Difference between revisions of "Swiss Mennonite Church (Alsen, North Dakota, USA)"

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In 1898, ten families, mostly from the [[Salem-Zion Mennonite Church (Freeman, South Dakota, USA)|Salem-Zion Mennonite Church]] in [[South Dakota (USA)|South Dakota]], settled near Starkweather, [[North Dakota (USA)|North Dakota]]. In 1899 they organized a [[Sunday School|Sunday school]]. In 1904, their former pastor in South Dakota, Christian Kauffman, helped them to organize the Swiss Mennonite Church. They met in homes, holding Sunday school and reading a sermon from a book. Occasionally visiting ministers would serve.
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In 1910-1911, some of the families moved to Alsen. They then held services in the town hall, then in the rear of a bank building. Later a rural schoolhouse was moved to town and converted to a church. In 1919 the congregation constructed a church at the present location and added a parsonage a year later. Remodeling has occurred numerous times. It added Sunday school rooms, an enlarged kitchen, and restrooms in 1979. Swiss Mennonite became part of the [[Northern District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church)|Northern District]] of the [[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite Church]].
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As part of the realignment of the [[Mennonite Church (MC)]] and [[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite Church]] into [[Mennonite Church USA]], Swiss Mennonite was among the congregations that joined the new [[Central Plains Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Central Plains Mennonite Conference]] in 2000.
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In 2007 the congregation transferred from the [[Central Plains Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Central Plains Mennonite Conference]] to the [[North Central Conference of the Mennonite Church|North Central Conference of the Mennonite Church]].
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After the North Central Conference withdrew from Mennonite Church USA in 2015 and dissolved in 2017, Swiss Mennonite Church appeared to become an independent Mennonite congregation.
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= Bibliography =
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Schmidt, Diena, ed. ''The Northern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church 1891-1991''. Freeman, S.D.: The Conference, 1991: 127-129.
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Thomas, Everett J. "Congregations Switch Membership." ''The Mennonite'' (1 September 2013). http://www.themennonite.org/issues/16-9/articles/Congregations_switch_membership
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= Additional Information =
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'''Address:''' 301 Elm St, Alsen, North Dakota 58311
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'''Phone:''' 701-682-5210
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'''Website''':
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'''Denominational Affiliations''':
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Northern District Conference (Until 2000)
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Central Plains Mennonite Conference (2000-2007)
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Northern District of the Mennonite Church (2007-2017)
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General Conference Mennonite Church (Until 2001)
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Mennonite Church USA (2001-2017)
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== Pastoral Leaders at Swiss 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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| Lay leadership || 1904-1911
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|-
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| Martin Fast (1868-1931) || 1911-1915
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|-
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| Visiting ministers || 1915-1917
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|-
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| Nickolai F. "N. F." Toews (1857-1935) || 1917-1926
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|-
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| Edward Duerksen (1892-1979) || 1926-1940
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|-
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| Albert J. Kleinsasser (1911-2006) || 1941-1943
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|-
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| Waldo J. Flickinger (1909-2001) || 1943-1947
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|-
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| Abraham Unruh || 1947-1948
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|-
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| Helmuth F. Ortmann (Interim) (1895-1972)|| 1948-1949<br />1959-1960
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|-
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| Daniel G. Regier (1923-2007) || 1949-1955
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|-
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| LeRoy Schroeder (Interim) (1930-1962) || 1955
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|-
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| Leonard W. Harder (1913-1990)|| 1955-1959
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|-
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| Herbert M. Dalke (1918-2012) || 1960-1963
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|-
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| Frank H. Ewert (1915-1996) || 1963-1968<br />1985-1986
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|-
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| Wilbur Schmidt || 1968-1970
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|-
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| Kenneth Heppner || 1970-1979
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|-
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| Keith Jeske || 1979-1985
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|-
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| E. J. Pike || 1986-1990
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|-
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| Les Dick (Interim) || 1990-1992
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|-
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| Mark Flaten || 1993-1998?
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|-
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| Richard Cotton || 1999
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|-
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| Rick Wadholm Jr. || 1999-2002
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|-
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| Vergil Moos || 2003?-?
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|}
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== Swiss Mennonite 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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| 1904 || 29
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|-
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| 1930 || 108
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|-
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| 1940 || 156
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|-
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| 1950 || 74
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|-
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| 1960 || 86
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|-
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| 1970 || 91
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|-
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| 1980 || 101
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|-
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| 1990 || 92
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|-
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| 2000 || 21
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|-
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| 2009 || 21
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|}
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= Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article =
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By Daniel G. Regier. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from ''Mennonite Encyclopedia'', Vol. 4, p. 671. All rights reserved.
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Swiss Mennonite Church ([[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite]]) was organized 2 December 1904, near Starkweather, [[North Dakota (USA)|North Dakota]], with Christian Kauffman in charge. About 1910, when a number of families moved, the address of the church was changed to Alsen, North Dakota. The first meetings were then held in the Town Hall. The present meetinghouse was dedicated on 13 September 1919, and is located in Alsen. This church is a member of the [[Northern District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church)|Northern District]]. The membership in 1957 was 79, with Leonard Harder as pastor.
 
Swiss Mennonite Church ([[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite]]) was organized 2 December 1904, near Starkweather, [[North Dakota (USA)|North Dakota]], with Christian Kauffman in charge. About 1910, when a number of families moved, the address of the church was changed to Alsen, North Dakota. The first meetings were then held in the Town Hall. The present meetinghouse was dedicated on 13 September 1919, and is located in Alsen. This church is a member of the [[Northern District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church)|Northern District]]. The membership in 1957 was 79, with Leonard Harder as pastor.
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 4, p. 671|date=1959|a1_last=Regier|a1_first=Daniel G|a2_last=|a2_first=}}
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=September 2023|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Samuel J|a2_last=|a2_first=}}
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[[Category:Churches]]
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[[Category:Central Plains Mennonite Conference Congregations]]
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[[Category:North Central Conference of the Mennonite Church Congregations]]
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[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
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[[Category:General Conference Mennonite Church Congregations]]
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[[Category:Independent Mennonite Congregations]]
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[[Category:North Dakota Congregations]]
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[[Category:United States Congregations]]

Latest revision as of 11:38, 10 September 2023

In 1898, ten families, mostly from the Salem-Zion Mennonite Church in South Dakota, settled near Starkweather, North Dakota. In 1899 they organized a Sunday school. In 1904, their former pastor in South Dakota, Christian Kauffman, helped them to organize the Swiss Mennonite Church. They met in homes, holding Sunday school and reading a sermon from a book. Occasionally visiting ministers would serve.

In 1910-1911, some of the families moved to Alsen. They then held services in the town hall, then in the rear of a bank building. Later a rural schoolhouse was moved to town and converted to a church. In 1919 the congregation constructed a church at the present location and added a parsonage a year later. Remodeling has occurred numerous times. It added Sunday school rooms, an enlarged kitchen, and restrooms in 1979. Swiss Mennonite became part of the Northern District of the General Conference Mennonite Church.

As part of the realignment of the Mennonite Church (MC) and General Conference Mennonite Church into Mennonite Church USA, Swiss Mennonite was among the congregations that joined the new Central Plains Mennonite Conference in 2000.

In 2007 the congregation transferred from the Central Plains Mennonite Conference to the North Central Conference of the Mennonite Church.

After the North Central Conference withdrew from Mennonite Church USA in 2015 and dissolved in 2017, Swiss Mennonite Church appeared to become an independent Mennonite congregation.

Bibliography

Schmidt, Diena, ed. The Northern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church 1891-1991. Freeman, S.D.: The Conference, 1991: 127-129.

Thomas, Everett J. "Congregations Switch Membership." The Mennonite (1 September 2013). http://www.themennonite.org/issues/16-9/articles/Congregations_switch_membership

Additional Information

Address: 301 Elm St, Alsen, North Dakota 58311

Phone: 701-682-5210

Website:

Denominational Affiliations: Northern District Conference (Until 2000)

Central Plains Mennonite Conference (2000-2007)

Northern District of the Mennonite Church (2007-2017)

General Conference Mennonite Church (Until 2001)

Mennonite Church USA (2001-2017)

Pastoral Leaders at Swiss Mennonite Church

Name Years
of Service
Lay leadership 1904-1911
Martin Fast (1868-1931) 1911-1915
Visiting ministers 1915-1917
Nickolai F. "N. F." Toews (1857-1935) 1917-1926
Edward Duerksen (1892-1979) 1926-1940
Albert J. Kleinsasser (1911-2006) 1941-1943
Waldo J. Flickinger (1909-2001) 1943-1947
Abraham Unruh 1947-1948
Helmuth F. Ortmann (Interim) (1895-1972) 1948-1949
1959-1960
Daniel G. Regier (1923-2007) 1949-1955
LeRoy Schroeder (Interim) (1930-1962) 1955
Leonard W. Harder (1913-1990) 1955-1959
Herbert M. Dalke (1918-2012) 1960-1963
Frank H. Ewert (1915-1996) 1963-1968
1985-1986
Wilbur Schmidt 1968-1970
Kenneth Heppner 1970-1979
Keith Jeske 1979-1985
E. J. Pike 1986-1990
Les Dick (Interim) 1990-1992
Mark Flaten 1993-1998?
Richard Cotton 1999
Rick Wadholm Jr. 1999-2002
Vergil Moos 2003?-?

Swiss Mennonite Church Membership

Year Members
1904 29
1930 108
1940 156
1950 74
1960 86
1970 91
1980 101
1990 92
2000 21
2009 21

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

By Daniel G. Regier. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 671. All rights reserved.

Swiss Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite) was organized 2 December 1904, near Starkweather, North Dakota, with Christian Kauffman in charge. About 1910, when a number of families moved, the address of the church was changed to Alsen, North Dakota. The first meetings were then held in the Town Hall. The present meetinghouse was dedicated on 13 September 1919, and is located in Alsen. This church is a member of the Northern District. The membership in 1957 was 79, with Leonard Harder as pastor.


Author(s) Samuel J Steiner
Date Published September 2023

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "Swiss Mennonite Church (Alsen, North Dakota, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2023. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Swiss_Mennonite_Church_(Alsen,_North_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=177490.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (September 2023). Swiss Mennonite Church (Alsen, North Dakota, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Swiss_Mennonite_Church_(Alsen,_North_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=177490.



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