View source for Benevolent Organization of Mennonites (Mennonite Church)

The Benevolent Organization of Mennonites ([[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church]]) received its charter from the state of [[Illinois (USA)|Illinois]] 23 April 1894, and was evidently taken over by the [[Mennonite Evangelizing Board of America|Mennonite Evangelizing Board]] in 1896. The charter was signed by [[Steiner, Menno Simon (1866-1911)|M. S. Steiner]], [[Coffman, John S. (1848-1899)|John S. Coffman]], Abiah R. Zook, [[Hartzler, Jonas S. (1857-1953)|Jonas S. Hartzler]], and Solomon D. Ebersole. According to its charter, its purpose was "to support, maintain and carry on home and foreign missions, hospitals, orphans' homes, training schools for the education of nurses, deaconesses and Bible students." In a meeting in [[Chicago (Illinois, USA)|Chicago]], December 1894, the organization assumed responsibility for the [[Mennonite Home Mission (Chicago, Illinois, USA)|Home Mission in Chicago]], pledged itself to pay the expenses of an evangelist to be sent to [[Dickson County (Tennessee, USA)|Dickson County]], [[Tennessee (USA)|Tennessee]], considered establishing an orphans' home, and recommended Elkhart Institute to those who wanted a practical education. That year it elected M. S. Steiner president, J. S. Hartzler vice-president, [[Kolb, Abram B. (1862-1925)|A. B. Kolb]] secretary, and A. R. Zook treasurer.
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