New York Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)

1990 Article

In the late 1960s and early 1970s lay and pastoral leaders with intense desire to mobilize human resources for mission efforts formed a fellowship of 16 congregations from four different conferences, Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference (1), Lancaster Mennonite Conference (4), Mennonite Conference of Ontario [and Quebec] (1) Conservative Mennonite Conference (8), and two emerging house fellowships. Organizational structures established in 1973, were to facilitate fellowship and local mission projects while all other church polity questions remained with the established conferences.

The resources needed by newly emerging churches eventually encouraged the New York Mennonite Conference (known as the NYS Fellowship until the early 1990s)(to undertake all conference functions. (The State of New York prohibits the use of "New York State" in titles of non-government organizations; hence the name NYS Fellowship rather than New York State Fellowship.) In 1987 17 congregations with 1,007 members looked to the fellowship for all conference functions, and 6 conservative Mennonite congregations, (1,026 members), maintained dual affiliation. A delegate assembly with an executive committee is responsible for policies and direction. A ministerial committee was responsible for the credentials and nurture of pastoral leaders. An executive secretary carried out administrative tasks and served as a resource for affiliated congregations. In 2005 there were 1,304 members in 17 congregations.

2010 Update

In 2010 the following 15 congregations were members of the New York Mennonite Conference:

Congregation	City	State
Alden Mennonite Church	Alden	New York
Bethsaida Evangelical Church	Rochester	New York
Chenunda Creek Fellowship	Genesee	Pennsylvania
Clarence Center-Akron Mennonite Church	Akron	New York
Community Mennonite Fellowship of Corning	Corning	New York
Community of Faith	Williamson	New York
First Mennonite Church	Lowville	New York
Jesus Church	Avoca	New York
Lowville Mennonite Church	Lowville	New York
Pine Grove Mennonite Church	Castorland	New York
Pleasant Valley Mennonite Church	Hammondsport	New York
Rochester Area Mennonite Fellowship	Rochester	New York
Sojourners Mennonite Fellowship	Belfast	New York
Watertown Mennonite Church	Watertown	New York
Yorks Corners Mennonite Church	Wellsville	New York

Bibliography

Horsch, James E., ed. Mennonite Yearbook and Directory. Scottdale: Mennonite Publishing House (1986-87): 75-76.

Mennonite Church USA. Directory (2005): 81-83.

Author(s)	Menno Heinrichs
Date Published	July 2010

Cite This Article

MLA style

Heinrichs, Menno. "New York Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2010. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_York_Mennonite_Conference_(Mennonite_Church_USA)&oldid=116450.

APA style

Heinrichs, Menno. (July 2010). New York Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_York_Mennonite_Conference_(Mennonite_Church_USA)&oldid=116450.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 642. All rights reserved.

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