Spring Hill Mennonite Church (Latham, Missouri, USA)
The first meeting of the Spring Hill Mennonite Church in Latham, Missouri, USA, took place in February 1990. Minister Oliver Hess from the Sunnyside Mennonite Church of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, arranged that meeting in the home of Shannon and Miriam Zimmerman. Samuel Yoder, from Minnesota, held the first communion service on 24 February 1991. The meetings continued in the Zimmerman home until March 1994. Then the Sappington Community Chapel along Hwy F, California, Missouri, was rented for $56 per month and services were held there until March 2004.
Spring Hill became part of Midwest Mennonite Fellowship in 1992. Samuel Yoder served as bishop from that time through 1996. Midwest arranged the move of Earl Mosemann to Latham in June 1993. He served as pastor until moving away in July 1996. Attendance in those years was about 27, with the highest number for communion being 25. Oliver Hess then served as bishop from 1997 to 2000.
Early in 2000, an appeal was made to Mid-Atlantic Mennonite Fellowship (MAMF) for help and leadership. In July 2001, Spring Hill was accepted into MAMF with eight members transferring. At that time the Lancaster District of MAMF was put in charge of finding leadership for Spring Hill. Ray Weaver was appointed to serve as bishop and faithfully filled this role until 2010. On 2 May 2002 a commissioning service was held at the Blue Ball Mennonite Church to send a leader to Spring Hill for a two-year term. Leroy R. Martin was chosen by a lot which was shared with Lester Burkholder. Leroy was released from his duties as minister at the Blue Ball congregation and moved with his family to the Latham area later that summer where he continues to serve as pastor at Spring Hill.
It was apparent that the small one-room Sappington Community Chapel was not sufficient for the needs of the growing congregation. Five acres were found near Latham for a new church building and purchased for $30,000. Ground was broken in August 2003 and the new building was ready for the spring communion. The communion service on 28 March 2004 was attended by 60 persons. A dedication service was held 22 May 2004.
A second resident leader was chosen by lot from a group of five men nominated from the entire MAMF constituency. Nevin Good, of the Sharon congregation in Pennsylvania, was chosen and licensed to serve as minister in a service held on 18 May 2004. With the move of his family, the membership of Spring Hill increased to 24. On 29 January 2006, Nevin was chosen in a lot shared with Brian Ehst and ordained as minister.
A deacon was added to the ministerial team on 3 December 2006 when Brian Ehst was ordained. By then, church membership was 47 and attendance averaged about 100. Membership was in the sixties from 2007 to 2010. Leroy G. Martin, from Pennsylvania, began providing bishop oversight in 2010. As more families moved into the area, membership rose to 82 in 2013 with the average attendance about 140.
After several years of consideration and planning, a school was started in September 2007. Twenty students and two teachers met for school in a modular unit that was set up on the church property. The school has grown to 38 students and four teachers. In 2013 classes were being held in both the modular unit and the church building.
In 2013 the ministerial team consisted of Leroy R. Martin and Nevin Good ministers; and Brian Ehst, deacon. Brian was ordained as bishop for Spring Hill early in 2014.
Bibliography
Stauffer, Romaine, ed. Mid-Atlantic Mennonite Fellowship 1972-2013. Myerstown, Pa.: Little Mountain Printing, 2014.
Additional Information
Address: 35837 Hwy E, Latham, MO 65050
Phone: 660-458-6362
Website:
Denominational Affiliations: Mid-Atlantic Mennonite Fellowship
Spring Hill Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders
| Ministers | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Leroy R. Martin | 2002-present |
| Nevin Good | 2004-present |
| Brian Ehst (bishop) | 2014-present |
Map
Map:Spring Hill Mennonite Church (Latham, Missouri, USA)
| Author(s) | Romaine Stauffer |
|---|---|
| Date Published | July 2014 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Stauffer, Romaine. "Spring Hill Mennonite Church (Latham, Missouri, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2014. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Spring_Hill_Mennonite_Church_(Latham,_Missouri,_USA)&oldid=123559.
APA style
Stauffer, Romaine. (July 2014). Spring Hill Mennonite Church (Latham, Missouri, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Spring_Hill_Mennonite_Church_(Latham,_Missouri,_USA)&oldid=123559.
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