Bossler Mennonite Church (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA) - Revision history

SamSteiner at 13:58, 9 February 2026

2026-02-09T13:58:09Z

SamSteiner at 14:33, 5 March 2025

2025-03-05T14:33:38Z

SamSteiner: /* Pastoral Leaders at Bossler Mennonite Church */

2024-10-25T14:23:15Z

Pastoral Leaders at Bossler Mennonite Church

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2024-10-25T14:22:56Z

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SamSteiner: Text replacement - "[[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches" to "[[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches"

2023-08-08T19:11:38Z

Text replacement - "[[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches" to "[[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches"

SamSteiner: Text replacement - "[[Lancaster Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)" to "[[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches"

2023-08-08T19:01:07Z

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SamSteiner: Text replacement - "Category:Lancaster Mennonite Conference Congregations" to "Category:LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches Congregations"

2023-08-07T19:41:29Z

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 The congregation built a brick meetinghouse in 1811 and a larger frame meetinghouse in 1881. This, too, became too small. It was dismantled, and a new meetinghouse was constructed in 1902 and remodeled in 1915. In the 1950s, the basement was dug out and completed to provide [[Sunday School|Sunday school]] rooms. The church experienced extensive renovations and expansion in the late 1980s. In 1959, the church purchased the nearby Washington School from the Elizabethtown school district. It used the building for sewing circle meetings and other events.
-Bossler's became part of a new church district in 1823 that included [[Good's Mennonite Church (Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, USA)|Good's]], [[Risser Mennonite Church (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Risser's]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church (Conewago Township, Pennsylvania, USA)|Stauffer's]], [[Strickler's Mennonite Church (Middletown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Strickler's]], [[Shope Mennonite Church (Highspire, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA)|Shope's]], and [[Kraybill Mennonite Church (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA)|Kraybill's]] congregations. John Mumma was an early 19th-century minister and bishop who served the Bossler congregation along with others in the district. Martin Rutt was the first minister known to be ordained from within the Bossler congregation.
+Bossler's became part of a new church district in 1823 that included [[Good's Mennonite Church (Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, USA)|Good's]], [[Risser's Mennonite Church (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Risser's]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church (Conewago Township, Pennsylvania, USA)|Stauffer's]], [[Strickler's Mennonite Church (Middletown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Strickler's]], [[Shope Mennonite Church (Highspire, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA)|Shope's]], and [[Kraybill Mennonite Church (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA)|Kraybill's]] congregations. John Mumma was an early 19th-century minister and bishop who served the Bossler congregation along with others in the district. Martin Rutt was the first minister known to be ordained from within the Bossler congregation.
 Bossler advocated Sunday schools quite early, with newly ordained [[Rutt, Martin N. (1841-1905)|Bishop Martin Rutt]] serving as the first superintendent in 1881. The women's sewing circle began in 1923, making quilts or clothing for city missions or a local children's home. The congregation met for worship on Sunday mornings every four weeks into the 1940s, when it changed to every two weeks and eventually to weekly.

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 The congregation built a brick meetinghouse in 1811 and a larger frame meetinghouse in 1881. This, too, became too small. It was dismantled, and a new meetinghouse was constructed in 1902 and remodeled in 1915. In the 1950s, the basement was dug out and completed to provide [[Sunday School|Sunday school]] rooms. The church experienced extensive renovations and expansion in the late 1980s. In 1959, the church purchased the nearby Washington School from the Elizabethtown school district. It used the building for sewing circle meetings and other events.
-Bossler's became part of a new church district in 1823 that included [[Goods Mennonite Church (Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, USA)|Good's]], [[Risser Mennonite Church (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Risser's]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church (Conewago Township, Pennsylvania, USA)|Stauffer's]], [[Strickler's Mennonite Church (Middletown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Strickler's]], [[Shope Mennonite Church (Highspire, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA)|Shope's]], and [[Kraybill Mennonite Church (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA)|Kraybill's]] congregations. John Mumma was an early 19th-century minister and bishop who served the Bossler congregation along with others in the district. Martin Rutt was the first minister known to be ordained from within the Bossler congregation.
+Bossler's became part of a new church district in 1823 that included [[Good's Mennonite Church (Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, USA)|Good's]], [[Risser Mennonite Church (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Risser's]], [[Stauffer Mennonite Church (Conewago Township, Pennsylvania, USA)|Stauffer's]], [[Strickler's Mennonite Church (Middletown, Pennsylvania, USA)|Strickler's]], [[Shope Mennonite Church (Highspire, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA)|Shope's]], and [[Kraybill Mennonite Church (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA)|Kraybill's]] congregations. John Mumma was an early 19th-century minister and bishop who served the Bossler congregation along with others in the district. Martin Rutt was the first minister known to be ordained from within the Bossler congregation.
 Bossler advocated Sunday schools quite early, with newly ordained [[Rutt, Martin N. (1841-1905)|Bishop Martin Rutt]] serving as the first superintendent in 1881. The women's sewing circle began in 1923, making quilts or clothing for city missions or a local children's home. The congregation met for worship on Sunday mornings every four weeks into the 1940s, when it changed to every two weeks and eventually to weekly.

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 ! Name !! Years<br/>of Service
 |-
-| John Mumma (1776-1859)<br />(Bishop) || 1815-1825<br />1825-1859)
+| John Mumma (1776-1859)<br />(Bishop) || 1815-1825<br />1825-1859
 |-
 | Peter R. Ebersole (1790-1870)<br />(Bishop) || 1830-1850<br />1850-1870
@@ Line 62: / Line 62: @@
 | Sarah Garber (Associate) || 2022-
 |}
 == Bossler Mennonite Church Membership ==
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"

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 __TOC__
-Bossler Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), located in [[Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Lancaster County]] between [[Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania, USA)|Elizabethtown]] and Maytown, [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], is a member of the [[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster Mennonite Conference]]. The first meetinghouse was built perhaps in 1811. In 1881 and 1902 new churches were built and the latter was remodeled in 1915, 1948 and 1988. This was the home congregation of [[Rutt, Martin N. (1841-1905) |Bishop Martin Rutt]]. In 1950 the congregation was served by Simon Garber and his son-in-law, Martin R. Kraybill, as ministers, John R. Kraybill as deacon. The membership in 1950 was 105; in 2009 it was 80. In 2009 the pastor was Fred Garber.
+Mennonites from [[Europe]] began to settle in the future Donegal Township area of [[Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Lancaster County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], by the 1720s. In the 1750s, the names of families later associated with the Bossler Mennonite Church began to appear on land records, though they began arriving in the 1730s. Historian John Ruth has given the date of 1735 for the founding of the Bossler/Bassler Mennonite congregation. Early leadership, which was shared among the Mennonite congregations of the district, is unclear because of the lack of records.
 = Additional Information =
-'''Address:''' 2021 Bossler Road, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
+'''Address''': 2021 Bossler Road, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania 17022
-'''Phone:''' 717-367-5169
+'''Telephone''': 717-367-5169
-<strong>Website:</strong> [http://bosslermennonite.com/ Bossler Mennonite Church]
+'''Website''': https://www.facebook.com/BosslersCorner/
-'''Denominational Affiliations:'''
+'''Denominational Affiliations''':
-[http://www.lancasterconference.org/ Lancaster Mennonite Conference]
+[https://lmcchurches.org/ LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches]
-[http://www.mennoniteusa.org/ Mennonite Church USA]
+[https://www.mennoniteusa.org/ Mennonite Church USA]
-= Maps =
+By Ira D. Landis. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from ''Mennonite Encyclopedia'', Vol. 1, p. 395. All rights reserved.
 [[Category:Churches]]
 [[Category:Mennonite Church (MC) Congregations]]
 [[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
 [[Category:Pennsylvania Congregations]]
 [[Category:United States Congregations]]

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 __TOC__
-Bossler Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), located in [[Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Lancaster County]] between [[Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania, USA)|Elizabethtown]] and Maytown, [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], is a member of the [[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster Mennonite Conference]]. The first meetinghouse was built perhaps in 1811. In 1881 and 1902 new churches were built and the latter was remodeled in 1915, 1948 and 1988. This was the home congregation of [[Rutt, Martin N. (1841-1905) |Bishop Martin Rutt]]. In 1950 the congregation was served by Simon Garber and his son-in-law, Martin R. Kraybill, as ministers, John R. Kraybill as deacon. The membership in 1950 was 105; in 2009 it was 80. In 2009 the pastor was Fred Garber.
+Bossler Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), located in [[Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Lancaster County]] between [[Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania, USA)|Elizabethtown]] and Maytown, [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], is a member of the [[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster Mennonite Conference]]. The first meetinghouse was built perhaps in 1811. In 1881 and 1902 new churches were built and the latter was remodeled in 1915, 1948 and 1988. This was the home congregation of [[Rutt, Martin N. (1841-1905) |Bishop Martin Rutt]]. In 1950 the congregation was served by Simon Garber and his son-in-law, Martin R. Kraybill, as ministers, John R. Kraybill as deacon. The membership in 1950 was 105; in 2009 it was 80. In 2009 the pastor was Fred Garber.
 = Additional Information =
 '''Address:''' 2021 Bossler Road, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 Bossler Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), located in [[Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Lancaster County]] between [[Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania, USA)|Elizabethtown]] and Maytown, [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], is a member of the [[Lancaster Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Lancaster Mennonite Conference]]. The first meetinghouse was built perhaps in 1811. In 1881 and 1902 new churches were built and the latter was remodeled in 1915, 1948 and 1988. This was the home congregation of [[Rutt, Martin N. (1841-1905) |Bishop Martin Rutt]]. In 1950 the congregation was served by Simon Garber and his son-in-law, Martin R. Kraybill, as ministers, John R. Kraybill as deacon. The membership in 1950 was 105; in 2009 it was 80. In 2009 the pastor was Fred Garber.
 = Additional Information =
-<strong>Address:</strong> 2021 Bossler Road, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
+'''Address:''' 2021 Bossler Road, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
 <strong>Phone:</strong> 717-367-5169