We Bear the Loss Together: A History of the Mennonite Aid Union, 1866 - 2007

Formed in 1866, the Mennonite Aid Union of Ontario was the first Mennonite mutual aid organization in North America. Rejecting both the stock and mutual models for insurance companies, MAU insisted on holding no surplus and collecting no premiums in its early years. Its resolve to bear its members burdens together without regulation or resort to the courts led it at times into conflict with government, insurance companies, financial institutions, the Mennonite church, and its own membership. However, its unusual method of operation also garnered it respect from both individuals and institutions.