Author: Erik Wesner

Erik Wesner is the creator of amishamerica.com, and author of Success Made Simple: An Inside Look At Why Amish Businesses Thrive. Erik began visiting Amish communities in 2004 – eventually meeting thousands of Amish families while selling books.

He began writing about the Amish on this website in 2006, and is often cited in national media, including USA Today, The New York Times, and others on a wide range of Amish topics. A native of North Carolina, Erik has visited dozens of Amish communities across the country, and loves spending time with Amish friends and discovering new Amish places.

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What Do The Amish Believe? 20 Faith Statements

What Do The Amish Believe? 20 Faith Statements

What do members of Amish churches believe? Ohio Amish church member Rebecca Miller addresses that question below, with 20 belief statements of the Amish, along with Scriptural sources. Here’s Rebecca. Amish Beliefs This is a common question and quite complex to answer. So this list was compiled from “Tagliches Manna” (a daily devotional published and written by Amish and Old Order Mennonites) and other sources….

Jim Cates: Anne’s Sermon

Serving the Amish author Jim Cates today shares the story of an Amish woman named Anne, and a special, unexpected exchange they shared during a visit at a rehabilitation facility. They Shall Speak in Unknown Tongues Both Amish and African-American sermons offer the congregant a message focused on God. Both also ask for a witness. Beyond these similarities, they don’t just drift apart. They separate at…

5 Things Amish Schoolchildren Learn (Besides Book Subjects)

5 Things Amish Schoolchildren Learn (Besides Book Subjects)

School starts tomorrow for Rebecca Miller, teacher at an Amish school in Holmes County, Ohio, and recently a regular contributor here at Amish America. That means we’ll be hearing less from her, since she won’t be working a job with regular computer access. However, I’ve still got several posts she has written to share with you. Rebecca also says she’ll still be able to check in occasionally…

When A Son Joins The Amish: A Visit Back Home

When A Son Joins The Amish: A Visit Back Home

Last summer, Anne, mother of an Amish convert, wrote about a visit to her son Ed’s community in Minnesota. Today she shares the story of Ed’s recent visit back to his boyhood home in Virginia. What did Ed’s Amish-born wife Ruth think of her visit to “English” America? How did they make the 1400-mile journey? And what one important thing did they not think to warn Ruth about?…

Caring Hands: Helping Parents of Special Needs Children

Amish church member Rebecca Miller gives us an inside look today at an important program in her Holmes County, Ohio community. One of the obvious strengths of the Amish is their strong web of community support. Parents of children with special needs are among those who need a little extra help at times. And that’s what led to the program which Rebecca shares with us today. CARING HANDS Several years…

Amish Barn Explodes in Southern Maryland Fire (Video)

An Amish-owned barn burned yesterday, in the sizeable St Mary’s County community in southern Maryland. Fifty-eight local firefighters were aided by 50 to 70 Amish in putting out the blaze. What’s remarkable is the explosion that is caught in this video, when a fuel tank in the structure ignited. You can see the massive explosion about eight seconds in, along with footage of the men scattering away…

Amish Converts in the Oakland, Maryland Community

Amish Converts in the Oakland, Maryland Community

It’s been out for over a week now, but if you didn’t catch it, The Guardian has a nice article on Amish converts in the Oakland, Maryland community, by Amish Cook editor Kevin Williams. Since we’ve frequently had pieces on converts to the Amish on this site (later this week we’ll have an update from contributor Anne on her convert son Ed), I thought it would be…

5 New States Where Amish May Settle

5 New States Where Amish May Settle

We recently had news of a few Amish families moving to Vermont, a place with no other Amish presence. If that attempt succeeds, it will make 31 total states where Amish live. Which other new states might Amish settle in the coming years? After thinking about it, I see a few possibilities. Read on to find out which five I chose, and why. Five States Where…

Jim Cates: Ministering To Those In Need

Jim Cates is a clinical psychologist who does counseling work with clients, both Amish and English, in northern Indiana. In today’s post he shares the story of an Amish bishop who played a special role for one of his clients–and later faced trials of his own. A Little Rain Must Fall Into each life a little rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary….

A Week’s Diary In The Life Of An Amish Girl

What activities take place in a typical week in an Amish community? Amish church member Rebecca Miller returns today with a recent week’s worth of diary entries from her life in the Holmes County community. Rebecca works as an Amish school teacher, and at the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center in Berlin, Ohio. She has previously written on preparing for baptism, a firsthand account of an Amish funeral, and…