View source for Franconia Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities

The [[Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Franconia Conference]] decided on 3 May 1917 to organize a mission board. Members of the conference had already been serving in the [[Norris Square Mennonite Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)|Philadelphia Mission]], which was started by the [[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster Conference]] Sunday School Mission, later the [[Eastern Mennonite Missions (Lancaster Mennonite Conference)|Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions]]. Joseph Bechtel served as superintendent from the beginning until his death in 1928. The conference in May 1908 had decided to aid in the purchase of the Howard Street property in Philadelphia. It was decided that each congregation should have one member on the board.

The first officers of the organized board were Allen A. Freed, president, Isaac F. Detwller, vice-president, William D. Roth, secretary, and Garret S. Nice, treasurer. A charter was secured in July 1918. The first conference mission station was opened at [[First Mennonite Church (Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Norristown]] on 6 April 1919, and others followed in rapid succession; by 1954 there were 17 stations in the district, and a mission in [[Cuba|Cuba]].
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