First Mennonite Church (Madrid, Nebraska, USA)

In 1924 a number of Mennonite families of General Conference and Bruderthaler backgrounds moved onto farms north and east of the village of Madrid, Nebraska. By 1928 these Mennonites formed a congregation and for $1,750 purchased the empty Methodist Church building which was located in Madrid. Herbert Peters was the first minister appointed in March 1929. However, only a few months later he left and there arose strong difference between General Conference and Bruderthaler families over choosing the next leader with the result that most Bruderthaler families left to join the nearby Paxton Mennonite Brethren Church.

Later in October 1929 John Bartel was called to serve the congregation and in 1930 the congregation chose the name: "First Mennonite Church of Madrid." They joined the Northern District Conference in 1931 and the General Conference Mennonite Church in 1935.

Though the founding language was German in 1935 the decision was made to conduct all business in English though preaching in German continued until 1937 with sermons preached in different languages on alternative Sundays. The financing of the church began in 1928 with a system of annual dues at $2.00 per member. In 1929 this was increased with additions of $1.00 per 80 acres of land owned or $0.50 on 80 acres of rented land. Then in 1939 this was changed to freewill offerings.

In 1964 the Paxton Mennonite Brethren Church which was in a rural location south of the town of Paxton, Nebraska needed a new building and since a number of their families had moved west to the Madrid area they decided to build in the town of Grant, Nebraska. This new church was renamed the Grant Mennonite Brethren Church and was located just 16 km. directly west of Madrid. By 1967 the members of the First Mennonite Church of Madrid decided to join with this Grant MB church and they closed their building.

In 2021 it was noted that the First Mennonite Church building in Madrid which had been located on the south east corner of Whittier St. and Perkins Ave. had been demolished sometime in the past. The Church did not have an attached cemetery but the village cemetery is about ¾ km. south of Madrid and west off Road 338.

Bibliography

Krehbiel, H. P. The history of the General Conference of the Mennonites of North America, 2 vols. Canton, OH; Newton, KS: The Author, 1898-1938: v. 2, 550.

Kuhlmann, Paul. "A Brief History of the Mennonites on Nebraska." Master of Arts Thesis, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1953. 156pp. (Accessed at: : https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork

Sperling, Kathy Penner. "History of the Paxton Mennonite Brethren Church & Grant M B Church now New Life Fellowship." 2013. Web. 16 March 2014. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sperling/paxton.html.

Additional Information

Denominational Affiliations:

Northern District Conference (1931-1967)

General Conference Mennonite Church (1935-1967)

First Mennonite Church Madrid Pastoral Leaders

Minister	Years of service
Herbert Peters	1929
John Bartel	1929-1934?
John Warkentin	1934-1937
Nick Jansen	1924-1937
J.E. Sawatsky	1938-1943
Alvin Fast	1944
John Unruh	1945-1947
J. P. Glanzer	1948-1950
Paul Dahlenburg	1951-1957
B. H. Janzen	1958-1966

First Mennonite Church Madrid Membership

Year	Members
1928	28 (charter members)
	.
1950	40
1956	42
	.

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

By Melvin Gingerich. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p.1104. All rights reserved.

First Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite) in Madrid, Nebraska, was organized in 1927 and worships in a meeting house purchased from the Methodists in 1928. The church joined the General Conference Mennonite Church in August 1935 with 50 members.

The congregation had 36 members in 1958 and B. H. Janzen was its pastor.

Author(s)	Victor G Wiebe
Date Published	February 2021

Cite This Article

MLA style

Wiebe, Victor G. "First Mennonite Church (Madrid, Nebraska, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2021. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=First_Mennonite_Church_(Madrid,_Nebraska,_USA)&oldid=170014.

APA style

Wiebe, Victor G. (February 2021). First Mennonite Church (Madrid, Nebraska, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=First_Mennonite_Church_(Madrid,_Nebraska,_USA)&oldid=170014.

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