Rumspringa is often exaggerated in the media, to be a wilder time than it is in reality for most Amish youth. But the fact is, some adolescents test limits during this transitional period, in ways others do not. Acquiring and illicitly owning a television set may seem like a light offense from an English perspective, but for Amish families, this can be a great concern. Jim Cates…
Reader Jerry often attends Amish auctions around the Keystone State. Today he shares an account and photos of an event which took place last month, a medical benefit for an injured Amishman. The community here is a Nebraska Amish group, a small affiliation traditionally considered among the most conservative (though there are more liberal factions within the larger group). There aren’t many Nebraska Amish settlements, but this…
What colors will you find in a “true” Amish quilt? When I attended Amish quilt expert Janneken Smucker’s presentation on the topic, I was surprised to learn that the use of color by Amish quilters was much more flexible than I’d assumed. These weren’t just the bold reds, blues and dark tones we often associate with Amish handiwork. Today Janneken explains how Amish quilters of another era incorporated popular…
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….
Don Burke today shares photos from a little visit to the Belle Rive/Opdyke, Illinois Amish community, taken last autumn. This is a small community in southern Illinois (Jefferson County), two church districts in size. As a state, Illinois ranks #10 in its total Amish population, which is dominated by the large Arthur settlement. Don gives you a tour around the settlement below. You can also think of it…
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…
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…
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?…
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…
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…