SamSteiner: SamSteiner moved page East Side Mennonite Church (Saginaw, Michigan, USA) to Grace Chapel (Saginaw, Michigan, USA)

2024-06-01T12:29:23Z

SamSteiner moved page East Side Mennonite Church (Saginaw, Michigan, USA) to Grace Chapel (Saginaw, Michigan, USA)

SamSteiner: Created page with "TOC The East Side Mennonite Church in Saginaw, Michigan, began in 1955 as an outreach of the Ninth Street Community Church (Saginaw, Michigan, USA)|Sa..."

2024-06-01T12:28:58Z

Created page with "__TOC__ The East Side Mennonite Church in Saginaw, Michigan, began in 1955 as an outreach of the Ninth Street Community Church (Saginaw, Michigan, USA)|Sa..."

New page

__TOC__
The East Side Mennonite Church in Saginaw, [[Michigan (USA)|Michigan]], began in 1955 as an outreach of the [[Ninth Street Community Church (Saginaw, Michigan, USA)|Saginaw Mennonite Church]] that itself was started in 1950 by LeRoy Bechler to the African American community in Saginaw. Bechler had held a [[Summer Bible School]] in the East Side in 1951.

Regular worship services began on 13 February 1955 and were held in the mission house until 1957. This "Fellowship Center"/residence was constructed before a meetinghouse. Melvin Leidig, the mission superintendent, was licensed as the pastor in December 1955. The congregation began to use a new church building in November 1956, but the parsonage and meetinghouse were lost within several years to urban renewal.

The congregation broke ground on a new meetinghouse on James Street on 4 September 1960. It used the name Grace Chapel at the new location. The first service in the new facility took place on 21 May 1961.

= Bibliography =
"Church becomes self-supporting." ''Gospel Herald'' 62, no. 36 (16 September 1969): 816.

Leidig, Lois Gisel. "Providing spiritual opportunities for youth in the city." ''Gospel Herald'' 48, no. 13 (29 March 1955): 304.

Nelson, James. "Grace Chapel" ''Gospel Evangel" 87, no. 5 (September 2006): 3-4.

Preheim, Rich. ''In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference''. Harrisonburg, Va.: Herald Press, 2016: 179, 223, 244, 309.

Wenger, John Christian. ''The Mennonites in Indiana and Michigan''. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1961: 249-250.

= Additional Information =
'''Address''': 2202 Janes Avenue, Saginaw, Michigan 48601

'''Telephone''': 989-755-3212

'''Website''':

'''Denominational Affiliations''':

[https://www.im.mennonite.net/ Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference]

[https://www.mennoniteusa.org/ Mennonite Church USA]
== Pastoral Leaders at Grace Chapel ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Years<br/>of Service
|-
| Melvin D. Leidig (1925-2018) || 1955-1972
|-
| Oliver Hardaway (Student) || 1970
|-
| John Paul Wenger (1940-2021) || 1972-1989
|-
| Wilma Bailey (Assistant) || 1979-1981
|-
| Howard Tyler || 1989-1998
|-
| James H. Nelson || 1998-
|}
== Grace Chapel Membership ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! Year !! Members
|-
| 1961 || 11
|-
| 1970 || 32
|-
| 1980 || 47
|-
| 1990 || 68
|-
| 2000 || 68
|-
| 2009 || 68
|-
| 2020 || 25
|}

{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=June 2024|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Samuel J|a2_last= |a2_first= }}
[[Category:Churches]]
[[Category:Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference Congregations]]
[[Category:Mennonite Church (MC) Congregations]]
[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
[[Category:Michigan Congregations]]
[[Category:United States Congregations]]

Grace Chapel (Saginaw, Michigan, USA) - Revision history

SamSteiner: SamSteiner moved page East Side Mennonite Church (Saginaw, Michigan, USA) to Grace Chapel (Saginaw, Michigan, USA)

SamSteiner: Created page with "__TOC__ The East Side Mennonite Church in Saginaw, Michigan, began in 1955 as an outreach of the Ninth Street Community Church (Saginaw, Michigan, USA)|Sa..."

SamSteiner: Created page with "TOC The East Side Mennonite Church in Saginaw, Michigan, began in 1955 as an outreach of the Ninth Street Community Church (Saginaw, Michigan, USA)|Sa..."