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Hershey Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), originally known as the Hess Church, located in Salisbury Township, [[Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Lancaster County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], is a member of the [[LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster Mennonite Conference]]. Christian Hess, Jr., and Abraham Hershey were the trustees who purchased the land for the first meetinghouse in 1814, which was used both as a school and as a church. The second church was built by 1837, and a new brick one on the present site in 1862, which was replaced by the fourth church in 1879, remodeled during the winter of 1947-1948. It was a part of the Pequea ministerial circuit almost to 1954. It then became a part of the Old Road-Meadville circuit, but gradually it became a separate congregation. [[Eby, Peter (1765-1843)|Peter Eby]] was the first bishop when the congregation still worshiped in homes. In 1953 G. Parke Book was the bishop; Martin R. and Sanford E. Hershey the ministers; and Willis L. Hershey with his father Landis Hershey, deacons; the membership was 196. [[Meadville Mennonite Church (Gap, Pennsylvania, USA) |Meadville]] and the [[Intercourse Mennonite Mission (Intercourse, Pennsylvania, USA)|Intercourse Mission]] Sunday School, begun 50 years earlier, were outgrowths of this congregation.
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The Hershey Mennonite Church is rooted in three families that settled upstream from the [[Paradise Mennonite Church (Paradise, Pennsylvania, USA)|Paradise Mennonite meetinghouse]]: Joseph and Magdalene Horst, Christian and Anna Hess, and Jacob and Anna Hershey. Before a meetinghouse was erected in the community, the local Mennonites met in the Horst home.
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The community purchased land from Martin and Catherine Werntz for a schoolhouse in 1814. The congregation also used it for Sunday worship for 23 years. In 1837, the congregation purchased land adjacent to the schoolhouse and erected a brick meetinghouse "for the use of the Old Menonist Church or Society." It also purchased land for a cemetery. This meetinghouse was initially known as Hess's, but when it was enlarged in 1862, it became known as Hershey's. In 1879, the building was torn down, and a new brick meetinghouse was erected. The building was enlarged in 1947 and again in 1979.
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Services continued in the German language until [[Eby, Isaac (1834-1910)|Isaac Eby]] was ordained in the 1870s. He preached only in English, inspiring the language transition in the congregation. Eby also supported [[Sunday School|Sunday schools]], which began in 1887. Services were held every two weeks until the 1950s, when they became weekly.
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The Hershey congregation was instrumental in supporting the [[Red Well Mennonite Mission (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA)|Red Well Mennonite Mission]] in Earl Township, about four miles north of the Hershey meetinghouse. The Red Well meetinghouse was built in 1899, but the mission ended in 1929. Hershey also launched the [[Meadville Mennonite Church (Gap, Pennsylvania, USA)|Meadville Mennonite Church]] in 1950. It was located on the southern slope of the Welsh Mountain in Salisbury Township. Hershey had begun a Sunday school there in 1935 in a local schoolhouse. In 1955, Hershey started a [[Summer Bible School]] in 1955 in a former Presbyterian church. A separate congregation was established in 1967.
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The first sewing circle at Hershey began in 1918 with Sara Hershey as president. Summer Bible School began in 1947.
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= Bibliography =
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Eby, Martin Christian. ''History of the Hershey Mennonite Church of Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.'' Kinzers, Pa.: The Church, 1978, 1990 reprint.
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Gehman, Janet and Kate Lab. "Hershey Mennonite Church." Hershey Mennonite Church. 2021. Web. 6 May 2025. https://www.hersheymennonitechurch.org/about.
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Ruth, John L. ''The Earth is the Lord's: a narrative history of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference''. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001: 361, 414, 657-658, 1138-1169.
 +
 
 +
Weaver, Martin G. ''Mennonites of Lancaster Conference: containing biographical sketches of Mennonite leaders, histories of congregations, missions, and Sunday schools, record of ordinations, and other interesting historical data''. Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House, 1931. Reprinted Ephrata, PA: Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church Publication Board, 1982: 47-59, 73-78, 85-88. Available in full electronic text at https://archive.org/details/mennonitesoflanc00weav_0/page/n3/mode/2up.
 
= Additional Information =
 
= Additional Information =
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Address: 401 Hershey Church Road, Kinzers, Pennsylvania
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'''Address''': 401 Hershey Church Road, Kinzers, Pennsylvania 17535
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'''Telephone''': 717-768-3150
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'''Website''': https://www.hersheymennonitechurch.org/
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'''Denominational Affiliations''':
  
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Phone: 717-768-3150
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[https://lmcchurches.org/ LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches]
  
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Website: [http://www.hersheymennonitechurch.org/ Hershey Mennonite Church]
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[https://www.mennoniteusa.org/ Mennonite Church USA] (Until 2017)
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== Pastoral Leaders at Hershey 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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| Christian Hess (1757-1816) || By 1800-1816
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|-
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| Joseph Horst (1774-1856) || ca. 1795-1856
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|-
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| [[Eby, Peter (1765-1843)|Peter Eby]] (1765-1843)<br />(Bishop) || 1800?-1804?<br />1804?-1843
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|-
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| Joseph Hershey (1791-1856)<br />(Bishop) || ca.1815-1850<br />1850-1856
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|-
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| Samuel Wenger (1804-1879) || 1838-1879
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|-
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| Jacob Hershey (1803-1883) || 1843-1881
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|-
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| Jacob R. Hershey (1817-1910) || 1858-1890s?
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|-
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| [[Eby, Isaac (1834-1910)|Isaac W. Eby]] (1834-1910)<br />(Bishop) || 1876-1878<br />1878-1910
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|-
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| John K. Ranck (1840-1896) || 1878-1896
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|-
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| David M. Hostetter (1836-1899) || 1886-1899
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|-
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| Amos H. Hoover (1852-1941) || 1895-1941
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|-
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| Christian M. Brackbill (1853-1936)<br />(Bishop) || 1896-1910<br />1910-1936
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|-
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| John B. Senger (1850-1932) || 1900-1932
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|-
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| Jacob H. Mellinger (1866-1934) || 1911-1934
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|-
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| Abram L. Martin (1881-1946)<br />(Bishop) || 1913-1921<br />1921-1946
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|-
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| Ira L. Hershey (1868-1940) || 1920-1940
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|-
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| Charles E. Hershey (1884-1964) || 1926-1934
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|-
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| Martin R. Hershey (1882-1974) || 1934-1974
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|-
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| Sanford E. Hershey (1921-2008) || 1949-1980
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|-
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| Clair J. Hershey (1919-2008) || 1964-1987
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|-
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| Glenn C. Hershey (1947- ) || 1982-2002?
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|-
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| Andrew M. Hershey || 1988-1998?
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|-
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| Ramoktoshi Imchen || 2002-2017
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|-
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| Matthew Krebs || 2013-?
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|-
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| Joe Lab || 2018-
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|}
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== Hershey Mennonite Church Membership ==
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
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|-
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! Year !! Members
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|-
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| 1913 || 260
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|-
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| 1920 || 382
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|-
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| 1930 || 1051<br />In District
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|-
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| 1940 || 1004<br />In District
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|-
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| 1950 || 223
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|-
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| 1960 || 164
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|-
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| 1970 || 140
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|-
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| 1980 || 130
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|-
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| 1990 || 123
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|-
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| 2000 || 124
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|-
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| 2009 || 115
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|}
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= Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article =
  
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Denominational Affiliations:
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By Ira D. Landis. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from ''Mennonite Encyclopedia'', Vol. 2, p. 715. All rights reserved.
  
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[http://www.lancasterconference.org/ Lancaster Mennonite Conference]
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Hershey Mennonite Church ([[Mennonite Church (MC)]]), originally known as the Hess Church, located in Salisbury Township, [[Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Lancaster County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], is a member of the [[LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches|Lancaster Mennonite Conference]]. Christian Hess, Jr., and Abraham Hershey were the trustees who purchased the land for the first meetinghouse in 1814, which was used both as a school and as a church.
  
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[http://www.mennoniteusa.org/ Mennonite Church USA]
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The second church was built by 1837, and a new brick one on the present site in 1862, which was replaced by the fourth church in 1879, remodeled during the winter of 1947-1948. It was a part of the Pequea ministerial circuit almost to the present. It is now a part of the Old Road-Meadville circuit, but gradually it is becoming a separate congregation. [[Eby, Peter (1765-1843)|Peter Eby]] was the first bishop when the congregation still worshiped in homes. In 1953 G. Parke Book was the bishop; Martin R. and Sanford E. Hershey the ministers; and Willis L. Hershey with his father Landis Hershey, deacons; the membership was 196. [[Meadville Mennonite Church (Gap, Pennsylvania, USA) |Meadville]] and the [[Intercourse Mennonite Mission (Intercourse, Pennsylvania, USA)|Intercourse Mission]] Sunday School, begun 50 years earlier, were outgrowths of this congregation.
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= Map =
 
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[[Map:Hershey Mennonite Church (Kinzers, Pennsylvania, USA)]]
 
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 2, p. 715|date=1956|a1_last=Landis|a1_first=Ira D|a2_last=|a2_first=}}
 
  
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=May 2025|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Samuel J|a2_last= |a2_first= }}
 
[[Category:Churches]]
 
[[Category:Churches]]
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[[Category:LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Mennonite Church (MC) Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Mennonite Church (MC) Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
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[[Category:LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches Congregations]]
 
 
[[Category:Pennsylvania Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Pennsylvania Congregations]]
 
[[Category:United States Congregations]]
 
[[Category:United States Congregations]]

Latest revision as of 11:52, 10 May 2025

The Hershey Mennonite Church is rooted in three families that settled upstream from the Paradise Mennonite meetinghouse: Joseph and Magdalene Horst, Christian and Anna Hess, and Jacob and Anna Hershey. Before a meetinghouse was erected in the community, the local Mennonites met in the Horst home.

The community purchased land from Martin and Catherine Werntz for a schoolhouse in 1814. The congregation also used it for Sunday worship for 23 years. In 1837, the congregation purchased land adjacent to the schoolhouse and erected a brick meetinghouse "for the use of the Old Menonist Church or Society." It also purchased land for a cemetery. This meetinghouse was initially known as Hess's, but when it was enlarged in 1862, it became known as Hershey's. In 1879, the building was torn down, and a new brick meetinghouse was erected. The building was enlarged in 1947 and again in 1979.

Services continued in the German language until Isaac Eby was ordained in the 1870s. He preached only in English, inspiring the language transition in the congregation. Eby also supported Sunday schools, which began in 1887. Services were held every two weeks until the 1950s, when they became weekly.

The Hershey congregation was instrumental in supporting the Red Well Mennonite Mission in Earl Township, about four miles north of the Hershey meetinghouse. The Red Well meetinghouse was built in 1899, but the mission ended in 1929. Hershey also launched the Meadville Mennonite Church in 1950. It was located on the southern slope of the Welsh Mountain in Salisbury Township. Hershey had begun a Sunday school there in 1935 in a local schoolhouse. In 1955, Hershey started a Summer Bible School in 1955 in a former Presbyterian church. A separate congregation was established in 1967.

The first sewing circle at Hershey began in 1918 with Sara Hershey as president. Summer Bible School began in 1947.

Bibliography

Eby, Martin Christian. History of the Hershey Mennonite Church of Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Kinzers, Pa.: The Church, 1978, 1990 reprint.

Gehman, Janet and Kate Lab. "Hershey Mennonite Church." Hershey Mennonite Church. 2021. Web. 6 May 2025. https://www.hersheymennonitechurch.org/about.

Ruth, John L. The Earth is the Lord's: a narrative history of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001: 361, 414, 657-658, 1138-1169.

Weaver, Martin G. Mennonites of Lancaster Conference: containing biographical sketches of Mennonite leaders, histories of congregations, missions, and Sunday schools, record of ordinations, and other interesting historical data. Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House, 1931. Reprinted Ephrata, PA: Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church Publication Board, 1982: 47-59, 73-78, 85-88. Available in full electronic text at https://archive.org/details/mennonitesoflanc00weav_0/page/n3/mode/2up.

Additional Information

Address: 401 Hershey Church Road, Kinzers, Pennsylvania 17535

Telephone: 717-768-3150

Website: https://www.hersheymennonitechurch.org/

Denominational Affiliations:

LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches

Mennonite Church USA (Until 2017)

Pastoral Leaders at Hershey Mennonite Church

Name Years
of Service
Christian Hess (1757-1816) By 1800-1816
Joseph Horst (1774-1856) ca. 1795-1856
Peter Eby (1765-1843)
(Bishop)		 1800?-1804?
1804?-1843
Joseph Hershey (1791-1856)
(Bishop)		 ca.1815-1850
1850-1856
Samuel Wenger (1804-1879) 1838-1879
Jacob Hershey (1803-1883) 1843-1881
Jacob R. Hershey (1817-1910) 1858-1890s?
Isaac W. Eby (1834-1910)
(Bishop)		 1876-1878
1878-1910
John K. Ranck (1840-1896) 1878-1896
David M. Hostetter (1836-1899) 1886-1899
Amos H. Hoover (1852-1941) 1895-1941
Christian M. Brackbill (1853-1936)
(Bishop)		 1896-1910
1910-1936
John B. Senger (1850-1932) 1900-1932
Jacob H. Mellinger (1866-1934) 1911-1934
Abram L. Martin (1881-1946)
(Bishop)		 1913-1921
1921-1946
Ira L. Hershey (1868-1940) 1920-1940
Charles E. Hershey (1884-1964) 1926-1934
Martin R. Hershey (1882-1974) 1934-1974
Sanford E. Hershey (1921-2008) 1949-1980
Clair J. Hershey (1919-2008) 1964-1987
Glenn C. Hershey (1947- ) 1982-2002?
Andrew M. Hershey 1988-1998?
Ramoktoshi Imchen 2002-2017
Matthew Krebs 2013-?
Joe Lab 2018-

Hershey Mennonite Church Membership

Year Members
1913 260
1920 382
1930 1051
In District
1940 1004
In District
1950 223
1960 164
1970 140
1980 130
1990 123
2000 124
2009 115

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

By Ira D. Landis. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 715. All rights reserved.

Hershey Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church (MC)), originally known as the Hess Church, located in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a member of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Christian Hess, Jr., and Abraham Hershey were the trustees who purchased the land for the first meetinghouse in 1814, which was used both as a school and as a church.

The second church was built by 1837, and a new brick one on the present site in 1862, which was replaced by the fourth church in 1879, remodeled during the winter of 1947-1948. It was a part of the Pequea ministerial circuit almost to the present. It is now a part of the Old Road-Meadville circuit, but gradually it is becoming a separate congregation. Peter Eby was the first bishop when the congregation still worshiped in homes. In 1953 G. Parke Book was the bishop; Martin R. and Sanford E. Hershey the ministers; and Willis L. Hershey with his father Landis Hershey, deacons; the membership was 196. Meadville and the Intercourse Mission Sunday School, begun 50 years earlier, were outgrowths of this congregation.


Author(s) Samuel J Steiner
Date Published May 2025

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "Hershey Mennonite Church (Kinzers, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2025. Web. 12 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hershey_Mennonite_Church_(Kinzers,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=180652.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (May 2025). Hershey Mennonite Church (Kinzers, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 12 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hershey_Mennonite_Church_(Kinzers,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=180652.



©1996-2026 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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