Church

The Versammlungsaal was completed in the summer of 1871. Known to those in South Amana as "the big church", it was made from local brick. Other smaller buildings were used for services prior to its completion. These were also used after for smaller services and they became somewhat specialized.

"Life in South Amana revolved as in all Amana villages, around the church both literally and figuratively, as the church stood in the exact center of the town." This is a quote from a handout done in conjunction with a presentation to a communal organization. I am not sure of the author, but found it fitting for my use. As I have mentioned in other pages, the religion of the colonies was the foundation of the entire society until 1932. It is a branch of Lutheran. The name that it is called by many community members is The Amana Church of True Inspiration. The premise of the name "true inspiration" is that it was founded by Werkzeuge, or people that were divinely inspired by God. These leaders, their predecessors, and this religious movement can be traced back to Germany to the date around 1714. There are recordings of this history printed in English available.

The churches in the colonies reflect the simple practices of the religion. They are unadorned buildings both inside and out. On the outside, one will notice that there is not a central entrance. The entrances are positioned at the ends of the structure. This was done to accommodate separate men and women entrances. The men and women both enter, and sit on separate sides of the church. This is still the way it is done. There are usually coat (or shawl) rooms, then a small, separate wing, and then the large meeting room within each church. The inside was heated by wood and walls were plastered. During the plastering process, a light, almost sky blue hue was added. This was also painted on. I was always told that this was to represent a closeness to heaven or God. The seating within the church was set in a sort of matrix. The older one was, the farther toward the back they sat on their respective side. The elders always sat in the front facing the congregation. The elders are the ones that conduct the services. These rotate on a weekly schedule. All in attendance sit on plain pine benches. The benches in the South Amana church were built of lumber shipped to the colonies from the society's sawmill in Kenneburg, Ontario. Since they are of this lumber, these benches are wider than those in the other six churches. The floors are unfinished wood, and are worn smooth from use. There are no alters, crosses, or other symbols within the church. This promotes humility and one is reminded that faith is not merely an outward expression but entirely the opposite. There are a few lanterns on the wall, but modernization has also added ceiling lights and fans. The ceilings are very high.

There were 11 church services held weekly before the change. There were 7 nightly services, 3 morning services (Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday), and also one afternoon service held on Sunday. As I mentioned in another page, smaller meeting houses were often used for some services. This allowed for people of like circumstances to get together, and also required less fuel to heat the places of congregation. Most of the other small church buildings also had some other purpose and were thus already warm.

All of the services were conducted by an elder. There was singing, but it was all done acappella. It is beautiful to listen to! Services are in German, English, and a combination as service requires. Each service follows a fairly consistent routine. One thing about the services that set them apart from other branches of Lutheran is that we have an inspiration read to us from one of the werkzeuge of the past.

Women still wear ( or are supposed to!) black bonnets, shawls, and aprons. The men wear suits ( or are supposed to!). This attire was adopted from a passage in Corinthians and is mostly still adhered to. As with most things, there are people that challenge the rules established. This is true for our church as well. In fact, there are many changes on the horizon for The Amana Church of True Inspiration. I guess my take on things is that tradition is the foundation of the community. If you challenge that, what you are challenging is your heritage and everything that brought you or your community to that point.

I wouldn't say to blindly follow tradition, but look to its root. Take for example, wearing proper church attire. This is a tradition, but the root of this tradition lies in looking the same in the eyes of God. One can say, "This is a tradtion that has to be changed!" But when that person decides to not wear the proper attire that the tradition is based upon, are they really saying "Hey God! Look at me! I'm different!"? While it is true that change is inevitable, it can be done in an unobtrusive way. I think some people forget that sometimes.

Interior of an Amana Church. Picture is from The Palimpsest, April issue 1971. The contributor is listed in the credits though not specifically. I thank them for its use!