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1959 Article

Author(s)	Harold S. Bender
	Justus G. Holsinger
	Samuel J. Steiner
Date Published	1989

South Central Mennonite (MC) Conference, successor to the Kansas-Nebraska Mennonite Conference, organized in 1921 under the name Missouri-Kansas Conference; it was renamed South Central Conference in 1946 to give more adequate recognition to its congregations in Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Beginning in 1921 with 35 reporting congregations with 1,907 baptized members, in 1957 it reported 58 congregations (14 unorganized), with 3,413 members.

The South Central Conference took the lead in the Mennonite Church (MC) in a revision of church polity in 1954-1955 by (1) the introduction of the office of regional overseer appointed by the executive committee of conference in conjunction with the ministry of the region, (2) the introduction of a three-year term not only for the overseer but also for the local pastor, and (3) the suspension of further ordination of bishops. The conference was divided into regions (each with an overseer) as follows: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Gulf Coast. (For further statistics, see Kansas-Nebraska.) -- Harold S. Bender

1990 Update

South Central Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA) can trace its roots to two 19th-century conferences, Missouri-Iowa (1873) and Kansas-Nebraska (1876). In a merger of (Old) Mennonite conferences in 1920, Kansas-Nebraska (after 1946 South Central) became one of five conferences west of the Illinois and Indiana border. Between 1923 and 1986 the SCMC operated under six constitutions. In the preamble of the early constitutions the functions of conference were to promote the cause of Christ, to maintain and strengthen the work of the church, and to promulgate the doctrines of the word and church.

Few major changes in polity occurred in the SCMC until 1955 when the office of bishop was discontinued and replaced with that of area overseer, which later gave way to the office of conference minister. The 1975 constitution helped clarify the growing autonomy of congregations with less emphasis on the authority of the conference delegate body. At this time conference functions were divided among three commissions under the leadership of the conference Executive Committee: Leadership, Church Planning and Development, and Congregational Life.

An unofficial de facto district structure was developed between 1983 and 1986 in which the conference was divided into four geographic districts under the leadership of a Conference Coordinating Council composed of members from each district. The districts (Arkansas-Missouri, Kansas-Oklahoma, Texas-Mexico, and Mid-Texas) each had a district minister and three commissions. This plan of organization was officially accepted in the 1986 delegate session.

The conference was made up of 50 congregations with a membership of 4,291 in 1986. The official conference publication was the Conference Messenger. The conference office was located in Hesston, Kansas.

After the restructuring of Mennonite Church, the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada into Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada, the South Central Conference became part of Mennonite Church USA. -- Justus G. Holsinger

2010 Update

In 2010 the following 26 congregations were members of the South Central Mennonite Conference.

Congregation	City	State
Alice Mennonite Church	Mathis	Texas
Argentine Mennonite Church	Kansas City	Kansas
Berea Mennonite Community Church	Birch Tree	Missouri
Calico Rock Mennonite Fellowship	Calico Rock	Arkansas
Calvary Mennonite Church	Mathis	Texas
Centro Cristiano Menonita Jerusalem	Boca del Rio	Veracruz, Mexico
Crystal Springs Mennonite Church	Harper	Kansas
Faith Mennonite Church	South Hutchinson	Kansas
Gospel Fellowship Church	Montezuma	Kansas
Greensburg Mennonite Church	Greensburg	Kansas
Hesston Mennonite Church	Hesston	Kansas
Iglesia Ebenezer	Reynosa	Tamaulipas, Mexico
Iglesia Menonita Buenas Nuevas	San Juan	Texas
Iglesia Menonita del Cordero	Brownsville	Texas
Iglesia Menonita Rey de Gloria	Brownsville	Texas
Iglesia Menonita Rios de Agua Viva	Matamoros	Tamaulipas, Mexico
La Nueva Jerusalem	Matamoros	Tamaulipas, Mexico
Mount Pisgah Mennonite Church	Leonard	Missouri
New Life Christian Center	San Benito	Texas
Pleasant Valley Mennonite Church	Harper	Kansas
Pleasant View Mennonite Church	Hydro	Oklahoma
Prince of Peace Mennonite Church	Corpus Christi	Texas
South Hutchinson Mennonite Church	South Hutchinson	Kansas
Spring Valley Mennonite Church	Canton	Kansas
Tabernaculo de Fe	Mathis	Texas
Whitestone Mennonite Church	Hesston	Kansas

2024 Update

On 22 July 2023, the South Central Mennonite Conference withdrew from Mennonite Church USA. By a vote of 64 to 15, or 81% in favor, delegates approved a recommendation from the conference’s Network Leadership Team to withdraw from the denomination. The resolution also said that by October 2024 the conference would complete joining "another Anabaptist/Mennonite conference, network or organization."

On 20 July 2024, the South Central Conference chose to join LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches. The 23 congregations participating in the move will become part of one or two districts within LMC. Kurt Horst, interim network director of the South Central Conference, gave three reasons for choosing LMC: 1) LMC uses the 1995 Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective that South Central has used; 2) this allows South Central congregations to stay together; and 3) the ethnic diversity of LMC was very attractive. Congregations automatically join LMC, unless they opt out before July 2026.

Six congregations that were part of South Central will make other connections. Hesston Mennonite, New Life Christian Center, and Crystal Springs Mennonite will transfer to the Western District Conference of Mennonite Church USA. Whitestone Mennonite, Pleasant Valley Mennonite, and Iglesia Menonita del Cordero were still exploring their options.

Thus by 2026, South Central Conference, which formed in 1921, will cease to exist as a regional conference.

Bibliography

Erb, Paul. South Central Frontiers: a history of the South Central Mennonite Conference. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1974.

Huber, Tim and Paul Schrag. "South Central Conference picks LMC." Anabaptist World 5, no. 8 (August 2024): 22-23.

Schrag, Paul. "South Central Conference withdraws from Mennonite Church USA." Anabaptist World 24 July 2023. Web. https://anabaptistworld.org/south-central-conference-withdraws-from-mennonite-church-usa/.

Additional Information

Address: PO Box 564, Hesston KS 67062-0564

Phone: 316-284-1421

Website: South Central Mennonite Conference

Cite This Article

MLA style

Bender, Harold S., Justus G. Holsinger and Samuel J. Steiner. "South Central Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1989. Web. 23 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=South_Central_Mennonite_Conference_(Mennonite_Church_USA)&oldid=179355.

APA style

Bender, Harold S., Justus G. Holsinger and Samuel J. Steiner. (1989). South Central Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=South_Central_Mennonite_Conference_(Mennonite_Church_USA)&oldid=179355.

@@ Line 132: / Line 132: @@
 |}
 </div>
-= 2023 Update =
+= 2024 Update =
-On 22 July 2023, the South Central Mennonite Conference withdrew from Mennonite Church USA. By a vote of 64 to 15, or 81% in favor, delegates approved a recommendation from the conference’s Network Leadership Team to withdraw from the denomination. The resolution also said that by October 2024 the conference would complete joining "another Anabaptist/Mennonite conference, network or organization."
+On 22 July 2023, the South Central Mennonite Conference withdrew from [[Mennonite Church USA]]. By a vote of 64 to 15, or 81% in favor, delegates approved a recommendation from the conference’s Network Leadership Team to withdraw from the denomination. The resolution also said that by October 2024 the conference would complete joining "another Anabaptist/Mennonite conference, network or organization."
+On 20 July 2024, the South Central Conference chose to join [[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches]]. The 23 congregations participating in the move will become part of one or two districts within LMC. Kurt Horst, interim network director of the South Central Conference, gave three reasons for choosing LMC: 1) LMC uses the 1995 ''Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective'' that South Central has used; 2) this allows South Central congregations to stay together; and 3) the ethnic diversity of LMC was very attractive. Congregations automatically join LMC, unless they opt out before July 2026.
+Six congregations that were part of South Central will make other connections. [[Hesston Mennonite Church (Hesston, Kansas, USA)|Hesston Mennonite]], New Life Christian Center, and [[Crystal Springs Mennonite Church (Harper, Kansas, USA)|Crystal Springs Mennonite]] will transfer to the [[Western District Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Western District Conference]] of Mennonite Church USA. Whitestone Mennonite, [[Pleasant Valley Mennonite Church (Harper, Kansas, USA)|Pleasant Valley Mennonite]], and Iglesia Menonita del Cordero were still exploring their options.
+Thus by 2026, South Central Conference, which formed in 1921, will cease to exist as a regional conference.
 = Bibliography =
-Erb, Paul. <em class="gameo_bibliography">South Central Frontiers: a history of the South Central Mennonite Conference. </em>Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1974.
+Erb, Paul. ''South Central Frontiers: a history of the South Central Mennonite Conference.'' Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1974.
+Huber, Tim and Paul Schrag. "South Central Conference picks LMC." ''Anabaptist World'' 5, no. 8 (August 2024): 22-23.
 Schrag, Paul. "South Central Conference withdraws from Mennonite Church USA." ''Anabaptist World'' 24 July 2023. Web. https://anabaptistworld.org/south-central-conference-withdraws-from-mennonite-church-usa/.
@@ Line 145: / Line 152: @@
 '''Website''': [https://sccmenno.org/ South Central Mennonite Conference]
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+{{GAMEO_footer-3|hp=Vol. 4, p. 584, v. 5, p. 846|date=1989|a1_last=Bender|a1_first=Harold S.|a2_last=Holsinger|a2_first=Justus G.|a3_last=Steiner|a3_first=Samuel J.}}
 [[Category:Area/Regional Conferences]]

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