New Beginnings Community Church of Bristol (Bristol, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Bristol Mennonite Church had its roots in 1947 "cottage" meetings held in the home of a family that had become part of the Deep Run Mennonite Church. Later the Franconia Mennonite Conference Mission Board granted permission to start a church plant in Bristol as part of the general challenge of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities for each Mennonite church to have a mission outreach.
Initially meetings in Bristol were led by a variety of persons in the community center, a local school or in tents. Sunday school services and Summer Bible School activities were also promoted. Howard Rush was ordained in 1954 and moved with his family to Bristol. In 1958 a small meetinghouse was constructed.
Bristol was an interracial community, and relationships developed through the years with African-American pastors in the community. There were also active boys' and girls' clubs, along with a youth group during this era.
Many changes in the community took place during the 1970s. The housing developments built during World War I in Bristol were torn down, and many members of the church moved away. Raymond Jackson became the first African-American pastor in the Bristol congregation in 1976.
In 1987 the congregation changed its name to New Beginnings Community Church, and added “of Bristol” in 2008. In 2007 the church started the New Beginning Learning Center of Bristol, with a library and computer lab for tutoring and mentoring school children.
Because of declining attendance, the congregation held its last service in September 2013.
Bibliography
Williams, Sharon. "New Beginnings: Building Spiritual and Academic Hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus." Franconia Mennonite Conference. 6 May 2015. Web. 20 September 2016. http://franconiaconference.org/new-beginnings-building-spiritual-and-academic-hearts-and-minds-through-christ-jesus/.
Additional Information
Address: 5201 Lloyd St., Bristol, PA 19007
Phone:
Website
Denominational Affiliations: Mennonite Church USA
Franconia Mennonite Conference
New Beginnings Community Church Pastoral Leaders
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Howard Rush | 1954-1966 1973-1976 |
| George Long | 1966-1973 |
| Raymond Jackson | 1976-1987 |
| Gary Young | 1987-1991 |
| Ben Bussey | 1992-1999 |
| Jon Moore | 1999-2013 |
New Beginnings Community Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1955 | 16 |
| 1965 | 23 |
| 1975 | 18 |
| 1985 | 18 |
| 1995 | 17 |
| 2005 | 35 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | September 2016 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "New Beginnings Community Church of Bristol (Bristol, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2016. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_Beginnings_Community_Church_of_Bristol_(Bristol,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=165406.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (September 2016). New Beginnings Community Church of Bristol (Bristol, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_Beginnings_Community_Church_of_Bristol_(Bristol,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=165406.
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