Bethel Mennonite Church (Inman, Kansas, USA)
Bethel Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), Imnan, Kansas, was organized January 1875 with 35 members and Jacob Klassen as minister. He served as the first elder from 1877 to 1879. Other elders up to 1953 were Heinrich Toews, 1879 to 1912; Klaas Kroeker, 1912 to 1936; and P. T. Neufeld, 1936 to 1953. The church was a member of the General Conference Mennonite Church (later Mennonite Church USA) and of the Western District Conference, with a membership of 313 in 1953 (389 in 2004). The first meetinghouse, used until 1897, was an adobe building, erected in 1880 a mile south of the present location. Then a wooden structure was erected at the present location. This was used till 1928, when it was destroyed by lightning. Thereupon a new building was erected, with a seating capacity of about 400. In 1953 the church was again destroyed by fire and a new brick church was built. Additional space was added in 1986. The church had furnished the following missionaries through 1953: H. T. Neufelds, John Thiessens, Frank Ennses, John T. Neufeld, Eva Pauls, Henry Toews, George B. Neufelds, and Arthur Thiessens.
After the 2012 Western District Conference annual meeting, Bethel Mennonite Church left the conference, believing that conference leaders and delegates had departed from biblical authority and failed to follow the denomination’s Confession of Faith and Membership Guidelines. In June 2013 the congregation joined the South Central Mennonite Conference.
Bibliography
Bethel Mennonite Church. "About Us." 2006. Web. 20 December 2006. http://www.bethelinman.org/about.html.
Schrag, Paul. "Western District Loses 7 Churches in a Year." Mennonite World Review (24 June 2013). http://www.mennoworld.org/2013/6/24/western-district-loses-7-churches-year/.
Additional Information
Address: PO Box 306, Inman, KS 67546
Location: 256 8th Avenue, Inman, Kansas
Phone: 620-585-6964
Website: Bethel Mennonite Church
Denominational Affiliations:
Western District Conference (until 2012)
South Central Mennonite Conference (2013-present)
Maps
Map:Bethel Mennonite Church (Inman, Kansas)
| Author(s) | Peter T Neufeld |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2014 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Neufeld, Peter T. "Bethel Mennonite Church (Inman, Kansas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2014. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethel_Mennonite_Church_(Inman,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=146976.
APA style
Neufeld, Peter T. (March 2014). Bethel Mennonite Church (Inman, Kansas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethel_Mennonite_Church_(Inman,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=146976.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 312. All rights reserved.
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