Southside Fellowship (Elkhart, Indiana, USA)

The Southside Fellowship, Elkhart, Indiana, USA, began as an outreach of the Belmont Mennonite Church when its facilities were beginning to be overcrowded. Twelve families launched the new group that met first on 14 November 1965 in the Concord West Side School gymnasium. It committed to forming a congregation on 9 January 1966. J. Richard Burkholder was the most regular preacher in the group's first year. The new group hoped to increase small-group experience and explore new forms of worship and outreach.

In about 1970, the congregation moved to the Chapel of the Sermon on the Mount located on the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries campus.

In 1987 Southside declared itself to be a sanctuary for undocumented aliens. In 1992 a gay man in a committed relationship asked for membership in the congregation. After a period of discernment, Southside Fellowship granted his request. This led to conflict with the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference and the suspension of Southside from the conference for a period of six years. Southside was also affiliated with the Central District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church. That conference did not take action against Southside. For a time, Southside was also a member congregation of the Church of the Brethren.

In about 2005, Southside Fellowship ended its affiliation with the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference.

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

Bibliography

Benner, Richard. "New adventure." Gospel Herald 59, no. 9 (8 March 1966): 218.

Preheim, Rich. In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History Series, 50. Harrisonburg, Virginia: Herald Press, 2016: 232, 270-272.

Rich, Elaine Sommers, ed. Walking Together in Faith: The Central District Conference, 1957-1990. Bluffton, Ohio: The Conference, 2003: 78.

"Three Mennonite congregations in Elkhart County, Ind." Gospel Herald 80, no. 28 (14 July 1987): 508.

Weaver, Valerie. "Two churches have voting rights revoked in debate over homosexuality." Gospel Herald 90, no. 26 (1 July 1997): 10.

Additional Information

Meeting Address: 3003 Benham Avenue, Elkhart, Indiana 46516

Office Address: 140 West Mishawaka Road, Elkhart, Indiana 46517

Phone: 574-293-2825

Website: https://southsidefellowship.net/

Denominational Affiliations: Central District Conference

Mennonite Church USA

Ordained or Licensed Pastoral Leaders at Southside Fellowship

Name	Years of Service
Visiting ministers and Lay Leadership	1965-1969
Earl R. Sears (1935-2018)	1969-1987
Mary Kauffmann-Kennel	1987-1990?
Willard E. Roth	1990-1997
Pam Dintaman	1990-1993?
Arlen W. Epp	1990-1994?
Charlotte Glick	1993?-1994?
Jeni Hiett Umble	1995-2001?
Willis L. Breckbill (1926-2011)(Interim)	1998-2000
Rhoda M. Schrag	2001?-2004?
Jonathan Neufeld	2004?
David P. Moser	2005-
Debbie Bledsoe	2022-2023

Membership at Southside Fellowship

Year	Membership
1968	32
1970	32
1980	92
1990	119
2000	95
2009	64
2020	120

Author(s)	Samuel J Steiner
Date Published	December 2022

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "Southside Fellowship (Elkhart, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2022. Web. 23 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Southside_Fellowship_(Elkhart,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179443.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (December 2022). Southside Fellowship (Elkhart, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Southside_Fellowship_(Elkhart,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179443.

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