JD

Written by Michael Miller

There are 4 main affiliations of Amish in Ohio’s Amish country. Some of them have several sub-groups with different church standards and practices. We won’t be talking about these various sub-groups because most of the differences are minor and not trivial enough for extensive analysis. Instead, we will be focusing on the 4 main affiliations of Amish in the northeastern part of Ohio, with our primary focus being on Holmes and Wayne county. Let’s get right into it!

Swartzentruber Amish

We start at the very bottom of the order of Amish affiliations. Formed in 1917, the Swartzentruber Amish are the most conservative in terms of living standards and church practices. Ever since Bishop Samuel E. Yoder and his church district refused to adopt more lenient church guidelines, they have clung to their strict shunning beliefs. Any ex-members of the church who refuse to recant are shunned for life. They stand firm in their beliefs, resisting many innovations in household appliances, farming, and worship practices. Needless to say, this has lead to many differences in how they associate with other Amish affiliations, or the outside world, for that matter. They do not have running water. Their dress customs consist mostly of dark blue and green colors, with the exception of black, depending on the occasion. Swartzentruber buggies are unmistakeable (except after dark), since they forego even the most basic safety measures. Their buggies do not have orange triangles on the back, and they have limited reflective tape. They do not have mirrors and are only allowed to have kerosene lights; which results in them becoming nearly invisible at night. This might be hard for some people to understand. But it’s just another example of how much they cherish their traditional values and are dedicated to keeping them. Anyone traveling to rural Amish country should drive cautiously at night. Swartzentruber Amish buggies can be difficult to spot for people unfamiliar with the area.

Dan Church Amish

Next on the list we have an interesting group, called the Andy Weaver Church, (or the Dan Church). Known simply as “Danners” by the community, their name is derived from 3 ministers, all named Dan. These 3 men didn’t agree with the church guidelines at that time, so they started their own affiliation. Today, they are the second most populous affiliation of Amish in Ohio. Although they are stricter than Old Order and New Order, there is still quite a difference between Danners and Swartzentruber Amish. The Dan Church are allowed to have running water and gas stoves and lights, but no refrigerators, thus requiring them to keep food cold in root cellars. They also dress more moderately, with a little more variation of colors and different dresses and caps for the women. The men cut their hair a little shorter than the Swartzentruber Amish do, and their hats also differ slightly. They are permitted to have phone booths at a designated location for multiple families to use. Their buggies are equipped with battery lights,and they have orange triangles and reflective tape, but no mirrors. It can be very confusing for non-Amish people to discern what is or isn’t acceptable, with so much seeming to fall into a grey area. However, it is important to keep in mind that this way of life has certain standards that have to be kept. Otherwise it would take merely a few hardships for the traditional values to start eroding.

Old Order Amish

The largest group of Amish in Ohio belongs to the Old Order Amish. Having become more liberally progressive in recent years, in some areas they have ventured farther into mainstream society than the New Order Amish have. Their church guidelines are not as strict, with shunning ex-members virtually a thing of the past. However, this is not a free pass for anyone wanting to test the boundaries. Ultimately you still choose whether you want to be Amish or not; but if you choose not to stay with the church, the Old Order are more forgiving than than the Dan Church or Swartzentruber Amish are. Old Order Amish dress quite plainly but with visibly brighter colors. Their overall dress code is much more relaxed with more freedom to wear certain clothing that might be off limits for the more conservative affiliations. The men have shorter haircuts than the Dan Church, and the women wear slightly different head coverings. Old Order Amish buggies are easier to spot at night, as they have adopted many safety features that allow for safer travel at night. LED lights, reflective tape, mirrors, etc…, they are equipped with all the bells and whistles. Their homes are also more lavish, due to their adoption of solar power as a permittable energy source. They have gas stoves, refrigerators and freezers, light switches; basically any home appliance that can be powered by solar (within the church rules). Old Order Amish are allowed to have cell phones(flip phones), albeit to some extent. This has definitely caused major controversy under this affiliation as well as Amish affiliations in general, as the rapid advancement of technology (smart phones in particular), has caused churches to re-evaluate their lifestyle and culture.

New Order Amish

Although there are some differences between Old Order and New Order Amish, not much separates these two groups. New Order are permitted to have rubber tires on their buggies and Sunday School for their youth. Other than that, they are somewhat similar in lifestyle. The main reasons for their split from the Old Order were due to different opinions among church leaders on religious matters, and also on certain moral values and traditions. They believe it is best if children are introduced at a younger age to certain group activities to keep them closer to the community. This is a stark contrast to the other end of the spectrum, where the Swartzentruber Amish reject Bible study, Sunday School, and tractor farming, among other things. The New Order focus more on spiritual growth instead of relying on traditional values to educate their youth. New Order Amish are allowed to have a phone in the house(some Old Order church districts allow it as well). Trying to preserve the simple Amish values and traditions whilst still giving their children equal opportunity to grow spiritually and morally is the focal point of the New Order.

Written by Rebekah Miller

Today we’ll go into detail about the Amish dress codes and customs. Their dress is the first thing most people notice and what sets them apart from the world. The Bible verse that comes to mind when I think of an Amish woman is 1 Peter 3:3-4 “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes, rather it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

I’ll start with the biggest affiliation of Amish, which is the Old Order. They are perhaps the most lenient of the four affiliations we will be talking about, dress wise. The women wear dresses of modest color, yet in recent years I have noticed an influx of noticeably brighter colors being worn.

Most married women no longer wear a matching apron with their dress, but some of the more conservative women still do. I guess you could say that it’s a personal choice, not one that is enforced anymore. In all four affiliations, everyone wears a white head covering, yet in church only the married women do, with the unmarried young girls wearing black coverings. There is a slight difference between each of the four affiliations’ head coverings, but I won’t go into detail. The Old Order men wear either black or tan straw hats while in public, with their shirts having a collar and being button down or in more recent years, polo shirts with three buttons. All men wear home-made pants with buttons, as no zippers are allowed. The Old Order are very lenient with color of clothing, as everyone wears that of their own preference.

The New Order women are slightly more modest in their dress, with women wearing dresses with more folds (or pleats). They also have a matching color cape sewn onto each of their dresses as a bid to be more modest, and in more recent years the Old Order women have started doing this as well. Their head coverings are very similar to the Old Order style and are hard to tell apart. The men have their hair (and beard) cut shorter than the Old Order but their dress code is for the most part very similar to the Old Order. These two affiliations have very much of the same color preferences and dress.

The Andy Weaver Church(or Dan Church) on the other hand, are much more conservative when it comes to dress, with the women wearing darker colors. They wear a color matching apron with every dress and must wear shoes that are all black. When you see a Dan Church woman in public, she will most likely be wearing a black bonnet over her white head covering, a tradition the Old and New Order women forgo. The men wear collared button down shirts, in modest darker colors as well. Their hair and beards are longer than that of the Old and New Order men. In overview, their dress and way of life is much more conservative than that of the aforementioned affiliations.

But there are none more conservative than the Swartzentruber Amish. Their dress code allows very little leniency, with the women all wearing either dark green or dark blue dresses, with many folds or pleats as to not show any of a woman’s shape or form. Their sleeves come to their wrists and they always wear a matching cape and apron, even while working at home. The only shoes they are allowed to wear are black high-top ankle boots, and this goes for the men as well. Their head coverings are home-made and cover most of the hair and ears. They always wear a bonnet in public, no matter the temperature. The men wear mostly dark blue or green shirts with a black jacket, with black pants and boots. Their hair is very long and covers their ears and they’re not supposed to trim their beards, often resulting in beards halfway to their waist. In drastic comparison, the Old and New Order men trim their beards to a length that looks more neat and clean. The Swartzentruber men all wear black felt hats, while in public and at home. This group of Amish are very easy to tell apart from the rest as they are much more plain and conservative than any of the rest.

Written By Rebekah Miller

Amish houses have always been known for their traditional style and simplicity. But in the last 5-10 years, the property value in Holmes and Wayne County has increased immensely, which has lead to more and more luxurious and modern style houses being built by the Amish. In this article, we are going to take a closer look at the various Amish houses you might encounter if you are traveling to Ohio Amish Country.

First off, the Old Order Amish houses are the ones you’ll see the most of, ranging from plain white to newer, more modern exteriors. The standard Amish house that comes to mind is the simple 2-story white farmhouse. However, in recent years, the typical style has been trending towards more expensive brick exteriors and other architectural changes, like different kinds of hardwoods and metals combining to make the home more aesthetically appealing. This particular affiliation of Amish have also adapted to more of the modern appliances today’s world has to offer. They are allowed to have solar power, so this results in most houses having solar lighting, and wall outlets. They have gas stoves and refrigerators, with many having large solar powered freezers. Most still follow the church guidelines by washing their clothes with the old Maytag wringer washer, but in recent years they have started using a spinner, or in some churches, even an electric dryer to help dry their clothes. Although most Amish wives enjoy hanging their wet clothes on the outside on a warm sunny day. In overview, the Old Order live more comfortably then most people would imagine. (As far as housing goes, much is the same for the New Order, so I will not go into detail about their houses, as they are very similar to the Old Order.)

This newer, modern way of life is not the case for the Andy Weaver Church (Danners), as they are not allowed to have solar or any electrical wiring of any kind. They use motors to run their washing machines, but are not allowed a dryer of any kind. Only in these last two years have their church guidelines allowed them to have gas powered stoves and refrigerators, which was a huge step for their people. They are also not allowed to have bicycles (unlike the Old Order). No tractor farming is allowed in the Swartzentruber, Andy Weaver Church, or Old Order Amish affiliations, as they still use horses to do all their farming. Some of the Amish have large thriving dairy farms, while still milking their cows by hand. Although in more recent years, the Old Order and New Order have switched over to automatic milking systems, which has allowed them to expand their farms greatly.

Lastly we move on to the Swartzentruber Amish, the most strict of all the affiliations. They are not allowed any gas powered equipment, so this rules out generators, lawn mowers, weed eaters, stoves, refrigerators, or anything that runs on electric or gas. Instead, they use wood burning stoves to cook, and ice boxes to keep their food cold. They also live without running water, having to draw water from the well to wash their dishes, clothes, etc. Their houses are very plain, white on the outside, usually with a red barn. Swartzentruber Amish live with only the bare necessities and follow very strict church guidelines. Many keep to themselves and don’t socialize much with the rest of the Amish groups.

In conclusion, you are sure to see all kinds of different styles of Amish homes in just a short drive through the countryside.