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.

A recent study showed that 53% of Amish fathers in the Elkhart-Lagrange areas work in factories. “When the RV industry shut down… as well as the mobile home industry, it hit them really hard,” said LeRoy Mast, a teacher of Amish and Mennonite traditions. It’s impossible for the religious sector to compensate for the hard-hit community and those who do choose to use unemployment are finding that their benefits are minimal, averaging $50 to $390 weekly.

Some examples of hardship are a dairy farmer whose declining milk prices are juxtaposed against rising hay prices. A father who lost his factory job is now accepting unemployment benefits and his brother is looking to short term loans while he is still employed.

Both decline to tell anyone outside their immediate family because there still is a stigma for accepting outside aid. “This is a situation that’s very difficult for everyone involved,” stated the anonymous worker. “In a society that’s relied so much on tradition, there isn’t a precedent.”

Breaking tradition

Amish Deacon Lester Chupp agrees that those who need unemployment or short term loans should take advantage of them. He admits to accepting government help numerous times during his 40-year career when times were tough. In the end, the Amish community is hoping that the jobless rate will call many workers back to their roots. The hope is that they will return to woodworking shops, raising fowl and livestock as options.

Leaders are anticipating a new-born commitment to tradition that will strengthen the religious convictions and traditions of the community. They are optimistically wishing for a new passionate Amish society that is ready to take over when the current leaders age out of their roles. Hochstetler said “I think it’s helped that we have slowed down and are not spending so much time at work.” Hopefully when the recession is over, the community will welcome in a stronger society.