SHICKLEY, NE
Omaha resident Hank Newman took a drive out to Nebraska Mennonite country and was shocked to discover that the recent viral ‘mannequin challenge’ had already reached the area.
“I attended a Mennonite worship service for the first time. It was fascinating. I think they must have been doing the mannequin challenge because no one moved an inch the whole time,” said Newman. “I was really impressed by their ability to stand perfectly still the entire service.”
Newman quickly got out his iPhone and filmed the strange phenomenon. The Mennonite Mannequin Challenge, as it’s now being called, has generated considerable traffic on youtube as people around the world share the video of Mennonites standing absolutely still for two hours.
“Not only is it one of the largest mannequin challenges, with over 200 people, but it also lasts the longest,” said Newman. “Their stamina is remarkable.”
After the video went viral, other Mennonite churches posted their own mannequin challenge videos, although most of them were just footage of any regular worship service that they re-labeled to get more hits.
“We Mennonites have been doing mannequin challenges every Sunday for centuries,” said one local pastor. “It’s nice to see that the rest of society has caught on to our particularly static style of worship.”
(Photo credit: by Mennonite Church USA Archives/Modified)
