The present keeps threatening to drown out the past, like the trucks that shake this old church as they roar past a few feet away on Highway 322. It's getting harder for the minivans and SUVs to swerve around the horse-drawn buggies. Many Amish have packed their wagons and moved to farms in more remote areas, far from the outlet malls. There are 20,000 traditional Amish left in the county, out of a population of 450,000. There are about 200,000 old-order Amish in America, living in 23 states.
Amish bishops face the ongoing challenge of discerning what to shun and what to embrace.
It's OK to use a modern sewing machine, if it's powered by a special manual foot-peddle. Natural gas and air-compressors can work wonders when connected to refrigerators, stoves and water pumps. An Amish businessman may refuse to have an office telephone line. Amish parents used to worry about the subtle signals sent by buttons, bonnets and broaches or the intricate rites of courting using bachelor buggies to go to church socials. In 1997, press reports of drug abuse led to a shocking memo to Amish parents - warning them to study the details of their children's lives, including looking for needle marks.