PA Chiropractor Promoted “Galvanic Skin Measurement” Device to Amish & Mennonites

ByErik Wesner
5 Comments

Can a “galvanic skin measurement” device really discern over 7,000 potential health issues? That’s what one chiropractor was selling to Plain communities. His license is now suspended. From Pennlive.com: A Commonwealth Court panel has refused to void a state licensing suspension and $10,000 fine imposed on an Ephrata-based chiropractor accused of placing a misleading advertisement in a newspaper aimed at the Mennonite community. The ad…

David McConnell & Marilyn Loveless on Nature and The Environment in Amish Life (Q&A + Book Giveaway)

David McConnell & Marilyn Loveless on Nature and The Environment in Amish Life (Q&A + Book Giveaway)

ByErik Wesner
55 Comments

Is Amish life “earth-friendly”? How do Amish view and treat animals? How does the Bible influence Amish perspectives of nature? Do Amish people eat an “all-natural” diet? Nature & The Environment in Amish Life is the new book by David McConnell and Marilyn Loveless. The authors investigate these and many other topics in great depth. One thing is clear: the answers to many of these questions…

Amish Brothers, Ages 12 and 21, Drown in NY Pond

Amish Brothers, Ages 12 and 21, Drown in NY Pond

ByErik Wesner
4 Comments

A tragic story from last Wednesday in central New York. Brothers Rudy and Feldy Miller drowned in a pond in their community after the floating dock they were on capsized: Feldy Miller, 12, and Rudy Miller, 21, who both lived at of 3603 Barr Road, Stockbridge, were pronounced dead the scene, Hood said. The accident occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, when deputies responded to 3511 Graves…

A Closer Look at the Amish & Mennonite Conference Line

ByErik Wesner
8 Comments

Did you know that Amish, Mennonites and related churches have a hotline that connects them 24 hours a day, 6.5 days a week? Atlas Obscura looks at the story of the Amish and Mennonite Conference Line, which was founded in 2006 by a man named Gary (last name omitted in the article). This is a dial-in hotline where you can hear speakers discuss different topics…

Swartzentruber Amishman Interviewed at Alabama Amtrak Station

Swartzentruber Amishman Interviewed at Alabama Amtrak Station

ByErik Wesner
11 Comments

Chris Gingerich, 47, is a member of North Carolina’s sole Swartzentruber Amish community. A writer for AL.com met Chris and his wife Iva, along with 2 of their 13 children, at the Amtrak station in Birmingham, Alabama. Writer Greg Garrison managed to have a nice conversation with Chris, which he shares in an article for the site. This is a neat article for a few…

5 Facts On The Lancaster County Amish Population

ByErik Wesner
13 Comments

A recent article (Lancaster Online) on the Lancaster Amish and development pressure brought some interesting facts about the county’s Amish population to the forefront. Most of these are from that article, with some additions and explanation by me. 5 Facts About Lancaster County’s Amish Population 1. The largest community – Lancaster County is home to an estimated 33,143 Amish, according to estimates from the Young Center….

The Amish-Run Shiloh General Store – Hamptonville, NC (Video)

The Amish-Run Shiloh General Store – Hamptonville, NC (Video)

ByErik Wesner
17 Comments

Local NC station Fox8 recently did a “foodie report” on the Amish-owned Shiloh General Store, a popular destination in the Tar Heel State. The video below includes some nice comments from brother and sister Mark and Delilah Graber, who work at the store with their parents and five other siblings. They talk about baking sourdough bread and their most popular items, donuts, which they only…

Amish Latter-Day Saints? (Video)

Amish Latter-Day Saints? (Video)

ByErik Wesner
64 Comments

Is there such a thing as an “Amish Latter-day Saint”? The video below tells the emotional tales of three Amish families who joined the LDS church. This recently-released film recalls a similar story on “Amish Seventh-Day Adventists“. This formulation – Amish + another denomination – is always attention-getting. Especially if you consider “Amish” to be shorthand for “Amish Christian”. In other words, a faith designation….

A Closer Look at Amish Phone Shacks (11 Photos)

A Closer Look at Amish Phone Shacks (11 Photos)

ByErik Wesner
9 Comments

The first clue that I’d arrived in the Amish area of Charlotte County, Virginia was a sign warning of buggy traffic for the next 15+ miles. The second indication was this little building on the side of the road: There were phone shacks (or shanties) just like this one found throughout this community of two churches. The Amish here have ties to the Mechanicsville (St….

The Amish of Pittsylvania County, VA (26 Photos)

The Amish of Pittsylvania County, VA (26 Photos)

ByErik Wesner
8 Comments

Yesterday I visited the small Amish community in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. It was a crisp early spring day. The people in this community, a Union Grove, NC daughter settlement, certainly chose a beautiful area to settle in. It’s a area of rolling hills, with lovely valleys and spans of thickly-wooded land. The settlement itself lies near the town of Chatham. The countryside has a lot…