Difference between revisions of "First Mennonite Church (Sugarcreek, Ohio, USA)"

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Sugarcreek First Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA) of [[Sugarcreek (Ohio, USA)|Sugarcreek]], Tuscarawas County, Ohio, was organized as a congregation in the [[Middle District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church)|Middle District Conference ]]([[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite Church]]) in 1926 with 84 charter members under the leadership of Lester Hostetler. The group had withdrawn from the [[Walnut Creek Mennonite Church (Walnut Creek, Ohio, USA)|Walnut Creek]] ([[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church]]) congregation of the [[Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference (MC)|Ohio and Eastern Amish Mennonite Conference]]. The first meetinghouse here was erected in 1894 as a community church, services being conducted by the United Brethren and Reformed churches. Later the Church of the Brethren also met here. Additions were built in 1912 and 1928. In 1914 both the United Brethren and the Reformed congregations withdrew to meetinghouses of their own; the Church of the Brethren and the [[Mennonite (The Name)|Mennonites]] used it for services each Sunday until 1956, when the Mennonites purchased the Brethren interest in the building and are now erecting a new church. The membership in 1957 was 250, with Harold D. Thieszen as pastor.
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In 1926 Rev. Lester Hostetler (and his wife Charity) resigned as the minister of [[Walnut Creek Mennonite Church (Sugarcreek, Ohio, USA)|Walnut Creek Mennonite Church]] because of the teachings in the [[Mennonite Church (MC)|(Old) Mennonite Church]] at that time regarding [[Dress|dress]], [[Insurance|life insurance]], [[Hairdressing|hairstyles]], education, church choirs, and other issues. Lester had attended Union Theological Seminary in New York and was also a trained musician. He was soon called to be the minister of the Mennonite congregation that met at the Sugarcreek Union Church, which was built to be a public place of worship in 1894.
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The building was shared with the German Reformed and the [[Church of the United Brethren in Christ|United Brethren]]. Later the [[Church of the Brethren]] also met here. Additions were built in 1912 and 1928.  
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In 1914 both the United Brethren and the Reformed congregations withdrew to meetinghouses of their own; the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonites used it for services each Sunday until 1956 when the Mennonites purchased the Brethren interest in the building  
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After several years as an independent Mennonite congregation known as the Sugarcreek Mennonite Church, in August 1929, it unanimously voted to join the [[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite Church]] as well as the [[Middle District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church)|Middle District Conference]]. By the early 1930s, it became known as First Mennonite Church.
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In 2022 the congregation was part of the [[Central District Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Central District Conference]] of [[Mennonite Church USA]].
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= Bibliography =
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Hostetler, Lester. "Conference." ''The Mennonite'' 44, no. 31 (8 August 1929): 4.
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"Our history." First Mennonite Church. 2020?. Web. 29 August 2022. https://www.fmcsugarcreekoh.org/about.
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Rich, Elaine Sommers, ed. ''Walking Together in Faith: The Central District Conference, 1957-1990''. Bluffton, Ohio: The Conference, 2003.
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= Additional Information =
 
= Additional Information =
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'''Address''': 217 West Main Street, Sugarcreek, OH 44681.
 
  
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'''Phone''': 330-852-2822.
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'''Address''': 113 Main Street, PO Box 250, Sugarcreek, Ohio 44681
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 4, pp. 653-654|date=1959|a1_last=Stauffer|a1_first=William H|a2_last=|a2_first=}}
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'''Phone''': 330-852-2822
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'''Website''': https://www.fmcsugarcreekoh.org/
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'''Denominational Affiliations''':
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[https://mcusacdc.org/ Central District Conference Conference]
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[https://www.mennoniteusa.org/ Mennonite Church USA]
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== Pastoral Leaders at First Mennonite Church ==
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{| class="wikitable"
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|-
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! Name !! Years<br/>of Service
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|-
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| Lester Hostetler (1892-1989) || 1926-1932
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|-
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| W. Wilbur Miller (1899-1991) || 1932-1935
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|-
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| Jesse N. Smucker (1892-1983) || 1932-1935
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|-
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| William H. Stauffer (1910-2005) || 1935-1956
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|-
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| Harold D. Thieszen || 1956-1962
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|-
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| Donald K. Nester (1936-2001)(Interim) || 1962-1963
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|-
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| Claude F. Boyer (1929-2013) || 1963-1978
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|-
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| Dick Marshall || 1978
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|-
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| Lorne Friesen || 1978-1985
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|-
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| Russell L. Mast (1915-2007) || 1985
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|-
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| Edd Mooney || 1986-1992
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|-
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| Melvin Leidig || 1992-1994
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|-
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| Kevin Farmwald || 1994-2003
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|-
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| Julie Gerber || 2003-2004
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|-
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| Helen Glick || 2003-2004
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|-
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| Rob Burdette || 2003-2004
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|-
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| Jayne Byler || 2004-2014
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|-
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| Mike Gehman || 2016-present
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|}
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== Membership at First Mennonite Church ==
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
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|-
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! Year !! Membership
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|-
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| 1929 || 135
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|-
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| 1940 || ?
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|-
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| 1950 || 210
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|-
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| 1960 || 238
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|-
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| 1970 || 263
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|-
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| 1980 || 276
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|-
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| 1990 || 258
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|-
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| 2000 || 158
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|-
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| 2007 || 102
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|-
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| 2020 || 57
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|}
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= Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article =
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By William H. Stauffer. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from ''Mennonite Encyclopedia'', Vol. 4, pp. 653-654. All rights reserved.
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Sugarcreek First Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA) of Sugarcreek, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, was organized as a congregation in the Middle District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church) in 1926 with 84 charter members under the leadership of Lester Hostetler. The group had withdrawn from the Walnut Creek (Mennonite Church) congregation of the Ohio and Eastern Amish Mennonite Conference. The first meetinghouse here was erected in 1894 as a community church, services being conducted by the United Brethren and Reformed churches. Later the Church of the Brethren also met here. Additions were built in 1912 and 1928. In 1914 both the United Brethren and the Reformed congregations withdrew to meetinghouses of their own; the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonites used it for services each Sunday until 1956, when the Mennonites purchased the Brethren interest in the building and are now erecting a new church. The membership in 1957 was 250, with Harold D. Thieszen as pastor.
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=August 2022|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Samuel J|a2_last=|a2_first=}}
 
[[Category:Churches]]
 
[[Category:Churches]]
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[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
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[[Category:Central District Conference Congregations]]
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[[Category:Ohio Congregations]]
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[[Category:United States Congregations]]

Latest revision as of 14:16, 31 August 2022

In 1926 Rev. Lester Hostetler (and his wife Charity) resigned as the minister of Walnut Creek Mennonite Church because of the teachings in the (Old) Mennonite Church at that time regarding dress, life insurance, hairstyles, education, church choirs, and other issues. Lester had attended Union Theological Seminary in New York and was also a trained musician. He was soon called to be the minister of the Mennonite congregation that met at the Sugarcreek Union Church, which was built to be a public place of worship in 1894.

The building was shared with the German Reformed and the United Brethren. Later the Church of the Brethren also met here. Additions were built in 1912 and 1928.

In 1914 both the United Brethren and the Reformed congregations withdrew to meetinghouses of their own; the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonites used it for services each Sunday until 1956 when the Mennonites purchased the Brethren interest in the building

After several years as an independent Mennonite congregation known as the Sugarcreek Mennonite Church, in August 1929, it unanimously voted to join the General Conference Mennonite Church as well as the Middle District Conference. By the early 1930s, it became known as First Mennonite Church.

In 2022 the congregation was part of the Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA.

Bibliography

Hostetler, Lester. "Conference." The Mennonite 44, no. 31 (8 August 1929): 4.

"Our history." First Mennonite Church. 2020?. Web. 29 August 2022. https://www.fmcsugarcreekoh.org/about.

Rich, Elaine Sommers, ed. Walking Together in Faith: The Central District Conference, 1957-1990. Bluffton, Ohio: The Conference, 2003.

Additional Information

Address: 113 Main Street, PO Box 250, Sugarcreek, Ohio 44681

Phone: 330-852-2822

Website: https://www.fmcsugarcreekoh.org/

Denominational Affiliations: Central District Conference Conference

Mennonite Church USA

Pastoral Leaders at First Mennonite Church

Name Years
of Service
Lester Hostetler (1892-1989) 1926-1932
W. Wilbur Miller (1899-1991) 1932-1935
Jesse N. Smucker (1892-1983) 1932-1935
William H. Stauffer (1910-2005) 1935-1956
Harold D. Thieszen 1956-1962
Donald K. Nester (1936-2001)(Interim) 1962-1963
Claude F. Boyer (1929-2013) 1963-1978
Dick Marshall 1978
Lorne Friesen 1978-1985
Russell L. Mast (1915-2007) 1985
Edd Mooney 1986-1992
Melvin Leidig 1992-1994
Kevin Farmwald 1994-2003
Julie Gerber 2003-2004
Helen Glick 2003-2004
Rob Burdette 2003-2004
Jayne Byler 2004-2014
Mike Gehman 2016-present

Membership at First Mennonite Church

Year Membership
1929 135
1940 ?
1950 210
1960 238
1970 263
1980 276
1990 258
2000 158
2007 102
2020 57

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

By William H. Stauffer. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, pp. 653-654. All rights reserved.

Sugarcreek First Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA) of Sugarcreek, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, was organized as a congregation in the Middle District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church) in 1926 with 84 charter members under the leadership of Lester Hostetler. The group had withdrawn from the Walnut Creek (Mennonite Church) congregation of the Ohio and Eastern Amish Mennonite Conference. The first meetinghouse here was erected in 1894 as a community church, services being conducted by the United Brethren and Reformed churches. Later the Church of the Brethren also met here. Additions were built in 1912 and 1928. In 1914 both the United Brethren and the Reformed congregations withdrew to meetinghouses of their own; the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonites used it for services each Sunday until 1956, when the Mennonites purchased the Brethren interest in the building and are now erecting a new church. The membership in 1957 was 250, with Harold D. Thieszen as pastor.


Author(s) Samuel J Steiner
Date Published August 2022

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "First Mennonite Church (Sugarcreek, Ohio, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2022. Web. 21 Dec 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=First_Mennonite_Church_(Sugarcreek,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=174162.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (August 2022). First Mennonite Church (Sugarcreek, Ohio, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 December 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=First_Mennonite_Church_(Sugarcreek,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=174162.



©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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