Idlewine was raised Catholic but later became an Old Order Mennonite
As a young Catholic coming of age in Eagle Creek, Oregon, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Bill Idlewine took German classes and spent some time reading the Martin Luther translation of the Bible. This activity, he said, proved to be of great benefit in later years as he embarked upon his journey of faith.
Source: newstribune.com