Newtown Gospel Chapel (Sarasota, Florida, USA)
The Newtown Gospel Chapel of Sarasota, Florida, began in 1952 as a mission outpost among the African Americans of Sarasota. Bible classes followed by Sunday school were conducted for a period of about eight months in this community by the Tuttle Avenue Mennonite Church.
In the winter of 1952-1953, a block building was constructed to seat 200. After this, an addition for Sunday school classes was built. Workers were supplied by the home congregation. In the fall of 1953, Michael Shenk, of Denbigh, Virginia, was called to serve as pastor. He was replaced in 1956 by Mervin Shirk, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The attendance averaged 75 in 1956. There were 12 baptized members and several more under instruction at that time. The program made progress among the African-American people and overcame many barriers.
Newtown Gospel Chapel was initially under the Virginia Mennonite Conference, but became a member of the Southeast Mennonite Conference when that conference formed in 1973. It was also a member of the African American Mennonite Association.
In August 1976, the congregation bought a larger church building that had been for sale for a number of years.
In 2018, the Southeast Mennonite Conference withdrew from Mennonite Church USA. Subsequently, it became a bishop district of LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches. Newtown Gospel Chapel was part of this transition.
Bibliography
Lehman, Martin W. Roots & Branches: a Narrative History of the Amish and Mennonites in Southeast United States, 1892-1992, 2 vols. Telford, Pa.: Cascadia Publishing Company, 2010-2011: v. 1: 115-117, 120, 123, 127-130, 178-179; v. 2: 38, 170-171.
Additional Information
Address: 1815 Gillespie Avenue, Sarasota, Florida
Telephone:
Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584451040757#
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2018)
Pastoral Leaders at Newtown Gospel Chapel
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Myron S. Augsburger | 1952-1953 |
| Henry "Michael" Shenk | 1953-1956 |
| Mervin F. Shirk (1926-2000) | 1956-1966 1970-1981 |
| Ira "I. Mark" Ross (1904-1976) | 1966-1968 |
| Joseph M. Esh (1925-1996) | 1968- |
| Michael Burgman (Assistant) | 1979-1980s |
| George Kates | 1982-1985 1990-2002 |
| Morris Hatton | 1985-1989 |
| Walter Lewis Crawford | 2002-2010s |
| Alvin J. Singleton (Deacon) | 2010s-2024 |
| Justin Dillard | 2024- |
Newtown Gospel Chapel Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1956 | 11 |
| 1960 | 22 |
| 1970 | 40 |
| 1980 | 55 |
| 1990 | 30 |
| 2000 | 30 |
| 2009 | 56 |
| Author(s) | Myron S. Augsburger |
|---|---|
| Samuel J. Steiner | |
| Date Published | January 2026 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Augsburger, Myron S. and Samuel J. Steiner. "Newtown Gospel Chapel (Sarasota, Florida, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2026. Web. 12 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Newtown_Gospel_Chapel_(Sarasota,_Florida,_USA)&oldid=181412.
APA style
Augsburger, Myron S. and Samuel J. Steiner. (January 2026). Newtown Gospel Chapel (Sarasota, Florida, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 12 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Newtown_Gospel_Chapel_(Sarasota,_Florida,_USA)&oldid=181412.
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