View source for Mack, Andrew Stauffer (1836-1917)

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Andrew (Andreas) Stauffer Mack: bishop and leader in the [[Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Franconia Mennonite Conference]], was born 29 October 1836 in [[Berks County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Berks County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], USA to Jesse Mack (10 July 1812-16 May 1892) and Susanna Stauffer Mack (25 March 1815- 23 November 1897). He was the oldest of eight children. On 4 December 1859 he married Elizabeth Haldeman (25 March 1842-2 January 1924). They had six children, two of whom became prominent Mennonite ministers—[[Mack, Noah H. (1861-1948)|Noah]] and Jesse. Andrew S. Mack died 6 October 1917. Andrew and Elizabeth were buried in the [[Bally Mennonite Church (Bally, Pennsylvania, USA)|Bally Mennonite Cemetery]], Bally, Pennsylvania.

Andrew Mack worked as a carpenter in his youth but was a farmer for most of his life. He was ordained to the ministry of the [[Bally Mennonite Church (Bally, Pennsylvania, USA)|Bally Mennonite Church]] by Bishop Jacob Kolb on 15 September 1863. He was ordained to the office of bishop on 6 November 1875 without the use of the lot, since he was the only person to receive votes for the position. Throughout his ministry, Mack preached only in German, though he was open to English preaching later in life. He was regarded as a good speaker and was used widely throughout the conference.

Mack placed special emphasis on repentance, [[Regeneration|regeneration]], [[nonconformity]] and [[nonresistance]]. On the matter of nonconformity, he preached against women wearing fashionable [[hats]] years before the Franconia Conference made formal statements on the issue. He was also an early advocate for [[Feetwashing|feetwashing]] (not originally practiced in the conference) and in the introduction of [[Sunday School|Sunday schools]]. In 1897 he spoke in favor of the [[Mennonite Church (MC)]] establishing a [[Mennonite Church General Conference|General Conference]], even though he knew his own conference was not supportive. As a senior bishop, he served as moderator of the Franconia Conference for many years and was regarded as one of its strongest leaders in the latter part of the 19th century. 

Andrew Mack supported the immigration of the Mennonites from [[Russia]] to North America in the 1870s, travelling as far as [[Manitoba (Canada)|Manitoba]] on one occasion. As senior bishop, he chaired key meetings in 1914 that led to the establishment of the Eastern Mennonite Home (later [[Souderton Mennonite Home (Souderton, Pennsylvania, USA)|Souderton Mennonite Home]]).

A defender of traditional Mennonite emphases, Andrew Mack was also a progressive in welcoming Sunday schools, language shifts, and the creation of denominational structures.
= Bibliography =
"Mack.” ''Gospel Herald'' 10, no. 33 (15 November 1917). Reproduced in MennObits. “Gospel Herald Obituaries - November 1917." Web. 24 November 2018. http://mcusa-archives.org/MennObits/17/nov1917.html.

Mack, Andrew H. “Andrew S. Mack.” ''The Historical Journal'' 23, no. 2 (October 2017): 4.

Wenger, John Christian. ''History of the Mennonites of the Franconia Conference''. Scottdale, Pa.: Mennonite Pub. House, 1938: 281, passim.

= Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article =

By Ira D. Landis. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from ''Mennonite Encyclopedia'', Vol. 3, p. 432. All rights reserved.

Andreas (Andrew) Mack, a prominent leader in the [[Franconia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Franconia Mennonite Conference]] ([[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church]]), the son of Jesse M. Mack and Susanna Stauffer, was born 16 October 1836, in the Bally district of [[Berks County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Berks County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], where he lived all his life. His family of six children included a bishop, [[Mack, Noah H. (1861-1948)| Noah H. Mack]] of [[New Holland (Pennsylvania, USA)|New Holland]], Pennsylvania, and a preacher, Jesse, of Providence-Skippack. He was ordained preacher at [[Bally Mennonite Church (Bally, Pennsylvania, USA)|Bally]] on 25 September 1863, and, by the unanimous consent of the district, was ordained bishop on 6 November 1875. He was a man of sterling character, a born leader of men, and a successful farmer. He favored missions before the Franconia Conference did, and approved the organizing of the [[Mennonite Church General Conference|Mennonite General Conference]], even though the majority of his conference did not. He aided in the 1874 Russian immigration to [[Kansas (USA)|Kansas]], and followed the fortunes of this group with interest for his entire life. He was moderator of the Franconia Conference for many years while the German-English transition was occurring and also the transition from no missions to the organization of the Franconia Mennonite Mission Board in the year of his death. He was probably the strongest leader of his day in the Conference. He died 29 October 1917.
= Bibliography of Original Article =
Wenger, J. C. ''History of the Mennonites of the Franconia Conference''. Scottdale, Pa.: Mennonite Pub. House, 1938.
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