Amish Church

|

Sunday morning in Wayne County, Ohio

Here are a few photos from this past Sunday in Wayne County, Ohio.  One of my favorite times to travel through Amish settlements is about an hour before church begins, around 8am (or 7am ‘slow time’ as the Amish tend to go by slow time year round with regards to church, singings, etc, meaning church would start at 9am during daylight savings) as church members…

|

Notes from an Ohio Amish funeral

I attended the funeral of an Old Order Amish man while in the Holmes County settlement over the weekend.  A few observations: Around 200 attendees, mostly Amish, with all four major affiliations represented:  Old Order, New Order, Andy Weaver (aka ‘Dan church’) and Swartzentruber. There were only a handful of non-Amish present–mainly consisting of a few plain Mennonites. The Amish funeral takes place in the…

The Amish Ministry

Unlike the typical Catholic priest or Protestant pastor, the Amish minister is unpaid and does not take up formal theological training.  Ministers are selected from among the baptized males of the church, in an often emotional process of voting and drawing lots.  They are in many ways responsible for the spiritual welfare of their church (more on Amish church districts).  Thus being a minister is…

Amish singing

I love hearing the Amish sing (and trying to hang with them, for that matter).  There is something very moving about sitting in the midst of 150 upraised voices, all giving glory to the Maker.  Those accustomed to musical accompaniment may find the drawn-out a capella hymnals tedious, but for me, they are eerily beautiful and uplifting. Sunday church gathering in Geauga County, Ohio Kraybill…

How to Join the Amish: The Step-by-Step Guide

Atlee Miller, an Ohio New Order Amish father of ten, tells you how to do it at amish-heartland.com. In a nutshell:  come live with us, go to church, get a job, learn Pennsylvania Dutch, do all this for a year and then get educated in the ways of the church, and finally, get voted in by the church.  Voila.  It’s that simple. Simple but far…

|

West Lebanon, Ohio: Churchbound

I happened upon this pair of buggies as they headed to church service yesterday morning.   There’s a good chance their occupants were going to Communion. Many Holmes County Amish churches held their bi-annual communion services this past weekend.  Some will do so this upcoming weekend.  Two weeks before Communion, a church will hold a service called Counsel. Preaching on this special day consists of a…

What really counts

I really enjoyed church service today.  This is the second weekend in a row I’ve gone with this group.  Church in any particular district is normally held bi-weekly, the two consecutive Sundays in this case being due to a special situation. Many Amish are conscious of the differences that exist among their own people.  I spent some time discussing this with church members today. Very…

Back to Holmes County

My two-month excursion in Lancaster County is over.  I’m back in Ohio now. Lancaster was a fantastic experience but now that I’m back here, I’m reminding myself why Holmes County is perhaps my favorite of all Amish settlements. Holmes County is more diverse, (much) more rural, arguably a smidgen more beautiful, and I guess I just have known more people here for longer so that…

A special Sunday

I was invited by one of my customers to attend Amish church tomorrow.  We’re going to meet at the farm and buggy over to the neighbor’s where it’s being held this week. Church is consistently held at 8, standard time, which these days means 9 am.  I’m looking forward to the fellowship and food. I asked what to wear–‘Amos’ suggested regular Sunday attire.  ‘Unless you…