In Christian County, Kentucky, about half a mile down from the Jefferson Davis Memorial, lies a clinic run by the Anabaptist community. It is easy to miss while driving because it does not look like a clinic at all, but you know you’ve missed it by about 5 miles if you make it to the Hopkinsville Dollar General Store. The structure was built like a house, with a wooden front porch with handicap access. There is a wooden sign a little off the road out front that reads, “The WeCare Clinic For Special Children,” adjacent to a long gravel driveway that leads to a parking area featuring a hitching rail for horses and a carport attached to the building. It was built up from the foundation by volunteers within the Anabaptist community. Once completed, women of the community decorated the interior. 

When entering a contemporary, allopathic clinic, most would imagine a waiting room with white walls, a receptionist behind a desk, health posters with grotesque pictures of human anatomy, and either a TV or radio playing a station on repeat. The WeCare clinic appropriately adjusts this interior stereotype to better accommodate the people and patients it serves. Bible verses take the place of health posters, and when the clinic is actively providing medical care to families, there is little need for the ambience of a TV or a radio. What would be the living room has been re-furnished into a waiting room, with chairs lining the walls. Two bedrooms were repurposed into office spaces, while the kitchen and the master bedroom have been transformed into patient assessment rooms. This clinic has been open for 2 years now, and is the southernmost WeCare clinic. While the clinic does not currently have a physician, it functions as a site for genetic testing, vaccinations, education about current healthcare topics, and community outreach for those who have family members or friends afflicted with the genetic conditions to which the Anabaptist community is particularly prone. 

Before speaking about the specifics of this community, it is important to understand some terms used for Anabaptists as a “group.” The term, “Anabaptist,” is a reference to Mennonite and Amish beliefs that arose in the sixteenth century. However, when used vernacularly to refer to a community, it implies both groups as a whole, not simply their religious beliefs. Another term for this group is the “Plain” community, which is derived from their modest lifestyle and dress. These terms are often used interchangeably within this community, despite their meaning different things. There are differences between those who live an Anabaptist lifestyle, specifically in how and to what degree they embrace technology. When I began this project, I was told, “If you meet one Amish or Mennonite man, that is all you have met. They’re all individuals.” This describes how some families may use certain technologies (cars, for example) while others may not. Understanding this in regard to healthcare practices is crucial for working at the clinic.

A traditional stigma for the Anabaptist populations is their use of naturopathic and dietary treatments rather than allopathic medicine. This is not always correct. Some Mennonite folk will take ibuprofen for a headache or Tylenol for a fever. However, an aspect of healthcare that has seemingly remained naturopathic in Mennonite life is obstetrics. Midwifery is still common practice in the Plain communities. Kathryn Shirk, a midwife in Christian County, is one of six midwives who provide obstetric services to the community. Shirk is also a co-owner of Dutch Kuntry, a general goods store, and has lived in the area for 16 years. In her time as a midwife, she has been present for roughly 250 births. When asked about her experiences as a midwife, she recalled a specific story from when she lived in Iowa: