Difference between revisions of "Leetonia Mennonite Church (Leetonia, Ohio, USA)"

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In November 2017 the Leetonia congregation voted to leave the [[Ohio Mennonite Conference|Ohio Conference]] and [[Mennonite Church USA]], and to become part of the Evana Network.
 
In November 2017 the Leetonia congregation voted to leave the [[Ohio Mennonite Conference|Ohio Conference]] and [[Mennonite Church USA]], and to become part of the Evana Network.
 
= Bibliography =
 
= Bibliography =
 +
Beaver Township Bicentennial Committee. ''Bicentennial History of Beaver Township 1976''. North Lima, Ohio: Beaver Township Bicentennial Committee, 1976.
 +
 
"Release of congregations." ''Ohio Mennonite Evangel'' (March-April 2018): 3, 5.
 
"Release of congregations." ''Ohio Mennonite Evangel'' (March-April 2018): 3, 5.
−
{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 3, p. 308|date=1957|a1_last=Umble|a1_first=John S|a2_last= |a2_first= }}
+
 
 +
Stoltzfus, Grant M. ''Mennonites of the Ohio and Eastern Conference: from the colonial period in Pennsylvania to 1968''. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1969: 42-49, 218-219, 343-397.
 +
 
 +
Umble, John Sylvanus. ''Ohio Mennonite Sunday Schools''. Goshen, Ind.: Mennonite Historical Society, Goshen College, 1941: 359-376.
 +
= Additional Information =
 +
'''Address''': 764 Columbia Street, Leetonia, Ohio 44431
 +
 
 +
'''Telephone''': 330-427-6827
 +
 
 +
'''Website''': https://www.leetoniamennonitechurch.com/
 +
 
 +
'''Denominational Affiliations''':
 +
 
 +
Evana Network
 +
== Pastoral Leaders at Midway Mennonite Church ==
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Name !! Years<br/>of Service
 +
|-
 +
| [[Oberholtzer, Jacob (1767-1847)|Jacob Oberholtzer]] (1767-1847)(Bishop) || 1806-1834
 +
|-
 +
| [[Nold, Jacob (1765-1834)|Jacob Nold]] (1765-1834)(Bishop) || 1817-1834
 +
|-
 +
| Matthias Tintsman (1768?-1832) || 1819-1830
 +
|-
 +
| John Shank (1798-1858) || 1827-1858
 +
|-
 +
| Jacob Christophel (1783-1868) || 1827-1848
 +
|-
 +
| John Blosser (1780-1864) || 1827?-1864
 +
|-
 +
| Henry Stauffer (1781-1851)<br />(Bishop) || 1815-1834<br />1834-1851
 +
|-
 +
| [[Wisler, Jacob (1808-1889)|Jacob Wisler]] (1808-1889) || 1833-1848
 +
|-
 +
| Samuel Good (1810-1883) || 1848-1872
 +
|-
 +
| Rudolph Blosser (1809-1852) || 1848?-1852
 +
|-
 +
| John Blosser (1802-1866) || 1852?-1866
 +
|-
 +
| Peter Basinger (1812-1901) || 1854-1901
 +
|-
 +
| Joseph S. Bixler (1813-1895)(Bishop) || 1864-1895
 +
|-
 +
| Jacob Kolb (1808-1880)(Bishop) || 1866-1880
 +
|-
 +
| John Burkholder (1838-1909)<br />(Bishop) || 1879-1886<br />1886-1909
 +
|-
 +
| Jacob Stauffer ( 1832-1899) || 1882-1899
 +
|-
 +
| Allen Rickert (1848-1933) || 1892-1933
 +
|-
 +
| David L. Lehman (1851-1940) || 1894-1940
 +
|-
 +
| [[Whitmer, Paul Emmons (1876-1966)|Paul E. Whitmer]] (1976-1966) || 1901-1903
 +
|-
 +
| Enos M. Detweiler (1868-1936) || 1904-1936
 +
|-
 +
| [[Steiner, Albert James (1876-1965)|Albert "A. J." Steiner]] (1876-1965)<br />(Bishop) || 1908-1910<br />1910-1948
 +
|-
 +
| Abraham B. Burkholder (1850-1941) || 1910s-1920s
 +
|-
 +
| Isaac B. Witmer (1865-1958) || 1915-1958
 +
|-
 +
| Paul R. Yoder (1897-1990) || 1925-1948
 +
|-
 +
| Stephen A. Yoder (1889-1991)<br />(Bishop) || 1927-1950<br />1950-1961
 +
|-
 +
| David C. Steiner (1905-1986) || 1939-1948
 +
|-
 +
| John Paul Oyer (1930-1989) || 1954-1961
 +
|-
 +
| Allen B. Ebersole (1906-1994) || 1961-1973
 +
|-
 +
| Rod Weber || 1970-1972
 +
|-
 +
| Leonard D. Hershey (1934-2003) || 1974-1990
 +
|-
 +
| Robert D. Yoder (1951- ) || 1990-2004
 +
|-
 +
| Thomas L. Michaels (Interim) || 2005?-2006?
 +
|-
 +
| Timothy J. Schultz || 2006-2009
 +
|-
 +
| Phil Slabaugh || 2010-2023
 +
|-
 +
| Wayne Morgret (Interim) || 2023-
 +
|}
 +
== Midway Mennonite Church Membership ==
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
 +
|-
 +
! Year !! Members
 +
|-
 +
| 1905 || 245<br />In District
 +
|-
 +
| 1913 || 357<br />In District
 +
|-
 +
| 1920 || 335<br />In District
 +
|-
 +
| 1930 || 397<br />In District
 +
|-
 +
| 1940 || 420<br />In District
 +
|-
 +
| 1950 || 111
 +
|-
 +
| 1960 || 105
 +
|-
 +
| 1970 || 101
 +
|-
 +
| 1980 || 102
 +
|-
 +
| 1990 || 93
 +
|-
 +
| 2000 || 116
 +
|-
 +
| 2009 || 78
 +
|-
 +
| 2025 || 50
 +
|}
 +
{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 3, p. 308|date=October 2025|a1_last=Umble|a1_first=John S.|a2_last=Steiner|a2_first=Samuel J.}}
 
[[Category:Churches]]
 
[[Category:Churches]]
−
[[Category:Ohio Mennonite Conference Congregations]
+
[[Category:Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference Congregations]]
 +
[[Category:Ohio Mennonite Conference Congregations]]
 +
[[Category:Evana Network Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Mennonite Church (MC) Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Mennonite Church (MC) Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
−
[[Category:Evana Network Congregations]]
 
 
[[Category:Ohio Congregations]]
 
[[Category:Ohio Congregations]]
 
[[Category:United States Congregations]]
 
[[Category:United States Congregations]]

Revision as of 11:21, 12 October 2025

Leetonia Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), in Leetonia, Columbiana County, Ohio, is one of three Mennonite churches lying within a 7 miles (12 km) radius and extending across the boundary line of Columbiana and Mahoning counties. In 1954 all were members of the Ohio Mennonite and Eastern Conference (MC). For the first three quarters of a century the three meetinghouses—Metzler's or North Lima and Oberholser's or Midway three or four miles southwest, both in Mahoning County, and Nold's or Leetonia three or four miles south of Midway— served as meeting places for church services for one congregation. This Mennonite settlement was one of the oldest as well as one of the largest in Ohio. Services were held at each church once a month. The fourth Sunday was kept open for visiting. Metzler's was erected in 1824, Oberholser's in 1825, and Leetonia in 1828. Jacob Oberholzer, a Mennonite minister, and his family of 21 children were among the first settlers to arrive in 1807 from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He donated a plot of ground for the first log church. Jacob Nold, also from Bucks County, settled in the southern part of the settlement, organized services there in 1819, and donated the land on which Nold's was erected in 1828. Metzler and other settlers from Lancaster County settled in the northern part, where he donated a plot of ground for Metzler's near North Lima. Bishop Nold and his friends from eastern Pennsylvania were not accustomed to practice the ordinance of feetwashing. But wishing to have fellowship with the other Ohio ministers, Nold made strenuous efforts to persuade his friends to practice the ordinance. He made many visits to the Mennonite settlements extending across northern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, preaching, ordaining ministers, and administering communion.

Beginning in 1892 services were held at Midway every other Sunday for the entire settlement and on the intervening Sundays at both North Lima and Leetonia. Beginning in the 1940s Leetonia had a separate Sunday-school organization and met every Sunday. North Lima and Midway each had its own Sunday-school officers but the entire Sunday school met at the two churches on alternate Sundays. Since about 1950 each of the three has been considered as a separate congregation with not only its own Sunday-school officers and its own ministers but also its own bishop. Following Jacob Nold, Joseph Bixler served as bishop, then John Burkholder, then for many years A. J. Steiner. In the 1940s and 1950s he assisted in the ordination of Paul Yoder, bishop at Midway, his son, David, at North Lima, and Stephen A. Yoder at Leetonia. Communion services were customarily held at Midway in the fall but in 1946 by vote of the Leetonia congregation communion was held there for the first time. The 1954 membership at Leetonia was 113, at Midway 159, and at North Lima 149.

In November 2017 the Leetonia congregation voted to leave the Ohio Conference and Mennonite Church USA, and to become part of the Evana Network.

Bibliography

Beaver Township Bicentennial Committee. Bicentennial History of Beaver Township 1976. North Lima, Ohio: Beaver Township Bicentennial Committee, 1976.

"Release of congregations." Ohio Mennonite Evangel (March-April 2018): 3, 5.

Stoltzfus, Grant M. Mennonites of the Ohio and Eastern Conference: from the colonial period in Pennsylvania to 1968. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1969: 42-49, 218-219, 343-397.

Umble, John Sylvanus. Ohio Mennonite Sunday Schools. Goshen, Ind.: Mennonite Historical Society, Goshen College, 1941: 359-376.

Additional Information

Address: 764 Columbia Street, Leetonia, Ohio 44431

Telephone: 330-427-6827

Website: https://www.leetoniamennonitechurch.com/

Denominational Affiliations:

Evana Network

Pastoral Leaders at Midway Mennonite Church

Name Years
of Service
Jacob Oberholtzer (1767-1847)(Bishop) 1806-1834
Jacob Nold (1765-1834)(Bishop) 1817-1834
Matthias Tintsman (1768?-1832) 1819-1830
John Shank (1798-1858) 1827-1858
Jacob Christophel (1783-1868) 1827-1848
John Blosser (1780-1864) 1827?-1864
Henry Stauffer (1781-1851)
(Bishop)		 1815-1834
1834-1851
Jacob Wisler (1808-1889) 1833-1848
Samuel Good (1810-1883) 1848-1872
Rudolph Blosser (1809-1852) 1848?-1852
John Blosser (1802-1866) 1852?-1866
Peter Basinger (1812-1901) 1854-1901
Joseph S. Bixler (1813-1895)(Bishop) 1864-1895
Jacob Kolb (1808-1880)(Bishop) 1866-1880
John Burkholder (1838-1909)
(Bishop)		 1879-1886
1886-1909
Jacob Stauffer ( 1832-1899) 1882-1899
Allen Rickert (1848-1933) 1892-1933
David L. Lehman (1851-1940) 1894-1940
Paul E. Whitmer (1976-1966) 1901-1903
Enos M. Detweiler (1868-1936) 1904-1936
Albert "A. J." Steiner (1876-1965)
(Bishop)		 1908-1910
1910-1948
Abraham B. Burkholder (1850-1941) 1910s-1920s
Isaac B. Witmer (1865-1958) 1915-1958
Paul R. Yoder (1897-1990) 1925-1948
Stephen A. Yoder (1889-1991)
(Bishop)		 1927-1950
1950-1961
David C. Steiner (1905-1986) 1939-1948
John Paul Oyer (1930-1989) 1954-1961
Allen B. Ebersole (1906-1994) 1961-1973
Rod Weber 1970-1972
Leonard D. Hershey (1934-2003) 1974-1990
Robert D. Yoder (1951- ) 1990-2004
Thomas L. Michaels (Interim) 2005?-2006?
Timothy J. Schultz 2006-2009
Phil Slabaugh 2010-2023
Wayne Morgret (Interim) 2023-

Midway Mennonite Church Membership

Year Members
1905 245
In District
1913 357
In District
1920 335
In District
1930 397
In District
1940 420
In District
1950 111
1960 105
1970 101
1980 102
1990 93
2000 116
2009 78
2025 50


Author(s) John S. Umble
Samuel J. Steiner
Date Published October 2025

Cite This Article

MLA style

Umble, John S. and Samuel J. Steiner. "Leetonia Mennonite Church (Leetonia, Ohio, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2025. Web. 3 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Leetonia_Mennonite_Church_(Leetonia,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=181263.

APA style

Umble, John S. and Samuel J. Steiner. (October 2025). Leetonia Mennonite Church (Leetonia, Ohio, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 3 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Leetonia_Mennonite_Church_(Leetonia,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=181263.



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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 308. All rights reserved.


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

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