well-known authors from the 18th and 19th centuries. The style of singing is generally started and led by a congregationally-elected deacon, and is slow, usually in 4 part harmony or unison. The more conservative in practice a district may be, the slower the singing tends to be, though the difference may not be immediately obvious to visitors. The singing is similar to that of River Brethren or Old Order Mennonites. Plain dress The Old German Baptist Brethren dress plain. The women's dress is similar to the dress patterns of River Brethren or plain Mennonites, like the "Joe Wengers" (Groffdale Conference Mennonite Church) or the Beachy Amish: long dresses and white cloth or net cap-style head coverings. The main difference is the use of a Brethren-style angled cape over the dress bodice, which is only attached around the neck and not at the waist as Mennonites and Amish do. The more conservative women may wear a loose winter cloak instead of a more form-fitting coat, and a black bonnet over their white covering when going out. The men wear beards without moustaches, button up shirts, plain coats without lapels at worship services and often the more conservative men wear suspenders and black hats. The beard, worn without the mustache, is required for those in ministry, and encouraged but not required for lay brothers. Restrictions on technology There are no radios, television sets, stereos, tape recorders, VCRs, or large musical instruments in members' homes. There has been a long debate over the use of the Internet since the mid-1990s; contrary to various reports, it was not the primary catalyst for the split in 2009 or 2020 (see above paragraph on 2009 division). Members and congregations According to the 2009 Directory of Officials, the Old German Baptist Brethren had 6,149 members in 56 churches at the end of 2008, although this number was reduced to approximately 3600 members after the 2009 Annual Meeting Report which led to the organization of the Old German Baptist Brethren (New Conference). The largest concentration of congregations is in Ohio (16), followed by Indiana (9), California (4), Kansas (5), Pennsylvania (5), Virginia (4), Washington (3), Florida (2), Wisconsin (2), Georgia (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), Montana (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), and West Virginia (1). Almost 54% of the members live in Ohio and Indiana. The numbers above refer to the Old German Baptist Brethren before the split