Joe Keim was born and raised in an Old Order Amish sect in Ashland, Ohio. At 17 years of age, he was baptized as a member in the Amish Church. Not long after his 18th birthday, a former Amish man shared the gospel with him and Joe realized he was a sinner in need of a Savior.
Joe and his girlfriend Esther accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, got married, and intended to continue living and to raise their family within the Amish system. However, they quickly learned if they wanted to believe their salvation was by faith, grace, and Christ alone, they must be silent about it or face excommunication and shunning by their family and the Church.
Nine months into their marriage, Joe and Esther made the hardest decision of their young lives; leave the Amish way of life, their family, and friends forever to live openly for Christ.
To read more about Joe & Esther Keim and their story click here.
Read Joe Keim’s book: My People, the Amish
In My People, the Amish, Joe Keim paints a detailed picture of life behind the bonnets and buggies. More than a biography, this is an honest look at the heart-warming traditions that mingle with the deep-rooted legalism of the Amish community in Ashland, Ohio.
Born, raised, and baptized in an Old Order Amish church, from childhood Joe Keim was taught that if he didn’t follow the twenty-two-page ordinance letter that governed his community, there was no way he could get to heaven. What started as a path of rebellion led Joe and his wife Esther to a caring group of Englisher Christians who would love them like family and show them how to live out their new found faith in Jesus Christ.
Nine months after their traditional Amish wedding, Joe and Esther left family and friends forever to live openly for Christ, and endured shunning and excommunication with bold faith. Since then, the Lord has brought many former Amish people to Joe and Esther for help. Because of their passion for the Amish people and with the support of fellow believers, they have brought biblical truth to thousands of Amish through the ministry they founded in 2000, Mission to Amish People (MAP).