View source for Benders Mennonite Church (Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, USA)

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In the mid-1950s, the [[Goodville Mennonite Church (Goodville, Pennsylvania, USA)|Goodville]] and [[Lichty's Mennonite Church (East Earl, Pennsylvania, USA)|Lichty's Mennonite]] churches began holding [[Summer Bible School]] in an unused church building near Pen Argyl, [[Northampton County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Northampton County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]]. On 1 January 1956, the Weaverland District of the [[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster Mennonite Conference]] began Sunday worship services at the church. Over the next several years, Mennonite families moved to the area.

For a time in the 2000s, the church was known as Great Shepherd Christian Fellowship. After Jack Rice's departure as minister, the name reverted to Benders Mennonite Church.

In 2007, lightning struck the church's steeple, causing a fire, but the building was saved.

Benders Mennonite Church helped to launch the Maranatha Christian Family Fellowship in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and the [[East Gate (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA)|Bethlehem Community Fellowship]] in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
= Bibliography =
"Benders Mennonite Church." LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches. 9 October 2017. Web. 3 October 2024. https://lmcchurches.org/2017/10/benders-mennonite-church/
= Additional Information =
'''Address''': 975 Benders Church Road, Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania 18072

'''Telephone''': 610-863-9114

'''Website''':

'''Denominational Affiliations''':

[https://lmcchurches.org/ LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches]

[https://www.mennoniteusa.org/ Mennonite Church USA] (Until 2017)
== Pastoral Leaders at Benders Mennonite Church ==
{| class="wikitable" 
|-
! Name !! Years<br/>of Service
|-
| Visiting Ministers || 1956-1958
|-
| Marlin S. Burkholder (1924-2017) || 1958-1989
|-
| Bruce J. Bender || 1975-1986?
|-
| Keith Lysek || 1983-1986?
|-
| David J. Albanese || 1988-1992
|-
| Jack Rice || 1988-2008
|-
| James R. Snyder || 1990-1999
|-
| Joseph M. Dobrota || 1996-1998?
|-
| Martin G. "Marty" Sauder (1932-2024)(Interim) || 2008
|-
| Kenneth E. Moore || 2008-2014
|-
|  ? || 2014-2016
|-
| Brent Stoy || 2016-2018?
|-
| Gregory Stokes || 2019-
|}
== Benders Mennonite Church Membership ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! Year !! Members
|-
| 1960 || 12
|-
| 1970 || 18
|-
| 1980 || 70
|-
| 1990 || 156
|-
| 2000 || 128
|-
| 2009 || 65
|}

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[[Category:Churches]]
[[Category:LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches Congregations]]
[[Category:Mennonite Church (MC) Congregations]]
[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Congregations]]
[[Category:United States Congregations]]