Mack, Andrew Stauffer (1836-1917)
Andrew (Andreas) Stauffer Mack: bishop and leader in the Franconia Mennonite Conference, was born 29 October 1836 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA to Jesse Mack (10 July 1812-16 May 1892) and Susanna Stauffer Mack (25 March 1815- 23 November 1897). He was the oldest of eight children. On 4 December 1859 he married Elizabeth Haldeman (25 March 1842-2 January 1924). They had six children, two of whom became prominent Mennonite ministers—Noah and Jesse. Andrew S. Mack died 6 October 1917. Andrew and Elizabeth were buried in the Bally Mennonite Cemetery, Bally, Pennsylvania.
Andrew Mack worked as a carpenter in his youth but was a farmer for most of his life. He was ordained to the ministry of the Bally Mennonite Church by Bishop Jacob Kolb on 15 September 1863. He was ordained to the office of bishop on 6 November 1875 without the use of the lot, since he was the only person to receive votes for the position. Throughout his ministry, Mack preached only in German, though he was open to English preaching later in life. He was regarded as a good speaker and was used widely throughout the conference.
Mack placed special emphasis on repentance, regeneration, nonconformity and nonresistance. On the matter of nonconformity, he preached against women wearing fashionable hats years before the Franconia Conference made formal statements on the issue. He was also an early advocate for feetwashing (not originally practiced in the conference) and in the introduction of Sunday schools. In 1897 he spoke in favor of the Mennonite Church (MC) establishing a General Conference, even though he knew his own conference was not supportive. As a senior bishop, he served as moderator of the Franconia Conference for many years and was regarded as one of its strongest leaders in the latter part of the 19th century.
Andrew Mack supported the immigration of the Mennonites from Russia to North America in the 1870s, travelling as far as Manitoba on one occasion. As senior bishop, he chaired key meetings in 1914 that led to the establishment of the Eastern Mennonite Home (later Souderton Mennonite Home).
A defender of traditional Mennonite emphases, Andrew Mack was also a progressive in welcoming Sunday schools, language shifts, and the creation of denominational structures.
Bibliography
"Mack.” Gospel Herald 10, no. 33 (15 November 1917). Reproduced in MennObits. “Gospel Herald Obituaries - November 1917." Web. 24 November 2018. http://mcusa-archives.org/MennObits/17/nov1917.html.
Mack, Andrew H. “Andrew S. Mack.” The Historical Journal 23, no. 2 (October 2017): 4.
Wenger, John Christian. History of the Mennonites of the Franconia Conference. Scottdale, Pa.: Mennonite Pub. House, 1938: 281, passim.
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Ira D. Landis. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 432. All rights reserved.
Andreas (Andrew) Mack, a prominent leader in the Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church), the son of Jesse M. Mack and Susanna Stauffer, was born 16 October 1836, in the Bally district of Berks County, Pennsylvania, where he lived all his life. His family of six children included a bishop, Noah H. Mack of New Holland, Pennsylvania, and a preacher, Jesse, of Providence-Skippack. He was ordained preacher at Bally on 25 September 1863, and, by the unanimous consent of the district, was ordained bishop on 6 November 1875. He was a man of sterling character, a born leader of men, and a successful farmer. He favored missions before the Franconia Conference did, and approved the organizing of the Mennonite General Conference, even though the majority of his conference did not. He aided in the 1874 Russian immigration to Kansas, and followed the fortunes of this group with interest for his entire life. He was moderator of the Franconia Conference for many years while the German-English transition was occurring and also the transition from no missions to the organization of the Franconia Mennonite Mission Board in the year of his death. He was probably the strongest leader of his day in the Conference. He died 29 October 1917.
Bibliography of Original Article
Wenger, J. C. History of the Mennonites of the Franconia Conference. Scottdale, Pa.: Mennonite Pub. House, 1938.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | November 2018 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Mack, Andrew Stauffer (1836-1917)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2018. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mack,_Andrew_Stauffer_(1836-1917)&oldid=165365.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (November 2018). Mack, Andrew Stauffer (1836-1917). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mack,_Andrew_Stauffer_(1836-1917)&oldid=165365.
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