A day in Amish and Mennonite country
We believe that it is thinkable to practice reconciling love amid human conflicts and warfare
From the Menno-Hof museum website, adapted from David Augsburger
Like many people I have long been fascinated by the lifestyle of the Amish and Mennonite people. Their rejection of many of the technological conveniences we take for granted. Their seclusion from modern society. And the beliefs that influence the choices they make about how to live.
One way to learn more is to visit. Thanks to my friend Kristi I had the chance to do just that during my time in Chicago. She offered to take me and another friend, Amelie, on a drive around Shipshewana, Indiana, where there are a number of both Amish and Mennonite communities.
Amelie and I took the L to Millennium Station to catch a train to Hammond, Kristi’s home town.
It had started to rain just as we arrived at Millennium and was still doing so when we got to Hammond, where Kristi picked us up. But as we drove towards Shipshewana the skies brightened and we arrived to much improved weather.
As we neared the area we started to see Amish buggies on the road. Kristi advised us that it was OK to photograph them as long as the driver wasn’t really shown. So I managed to get a few shots through the windscreen as she drove.
Menno-Hof
Our first stop was at the Menno-Hof museum, where we had a fascinating tour based mainly around a series of short video presentations, each in a different room.
The first presentation took the well-known quote, ‘Good fences make good neighbours’ as its starting point and went on to explain how to the Amish and Mennonites good fences make good communities. In other words, the fences that ensure their seclusion from the world around them are essential to protecting their culture and beliefs.
Anabaptists
Another presentation focused on the persecution of early Anabaptist groups across Europe which led to many leaving for North America. From the Menno-Hof website:
The Anabaptist movement began in Zurich, Switzerland, on January 21, 1525, when a group of believers baptised adults who made a voluntary confession of faith.
The word ‘Anabaptist’ means ‘to rebaptise’. Sixteenth century Anabaptists rebaptised adults who had received the sacrament of infant baptism. This name was attached to a group of believers who called for voluntary, adult baptisms at a time when the state called for infant baptism.
The Anabaptists sought to restore the church to reflect Christendom of the first three centuries after the time of Christ. They believed the church had been corrupted by state control, which demanded all citizens be baptised as infants…
Because of their radical views and practices, the Anabaptists were violently persecuted by Catholic and Protestant authorities who considered their stance both heresy and treason. Beliefs such as adult voluntary baptism, separation of church and state, non-violence in all of life which included not taking part in the military, and the Bible (New Testament) as final authority threatened the unity of church and state.
Amish or Mennonite?
Yet another presentation helped us understand the differences between the three Anabaptist communities, Amish, Mennonite, and Hutterite.
The Amish
The Amish are the most strict, rejecting most modern technologies and living more cut-off from the world than the others. Their children leave school around the age of thirteen as they believe that beyond that age the education system tends to lead away from their simple non-conformed lifestyle. None of them work outside their community, only within it on tasks such as farming and maintenance. They practice what is known as ‘shunning’, cutting off anyone who breaks their rules. This is considered a means of guarding the Amish culture. It includes the refusal to eat at the same table, even within the family, the refusal of ordinary social intercourse, the refusal to work together in farming operations, etc. And no one from outside the community can ‘become’ Amish, it is something you are born to.
The Mennonites
On the other hand, if you truly share their beliefs you would be welcomed to join a Mennonite or Hutterite community (the latter weren’t featured much in the museum as there are none in this area). Mennonites don’t practice shunning; indeed, that was the main driver behind their split from the Amish. But there is a wide variety of Mennonite communities, some more conservative than others. For many modern-day Mennonites there is no special form of dress (although modesty and simplicity are expected) and no restrictions on use of technology. They engage more with society and many work in the outside world, for example as teachers or in charitable roles. The more conservative however still restrict the use of technology (driving horse and buggies rather than cars, for instance) and keep themselves more isolated.
If you are interested to learn more about these differences, I found a useful article online: https://amishpedia.com/differences-amish-mennonite/
Museum exhibits
The museum had a number of mock-ups. They included a 17th century sailing ship with moving audio of a woman passenger describing the terrors of crossing the Atlantic and the death on board of her daughter.
Elsewhere there was a room set up like the inside of an Amish house, and lots of details reflecting Amish and Mennonite style as well as beliefs.
The Essenhaus
After a fairly length visit to the museum we drove to Kristi’s recommended lunch place, Das Dutchman Essenhaus,. But we stopped briefly on the way at a grocery store where she wanted to buy something. That was where Amelie and I got our best chance of photographing a buggy.
Then it was on to the Essenhaus, an Amish-style restaurant, where we had a tasty buffet lunch. I tried to be restrained as we would be eating dinner later. But the apple crisp for dessert (like a crumble but heavy on the cinnamon and with less topping) was too good not to indulge in a decent portion! Unfortunately though, I was too busy eating to think to take photos here.
We checked out the shop, but I didn’t find anything to buy. The smaller items in particular I found quite tacky, somewhat to my surprise given the simplicity of Amish style. And the patchwork quilts proved, when Amelie looked closely, to have been made in China!
After our leisurely lunch and non-shopping it was time to head back to Chicago. Kristi dropped us off at Hammond Station, now in bright sunshine. And we of course thanked her profusely for our excellent and informative day out.
I visited Shipshewana in September 2023
62 Comments
Dalmatian Insider
Thank you for your post! My mother grew up in a Mennonite family in central IL and I grew up attending a Mennonite church. I do appreciate your acknowledging that there is a spectrum when it comes to levels of engagement with society for the Mennonites, as many people often equate them with the Amish. The truth of the matter is, most Mennonites not only live in society, they are in fact A PART OF IT. Truth be told, we see the extreme, socially conservative Mennonites to be just as foreign as anyone else does. We jokingly refer to them as “the Electric Amish!” This misunderstanding among many has been super frustrating for me, so much so that I no longer tell people I was raised attending the Mennonite church, that my mom comes from a Mennonite family. Here I am, a very secular, modern, well-traveled, well-educated, fashionable individual, and then, when they hear I attended a Mennonite church growing up, they ask if I had to wear a bonnet! Really??? I say in response, do I look like someone who would have worn a bonnet? Obviously not!!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for those insights. They reflect very much what I learned at the museum (which is after all run by Mennonites – and none of the women was wearing a bonnet!)
Dalmatian Insider
That’s reassuring! One day I’ll have to visit that part of the USA and the museum.
grandmisadventures
It is so interesting to learn about these communities and their way of life. We visited another Amish community in Indiana and learned the break between Amish and Mennonite came with the windmill. The picture of the well like dungeon may fit so many of my nighmares though.
Sarah Wilkie
Oh that’s interesting – I guess it was a technology that the Mennonites embraced while the Amish rejected it? But we were told that it was differences over the practice of shunning that separated them. This idea of punishment was first proposed by a man called Jacob Amann, and the name of Amish is derived from those who chose to follow his teachings.
SoyBend
Thanks for clarifying the differences between the Amish and Mennonites, Sarah. I always wondered about that. I liked your picture of a horse buggy from behind and the one of the storefront decorated with pieces of fall.
Sarah Wilkie
I was interested to learn that difference as I wasn’t aware of it, I’d somehow always lumped them together! Glad you enjoyed those shots Siobhan, September was a good month to visit for those decorations 🙂
wetanddustyroads
Thanks for the interesting history on the Amish in particular. During our Camino in Spain, a gentleman from Maryland in the USA walked with us and he told us a lot about the Amish. He always e-mails pictures of his trips to us when he visit the Amish community to buy fresh vegetables from them – and usually there is a buggy (photographed from behind).
Sarah Wilkie
That’s interesting – Rosalie who comments below (but shows as anonymous) lives in Maryland too and has experience of seeing them around too.
equinoxio21
Thanks for the trip Sarah. They always make me think of Voltaire’s Candide.
Sarah Wilkie
I don’t know Voltaire as well as I perhaps should – I studied French to A level but he wasn’t on our syllabus. So what is the connection please?
equinoxio21
It’s all right, apart from Shakespeare which I have read a fair deal, I don’t know classic English lit as much as I would like. Got stuck on Great expectations again…
Candide. Candide is a young man in Voltaire’ times who’s a bit naïve, he speaks his mind, forced to flee from one adventure to the other in the company of Dr Pangloss, a very optimistic scientist whose motto is “at the end all is well in the best of possible worlds.” (Translating back from memory.)
Now the connection? I now have to grab my copy to be absolutely sure.
equinoxio21
After unpleasant encounters with Bulgarians, and similarly unpleasant encounters with a lady who believes that the pope is the Antechrist, Candide is taken under his wing by Mr. Jaques, a man who has not been baptised, and Anabaptist. I Read Candide in my teens, asked my father what Anabaptists were… Hence the connection with the Amish and Mennonites…
It is har book. Very Voltaire. Re-read it a few years ago. Just moved it to my to-read shelves. My be worth re-reading in to-day’s context…
If you like classics you migh enjoy it. Though I insist it is a hard book. It was a hard world then. Coming back not at a nice cante, but at full gallop…
🙏🏻
Anonymous
We have quite a few Amish or Mennonite in our community in Southern Maryland. They have leatherworkers, shoe repair, they do small engine repair, there is an Amish feed mill, there is an Amish blacksmith, we used to get fresh turkeys at Thanksgiving and Christmas (but that family moved back to Pennsylvania), and there is one family who does truck tarps – we’ve had them mend our sailboat sails. They do barn raisings and make gazebos. We even see them in Wendy’s getting hamburgers sometimes. Our roads often have wide shoulders for the buggys. We don’t have Amish restaurants like they do up in Pennsylvania – these are mostly small businesses and not stuff for tourists. The buggys that you have photos of are the family ones – the young men have open buggys without an enclosure. They have their own school and they stop school when they are about 13 years old. Up to about 8th grade. They speak a form of German among themselves.
I usually look at your posts from my email which I am getting on Edge, and I have been unable to open any of them since the last update on my computer, In order to open this one, I opened it in Chrome.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for all this interesting information 🙂 I’m guessing this is Rosalie again, from the reference to Maryland? You’re the second person to mention the issue with opening the posts so I’m wondering if Maggie, who’s also having problems, also uses Edge – I’ll ask her. I have vague memories of some problems with Edge and WordPress in the past. I found this from a couple of years ago: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftedge/forum/all/my-website-wont-open-on-edge/fc2f29c0-baa3-4cd7-b968-21314443f036
Anonymous
Yes it is Rosalie — I haven’t renewed my wordpress name – that was the name that I usually posted under and I didn’t see it this time. I tried to find my post but couldn’t so I posted again and put my name in in the post so you would hopefully be able to figure it out.
The Amish aren’t really that different from us. Except they don’t have bills from the electric company. When I go to Zimmerman’s greenhouse I have to pay cash.
Sarah Wilkie
‘The Amish aren’t really that different from us’ – do you think so? From what we learned at the museum they are very different (the Mennonites less so however). They take their kids out of school after 8th grade, they engage with the outside world as little as is necessary, they use almost no technology (some have phones in a public place for emergencies but never in the home), they have no TV or radio or internet …
thehungrytravellers.blog
Interesting to read and certainly these people and places are fascinating to visit and to study. But I have to admit that I always walk away from such places wondering how anybody can possibly be happy with a lifestyle within which tastes are dictated and individuality is forbidden. Even if one can relate to some of the principles or beliefs, it surely can’t be right to live your life constrained by someone else’s doctrine. I am fascinated to visit such places and find it intriguing to learn, but neither of us would ever get drawn in, that’s for sure!
Sarah Wilkie
I certainly couldn’t do it but I guess for many of those who are born to it and grow up with it, this is their normal and they accept it. Probably they are taught the reasons why the communities are as they are and why these are good things, to such an extent that relatively few question it. What did surprise was the fact that among those groups that allow their teenagers a year spent in the outside world, fewer than 10% of teens decide not to come back to the community.
thehungrytravellers.blog
Yes that is surprising. But then I suppose there’s comfort in what is familiar to us, in any and all circumstances
Heyjude
Most interesting. I have been curious about the Amish in the past. They seem in many ways to be very similar to the Plymouth Brethren who also do not use technology, at least for entertainment, and tend to live and work in their own communities. When we moved into our house in Shrewsbury we had to install a TV aerial as the sellers were Brethrens (though our neighbour said the youngsters used to go to her house to watch TV). And my A level psychology teacher told me that she was made an outcast when she wanted to go to university. Since she married someone outside the community she had no contact with any family member. I am not a fan of any religious groups and especially those who treat women as subservient to men.
Sarah Wilkie
I don’t know much about the Plymouth Brethren but from what you say they seem to have quite a lot in common. I just looked them up on Wikipedia to see. There are both conservative (known as exclusive) but others are ‘open’. I suspect that teacher came from one of the former groups.
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Interesting – but I certainly would not want this way of life!
Sarah Wilkie
Nor me, but I found it fascinating to learn about 🙂
Monkey's Tale
I’m always amazed at these cultures who live in today’s world without modern conveniences. In western Canada there are a lot of Hutterite and Mennonite communities, but most are quite liberal, at least in their modern equipment, but not usually in their dress. It’s probably too difficult to withstand a prairie winter without modern heating and electricity. In Ontario there are more horse and buggies, likely similar to those you saw in Illinois. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
I’d heard there were more Hutterites in Canada than in the US, and lots of Mennonites too. It seems they are more pragmatic about balancing modern conveniences with a simple lifestyle.
Monkey's Tale
I forgot to tell you, maybe it’s just me but I couldn’t open your post from email.
Sarah Wilkie
No one else has mentioned that but I’ll keep an eye on things, thanks. And do let me know if it happens again.
Anonymous
I live in a house which was built before central heating, and when oil got more expensive we were heating the house with wood stoves. I know people did that in the past and it would not be too hard to do it again as long as the house was built for it. We have Franklin stoves in our fireplaces. The Amish here do not have electricity from the electric company, but they have no problem using a generator for power as long as it isn’t attached to the grid. (grandmaR aka Rosalie Beasley)
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks for commenting Rosalie, and for including your name 🙂 That’s interesting to know about the generators.
Anonymous
Sarah, I enjoyed this very much, both text and photos. I grew up with a girl who was Mennnonite and we became very good friends. Her family was one of the kindest and most humble I have ever known. They created a beautiful balance between their beliefs and the modern world that would serve us all well. Malcolm grew up in Pennsylvania, and has fond memories of visiting the Amish community that still exists there to this day. It is unfortunate that most ‘shops’ are no longer authentic and have resorted to selling imported goods. Made in China would have been an insult to my sensibilities. Next, you’ll tell me the apple pie was made by Swanson’s. Lovely post.
Sarah Wilkie
Aha, ‘Malcolm’ is a clue – I now know you are Suzanne! Unlike the quilt, the apple crisp was clearly made on the premises in a very home-made style 😀 It seems many/most Mennonite communities do have that balance between their own beliefs (and preferred lifestyle) and the modern world.
Easymalc
Thanks for showing us a glimpse into a world that doesn’t sound too bad really. I can think of worse – and well done to Kristi for showing you around.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Malcolm 🙂 I can see there are plusses to this life although it wouldn’t be for me!
lisaonthebeach
Wow, I found this post very fascinating, Sarah! I would have loved such an adventure! Great pictures and wonderful history and info.
Sarah Wilkie
So glad you enjoyed it Lisa – thank you 😊
the eternal traveller
What a lovely day out. We visited a Mennonite community in Ontario and had an equally enjoyable day. The quilt shop I went to had all locally made quilts, which were gorgeous but well out of my price range. I did buy a pot holder at the little shop run by the wife of the maple farm we went to. I was thrilled to know she was the maker of my pretty little “quiltlet”.
Sarah Wilkie
Oh, that sounds like a lovely souvenir! I would have bought something like that had I seen one. I gather there are a lot of Mennonites in Canada?
the eternal traveller
I’m not sure how large the communities are. This one was not far from Toronto. I wrote two posts about our day there if you would like to read them. In the first one there is a photo of the pot holders. Mine is a pretty blue one and you can just see the edge of it on the left hand side of the photo. I have it hanging in my sewing room.
https://theeternaltraveller.wordpress.com/2019/04/09/meeting-mennonites/
https://theeternaltraveller.wordpress.com/2019/03/30/the-kissing-bridge/
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 I enjoyed reading them both and seeing the quilts in particular, but couldn’t leave comments as the posts are quite old.
the eternal traveller
Yes, we were in Toronto and that area in 2018. Glad you enjoyed reading the posts. Thanks.
I. J. Khanewala
The whole idea sounds a bit like a different brand of Hare Krishnas. And shunning sounds like torture.
Sarah Wilkie
Maybe there are some similarities, yes, but I don’t know enough about Hare Krishnas to know what they are. Shunning does sound pretty horrendous but they say they do it both to protect the community values AND to help the person concerned to make changes in their lives. These days I think the ‘crime’ has to be quite bad, e.g. adultery.
john
Sarah, thanks for the look at the Anabaptists communities in northern Indiana. We have used people who I generally referred to as Amish for projects at our lake cottage in Angola, IN, about 30 miles east of Shipshewana. Now I know they must be Mennonites. They are great workers and believe in an honest profit for their work. The made in China merchandise was surprising especially if the shop held itself out as 100% authentically “Amish.” I’ve visited some Anabaptist stores (not in Shipshewana) that are general antique type shops and not exclusively Amish. Thanks to your post, on a future visit to the Lake, I’ll take time to visit the communities in Shipshewana.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much John, I’m glad you found this so informative 😊 Yes, it sounds like the people you mention would be Mennonites, as the Amish don’t work outside their communities (although I guess it’s possible there are some from more liberal groups that do?) I really recommend this museum if you’re in the area, but allow a good hour as you need to do the tour, not wander around at your own pace. I think we were there about 90 minutes in total. The shop there was good, although I didn’t buy anything, but we were so surprised in the much larger Essenhaus one to see those labels 😀
Alison
A great interesting post Sarah. I’ve heard if all three communities but didn’t realise the difference. Surprising that not many young people so leave. I have read controversial reports on the Amish though how the women are quite downtrodden.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alison 🙂 Of course the museum was slanted towards positive messages about these communities, being run by Mennonites. But I’m not sure of downtrodden is the right word, although they do lead very traditional lives with clear distinction between the roles of men and women. The former are mainly engaged in farming, building houses etc. The latter bring up the children, look after the home and have vegetable plots. Probably in the majority of communities the majority of the women don’t question that. But see my comment to Jo below about ‘Women Talking’.
Anne Sandler
What a great experience Sarah and thanks for sharing it with us!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne, it was a great day out and I learned so much!
restlessjo
A trip I would have jumped at, Sarah. I hadn’t realised the different types of Anabaptists, and the separation between them. The Amish always seem so old-fashioned but in many ways that’s no bad thing, is it? A bit stultifying to live in such a closed world. But when you look at the atrocities people have willingly committed on each other (I’m currently reading about the Armenian Genocide) it’s maybe no bad thing to separate yourself off, and if you’re born into a community it would seem perfectly normal, wouldn’t it? I note you didn’t voice a desire to renounce the world and join them?
Sarah Wilkie
Haha no, this life wouldn’t be for me! I would find it dull and yes, stultifying. But I can see that if you’re born to it you might not do so, although such separation isn’t always a good thing. Have you seen the film ‘Women Talking’? It’s about women in one such community (I can’t remember if Amish or something else) who are being abused by the men and have to make the difficult decision whether to leave.
restlessjo
Oo, that doesn’t sound pleasant. No, I might look for it on YouTube. 🤔🩵
Sarah Wilkie
Do – I thought it was excellent
restlessjo
In my current idle hours, it will cheer me up 🤧💙
Sarah Wilkie
Oh dear, still not well? 🤗😘
Egídio
Sarah, this was so informative. Your photos were great, too.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much 🙂
margaret21
It’s so interesting – and surprising – to find these communities flourishing. I don’t suppose you were told what proportion of youngsters ‘drop out’. And if they do, can they be welcomed back again, if later they have a change of heart? And what a shame about the Chinese quilts. Now that IS surprising!
Sarah Wilkie
So glad you found this interesting (this is the long post I was drafting 😆 ) We were told that relatively few young people choose to leave the community, even among those from the more liberal groups who allow their teenagers a year of living in the ‘modern’ world. I can’t remember the figure but it was fewer than 10%. We couldn’t believe it when we saw the ‘Made in China’ label!
satyam rastogi
So beautiful post very nicely written and so beautiful pictures 🙏👌
Teresa
This is an interesting and informative topic. Thanks for sharing, Sarah.
It’s good that they give the young ones freedom to go to the outside world. At least they’re given a choice.
Those bunkers seem so tight, I can’t imagine myself sleeping in that condition.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Teresa, I’m glad you found it interesting. Those bunks look very uncomfortable, yes, and imagine sleeping in them for months at sea, crossing the Atlantic in a sailing ship! Apparently many died on the way 😢