Difference between revisions of "RiverTown Community Church (Blountstown, Florida, USA)"

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The RiverTown Community Church, Blountstown, [[Florida (USA)|Florida]], began as the [[Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church (Blountstown, Florida, USA)|Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church]]. The first Mennonites to settle in the Blountstown, Florida area came from Greenwood, Delaware and Hartville, Ohio in the fall of 1952. This was the result of a visit to the area by the Colonization Committee of the Conservative Mennonite Mission Board; thus Bethel was a church plant through colonization.
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The Rivertown Community Church, Blountstown, [[Florida (USA)|Florida]], USA, began as the [[Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church (Blountstown, Florida, USA)|Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church]]. The first Mennonites to settle in the Blountstown, Florida area came from Greenwood, Delaware and Hartville, Ohio in the fall of 1952. This was the result of a visit to the area by the Colonization Committee of the [[Conservative Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities|Conservative Mennonite Mission Board]]; thus Bethel was a church plant through colonization.
  
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The congregation organized as a mission church on 11 April 1954, with Raymond Byler as the minister. Bethel built a meetinghouse in 1957 that was dedicated on 15 September. Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church, Blountstown, [[Florida (USA)|Florida]], was first listed in the <em>[[Mennonite Yearbook and Directory|Mennonite Yearbook]] </em>of 1955 as the Red Oak congregation, with 33 members. In 1958 the <em>Yearbook</em> listed it as Bethel. Raymond Byler served until 1973 when he moved to Jackson, Mississippi to take charge of a mission there. Other pastors who served here included Harold Weldy (1970-1980), Oscar Schrock (1972-after 1983); Ivan Nissley (1976- ). In 1983 the congregation had 83 members. Paul Smith was the lead minister in 2009.
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The congregation organized as a mission church on 11 April 1954, with Raymond Byler as the minister. Bethel built a meetinghouse in 1957 that was dedicated on 15 September. Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church, Blountstown, [[Florida (USA)|Florida]], was first listed in the ''[[Mennonite Yearbook and Directory|Mennonite Yearbook]]'' of 1955 as the Red Oak congregation, with 33 members. In 1958, the ''Yearbook'' listed it as Bethel.
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Most of the growth of the Bethel Mennonite Church during the decades of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s resulted from biological growth and the influx of ethnic Mennonites from other states.
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After Paul Smith became Senior Pastor in 1993, the congregation increased its effort to reach the unchurched in the community.
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In 2001, Bethel Mennonite Church joined the [[Good News Fellowship]] while retaining its membership in the [[Rosedale Network of Churches|Conservative Mennonite Conference]]. In the early 2000s, Bethel Mennonite changed its name to RiverTown Community Church. It believed the "Mennonite" name was a barrier to outreach. It also dropped its affiliation with the Conservative Mennonite Conference at the same time.
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After attending a conference on "doing church" in rural/small-town communities in 2008, Rivertown began to expand to other campuses in 2009, beginning with Marianna, followed by Chipley and Crawfordville.
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The congregation's website no longer capitalized the "T" in its name on its website by 2023.
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= Bibliography =
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Landis, J. D. "Good News Fellowship gathering." ''The Good News Messenger'' (Winter 2005): [5].
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Miller, Ivan J. ''History of the Conservative Mennonite Conference, 1910-1985''. Grantsville, Md.: Ivan J. &amp; Della Miller, 1985: 86-88.
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"Our story." Rivertown Community Church. 2020. Web. 21 December 2023. https://rivertown.cc/our-story/.
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"Regional Council meets." ''The Good News Messenger'' (March/April 2002): 3.
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"Rivertown Community Church (RCC)...." ''The Good News Messenger'' (Winter 2009): 7.
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Wester, Jarred. "Doing church in 'the sticks'" ''The Good News Messenger'' (Winter 2008): 5.
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Yoder, Lisa. "A closer look ... at RiverTown Community Church." ''The Good News Messenger'' (Spring 2006): 2.
  
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The congregation was originally a member of the [[Conservative Mennonite Conference|Conservative Mennonite Conference]]; it is now an independent community church.
 
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= Bibliography =
 
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Miller, Ivan J. <em>History of the Conservative Mennonite Conference, 1910-1985</em>. Grantsville, Md.: Ivan J. &amp; Della Miller, 1985: 86-88.
 
 
= Additional Information =
 
= Additional Information =
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'''Address''': 19359 SR-71, Blountstown, Florida
 
  
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'''Phone''': 850-674-5747
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'''Blountstown Address:''' 19359 SR 71 North, Blountstown, Florida 32424
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'''Chipley Address:''' 1317 State Park Road, Chipley, Florida 32428
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'''Marianna Address:''' 4534 Lafayette Street, Marianna, Florida 32446
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'''Crawfordville Address:''' 318 Shadeville Road, Crawfordville, Florida 32327
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'''Blountstown Phone:''' 850-633-4633
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'''Website''': https://rivertown.cc/
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'''Denominational Affiliations''':
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Conservative Mennonite Conference
  
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'''Website''': [http://www.rivertownchurch.info/ RiverTown Community Church]
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[https://www.gnfonline.org/ Good News Fellowship]
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== Pastoral Leaders at Rivertown Community 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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| Raymond J. Byler (1914-1993) || 1954-1973
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|-
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| Harold J. Weldy || 1969-1980
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|-
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| Oscar T. Schrock (1926-1989) || 1972-1989
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|-
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| Ivan E. Nissley || 1976-1991
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|-
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| Paul A. Smith || 1990-
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|-
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| Daniel E. Yoder || 1993-2007?
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|-
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| Doug Gingerich || 1998?-2007?
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|-
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| Darren Tucker (Marianna) || 2009-
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|}
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== Rivertown Church Membership ==
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
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|-
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! Year !! Members
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|-
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| 1955 || 33
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|-
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| 1960 || 64
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|-
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| 1970 || 94
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|-
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| 1980 || 84
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|-
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| 1990 || 88
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|-
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| 2000 || 102
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|}
 
= Maps =
 
= Maps =
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[[Map:RiverTown Community Church (Blountstown, Florida)|Map:RiverTown Community Church (Blountstown, Florida)]]
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[[Map:RiverTown Community Church (Blountstown, Florida)|RiverTown Community Church (Blountstown, Florida)]]
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=August 2009|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Sam|a2_last=|a2_first=}}
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=December 2023|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Samuel J|a2_last=|a2_first=}}
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[[Category:Church]]
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[[Category:Churches]]
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[[Category:Rosedale Network of Churches Congregations]]
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[[Category:Good News Fellowship Congregations]]
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[[Category:Florida Congregations]]
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[[Category:United States Congregations]]

Latest revision as of 12:48, 22 December 2023

The Rivertown Community Church, Blountstown, Florida, USA, began as the Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church. The first Mennonites to settle in the Blountstown, Florida area came from Greenwood, Delaware and Hartville, Ohio in the fall of 1952. This was the result of a visit to the area by the Colonization Committee of the Conservative Mennonite Mission Board; thus Bethel was a church plant through colonization.

The congregation organized as a mission church on 11 April 1954, with Raymond Byler as the minister. Bethel built a meetinghouse in 1957 that was dedicated on 15 September. Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church, Blountstown, Florida, was first listed in the Mennonite Yearbook of 1955 as the Red Oak congregation, with 33 members. In 1958, the Yearbook listed it as Bethel.

Most of the growth of the Bethel Mennonite Church during the decades of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s resulted from biological growth and the influx of ethnic Mennonites from other states.

After Paul Smith became Senior Pastor in 1993, the congregation increased its effort to reach the unchurched in the community.

In 2001, Bethel Mennonite Church joined the Good News Fellowship while retaining its membership in the Conservative Mennonite Conference. In the early 2000s, Bethel Mennonite changed its name to RiverTown Community Church. It believed the "Mennonite" name was a barrier to outreach. It also dropped its affiliation with the Conservative Mennonite Conference at the same time.

After attending a conference on "doing church" in rural/small-town communities in 2008, Rivertown began to expand to other campuses in 2009, beginning with Marianna, followed by Chipley and Crawfordville.

The congregation's website no longer capitalized the "T" in its name on its website by 2023.

Bibliography

Landis, J. D. "Good News Fellowship gathering." The Good News Messenger (Winter 2005): [5].

Miller, Ivan J. History of the Conservative Mennonite Conference, 1910-1985. Grantsville, Md.: Ivan J. & Della Miller, 1985: 86-88.

"Our story." Rivertown Community Church. 2020. Web. 21 December 2023. https://rivertown.cc/our-story/.

"Regional Council meets." The Good News Messenger (March/April 2002): 3.

"Rivertown Community Church (RCC)...." The Good News Messenger (Winter 2009): 7.

Wester, Jarred. "Doing church in 'the sticks'" The Good News Messenger (Winter 2008): 5.

Yoder, Lisa. "A closer look ... at RiverTown Community Church." The Good News Messenger (Spring 2006): 2.

Additional Information

Blountstown Address: 19359 SR 71 North, Blountstown, Florida 32424

Chipley Address: 1317 State Park Road, Chipley, Florida 32428

Marianna Address: 4534 Lafayette Street, Marianna, Florida 32446

Crawfordville Address: 318 Shadeville Road, Crawfordville, Florida 32327

Blountstown Phone: 850-633-4633

Website: https://rivertown.cc/

Denominational Affiliations: Conservative Mennonite Conference

Good News Fellowship

Pastoral Leaders at Rivertown Community Church

Name Years
of Service
Raymond J. Byler (1914-1993) 1954-1973
Harold J. Weldy 1969-1980
Oscar T. Schrock (1926-1989) 1972-1989
Ivan E. Nissley 1976-1991
Paul A. Smith 1990-
Daniel E. Yoder 1993-2007?
Doug Gingerich 1998?-2007?
Darren Tucker (Marianna) 2009-

Rivertown Church Membership

Year Members
1955 33
1960 64
1970 94
1980 84
1990 88
2000 102

Maps

RiverTown Community Church (Blountstown, Florida)


Author(s) Samuel J Steiner
Date Published December 2023

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "RiverTown Community Church (Blountstown, Florida, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2023. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=RiverTown_Community_Church_(Blountstown,_Florida,_USA)&oldid=177989.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (December 2023). RiverTown Community Church (Blountstown, Florida, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=RiverTown_Community_Church_(Blountstown,_Florida,_USA)&oldid=177989.



©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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