Dunkards vs Amish: Understanding the Differences, Similarities, and Shared Roots of Two Anabaptist Traditions
When people see plain clothing, beards, and a quiet rural lifestyle, they often assume “Amish.” Yet several related groups share Anabaptist heritage while following distinct paths. One of the most commonly confused is the Dunkards (also called Dunkers, Tunkers, or German Baptist Brethren). Both groups value adult baptism, nonviolence, simple living, and a church separate from the state, but their origins, practices, and degrees of separation from modern society differ in important ways.
This guide explores the history, beliefs, daily life, and key contrasts between Dunkards and the Amish. It draws on the broader Anabaptist story while treating each tradition on its own terms.
The Anabaptist Foundation Both Groups Share
The story begins in the early 1500s during the Radical Reformation in Switzerland and southern Germany. Anabaptists rejected infant baptism in favor of believers’ baptism—only those old enough to make a conscious commitment should be baptized. They also insisted on a free church not controlled by civil authorities, refused to swear oaths, and practiced nonresistance (refusing to take up arms). These convictions brought severe persecution from both Catholic and Protestant authorities.
From this movement grew several streams. Mennonites took their name from the Dutch leader Menno Simons. The Amish later emerged from a Swiss Mennonite division. The Dunkards arose separately in the early 1700s as a blend of Anabaptist ideas and Radical Pietism, the latter emphasizing personal heartfelt faith, humility, and practical discipleship.
Understanding this shared root helps explain the surface similarities people notice today while highlighting why the groups are not interchangeable.
Who Are the Dunkards?
“Dunkard” (or Dunker) comes from the German verb tunken, meaning to dip or immerse. The name points directly to their distinctive form of baptism.
The movement began in 1708 in Schwarzenau, in the Wittgenstein region of what is now Germany. Alexander Mack and a small group of eight believers, influenced by both Pietist awakenings and Anabaptist writings, covenanted to follow the New Testament as their sole rule of faith and practice. They practiced trine (triple) immersion baptism: the candidate kneels in the water and is immersed forward three times—once each in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Persecution drove the early Brethren first to the Netherlands and then, beginning in 1719, to Pennsylvania. Peter Becker led an early group to Germantown; Alexander Mack and others followed in 1729. Over time they spread across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and westward.
The original body was known as the German Baptist Brethren. In the late 19th century, divisions produced several branches that still exist:
- Old Order groups such as the Old German Baptist Brethren, which emphasize plain dress and traditional practices.
- Conservative groups including the Dunkard Brethren Church (formed in 1926 by members concerned about worldly drift).
- More progressive or mainline bodies, the largest of which became the Church of the Brethren.
Conservative and Old Order Dunkards maintain plain clothing, the love feast, feet washing, the holy kiss, and a strong emphasis on nonconformity. Mainline congregations are largely integrated into ordinary American life while retaining core theological commitments to peace and service.
Who Are the Amish?
The Amish trace their beginning to a 1693 division among Swiss Anabaptists (then often called Swiss Brethren or early Mennonites). Jakob Ammann, a Swiss elder, pressed for stricter church discipline, including the practice of shunning (Meidung) those who left the church or lived in unrepentant sin. He also insisted on greater separation from the surrounding culture in dress, lifestyle, and social interaction.
Those who followed Ammann became known as Amish. Facing ongoing pressure in Europe, many migrated to Pennsylvania in the 18th century and later to other states and to Canada. Today the Amish population in North America exceeds 400,000 and continues to grow rapidly through high birth rates and high retention of young people.
The Amish are not a single uniform group. Old Order Amish form the large majority and are the image most people recognize: horse-and-buggy transportation, no public-grid electricity in the home, plain solid-color clothing, worship in homes rather than church buildings, and education limited to the eighth grade. Other branches, such as Beachy Amish or Amish Mennonites, allow more technology and drive cars while still retaining distinctive Anabaptist practices.
Each Amish church district is governed by its own Ordnung—an unwritten or semi-written code of expected behavior covering clothing, technology, recreation, and social boundaries. The Ordnung varies from settlement to settlement, which is why one Amish community may permit certain tools that another forbids.
Historical Timeline: Parallel but Separate Paths
- 1525: First adult baptisms in Zurich mark the start of the Anabaptist movement.
- 1530s onward: Mennonite identity solidifies under Menno Simons.
- 1693–1697: Jakob Ammann leads the division that creates the Amish.
- 1708: Alexander Mack and seven others are baptized in the Eder River near Schwarzenau, founding the Brethren (Dunkard) movement.
- 1719–1730s: Dunkards begin arriving in Pennsylvania; Amish immigration also accelerates in the same period.
- Late 1800s: Both traditions experience internal divisions over technology, education, missions, and the degree of separation from society. The Amish produce Old Order and more progressive streams; the German Baptist Brethren divide into Old Order, conservative, and progressive bodies.
- 20th–21st centuries: Amish population expands dramatically. Dunkard groups remain smaller and more varied in their openness to modern life.
The fifteen-year gap between the Amish formation and the Dunkard founding is historically significant. The Dunkards did not split from the Amish; they arose independently from Pietist and Anabaptist influences in a different German region.
Core Beliefs: Where They Overlap and Where They Diverge
Both groups affirm:
- Believers’ baptism rather than infant baptism.
- The New Testament as the primary authority for faith and practice.
- Nonresistance and refusal to participate in warfare or take civil oaths.
- Separation of church and state.
- Simplicity, humility, and mutual aid within the community.
- The importance of practical discipleship over abstract theology.
Key differences appear in emphasis and ritual form.
Baptism Dunkards are known for trine immersion performed forward while the candidate kneels. This triple dipping explicitly symbolizes the Trinity. Amish baptism practices vary by community but typically involve a single application of water (pouring or immersion) once a person has made a conscious decision to join the church, usually in the late teens or early twenties.
The Love Feast and Communion Conservative Dunkards observe a full love feast that includes feet washing, a shared meal, and the bread and cup. The service is usually held in the evening and emphasizes humility and fellowship. Many Amish also practice feet washing and communion, but the overall form and frequency can differ, and the communal meal aspect is less formalized as a distinct “love feast” in most Amish settings.
Church Discipline Jakob Ammann’s insistence on strict shunning shaped Amish practice more strongly than the corresponding practices among most Dunkard groups. While both traditions exercise church discipline, Old Order Amish communities tend to apply social avoidance more rigorously when a member is excommunicated.
Pietist Influence Dunkard spirituality carries a stronger imprint of Radical Pietism—the emphasis on personal conversion experience, heartfelt devotion, and joyful discipleship. Amish spirituality is more communal and Ordnung-centered; individual emotional experience is less foregrounded than faithful participation in the ordered life of the church.
Lifestyle and Daily Practice
Clothing Both groups historically practiced plain dress as a visible sign of nonconformity and humility. Old Order Amish clothing is highly uniform within each community: solid colors, specific styles of coats, dresses, and head coverings, and prescribed beard styles for married men. Conservative Dunkards also wear plain clothing, but patterns are sometimes permitted, and the overall appearance can look closer to certain Old Order Mennonite or River Brethren styles. Mainline Church of the Brethren members dress like other Americans.
Technology and Transportation This is one of the most visible differences. Old Order Amish generally reject ownership of automobiles and connection to the public electric grid. They use horse-drawn buggies, gas or diesel engines for certain farm work under controlled conditions, and limited battery or generator power for specific needs. Many Old German Baptist Brethren and Dunkard Brethren own cars (often plain black vehicles) and use electricity in the home while still avoiding television and other entertainment technologies they consider worldly. Progressive Dunkard congregations place few restrictions on technology.
Education and Work Amish children typically end formal schooling after eighth grade and enter practical apprenticeships in farming, woodworking, construction, or small business. Dunkard approaches vary widely. Conservative groups value practical skills and may limit higher education, while mainline Church of the Brethren members pursue college and professional careers at rates similar to the general population. Both traditions historically favored farming and skilled trades, though economic pressures have pushed many Amish into non-farm businesses.
Worship and Community Life Old Order Amish meet for worship every other Sunday in members’ homes or barns. Services are long, conducted in Pennsylvania German or a mix of German and English, and include hymn singing without instruments, Scripture reading, and sermons. Dunkard worship styles range from simple home or meetinghouse gatherings among Old Order groups to more conventional Protestant services among mainline congregations. The love feast remains a distinctive high point for many conservative Dunkards.
Language Pennsylvania Dutch (a German dialect) remains the everyday language of most Old Order Amish homes and is used in church. Many Dunkard communities shifted earlier to English, although some older members and certain conservative groups retain German elements.
Modern Demographics and Visibility
The Amish are far more numerous and publicly visible. Their population growth, distinctive transportation, and concentration in well-known settlements (Lancaster County, Holmes County, and many newer communities across the Midwest and beyond) make them a familiar cultural presence. Tourism, furniture businesses, and media coverage further raise their profile.
Dunkard groups are smaller. The Church of the Brethren remains the largest single body and is fully integrated into mainstream American religious life. Conservative and Old Order Dunkard fellowships number in the low thousands of members and maintain lower public visibility. Because some conservative Dunkards dress plainly and live rural lives, outsiders occasionally mistake them for Amish—especially when they appear at farmers’ markets or operate produce stands.
Common Misconceptions
One frequent error is treating “Amish” as a catch-all term for any plain-dressing, horse-and-buggy, or technology-restricting group. Another is assuming all Dunkards reject modern conveniences the way Old Order Amish do. In reality, the spectrum among Dunkard descendants is wider. A third misconception is that the two groups split from each other; historically they developed on parallel tracks from related but distinct starting points.
People also sometimes confuse Dunkards with River Brethren or other plain groups that share feet washing and plain dress. Careful attention to baptism practice (trine immersion) and historical origin (Schwarzenau 1708 versus Swiss 1693) usually clarifies the distinction.
Shared Values That Still Matter
Despite the differences, both traditions continue to challenge modern assumptions about progress, individualism, and the relationship between faith and culture. Their common witness includes:
- The conviction that faith must be chosen rather than inherited through infant baptism.
- A commitment to peace that has led members of both groups to refuse military service across centuries.
- Mutual aid systems that care for the sick, elderly, and those in financial need without heavy reliance on government programs.
- An emphasis on community accountability rather than purely private spirituality.
- A willingness to accept social and economic costs in order to live according to conscience.
These shared Anabaptist convictions remain relevant in a culture that often prioritizes personal autonomy and technological convenience above all else.
Conclusion: Distinct Paths Within a Common Heritage
Dunkards and Amish both descend from the radical desire of the 16th and early 18th centuries to recover a New Testament pattern of church life. The Amish path, shaped by Jakob Ammann’s call for stricter discipline and separation, produced communities that remain highly distinctive in appearance and technology use. The Dunkard path, shaped by Alexander Mack’s Pietist-Anabaptist synthesis and the practice of trine immersion, produced a family of churches ranging from Old Order plainness to fully modern congregations.
Neither group is a fossil. Both continue to adapt—sometimes slowly, sometimes through painful schisms—to the pressures of the surrounding society. Understanding the differences prevents the common error of lumping all plain people together. Recognizing the similarities reveals a living tradition of discipleship that still asks hard questions about how Christians should relate to power, wealth, technology, and one another.
Whether one encounters an Amish buggy on a rural road or meets a conservative Dunkard family at a community gathering, the deeper story is the same: a long effort to follow Jesus in community, even when that path looks different from the culture around it.