Proverbs 18:24b ...there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Col. 2:14, Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Galatians 5:1, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
1 Peter 1:18-19, Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
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Joe & Esther Keim
P.O. Box 128
Savannah, Ohio 44874 Phone: (419) 962-1515.
E-mail: Joe Keim
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Who We Were... Joe Keim & Esther Yoder
We were both born and raised in the Old Order Amish Community. From childhood, we were taught at home and at church, that in order to go to heaven we had to follow the Amish ordinances all of our lives. These ordinances were put together over the past 290 years by our forefathers. The bishop keeps the 22 page copy, which explains how the hats, bonnets, clothing, buggies, etc. are to be made, what is or is not permissible behavior, as well as which conveniences are or are not allowed. Neither of us really understood the ordinances, only that we were required to follow them.
Joe ... as a young boy growing up... one thing was clear in my mind... if I didn't keep the ordinances I would never get to heaven.
In 1983, at the age of 16, one of my close Amish friends secretly shared with me that he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. He now realized that it was not the Amish ordinances that took a person to heaven, but that it was faith in the redemptive blood of Jesus that gave us the gift of eternal Life. For the next two years my friend, Paul, continued to urge me to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. It was hard for me to grasp how anyone could go to heaven through Jesus Christ, without also keeping the Amish ordinances.
In 1984, I followed tradition and became a member of the Amish Church. I had to go through a 6 month period of training, where we were taught the ordinances and then I was baptized by a pouring of water on my head.
Soon after this, Paul and his wife were excommunicated for there "new belief." They left the Amish, but Paul could not get me out of his mind and drove back from Kentucky on several occasions to try to lead me to Jesus.
In July of 1985, Paul was once again sharing with me how Jesus came and died for me and that He'd taken all my sin away at Calvary. I listened and then the tears came as I felt a wonderful outpouring of love from God. I asked Jesus to come into my life and to save this poor sinner from hell.
I had been living a very rebellious life and was at that time living with my girlfriend. Esther was that girlfriend and she became my first convert and later my wife. Little did we realize how soon we would also be outcasts of the Amish for our "new beliefs."
Esther...as a child, I wanted to know the whys of the things we did. Why could we use the neighbor's phone, but we couldn't have one of our own?
I went to a one room school and once a year the Gideons came and gave little red New Testaments to the fifth graders. I was so exited when I finally got mine. My first Bible and in English too. I could actually read it. But I soon lost interest with no interpretation or guidance. However, it did create a real hunger in me for understanding. I'd beg God to help me understand His Word. He didn't seem to answer right away, though He provided me with other books to read which gave me insight into some of the things I had never known or understood. I felt somewhat like David must have felt in Ps. 142:4-7, No man cared for me. I cried unto Thee O Lord... Attend unto my cry.
After struggling so long, I reached my teenage years full of rebellion. I chose the wrong friends, drank, and smoked, but never enjoyed myself. During that time, I actually did get baptized in the Amish church. Later I left home and moved in with my boyfriend, Joe. When I was at my lowest, God could and did talk to me. Joe got saved... then he talked me into going with him to Bethel Baptist Church. There I also got saved and heard the true gospel.
Shortly thereafter we went back to the Amish, settled down, rejoined the church, and got married. We still weren't happy and God was displeased with where we were. Joe turned totally back to the Amish lifestyle, but Esther kept digging into the Word.
Through praying friends at Bethel and God continuing His work in her heart, her prayers were finally answered. After nine months of marriage, Joe came home from work one day and said, "I think we ought to leave the Amish this week-end." Joe and Esther left the Amish in the fall of 1987. This time was different, because they realized they would never return. They would never face their families again without the wall of shunning and excommunication between them.
They started going to Bethel Baptist Church where they were baptized by immersion in November of 1987. They also became members that same day and began allowing God to use the gifts He had placed in them.
In the twelve years they've been attending Bethel, Joe has been on the Deacon board, taught 4th - 6th graders in Sunday School, taught the teens, and the adults. Together they have helped with bus route visitation, vacation Bible School, Wed. evening classes, and Bible studies. Joe has also been preaching in area nursing homes for the past 6 years and doing in-home Bible studies as well.
They remember so well the day they laid their religion down along with all their family and friends and chose to follow Christ rather than man. They chose then to do it forever and they can understand where you are coming from and the challenges you face... let them help you. In meeting them, I felt like I had met Christ again through them. God bless. ERM
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