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The First Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), [[Bluffton (Ohio, USA)|Bluffton]], [[Ohio (State)|Ohio]], is one of the four congregations comprising the Swiss Mennonite community about [[Bluffton (Ohio, USA)|Bluffton]], was member of the [[Middle District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church)|Middle District Conference]] (now [[Central District Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Central District Conference]]). By 1900 a number of families of the settlement had moved into the village to enter different lines of business. They soon organized a special Sunday school for the town members, and later held occasional preaching services, first in the afternoons in the Lutheran church, and later in a rented up-town business building. By 1906 the congregation had grown large enough to justify a special building, and a building was erected. It remained a part of the large Swiss congregation, however, and was served by the same ministers. By 1918 it asked for a separate organization, and a separate full-time minister was secured. Elmer Basinger was the first to serve in this capacity, to be succeeded in the years to follow by S. M. Musselman, A. S. Shelley, A. E. Kreider, H. T. Unruh, J. N. Smucker, and Alvin Beachy, the pastor in 1952. The 1952 membership was 527; in 2004 it was 561.
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=1953|a1_last=Smith|a1_first=C. Henry|a2_last= |a2_first= }}
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First Mennonite Church in [[Bluffton (Ohio, USA)|Bluffton]], [[Ohio (USA)|Ohio]], USA was part of the larger [[Bluffton (Ohio, USA)|Swiss Mennonite congregation]] in and around Bluffton. On 21 April 1895 members living in Bluffton first held a Sunday school in the Lutheran Church on Sunday afternoon. Soon regular worship services commenced there on Sunday evenings. 
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In 1902 services moved from the Lutheran church to the second floor of the Moses Steiner block. Soon Mennonite residents in Bluffton requested a building in town to match the [[Ebenezer Mennonite Church (Bluffton, Ohio, USA)|Ebenezer]] and [[St. John Mennonite Church (Pandora, Ohio, USA)|St. John]] buildings located outside of town. On 1 April 1906 the Swiss Mennonite congregation dedicated the church building in Bluffton modeled on the Methodist church building in Forest, Ohio. The completed building cost $18,000 and held 1200 persons. The congregation completed additions to the building in 1957-58 and 1992-93.
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First Mennonite remained part of the larger Swiss Mennonite congregation until 1 April 1918 when a vote approved the formation of First Mennonite as a separate congregation with its own independent organization and its own pastor. It also began to provide a parsonage for its pastor, initially in a home donated to the church by Peter S. and Catherine Thut.
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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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Raid, Howard. ''First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, Ohio: the Home of 90 Years of Worship and Service.'' Bluffton, Ohio: The Church, 1996.
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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 =
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'''Address''': 101 South Jackson Street, Bluffton, Ohio 45817
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'''Phone''': 419-358-5766
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'''Website''': http://fmcbluffton.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 and its predecessors ==
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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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| [[Moser, John (1826-1908)|John Moser]] (1826-1908) || 1853-1908
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|-
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| Christian Zimmerly (1841-1916) || 1876-1900
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|-
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| Benjamin Diller (1845-1919) || 1881-1919
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|-
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| Friedrich Zeller (1820-1903) || 1891-1903
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|-
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| [[Baer, John B. (1854-1939)|John B. Baer]] (1854-1939) || 1894-1909
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|-
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| Christian Hege (1878-1971) || 1904-1909
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|-
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| [[Gottshall, William Shelly (1865-1941)|William S. Gottshall]] (1865-1941) || 1909-1924
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|-
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| Elmer Basinger (1882-1958)(Assistant) || 1912-1918
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|-
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| [[Shelly, Anthony S. (1853-1928)|Anthony S. Shelly]] (1853-1928) || 1918-1920
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|-
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| Samuel M. Musselman (1875-1938) || 1920-1931
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|-
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| [[Kreider, Amos E. (1889-1976)|Amos E. Kreider]] (1889-1976) || 1931-1935
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|-
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| Henry T. Unruh (1885-1976) || 1936-1942
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|-
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| Jesse N. Smucker (1893-1983) || 1942-1950
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|-
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| [[Beachy, Alvin J. (1913-1986)|Alvin J. Beachy]] (1913-1986) || 1950-1956
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|-
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| Jacob T. Friesen (1919-2020) || 1956-1967
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|-
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| E. Stanley Bohn || 1968-1975
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|-
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| Ellis Graber (1916-1989) || 1976-1983
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|-
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| Melvin Schmidt || 1984-1993
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|-
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| Dorothy Nickel Friesen || 1995-2003
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|-
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| Douglas R. Luginbill (Associate) || 1995?-2002
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|-
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| John L. Schrock (Associate) || 2000-2005
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|-
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| Steven J. Yoder (1955-2016) || 2003?-2016
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|-
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| Louise R. Wideman (Co-Pastor) || 2002-2014
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|-
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| Gloria Hernandez Bucher (Interim)  || 2014-2015
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|-
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| Lavon Welty (Interim) || 2014-2015
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|-
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| George O’Reilly (Associate) || 2016-?
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|-
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| Wanda S. Stopher  || 2015-2021
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|-
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| Jeff N. Boehr (Interim) || 2020-present
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|-
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| Theda Good || 2018-2020
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|-
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| Phil Yoder || 2022-present
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|-
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| Carrie Mast (Interim) || 2022-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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| 1930 || 443
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|-
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| 1940 || 464
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|-
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| 1950 || 512
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|-
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| 1960 || 478
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|-
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| 1970 || 647
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|-
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| 1980 || 661
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|-
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| 1990 || 558
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|-
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| 2000 || 523
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|-
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| 2007 || 561
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|-
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| 2020 || 300
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|}
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= Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article =
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By [[Smith, C. Henry (1875-1948)|C. Henry Smith]]. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from ''Mennonite Encyclopedia'', Vol. 1, p. 371. All rights reserved.
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The First Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), Bluffton, Ohio, is one of the four congregations comprising the Swiss Mennonite community about Bluffton, was member of the [[Middle District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church)|Middle District Conference]] (now [[Central District Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Central District Conference]]). By 1900 a number of families of the settlement had moved into the village to enter different lines of business. They soon organized a special Sunday school for the town members, and later held occasional preaching services, first in the afternoons in the Lutheran church, and later in a rented up-town business building. By 1906 the congregation had grown large enough to justify a special building, and a building was erected. It remained a part of the large Swiss congregation, however, and was served by the same ministers. By 1918 it asked for a separate organization, and a separate full-time minister was secured. Elmer Basinger was the first to serve in this capacity, to be succeeded in the years to follow by S. M. Musselman, A. S. Shelly, A. E. Kreider, H. T. Unruh, J. N. Smucker, and Alvin Beachy, the pastor in 1952. The 1952 membership was 527.
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=September 2022|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Samuel J|a2_last=|a2_first=}}
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[[Category:Churches]]
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[[Category:Central District Conference Congregations]]
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[[Category:Central District Mennonite Conference Congregations]]
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[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
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[[Category:General Conference Mennonite Church Congregations]]
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[[Category:Ohio Congregations]]
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[[Category:United States Congregations]]

Latest revision as of 10:47, 6 September 2022

First Mennonite Church in Bluffton, Ohio, USA was part of the larger Swiss Mennonite congregation in and around Bluffton. On 21 April 1895 members living in Bluffton first held a Sunday school in the Lutheran Church on Sunday afternoon. Soon regular worship services commenced there on Sunday evenings.

In 1902 services moved from the Lutheran church to the second floor of the Moses Steiner block. Soon Mennonite residents in Bluffton requested a building in town to match the Ebenezer and St. John buildings located outside of town. On 1 April 1906 the Swiss Mennonite congregation dedicated the church building in Bluffton modeled on the Methodist church building in Forest, Ohio. The completed building cost $18,000 and held 1200 persons. The congregation completed additions to the building in 1957-58 and 1992-93.

First Mennonite remained part of the larger Swiss Mennonite congregation until 1 April 1918 when a vote approved the formation of First Mennonite as a separate congregation with its own independent organization and its own pastor. It also began to provide a parsonage for its pastor, initially in a home donated to the church by Peter S. and Catherine Thut.

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

Bibliography

Raid, Howard. First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, Ohio: the Home of 90 Years of Worship and Service. Bluffton, Ohio: The Church, 1996.

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

Additional Information

Address: 101 South Jackson Street, Bluffton, Ohio 45817

Phone: 419-358-5766

Website: http://fmcbluffton.org/

Denominational Affiliations: Central District Conference Conference

Mennonite Church USA

Pastoral Leaders at First Mennonite Church and its predecessors

Name Years
of Service
John Moser (1826-1908) 1853-1908
Christian Zimmerly (1841-1916) 1876-1900
Benjamin Diller (1845-1919) 1881-1919
Friedrich Zeller (1820-1903) 1891-1903
John B. Baer (1854-1939) 1894-1909
Christian Hege (1878-1971) 1904-1909
William S. Gottshall (1865-1941) 1909-1924
Elmer Basinger (1882-1958)(Assistant) 1912-1918
Anthony S. Shelly (1853-1928) 1918-1920
Samuel M. Musselman (1875-1938) 1920-1931
Amos E. Kreider (1889-1976) 1931-1935
Henry T. Unruh (1885-1976) 1936-1942
Jesse N. Smucker (1893-1983) 1942-1950
Alvin J. Beachy (1913-1986) 1950-1956
Jacob T. Friesen (1919-2020) 1956-1967
E. Stanley Bohn 1968-1975
Ellis Graber (1916-1989) 1976-1983
Melvin Schmidt 1984-1993
Dorothy Nickel Friesen 1995-2003
Douglas R. Luginbill (Associate) 1995?-2002
John L. Schrock (Associate) 2000-2005
Steven J. Yoder (1955-2016) 2003?-2016
Louise R. Wideman (Co-Pastor) 2002-2014
Gloria Hernandez Bucher (Interim) 2014-2015
Lavon Welty (Interim) 2014-2015
George O’Reilly (Associate) 2016-?
Wanda S. Stopher 2015-2021
Jeff N. Boehr (Interim) 2020-present
Theda Good 2018-2020
Phil Yoder 2022-present
Carrie Mast (Interim) 2022-present

Membership at First Mennonite Church

Year Membership
1930 443
1940 464
1950 512
1960 478
1970 647
1980 661
1990 558
2000 523
2007 561
2020 300

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

By C. Henry Smith. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 371. All rights reserved.

The First Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), Bluffton, Ohio, is one of the four congregations comprising the Swiss Mennonite community about Bluffton, was member of the Middle District Conference (now Central District Conference). By 1900 a number of families of the settlement had moved into the village to enter different lines of business. They soon organized a special Sunday school for the town members, and later held occasional preaching services, first in the afternoons in the Lutheran church, and later in a rented up-town business building. By 1906 the congregation had grown large enough to justify a special building, and a building was erected. It remained a part of the large Swiss congregation, however, and was served by the same ministers. By 1918 it asked for a separate organization, and a separate full-time minister was secured. Elmer Basinger was the first to serve in this capacity, to be succeeded in the years to follow by S. M. Musselman, A. S. Shelly, A. E. Kreider, H. T. Unruh, J. N. Smucker, and Alvin Beachy, the pastor in 1952. The 1952 membership was 527.


Author(s) Samuel J Steiner
Date Published September 2022

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "First Mennonite Church (Bluffton, Ohio, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2022. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=First_Mennonite_Church_(Bluffton,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=174171.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (September 2022). First Mennonite Church (Bluffton, Ohio, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=First_Mennonite_Church_(Bluffton,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=174171.



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

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