North Bronx Mennonite Church (Bronx, New York, USA)
The North Bronx Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA) in Bronx, New York, had its beginnings in summer 1986 when a group of Mennonite professionals began to meet informally for prayer. These professionals had previously affiliated with the Harlem (Seventh Avenue) Mennonite Church and the Glad Tidings Mennonite Church.
This core group drew up a statement of purpose and sought a location for a new church in the summer of 1987. They called Tom Finger to be their pastor, beginning in January 1988.
The group chose the Norwood neighborhood of the Bronx as their destination. It was a diverse but stable community. They first met in a local Lutheran Church, then in the university chapel of Fordham University. Then, in September 1988, it moved to the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Parish House in the Woodlawn area. Later still, it returned to meeting in homes.
In 2001 Ruth Yoder Wenger was credentialed by the Lancaster Mennonite Conference, the first woman licensed for specific ministry as lead pastor by that conference, four days after the cataclysmic events of 9/11 in New York City.
In October 2016, the church made a unanimous decision to leave the Lancaster Mennonite Conference and join the Atlantic Coast Conference of Mennonite Church USA in order to remain in Mennonite Church USA. The church stated that they valued the wider denomination as a diverse community of believers and was also attracted by the Atlantic Coast Conference's welcome of women and men equally into all levels of leadership.
Bibliography
Houser, Gordon and Hannah Heinzekehr. "Congregational Affiliations Shifts for Some in Lancaster Mennonite Conference." The Mennonite 7 November 2016. Web. 28 December 2021. https://anabaptistworld.org/congregational-affiliation-shifts-around-lancaster/.
MacMaster, Richard K. Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches of New York City. Kitchener, Ont.: Pandora Press, 2006: 345-349.
"North Bronx Mennonite Church, Bronx, NY." Atlantic Coast Conference Currents 42, no. 4 (Fall 2021): 11.
Additional Information
Address: 3304 Steuben Avenue, Bronx New York 10467-2806
Phone: 718-882-8924
Denominational Affiliation:
Web: https://www.facebook.com/northbronxmennonite/?ref=page_internal
Lancaster Mennonite Conference (until 2016)
Atlantic Coast Conference of Mennonite Church USA (2016-present)
Pastoral Leaders at North Bronx Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Thomas N. Finger | 1988-1989 |
| Jesus Cruz (Associate) | 1989-1990 |
| Joseph Kotva (Associate) | 1989-1990 |
| Duncan James Smith | 1990-1995 |
| Ruth Yoder Wenger | 1995-present |
Membership at North Bronx Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 22 |
| 2000 | 22 |
| 2007 | 22 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| Author(s) | Richard D. Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Samuel J. Steiner | |
| Date Published | December 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. and Samuel J. Steiner. "North Bronx Mennonite Church (Bronx, New York, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2021. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Bronx_Mennonite_Church_(Bronx,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=172798.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. and Samuel J. Steiner. (December 2021). North Bronx Mennonite Church (Bronx, New York, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Bronx_Mennonite_Church_(Bronx,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=172798.
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