Stahl Mennonite Church (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA)

Stahl Mennonite Church in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in August 1951.
Source: Mennonite Community Photograph Collection, The Congregation (HM4-134 Box 1 photo 010.1-21).
Mennonite Church USA Archives, Goshen, Indiana.

Stahl Mennonite Church, 2008.
Source: Church website

Stahl Mennonite Church (MC), located 6 miles south of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a member of the Allegheny Conference, had its first meetinghouse erected in 1882, called "Stahl" because the land was donated by John Stahl. This congregation was served by the Johnstown district ministry.

The point at which it can be considered a separately organized congregation is difficult to determine. The conference minutes speak of a "Johnstown congregation" as late as 1896, although there were at that time four meetinghouses (Blough-1836, Weaver-1855, Thomas-1874, and Stahl-1882), and not until 1900 was mention made of 5 "congregations" or meetinghouses in the Johnstown district (Elton was added in 1899), with a total membership of 487. The first Mennonite Yearbook and Directory (1905) lists Stahl with 176 members and S. G. Shetler (ordained 1897) and S. D. Yoder as ministers. Down to ca. 1940 all the congregations of the Johnstown district had one bishop. Stahl was S. G. Shetler's home congregation, and it was in its meetinghouse that he established (1922) and for many years (1925-35) served as principal of the Johnstown Bible School. Near the church the Johnstown Mennonite School was established in 1944, offering elementary and high-school work. In 1957 the Stahl congregation had a membership of 154, with Sanford G. Shetler as pastor and bishop (ordained 1952).

Men who served this congregation: Levi D. Yoder 1897-1908, deacon; Stephen D. Yoder 1900-1910, minister; S. G. (Samuel Grant) Shetler 1894-1897, deacon; 1897-1914, minister; ?-1942, bishop; William C Hershberger 1912-1935, minister; John F. Harshberger 1913-1945, deacon; Loranza Kaufman 1918-1944. deacon; Lloy A. Kniss 1920, 1942-1943, minister, 1943-1945, bishop; Sanford G. Shetler 1932-1952, minister, 1952-1977, bishop; David C. Alwine 1943-?, minister; Harold E. Thomas 1946-1950, deacon; Levi S. Thomas 1951, deacon; Melvin Nussbaum 1951-1965, Art McPhee 1971-1973, minister; Marvin Kaufman 1971-1977, deacon; Curtis D. Godshall 1973-1985, minister; Daryl Alwine 1981-1985, deacon; David S. Mishler 1981-1982, deacon; Marlin Shetler 1981-1985, deacon; Allen Holsopple 1985-1987, minister; Harold A. Shenk 1987- ? , minister.

Bibliography

Groff, Anna. "Johnstown church forgives ex-pastor." The Mennonite 13, no. 5 (May 2010): 45.

Kaufman, Ammon. "Stahl Mennonite Church." Southwestern Pennsylvania Conference News VI (January 1948): 3.

Additional Information

Address: 1201 Soap Hollow Road, Johnstown, PA 15905-8119

Phone: 814-288-5523

Website: Stahl Mennonite Church

Denominational Affiliation:

Allegheny Mennonite Conference

Mennonite Church (MC)

Mennonite Church USA

Author(s)	Harold S Bender
Date Published	1959

Cite This Article

MLA style

Bender, Harold S. "Stahl Mennonite Church (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 18 Dec 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Stahl_Mennonite_Church_(Johnstown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=172468.

APA style

Bender, Harold S. (1959). Stahl Mennonite Church (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 December 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Stahl_Mennonite_Church_(Johnstown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=172468.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 609. All rights reserved.

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