Big Laurel Mennonite Church (Creston, North Carolina, USA)
Big Laurel Mennonite Church, Creston, North Carolina, USA, began in 1951 at the request of John Maberry. Maberry was a native of Big Laurel who lived in Oxford, Pennsylvania and was a member of the Media Mennonite Chapel. Aquila and Elsie Stoltzfus with Wilbur and Alta Smoker were the first workers. The Maple Grove and Conestoga congregations gave financial support to the mission effort.
Big Laurel affiliated with the Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference. In the late 1970s, the "Eastern" part of that conference became the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Big Laurel launched the Rainbow Mennonite Church in Mountain City, Tennessee.
In 2002 the Big Laurel Mennonite Church withdrew from the Atlantic Coast Conference as one of a number of congregations that declined to join the new Mennonite Church USA. Big Laurel Mennonite Church became an independent Mennonite congregation at that time.
Bibliography
Stoltzfus, Grant M. Mennonites of the Ohio and Eastern Conference; From the Colonial Period in Pennsylvania to 1968. Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite history, no. 13. Scottdale, Pa: Herald Press, 1969: 245-246, 305.
Additional Information
Address: 5500 Big Laurel Road, Creston, North Carolina 28615
Phone: 336-385-6136
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Big-Laurel-Mennonite-Church-114098468612230/
Denominational Affiliations:
Pastoral Leaders at Big Laurel Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Aquila E. Stoltzfus (1913-1998) | 1951-1984 |
| Wilbur H. Smoker (1915-1972) | 1951-1954 |
| Larry Denny | 1984-1999 |
| Kirby Herman | 1999-present |
Membership at Big Laurel Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 21 |
| 1960 | 22 |
| 1970 | 25 |
| 1980 | 37 |
| 1990 | 42 |
| 2000 | 42 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | February 2022 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Big Laurel Mennonite Church (Creston, North Carolina, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2022. Web. 27 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Big_Laurel_Mennonite_Church_(Creston,_North_Carolina,_USA)&oldid=173479.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (February 2022). Big Laurel Mennonite Church (Creston, North Carolina, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 27 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Big_Laurel_Mennonite_Church_(Creston,_North_Carolina,_USA)&oldid=173479.
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