"This long-needed and much-anticipated history of Mennonites in Ontario does not disappoint. Author Sam Steiner has undertaken meticulous research to offer a comprehensive narrative that balances the local and particular with broader contextual explanations for how the ''startling diversity'' of Mennonites in Ontario today came to be. This grand survey will be the definitive reference work on the subject for years to come." -Marlene Epp, professor of history, Conrad Grebel University College<br /><br />"This well-crafted and deeply researched book takes us into the richly textured past of Mennonite life in Ontario. Sam Steiner''s sweeping and authoritative new interpretation takes us through the centuries, from frontier Upper Canada to modern Ontario. Along the way we encounter hopeful migrations, emotional revivals, ''horse and buggy'' protests, and a faith-driven response to wartime, city life, and pressing current issues. In the end we have an insightful portrayal of the profoundly changing face of one of the most complex and concentrated Mennonite communities in the world." -Royden Loewen, chair in Mennonite studies and professor of history, University of Winnipeg<br /><br />"Samuel Steiner''s careful research, archival depth, breadth of coverage, thematic coherence, respectful candor, and useful summations make this book not only a treasury of Ontario Mennonite memory but a valuable companion to Mennonite history across North America." -John L. Ruth, author of The Earth is the Lord''s: A Narrative History of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference<br /><br />"This is a remarkable book! Encyclopedic in scope and traversing three centuries, In Search of Promised Lands provides a lively account of the astounding ecclesial and ethnic diversity among Mennonite and Amish groups in Ontario. Author Sam Steiner never flinches from the persistent theme of conflict and division. Yet he tells those stories generously, always attentive to the theological motifs, economic forces, renewal impulses, immigration patterns, cultural pressures, and the broader national context within which these tensions found expression. Though anchored firmly in the rich farmland and bustling towns of Ontario, this book is relevant the entire North American church-we all will find a part of our story here!" -John D. Roth, professor of history, Goshen College, and editor of Mennonite Quarterly Review<br /><br />"Samuel J. Steiner tells the story the numerous strains of Amish and Mennonite people in In Search of Promised Lands. Steiner covers the Mennonites'' numerous institutions and also the Old Order parochial schools; he brings to the reader''s attention of Russian Mennonite migrations, but neither does he overlook the East Asian refugee assistance. For a devoted historian, the extensive endnotes add a wealth of information and credibility to the book. Like the story of the Israelites, In Search of Promised Lands includes the Mennonites'' quest for an earthly home as well as their heavenly abode."-Donald Martin, Old Order Mennonite historian<br /><br />"Sam Steiner''s long career as archivist has culminated in this thorough study, which details the history of the thirty-plus groups of Ontario Mennonites and Amish. Readers will be fascinated by the stories, previously untold, of men and women who composed significant Ontario families and communities. The well-written historical narrative is bolstered by analysis, including exploration of the variety of theological controversies, and the impact of such social issues as race and gender, that have contributed to the complexities of the Ontario story." -Lucille Marr, president, Mennonite Historical Society of Canada<br /><br />"In Search of Promised Lands is a great contribution to our Mennonite people! It covers the many Mennonite and Amish groups, churches, schools, and cultures from the early years to the latest immigrations. Much research has gone into this valuable book. This will be a priceless resource for all readers and archivists." -Walt Koop, chair, Essex Kent Mennonite Historical Association