according to Matthew 5:16: They do not expect many people to join them.
[21] In the 1990s the Schmiedeleut 1 and the Bruderhof Communities helped a group in Palmgrove, Nigeria to establish communal living, but the soon this affiliation failed.
They are all influenced by Pietism which brings their theology closer to the Protestant mainstream of the Great Awakenings.