The various Amish (pronounced /ˈɑːmɪʃ/ , -mish ) or Amish Mennonite church fellowships are Christian religious denominations that form a very traditional subgrouping of Mennonite churches. The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt modern convenience.
The history of the Amish church began with a schism in Switzerland within a group of Swiss and Alsatian Anabaptists in 1693 led by Jakob Ammann. Those who followed Ammann became known as Amish. In the early 18th century, many Amish Mennonites emigrated to Pennsylvania for a variety of reasons. Today, the most traditional descendants of these Amish Mennonites continue to speak Pennsylvania German, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch. There are also Old Order Amish communities, especially in the American state of Indiana, where a dialect of Swiss German predominates. Over the years, there have been numerous divisions among the Amish churches. The 'Old Order' Amish, a conservative faction that withdrew from fellowship with the wider body of Amish Mennonites in the 1860s, are those that have most emphasized traditional practices and beliefs. As of 2000, over 165,000 Old Order Amish live in Canada and the United States. A new study, produced in 2008, suggests their numbers have increased to 227,000.
Amish church membership begins with baptism, usually between the ages of 16 and 25. It is a requirement for marriage, and once a person has affiliated with the church, she or he may only marry within the faith. Church districts average between 20 to 40 families and worship services are held every other Sunday in a member's home. The district is led by a bishop and several ministers and deacons.
The rules of the church — the Ordnung — must be observed by every member. These rules cover most aspects of day-to-day living, and include prohibitions or limitations on the use of power-line electricity, telephones, and automobiles, as well as regulations on clothing. Many Amish church members may not buy insurance or accept government assistance, such as Social Security. As Anabaptists, Amish church members practice nonresistance and will not perform any type of military service. Members who do not conform to these expectations and who cannot be convinced to repent are excommunicated. In addition to excommunication, members may be shunned — a practice that limits social contacts to shame the wayward member into returning to the church. During adolescence ( rumspringa or "running around" in some communities), nonconforming behavior that would result in the shunning of an adult who had made the permanent commitment of baptism may meet with a degree of forbearance.
Amish church groups seek to maintain a degree of separation from the non-Amish world. There is generally a heavy emphasis on church and family relationships. They typically operate their own one-room schools, and discontinue formal education at grade eight. They value rural life, manual labor, and humility. Due to intermarriage among this relatively small original population, some groups have increased incidences of certain inheritable conditions such as polydactyly.
Population and distribution
A lack of detailed record keeping among the Old Order Amish, along with other factors, makes it difficult to estimate the total size of their population. Rough estimates from various studies have placed their numbers at 125,000 in 1992, 166,000 in 2000, and 221,000 in 2008, for a growth rate of nearly 4% per year. From 1992 to 2008, population growth among the Amish in North America was 84%. During that time they established 184 new settlements and moved into six new states. In 2000, approximately 165,620 Old Order Amish resided in the United States, of which 73,609 were church members. The Amish are among the fastest-growing populations in the world, with an average of 6.8 children per family.
There are Old Order communities in 27 American states and the Canadian province of Ontario; Ohio has the largest population (55,000), followed by Pennsylvania (51,000) and Indiana (38,000). The largest Amish settlements are in Holmes County in central Ohio, Lancaster County in south-central Pennsylvania, and Elkhart and LaGrange counties in northeast Indiana. Most Amish west of the Mississippi River live in northern Missouri, eastern Iowa, and Southeast Minnesota. The largest community west of the Mississippi is near Kalona, Iowa. Because of rapid population growth in Amish communities, new settlements are formed to obtain sufficient farmland. Other reasons for new settlements include locating in isolated areas that support their lifestyle, moving to areas with cultures conducive to their way of life, maintaining proximity to family or other Amish groups, and sometimes to resolve church or leadership conflicts.
A small Beachy Amish congregation associated with Weavertown Amish Mennonite Church exists in Ireland.
Ethnicity
The Amish largely share a Swiss-German ancestry. They meet the criteria of an ethnic group. However, they themselves generally use the term only for members of their faith community, and not as an ethnic designation. Those who choose to affiliate with the church, or young children raised in Amish homes, but too young to yet be church members, are considered to be Amish. Certain Mennonite churches have a high number of people who were formerly from Amish congregations. Although more Amish immigrated to America in the 19th century than during the 18th century, most of today's Amish descend from 18th century immigrants. The latter tended to emphasize tradition to a greater extent, and were perhaps more likely to maintain a separate Amish identity.
There are a number of Amish Mennonite church groups that had never in their history been associated with the Old Order Amish. The former Western Ontario Mennonite Conference (WOMC) was made up almost entirely of former Amish Mennonites who reunited with the Mennonite Church in Canada. Orland Gingerich's book, The Amish of Canada , devotes the vast majority of its pages not to the Beachy or Old Order Amish, but to congregations in the former WOMC.
History
The Amish Mennonite movement descends from the 16th century fellowship known as the Swiss Brethren. The Swiss Brethren were Anabaptists, and are often viewed as having been a part of a Radical Reformation. Anabaptist means "one who baptizes again"; a reference to those who had been baptized as infants, but later adopted a belief in "believer's baptism", and then let themselves again be baptized as adults. These Swiss Brethren trace their origination to Felix Manz (ca. 1498–1527) and Conrad Grebel (ca. 1498–1526), who broke from reformer Huldrych Zwingli.
The Amish movement takes its name from Jakob Ammann (c. 1656 —c. 1730), a Swiss Mennonite leader. Ammann believed Mennonites — peaceful Anabaptists of the Low Countries and Germany — were drifting away from the teachings of Menno Simons and the 1632 Mennonite Dordrecht Confession of Faith. Ammann favored stronger church discipline, including a more rigid application of shunning, the social exclusion of excommunicated members. Swiss Anabaptists, who were scattered by persecution throughout the Alsace and the Palatinate, never practiced strict shunning as had some lowland Anabaptists. Ammann insisted upon this practice, even to the point of expecting spouses to refuse to eat with each other, until the banned spouse repented. This type of strict literalism, on this issue, as well as others, brought about a division among the Mennonites of Southern Germany, the Alsace and Switzerland in 1693, and led to withdrawal of those who sided with Ammann.
Swiss Anabaptism developed, from this point, in two parallel streams. Those following Ammann became known as Amish or Amish Mennonite . The others eventually formed the basis of the Swiss Mennonite Conference. Because of this common heritage, Amish and Mennonites retain many similarities. Those who leave the Amish fold tend to join conservative Mennonite congregations.
Amish Mennonites began migrating to Pennsylvania in the 18th century as part of a larger migration from the Palatinate and neighboring areas. This migration was a reaction to religious wars, poverty, and religious persecution on the Continent. The first Amish immigrants went to Berks County, Pennsylvania, but later moved, motivated by land issues and by security concerns tied to the French and Indian War. Many eventually settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Other groups later settled in, or spread to Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Maryland, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Maine, and Canada.
The Amish Mennonite congregations remaining in Europe slowly merged with the Mennonites. The last Amish congregation to merge with the Mennonites was the Ixheim Amish congregation, which merged with the neighboring Mennonite Church in 1937. Some Mennonite congregations, including most in the Alsace, are descended directly from former Amish congregations.
Most Amish communities th
Small Business: Business Insurance, Commercial Insurance, Property and ...
iBank's insurance center allowss small business connect with insurance agents for all typesa of ... Life Insurance and Annuities: millersville, MD: Nov 2, 2009 8:35:00 PM: Business ...
The Value of Key-Person Life Insurance | Key Employee Life Insurance ...
Small business resources to help you start, manage and grow your business. Business plans, marketing tips, computer knowledge, hiring strategies, business loans, legal advice and ...
Insurance Information for Maryland Business
Business Insurance coverages for your large or small Maryland business. Speak with our Commercial Insurance agent specialist at 410-385-0455 to discuss the comprehensive insurance ...
Small Busines Insurance - The Best Free Quote Engine - Liability ...
Small Business Insurance Quote Engine that is said to be the best - liability, health, life for getting coverage and the best lowest rates available.
Business Insurance - Small Business Health Insurance and Business ...
Business Insurance. Small Business Health Insurance and Business ... Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | ... Savings Plans | Term Life Insurance | Whole Life Insurance | ...
Small Business Insurance Quotes | Commercial Car Insurance, Business ...
Corporate Owned Life Insurance ; Dental ; Life with AD&D ; Medical Stop Loss ; Travel ... Nationwide is a leader in small business insurance, commercial car insurance, and more.
Get a Life Insurance Quote for Your Home or Business - Kennedy Nemier ...
Request a life insurance quote from the Kennedy Nemier Insurance Agency. ... RV Insurance, Dental Insurance, and Holly Michigan Insurance, Small and Large Business Insurance ...
Insure.com - Maryland - Compare Auto, Life, and Health Insurance ...
Small Business ... Life Insurance in Maryland. Life insurance is a contract between the policyowner and the insurer ...
Maryland Health Insurance Plan Quotes Dental Life Disability
Affordable Health, Life, Dental and Disability Insurance for Groups and Individuals in Maryland ... Maryland Small Business Group Health Insurance Plans
Columbia Maryland Health Insurance, Small Business, Medicare ...
Columbia Maryland Affordable Health Insurance for Small Businesses, Families and Individuals. ... Group and Small Business Insurance | Life Insurance | Short Term Health | Dental ...