Crestview Mennonite Church (Crestview, Florida, USA)
The Crestview Mennonite Church, Crestview, Florida, had its origins in Summer Bible Schools held by the Itinerant Evangelism Committee of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference beginning in 1951. Crestview, with a population of 5,000 in 1950, was known for its army base. Two early workers were Benjamin and Esther Martin from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They moved to Crestview in September 1952 and began to hold Sunday school and worship services in a refurbished auto repair shop. Benjamin Martin, Jr., and his wife, Esther, joined the senior Martins in 1959.
The small congregation dedicated a new church building on 20 January 1954. It sustained some damage from Hurricane Opal in 1995; Mennonite Disaster Service helped with reconstruction.
In 2000, the Lancaster Mennonite Conference "released" the 14 churches it had established in the southeast United States to form a new network called Good News Fellowship (GNF). Crestview Mennonite became part of this new fellowship.
Bibliography
Dagen, Paul L. Seedtime and Harvest, 1942-1987: History of Alabama Northwest Florida District Mennonite Churches. [Atmore, Alabama]: P. L. Dagen, 1987: 62-65.
"Hurricane Opal prompts MDS cleanup response." Gospel Herald 88, no. 42 (24 October 1995): 10.
Metzler, Paul R. "Crestview, Florida." Gospel Herald 47, no. 7 (16 February 1954): 163.
Additional Information
Address: 385 Cobb Avenue East, Crestview, Florida
Phone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations: Lancaster Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Crestview Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Benjamin F. Martin, Sr. (1898-1964) | 1952-1976 |
| Benjamin F. Martin, Jr. (1932-2021) | 1976-2021 |
| Michael A. Martin | 2001-2013? |
| Harry C. Tomlin (1944-2022) | 2014-2021 |
| Dick Arnold | 2022- |
Crestview Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1955 | 3 |
| 1960 | 4 |
| 1970 | 8 |
| 1980 | 10 |
| 1990 | 10 |
| 2000 | 10 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | December 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Crestview Mennonite Church (Crestview, Florida, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2023. Web. 27 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Crestview_Mennonite_Church_(Crestview,_Florida,_USA)&oldid=177893.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (December 2023). Crestview Mennonite Church (Crestview, Florida, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 27 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Crestview_Mennonite_Church_(Crestview,_Florida,_USA)&oldid=177893.
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