ABSTRACT
When the “change” took place in 1932, the communal property was sold and a joint-stock corporation for profit was organized. Individuals and families received shares and were able to purchase property, including the large communal houses and kitchens. The newly founded Amana Church Society still holds one service on Sunday, where singing and reading of the testimonies and the Bible are in German, while the comment and announcements are in English. Another service in English is held at a later hour, but it closely parallels the German service. Men and women sit separately, women wear bonnets and shawls, and a lay ministry conducts regular services, weddings, and funerals.
