The Swartzentruber Amish are among the most tradition-minded Old Order peoples
The Swartzentruber Amish affiliation came about in Ohio in 1917. Today Swartzentruber Amish are considered among the “lowest” of Amish affiliations.
Swartzentruber communities can be found in over a dozen states, though their population is highest in Holmes County, Ohio, where they live side-by-side with more progressive Amish.
Facts about the Swartzentruber Amish:
Swartzentruber Amish use only minimal technology. Battery-powered flashlights are acceptable while electric lighting on buggies is not- There are actually 3 separate non-fellowshipping Swartzentruber groups. These recent divisions came about due to internal conflict in the 1990s and again around the year 2000
- Unlike most Amish, Swartzentruber Amish generally do not hire cars except in emergencies
- Some Swartzentruber Amish fellowship with similarly conservative “Nebraska Amish”, aka “white-toppers”
- Swartzentruber Amish generally earn a lower income than higher-order Amish, which can affect everything from lifestyle to health care to diet
Read more on the Swartzentruber Amish.
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11 responses to Swartzentruber Amish
when i had a very small sideline business trying to sell amish crafts in florida, i went to ohio to meet with a amish family who made hickory rockers, and other hickory items. i was told that they really dont deal with the public as far as making and selling items to the english( being us). i still dont know much about them really, they seem to fly under the radar, and im sure they like it that way.i never had a problem finding anyone who was amish to make and sell any items for me.in the lancaster area where ive just moved to from florida, im looking at thier homes which seem to be getting larger.so i think not only are amish familys growing, which they are, thier wealth is growing as well. amish stands seem to be everywhere, and i think its a good thing because thier products(most) seem much better to me. that reminds me, i need to stop by one very soon before it gets too cold, and pickup some homemade rootbeer…………. richard
Swartzentruber Amish
“Plain Secrets” by Joe Mackall is a good read about Swartzentruber Amish.
How do Amish make homemade root beer?
Richard this is sort of off-topic but when you scoop up the homemade root beer if you happen to get a rudimentary sense of how they make it I’d be glad to know.
I’ve had the Amish homemade version before (a couple glasses just last week in fact) but take it that any sort of roots aren’t actually involved in the process (though has never occurred to me to ask). I kind of doubt anything to do with beer is involved here either. If anyone can enlighten on this one please do.
Swartzentruber Amish
Erik, homemade rootbeer is pretty simple actually. Just water, yeast, sugar and rootbeer concentrate that you can buy at almost any grocery store. I think there’s actually a recipe for how to do it on the concentrate box.
OR, you can order a kit from Lehman’s. You can also find various home soda pop making supplies on the web if you google it:-)
Hope I didn’t take the fizz out of your pop…no roots involved and a pretty easy process!
Swartzentruber Amish
Thank you for the explanation Christina–I guess I was secretly hoping that it involved digging up a special plant and extracting a magic component from the root–but your description sounds pretty plug-and-play to me!
On another note, the stuff is actually pretty good–was never the biggest fan of store bought root beer but what i drank last week was nice.
“Plain Secrets” by Joe Mackall is a good read about Swartzentruber Amish.
I will second that. Excellent book.
I was wondering if Lancaster Pennsylvania is the largest Amish settlement in America
The Lancaster, Pa. Amish community is the second largest in America. The Holmes County, Ohio, Amish community is the largest, Lancaster the second largest, Elkhart-LaGrange Counties in Northern Indiana is the third largest. I grew up in an Amish family in the Holmes County, Ohio, community. Even though I left the community some years ago, I maintain very good relations with many of my boyhood friends and families.
Swartzentruber Amish
Do the Swartzentruber Amish have assurance of salvation–do they have Jesus in their hearts in order to go to heaven?
I am not sure how to answer your question. They would all claim to attempt as nearly as possible to follow Jesus, but they would not claim assurance of salvation. Claiming assurance of salvation is thought to be an arrogant claim, or even boastful. They do the best they can, but the decision will come on the Judgement Day when they face their Creator. These comments could actually apply to all the Amish subdivisions except perhaps the New Order Amish. Most other Christians would put much more emphasis on grace and claim salvation.
Swartzentruber Amish
And I thought I was the sensible one. Thanks for setting me starghit.
And I thought I was the sensible one. Thanks for setting me starghit.
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