Amish Communities Accepting Short Term Loans for the First Time

The Amish community and the economy

For the first time, Amish communities are using short term loans and governmental help to sustain their lifestyles. "We prefer to supply ourselves, but I told people that if they have no other option and no other way to make ends meet then they can take it," said Paul Hochstetler, bishop of the Goshen-area Amish district.

Hochstetler is mirroring what Amish leaders are supporting. With the marked shift from farming to factory work, Amish communities are suffering. The Elkhart-Goshen area reached an unemployment rate of 19% in March. As a result, Amish leaders are breaking their centuries-long tradition of declining governmental aid, to live.

Religious traditions

The Amish seek to commit to a simpler way of life. With approximately 227,000 members nationwide, many of the Christian denomination use bicycles or horse-drawn buggies as means of transportation. It's a reflection of their desire to maintain an independence from the outside world. David Kline, an Amish minister from one of Ohio's largest communities, stated, "We want to be producers, to be an overall good to the community and to the nation and not be dependent upon the nation for our livelihood or for the federal or state governments to give us our livelihood."

For centuries the community has sought to independently sustain themselves by supplying food, shelter and other necessities naturally. Unfortunately, tradition has struggled due to the community being heavily reliant on the factory industry. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Amish Communities Accepting Short Term Loans for the First Time"