Amish

Historical Background

The Amish arose out of the Anabaptist (Swiss Brethren) movement in early 16th-century Europe. The Anabaptists believed in voluntary adult baptism, rather than state-sponsored infant baptism, and refused to bear arms, both of which resulted in their being severely persecuted. The Martyr's Mirror, a book still found in most contemporary Amish homes, documents how hundreds of Anabaptists were brutally tortured and executed for their religious beliefs.

The group now known as the Amish separated from the Mennonites, one of the early Anabaptist groups, in 1693, primarily because they believed in a stricter adherence to the doctrine of meidung, or a total shunning of excommunicated church members. Following this separation, the Amish migrated throughout the German-speaking parts of Europe, where they were persecuted for their beliefs. To escape this persecution, many Amish migrated to North America between about 1727 and 1860. There are no longer any Amish in Europe.

Language

The Amish speak a German dialect (Pennsylvania Dutch) within the group and use High German in their church services. With the exception of preschool children, who do not formally learn English until they enter school, all are generally fluent in English.

Organization

The primary unit of organization for the Amish is the congregation, or church district. There are approximately 1,300 Amish congregations. Each congregation consists of an average of 30households and approximately 150 people and is led by a bishop, with the assistance of two to three ministers and one deacon. These religious leaders, who serve for life, are nominated by adult church members but chosen by lot. Thus, religious leadership is thought to be determined by God. Church districts are grouped geographically into settlements. There is no higher level of formal organization or authority above the church district.

Biweekly worship services are held in homes; there is no separate church building. Each church district has its own Ordnung, or the orally transmitted rules that govern the everyday behavior of the Amish. The Ordnungis reaffirmed twice a year during communion. The Ordnung consists both of rules that are common to all Amish and rules that are specific to each congregation. While distinctive patterns of dress and use of horse and buggy travel leads the outsider to assume homogeneity among the Amish, variability in the Ordnung across congregations results in substantial variability among the Amish.

Individuals are not considered full members of the church until they accept adult baptism. Adult baptism generally occurs between the ages of 17 and 24, depending on the individual's readiness to join the church and accept its rules. If a member consistently violates the rules of the Ordnung, a hierarchy of responses is initiated to try and assist the member to behave in accordance with the Ordnung. If the individual refuses to come into line, the highest level of response is excommunication in association with meidung (shunning). At the most extreme, meidung requires all members of the congregation (and by extension all Amish), to have absolutely no contact with the shunned individual. However, a shunned person who repents can be reincorporated into the community. The severity of the meidung has been decreasing in recent years in many congregations.

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