View source for Florida Colony (Florida, Paraguay)

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Florida Colony is located in Florida, [[Paraguay]], near [[Luz y Esperanza Colony (Paraguay)|Luz y Esperanza]]. The church originated in 1977, shortly after a group of [[Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship|Beachy Amish]] from the [[United States of America|United States]] settled in the area in 1976. The congregational formally organized on 25 September 1977. Services were held in homes until a wooden church house was built in 1978.

Originally worship was held in English, but when local people began to attend Spanish became the primary language. Sunday school was held in English, Guarani and Spanish.

A fire on 24 May 1992 destroyed the church and school building, though hymnbooks and some benches were saved. A brick building was then constructed.

The Florida Colony is self-supporting, with most families farming and dairying. The main crops are soybeans, wheat, cotton and corn. The congregation is active in the distribution of Bibles and Christian literature in the neighborhood. 

In 2018 the church had 35 members and was a member of the [[Mennonite Christian Fellowship]]. The ministerial team included Bishop John H. Myers and Ministers David Riehl and Henry Ervin Schlabach.
= Bibliography =
''Mennonite Church Directory'' (2014): 87; (2018): 97.

Miller, Allan A., compiler. ''The origin of the Fellowship churches.'' Gap Mills, West Virginia: Yoder's Select Books, 2004: 34-36.

Schroeder, William and Helmut T. Huebert. ''Mennonite Historical Atlas'', 2nd ed. Winnipeg, MB: Springfield Publishers, 1996: 148.
= Additional Information =
'''Address''': C. de C. 166, Colony Florida, Paraguay

'''Denominational Affiliation''':

[[Mennonite Christian Fellowship]]
== Ordained Leaders at Florida Colony ==
{| class="wikitable" 
|-
! Name !! Years<br/>of Service
|-
| Uria Shetler (Bishop) || 1976-1989
|-
| Oscar Schlabach (Minister) || 1977-1989
|-
| Sam Lapp (Minister) || 1978-1983
|-
| John H. Myers (Minister)<br/>(Bishop) || 1985-1991<br/>1991-
|-
| Eli Schlabach (Deacon) || 1989-2000
|-
| John Troyer (Bishop) || 1989-2004
|-
| David Riehl (Minister) || 1997-
|-
| Jonathan Schlabach (Deacon) || 2003-2009?
|-
| Henry Ervin Schlabach (Minister) || 2009-
|}
{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=June 2018|a1_last=Thiessen|a1_first=Richard D.|a2_last=Steiner|a2_first=Samuel J.}}
[[Category:Churches]]
[[Category:Mennonite Christian Fellowship Congregations]]
[[Category:Paraguayan Congregations]]