Difference between revisions of "Oley Valley Mennonite Church (Oley, Pennsylvania, USA)"

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[[File:AMC_X-31-1_17_32.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Oley Mennonite Church, 1952  
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[[File:AMC_X-31-1_17_32.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Oley Mennonite Church, 1952.<br />
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Scan courtesy [http://www.mennoniteusa.org/executive-board/archives/ Mennonite Church USA Archives-Goshen] X-31.1, Box 17/32'']] 
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The Oley Valley Mennonite Church began after John K. Stoltzfus, a telephone company entrepreneur, began to encourage members of his [[Conestoga Mennonite Church (Morgantown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Conestoga Mennonite Church]] to purchase cheaper farms in the Oley Valley, located between [[Reading (Pennsylvania, USA)|Reading]] and Boyertown. By 1942, 14 families had made such a move.
  
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Scan courtesy [http://www.mcusa-archives.org/Archives/GuideAMC.html Mennonite Church &lt;br/&gt; USA Archives-Goshen] [http://www.mcusa-archives.org/Archives/GuideAMC.html Mennonite Church &lt;br/&gt; USA Archives-Goshen] Mennonite Church
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In May 1942 these families held their first worship service in the Bertolet Chapel located at the Bertolet family cemetery. On 3 January 1943 John S. Mast ordained Omar A. Kurtz as minister for the new congregation.
  
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USA Archives-Goshen
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The Sam Mast family donated 1.5 acres of land for a church in 1949. The dedication service for the new building took place on 24 September 1950.
  
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X-31.1, Box 17/32
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The [[Ark Bible Chapel (Boyertown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Ark Bible Chapel]] arose in 1964 from Oley Valley members launching a Sunday school in the town of Oley.
  
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'']]     Oley Mennonite Church ([[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church]]), located in Oley Valley, [[Berks County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Berks County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], a member of the [[Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference (MC)|Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference]], was the outgrowth of both an agricultural extension and an evangelical outreach from the [[Conestoga Mennonite Church (Morgantown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Conestoga Mennonite Church]] near [[Morgantown (Pennsylvania, USA)|Morgantown, Pennsylvania]]. The first family moved into the valley in 1938, and by 1942 there were 13 families. Sunday-school services were begun in May 1942. On 3 January 1943, Omar Kurtz was ordained as the first pastor. On 18 July 1946, John L. Glick was ordained assistant pastor. For eight years the services were held in a rented union chapel; in September 1950 a new church was dedicated. A number from the community have been received into the church, and from here have gone at least six missionaries. The membership in 1957 was 115, with Ira A. Kurtz of the Conestoga congregation serving as bishop.
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In 2021 the congregation was part of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference of Mennonite Church USA]].  That conference was formerly the eastern part of the [[Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference (MC)|Ohio and Eastern Conference]] before it became a separate conference in 1978.
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 4, p. 54|date=1959|a1_last=Kurtz|a1_first=Omar A|a2_last= |a2_first= }}
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= Bibliography =
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"Forty years of church leadership." ''Atlantic Coast Conference Currents'' 4, no. 2 (March-April 1983): 1.
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Stoltzfus, Roy Y. "Atlantic Coast Conference Church." ''Atlantic Coast Conference Currents'' 5, no. 1 (January-February 1984): 1.
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= Additional Information =
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'''Address''': 1571 Memorial Highway, Oley, Pennsylvania 19547
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'''Phone''': 610-987-3315
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'''Website''': https://oleyvalleymennonitechurch.com/
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'''Denominational Affiliations''':
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[https://atlanticcoastconference.net/ Atlantic Coast Conference]
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[https://www.mennoniteusa.org/ Mennonite Church USA]
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== Pastoral Leaders at Oley Mennonite Church ==
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{| class="wikitable"
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|-
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! Name !! Years<br/>of Service
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|-
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| Omar A. Kurtz (1912-2006)<br />(Bishop/Overseer)<br />(Interim) || 1943-1974<br />1974-1983<br />1984-1985
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|-
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| John L. Glick (1916-1996)(Assistant) || 1946-1968
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|-
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| Kenneth L. Horning (1934-2011) || 1972-1984
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|-
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| David L. Gehman<br />(Interim) || 1985-1990<br />2021-present
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|-
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| R. Clair Umble (1919-2017)(Interim) || 1991-1992
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|-
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| Michael M. Mast || 1992-2000
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|-
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| Lawrence Brunk (Interim) || 2000
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|-
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| David W. Bartow (Interim) || 2001-2002
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|-
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| Jeffrey A. Ludwig || 2002-2003
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|-
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| Harvey Z. Stoltzfus (1935-2016) (Interim) || 2004-2005
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|-
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| Craig Pelkey-Landes || 2006-2009
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|-
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| Jon Carlson || 2010-2014
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|-
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| Ezra Tice (Interim) || 2014-2016
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|-
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| Gary E. Lloyd (1952-2021) || 2016-2021
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|}
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== Membership at Oley Mennonite Church ==
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
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|-
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! Year !! Membership
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|-
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| 1945 || 56
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|-
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| 1950 || 92
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|-
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| 1960 || 113
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|-
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| 1970 || 111
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|-
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| 1980 || 66
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|-
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| 1990 || 89
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|-
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| 2000 || 73
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|-
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| 2007 || 76
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|-
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| 2020 || 70
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|}
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= Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article =
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By Omar A. Kurtz. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from ''Mennonite Encyclopedia'', Vol. 4, p. 54. All rights reserved.
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Oley Mennonite Church ([[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church]]), located in Oley Valley, [[Berks County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Berks County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], a member of the [[Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference (MC)|Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference]], was the outgrowth of both an agricultural extension and an evangelical outreach from the [[Conestoga Mennonite Church (Morgantown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Conestoga Mennonite Church]] near [[Morgantown (Pennsylvania, USA)|Morgantown, Pennsylvania]]. The first family moved into the valley in 1938, and by 1942 there were 13 families. Sunday-school services were begun in May 1942. On 3 January 1943, Omar Kurtz was ordained as the first pastor. On 18 July 1946, John L. Glick was ordained assistant pastor. For eight years the services were held in a rented union chapel; in September 1950 a new church was dedicated. A number from the community have been received into the church, and from here have gone at least six missionaries. The membership in 1957 was 115, with Ira A. Kurtz of the Conestoga congregation serving as bishop.
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=December 2021|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Samuel J|a2_last=|a2_first=}}
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[[Category:Churches]]
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[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
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[[Category:Atlantic Coast Conference of Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
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[[Category:Pennsylvania Congregations]]
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[[Category:United States Congregations]]

Latest revision as of 12:30, 31 December 2021

Oley Mennonite Church, 1952.
Scan courtesy Mennonite Church USA Archives-Goshen X-31.1, Box 17/32

The Oley Valley Mennonite Church began after John K. Stoltzfus, a telephone company entrepreneur, began to encourage members of his Conestoga Mennonite Church to purchase cheaper farms in the Oley Valley, located between Reading and Boyertown. By 1942, 14 families had made such a move.

In May 1942 these families held their first worship service in the Bertolet Chapel located at the Bertolet family cemetery. On 3 January 1943 John S. Mast ordained Omar A. Kurtz as minister for the new congregation.

The Sam Mast family donated 1.5 acres of land for a church in 1949. The dedication service for the new building took place on 24 September 1950.

The Ark Bible Chapel arose in 1964 from Oley Valley members launching a Sunday school in the town of Oley.

In 2021 the congregation was part of the Atlantic Coast Conference of Mennonite Church USA. That conference was formerly the eastern part of the Ohio and Eastern Conference before it became a separate conference in 1978.

Bibliography

"Forty years of church leadership." Atlantic Coast Conference Currents 4, no. 2 (March-April 1983): 1.

Stoltzfus, Roy Y. "Atlantic Coast Conference Church." Atlantic Coast Conference Currents 5, no. 1 (January-February 1984): 1.

Additional Information

Address: 1571 Memorial Highway, Oley, Pennsylvania 19547

Phone: 610-987-3315

Website: https://oleyvalleymennonitechurch.com/

Denominational Affiliations: Atlantic Coast Conference

Mennonite Church USA

Pastoral Leaders at Oley Mennonite Church

Name Years
of Service
Omar A. Kurtz (1912-2006)
(Bishop/Overseer)
(Interim)		 1943-1974
1974-1983
1984-1985
John L. Glick (1916-1996)(Assistant) 1946-1968
Kenneth L. Horning (1934-2011) 1972-1984
David L. Gehman
(Interim)		 1985-1990
2021-present
R. Clair Umble (1919-2017)(Interim) 1991-1992
Michael M. Mast 1992-2000
Lawrence Brunk (Interim) 2000
David W. Bartow (Interim) 2001-2002
Jeffrey A. Ludwig 2002-2003
Harvey Z. Stoltzfus (1935-2016) (Interim) 2004-2005
Craig Pelkey-Landes 2006-2009
Jon Carlson 2010-2014
Ezra Tice (Interim) 2014-2016
Gary E. Lloyd (1952-2021) 2016-2021

Membership at Oley Mennonite Church

Year Membership
1945 56
1950 92
1960 113
1970 111
1980 66
1990 89
2000 73
2007 76
2020 70

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

By Omar A. Kurtz. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 54. All rights reserved.

Oley Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), located in Oley Valley, Berks County, Pennsylvania, a member of the Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference, was the outgrowth of both an agricultural extension and an evangelical outreach from the Conestoga Mennonite Church near Morgantown, Pennsylvania. The first family moved into the valley in 1938, and by 1942 there were 13 families. Sunday-school services were begun in May 1942. On 3 January 1943, Omar Kurtz was ordained as the first pastor. On 18 July 1946, John L. Glick was ordained assistant pastor. For eight years the services were held in a rented union chapel; in September 1950 a new church was dedicated. A number from the community have been received into the church, and from here have gone at least six missionaries. The membership in 1957 was 115, with Ira A. Kurtz of the Conestoga congregation serving as bishop.


Author(s) Samuel J Steiner
Date Published December 2021

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "Oley Valley Mennonite Church (Oley, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2021. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Oley_Valley_Mennonite_Church_(Oley,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=172817.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (December 2021). Oley Valley Mennonite Church (Oley, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Oley_Valley_Mennonite_Church_(Oley,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=172817.



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