View source for Western District Amish Mennonite Conference

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The Western District Amish Mennonite (AM) Conference was the counterpart of the [[Eastern Amish Mennonite Conference|Eastern Amish Mennonite Conference]] and included [[Illinois (USA)|Illinois]], [[Iowa (USA)|Iowa]], [[Missouri (USA)|Missouri]], [[Arkansas (USA)|Arkansas]], [[Kansas (USA)|Kansas]], [[Oklahoma (USA)|Oklahoma]], [[Nebraska (USA)|Nebraska]], [[Colorado (USA)|Colorado]], and [[Oregon (USA)|Oregon]]. Following the discontinuance of the [[Amish Mennonites|Amish]] ministers' meetings of 1862-78 ([[Diener-Versammlungen|<em>Diener-Versammlungen</em>]]), the more progressive Amish leaders met occasionally for counsel and fellowship. One such informal meeting was held in Illinois around 1882 and another one in the Sycamore Grove church in Cass County, Missouri, in 1883. In 1884 these western Amish ministers held a conference in [[Henry County (Iowa, USA)|Henry County]], Iowa, at which time it was agreed to hold annual conferences, a plan which was followed from that date on. The earliest complete list of congregations belonging to the conference is the 1905 summary, which names 32 churches. A booklet entitled <em>Western District AM Conference. Record of Conference Proceedings from the Date of its Organization</em> begins with a report of the conference of 1890 held in the Sycamore Grove church, and ends with the conference of 1912, near [[Wayland (Iowa, USA)|Wayland]], Iowa. Although conferences were held before 1890, evidently it was in 1890 that the conference became completely organized. Subsequent annual reports end with 1920, the year in which a merger was effected between the Mennonite ([[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church]]) conferences west of Indiana and the Western Amish Mennonite Conference (this latter term was used interchangeably with "Western District A.M. Conference.") The five conferences affected by the merger were the Western Amish Mennonite, [[Pacific Coast Conference (Mennonite Church) |Pacific Coast]] (Mennonite Church),[[Illinois Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA) | Illinois]] (MC), [[Missouri-Iowa Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church)|Missouri-Iowa]] (MC), and [[Kansas-Nebraska Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church)|Kansas-Nebraska]] (MC). As a result of the merger the following five new Mennonite conferences appeared: [[Illinois Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Illinois]], [[Iowa-Nebraska Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church)|Iowa-Nebraska]], [[Missouri-Kansas Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church)|Missouri-Kansas]], Dakota-Montana, and [[Pacific Coast Conference (Mennonite Church)|Pacific Coast]].

At the time of the dissolution of the Western AM Conference in 1920 the membership of that body was 4,388, in the following 32 congregations: Illinois (9) -- [[Hopedale Mennonite Church (Hopedale, Illinois, USA)|Hopedale]], [[Goodfield Mennonite Church (Goodfield, Illinois, USA)|Goodfield]], [[Roanoke Mennonite Church (Roanoke, Illinois, USA)|Roanoke]], [[Metamora Mennonite Church (Metamora, Illinois, USA)|Metamora]], [[East Bend Church (Fisher, Illinois, USA)|East Bend]], [[Willow Springs Mennonite Church (Tiskilwa, Illinois, USA)|Willow Springs]], Ohio Station, [[Waldo Mennonite Church (Flanagan, Illinois, USA)|Waldo]], [[Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church (Tremont, Illinois, USA)|Pleasant Grove]]; Iowa (6) -- [[Sugar Creek Mennonite Church (Wayland, Iowa, USA)|Sugar Creek]], [[Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church (Kalona, Iowa, USA)|Lower Deer Creek]], [[West Union Mennonite Church (Parnell, Iowa, USA)|West Union]], Daytonville, [[East Union Mennonite Church (Kalona, Iowa, USA)|East Union]], [[Lifepoint Church (Manson, Iowa, USA)|Cedar Creek]]; Missouri (2) -- [[Sycamore Grove Mennonite Church (Garden City, Missouri, USA)|Sycamore Grove]], Fairview; Arkansas—Stuttgart; Nebraska (7) -- [[East Fairview Mennonite Church (Milford, Nebraska, USA)|East Fairview]], [[Salem Mennonite Church (Shickley, Nebraska, USA)|Salem]], [[Plum Creek Mennonite Church (Beemer, Nebraska, USA)|Plum Creek]], [[Wood River Mennonite Church (Wood River, Nebraska, USA)|Wood River]], [[West Fairview Mennonite Church (Beaver Crossing, Nebraska, USA)|West Fairview]], East Fairview ([[Chappell Mennonite Church (Chappell, Nebraska, USA)|Chappell]]), [[Pleasant Hill Amish Mennonite Church (O'Neill, Nebraska, USA)|Slocum]]; Kansas -- [[Crystal Springs Mennonite Church (Harper, Kansas, USA)|Crystal Springs]]; Oklahoma (2) -- [[Pleasant View Mennonite Church (Hydro, Oklahoma, USA)|Pleasant View]], AM of the Center Township at Pryor; Colorado --  [[Thurman Mennonite Church (Thurman, Colorado, USA)|Thurman]]; Oregon (3) -- [[Fairview Mennonite Church (Albany, Oregon, USA)|Fairview]], [[Zion Mennonite Church (Dallas, Oregon, USA)|Zion]], [[Bethel Mennonite Church (Canby, Oregon, USA)|Bethel]].

Ten outstanding leaders of the Western District AM Conference were [[Schlegel, Joseph (1837-1913)|Joseph Schlegel]] of Nebraska (1837-1913), in Iowa [[Gerig, Sebastian (1839-1924)|Sebastian Gerig]] (1839-1924) and Daniel Graber (1858-1930), in Missouri [[Hartzler, John J. (1845-1936)|John J. Hartzler]] (1845-1936), and in Illinois [[Smith, John (1843-1906)|John Smith]] (1843-1906), John C. Birky (1849-1920), Daniel Orendorff (1838-1918), [[Gerber, Samuel (1863-1929)|Samuel Gerber]] (1863-1929), [[Schrock, Andrew A. (1863-1949)|Andrew A. Schrock]] (1863-1949), and [[Hartzler, Chancy A. (1876-1947)|Chauncy A. Hartzler]] (1876-1947).
= Bibliography =
Gingerich, M. "Ten Leaders of the Western District Amish Mennonite Conference." <em>Mennonite Historical Bulletin </em>(October 1940): 1, 2, 3.

Hartzler J. S. and Daniel Kauffman.  <em>Mennonite Church History</em>. Scottdale: Mennonite Book and Tract Society, 1905.
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[[Category:Area/Regional Conferences]]