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STORY INDEX Service still most important product at Ligonier Telephone Co. A black and white sensation: Tiny Screens a big attraction in early years of television A man works from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done Indiana Extension Homemakers better the lives of families Small towns once supported their own movie theaters William Jennings Bryan among among orators at Rome City's Western Chautauqua Dr. David Rogers - Man of mystery, and benevolence DNR restoration programs working: Once abundant wildlife returning to area Rise of girls athletics have changed face of school sports Decades of intramurals: Ruth was greatest player ever: Frick Frick's predictions for 2000 not far off Small Wolf Lake big winner in 1942 basketball regional Four in a row: Finally with a gym of their own, KHS cagers went to 'Sweet 16' four straight years Ink to flow into 21st century at county's newspapers Broadcast media: Manahan was pioneer in Noble County broadcasting WAWK's history dates back to 1959 Health trends: Changes through the century occurred in medicine, health care Scarlet fever, polio were early health scares From sanitarium to partnership: A century of Noble County's medical care Funeral directors ran ambulance service in county prior to '74 'EMS arrives in time for '74 tornado LaGrange County doctors once made house calls by horseback Country doctor delivered babies in his home and drove a Thunderbird Service to mankind condensed to footnotes of history Who are the people of the Amish faith? Two controversial religious sects from the 1970's have impact on Noble County Churches with rich heritages served parishioners in LaOtto, Ege
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Who are the people of the Amish faith?
There are plenty of facts and
figures about people of the Amish faith who reside in LaGrange
County. But one can't adequately explain a religion using only numbers
and trivia. First, then, a look at the raw data. Then a glimpse of history. Then - although it would require many books to do adequately - a brief look into the people behind the statistics. Facts and figures According to the 1993 book "Amish Society" by John
A. Hostetler, "The largest settlement of Amish is located
in Holmes and several adjoining counties in Ohio. The two next
largest are Lancaster County and vicinity in Pennsylvania and
Elkhart and LaGrange counties and vicinity in Indiana." While there are no published official records of population
kept by the Amish themselves other than the number of families
in a congregation or the number of children in a school, it was
estimated last year by local Purdue University extension agents
that about 5,000 horse-drawn wagons are registered in the LaGrange/Elkhart
County area, and that those of the Amish faith make up approximately
one-third of LaGrange County's population of 32,000 people. Another factoid offered by Hostetler is that 55 percent of
Amish people in the county have one of the following surnames:
Miller, Yoder, Bontrager, Hochstetler or Mast, with Miller the
most likely and Mast the least. In 1993, Hostetler estimated the number of Amish residing in Indiana at 25,200 with at least 155 different church districts, and at least 40 of those districts in LaGrange County. More recent surveys put that number closer to 60. Anabaptist roots "Without going into detailed history or theology, let
it be simply stated that the Amish are best understood by knowing
their view of the Christian life," writes Tim Lichti in
a slim volume called simply, "Amish." Lichti is the
director of Menno-Hof, a Shipshewana museum devoted to an accurate
presentation of the history and culture of the Amish and other
Anabaptist faiths. The Amish faith has its roots in the same Christian Reformation
era of the 1500s that produced Lutheranism and the groups we
now think of as Baptists, according to "A History of the
Amish" by Steven M. Nolt. Members of the Anabaptist movement - which eventually branched
off into several different religions - believed most reformers
were not going far enough and called for adult baptism, a reconsideration
of the Mass and complete separation of the church and state.
In 1536 Menno Simons, a popular preacher in his locale, left
the Catholic priesthood and joined the movement, his leadership
and writings bringing stability to what had, over the previous
few years, become a scattered and troubled movement. By mid-century
Dutch Anabaptists were being called "Mennisten" or
Mennonites. He died Jan. 31, 1561, exactly 25 years and one day
after joining the movement. After a life spent largely on the
run, he was one of the few Anabaptists of the day to elude a
martyr's death. Almost a century and a half later, a Swiss Mennonite leader,
Jacob Ammann became concerned about lax devotion and called for
his followers to become less worldly and bond into a more strict
group. His followers became known as "Amish." After another century of persecution in Europe, the Amish started immigrating to America in the early 1800s. Following Christ "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one
already laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 3:11.
- The motto of Menno Simon. The basis of the Anabaptist movement was strict adherence
to scripture and to live with the attitudes of Christ as a literal
example. Literature from Menno-Hof lists the following as beliefs common
to all Amish and Anabaptists: "community, nonresistance,
simplicity, service to the needy, justice, humility, stewardship
of the land." Specific interpretation of these beliefs, and how they will
affect the group's lifestyle, however, is up to each church group,
or, in the case of the Amish faith, each church district. Other Anabaptist beliefs include the idea that an individual
is saved by deciding to accept Christ, not through baptism; and
that children who have not reached an age of accountability are
included in God's kingdom by God's grace. The Menno-Hof literature also emphasizes that "The early
Anabaptists believed in both withdrawing from the world to form
a Christian community and communicating their faith to those
outside their communities. Today, the Amish ... have chosen to
emphasize withdrawal from the world into distinct communities,
while the Mennonites have chosen to emphasize ongoing interaction
and communication with the world." According to Lichti, modern-day Anabaptists hope others "will
understand by their life choices what is at the center of their
faith ... Life, as granted by God through Jesus Christ, is to
be lived as a witness to the giver of life," he writes.
"The Amish seek to live in harmony with the natural rhythms
of life ... The Amish use of land, strong ties to the family
and the concern for their neighbor, are just examples of a life
lived to glorify God." Perhaps the most appropriate summary of the Amish faith and lifestyle can be found at the conclusion of Nolt's book, where he quotes an Amish farmer, speaking in 1978: "The Amish people have cultivated as their everyday mission the task of Christian discipleship and feel that their mission is to lead a humble life that needs no publicity." |
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