Witnessing to the Amish

One thing that can be difficult for outsiders to understand is how closely religious belief, family, church, and community are connected in Amish life. The Ordnung is a set of community regulations governing matters such as clothing, technology, behavior, and separation from the world. The specific rules vary between church districts, but obedience to the Ordnung carries significant importance within Amish church life.

Baptism is also a major commitment. Amish practice voluntary baptism rather than infant baptism, commonly after a period of instruction during late adolescence or early adulthood. In baptism, a person commits not only to Christian discipleship but also to the church community and its Ordnung. Breaking that commitment can eventually result in church discipline, excommunication, and shunning.

This matters when witnessing because accepting something that differs from the teaching of one’s community may carry consequences that someone outside the Amish world does not immediately see. A Gospel conversation may involve family relationships, church membership, and an entire way of life. That does not change the truth of Scripture, but it should affect the compassion and patience with which we present it.

An Amish person may already know a great deal of Christian terminology. Amish teaching affirms many doctrines that Baptists would immediately recognize, including belief in God, the inspiration of Scripture, the deity and humanity of Christ, His death and resurrection, man’s sinfulness, and the need for redemption. Amish sources also describe salvation in terms of grace, faith, repentance, and new birth.

Therefore, simply asking, ‘Do you believe in Jesus?’ may not tell you very much. A person can believe many correct facts about Christ while still being unclear about what he is personally trusting for eternal life.

A better conversation gets underneath the terminology. You might ask, ‘If you were standing before God today and He asked why you should be allowed into Heaven, what would your answer be?’ Another useful question is, ‘What are you depending upon to make you right with God?’ Then listen.

You may hear a clear testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. You may also hear an answer centered on living correctly, remaining faithful to the church, being baptized, obeying the rules, or simply hoping that everything will be all right in the end. Do not put words in the person’s mouth. Find out what he actually believes, and respond with Scripture.

One particularly important area is assurance of salvation. Traditional Amish thought commonly speaks of having a ‘living hope’ rather than confidently claiming assurance of eternal salvation. This is not universal. Some Amish, particularly among New Order communities, have been more open to assurance of salvation.

First John 5:13 says, ‘These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.’ Notice that John does not say we can merely hope, wonder, or wait until judgment to discover whether we have eternal life. He says, ‘that ye may know.’

That assurance is not based upon pride in ourselves. Quite the opposite. Biblical assurance is possible because our confidence is not in ourselves at all. It is in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life’ (John 6:47, KJV). When witnessing, this distinction can be extremely helpful. Do not argue that someone should feel more confident about his own goodness. Show him that he can stop depending upon his own goodness entirely. Our confidence rests in Christ and in what God has promised.

Ephesians 2:8–9 is one of the clearest passages to use in this conversation: ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ Slow down and talk through those words. Salvation is by grace. It is received through faith. It is not ‘of yourselves.’ It is God’s gift. It is not earned by works.

That does not mean obedience is unimportant. Verse 10 immediately teaches that believers are ‘created in Christ Jesus unto good works.’ The order matters. Good works are the result of salvation, not the price paid to obtain it.

This is an important distinction to make carefully because it would be inaccurate simply to say that Amish doctrine teaches salvation by earning Heaven through the Ordnung. Amish statements of belief themselves speak of salvation as a gift of grace through faith in Christ. At the same time, Amish religious life places significant emphasis upon obedience, church commitment, baptismal vows, and remaining faithful to the community. Rather than arguing over labels, bring the conversation back to the individual: What are you personally trusting?

Many religious conversations become confused because salvation and Christian obedience get mixed together. Scripture certainly commands Christians to live holy lives. Jesus calls us to follow Him. Christians should obey God’s Word, separate from sin, serve others, and live differently from the world. None of that is in question. But those things cannot become the basis upon which we believe God will accept us.

Titus 3:5 says, ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...’ Salvation is God’s work. Christian obedience follows salvation.

This distinction allows you to acknowledge something admirable without confusing it with the Gospel. A simple lifestyle does not save. Modest clothing does not save. Separation from modern culture does not save. Church membership does not save. Neither does being a Baptist, attending every service, carrying a King James Bible, or growing up in a Christian home. Jesus Christ saves sinners. That keeps the witnessing conversation where it belongs.

One of the easiest ways to lose an opportunity is to spend the conversation attacking Amish culture. You do not need to convince someone to own a television, drive a car, change his clothing, or abandon every tradition before you can share Christ with him.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 that ‘Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,’ was buried, and ‘rose again the third day according to the scriptures.’ That is the message we need to make clear.

Talk about sin. Talk about the holiness of God. Talk about Christ’s death and resurrection. Explain grace and faith. Talk about the new birth. Show from Scripture how someone can know that he has eternal life. If the person genuinely trusts Christ, questions concerning Christian living and biblical obedience can be addressed from Scripture. But do not allow secondary matters to bury the Gospel beneath an argument about lifestyle.

Personal soul winning is often more effective when we listen before we lecture. An Amish person may have heard outsiders criticize his community many times. Walking into the conversation determined to prove how much you know about the Amish can close a door before you have clearly presented Christ.

Ask questions naturally. ‘What do you believe a person must do to be saved?’ is a good place to begin. You might follow it with, ‘Can a person know from the Bible that he has eternal life?’ or, ‘What does it mean to you to be born again?’ Another useful question is, ‘If good works do not erase our sin, what are you trusting to take your sin away?’ These are not tricks. The purpose is to understand the person standing in front of you. Once you understand his answer, open the Bible and reason from Scripture.

Romans 3:23 establishes the problem: ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’ Romans 6:23 shows both the consequence of sin and God’s gift: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ Then Romans 5:8 brings us directly to the cross: ‘But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’

Finally, Acts 16:30–31 gives one of the clearest Gospel exchanges in Scripture. When the Philippian jailer asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ Paul and Silas answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...’ Keep coming back to that simplicity.

The goal is not to win an argument about the Amish. It is not to make someone culturally Baptist. It is not to prove that we are smarter about Scripture than the person we are witnessing to. The goal is for a sinner to understand his need and see the sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

There is one final point worth remembering. Amish people are not witnessing projects. They are people. They have families, fears, convictions, relationships, questions, and spiritual needs just like everyone else.

Some may already possess a clear testimony of salvation through Christ. Others may know Christian language but remain uncertain about how a sinner is justified before God. Still others may have questions they have never felt comfortable asking. Do not assume. Listen. Then lovingly point them to Scripture.

If the conversation becomes difficult, do not feel that you have to settle everything in one sitting. Leave the person with the Word of God. Offer to meet again. Encourage him to read passages such as John 3, Romans 3–5, Ephesians 2, and 1 John 5 for himself. Our responsibility is to faithfully give the Gospel. God must work in the heart.