Moyer, Manasses S. (1845-1903)
Manasses S. Moyer, a leader in the General Conference Mennonite Church in its formative years, was born in Springfield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on 25 September 1845, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Shelly Moyer. After teaching in schools in Pennsylvania he attended the Wadsworth Mennonite School at Wadsworth, Ohio. Then he taught English at this school in 1871-1875. He also taught at Sonnenberg, Wayne County, Ohio; Bluffton, Ohio; and Lee County, Iowa. He was married to Anna M. Eyman in Iowa on 19 April 1874. Five children grew to adulthood.
Most of his active life Moyer served in the ministry. He was ordained in 1873 and served as assistant to Ephraim Hunsberger, the pastor at Wadsworth. In 1878 he was called to the Bethel Mennonite Church, in Moniteau County, Missouri, USA), and was ordained elder in 1879. In 1901 he accepted a call from the newly formed Mennonite church at Deer Creek, Oklahoma, serving until his death. He was active in the work of the General Conference, serving on the Home Mission Committee for a number of years. He also was a member of the Foreign Mission Board 1899-1903. He died on 3 December 1903.
Three character traits stand out in the accounts of Moyer's life. He was a tactful leader. In some of the internal difficulties in the Mennonite school at Wadsworth he was recognized as a leader of even temperament and wisdom. He had a conservative disposition, which was noticed at board sessions. He was a man of action when he arrived at a decision.
Bibliography
Krehbiel, H. P. The History of the General Conference of the Mennonites of North America. n.p., 1898.
Mennonite Year Book and Almanac. Quakertown, PA, 1905.
| Author(s) | Paul R Shelly |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1957 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Shelly, Paul R. "Moyer, Manasses S. (1845-1903)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Moyer,_Manasses_S._(1845-1903)&oldid=90247.
APA style
Shelly, Paul R. (1957). Moyer, Manasses S. (1845-1903). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Moyer,_Manasses_S._(1845-1903)&oldid=90247.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 763-764. All rights reserved.
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