# Do the Amish take converts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-amish-take-converts/305293 "2005-05-24T17:44:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-amish-take-converts/305293/1 "2005-05-24T17:44:27Z")
Say I was looking to give up the hustle and bustle and settle down to a simpler life in an Amish community, would it even be possible? Is there a “conversion” process (if that phrase is even appropriate – being Amish seems to be more than just embracing a set of religious beliefs) for joining an established Amish community? ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-amish-take-converts/305293/2 "2005-05-24T17:54:37Z")
From the [Amish FAQ](http://www.holycrosslivonia.org/amish/amishfaq.htm): > [@](#): > > Can an outsider join the Amish church / community? > > An Amishman remarked that you do not need to move to adopt a lifestyle of simplicity and discipleship. You can begin wherever you are. Yes, it is possible for outsiders, through conversion and convincement, to join the Amish community, but it seldom happens. First, the Amish do not evangelize and do not seek to add outsiders to their church. Second, outsiders would need to live among the Amish and demonstrate a genuine conversion experience and faith that results in a changed lifestyle. Third, it is extremely difficult for anyone who has not been raised without electricity, automobiles, and other modern conveniences to adjust to the austere lifestyle of the Amish. Also, one would need to learn the Amish dialect in order to be a true part of the Amish community.