Bethel Mennonite Church (Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Bethel Mennonite Mission began in 1959 as an outreach to African-Americans in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Markley H. Clemmer (1911-1984), pastor at First Mennonite Church in Norristown, provided the initial pastoral leadership for the mission.
In the mid-1960s congregational leadership began to be shared with African-American pastors, including Arthur Jackson, Hubert Brown and Arthur J. Griffin. In about 1973 Herman Douglas joined the team, and began the lead minister.
For most of its life, the congregation owned a church on Thomas Street in Norristown.
In 1990, at the initiative of Pastor Ertell W. Whigham, Bethel merged with First Mennonite Church and Fuente de Salvación, to form a multi-cultural and bilingual congregation known as Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Mennonite Church. The sale of the First Mennonite and Bethel buildings helped to finance purchase of a new facility on East Marshall Street.
Bibliography
Good, Sheldon C. "On a winding path, Franconia minister found community." Mennonite World Review 6 June 2011. Web. 4 October 2016. http://www.mennoworld.org/archived/2011/6/6/winding-path-franconia-minister-found-community/?print=1
Mennonite Yearbook (1959-1990)
Additional Information
Address: 849 Thomas Street, Norristown, Pennsylvania
Phone:
Website
Denominational Affiliations:
Franconia Mennonite Conference
Bethel Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Markley H. Clemmer | 1959-1973 |
| Arthur Jackson | 1964-1966 |
| Hubert Brown | 1966-1969 |
| Arthur J. Griffin | 1972-1975 |
| Herman W. Douglas | 1973-1985 |
| Ertell M. Whigham | 1985-1990 |
Bethel Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 1 |
| 1975 | 42 |
| 1985 | 40 |
| Author(s) | Sam Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | October 2016 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Sam. "Bethel Mennonite Church (Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2016. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethel_Mennonite_Church_(Norristown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=136149.
APA style
Steiner, Sam. (October 2016). Bethel Mennonite Church (Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethel_Mennonite_Church_(Norristown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=136149.
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