View source for Living Hope Community Church (Hopedale, Illinois, USA)

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[[File:boynton.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Living Hope Community Church, Hopedale, Illinois, USA<br />
Source: Church website]]

The Boynton Mennonite Church ([[Evangelical Mennonite Church (United States)|Fellowship of Evangelical Churches]]), on the north edge of Boynton Township, [[Tazewell County (Illinois)|Tazewell County]], [[Illinois (USA)|Illinois]], initially belonged to the [[Central Conference Mennonite Church|Central Conference of Mennonites]] (later [[Central District Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Central District Conference]]). Due to the desire of several Hessian Mennonite families, who differed from their [[Amish Mennonites|Amish]] (now Mennonite) neighbors culturally, the congregation was organized on 15 September 1901 under the guidance of [[Schantz, Peter (1853-1924)|Peter Schantz]] of Danvers, Illinois. The original meetinghouse, dedicated 14 September 1902, still served the congregation in 1953 when it numbered 104. After 1942 the church also owned a parsonage in Hopedale.

In 1967 the congregation voted to build a new church in the village of Hopedale. The first worship service was held on 19 July 1970. In September 1980 a church spire and sign were dedicated. On 13 June 2004 the church broke ground for an new sanctuary and fellowship hall attached to the existing building. In July of 2006 Boynton held the first Sunday morning service in the new sanctuary. The 2009 membership was 72.

In June 2012, the church notified the Central District Conference that it was leaving the Conference and was joining the [[Fellowship of Evangelical Churches]]. The congregation had begun to discern its ties to the Conference in 2009 and made the final decision after three same-sex civil unions had been performed by the pastor of another church in the conference.

Shortly after this change, the church changed its name to Living Hope Community Church.
= Bibliography =
"3 Churches Leave Western, Central Districts." <em>Mennonite World Review</em> (15 October 2012). Web. 19 October 2012. <span class="link-external">[http://www.mennoworld.org/2012/10/15/3-churches-leave-western-central-districts/ http://www.mennoworld.org/2012/10/15/3-churches-leave-western-central-districts/]</span>.

 "Boynton Mennonite History." Boynton Mennonite Church. Web. 30 September 2009. [Broken link].

Estes, Steve. "Celebrating God's faithfulness." ''Central District Reporter'' (24 March 1987): A1

= Additional Information =
'''Address:''' 326 NW Jefferson St , Hopedale, Illinois, United States, 61747-9206

'''Phone:''' 309-449-5503

<strong>Website:</strong> [http://www.boyntonmennonite.org/ Boynton Mennonite Church]

'''Denominational Affiliations:'''

[http://www.centraldistrict.mennonite.net/ Central District Conference]

[http://www.mennoniteusa.org/ Mennonite Church USA]

[http://fecministries.org/ Fellowship of Evangelical Churches]
== Pastoral Leaders at Living Hope Community Church ==
{| class="wikitable" 
|-
! Name !! Years<br/>of Service
|-
| [[Schantz, Peter (1853-1924)|Peter Schantz]] (1853-1925) || 1901-1908
|-
| John W. Litwiller (1874-1955) || 1908-1922
|-
| Lester Homer Bixel (1890-1934) || 1921-1924
|-
| Frank R. Mitchell (1896-1972) || 1924-1927
|-
| Ernest Hostetler (1894-1968) || 1924-1945
|-
| Willard Wieker (?-1967) || 1945
|-
| [[Shelly, Maynard Myers (1925-2009)|Maynard M. Shelly]] (1925-2009) || 1946-1950
|-
| Melvin F. Funk (1919- ) || 1950-1953
|-
| Paul Dyck (1926-2019) || 1953-1954
|-
| William B. Weaver (1887-1963) || 1954-1960
|-
| Louis L. Miller (1886-1981) (Interim) || 1961
|-
| Harvey E. Nunemaker (1893-1972) || 1961-1965
|-
| Samuel Ummel (1892-1969)  || 1965-1969
|-
| Melvin C. Norquist (1916-2017) || 1969
|-
| Ivan J. Kauffmann (1922-2016) || 1968
|-
| Edward Springer (1939- ) || 1968-1972
|-
| Herschel Thompson || 1972-1976
|-
| Donald Hochmuth (1953- )|| 1976-1977
|-
| Herbert M. Dalke (1918-2012) || 1977-1984
|-
| Robert Brock || 1977
|-
| Steven R. Estes (1956-2009) || 1984-1992
|-
| Chris Wright || 1993-1996?
|-
| Joe Diener (Interim) || 1997-1998
|-
| Eric Horst || 1998?-2001
|-
| Kurt Litwiller || 2001-2016
|-
| Abraham Cremeens (Associate) || 2001?-2004?
|-
| Roger Springer || 2017-
|}

== Membership at Living Hope Community Church ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
|-
! Year !! Membership
|-
| 1950 || 120
|-
| 1960 || 85
|-
| 1970 || 77
|-
| 1980 || 50
|-
| 1990 || 79
|-
| 2000 || 72
|-
| 2009 || 72
|}

= Maps =
[[Map:Boynton Mennonite Church (Hopedale, Illinois)|Map:Boynton Mennonite Church (Hopedale, Illinois)]]
{{GAMEO_footer-3|hp=Vol. 1, p. 399|date=January 2023|a1_last=Funk|a1_first=Melvin F.|a2_last=Thiessen|a2_first=Richard D.|a3_last=Steiner|a3_first=Samuel J.}}
[[Category:Churches]]
[[Category:Central District Conference Congregations]]
[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
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[[Category:Illinois Congregations]]
[[Category:United States Congregations]]