Drive through any Old Order Amish community on a Sunday morning and you will not find large church buildings with steeples. Instead, long lines of horse-drawn buggies gather at a neighboring farmstead, where worship services are held directly in the host’s house or barn.
Why Old Order Amish Do Not Build Churches
The refusal to construct church buildings is both historical and theological. During 16th-century European persecutions, Anabaptists were forced to meet secretly in private homes, caves, and forests. Over time, this evolved into a core conviction: the true church is not a physical building made of brick and mortar, but the living community of believers.
Logistics of a Home Worship Sunday
- The Church Wagon: A special community horse wagon carrying dozens of wooden benches arrives at the host family’s farm days prior.
- Three-Hour Service: Members gather in cleared main-floor rooms, singing slow High German hymns from the Ausbund and listening to unwritten scripture sermons.
- Communal Fellowship Meal: Following the service, the benches are rearranged into tables for a shared fellowship meal of bread, cold cuts, pickles, and pies.